June Council Meeting Preview

June Council Meeting Preview

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet June 15-18, 2020 by webinar. The Committee and Council Agendas, and meeting materials will be posted as they become available on the Council Meeting’s webpage. Information on how to register for the webinar will also be posted as it becomes available.

Public testimony will be held during the meeting. Details on how to provide testimony during the meeting will be posted on the Council Meeting’s webpage when it becomes available.

Fishing Access in Madison-Swanson and Steamboat Lumps Marine Protected Areas

The Council plans to take final action on a document that considers modifying trolling provisions and possession prohibitions in Madison-Swanson and Steamboat Lumps Marine Protected Areas. Fishing activity is limited in Steamboat Lumps and Madison-Swanson to protect gag grouper spawning aggregations.  Currently, no bottom fishing is allowed in those areas, but surface trolling is permitted during part of the year.  It is difficult to enforce the no-bottom-fishing regulation when surface trolling is allowed, and the Council heard concerns that illegal recreational bottom fishing is occurring in the areas.

·      Read the Draft Amendment

·      Watch the Public Hearing Video

·      Submit Comments

Impacts of COVID-19

The Council plans to discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and may consider management changes to ease those impacts. The Council aims to gather input from fishermen and those involved in fishing-related businesses whose fishing effort or businesses have been directly affected by COVID-19. The Council will continue to follow guidelines set by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act while considering temporary or long-term changes to regulations that may offset economic impacts from the pandemic.

·      Fishing Related Covid-19 Resources

·      Share information on how COVID-19 has impacted your fishing and business using this COVID-19 Comment Tool

Red Drum and Coastal Migratory Pelagic Advisory Panel Member Selection

During closed session, the Council will review applicants and populate its Coastal Migratory Pelagic and Red Drum Advisory Panels. A background check will be performed on selected applicants and membership to both panels will be announced at the August Council meeting.

Vermilion Snapper

The Council will review SEDAR 67: Vermilion Snapper stock assessment which concluded that vermilion is neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing. The Council will hear recommendations from its Scientific and Statistical Committee and may consider initiating an amendment to update vermilion snapper management.

Red Grouper

The Council will continue working on Reef Fish Amendment 53 which considers modifying red grouper commercial and recreational sector allocations and catch limits based on the results of the latest stock assessment (SEDAR 61).  The assessment showed that the red grouper stock is lower than it has ever been.  Additionally, the assessment used the new Marine Recreational Information Program’s (MRIP) calibrated Fishing Effort Survey landings and effort estimates, which increased the estimates of recreational harvest.

Lane Snapper

At its last meeting, the Council was presented with the results of updated yield projections for lane snapper (based on SEDAR 49).  The assessment uses the new calibrated landings and effort data from the Marine Recreational Information Program Fishing Effort Survey and allows for a significant increase in the acceptable biological catch level.  The Council will review guidance from its Scientific and Statistical Committee and work on a document to revise the lane snapper annual catch limits.

January Council Meeting Preview

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet at the Hyatt Centric French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 27-30, 2020. You’re more than welcome to join us in person or via webinar.

Public comment will be held on Wednesday, January 29^th, from 1:45 – 5:30 PM. If you can’t join us to comment, visit our “Amendments Under Development” webpage to learn more about what we’re working on and submit comments.

The Agenda and Meeting Materials will help you prepare for the meeting. The following is a brief summary of some of the issues that will be discussed:

Photo: Capt. Jennings

Greater Amberjack

The Council is trying to figure out the best way to manage recreational greater amberjack. In 2018, the Council modified the recreational amberjack fishing year so that the quota renews on August 1^st. That was supposed to allow for fishing seasons August – October and then May in the following calendar year, if there was any quota left. Unfortunately, the entire quota was harvested in the fall season that year so, we didn’t get a May season in 2019. (Note: We still don’t know if we’ll have a May season this year and expect NOAA fisheries to give us that news as soon as they can process the harvest data from the end of last year).

The Council is still looking for ways to allow recreational harvest in both fall and spring since different anglers from different parts of the Gulf prefer to fish amberjack at different times. We will discuss a document that considers managing recreational greater amberjack with different zones and bag limits. This Recreational Greater Amberjack Decision Tool will allow you to explore some of the different management alternatives that are currently being considered.

Photo: Capt. Hubbard

Red Grouper

A recent red grouper stock assessment (SEDAR 61) determined that the red grouper stock is smaller than it has ever been. Additionally, the assessment used the new Marine Recreational Information Program’s landings and effort estimates, which more than doubled the estimates of recreational harvest.

The Council will begin working on Reef Fish Amendment 53 which considers modifying commercial and recreational sector allocations and catch limits based on the results of the latest assessment.

Fishing Access in Eastern Gulf Marine Protected Areas

The Council’s Reef Fish Advisory Panel expressed concern that illegal recreational bottom fishing is occurring in Steamboat Lumps and Madison Swanson Marine Protected Areas. Regulations in those areas were created to protect grouper spawning aggregations. Currently, no bottom fishing is allowed in the areas, but trolling is permitted during part of the year. It is difficult to enforce the no-bottom-fishing regulation when trolling is allowed. So, in an effort to ensure grouper spawning aggregations are protected as intended, the Council will take its first look at a framework action that is considers prohibiting all fishing in the Steamboat Lumps and Madison Swanson Protected Areas.

Status Determination Criteria

The Council must define a maximum sustainable yield, a maximum fishing mortality threshold, a minimum stock size threshold, and an optimum yield for all managed stocks. These reference points are the basis for determining the health of each stock and are required under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and National Standard 1 guidelines. The Council will work on a public hearing draft of Reef Fish Amendment 48/Red Drum Amendment 5, which aims to define, and in some cases modify, existing status determination criteria for reef fish and red drum.

Red Snapper Allocation

The Council will continue work on Reef Fish Amendment 52 which considers reallocating the red snapper annual catch limit between recreational and commercial sectors. 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.

Commercial Individual Fishing Quota Programs

At its last meeting, the Council decided to split Amendment 36B into two separate documents. At this meeting, it will review a new version of 36B which considers requiring individual fishing quota shareholder accounts to be associated with a commercial reef fish permit. The Council will also take its first look at Amendment 36C which considers a mechanism for distributing unused shares reclaimed by NOAA Fisheries, quota banks, and modifying the accuracy of estimated weights in advance landings notifications.

August Council Meeting Preview

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet at the Hyatt Centric French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 12-15, 2019. As always, we would love to have you join us in person, but if that’s not practical you’re welcome to tune in via webinar.

Public comment will take place on Wednesday, August 14^th, from 2:00 – 5:30 PM. If you can’t testify in person, visit our “Amendments Under Development” webpage to learn about what we’re working on and submit your comments.

At this meeting, the Council will be presented an application for an Exempted Fishing Permit. The Council will take testimony on the permit and make a recommendation to NOAA Fisheries regarding whether or not the project should be approved. You’re welcome to read the application and submit your comments on the proposed exempted fishing permit:

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Lionfish EFP

Submit Comments on Proposed EFP

The Agenda and Meeting Materials will help you prepare for the meeting. The following is a brief summary of some of the issues that will be discussed:

Gray Snapper

The Council expects to take final action on an amendment that considers setting or revising values that will be used to determine stock status for gray snapper and adjust the annual catch limits. Currently, the Council has chosen preferred alternatives for gray snapper status determination criteria that minimize buffers and are consistent with the idea that the gray snapper stock is quite resilient. Also, under the Council’s preferred alternatives, the annual catch target will be eliminated and the new annual catch limit will be set at a value between the existing annual catch target and annual catch limit.

Read the Amendment

Watch the Video

Submit Comment

Modification to the Recreational For-Hire Red Snapper Annual Catch Target Buffer

The Council plans to take final action on a Framework Action that considers reducing the buffer between the federal for-hire component annual catch limit and annual catch target.  A previous framework action modified the buffer by reducing it from 20% to 9% for 2019 only. Reducing the buffer for the for-hire component on a more permanent basis is expected to allow a greater harvest while continuing to constrain landings to the annual catch limit.  The action does not address the private angling component, because private anglers are being managed by the individual states.

Read the Amendment

Watch the Video

Submit Comment

Recreational Greater Amberjack

Photo: Hubbards Marina

The Council will begin work on a framework action that considers modifying recreational management measures with the goal of allowing recreational harvest in both spring and fall. Recent recreational greater amberjack management changes modified the fishing year so that the quota renews on August 1 instead of January 1.  The fishing season opens in the fall from August – October with the new quota, and then any remaining quota is used to open a May season in the following year.  These changes went into effect in 2018, and the entire quota was harvested in the 2018 August – October season, with no May 2019 season. The document includes options that consider changing the fishing year, bag limits, and modifications to the current season structure.

For-Hire Trip Limits

Photo: Jim Green

Anglers on federal for-hire trips may retain two daily bag limits of reef fish, king mackerel, and Spanish mackerel if the trip lasts longer than 24 hours, has two licensed captains onboard, and all anglers are in possession of a receipt showing the duration of the trip.  Currently, anglers on such trips may not retain their second daily bag limit until 24 hours have passed.  However, this is not how many operators have fished historically.  The Council will work on a framework amendment that considers modifying the two-day bag limit allowance for multi-day federal for-hire trips.

Red Snapper Allocation

The Council will continue work on Reef Fish Amendment 52 which considers reallocating the red snapper annual catch limit between recreational and commercial sectors.. 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.

Status Determination Criteria

The Council will continue to work on an amendment that aims to define, and in some cases modify, existing biological reference points for reef fish and red drum. The Council must set maximum sustainable yield (MSY), maximum fishing mortality thresholds (MFMT), minimum stock size thresholds (MSST), and optimum yield levels for managed stocks. These reference points are the basis for determining the health of each stock and are required under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and National Standard 1 guidelines.

Modifications to Commercial Individual Fishing Quota Programs

The Council will review a draft of Amendment 36B, which considers modifying the commercial individual fishing quota programs with the intent to assist small participants and new entrants to the IFQ programs, reduce discards, and increase access to shares to actively fishing, eligible commercial fishermen.