New Regulations Protect Deep-Water Corals

Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on earth. Healthy coral reef ecosystems support fisheries and recreational activities across the world. Deep-water coral reefs found in light-limited environments deeper than 164 feet (27 fathoms) are different from the typical shallow coral reefs you might be familiar with. They can live to be hundreds, if not thousands, of years old and provide important habitat to many fishes and invertebrates in a part of the ocean that is cold, dark, and low in oxygen. 

This week, new regulations go in place to protect some of the most precious deep-water corals in the Gulf of Mexico. Coral Amendment 9 established 13 new habitat areas of particular concern with fishing regulations and designated 8 new habitat areas of particular concern without fishing regulations. The particular areas protected by Coral Amendment 9 were chosen because they serve an important ecological function, are sensitive to human induced degradation, the habitat is stressed, or they’re rare. 

You’re probably wondering how these new coral protections might affect you. Most of the areas are extremely deep and fishing activity is sparse, so it shouldn’t impact most fishermen too much, although bottom anchoring by any fishing vessel is prohibited in the areas. The regulations only limit the deployment of bottom-tending gear, including bottom longline, bottom trawl, buoy gear, dredge, pot, or trap, so this almost exclusively limits commercial fishing activity. 

If you’re interested in exploring the new areas, this map will show you the locations of these new protected areas. Additionally, the new areas with regulations can be found on the Management Areas tab of our Federal Fishing Regulations. 

As always, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding these new coral protections. 

June 2018 Council Meeting Preview

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet on June 18-21 at the Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel in Key West, Florida. You’re welcome to join us in person or you can watch a live broadcast of the meeting. 

Photo: Erik Cordes

Public comment will be held on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 20, from 2:45 – 5:30 p.m. If you can’t testify in person, visit our “Amendments Under Development” web page to submit your comments and learn about the different issues we’re working on. 

You may find the meeting agenda and materials useful as you prepare for the meeting. The following is a summary of some of the issues the Council plans to address:

Coral

The Council plans to take final action on Coral Amendment 9 after hearing the comments received during public hearings. The amendment considers creating protections for 15 deep water areas in the Gulf that are known to have an abundance of corals and/or coral diversity that makes them unique. The Amendment also considers designating eight new areas for Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) status without fishing regulations and prohibiting dredge fishing in all existing HAPCs with regulations. 

Photo: NOAA

Sea Turtle Release Gear and Framework Procedure

The Council is scheduled to take final action on Amendment 49 which considers allowing the use of new sea turtle release gears for commercial and charter vessel/headboats with federal Gulf reef fish permits. The document also considers modifying the reef fish framework procedure to include changes to release gear requirements and handling protocols for sea turtles and other protected resources. 

Cobia

Photo: Scott Hickman

Cobia is managed jointly with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Meaning, any action considered by one Council must be approved by the other Council as well. At this meeting, the Gulf Council will take final action on Amendment 31 which considers approving the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s decision to remove the Atlantic migratory group of cobia from the federal management plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagics.  This would allow the Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission to manage cobia in the Atlantic. 

After hearing numerous concerns from fishermen, the Council is considering a framework action (CMP 7) that would modify the size and possession limits for Gulf cobia. The Council will review that document for the first time at this meeting. 

Red Snapper

The Council will hear the results of the latest red snapper stock assessment which found that red snapper is not considered to be overfished nor undergoing overfishing.

The Council will continue working on a draft amendment that considers permanently allowing each Gulf state to manage a portion of the recreational red snapper quota in federal waters. The 2018 and 2019 red snapper seasons are being managed by the Gulf States through Exempted Fishing Permits which allow the States to manage a portion of the recreational red snapper quota. 

Photo: Rosemary White

The Council will take a first look at a scoping document that considers reallocating the red snapper annual catch limit between recreational and commercial sectors as well as the two components of the recreational sector. The Council previously passed Amendment 28, which reallocated red snapper by shifting 2.5% of the commercial sector’s allocation to the recreational sector. However, a lawsuit resulted in the district court decision which vacated Amendment 28 and restored the previous sector allocations of 49% recreational and 51% commercial. 

The Council will review a draft of a Framework action that considers modifying the buffers between the annual catch target and annual catch limit for the for-hire and private components of the recreational sector.

Spiny Lobster

The Council will continue work on a public hearing draft of Spiny Lobster Amendment 13 which ederal regulations for commercial spiny lobster bully netting consistent with regulations recently adopted by the State of Florida.  This amendment also considers allowing Florida to directly submit proposed spiny lobster regulations to National Marine Fisheries Service without requiring Council action. 

April 2018 Council Meeting Preview

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meets next week at the Marriott Courtyard in Gulfport, MS. You’re welcome to join us in person or you can watch a live broadcast of the meeting via webinar.

Public comment will be held on Thursday, April 19^thfrom 12:30 – 3:30 CST. If you can’t testify in person, visit our " amendments under development page" to submit your comments and learn about the different issues we’re working on.

Check out the meeting agenda and materials to prepare for the meeting. The following is a summary of some of the issues the Council plans to address:

Photo: NOAA

Red Snapper

At the last meeting, the Council recommended that NOAA Fisheries approve Exempted Fishing Permits that would allow the States to manage a portion of the recreational red snapper quota for 2018 and 2019. The Council expects to hear an update on the status of those permits and learn the implications they will have on recreational red snapper season in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Council will also look at a draft amendment that considers permanently allowing each Gulf state to manage a portion of the recreational red snapper quota in federal waters. 

View the Summary Document

Texas Document

Louisiana Document 

Mississippi Document

Alabama Document

Florida Document

Submit Comments

Read Comments

For-Hire Management 

Reef Fish Amendment 41 considers establishing an allocation-based program to manage reef fish for federally permitted charter vessels. Reef Fish Amendment 42 considers managing reef fish for the headboat vessels included in the Southeast Regional Headboat Survey. The Council will review the documents and be presented with decision tools that allows users to explore the current range of alternatives contained in the amendments. 

Amendment 41

Submit Comments

Read Comments

Amendment 42

Submit Comments

Read Comments

Greater Amberjack

Photo: Mike Jennings

The Council will see a first draft of a framework action that considers making three modifications to greater amberjack management. 

Currently, when the fishing year begins on August 1 the fishing seasons remain open continuously until the quota is met. Next week, the Council will consider recreational season specific quotas that allow a pre-determined portion of the quota to be harvested in each of the two different seasons.

The Council will also consider reducing the recreational bag limit of greater amberjack. While the current bag limit is 1 greater amberjack per person, reducing it further may reduce the harvest rate.

Finally, the Council will look at reducing the commercial trip limit which is expected to reduce the harvest rate and increase the length of the commercial season. 

Document

Submit Comments

Read Comments

Coral

Photo: Erik Cordes

The Council will review a public hearing draft of Coral Amendment 9 which considers creating protections for 15 deep water areas in the Gulf that are known to have an abundance of corals and/or coral diversity that makes them unique. The Amendment also considers designating eight new areas for Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) Status without fishing regulations, and prohibiting dredge fishing in all existing HAPCs with regulations.  Public hearing meetings will be held across the Gulf in May and June to gather public opinion on the proposed changes before final action is taken. 

Document

Submit Comments

Read Comments

 As always, if you have any questions don't hesitate to contact us at gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org

Maps, Management Tools, and Educational Resources

Photo: G.P. Schmal FGBNMS

Have you ever scoured the internet in search of new fishing spots? Tried to figure out where you can or can’t fish? Do you ever research a particular species or habitat in the Gulf of Mexico? Do you wonder about the information and decision-making process behind fishing regulations? If so, we’re delighted to share a resource that may help you find all of those things in one place.

The Gulf Council has recently remodeled its Coral Portal, a website that houses a range of interactive maps, tools for making management decisions, and educational resources. Development of the site is funded by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, and the project aims to share environmental information associated with corals and fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico with folks who use the Gulf for business, recreation, and research.

Click here to visit the coral portal: http://portal.gulfcouncil.org

Resources on the Portal are organized in three different categories:

Map

Coral Viewer

This suite of interactive maps allows you to explore management areas and different known habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. To highlight a few, the Fishery Management Areas Map shows jurisdictional boundaries and areas in the Gulf with fishing restrictions. The Spiny Lobster Closed Area map highlights the areas off the Florida Keys where lobster traps are prohibited to protect threated staghorn and elkhorn corals. There are also a number of maps devoted specifically to coral including: The Coral Viewer which shows known coral areas in the Gulf, the Coral HAPC Explorer which shows the locations of current and recommended coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern, and the Predictive Modeling of Deep-Sea Coral Habitat Map which uses factors like depth, bottom shape, and salinity, to predict where deep water corals may exist.

Manage

Proposed HAPC's in Coral Amendment 9 

This section of the Portal focuses on tools that highlight management issues being considered by the Gulf Council. Currently, you’ll find a summary of the 5-year review of Essential Fish Habitat that was recently completed, including profiles of federally managed species and their habitat associations. You’ll also find a management tool that will help to inform you about Coral Amendment 9 – which considers establishing new deep-water coral protections in the Gulf. You can analyze management actions being considered by the Gulf Council using the map tool that highlights potential Habitat Areas of Particular Concern. This section of the Coral Portal will be updated as new management measures are considered.

Discover

Lionfish Storyboard

Here you’ll find a variety of different resources designed to enhance your understanding of corals, habitats, and the species linked to them. There are interactive articles on topics like lionfish, goliath, and coral management. Additionally, you’ll find a link to the Portal blog which is jam packed with posts on different habitats. Finally, you’ll find clickable posters that display creatures and habitats of the deep Gulf of Mexico.

New material is added frequently, so check back in to see what we’ve been working on.

As you explore the resources on the updated Coral Portal please let us know what you think. We would love to hear what’s working (or not) and what other tools you may find useful. Contact us at portal@gulfcouncil.org with questions, comments, and suggestions.

October 2017 Council Meeting Preview

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meets at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi next week.  You’re welcome to join us at the meeting or to listen via a live broadcast from the comforts of home.

Public testimony will be held on Wednesday, October 4 from 12:30 – 5:00 p.m. local time.  If you can’t make it to the meeting to give your comments in person, please visit our “Amendments Under Development” page to learn about and comment on the issues being considered.  Comments received before Wednesday, September 27^th will be summarized and presented directly to the Council before it takes action.

The agenda and meeting materials will help you prepare.  The following is a summary of some of the important issues the Council plans to address:

Photo: Avid Angler Fishing Charters 

Greater Amberjack Fishing Year and Recreational Season

The Council recently revised the rebuilding plan for greater amberjack after learning that the stock continues to be overfished and experiencing overfishing despite numerous efforts to rebuild.  During those discussions, the Council recognized that the current recreational season may not be as beneficial as possible to anglers gulf-wide, and decided to consider ways to allow for both fall and spring fishing seasons.  The Council opted to close the 2018 season at the beginning of the year while it works to  put a permanent season solution in place. At this meeting, the Council plans to take final action on a Framework Amendment that considers changing the fishing year and/or the recreational fishing season to ensure that anglers throughout the Gulf are able to harvest greater amberjack.

View the document

Watch the public hearing video

Submit comment

Federal For-Hire Management

The Council will hear summaries of the Ad-Hoc Reef Fish Headboat and Ad-Hoc Red Snapper Charter For-Hire Advisory Panel meetings that were held in September.  The Council is also expected to take final action on Referendum Eligibility Requirements for Reef Fish Amendment 41 – Allocation Based Management for Federally Permitted Charter Vessels and Reef Fish Amendment 42 – Reef Fish Management for Headboat Survey Vessels.

Amendment 41

View the document

View the draft referendum

Submit comment

Amendment 42

View the document

View the draft referendum

Submit comment

State Management of Red Snapper

The Council will review a draft of documents that consider allowing the Gulf states to manage their historical portion of the red snapper harvest of recreational red snapper out to 200 nautical miles. 

View the summary document

Texas Document

Louisiana Document

Mississippi Document

Alabama Document

Florida Document

Submit comment

Spiny Lobster Gear Requirements and Cooperative Management Procedure

The Council will look at a draft of Spiny Lobster Amendment 13 which considers making federal regulations for spiny lobster bully netting consistent with regulations recently adopted by the State of Florida.  The Amendment also considers allowing the state of Florida to directly submit proposed lobster regulations to National Marine Fisheries Service without requiring Council action.

View the document

Submit comment

Deep Sea Coral Protection Areas

The Council will be presented with a Public Hearing Draft of Coral Amendment 9 which considers creating protections for 15 areas in the Gulf that are known to have an abundance of corals and/or coral diversity that makes them unique.  The areas under consideration are all in deep waters and contain deep-water corals that can live to be hundreds, if not thousands of years, and provide important habitat in the cold, low oxygen, depths of the ocean.  The Council is expected to host public hearings on this document before taking final action in 2018.

View the document

Submit comment

Descending Devices and Venting Tools

The Council will review a draft document that considers ways to encourage the use of venting tools or descending devices to reduce mortality of fish that are released, while allowing anglers the flexibility to decide if and when it’s appropriate to use them.

View the document

Submit comment

Sea Turtle Release Gear and Protocol

The Council will consider a draft document that would allow the use of new sea turtle release gear types and streamline the process for allowing reef fish permit holders to use additional protected species release gear types and handling procedures.

View the document

Submit comment

Selection of Ad Hoc Red Snapper and Grouper-Tilefish IFQ Applicants

At the August meeting, the Council decided to disband the Ad Hoc Red Snapper IFQ Advisory Panel and form a new Ad Hoc Red Snapper/Grouper IFQ Advisory panel so participants in both red snapper and Grouper/Tilefish IFQ programs can work together in an advisory role to the Council. Next week, the Council will review applications and make preliminary Advisory Panel member selections. The Council expects to announce the make-up of the newly formed panel after performing background checks on prospective members.