Public Hearing Summary Coastal Migratory Pelagics (CMP) Amendment 30 Atlantic Cobia Recreational Fishing Year Prepared by Kari MacLauchlin, SAFMC staff
Federal Fisheries Regulatory Process Council Gathers input from scientists and fishing stakeholders. Develops fishery management plans. NMFS/ Secretary of Commerce Reviews amendments from Council. Implements federal fishing regulations. Advisory Panels & Public Scientific & Statistical Committee SEDAR Stock Assessments Council Staff
CMP Amendment 30 - Background 2015 recreational overage reduced 2016 recreational season negative social and economic impacts on recreational fishermen, especially in North Carolina and Virginia. In September 2016, the South Atlantic Council approved Framework Amendment 4, which included actions to change the recreational harvest limits to 1/person, 6/vessel with a 36 FL minimum size limit. Changes to fishing year cannot be made via framework amendment, so the South Atlantic Council moved the action into Amendment 30. This is an amendment to the joint fishery management plan, so it must also be approved by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. In combination with the proposed harvest limits from Framework Amendment 4, changing the recreational fishing year is intended to reduce the risk of exceeding the annual catch limit before participants in all states have opportunities to fish for cobia.
Process for CMP Amendment 30 August 2016- Public hearings for Framework Amendment 4, including the action to change rec fishing year September 2016- South Atlantic Council approves Framework Amendment 4 and directs staff to move the action for rec fishing year Amendment 30 October 2016- Gulf Council reviews Amendment 30 and considers final approval October 2016- Public hearing webinar December 2016- South Atlantic Council reviews public input, and approves for formal review by the Secretary of Commerce Spring/Summer 2017- Changes implemented
What areas would be affected? The action in Amendment 30 would apply to recreational fishermen harvesting Atlantic cobia in federal waters from Georgia through New York. The boundary between the Gulf and Atlantic stocks is the GA/FL line, based on the approach used in the most recent stock assessment (SEDAR 28) and implemented in 2015 through CMP Amendment 20B.
ACTION 1 - Modify the recreational fishing year for Atlantic cobia Alternative 1 (No Action). Do not modify the current fishing year of January 1 through December 31. South Atlantic Preferred Alternative 2. Modify the recreational fishing year for Atlantic cobia to be May 1 through April 30. Alternative 3. Modify the recreational fishing year for Atlantic cobia to be June 1 through May 31. Alternative 4. Modify the recreational fishing year for Atlantic cobia to be April 1 through March 31.
Landings (lbs ww) 1,000,000 900,000 800,000 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 2013 2014 2015 Average 2013-2015 Average 2014-2015 Jan/Feb Mar/Apr May/Jun Jul/Aug Sep/Oct Wave Figure S-3 from the public hearing summary. Atlantic recreational landings for January- October of 2013, 2014, 2015, average 2013-2015 landings, and average 2014-2015 landings by two-month wave. Source: SEFSC Recreational ACL Dataset
Table S-2 from the public hearing summary. Estimated dates when Atlantic cobia recreational landings would meet the recreational ACL under the proposed bag limit, vessel limit and minimum size limit in Framework Amendment 4, for each alternative. This analysis includes landings data from 2013-2015. Fishing Year 1/person and 36 FL minimum size 6/vessel and 36 FL minimum size Alternative 1 (No Action) Jan 1 Dec 31 July 15 July 17 South Atlantic Preferred Alternative 2 May 1 - Apr 30 July 18 July 19 Alternative 3 June 1 - May 31 May 5 May 25 Alternative 4 Apr 1 Mar 31 July 16 July 18
Table S-3 from the public hearing summary. Estimated dates when Atlantic cobia recreational landings would meet the recreational ACL under the proposed bag limit, vessel limit and minimum size limit in Framework Amendment 4, for each alternative. This analysis includes landings data from 2005-2014. Fishing Year 1/person and 36 FL minimum size 6/vessel and 36 FL minimum size Alternative 1 (No Action) Jan 1 Dec 31 Oct 23 Oct 11 South Atlantic Preferred Alternative 2 May 1 - Apr 30 March 21 Oct 31 Alternative 3 June 1 - May 31 May 31 May 29 Alternative 4 Apr 1 Mar 31 Feb 12 Oct 25
What Can the Public Do? PARTICIPATE IN THE WEBINAR: October 25, 2016 at 6pm EST Presentation and Q&A with SAFMC staff, followed by recorded public comment session Register at http://safmc.net/meetings/public-hearing-and-scoping-meeting-schedule SUBMIT COMMENTS VIA OUR ONLINE FORM: http://safmc.net/meetings/public-hearing-and-scoping-meeting-schedule OR MAIL COMMENTS TO: Gregg Waugh, Executive Director, SAFMC 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201 North Charleston, SC 29405 DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE COMMENT OVERVIEW FOR THE DECEMBER 2016 SAFMC MEETING: November 15, 2016.
Need more Information? Want to Get Involved in the Process? www.safmc.net Questions about Cobia and Amendment 30: Kari MacLauchlin 843.302.8437 (office) Kari.MacLauchlin@safmc.net www.facebook.com/southatlanticcouncil @SAFMC General Questions about the SAFMC: Amber.VonHarten@safmc.net Fishery Outreach Specialist Or Kim.Iverson@safmc.net Public Information Officer
Additional info slide 1 (Table S-1 from public hearing summary). Recreational landings of Atlantic cobia from 2005-2015. Data sources: MRIP and SEFSC Year VA Landings NC Landings SC Landings GA Landings TOTAL ATLANTIC 2005 577,284 322,272 5,793 3,358 908,707 2006 733,740 104,259 101,018 4,824 943,841 2007 322,887 90,197 268,677 64,708 746,469 2008 167,949 66,258 50,108 257,690 542,006 2009 552,995 123,061 76,229 3,997 756,282 2010 232,987 561,486 65,688 79,855 940,015 2011 136,859 121,689 3,565 90,375 352,488 2012 36,409 68,657 224,365 105,193 434,623 2013 354,463 492,969 19,130 29,224 895,786 2014 214,427 277,489 31,927 20,642 544,485 2015 718,647 630,373 123,952 67,804 1,565,186
Additional info slide 2 (Figure S-1 from public hearing summary). Recreational catch of Atlantic cobia (lbs ww) by wave from 2006-2015 for Waves 2-5. Data sources: SERO and MRIP database. There are no MRIPestimated recreational landings of Atlantic cobia in states north of Virginia
Additional Info Slide 3: Additional background info about Atlantic cobia recreational AMs CMP Amendment 18 established the accountability measure (AM) for Atlantic cobia if the commercial and/or recreational annual catch limit (ACL) was exceeded. The SAFMC was mandated by law to establish AMs to prevent overfishing. The current AM (established in Amendment 18) for the recreational sector of the Atlantic cobia fishery is that if recreational landings exceed the recreational ACL, NMFS will shorten the subsequent season to prevent landings from exceeding the next year s ACL. Stock assessment for Gulf and Atlantic cobia (SEDAR 28) was completed in 2013. Using tagging data and genetic information, the stock assessment identified the boundary between Gulf and Atlantic cobia to be at the Georgia/Florida boundary. The Gulf and South Atlantic Councils had to update the stock boundary to align with SEDAR 28, and also update catch limits based on the results of the stock assessment in CMP Amendment 20B. New stock boundary Atlantic cobia ACL applied only to Georgia through New York; the cobia caught off the east coast of Florida counted against the Florida East Coast allocation of the Gulf cobia ACL.
Additional Info Slide 4: Framework Amendment v. Plan Amendment When action is necessary, one of three regulatory tracks is used to address the issue. Fishery Management Plan Amendment: The full amendment track is used to develop fishery management plans and amendments to fishery management plans. This track takes the most time and allows for the most public input. For CMP, both the SAFMC and Gulf of Mexico Council have to agree on all preferred alternatives and approve the plan amendment. Immediate: The immediate track is used to make changes to fishery regulations when urgent action is necessary. These immediate rule changes occur quickly, offering little time and opportunity for public comment before a proposed rule is developed. An Interim Rule or Emergency Rule are examples. Framework Amendment: The framework track is a quick way to make changes to fishery management plans that are equipped with a framework procedure. Framework procedures are a standardized way to make management changes that are already included in a fishery management plan. For CMP, only the SAFMC must approve changes for Atlantic cobia, Atlantic king mackerel and Atlantic Spanish mackerel.