Preferred Management Options for Spotted Seatrout in North Carolina

1. Preferred Management Options for Spotted Seatrout in North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting Raleigh May 13, 2010

2. Committee Reviews & Public Meetings Southeast Regional Advisory Committee April 14, 2010 Inland Regional Advisory Committee April 15, 2010 Central Regional Advisory Committee April 19, 2010 Finfish Advisory Committee April 20, 2010 Habitat Advisory Committee April 21, 2010 Northeast Regional Advisory Committee April 22, 2010 Review of Committee and Public Input Spotted Seatrout Advisory Committee April 28, 2010 Marine Fisheries Commission May 13, 2010

3. Issues Addressed in the FMP • Achieving sustainable harvest • Enforcement of size, creel limit and gear regulations in Joint, Coastal or Inland Fishing Waters • Management measures to address user group competition • Impacts of cold stun events on the population • Closing gig fishery from December-March

4. Sustainable Harvest Background • 2009 stock assessment indicated the stock in NC/VA has been overfished and overfishing has been occurring throughout the 18-year time series. Issue • Establish harvest reductions that achieve sustainable harvest by rebuilding the spawning stock biomass above the threshold level and end overfishing within 10 years.

5. Spawning Stock BiomassOverfished Status

6. Fishing MortalityOverfishing Status

7. Sustainable Harvest

8. Sustainable Harvest

9. Commercial Suite of Options

10. Commercial Suite of Options (continued)

11. Suite of Options (continued)

12. Commercial Recommendations

13. Recommendation for Sustainable Harvest Commercial Fishery SST AC & DMF Recommendation • Take ½ reduction to end overfishing; 14-inch minimum size and weekend closure (no possession 5 p.m. Friday- 5 p.m. Sunday) • March-October: gear may be in the water • November-February: no commercial gear (RCGL gear included) in water • Option agreement: SST AC, DMF, Central AC DMF Recommendation clarification “no commercial gear”: • No long hauls, no beach seines, no gill nets (includes drift nets, set nets, run around gill nets), no RCGL gear. • Stop nets may be set, but no hauls or strikes may be made on weekends • Exemptions: Albemarle Sound & Currituck Sound

14. Sustainable Harvest

15. Recreational Recommendations

16. Recommendation for Sustainable Harvest Recreational Fishery SST AC & DMF Recommendation • End overfishing ½ way; 14-inch minimum size and 6 fish • bag limit • Agreement: SST AC, DMF, Inland, Finfish

17. Sustainable Harvest Adaptive Management DMF proposes an adaptive management framework Given uncertainty in the actual level of harvest reductions that will be realized once these measures are put in place, and the continuing evolution of fishing restrictions from the Endangered Species Act: • DMF/MFC may consider new information brought forward and revise the FMP sustainability measures accordingly; examples • “sea turtle settlement” results in quantifiable reductions in commercial harvest • weekend closures may not be as effective as anticipated due to recoupment • Possible actions: changes in bag/trip limits, season/area closures

18. Enforcement Background • MFC is responsible for managing, protecting, preserving and enhancing marine and estuarine resources, while WRC is responsible for regulating fishing activities in Inland Waters. Issue • Improving compliance with and agency enforcement of management measures in Joint and Coastal or Inland Fishing Waters.

19. Enforcement AC Recommendation (original) • Marine Patrol officers be given general police authority • Develop mutual aid agreement between DMF Marine Patrol and WRC Wildlife Enforcement officers for Inland Fishing Waters. DMF Recommendation • Develop mutual aid agreement between DMF Marine Patrol and WRC Wildlife Enforcement officers for Inland Fishing Waters.

20. Enforcement SST AC & DMF Recommendation (final) • Develop mutual aid agreement between DMF Marine Patrol and WRC Wildlife Enforcement officers for Inland Fishing Waters.

21. Enforcement Recommendations

22. Enforcement • Agreement: SST AC, DMF, Northeast, Central, Inland, &Finfish

23. User Group Competition Background • Commercial gill net and recreational hook and line fishermen have been in competition for seatrout, and in some instances, competition has escalated to conflict. Issue • Determine management measures to reduce conflicts between recreational and gill net fisheries.

24. User Group Competition Recommendations

25. User Group Competition Recommendations SST AC & DMF Recommendation: • Move forward with the mediation policy process to resolve conflict • Agreement: DMF, SST AC, Southeast, Central, Northeast , Inland , Finfish

26. Cold Stun Events Background • Death of large numbers of spotted seatrout following severe cold spells has been well documented. Periodic increases in mortality associated with cold stuns should be considered when implementing management measures. Issue • Periodic increases in mortality associated with cold stun events can have a negative impact on population size. Should information and quantification of cold stun events be considered for incorporation into fisheries models and/or management decisions?

27. Cold Stun Recommendations SST AC Recommendation (original) • Status quo with the assumption the director will intervene in case of a catastrophic event and do what is necessary in terms of temporary closures by water body. The proclamation needs to be an informed decision based on quantifiable data and outcome needs to be quantified post-closure. • DMF research on cold stun events DMF Recommendation • Give sustainable harvest options the opportunity to work in rebuilding stock to 20% SPR so the SSB is large enough to recover more easily from cold stun events. • Research on cold stun events

28. Cold Stun Recommendations SST AC Recommendation (final) • Status quo with the assumption the director will intervene in case of a catastrophic event and do what is necessary in terms of temporary closures by water body. The proclamation needs to be an informed decision based on quantifiable data and outcome needs to be quantified post-closure. • Research on cold stun events DMF Recommendation • Give sustainable harvest options the opportunity to work in rebuilding stock to 20% SPR so the SSB is large enough to recover more easily from cold stun events. • Research on cold stun events

29. Cold Stun Recommendations

30. Cold Stun Recommendations

31. Cold Stun Recommendations • Agreement A: SSTAC, Southeast, Central, Northeast, Inland, Finfish • Agreement A: DMF, Habitat • Agreement B: Southeast, Central, Northeast, Inland, Finfish • Agreement B: SST AC, DMF, Habitat

32. Closing the Gig Fishery December 1st –March 31st Background • Operates in areas where water is clear during the cold winter months and fish are lethargic Issue • AC recommended a closure of the gig fishery December 1 – March 31

33. Gig Fishery AC Recommendation (original) • No gigging from December 1 through March 31, annually DMF Recommendation • Status quo. DMF to continue to track contributions of gigs to overall landings

34. Gig Fishery Recommendations SST AC & DMF Recommendation (final) • Status quo. DMF to continue to track contributions of gigs to overall landings

35. Gig Fishery Recommendation

36. Gig Fishery Recommendations SST AC & DMF Recommendation • Agreement: SST AC, DMF, Central, Northeast, Inland & Finfish

37. Research Recommendations • Habitat AC: • Research to improve the juvenile index • Research to relate habitat quality to spawning success

38. Preferred Management Options Needed for the Following Issues: • Achieving sustainable harvest (commercial & recreational) • Enforcement of size, creel limit and gear regulations in Joint, Coastal or Inland Fishing Waters • Management measures to address user group competition • Impacts of cold stun events on the population • Closing gig fishery from December-March

39. Sustainable Harvest

40. Sustainable Harvest (cont)

41. Enforcement

42. User Group Competition

43. Cold Stun (A)

44. Cold Stun (B)

45. Gig Fishery