January 26, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC):
The New England Fishery Management Council has approved new witch flounder specifications for the 2017-2019 groundfish fishing years. Allocations will be based on an acceptable biological catch (ABC) of 878 metric tons (mt). When adjusted for management uncertainty, the ABC results in an annual catch limit (ACL) of 839 mt. This value is almost double the 441 mt ACL currently in place for the 2016 fishing year, which ends April 30, 2017.
The specifications are part of Framework Adjustment 56 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. The Council approved other framework measures in November (see list next page) but held off on witch flounder specifications pending the completion of a new benchmark stock assessment.
During its Jan. 24-26 meeting in Portsmouth, NH, the Council: (1) received a briefing on the new assessment; (2) made several decisions related to the assessment itself and witch flounder specifications; (3) approved revised 2017-2019 annual catch limits; and (4) voted to submit Framework 56 to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for approval. The target implementation date is May 1, the start of the 2017 fishing year.
The assessment was conducted as part of the 62nd Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW)/Stock Assessment Review Committee (SARC), which wrapped up in December. The SARC and independent peer reviewers concluded that neither the overfished nor overfishing status of the stock could be determined, so both are now considered “unknown.” The model used to conduct the assessment was rejected because it exhibited a problematic retrospective pattern, meaning it tended to underestimate fishing mortality and overestimate biomass. The SARC instead used an “empirical approach” and based its conclusions on: (1) a three-year/six-survey moving average of exploitable biomass estimates; and (2) the mean exploitation rate observed from 2007-2015, which was 0.060.
The Council supported using this empirical approach but noted that the 2018 and 2019 ABCs are likely to change based on the 2017 operational assessment for witch flounder. The Council requested that the operational assessment consider changes to the exploitation rate used under the empirical approach.
Following the witch flounder discussion, the Council voted to submit Framework 56 to NMFS for review. The framework also contains:
- A Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank northern windowpane flounder sub-annual catch limit (sub-ACL) for the scallop fishery;
- A temporary, two-year modification to the existing accountability measure policy for the scallop fishery so that accountability measures only apply when the scallop fishery exceeds its sub-ACL for George Bank yellowtail flounder or northern windowpane flounder and the overall ACL for that stock is also exceeded;
- An increase in the herring midwater trawl fishery’s Georges Bank haddock sub-ACL from 1% to 1.5%; and
- Proposed 2017 U.S./Canada quotas for shared stocks on Georges Bank.
Recreational Measures: In other groundfish related actions, the Council also asked NMFS to consider implementing the following Gulf of Maine cod and haddock recreational fishing measures for the 2017 fishing year. NMFS has the final say on this action, so the Council’s vote is only a recommendation.
- Gulf of Maine cod – zero possession;
- Gulf of Maine haddock – a 12-fish per-person bag limit, a 17” minimum size, and two closed seasons:Sept. 17, 2017-Oct. 31, 2017 closed
March 1, 2018-April 14, 2018 closed
Recreational fishermen have exceeded their 2016 sub-ACLs for both stocks, and three months remain in the fishing year. Preliminary figures indicate that 192% of the Gulf of Maine cod sub-ACL has been harvested and 115% of the recreational fishery’s Gulf of Maine haddock sub-ACL has been taken.
Therefore, based on the best scientific advice available, the Council agreed to recommend zero cod possession for 2017 on all recreational trips by both private and for-hire vessels.
The Council then focused on trying to maximize recreational fishing opportunities on haddock while avoiding impacts on cod.
Southern Windowpane: The Council voted to ask NMFS to consider all possible remediation methods available to put in place a one-year exemption to the pending accountability measures for southern windowpane flounder for fishing year 2017.
Priorities: The Council reviewed its 2017 groundfish priorities, which include, among many other actions: setting ABCs and ACLs for all stocks; supporting operational assessments for all stocks; reviewing groundfish catch in “other” fisheries; revising Atlantic halibut measures; improving the recreational management process for Gulf of Maine cod and haddock; and launching a groundfish monitoring amendment.