The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Statement on 2013 Groundfish Fishery Quota Carryover from John K. Bullard Northeast Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries
GLOUCESTER, Mass. — February 14, 2013 – Today, as I promised the fishing industry I would do, I am announcing our intent to allow carryover of unused 2012 quota into the 2013 fishing year. Current fishery management regulations allow up to 10 percent of unused quota to be carried forward. This provides fishermen with some flexibility on when they fish — so they can avoid bad weather and take advantage of times of year when fish are available and prices are highest.
For all allocated groundfish stocks, except Gulf of Maine cod, where the stock remains in poor condition and there is a high risk of exceeding overfishing limits, we intend to continue to allow fishermen to carryover up to their full 10 percent unused quota in 2013. For Gulf of Maine cod we intend to allow just under 2 percent carryover in 2013 to avoid a risk of exceeding the overfishing limit.
Carryover has become an issue due to the expected precipitous drop in catch limits in 2013. As a result, we want to renew our commitment, as part of a national effort to review the relationship between carryover and annual catch limits. We plan to work with the New England Fishery Management Council to develop measures to factor in carryover explicitly when setting future catch limits.
By allowing carryover we further promote safety at sea and help to mitigate some of the economic impact on the fishing industry of anticipated significant catch limit cuts while still continuing to protect fish stocks. Even with the carryover added to the 2013 quota, we still have sufficient buffers in place to ensure that catches stay below overfishing limits.
We hope that this news makes it clear that NOAA Fisheries remains committed to protecting fish, fishermen and the support businesses that have been integral to many of our coastal communities for centuries.
In collaboration with the council, we will continue to look for flexibility in federal laws, employ innovative technologies and fishing methods and adopt new management measures to fully harvest available healthy groundfish and other fish stocks. Here are some of the other things we are working on to help fishermen in 2013:
• Analyzing what percentage of next year’s monitoring costs could be paid for with available federal funds.
• Considering allowing groundfish fishermen to use smaller mesh trawl gear to more effectively target healthy redfish stocks.
• Proposing an emergency action to suspend temporarily monkfish trip limits in the Northern management area.
• Exploring options to allow sectors access to portions of groundfish closed areas that were closed to address fishing mortality while maintaining closed areas for habitat protection, protecting vulnerable groundfish stocks, spawning stocks and protected species.
• Establishing an exempted fishery for sectors so they don't have to use a groundfish day-at-sea to direct on spiny dogfish in some areas because they only catch a small amount of groundfish.
• Considering measures recommended by the council (Framework 48) that would help mitigate low quotas in 2013 (elimination of dockside monitoring, reduced minimum fish sizes in order to convert discards to landings, and reduced at-sea monitoring on large mesh Southern New England monkfish gillnet trips).
• Continuing, with fishermen’s help, to improve fisheries and marine ecosystem science and the way we communicate that science. For instance, we hope to begin this year, if funds are available, a new flatfish survey using fishing vessels.
NOTIFICATION TO SECTOR MANAGERS
The following was sent to sector managers by Mark Grant, Sector Policy Analyst, National Marine Fisheries Service
Each sector will be allowed to carryover up to 10 percent of its fishing year (FY) 2012 ACE for each allocated stock to FY 2013, except Gulf of Maine (GOM) cod. Each sector will be allowed to carry over up to 1.85 percent of its FY 2012 GOM cod allocation to FY 2013. The reasons for the reduced carryover of GOM cod are that the stock remains in poor condition and the need to avoid exceeding the overfishing limit. By allowing carryover we further promote safety at sea and help to mitigate some of the economic impact of anticipated cuts in catch limits while still continuing to protect fish stocks. Catch limits in 2013, even with the carryover, will be well below overfishing limits.
In 2012 we applied a limited exception in the law that allowed us to reduce, rather than immediately end, overfishing. However, we were very clear that it was not possible to exercise that same flexibility in FY 2013. If 10 percent of the FY 2012 quota, which was higher than it would have been if overfishing was stopped, is carried over, the resulting 2013 catch could exceed the overfishing limit for GOM cod. We have calculated that allowing sectors to carry over up to 1.85 percent of their FY 2012 GOM cod allocation to FY 2013 will not result in FY 2013 catch exceeding the overfishing limit.
We are committed, as part of a national effort, to review the relationship between carryover and annual catch limits. We plan to work with the New England Fishery Management Council to develop measures to factor in carryover explicitly when setting future catch limits.