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Southeast Regional Office

Proposed Mechanism to Adjust Annual Catch Limits based on the NMFS Status of U.S. Fisheries Report. Southeast Regional Office. 147 th Council Meeting August 13-14, 2013. Status of the Stocks.

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Southeast Regional Office

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  1. Proposed Mechanism to Adjust Annual Catch Limits based on the NMFS Status of U.S. Fisheries Report • Southeast Regional Office 147th Council Meeting August 13-14, 2013

  2. Status of the Stocks Changes to stock status for the snapper and grouper FMUs, queen conch, and spiny lobster between the NMFS Status of Fisheries 1st Quarter 2012 Report and the 2nd Quarter 2013 Report. * Harvest prohibited in the EEZ

  3. Action: Develop a control rule to adjust the buffer reduction to the overfishing limit (OFL) to reflect a change in status of the stock based on the NMFS status report. Option1: No Action. Current buffer as specified in the 2010 and 2011 ACL Amendments: 0.85 for species undergoing overfishing, 0.90 for species not undergoing overfishing. Not adjustable. Option 2: Establish a mechanism to apply the buffer reduction to the OFL to adjust the ACL based on the NMFS Status of U.S. Fisheries Report. 15 % if undergoing overfishing (0.85 reduction coefficient), 10 % (0.90 reduction coefficient) if not undergoing overfishing. Determine to which FMUs these buffers would apply and why (e.g., parrotfish, surgeonfish, angelfish, queen conch).

  4. (Cont.) Action: Develop a control rule to adjust the buffer reduction to the OFL to reflect a change in status of the stock based on the NMFS status report. Sub-Option: A) Specify which NMFS status report will be used for the determination: Sub-alternatives: • Use 4th Quarter report of previous year • 1st Quarter report • 2nd Quarter report • 3rd Quarter report B) Other buffer options? Option 3: Add an additional buffer of X quantity to the buffer between the OFL and the ACL for species that are classified as both undergoing overfishing and as overfished in the NMFS Status of U.S. Fisheries Report. OTHER OPTIONS? SUGGESTIONS?

  5. Discussion • Control rule describes relationship between a change in status and a change in the reduction buffer to the OFL used to determine the ACL. • This control rule would shift the buffer based on changes in overfishing status,either without (closed framework) or with (open framework) Council and public input. • Would simplify the process of adjusting the ACLs. • Establishment of control rule would be accomplished by a plan amendment to the FMPs (Reef Fish, Spiny Lobster, Queen Conch, Corals), and could be applied to all FMUs, or excluding some species.

  6. Mechanism to establish the Control Rule Adjusting the ACL (Cont.) • Determine if buffer coefficients 0.85and 0.90 should continue to be used. For which species? Any additional buffers? • Consider if a reassessment of the buffer reductions for all units is needed. • Determine which NMFS Status of U.S. Fisheries report to use and how to use the information provided in the report, taking into consideration the time needed to implement the change.

  7. Mechanism to establish the Control Rule Adjusting the ACL (Cont.) • Closed vs. Open Framework: Closed: Once the control rule is in place, if the status of any unit changes in a pre-determined quarterly report, NMFS will publish a Federal Register notice applying the buffer according to the control rule. Open: Once the control rule is in place, if a unit changes in status, then the Council could decide to take public comments on the issue before a buffer is applied. A final rule adjusting the ACLs would be published after the comment period closes.

  8. Next Steps • If moving forward with action – prepare Amendments to Council FMPs. An Options Paper/Scoping Document could be presented at December 2013 Council Meeting. • During that meeting, the Council can decide to take the action to public hearings during the Spring of 2014. • This action would be expected to be completed by the Spring of 2015.

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