Saving Seafood

NOAA Requests Comments on a Proposed Rule to Revise the Gulf of Mexico Red Grouper Catch Limits and Catch Targets

January 19, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Key Messages:

•NOAA Fisheries is requesting public comments on a proposed rule for Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources in the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 53) to revise the Gulf of Mexico red grouper sector annual catch limits and sector annual catch targets.

•Amendment 53 would also:

◦ Modify the allocation of Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) red grouper catch between the commercial and recreational sectors,

◦ Specify a new overfishing limit and acceptable biological catch.

•NOAA Fisheries requests your comments regarding the changes the proposed rule would make to Gulf red grouper management in federal waters.  Comments are due by February 18, 2022.

•NOAA Fisheries also published a notice of availability for Amendment 53 and is requesting comments on the amendment.

•Comments on both the proposed rule and amendment will be considered in the final rule.

•Although the most recent red grouper population assessment did not show red grouper was undergoing overfishing (too many fish being caught) or being overfished (the populations is too low), the assessment did find the population was below a level that could support the optimal harvest.

•Additionally, there is evidence the red grouper population was hurt by recent red tide events along the west Florida shelf.

Summary of Proposed Changes in Proposed Rule and Amendment 53:

•Revise the Gulf red grouper allocation from 76% commercial and 24% recreational, to 59.3% commercial and 40.7% recreational.

•Revise the recreational annual catch target buffer from 8% to 9%.

•Revise the overfishing limit, acceptable biological catch, sector annual catch limits, and sector annual catch targets as indicated in Table 1 below.

Table 1.  Current and proposed overfishing limit (OFL), acceptable biological catch (ABC), population annual catch limit (ACL), sector ACLs, and sector annual catch targets (ACT) in million pounds gutted weight.  Note that current recreational ACLs and ACTs are in Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) Coastal Household Telephone Survey (CHTS) units and the proposed recreational ACLs and ACTs are in MRIP Fishing Effort Survey (MRIP-FES) units.  The reduction shows the percent change in the proposed commercial and recreational ACLs and ACTs (recreational values are in MRIP-FES units).

 

OFL

ABC

Population ACL

Commercial ACL

Recreational ACL

Commercial ACT (quota)

Recreational ACT

Current

14.16

13.92

4.16

3.16

1.00

3.00

0.92

MRIP-FES equivalent

(5.26)

(2.10)

(1.93)

Proposed

4.66

4.26

4.26

2.53

1.73

2.40

1.57

Reduction

19%

20%

18%

20%

19%

How to Comment On the Proposed Rule:

The comment period for the proposed rule is open now through February 18, 2022.  You may submit comments by electronic submission or by postal mail.  Comments sent by any other method (such as e-mail), to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered by NOAA Fisheries.

Formal Federal Register Name/Number:  87 FR 2737, published January 19, 2022.

Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.

1.Go to: https://www.regulations.gov/document/NOAA-NMFS-2021-0098-0037

2.Click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields.

3.Enter or attach your comments.

Mail: Submit written comments to Peter Hood, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is NOAA Fisheries announcing today?

•NOAA Fisheries is announcing a public comment period for a proposed rule to revise the Gulf red grouper sector annual catch limits and annual catch targets.

•The comment period is open from January 19, 2021, through February 18, 2022.

•This action sets the red grouper sector specific annual catch limits and annual catch targets consistent with the Gulf Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee’s recommendations.

What are the proposed sector catch limits and catch targets and how were they determined?

•The sector annual catch limits were determined by applying the new allocation of 59.3% commercial and 40.7% recreational to the population annual catch limit.

•For the commercial sector, the annual catch target was maintained at 5% below the commercial annual catch limit to allow for red grouper and gag multi-use shares to be used in the individual fishing quota program.

•For the recreational sector, the buffer between the annual catch target and annual catch limit was determined by the Gulf Council’s annual catch limit and annual catch target control rule.

◦ The control rule uses a number of factors about recreational harvest to develop an appropriate buffer between the annual catch limit and annual catch target.

◦ The control rule recommended the buffer be changed from 8% to 9%.

Why does this action propose that the recreational sector should have a higher percentage of the annual catch limit?

•The Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) population assessment for red grouper used updated recreational catch and effort data from the MRIP Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS) and FES, which collectively estimate larger than previously calculated catch and effort for the recreational sector.

•Because MRIP-FES was used in the red grouper SEDAR population assessment, estimates of historic recreational landings were greater than in previous assessments.

•Therefore, when comparing recreational and commercial landings, recreational landings were proportionately larger than past comparisons.

Why did the Gulf Council recommend changing the allocation between the commercial and recreational sectors?

•A Gulf red grouper population assessment was completed in late 2019 through the SEDAR process.

•The Gulf Council decided to use landings from1986 through 2005 to set the new sector allocations. These are the same years of landings used to set the current allocation of 76% commercial and 24% recreational and represent historic participation in the reef fish fishery.

•The Gulf Council used a new recreational survey to estimate 1986 through 2005 landings (see question above).

•This new survey was used in the population assessment and estimates higher recreational effort and landings than previous surveys.

•Using the new survey led to proportionally more red grouper being caught by the recreational sector.

•The resulting allocation is 59.3% commercial and 40.7% recreational.

What are the next steps? 

•The public comment period for the proposed rule is open for 30 days, from January 19, 2022, through February 18, 2022.

◦ NOAA Fisheries is also soliciting public comment on Amendment 53 through a notice of availability. This comment period is open for 60 days, from December 9, 2021, through February 7, 2022.

•NOAA Fisheries will prepare the final rule and address comments received during the proposed rule and notice of availability comment periods.

•NOAA Fisheries will issue a fishery bulletin alerting constituents to any regulatory changes being implemented and advising of a 30-day cooling off period providing time to prepare for the new regulations.

What is the difference between the recreational surveys used to estimate recreational landings?

•NOAA Fisheries created Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey (MRFSS) in 1979 to estimate recreational landings and MRFSS collected recreational data on catch and effort, including red grouper, beginning in 1981.

•MRFSS included both telephone surveys and interviews at marinas and other points where recreational anglers fish.

•In 2008, MRIP replaced MRFSS to meet increasing demand for more precise, accurate, and timely recreational catch estimates.  MRIP included telephone surveys of households and for-hire vessel operators that collected information about recreational fishing activity, and an angler intercept survey that collected information about the fish that were caught.

•In 2013, MRIP began using APAIS, which was designed to address concerns that trips recorded during a given time period are representative of trips for a full day.

•Beginning in 2015, MRIP-CHTS moved to a new mail survey, MRIP-FES, to overcome issues that arose from shifts in phone usage as cellular telephones became more popular.

•The mail-based FES uses angler license and registration information to identify and contact anglers

•Because FES and CHTS are so different, NOAA Fisheries conducted side-by-side testing of the two methods from 2015 to 2017 to develop a calibration model.

•In general, total recreational fishing effort estimates generated from FES are higher — and in some cases substantially higher — than CHTS estimates because FES is designed to more accurately measure fishing activity than CHTS, not because there was a sudden rise in fishing effort.

•NOAA Fisheries developed a calibration model to adjust historic effort estimates so that they can be accurately compared to new estimates from FES.

•More information on recreational survey methods can be found at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/recreational-fishing-data.

Where can I find more information on Amendment 53?

•Contact NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

            By Mail: Peter Hood

            NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

            Sustainable Fisheries Division

            263 13th Avenue South

            St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505

            By FAX: (727) 824-5308

            By Phone: (727) 824-5305

•Amendment 53 and the Notice of Availability may be found online at the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office Web site at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/amendment-53-red-grouper-allocations-and-catch-levels.

Sign Up For Text Message Alerts – Find Out About Immediate Openings and Closures

NOAA’s Text Message Alert Program allows you to receive important fishery related alerts via text message (SMS).  Standard message & data rates may apply. You may opt-out at any time.

Text alerts you may receive include:

•Immediate fishery openings and closures

•Any significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly

Sign up for one or more of the following groups:

•Gulf of Mexico Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts

◦ Text GULFRECFISH to 888777

•Gulf of Mexico Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts

◦ Text GULFCOMMFISH to 888777

•South Atlantic Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts

◦ Text SATLRECFISH to 888777

•South Atlantic Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts

◦ Text SATLCOMMFISH to 888777

•Caribbean Fisheries Related Alerts

◦ Text CARIBFISH to 888777

Other Contacts

Media: Kim Amendola (727) 551-5705, Allison Garrett (727) 551-5750

 

Commercial Reopening for Red Snapper in South Atlantic Federal Waters on November 2, 2021, for Four Days

October 28, 2021 — The following was release by NOAA Fisheries:

Commercial Reopening for Red Snapper in South Atlantic Federal Waters on November 2, 2021, for Four Days

What/When:

•The commercial harvest of red snapper in South Atlantic federal waters will reopen at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 2, 2021, and close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 6, 2021. During the four-day reopening, the commercial trip limit for red snapper is 75 pounds gutted weight.

Why This Reopening Is Happening:

•The 2021 commercial catch limit for red snapper is 124,815 pounds whole weight. On September 14, 2021, the commercial catch limit for the 2021 season was projected to be met, and NOAA Fisheries closed commercial harvest.  However, new information indicates that the red snapper commercial catch limit was not met.

•As a reminder, recreational harvest is closed. Therefore, the recreational bag and possession limit for red snapper in or from South Atlantic federal waters is zero.

After The Reopening:

•The 2022 fishing season for the red snapper commercial sector opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 11, 2022, unless otherwise specified.

•The 2022 recreational season, which consists of weekends only (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), begins on the 2nd Friday in July, unless otherwise specified.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations.  Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at  https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=383bc195ccbeab4fd6bec1c24905df34&node=sp50.12.622.i&rgn=div6#_top.

Sign Up for Text Message Alerts

NOAA’s Text Message Alert Program allows you to receive important fishery related alerts via text message (SMS). Standard message and data rates may apply. You may opt-out at any time. Text alerts you may receive include immediate fishery openings and closures and any significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly.

Sign up for one or more of the fisheries-related alerts below by texting the following to 888777:

•Gulf of Mexico Recreational: Text GULFRECFISH

•Gulf of Mexico Commercial: Text GULFCOMMFISH

•South Atlantic Recreational: Text SATLRECFISH

•South Atlantic Commercial: Text SATLCOMMFISH

•Caribbean: Text CARIBFISH

Other Contacts

Media: Kim Amendola (727) 551-5705, Allison Garrett (727) 551-5750

A high-tech battle for the future of the fishing industry

January 3, 2017 — OFF THE COAST OF SCITUATE, Mass. — The high-tech battle for the future of the Massachusetts fishing industry is being waged aboard a western-rigged stern trawler named the Miss Emily.

Onboard the commercial groundfish vessel, in addition to the satellite positioning system and other sophisticated tools that have become standard in the industry, are at least five computer monitors and a $14,000 fish-measuring board that has halved the time it takes to gauge the catch.

State officials say it’s money well spent.

Federal catch limits — caps on how many fish each boat can catch — have devastated the state’s most iconic commercial sector, fishermen say. In response to an outcry from the struggling local groundfishing industry, environmental officials are now using the Miss Emily to try to come up with a new — and, they say, more accurate — estimate of codfish in the Gulf of Maine.

Under a survey launched last April, local fishermen hope new technology and an aggressive timetable will yield what they have concluded based on their own anecdotal evidence: There are more fish in the sea.

“That’ll give the federal scientists something to think about,” says David Pierce, director of the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries. “It’s going to be eye-opening, I suspect. It’s going to force them to do some soul-searching.”

National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration estimates put the Gulf of Maine groundfish stock at historically low levels, dictating a corresponding reduction in catch limits. Between 1982 and 2013, the number of metric tons of cod landed aboard commercial vessels plunged from more than 13,000 to 951, according to federal estimates. That, predictably, has drastically undercut the industry.

“The fleet has been decreasing in size, and we’re seeing less effort due to these catch limits,” says Bill Hoffman, a senior biologist with the state who oversees the survey. “Guys have gotten out.”

The 55-foot Miss Emily, skippered out of Scituate by captain Kevin Norton, has been equipped to approximate a smaller version of the Henry B. Bigelow, a 209-foot floating research vessel operated by NOAA, that is used to count fish for the federal government. Using a small portion of $21 million in federal fisheries disaster relief, the state launched a series of random “tows” to counter what some think is the less accurate federal vessel.

Read the full story at the Boston Globe

Commercial Harvest of Atlantic Group Cobia in South Atlantic Waters Will Close on December 6, 2016

December 1, 2016 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Commercial harvest of Atlantic group cobia in South Atlantic waters will close at 12:01 a.m. (local time) December 6, 2016. The 2016 commercial annual catch limit is 50,000 pounds round or gutted weight. Updated landings data indicate that commercial harvest of cobia will likely reach the annual catch limit by that date. Commercial harvest will reopen at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on January 1, 2017.

The operator of a vessel that is landing cobia for sale must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such cobia prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, December 6, 2016. The prohibition on sale and purchase does not apply to the sale or purchase of cobia that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m. (local time) December 6, 2016, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.

This closure is necessary to protect the cobia resource by preventing the commercial annual catch limit from being exceeded.

Oceana Files Legal Challenge to Northern Anchovy Catch Limit

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — November 29, 2016 — Last week, environmental group Oceana filed a lawsuit alleging that a recent National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) specification rule allows commercial fishing for northern anchovy at levels that threaten the anchovy population and the marine ecosystem. The complaint was filed against the NMFS, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the District Court of Northern California.

The specification rule in question, announced October 26, 2016 under the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan, set an annual catch limit (ACL) of 25,000 metric tons for the central subpopulation of anchovy. In its lawsuit, Oceana claims that the NMFS did not articulate the scientific basis for this ACL, did not base the ACL and related management measures on best available science, and did not explain how it would prevent overfishing and protect the West Coast marine ecosystem’s food web.

In doing so, Oceana claims that the rule violates the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Administrative Procedure Act. The complaint claims that the northern anchovy population has severely declined since 2009, and that northern anchovy are “one of the most important forage species” in the California marine ecosystem.

“The Fisheries Service’s actions and failures to act have harmed Oceana’s members’ interest in rebuilding and maintaining a healthy and sustainable population of northern anchovy and a healthy ocean ecosystem,” said the lawsuit, which was filed by lawyers from Earthjustice on Oceana’s behalf. “This harm will continue in the absence of action by the Court.”

Read the full legal complaint as a PDF

JANE LUBCHENCO & BRAD PETTINGER: With America’s fisheries rebounding, we can’t turn back

November 28, 2016 — The following is excerpted from an opinion piece written by Jane Lubchenco and Brad Pettinger. It was originally published Saturday in The Oregonian:

In the last 20 years, one of the country’s most valuable natural resources has transformed from a national disaster to a great American recovery story. But unless you’re a fishery scientist or a fisherman who suffered through the near collapse of a fishery, you’ve probably never heard the story.

We lived it.

We’ve been working along the West Coast for 40 years and can attest to the catastrophic collapse of a once massive groundfish fishery. We know fixing it was hard and messy. But we also know that troubled fisheries in the United States and around the world should look to our success and others for lasting solutions.

In the early 2000s, the fishery was in terrible shape. A number of rockfish species were becoming significantly overfished. As long-lived species, their recovery was expected to take decades. Level of discards of “bycatch” — accidental catch that occurs when fishing for target species – was high. This led to the fishery being declared a ‘federal disaster.’ Fish, fishermen and the communities that relied on them were suffering, and it was clear that if the system hadn’t yet hit rock bottom, it soon would.

Fortunately, potential economic extinction is a strong motivator. Fishermen teamed with scientists, conservationists and government managers. In 2011, we adopted a new approach that would bring science, accountability and long-term sustainability to a system that badly needed them.

Where previous management approaches placed numerous and strict limits on when, where and how boats could fish, the new approach established and managed secure fishing privileges for the fishery. Scientists used sound data to determine the amount of each species that could be caught each year while still allowing the species to recover. That total annual catch limit was divided among members of the fishery.

In five short years, the conservation turnaround has been remarkable and faster than anticipated. Species have rebuilt, bycatch discarding decreased by 75 percent and fishery managers have increased the amount of fish that can be sustainably caught. In fact, the fishery was recently certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council and received a slew of top ratings from Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch.

Read the full opinion piece at The Oregonian

Commercial Harvest of Vermilion Snapper in Federal Waters of the South Atlantic Will Close on October 11, 2016

October 4, 2016 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Commercial harvest of vermilion snapper in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close at 12:01 a.m. (local time) October 11, 2016. The 2016 July-December commercial catch limit is 431,460 pounds whole weight. Commercial landings are approaching the commercial catch limit and should close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded. Commercial harvest will reopen at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on January 1, 2017.

The operator of a vessel that has been issued a federal commercial permit for snapper-grouper and is landing vermilion snapper for sale must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such vermilion snapper prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, October 11, 2016. The prohibition on sale does not apply to sale or purchase of vermilion snapper that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m. (local time) October 11, 2016, and held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.

During the commercial closure:

  • Harvest or possession of vermilion snapper in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits when the recreational sector is open.
  • Sale and purchase of vermilion snapper in or from federal waters is prohibited.
  • The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a federal commercial permit for South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper.

This closure is necessary to protect the vermilion snapper resources by preventing the commercial annual catch limit from being exceeded.

NOAA Fisheries Announces New Regulations for Blueline Tilefish, Black Sea Bass, and Yellowtail Snapper in Federal Waters of the South Atlantic

July 12, 2016 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The final rule for Regulatory Amendment 25 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Regulatory Amendment 25) will publish on July 13, 2016.

The final rule for Regulatory Amendment 25 will implement the following changes:

Blueline Tilefish

Regulations for blueline tilefish will be effective on July 13, 2016.

  • Increase the annual catch limits for blueline tilefish from 26,766 to 87,521 pounds whole weight (commercial sector) and 26,691 to 87,277 pounds whole weight (recreational sector).
  • Reopen commercial harvest for blueline tilefish on July 13, 2016. Commercial harvest will close in 2016 if the commercial annual catch limit is met.
  • Increase the commercial trip limit from 100 to 300 pounds gutted weight.
  • Increase the recreational bag limit from one fish per vessel to three fish per person per day for the months of May through August within the aggregate bag limit. There will continue to be no recreational retention of blueline tilefish during the months of January through April and September through December, each year.
  • The increases in the commercial trip limit and the recreational bag limit are in response to the increase in the annual catch limit.

Black sea bass

Regulations for black sea bass will be effective on August 12, 2016.

  • Increase the recreational bag limit for black sea bass from five to seven fish per person per day.

Yellowtail Snapper

Regulations for yellowtail snapper will be effective on August 12, 2016.

  • Change the yellowtail snapper fishing year start date for both the commercial and recreational sectors from January 1 to August 1, each year. Changing the start of the fishing year to August 1 will benefit both sectors because it will ensure harvest is open during the winter months when yellowtail snapper obtains a higher price per pound commercially, and during peak tourist season in south Florida where the majority of yellowtail snapper harvest takes place.

More Information

For more information, including electronic copies of Amendment 25 and Frequently Asked Questions may be obtained from the NOAA Fisheries Web site.

U.S. Proposes Rebuilding Plan for Pacific Bluefin Tuna

June 24, 2016 — The United States is proposing to extend catch limits on Pacific bluefin tuna in the eastern Pacific for another two years, as scientists have recommended, at the upcoming Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) meeting. The United States is also proposing a long-term framework for rebuilding the overfished species that spans the Pacific and many international boundaries.

The proposal for consideration at the upcoming meeting at the end of June represents the latest step by the United States to manage fishing impacts on Pacific bluefin so the species can recover from its current low levels.

A May 2016 stock assessment conducted by the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean (ISC) found that Pacific bluefin spawning stock in 2014 amounted to just 2.6 percent of what it would be without fishing. The ISC is expected to finalize the stock assessment at its upcoming July meeting.

Read the full story at the Fishing Wire