 |
 | The Helm |  | |
| Support Our Sponsors | | |
| Support Our Sponsors | | |
| Support Our Sponsors | | |
| Symantec | | |
| Visit Us Again | | |
| |
 |
Council Approves Amendment to Rebuild Fish Stocks
|
|
 |
Posted by Dawg on Friday, December 14, 2007 @ 04:58:25 EST (167 reads)
(comments? | Score: 0)
|
 |
 |
Council Approves Amendment to Rebuild Fish Stocks
Rebuilding plans outlined for snowy grouper, black sea bass, and red porgy
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved stock rebuilding plans for three economically important species found in the snapper grouper management complex during its recent meeting in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. Amendment 15A to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) will determine long-term rebuilding plans for overfished stocks of snowy grouper, black sea bass, and red porgy. The Council is required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to develop the rebuilding plans.
The rebuilding plans specify the schedule or timeframe in which the stocks will be rebuilt as well as the management strategies used to recover the stocks. A rebuilding strategy gives managers the ability to establish an annual total allowable catch (TAC) based on the long-term plan for stock recovery. For example, the amendment outlines a rebuilding schedule for black sea bass of 10 years, beginning in 2006. The rebuilding strategy maintains a constant catch throughout the rebuilding timeframe, with a TAC for 2009 set at 847,000 pounds whole weight. The TAC would remain in effect beyond 2009 until modified through the stock assessment process. For snowy grouper, a much longer-lived species found in deeper waters, the Council has designated a rebuilding schedule of 34 years with a strategy to continue a 2009 TAC of 102,960 pounds whole weight. A red porgy TAC of 395,281 pounds whole weight has been set for 2009 and 2010. The TAC can be adjusted as stock assessment data become available and the stock continues to rebuild. Amendment 15A will be submitted later this month to the Secretary of Commerce for final review and approval.
The Council held a series of 10 public hearings from Marathon, Florida to Manteo, North Carolina in November and early December to solicit input on Amendments 15A and 15B to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan. While rebuilding plans were approved through Amendment 15A at the December meeting, the Council will continue to receive comments on Amendment 15B until January 11, 2008. The majority of comments received during public hearings involved actions in Amendment 15B, including those to address the sale of recreationally-caught snapper grouper species and allocations of snowy grouper and red porgy between recreational and commercial fishermen.
Opinions were divided regarding the issue of recreational sale, with some supporting the Council’s preferred management alternative to eliminate the sale of recreational bag limits for snapper grouper species harvested from federal waters in the South Atlantic. However, comments were received from fishermen, primarily in North Carolina, that supported the ability to sell recreational bag limits without possession of a federal snapper grouper commercial permit in order to allow continued flexibility for area fishermen with a state commercial permit. Amendment 15B also includes alternatives for the implementation of a plan to monitor and assess bycatch, measures to reduce the impacts of incidental take on sea turtles and smalltooth sawfish, permit renewal and transferability, and management reference points for golden tilefish. Copies of the Amendment 15B Public Hearing Document and details on how to comment can be found on the Council’s web site at www.safmc.net.
Other Actions
Work continued on a list of management alternatives required to reduce harvest and end overfishing for vermilion snapper and gag grouper. Alternatives in Amendment 16 to the Snapper Grouper FMP include a gag spawning closure January – April that applies to both recreational and commercial sectors and to all shallow water groupers, a gag quota where harvest and possession of shallow water groupers is prohibited once the quota is met, two separate quotas for gag (one for the Carolinas and another for Georgia and Florida), and modifications to the gag and black grouper aggregate bag limit. Management measures for vermilion snapper include seasonal closures, two commercial quotas occurring at two different times of the year, and adjustments to the size and bag limits. Additional alternatives include exclusion of the captain and crew on for-hire vessels from possession of the bag limit for shallow water groupers and vermilion snapper, and a requirement of dehooking tools, venting tools, and the use of circle hooks for both commercial and recreational sectors. Allocation alternatives between commercial and recreational sectors are also included in the document. The Council is scheduled to approve Amendment 16 for public hearings during its March 2008 meeting.
The Council also approved a new approach to public scoping in 2008 that will involve a series of meetings offering the public an opportunity for informal discussion with Council staff and area Council members. Public scoping comments will be taken on the following issues: a Comprehensive Allocation Amendment, Snapper Grouper Amendment 17, Limited Access Privilege Programs, and allocation of the Atlantic commercial king mackerel quota. The 2008 meetings will be held February 4th in Homestead, FL; February 5th in Port Canaveral, FL; February 6th in Brunswick, GA; February 7th in New Bern, NC; and February 20 in Charleston, SC. Additional information regarding the meetings will be publicized as they become available.
The next meeting of the Council is scheduled for March 3-7, 2008 in Jekyll Island, GA. For additional information regarding Council meetings, including briefing book materials and a summary of the motions from the December meeting, visit www.safmc.net or contact the Council office.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, one of eight regional councils, conserves and manages fish stocks from three to 200 miles offshore of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and east Florida.
Kim Iverson
Public Information Officer
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201
North Charleston, SC 29405
843/571-4366 or toll free 866/SAFMC-10
Fax 843/769-4520
kim.iverson@safmc.net
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
 | Please Support Our Sponsors |  | |
|
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Public Meetings
|
|
|
Posted by Dawg on Friday, November 30, 2007 @ 06:31:47 EST (132 reads)
(comments? | Score: 0)
|
|
|
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Public Meetings
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold meetings of various committees as well as its full council during the month of December. Committees to meet include the Scientific and Statistical Committee, Spiny Lobster Committee, Snapper Grouper Committee and the Ecosystem-based Management Committee. The Council will also hold a meeting of the Limited Access Privilege Program Exploratory Workgroup and public hearings regarding rebuilding plans for snowy grouper, black sea bass, and red porgy. For more information on specific times and dates for these meetings, click here. All meetings will be held at the Sheraton Atlantic Beach Oceanfront Hotel, 2717 W. Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach, NC 28512; telephone: (1-800) 624-8875 or (252) 240-1155.
Copies of documents related to these meetings and more information on upcoming meetings of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council are available from Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405. Telephone: (843) 571-4366 or email: kim.iverson@safmc.net.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Please Support Our Sponsors | | |
|
Public Hearings Scheduled for Snapper Grouper Management
|
|
|
Posted by Dawg on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 @ 17:22:50 EDT (164 reads)
(comments? | Score: 0)
|
|
|
|
Public Hearings Scheduled for Snapper Grouper Management
Amendments address rebuilding for three snapper grouper species,
recreational sale, allocations, bycatch, and other issues
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a series of public hearings beginning in November to solicit public comment on two amendments to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan for the South Atlantic. Amendment 15A addresses rebuilding of snowy grouper, black sea bass, and red porgy stocks. Amendment 15B contains actions to prohibit the sale of recreationally-caught snapper grouper species, reduce the effects of incidental hooking on sea turtles and smalltooth sawfish, change the commercial permit renewal period and transferability requirements, implement a plan to monitor and assess bycatch, and establish management reference points, such as Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) and Optimum Yield (OY) for golden tilefish. Amendment 15B will also establish allocations between commercial and recreational fishermen for snowy grouper and red porgy.
Stocks of snowy grouper, black sea bass and red porgy have been identified as overfished by the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) stock assessment process. In response, the Council is developing Amendment 15A to establish rebuilding plans for these three economically important species in the snapper grouper management complex. Over the years 2001 – 2005, snowy grouper, red porgy, and black sea bass represented an average of 21% of the total annual commercial landings of snapper grouper in the South Atlantic valued at $7.73 million dollars. Regulations were implemented in October 2006 to end overfishing for snowy grouper and black sea bass, and allow for a moderate increase in the harvest of red porgy. These factors will be considered in the rebuilding plans.
Through Amendment 15B, the Council is considering options to prohibit the sale of recreationally caught snapper and grouper. Recent restrictions on commercial quotas have raised concerns that these recreationally harvested fish are being included in the commercial landings, and fish may be double counted with current recreational reporting methods. Allocations for snowy grouper and red porgy are also being addressed in Amendment 15B in order to establish commercial quotas and recreational allocations. A complete listing of all actions is contained in each amendment.
Written comments for Amendments15A are being accepted by the Council until 5:00 pm, December 3, 2007. Written comments for 15B are due by 5:00 p.m. on January 11, 2008. Copies of the Public Hearing Documents will be posted on the Council’s web site at www.safmc.net, and may also be obtained from the Council office. Comments should be addressed to: Bob Mahood, Executive Director, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, Charleston, SC 29405. Email Amendment 15A comments to: SG15A@safmc.net and comments for Amendment 15B to: SG15B@safmc.net.
SNAPPER GROUPER AMENDMENTS 15A/15B PUBLIC
PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULE
Hearings Begin at 6:00 p.m. except for 12/3/07*
November 13, 2007
Sombrero Cay Club
19 Sombrero Boulevard
Marathon, FL 33050
Phone: 305-743-2250
November 14, 2007
Sheraton Yankee Clipper Hotel
1140 Seabreeze Boulevard (A1A)
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Phone: 954-524-5551
November 15, 2007
Radisson Resort at the Port
8701 Astronaut Boulevard
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
Phone: 321-784-0000
November 16, 2007
Comfort Inn Oceanfront
1515 North 1st Street
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
Phone: 904-241-2311
November 27, 2007
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
175 Bourne Avenue
Pooler, GA 31322
Phone: 912-748-8888
November 28, 2007
Hilton Garden Inn Charleston Airport
5265 International Boulevard
North Charleston, SC 29418
Phone: 843-308-9330
November 28, 2007
Avista Resort
300 N. Ocean Boulevard
North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Phone: 843-249-2521
November 29, 2007
Shell Island Resort
2700 Lumina Avenue
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
Phone: 910-256-0418
November 30, 2007
NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island
374 Airport Road
Manteo, NC 27954
Phone: 252-473-3494
December 3, 2007 (*Begins at 7:00 p.m.)
Sheraton Atlantic Beach
2717 W. Fort Macon Road
Atlantic Beach, NC 28512
Phone: 252-240-1155
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Please Support Our Sponsors | | |
|
Council Seeks Input on Measures Needed for Gag and Vermilion Snapper
|
|
|
Posted by Dawg on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 @ 19:00:35 EDT (186 reads)
(comments? | Score: 0)
|
|
|
Council Seeks Input on Measures Needed for Gag and Vermilion Snapper
Reductions in harvest needed to end overfishing within the year
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is holding a series of 6 public scoping meetings to solicit public comment on an amendment to reduce both commercial and recreational harvest of gag grouper and vermilion snapper. Recent stock assessments show that overfishing is occurring for these economically important species.
During its June 2007 meeting, the Council received a report from its Scientific and Statistical Committee stating its approval of the Southeastern Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) stock assessments for gag and vermilion snapper. The Council is charged to end overfishing within a one year period and in response, has begun development of Amendment 16 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan for the South Atlantic. The Scientific and Statistical Committee determined that in order to fish at the Council’s Optimum Yield (OY), a reduction of 61% is needed for vermilion snapper. Substantial reductions in harvest are also anticipated for gag in order to end overfishing.
The scoping meetings and a public comment period are being held to receive input regarding possible measures to end overfishing, including modifications to current regulations and potential new measures (closed seasons, recreational boat limits, commercial trip limits, etc.) to achieve the necessary reductions. Alternatives will be included in Amendment 16. The Council is scheduled to approve the amendment for public hearings during its December 3-7, 2007 meeting in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. The final public scoping meeting will be held in conjunction with the September Council meeting in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (see schedule below).
Public scoping meetings for Snapper Grouper Amendment 16 will be held in coastal areas in the southeast. All meetings begin at 6:00 PM. Written comments for Amendment 16 are being accepted by the Council until 5:00 PM on September 17, 2007. A "fact-sheet" on Amendment 16 is now available on the Public Hearing/Scoping Documents page. Copies of the Amendment 16 scoping document will be posted at a later date or may be obtained from the Council office. Comments should be addressed to: Bob Mahood, Executive Director, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, Charleston, SC 29405. Email comments to: SGAm16Scoping@safmc.net
SNAPPER GROUPER AMENDMENT 16
PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS
All meetings are scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m.
September 17, 2007
Avista Resort
300 N. Ocean Blvd.
N. Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Phone: 843/249-2521
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Please Support Our Sponsors | | |
|
|
