Council Approves Snapper Grouper Amendment for Public Hearings

During its recent meeting in Charleston, South Carolina, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved for public hearing Amendment 13C to its Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan to address overfishing for snowy grouper, golden tilefish, vermilion snapper, and black sea bass. The proposed management alternatives, originally developed as a regulatory amendment, have been redesignated Snapper Grouper Amendment 13C in order to accommodate alternatives to change the fishing year for black sea bass. The change in fishing year could not be included under the earlier regulatory amendment framework process. While the amendment name has changed, the management alternatives proposed in the document will remain the same. These include establishing quotas for all four species, reductions in commercial trip limits and recreational bag limits, seasonal closures, and increases in size limits for some species. The amendment also includes options for a moderate increase in the harvest of red porgy as the stock continues to rebuild.

In Amendment 13C, the Council will include management alternatives to change the fishing year for black sea bass from the current calendar year to June 1 through May 31. This change could help reduce negative economic impacts to the commercial fishery should a quota, as proposed in the amendment, go into effect. Black sea bass pot fishermen in the Carolinas harvest 85% of the commercial landings in the south Atlantic region, primarily during the winter months. In addition to allowing the option to change fishing year, the plan amendment also allows an additional public comment period of 60 days. The added review process may increase the length of time before regulations are put into place by a few months. It is now anticipated the regulations will become effective in the summer of 2006.

The Council approved amendment 13C for public hearings and will hold a total of 10 hearings ranging from Morehead City, North Carolina to Marathon, Florida beginning in November 2005. The final hearing will take place during the Council’s December 5-9, 2005 meeting in Carolina Beach, North Carolina. Members of the Council’s Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel will provide additional recommendations at the December meeting. A complete listing of public hearing dates and locations will be announced as soon as they become available.

Additional Actions
In other actions, the Council approved including the use of marine protected areas as a management alternative in Amendment 13B to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan. Amendment 13B is a comprehensive document that addresses management criteria for the remaining 73 species in the snapper grouper management complex. As proposed, the marine protected areas would help protect deepwater snapper and grouper and their habitat by prohibiting fishing for those species while allowing trolling for pelagics such as dolphin, wahoo, and tuna. Work continues on the development of the document and the Council plans to approve it for public hearings at its February/March 2006 meeting in Jekyll Island, Georgia.

During the meeting, Council Chairman Dr. Louis Daniel, representative for the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries was reelected to serve an additional one-year term as Chairman. Vice-Chairman George Geiger of Sebastian, Florida was also reelected.

For a complete listing of the summary motions from the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Charleston, South Carolina please contact the Council office or visit the web site at www.safmc.net. The next meeting of the Council is scheduled for December 5-9, 2005 in Carolina Beach, North Carolina.

Council Approves Snapper Grouper Amendment for Public Hearings

During its recent meeting in Charleston, South Carolina, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved for public hearing Amendment 13C to its Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan to address overfishing for snowy grouper, golden tilefish, vermilion snapper, and black sea bass. The proposed management alternatives, originally developed as a regulatory amendment, have been redesignated Snapper Grouper Amendment 13C in order to accommodate alternatives to change the fishing year for black sea bass. The change in fishing year could not be included under the earlier regulatory amendment framework process. While the amendment name has changed, the management alternatives proposed in the document will remain the same. These include establishing quotas for all four species, reductions in commercial trip limits and recreational bag limits, seasonal closures, and increases in size limits for some species. The amendment also includes options for a moderate increase in the harvest of red porgy as the stock continues to rebuild.

In Amendment 13C, the Council will include management alternatives to change the fishing year for black sea bass from the current calendar year to June 1 through May 31. This change could help reduce negative economic impacts to the commercial fishery should a quota, as proposed in the amendment, go into effect. Black sea bass pot fishermen in the Carolinas harvest 85% of the commercial landings in the south Atlantic region, primarily during the winter months. In addition to allowing the option to change fishing year, the plan amendment also allows an additional public comment period of 60 days. The added review process may increase the length of time before regulations are put into place by a few months. It is now anticipated the regulations will become effective in the summer of 2006.

The Council approved amendment 13C for public hearings and will hold a total of 10 hearings ranging from Morehead City, North Carolina to Marathon, Florida beginning in November 2005. The final hearing will take place during the Council’s December 5-9, 2005 meeting in Carolina Beach, North Carolina. Members of the Council’s Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel will provide additional recommendations at the December meeting. A complete listing of public hearing dates and locations will be announced as soon as they become available.

Additional Actions
In other actions, the Council approved including the use of marine protected areas as a management alternative in Amendment 13B to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan. Amendment 13B is a comprehensive document that addresses management criteria for the remaining 73 species in the snapper grouper management complex. As proposed, the marine protected areas would help protect deepwater snapper and grouper and their habitat by prohibiting fishing for those species while allowing trolling for pelagics such as dolphin, wahoo, and tuna. Work continues on the development of the document and the Council plans to approve it for public hearings at its February/March 2006 meeting in Jekyll Island, Georgia.

During the meeting, Council Chairman Dr. Louis Daniel, representative for the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries was reelected to serve an additional one-year term as Chairman. Vice-Chairman George Geiger of Sebastian, Florida was also reelected.

For a complete listing of the summary motions from the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Charleston, South Carolina please contact the Council office or visit the web site at www.safmc.net. The next meeting of the Council is scheduled for December 5-9, 2005 in Carolina Beach, North Carolina.