March Meeting Followup: Mackerel and Shrimp Management Issues Moving Forward
During its March meeting in St. Simons Island, Georgia, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council set priorities for proposed management options affecting mackerel, shrimp, and snapper/grouper fisheries in federal waters in the south Atlantic region. These management measures include continuing the permit moratorium for king mackerel, possible permit requirements for the shrimp fishery, and changes in current regulations affecting snapper/grouper species. Because of timing concerns for addressing specific issues, the Council agreed to focus on amendments affecting both mackerel and shrimp fisheries between now and its June meeting in Florida.
Mackerel
King and Spanish mackerel stocks migrate between council jurisdictions and are managed jointly by the South Atlantic Council and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. An amendment to the joint management plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagics, which includes mackerel, is being developed to address the current permit moratorium for king mackerel and provide options to modify the fishing year designation. The permit moratorium is scheduled to expire October 15, 2005. The current fishing year for Atlantic migratory groups of both king and Spanish mackerel begins April 1st.
“The continuance of the permit moratorium is important to prevent overcapitalization in the fishery and continue the sustainability of this fishery,” stated George Geiger, a Florida Council representative and Chairman of the South Atlantic Council’s Mackerel Committee. “In addition to the permit moratorium alternatives, the Council is considering a change in the mackerel fishing year to provide an opportunity for North Carolina fishermen to fish for king mackerel during March closures for other species.” The Council will hold a series of scoping meetings to receive input from the public regarding these management options. Scoping meetings for Amendment 15 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics FMP are being scheduled to begin in April. Details of the meeting schedule will be publicized once they are finalized.
Shrimp
During a meeting of the Shrimp Committee, management options were reviewed for the shrimp fishery through Amendment 6 to the Shrimp FMP. These measures include a requirement for federal permits for the penaeid (white, pink and brown shrimp) fishery in the south Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). These permits would provide an accurate and efficient method to identify and quantify vessels that fish in south Atlantic federal waters and provide an avenue to improve data collection in the shrimp fishery. At this time, the Council is considering open access permits but could develop a limited access fishery in the EEZ in the future.
At its December 2003 meeting, the Council voted to establish a control date of December 10, 2003 for the shrimp fishery in the south Atlantic EEZ. This control date puts the industry on notice
Snapper Grouper Management Complex
In other actions, the Council approved recommendations from the Snapper Grouper Committee that further narrows the list of alternatives for management options in Amendment 13B to the Snapper Grouper FMP. The Amendment includes options for changes in current regulations for many of the 73 species included in the snapper/grouper management complex, including size limits, bag limits, commercial trip limits and other management measures. Amendment 13B is being developed to address mandates of the Sustainable Fisheries Act designed to prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks. Alternatives were narrowed in order to receive more detailed analyses of the options in preparation of the public hearing draft of Amendment 13B. The Council will review the document again in September, during its meeting in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
March Meeting Followup: Mackerel and Shrimp Management Issues Moving Forward
During its March meeting in St. Simons Island, Georgia, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council set priorities for proposed management options affecting mackerel, shrimp, and snapper/grouper fisheries in federal waters in the south Atlantic region. These management measures include continuing the permit moratorium for king mackerel, possible permit requirements for the shrimp fishery, and changes in current regulations affecting snapper/grouper species. Because of timing concerns for addressing specific issues, the Council agreed to focus on amendments affecting both mackerel and shrimp fisheries between now and its June meeting in Florida.
Mackerel
King and Spanish mackerel stocks migrate between council jurisdictions and are managed jointly by the South Atlantic Council and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. An amendment to the joint management plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagics, which includes mackerel, is being developed to address the current permit moratorium for king mackerel and provide options to modify the fishing year designation. The permit moratorium is scheduled to expire October 15, 2005. The current fishing year for Atlantic migratory groups of both king and Spanish mackerel begins April 1st.
“The continuance of the permit moratorium is important to prevent overcapitalization in the fishery and continue the sustainability of this fishery,” stated George Geiger, a Florida Council representative and Chairman of the South Atlantic Council’s Mackerel Committee. “In addition to the permit moratorium alternatives, the Council is considering a change in the mackerel fishing year to provide an opportunity for North Carolina fishermen to fish for king mackerel during March closures for other species.” The Council will hold a series of scoping meetings to receive input from the public regarding these management options. Scoping meetings for Amendment 15 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics FMP are being scheduled to begin in April. Details of the meeting schedule will be publicized once they are finalized.
Shrimp
During a meeting of the Shrimp Committee, management options were reviewed for the shrimp fishery through Amendment 6 to the Shrimp FMP. These measures include a requirement for federal permits for the penaeid (white, pink and brown shrimp) fishery in the south Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). These permits would provide an accurate and efficient method to identify and quantify vessels that fish in south Atlantic federal waters and provide an avenue to improve data collection in the shrimp fishery. At this time, the Council is considering open access permits but could develop a limited access fishery in the EEZ in the future.
At its December 2003 meeting, the Council voted to establish a control date of December 10, 2003 for the shrimp fishery in the south Atlantic EEZ. This control date puts the industry on notice
Snapper Grouper Management Complex
In other actions, the Council approved recommendations from the Snapper Grouper Committee that further narrows the list of alternatives for management options in Amendment 13B to the Snapper Grouper FMP. The Amendment includes options for changes in current regulations for many of the 73 species included in the snapper/grouper management complex, including size limits, bag limits, commercial trip limits and other management measures. Amendment 13B is being developed to address mandates of the Sustainable Fisheries Act designed to prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks. Alternatives were narrowed in order to receive more detailed analyses of the options in preparation of the public hearing draft of Amendment 13B. The Council will review the document again in September, during its meeting in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.