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Comprehensive Amendment to the U.S. Caribbean Fishery Management Plans

Comprehensive Amendment to the U.S. Caribbean Fishery Management Plans Annual Catch Limit Control Rule. 149 th Caribbean Fishery Management Council Meeting St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands April 22-23, 2014. Public Hearing Draft. 149 th Caribbean Fishery Management Council Meeting

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Comprehensive Amendment to the U.S. Caribbean Fishery Management Plans

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  1. Comprehensive Amendment to the U.S. Caribbean Fishery Management Plans Annual Catch Limit Control Rule 149thCaribbean Fishery Management Council Meeting St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands April 22-23, 2014 Public Hearing Draft

  2. 149thCaribbean Fishery Management Council Meeting April 22-23, 2014 Annual Catch Limit (ACL)Control Rule Purpose for Action Establish a control rule to modify the buffer reduction that is applied to the overfishing limit (OFL) or the acceptable biological catch (ABC ) to derive an ACL in response to changes in the overfishing status of any U.S. Caribbean fishery management unit (FMU). The control rule would apply a specific buffer reduction based on the current status of the FMU as determined by NMFS. Establishing this control rule would provide the Council and NMFS the flexibility to respond quickly to changes in the fishery. Need for Action Need to establish a mechanism that describes the relationship between overfishing status and the reduction buffer applied to the OFL or ABC (if specified) used to determine the ACL. The proposed mechanism would adjust the buffer reduction as appropriate to reflect a change in classification of the FMUs. This amendment will provide for a new and straightforward process that will allow for ACL revisions based on OFL status.

  3. Changes to Overfishing Status (NMFS Status of U.S. Fisheries 2013 4th Quarter Report)

  4. ACL Control Rule and Changes in Overfishing Status • The ACL Control Rule would shift the buffer applied to the OFL or the ABC (if specified) to determine the ACL based on changes in overfishing status. • Would simplify the process of adjusting the ACLs, if needed, in the future. • More responsive management sensitive to the status of the targeted population and increased revenue from healthy fisheries. However, the latter may be adverse as well, if a change in status results in a reduction in allowable harvest.

  5. Action: Establish a control rule to adjust the buffer reduction applied to the OFL or the ABC used to derive the ACL to reflect a change in overfishing status of the stock. Alt. 1: No Action. Do not establish an ACL Control Rule. The buffer reductions to the OFL or to the ABC would continue to be those defined in the 2010 and 2011 Caribbean ACL Amendments. Alt. 2: For all FMUs for which harvest is allowed (or where applicable), establish an ACL Control Rule where: ACL = [OFL (or ABC) x (0.85)] for FMUs determined to be subject to overfishing in a specific year, and where ACL = [OFL (or ABC) x (0.90)] for FMUs determined not to be subject to overfishing or status ‘unknown’in a specific year. Alt. 3:Same as Alt. 2, but allows for exceptions: (*The Council can choose any or all Sub-Alternatives) (cont.)

  6. Alt. 3 (Sub-Alternatives) For the following FMUs, buffer reductions to the OFL or ABC specified in the 2010 and/or 2011 Caribbean ACL Amendments would continue to be applied to derive the ACL: Sub-Alt. 3a.Parrotfish FMU: ACL = [ABC x (0.85)] for the ecological role of parrotfish as herbivores in coral reefs. [In any case, the additional 5.8822 % reduction to the St. Croix ACL would continue to be applied.] Sub-Alt. 3b. Surgeonfish FMU: ACL = [ABC x (0.75)] for the ecological role of surgeonfish as herbivores in coral reefs. Sub-Alt. 3c.Angelfish FMU: ACL = [ABC x (0.75)] for the ecological role of angelfish as spongivores in coral reefs. Sub-Alt. 3d. Queen conch FMU: for St. Croix, ACL = ABC specified by the SSC (50,000 lbs). For Puerto Rico and St. Thomas/St. John, ACL = 0. Sub-Alt. 3e.Aquarium Trade Species FMU: ACL = [ABC x (0.75)] for aquarium trade species in the Coral and Reef Fish FMPs.

  7. Summary of Changes to ACLs under Alternatives 2 and 3 under current overfishing status scenarios*(subject to change) If Alternative 2 is chosen: • ACL of snapper, grouper, and parrotfish all islands/sectors would increase by 5% (the additional 5.8822% for St. Croix parrotfish is a separate issue) • Queen conch ACL would be reduced • ACL for angelfish and surgeonfish all island/sectors, and for the Caribbean-wide aquarium trade species FMUs, would change to a new and higher value

  8. Summary of Changes to ACLs under Alternatives 2 and 3 under current overfishing status scenarios*(subject to change) If Alternative 3 and all sub-alternatives are chosen by the Council: • ACL for all grouper and snapper units on all islands/sectors would increaseby 5% • ACLs for queen conch and parrotfish (all islands/sectors) would remain the same as established in the 2010 Caribbean ACL Amendment • ACLs for surgeonfish, angelfish (all islands/sectors) and the Caribbean-wide aquarium trade species FMUs would remain the same as established in the 2011 Caribbean ACL Amendment • No change in ACL for the remainder of 2011 stocks on each island including the Caribbean-wide tilefish FMU

  9. Establishing and Implementing the ACL Control Rule • Comprehensive plan amendment to the Council FMPs (Reef Fish, Spiny Lobster, Queen Conch, Corals). • The overfishing status of a stock/stock complex would continue to be evaluated annually by NMFS. Annual landings available for each unit and sector within the unit, for all islands/island groups would be evaluated against the corresponding OFL. • For all Council managed species, overfishing is determined to be occurring if the landings for a particular year exceed the assigned OFL, unless NMFS’ SEFSC, in consultation with the Council and its SSC, determines that the overage occurred because data collection/monitoring improved rather than because landings actually increased.

  10. Annual process that would be used to apply the ACL Control Rule • If unit changes in status in a particular year: - NMFS will officially notify the Council by letter regarding the status change and the corresponding change to a new buffer reduction value. - NMFS would apply the buffer reduction defined by the control rule as specified in the corresponding FMP, and the ACL for the next year for that particular FMU would be adjusted. * Notification of changes: • The NMFS SERO website will be annually updated to reflect the overfishing status and corresponding ACL for each unit per island and sector. • Fishery Bulletin

  11. Draft Timeline (with June Meeting*) Today Council reviews PHD/EA, selects preferred alternative(s) and approves for Public Hearings. Public Hearings in PR and USVI • Amendment/EA and Proposed Rule Published • Comment Period April 22-23, 2014 September 2014 2014 • Council discusses outcomes of Public Hearings and considers comments on Amendment/ DRAFT EA. • Council revises and approves codified text. • Council approves Amendment for Secretarial Review. NOAA publishes Comprehensive Amendment / Final EA and Final Rule Final Rule Effective (First Week of January 2015) June 2014 Early December 2014

  12. Draft Timeline (with August Meeting) Today Council reviews PHD/EA, select preferred alternative(s) and approves for Public Hearings. Public Hearings in PR and USVI • Amendment/EA and Proposed Rule Published • Comment Period April 22-23, 2014 November 2014 2015 2014 • Council discusses outcomes of Public Hearings and considers comments on Amendment/ DRAFT EA. • Council revises and approves codified text. • Council approves Amendment for Secretarial Review. NOAA publishes Comprehensive Amendment / Final EA and Final Rule. Final Rule Effective (~ March 2015) February 2015 August 12-13 2014

  13. Next Steps • Motion to Approve/Disapprove PHD with Identified Preferred Alternative(s) • Motion to Schedule Public Hearings for Early Summer 2014.

  14. Additional Slides

  15. *Overfished Stocks and the ACL Control Rule • The control rule would not take into account the overfished status of a stock: • Overfished stocks are managed through rebuilding plans designed to achieve a stock abundance consistent with supporting the maximum sustainable yield on a continuing basis. • Overfished species were addressed in the 2005 SFA Amendment where management measures were established to address overfished status in the long-term. These were factored in during the development of the 2010 and 2011 Caribbean ACL Amendments.  • The control rule proposed will continue to ensure that overfishing does not occur in the short-term, thereby maintaining steady progress toward the long-term goal of rebuilding overfished stocks while preventing other stocks from becoming overfished.

  16. Analyses included in the Public Hearing Draft for the Comprehensive Amendment to the Council FMPs

  17. Effect on ACLs under Alts. 2 and 3 If ‘Subject to Overfishing’

  18. Effects on ACLs – If ‘Not Subject to Overfishing’ or ‘Unknown’

  19. 20 • The effect of the alternatives was analyzed by comparing recent landings to the ACLs. • Alternative 1 • 2010 Stocks AMs triggered in 2013 AMs triggered in 2014 • 2011 Stocks 1.U. S. Virgin Islands high landings of angelfish, squirrelfish, and wrasses were attributed to enhanced reporting resulting from modifications to the reporting forms that started in 2011. AMs in 2014 are preliminary because PR 2012 landings data is still pending.

  20. 20 • The effect of the alternatives was analyzed by comparing recent landings to the ACLs. • Alternative 2 – ‘SUBJECT TO OVERFISHING’ • 2010 Stocks AMs triggered in 2013 AMs triggered in 2014 • 2011 Stocks 1.U. S. Virgin Islands high landings of angelfish, squirrelfish, and wrasses were attributed to enhanced reporting resulting from modifications to the reporting forms that started in 2011. AMs in 2014 are preliminary because PR 2012 landings data is still pending.

  21. The effect of the alternatives was analyzed by comparing recent landings to the ACLs. • Alternative 2 – ‘NOT SUBJECT TO OVERFISHING’ or ‘UNKNOWN’ • 2010 Stocks AMs triggered in 2013 AMs triggered in 2014 AMs in 2014 are preliminary because PR 2012 landings data is still pending. • 2011 Stocks 1.U. S. Virgin Islands high landings of angelfish, squirrelfish, and wrasses were attributed to enhanced reporting resulting from modifications to the reporting forms that started in 2011. AMs in 2014 are preliminary because PR 2012 landings data is still pending.

  22. The effects of Alternative 3 are the same as in Alternative 2 (all status scenarios)for all FMUs except those in Sub-alternatives 3a-3e: Parrotfish, surgeonfish, angelfish, queen conch, and aquarium trade

  23. Status of the Stocks

  24. Table 1.6.1. Overfishing limits for stocks addressed in the 2010 and 2011 Caribbean ACL Amendments.

  25. PR commercial and recreational landings, and USVI commercial landings in pounds (lbs) for the most recent years and Caribbean-Wide OFL for 2010 stocks. 1 Queen conch landings data is provided only for informational purposes as harvest of queen conch is prohibited in Puerto Rico federal waters. Recreational landings data for queen conch is not collected, therefore is not available. 2 Commercial landings for 2012 for Puerto Rico are not provided because they were not available at the time of preparation of this PHD 3 Caribbean-wide OFLs combine the individual OFLs from all islands/island groups and both the recreational and commercial sectors. 1 Queen conch landings data is provided only for informational purposes as harvest of queen conch is prohibited in St. Thomas/St. John federal waters. 2 Caribbean-wide OFLs combine the individual OFLs from all islands/island groups and both the recreational and commercial sectors.

  26. Table 2.2.1.1.3. Puerto Rico commercial and recreational landings in pounds (lbs) for the most recent years of available information (2008-2011 Commercial sector, 2008-2012 Recreational sector) and Caribbean-Wide OFL for 2011 stocks.

  27. Table 2.2.1.1.4. St. Croix and St. Thomas/St. John commercial landings in pounds (lbs) for the most recent five years of available information (2008-2012) and individual OFLs for 2011 stocks. 1 USVI high landings of angelfish, squirrelfish, and wrasses were attributed to enhanced reporting resulting from modifications to the reporting forms that started in 2011. Landings in pounds (lbs) for the most recent five years of available information (2008-2012) and Caribbean-wide OFLs

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