Invasive Lionfish: Eat em Up!

Transcription

1 Gulf & South Atlantic News Volume 15, Issue 1 A Publication of the Gulf & South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Inc. May 2014 Covering activities from 11/15/ /15/2014 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Mr. Robert Jones, FL President Southeastern Fisheries Association, Inc. Mr. Jerry Sansom, FL Vice President Organized Fishermen of Florida Mr. Rutledge Leland, SC Secretary/Treasurer South Carolina-At-Large Mr. Joey Daniels, VA Virginia -At-Large Mr. Byron Despaux, LA Louisiana Shrimp Association Mr. Craig Dopson, SC South Carolina Shrimp Association Mr. A.J. Erskine, VA Virginia Seafood Council Ms. Andrea Hance, TX Texas Shrimp Association Mr. Philip Horn, MS Mississippi-At-Large Mr. Chris Nelson, AL Alabama-At-Large Mr. Harlon Pearce, LA Louisiana-At-Large Mr. Patrick Riley, TX Texas-At-Large Captain James Ruhle, NC North Carolina-At-Large Ms. Kay Williams, MS Mississippi-At-Large Captain John Woods, GA Georgia Shrimp Association, Inc. Gulf & South Atlantic News is published by the Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Inc., the research and conservation partner of the southeastern U.S. commercial fishing industry. Judy Jamison, Executive Director Ph: (813) gulfsouthfdn@att.net Invasive Lionfish: Eat em Up! Two species of lionfish have been introduced into the Atlantic Ocean most likely as a result of the aquaria trade. These fish are native to the Indian Ocean and Western and Central Pacific Ocean. Adult lionfish are prolific spawners and feed on nearly all small reef fish. These prey fishes are also important diet constituents for economically important southeast species such snappers and groupers. Lionfish are now found throughout the Caribbean, South Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico. The most probable and dramatic impacts include reduction of forage fish biomass and competition with native reef fish. Socio-economic impacts of the lionfish invasion are currently not well quantified. However, potential impacts to the commercial and recreational fisheries and eco-tourism industries of the southeast could be severe. How do we solve the lionfish problem? We can look to Jamaica for a potential solution: eat them. Jamaica created a national campaign that challenged the public to create a market for lionfish. Four years after the campaign was initiated, there has been a 66% drop in sightings in shallow coastal waters of Jamaica. NOAA also started a campaign in 2010 urging the U.S. public to eat sustainable, eat lionfish! Will this eradicate them? Probably not, but it can t hurt. The Foundation is currently working on a cooperative program to test lionfish traps in deep water, to remove lionfish that are out of diving depth. (David McFadden, AP) Two Foundation Projects Funded through Saltonstall-Kennedy Program For the first time in several years, the Department of Commerce, through NOAA/NMFS, put out a solicitation for the Saltonstall-Kennedy Program in the summer of The S/K fund was established to provide grants for fisheries research and development projects addressing aspects of U.S. fisheries including harvesting, processing, and marketing. The research priorities for this year s solicitation included aquaculture, optimum yield of harvested resources, fisheries socio-economics, conservation engineering, ecosystem studies, and territorial science. The Foundation submitted 5 proposals in response to the solicitation and received notice that 2 projects will be funded: Examination of Catch and Discards within the Commercial Snapper- Grouper Vertical Hook-and-Line Sector in the South Atlantic United States Prediction and Verification of Snapper-Grouper Spawning Aggregation Sites on the Offshore Banks of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico These awards are scheduled to begin in July Check back in future newsletters to find updates on these exciting projects. This newsletter was prepared by the Gulf & South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Inc. under awards NA10NMF , NA11NMF , NA12NMF , NA13NMF , and NA13NMF (#13185) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the Department of Commerce.

2 Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 2 Gulf & South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Inc. Program Update Continued Development and Assessment of Bycatch Reduction Devices within the Southeastern Shrimp Trawl Fishery (NA10NMF , GSAFFI #115) This project continues work completed under a previous award from NOAA through field testing of new or promising bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) for certification following the NOAA Fisheries BRD Certification Testing Protocol for the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic. BRD designs have been solicited from shrimp fishermen, industry gear innovators, and NOAA Fisheries Harvesting Branch Personnel. As before, devices are being field tested aboard commercial fishing vessels with onboard observers collecting data outlined within the Testing Protocols. Collected data will be analyzed to identify the reduction in finfish fishing mortality achieved by BRDs in addition to determining the extent of shrimp loss associated with the device. A BRD testing trip on a modified version of the Nested Cylinder BRD is scheduled to occur in the next few months. observer trip is on-going and work on the data analysis and final report preparation will begin next month. Continuation of an Expanded Outreach Program and Technology Transfer of Updated Turtle Excluder and Bycatch Reduction Devices to the Southeastern U.S. Shrimp Industry (NA12NMF , GSAFFI #122) This project is conducted throughout the southeast region by the Foundation Regional Coordinators. TED and BRD outreach and education is given to vessel captains, owners, and crew during dockside meetings and courtesy gear inspections. Because TED compliance rates are used to determine whether the incidental take of sea turtles in the shrimp trawl fishery has been exceeded or not, Foundation Coordinators continue to focus on assisting with TED installation procedures and upkeep. The most recent assessment showed that compliance rates can continue to be improved, so this project is very important to industry. Continuation of a Project to Augment the Data Collection of an Electronic Logbook System Used within the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Fishery (NA11NMF , GSAFFI #120) This Foundation program is a continuation of several previously funded ELB projects in the Gulf of Mexico. The ELB program in the Gulf is arguably the most important data collection program in the southeast. The data are used to calculate shrimp fishing effort and are used in the management of red snapper. Foundation observers have been collecting data on total penaeid shrimp, red snapper, and small coastal shark catch on participating shrimp vessels. Results will be used to validate ELB landings estimates by region, quantify red snapper and small coastal shark bycatch rates, and to assist fisheries managers in the assessment of both stocks. Currently, the Gulf ELB program is in transition. New, NMFS provided ELBs have been distributed to industry. These devices provide wireless data download to NMFS. A final Topless Trawl Further Evaluation of a Topless Bottom Trawl Design with Regard to Not Capturing Sea Turtles (NA13NMF , GSAFFI #125) (Continued on page 3)

3 Page 3 (Continued from page 2) The participants of a 2012 bottom trawl workshop suggested that NMFS look at the feasibility of using a topless trawl to reduce sea turtle takes in the summer flounder bottom trawl fishery. This suggestion led to a collaboration of academics, industry fishermen, net builders, and NMFS staff who worked together to develop the topless trawl design and sampling protocols. The primary goal of this project is to reevaluate the ability of the modified topless trawl design with a 160-foot headrope to exclude sea turtles. Field work commenced off Brunswick, Georgia in October All tows were made aboard an industry twin-trawl vessel from the northeast that actively prosecutes the flounder fishery. Paired tows were made with closed codends, and standardized to a 30- minute duration to reduce the probability of drowning a sea turtle. A total of 132 comparative tows were accomplished. The sea turtle catch ratio data (topless: traditional) was 19:37, suggesting that overall there was some conservation benefit with the experimental topless trawl. The results of the fieldwork indicate that the 160-foot headrope topless trawl experienced the greatest success in excluding or not capturing sea turtles as compared to the traditional trawl at night when the ratio of sea turtle captures was 3:14, as compared to during the day when the ratio was 16:23. Foundation staff and Ms. Meghan Gahm, Research Technician on the project, attended the International Sea Turtle Society Symposium in April 2014 in New Orleans, LA. Ms. Gahm presented the results of this project during the poster session and the Collaborative Research Workshop (page 8). The Final Report is in preparation. Gulf & South Atlantic News modeled from the federal Fishwatch.gov website that outlines the sustainability of species harvested in federal waters. Gulf FINFO involves species primarily harvested in the state waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Information on the site includes background on the economics of Gulf seafood, the sustainability of Gulf seafood, and specific information on the important species harvested in the Gulf. FWC Florida Cooperative East Coast Red Snapper Tagging Program The primary goal of the program is to develop and implement a long-term angler-based tagging program along the Atlantic coast of Florida that will aid fishery managers in understanding red snapper population dynamics. This program was instituted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. The program has elicited the help of the for-hire charter boat fleet in northern Florida. To date, 23 directed red snapper tagging cruises have been conducted using Foundation funds. Trips have been made out of Mayport, Port Canaveral, Daytona, and St. Augustine. Research biologists from the FWC were brought on directed charter cruises and tagged all red snapper that were caught. Over 1200 red snapper were tagged and released or culled for biological analysis by FWC biologists on these trips. The overall FWC program includes a total of 3340 red snapper tagged to date. The FWC has received return data on 211 fish - yielding a 6.4% tag return. The Foundation and Ocean Trust provided funds to the charter boats to offset the cost of fuel, supplies, and crew. Tagging trips are on-going. Gulf Fisheries Information FINFO The Foundation received funds from GCR Inc., through a grant from the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, to provide content for the Gulf FINFO website that is now live. The FINFO website is

4 Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 4 Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition Update The Coalition continues to work with the Gulf States and our partners to promote Gulf Coast Seafood through the grant from Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC). A few membership changes have occurred: Ms. Karen Profita, Louisiana Seafood Marketing and Promotion Board replaced Ms. Kristin McLaren under Louisiana State Marketing Executive Ms. Pamella Dana was promoted to full member and Mr. John Greene was designated the alternate under Charter Boat/For Hire Mr. Dan Ellinor, FWC has been designated as alternate to Mr. Chris Blankenship under Ad Hoc Advisory Committee Ms. Lisa Manda, Louisiana Seafood Marketing and Promotion Board was designated as alternate to Ms. Profita under Louisiana State Marketing Executive MARKETING INITIATIVE UPDATES Seafood Marketing Director Ms. McNeely Zaritsky attended the Food Blog South conference and networked with bloggers from the South. In addition, she is working with Monterey Bay Aquarium for their Cooking for Solutions event in May. Celebrity Chefs John Ash, Sam Choy, and Art Smith will be using Gulf shrimp for their recipe presentations. After this event, she will travel to Chicago to follow-up with foodservice contacts made at the Seafood Expo North America during a VIP sponsored event with The Food Group. RETAIL AND FOODSERVICE PARTNERSHIPS A partnership with Hannaford Supermarkets produced a 33% increase in Gulf shrimp sales for 185 stores in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. A retail program is planned for WinCo for Memorial Day weekend. WinCo has 93 stores in California, Washington, Arizona, Oregon, Texas, and Idaho. Partnerships are in the works for Wegmans, Fairway, Publix and Frenchy s. MEDIA RELATIONS Press releases were prepared for the Coalition and included a National Seafood Month press release and a new find it app press release that garnered ten media placements. Edelman coordinated a Food Safety News article for the Gulf Seafood Trace program and its partnership with the Coalition. Edelman coordinated the donation of seafood to Eating Well magazine for an article which will include an interview with Chef Landry. Work continued with Southern Living magazine. A southern food article was submitted for June 2014 issue and a Gulf oyster article will be submitted in December An advertisement promoting the seafood finer app was developed and will also appear in Southern Living (right). Special thanks to Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and the Gulf Oyster Industry Council for funding this ad placement. Coalition Update (continued on page 5)

5 Page 5 Gulf & South Atlantic News THE CATCH A quarterly blast called The Catch was developed to highlight recipes, the States, and interesting information about the Gulf Coast. The average open rate was 22% with a click-through rate of 6%. Overall these are strong numbers, reflecting that content topics and layout are on target for our audience s wants and needs. Sign up to receive The Catch at VIDEO VIGNETTES The video vignette series featuring the Gulf Coast Seafood experiences of John Currence, Marti Duncan, Bob Baumhower, John Folse, Martha Foose, Tony Reisinger, Duke Bardwell, and Tucker Fitz-Hugh have garnered critical success. These videos have achieved over 15,000 views. The videos are available for viewing on the website and You Tube. These videos also won awards! - Ad Fed District Silver Awards went to Gulf Coast Seafood The Catch: Chris Hastings web video & Gulf Coast Seafood The Catch: Duke Bardwell web video - Telly Silver Awards (left) went to The Catch video vignette series, Duke Bardwell individual video, and Tony Reisinger individual video WEBSITE The enhanced Gulf Coast Seafood website was launched last year. Over 100 recipes can be found on the site with corresponding full-color images. In addition, the ever growing state database of suppliers is presented in the Find It tool, which allows users to locate Gulf Seafood near them based on geography, species, and seller-type. Coalition Update (continued on page 6)

6 Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 6 MOBILE APPLICATION The Find Gulf Seafood mobile application is continuing to be downloaded. There are three main portions to the mobile app a find it feature, recipe section, and a checklist of challenges. The app is available on Apple and Android devices. As of the end of March, the application was downloaded a total of 217 times. Please download the app to your smartphone today to find interesting places to enjoy your favorite Gulf seafood! twitter.com/eatgulfseafood instagram.com/eatgulfseafood Recipe screenshot SOCIAL MEDIA The social media work conducted by Zehnder consists of unique posts, engagement with followers, and event attendance and promotion. The Coalition is continuing to gain followers on social media channels: Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: Pinterest: 4799 followers 1920 followers 730 followers 634 followers NET RESULTS At the request of the Coalition, Zehnder Communications produced and distributed an education print piece Net Results for the Coalition. This brochure outlines the successes of the Coalition over the last 4 years. The piece outlines the economic contributions of Gulf seafood to the nation s economy. - 33% of domestic landings in the contiguous United States comes from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

7 Page 7 Gulf & South Atlantic News Seafood Expo North America 2014 Coalition and The Food Group representatives met with Wegmans, Publix, Winco, Associated Grocers, Darden, Cheddar s, Hard Rock Café, Ignite Group, Legal Seafood, Fairway Markets, Ahold, and Whole Foods during the Seafood Expo North America in Boston to initiate and secure potential retail food service partnerships. Edelman secured 14 media appointments at the Expo: 2 lifestyle blogs, 1 Boston-based publication, 1 broadcast program, 1 business publication, and 9 industry publications/outlets. Ms. McNeely Zaritsky attended the Seafood Expo North America in Boston, MA on March 16-18, She presented information about the Coalition during the Gulf seafood TODAY: Marketing, Traceability, and Sustainability session (below) on Sunday March 16 at the Expo. Also, on the panel were Mr. Alex Miller (GSMFC), Ms. Julianna Mullen (Audubon Institute), and Ms. Karen Profita (LA Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board). Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink

8 Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 83 International Sea Turtle Society Annual Symposium The 34th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation was held in New Orleans, LA in April The Foundation provided travel funds to a University of Rhode Island graduate student, Meghan Gahm, to present the results of her graduate student work, some of which included work on a Foundation award. The project, Further Evaluation of a Topless Bottom Trawl Design with Regard to Not Capturing Sea Turtles (outlined on page 4), was a cooperative effort with NOAA Fisheries, scientists from the University of Rhode Island, and industry. Her work was presented as a poster which won an Archie Carr Student Award (right). She also presented a power point presentation of the research during the Collaborative Research Workshop held during the Symposium. Foundation Program Director and Foundation Gulf Coordinator Gary Graham also attended the Symposium and participated in the Collaborative Research Workshop. Grouper Forensics for Seafood Quality Control University of South Florida The Foundation provided funds to researchers at the University of South Florida to examine technology to combat seafood fraud. With the proliferation of cheaper, imported seafood, fraud in form of species substitution has become a more common problem affecting the seafood industry. The overall goal of this project was to develop technology to rapidly confirm the identity of fish tissue in the field for seafood quality control. The specific objectives were: 1) To complete grouper-specific NASBA assay development and validation (simpler DNA test); and 2) To complete development of a handheld sensor including integration of the grouperspecific NASBA assay. The most recently developed hand-held testing device (Quadrupyre) is capable of analyzing 4 samples simultaneously. The results of the work were published in the journal Food Control in The researchers are continuing to work on the hand held device to improve its testing ability. Meghan Gahm in front of her award winning poster

9 Page 9 Gulf & South Atlantic News Commercial Harvest of Vermilion Snapper and Gray Triggerfish in South Atlantic Waters Closed Commercial harvest of vermilion snapper in South Atlantic waters closed on April 19, The 2014 January-June commercial catch limit is 446,080 pounds whole weight. Reports indicate the catch limit was met by April 19, Commercial harvest will reopen at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on July 1, 2014.This closure is necessary to protect the snapper-grouper resource. During the closure: Harvest or possession of vermilion snapper in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits. Sale and purchase of vermilion snapper in or from federal waters is prohibited. The closure applies in both state and federal waters for a person onboard a vessel with a federal snappergrouper permit. Commercial harvest of gray triggerfish in South Atlantic waters will close on May 12, The 2014 commercial catch limit is 272,880 pounds whole weight. Landing reports indicate the catch limit will be met by May 12, Commercial harvest will reopen on January 1, This closure is necessary to protect the snapper-grouper resource. During the closure: Harvest or possession of gray triggerfish in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits. Sale and purchase of gray triggerfish in or from federal waters is prohibited. The closure applies in both state and federal waters for a person onboard a vessel with a federal snappergrouper permit. (Southeast Fishery Bulletin, FB14-25, April 9, 2014) (Southeast Fishery Bulletin, FB14-32, May 5, 2014) TSA Annual Meeting The first Annual Texas Shrimp Association meeting with Ms. Andrea Hance as Executive Director was held May 9-10 in South Padre Island, TX. Foundation Executive Director Judy Jamison attended and Foundation Gulf Coordinator Gary Graham (left) presented an update on Foundation TED/BRD research. Marine Resource Education Program The Marine Resource Education Program (MREP) Science Workshop was held in St. Petersburg, FL in April 2014 for fishermen in the southeast region. The goals of the program are to increase the number of individuals that are comfortable navigating the fishery data and management systems by bringing fishermen, scientists, and managers together in a neutral setting to explore differences as well as common goals. During the Science Workshop, participants were given lessons in stock assessments, gear technology, fishery data collection and sampling, population biology, and climate change. The follow-up Management Workshop is scheduled for the end of September 2014 to be held in Tampa, FL.

10 Volume 15, Issue 1 Page 10 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Update The Council met in Baton Rouge, La, April 7-11, 2014, to discuss the following fishery issues: 2014 Recreational Red Snapper Season The Council took actions to prevent the recreational sector from exceeding its quota in 2014 and beyond. For the short-term, the Council asked NOAA Fisheries to implement an emergency rule to establish a 20% buffer on the 5.39 million pound recreational quota. The 20% buffer, which provides a low probability (15%) that the quota will be exceeded, combined with the 2013 landings estimates, results in a recreational annual catch target (ACT) of million pounds, and an 11-day red snapper recreational season for The bag limit will remain 2-fish per person. The 11-day season takes into consideration the incompatible state seasons and bag limits adopted by Texas, Louisiana, and Florida; however, it does not take into account a recent decision by Louisiana to have a year-round red snapper season in state waters. NOAA Fisheries will conduct further analysis to determine if the 11-day season is adequate. The Council also voted to withdraw a framework action submitted in February that would rescind the Amendment 30B permit provision, which requires vessels with federal charter vessel/headboat permits to abide by federal regulations if more restrictive when fishing in state waters. To address the issue long-term, the Council asked staff to include accountability measure actions and alternatives for the recreational allocation, such as buffers and overage adjustments, in the Red Snapper Allocation Amendment (Reef Fish Amendment 28). Allocation of Red Snapper - Reef Fish Amendment 28 The Council asked staff to add an action to the amendment that addresses accountability measures, including buffers and payback provisions. The Council will review the new document during its June Council meeting in Key West, FL. Final action is expected during the August meeting in Biloxi, MS. Red Snapper Charter-For-Hire IFQ-Type Program The Council agreed to have staff begin developing a scoping document that considers a red snapper IFQ-type program for the for-hire industry. An Ad Hoc Red Snapper Charter-for-Hire IFQ Advisory Panel will also be formed to look at the issue, provide the Council with feedback, and assist with program design. Reef Fish Amendment 40 - Sector Separation The Council reviewed the management alternatives included in the draft options paper for Reef Fish Amendment 40 - Sector Separation. The Council requested that staff include an option for consideration that participants in the for-hire component of a voluntary sector separation program be identified by an endorsement to the federal for-hire reef fish permit. Red Drum The Council asked staff to begin working on a plan amendment to manage recreational red drum out to 9 nm using the current management strategy of 30% or greater escapement rate. The document should include options for delegating management to the states, as well as other Council management strategies. Shrimp The Council approved the annual Texas shrimp closure for The closure is part of a cooperative seasonal closure with Texas and runs concurrent with its mid-season closure. The Council reviewed a draft options paper for Amendment 16 to the Shrimp FMP, which looks at adjusting the Annual Catch Limit and Accountability Measures for royal red shrimp. The Council chose the following as preferred alternatives: Action 1: Alternative 4 - Remove both the 334,000 lbs of tails ACL and the 392,000 lbs of tails quota. Change the ACL to 337,000 lbs of tails. Action 2: Alternative 2 - Retain the AM set through the Generic ALC/AM Amendment. Remove the inseason closure set through the revised 1981 FMP. Also related to shrimp - the Council requested staff begin working on a document that addresses the shrimp permit moratorium. (Gulf Council Update April 2014) For more information about Gulf Council activities, please visit

11 Page 11 Gulf & South Atlantic News South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Update The Council met in Savannah, GA on March 3-7, Several issues were tackled by the Council: Joint South Atlantic and Gulf Mackerel Management The Council continued review of management alternatives for king mackerel and Spanish mackerel, considering modifications to the joint management plan for the two species. King mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and cobia stocks are managed jointly by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council through the Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery Management Plan (FMP). More than a dozen commercial king mackerel fishermen from attended a public hearing held during the meeting to voice their support of the South Atlantic Council s decision to remove an action to change the fishing year in the Gulf of Mexico western zone for king mackerel. The issue has delayed approval of the amendment, since both federal management councils must be in agreement before submitting the amendment for final approval and implementation of the regulations. Amendment 20B to the FMP includes measures to establish regional quotas in the Atlantic for both king mackerel and Spanish mackerel, with a Northern Zone from North Carolina north to New York, and a Southern Zone encompassing South Carolina, Georgia, and Eastern Florida. The quotas would be transferrable between regions. The amendment also addresses catch limits for Atlantic and Gulf group cobia. During the meeting, the South Atlantic Council approved Amendment 20B for Secretarial Review. The Gulf Council is scheduled to approve the amendment for final submission to the Secretary of Commerce during its April 2014 meeting. Also approved, was Framework Amendment 1 to the FMP. The amendment will increase the annual catch limit for Atlantic group Spanish mackerel from 5.69 million pounds to 6.06 million pounds for the 2014 through 2016 fishing years. The Gulf group Spanish mackerel catch limit will also increase. Regulatory Amendment 21 Snapper Grouper FMP The amendment addresses the Minimum Stock Size Threshold (MSST) values for stocks with low natural mortality. The MSST is a biomass threshold used to determine if the stock is overfished. Modifying the values is designed to help prevent snapper grouper stocks with low natural mortality rates, such as red snapper, blueline tilefish, gag, black grouper, yellowtail snapper, vermilion snapper, red porgy, and greater amberjack, from shifting between overfished and rebuilt conditions due to natural variation in recruitment (the number of fish produced each year) and other environmental factors. The Council approved submission to the Secretary of Commerce for review and final approval. Amendment 29 Snapper Grouper FMP The amendment specifies Acceptable Biological Catch levels for species without stock assessments and where data is limited. The amendment also includes proposed new management measures for gray triggerfish, including changes to minimum size limits, a split season for the commercial fishery, and commercial trip limits. The Council considered comments received during January public hearings and will also receive input from its Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel that met in April in Charleston, SC. Visioning Project Council members received an update on the port meetings currently being held as part of the Council s Visioning Project for the snapper grouper fishery. The meetings have been coordinated with area fishermen and other stakeholder groups to discuss key issues, including management flexibility, reducing discards, data collection, allocations, tine/area management, regional management approaches, and other management concerns. Port meetings were held in all South Atlantic states. Members of the public were encouraged to bring their management ideas to the table and participate in the meetings. (SAFMC News Release, March 11, 2014) For more information about South Atlantic Council activities, please visit

12 Volume 15, Issue 1 May 2014 Barbeque Shrimp Ingredients: 6 tbsp Butter divided 2 tsp Shrimp boil 1 tsp Black pepper cracked 2 cloves Garlic finely chopped 1 tbsp Fresh basil chopped 1 tbsp Fresh oregano chopped 1 tbsp Fresh parsley chopped 2 lb Shrimp large, peeled with tails 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 4 cup Beer optional 2 Lemons juiced Directions: 1. Brown 3 tablespoons of butter in skillet; add seafood seasoning, pepper, garlic, parsley and shrimp. Sauté over high heat until shrimp are pink. 2. Add Worcestershire, beer, lemon juice and clam juice. Bring to a boil and to reduce. 3. Whisk remaining 3 tablespoons of butter into sauce to finish. Serve over coleslaw with extra sauce and crusty bread UPCOMING EVENTS May 8-9 Texas Shrimp Association, South Padre Island, TX Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Spring Meeting, Crowne Plaza Old Town Alexandria, 901 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA, June 9-13 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Sawgrass Marriot, 1000 PGA Tour Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Southeastern Fisheries Association 62nd Annual Meeting, Renaissance World Golf Village, St. Augustine, FL Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, Marriott Beachside, 3841 North Roosevelt Blvd., Key West, FL August Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, Beau Rivage 875 Beach Blvd. Biloxi, MS September South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, The Charleston Marriott Hotel, 170 Lockwood Boulevard, Charleston, SC Oct. 2 Marine Resource Education Program Southeast Management Workshop. Grand Hyatt Hotel, Tampa, Florida.