Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Highlights from 2020

As 2020 comes to an end, we have an opportunity to look back on the year behind us and look forward to the year ahead. 2020 was a year filled with new challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way most of us conduct our daily business, and the Council was no exception. We spent most of this year tackling changes to the federal recreational data collection program and incorporation of state recreational data collection programs into management and while attempting to understand the implications of these changes on the health of the fish stocks themselves. The Council took final action on a few regulatory documents and made recommendations on an Executive Order, while seeing a number of new rules publish and become implemented into law this year.  Keep reading for a perspective on what we accomplished in 2020 and where we’re headed in 2021.

COVID-19 was the obviously one of the biggest issues faced by everyone this year. Fishermen across the coast were impacted differently. Initially, the Council asked stakeholders to share how the pandemic had impacted them. We heard that the commercial seafood market was interrupted as restaurants closed; recreational fishermen were also affected when charter businesses were unable to operate, and access to boat ramps was limited. The Council monitored landings throughout the year and tried to anticipate if fishing seasons could be extended or commercial quota needed to be rolled over into next year. To date, as the fishery seems to have stabilized, the Council hasn’t made any recommendations on how to mitigate impacts on the industry. Council meetings have transitioned to a completely virtual format since mid-March. We’re all anxious to return to in-person meetings; however, it’s hard to predict when that will become a safe and feasible option.  We are continuing to look at creative ways to engage stakeholders with a virtual meeting format. 

Arguably, the largest fishery management challenge faced by the Council this year is the transition to using recreational landings from the updated federal recreational data collection system and incorporating data from the new state-based recreational data collection systems. The Marine Recreational Information Program’s Fishing Effort Survey (FES) improved some of the previous system’s sampling protocols which resulted in new landings information that has to be accounted for back in time. Additionally, all of the Gulf States have developed their own recreational data collection programs, and landings data from those programs will likely be incorporated in future stock assessments and quota monitoring. Essentially, we’re transitioning to a new data currency to ensure that we’re using the same units to monitor landings as we do to set catch limits. In some cases, the new landings estimates may change our understanding of the stock size and our estimates of the amount of fish that are harvested. As each new stock assessment is completed, estimates of stock abundance and projections of how much can be harvested are updated. For the Council, this means that we need to transition our catch limits to the new data currency, so they align with stock assessment and quota monitoring units. 

The Council is currently in the process of doing that for red grouper, lane snapper, cobia, vermilion snapper, king mackerel, and red snapper. We expect to finalize management recommendations on a majority of the aforementioned species in 2021 and will continue to work on data currency changes as new stock assessments are completed.

The Council took Final Action on one document this year that recommended prohibiting all fishing year-round in both Madison-Swanson and Steamboat Lumps Marine Protected Areas and prohibiting the possession of any Gulf reef fish species year-round, except for vessels with a vessel monitoring system (VMS) and a valid commercial reef fish permit that are in transit, with all fishing gear stowed. The increased regulations in the Marine Protected Areas were made to ensure that current protections to gag spawning aggregations are working by making regulations that are more enforceable.

A number of new regulations were implemented into law this year: 

• For-Hire historical captain permits were converted to standard for-hire permits. 

• The allowable amount of commercial shrimp trawl fishing in certain areas of  federal waters was increased. 

• The red snapper buffer between the annual catch limit and annual catch target for the for-hire component of the fishery was reduced.

• The Gulf States were given authority to manage fishing season, bag limit, and minimum size limit for the private recreational component of the red snapper fishery. 

• The commercial amberjack trip limit was reduced to 1,000 pounds with a reduction to 250 pounds when 75% of the quota is landed. 

• The cobia minimum size limit increased from 33 to 36 inches fork length. 

• 13 new habitat areas of particular concern were created with fishing regulations, 8 new areas without fishing regulations were established, and regulations in 3 existing areas were modified. 

• Status determination criteria were established for gray snapper and the annual catch limits for gray snapper were reduced by small amount in 2020 and beyond. The annual catch target was removed for gray snapper.  

Next year, we expect two rules to be implemented. First, the Council has recommended modifying for-hire multiday trip limits by allowing anglers on federal for-hire fishing trips that last longer than 30 hours to possess two daily bag or vessel limits at any time during those trips. Next, new electronic for-hire reporting requirements take effect on January 5th. Captains in the Gulf will be required to make a trip declaration (hail-out) every time their vessel leaves the dock and they must complete a fishing report for each fishing trip before offloading fish. Also, position reporting requirements are expected to go into effect sometime later in 2021.  

As we say farewell several colleagues, many of us are eager for the turn of the year.  Personally, and professionally, we hope to learn from our experiences during 2020 which have, if nothing else, taught us some new tricks and helped us prioritize what is important, and what we might want to let go of once we return to “business as usual.” We do know the Council is going to continue to work as hard as we can to provide make management decisions that benefit our fishermen and our fisheries. Thank you for all your hard work this year, on and off the water.

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.