The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s
South Atlantic Update
Published for fishermen and others interested in federal marine resource conservation issues
Fall 2016
Atlantic Cobia Management Measures Designed to Help Extend Season
Council approves new regulations for review, Fishing Year change proposed, ASMFC actions
New management measures may be in place for Atlantic
cobia (GA to NY) in federal waters by the 2017 fishing season
if all goes as planned. The new regulations, approved by the
South Atlantic Council during their September meeting, may
help to extend the season by reducing bag limits, increasing the
recreational minimum size limit, and modifying accountablity
measures currently in place. The proposed regulations must
be approved by the Secretary of Commerce before being
implemented.
The Council reviewed input from public hearings held from
Georgia to Virginia in August along with hearings via webinar,
written comments, and in-person testimony from fishermen and
others attending the September Council meeting.
Many of the comments came from charter captains and other
businesses impacted when the recreational fishery in federal
waters closed on June 20, 2016. NOAA Fisheries estimated
that fishermen had landed over twice the annual catch limit of
630,000 pounds the previous year. Accountability measures in
place required a shortened season to reduce harvest in 2016.
Fishermen continued to question the landings data collected
through NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Recreational Information
Program (MRIP). They asked the Council to treat the 2015
landings estimate of 1,540,779 pounds as an outlier, citing
average landings of 706,470 pounds from 2005-2014 as more
accurately reflecting the recreational fishery. The analysis was
included in Framework Amendment 4 to the Coastal Migratory
Pelagics Fishery Management Plan and considered by the
Council in September as it modified preferred alternatives.
Fishermen also supported changes to the accountability
measures. The new measures would reduce the length of
the fishing season and the vessel limit only if the combined
commercial and recreational annual catch limit is exceeded.
What’s Next?
In addition to the new regulations in Framework Amendment
4, the Council is also proposing to change the recreational
Fishing Year for Atlantic cobia. Amendment 30 would change
the current fishing year of January 1-December 31 to May
(Continued page 6)
December 5-9, 2016
Council Meeting
Atlantic Beach, NC
See page 7 for details
Formal Public Comment
Wednesday, December 7
at 4:30 PM
Credit: Ron Dorsey
Atlantic cobia are targeted as they migrate northward along the
Atlantic coast to spawn in the spring and summer. The recreational
fishery closed in federal waters in June 2016 during peak season
off the coasts of northeastern North Carolina and Virginia. New
regulations are proposed to help extend the season and ensure
consistent and stable access to the fishery.
Measures Approved for
Atlantic Cobia in Framework Amendment 4
(federal waters from GA to NY)
• Reduce the recreational bag limit and implement a
vessel limit
Current bag limit = 2 fish per person/day
• Council approved: 1 fish per person/day with a 6 fish per
vessel/day limit
• Increase the recreational minimum size limit
Current minimum size limit = 33 inches fork length
• Council approved: 36 inches fork length
• Modify the current accountability measures (AMs)
Council approved: modifying the current AMs to allow more
flexibilty should the annual catch limit (ACL) be exceeded
• Establish a commercial trip limit
Current commercial limit = 2 fish per person/day
Council approved: 2 fish per person/day or a 6 fish per vessel per
day, whichever is more restrictive
Inside This Issue:
From the Chair...................................2
In The News.......................................3
New Regs for Hogfish/Mutton Snapper ......3
Public Hearings & Scoping Planned..........4
Amendments at a Glance ......................5
Submitting Public Comment...................6
From the Executive Director’s Desk.........6
December 2016 Meeting Agenda ............7
Calendar...........................................8
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N. Charleston, SC 29405;
Telephone: (843) 571-4366 or Toll Free 866/SAFMC-10; FAX: (843) 769-4520; E-mail: [email protected]
Chairman’s Perspective
SOUTH ATLANTIC FISHERY
MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
Gregg T. Waugh
Executive Director
Dr. Brian Cheuvront, Deputy
John Carmichael, Deputy
VOTING MEMBERS
Designated State Officials
Dr. Michelle Duval - Chair
Jessica McCawley
Morehead City, NC
Tallahassee, FL
(252) 808-8011
(850) 487-0554
Doug Haymans
Brunswick, GA
(912) 264-7218
Mel Bell
Charleston, SC
(843) 953-9007
Appointed Obligatory Members
Ben Hartig
Hobe Sound, FL
(772) 546-1542
Tim Griner
Charlotte, NC
980/722-0918
Zack Bowen
Savannah,GA
(912) 398-3733
Chris Conklin
Murrells Inlet, SC
843/543-3833
Appointed At-Large Members
W. Chester Brewer
West Palm Beach, FL
(561) 655-4777
Charlie Phillips, Vice Chair
Townsend, GA
(912) 832-3149
Mark Brown
Mt. Pleasant, SC
(843) 881-9735
Anna Barrios Beckwith
Morehead City, NC
(252) 671-3474
NMFS Regional Administrator
Dr. Roy Crabtree
St. Petersburg, FL
(727) 824-5301
Robert Beal
ASMFC
Washington, DC
(202) 289-6400
Non-Voting Members
Dr. Wilson Laney
U. S. Fish & Wildlife
Raleigh, NC
(919) 515-5019
LT Tara Pray
Deirdre Warner-Kramer
U. S. Coast Guard
Miami, FL
(305) 415-6778
State Department
Washington, DC
(202) 647-2883
Editor’s Note
The South Atlantic Update is published by the South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council. Its purpose is to report developments in fisheries
management that would be of interest to its readers. Please credit the
Council when reprinting articles used in this newsletter. Submissions
may be mailed to Kim Iverson, Editor, South Atlantic Update, 4055
Faber Place Dr., Suite 201, N. Charleston, SC 29405, or may be sent
via the internet; Email address: [email protected].
A publication of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Pursuant to National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA15NMF4410010.
Dr. Michelle Duval, Council Chair
“An Opportunity to be Heard”
The Power of
Public Involvement
Public input and participation
is at the very core of the council
process; the third required function
listed in the Magnuson-Stevens Act that each Council “shall”
do is “conduct public hearings…so as to allow all interested
persons an opportunity to be heard in the development of
�ishery management plans and amendments to such plans…”.
Public input has shaped management alternatives, prompted
new analyses and resulted in creative solutions. Some recent
examples include: the system of seasonal allocations and trip
limits for king mackerel in the Southern Zone; a proposed rule
by the NMFS HMS Division designed to keep the small coastal
shark quota open longer and reduce discards in the Spanish
mackerel gillnet �ishery; and evaluation of cobia management
measures using a longer time series that provided a broader
range of harvest scenarios. The importance of bottom-up,
grassroots public input is why we have regional advisory panels.
Finally, public input is the reason the Council undertook
the snapper grouper visioning process. Along the way, we
heard many suggestions for how the Council could improve
outreach and communication, so that stakeholders could in
turn improve their ability to participate in the process. From
increased use of innovative technologies (such as listening
stations), to alternative outreach approaches (expansion of the
Marine Resource Education Program-Southeast), to maximizing
website capabilities, the communication priorities in the Vision
Blueprint apply across all the Council’s managed species, not
just snapper grouper. We have a broad range of stakeholders
in the region, with a variety of communication preferences,
and Council staff has been working hard to put those priorities
into practice: we have diversi�ied the locations of in-person
public hearings, so that we can better reach stakeholders that
might be most impacted by issues under consideration; we
have expanded the use of live Q&A webinars and posting of
narrated presentations on current issues to YouTube; we have
implemented a new online comment form that allows instant
access to stakeholder input by all members of the public; and
�inally, a new website will be launched (soon!) that will include
separate pages for each issue or amendment the Council is
working on. The burden of all these labors falls on Council staff,
and they deserve huge kudos for their efforts.
While public participation is one of the cornerstones of the
MSA, it can often be a frustrating process for stakeholders, who
may feel as though their input is not being considered, or even
heard (or read, as the case may be). It is equally frustrating for
Council members, who are almost always faced with con�licting
public input on a particular issue. Trying to forge some middle
ground in the midst of a rainbow of opinions that meets the
needs of stakeholders, the resource and the law is dif�icult at
best; most of us walk away feeling as though we have done none
of those things well. However, it’s important that we improve
stakeholder ability to participate in those decisions, but even
more so that we ALL understand, acknowledge, and respect the
diversity of public input.
Michelle
The South Atlantic Update Fall 2016
2
In the News:
Council Member Ben Hartig
Recognized as Highliner by National
Fisherman Magazine
Commercial
fisherman and
former Council Chair
Ben Hartig joined
peers from Maryland
and Maine as
National Fisherman’s
2016 Highliners
of the Year. The
distinquished
award recognizes
commercial fishermen across the country
that have made personal sacrifices in their
contributions to their industry.
According to the magazine, “Hartig’s
leadership also has a local effect, but his
many terms on the South Atlantic Council
have afforded him a widespread influence on
the region’s fishery policies and standards for
data.” Ben currently serves as an Obligatory
representative for Florida and is a full-time
commercial fisherman homeported in Port
Solerno.
Americans Added Nearly One Pound of Seafood to Their Diet in 2015
2015 was another above-average year
for fishing and seafood comsumption,
with the average American adding nearly
an extra pound of seafood to their diet,
according to the annual Fisheries of the
United States report released by NOAA in
October.
Across the nation, U.S. fishermen
landed 9.7 billion pounds of fish and
shellfish valued at $5.2 billion, a volume
and value similar to recent years. The
highest value U.S. commercial species
were lobster, crab, shirmp, salmon and
Alaska pollock, with pollock being the
largest fishery by volume at 3.3 billion
pounds.
“Fishing and seafood is big business for
our country. Marine and coastal fisheries
contribute billions of dollars to the
national economy, support 1.8 million jobs
and keep our ports and waterways open
for business,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant
NOAA administrator for fisheries. “Thanks
to longstanding legislation and continued
inovation in fisheries science and
management, we are seeing real returns
on our nation’s efforts to end overfishing
and make fisheries sustainable.”
Saltwater recreational fishing remained
strong with 8.9 million anglers making
nearly 61 million trips, resulting in a catch
of more than 350 million fish with 57%
reported released. Stiped bass remains
the top harvested catch among saltwater
anglers, followed by yellowfin tuna, dolphin
(mahi mahi), bluefish and red drum.
Access the full report from NOAA
Fisheries at: http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/
commercial-fisheries/fus/fus15/index.
New Regulations for Hogfish and Mutton Snapper Proposed for 2017
Harvest restrictions designed to end overfishing for Florida Keys/East Florida hogfish and protect spawning mutton snapper
Regulations for two popular species
as they aggregate during the full moon
harvested in South Florida will likely
to reproduce. Hogfish are popular targets
change in the coming year if proposed
for spearfishermen diving along tropical
management measures go into place for
coral reefs, with larger fish found off the
Proposed Measures for Hogfish
mutton snapper and hogfish in federal
coasts of the Carolinas. Both species are
(Snapper Grouper Amendment 37)
waters. Mutton snapper are commonly
known for their delicious flavor and as a
Florida Keys/East Florida Stock
targeted during the spring spawning season result their numbers are in decline.
• Define the management unit from the
Recent studies of hogfish identified
GA/FL state boundary to a line just south
two separate stocks: a Florida Keys/East
of Cape Sable, Florida
Florida stock and a Georgia/Carolinas
Proposed Measures for
• Specifiy a 10 yr. rebuilding plan
stock. The FL Keys/E FL stock is
Mutton Snapper
overfished and overfishing is occurring.
• Recalculate allocations with 9.63%
(Snapper Grouper Amendment 41)
commercial and 90.37% recreational
As a result, severe reductions in harvest
• Specify management parameters and
are needed and must be implemented
• Reduce annual catch limits
revise the Optimum Yield, annual catch
by February 2017 to meet a statutory
limit and annual catch target.
• Decrease the recreational bag limit
deadline. The Council approved the
• Proposed changes would reduce the
from 5 fish to 1 fish per person/day
annual catch limit from 926,600 lbs.
measures in Amendment 37 during its
(whole weight) to 587,633 lbs. (ww)
September meeting after reviewing public
• Increase the minimum size limit for
beginning in 2017.
both sectors from 12” to 16” fork length
comment.
• Increase the recreational minimum size
The Council is scheduled to approve
• Establish an annual recreational fishing
limit from 16” to 18” (Total Length)
Amendment 41 in December to reduce
season from May through October.
harvest
of
mutton
snapper
and
provide
• Designate a spawning season of April
• Establish a comm. trip limit of 25 lbs.
through June for regulatory purposes
additional protection to fish as they gather
GA/Carolinas Stock
each year to spawn. Fishermen attending
• Reduce the recreational bag limit from
• Recalculate allocations with 69.13%
public
hearings
in
August
generally
10 fish to 5 fish per person/day year
commercial and 30.87% recreational
round; included in the 10-snapper
supported the precautionary measures.
aggregate bag limit.
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission
• Increase the minimum size limit for
both sectors from 12” to 17” fork length
is
expected
to
implement
similar
• Establish a commercial trip limit of
500 pounds during the “regular season”
regulations in state waters for mutton
• Establish a recreational bag limit of 2
and a trip limit of 5 fish per person/day
snapper. Annual catch limits include fish
fish per person/day and a commercial trip
during the spawning season
limit of 500 lbs.
harvested in state and federal waters.
The South Atlantic Update Fall 2016
3
On the Radar: Public Hearings and Scoping Meetings Scheduled for Early 2017
Allocation alternatives for dolphin and yellowtail snapper; options for red snapper; Visioning options for snapper grouper
The Council is planning a series of public hearings and scoping meetings in late January/early February to solicit public input on a variety of proposed
management measures currently being considered. Details for the meeting dates and locations will be publicized as they become available.
Public Hearing:
Public Scoping:
Allocations for Dolphin and Yellowtail Snapper -
Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 10 / Snapper Grouper Amendment 44
The Council is considering management alternatives
to allow for temporary or permanent reallocation between
commercial and recreational sectors in the dolphin (mahimahi) and yellowtail snapper fisheries.
In 2015, the commercial dolphin fishery in the Atlantic and
commercial yellowtail snapper fishery in the South Atlantic
Region met their sector annual catch limit (ACL) and were
faced with early season closures. Alternatives for modifying
allocations are being considered to optimize harvest. In 2015,
the dolphin recreational sector harvested a little over half of the
recreational ACL leaving approximately 6.8 million pounds of
the total ACL for dolphin unharvested. The Council will also
consider how Optimum Yield is defined for the dolphin fishery.
Alternatives for allocation
inlcude: temporary or permanent
shifts in allocation; use of a
“common pool” to set aside a
portion of the ACL to be used by
either sector; a reserve category
with a rollover credit; and
temporary allocation shifts similar
to those used for bluefish in the
Mid-Atlantic Region.
The Council had considered
allocations between gear types
Atlantic Dolphin Fishery
for the commercial fishery
• Managed from Maine to
East Coast of Florida
(longline and hook-and-line) but
decided against the option during • ACL = 15,344,846 lbs. (ww)
• Current allocation:
discussions at its September
90% recreational
meeting. A new measure, approved
10 % commercial
by the Council earlier this year,
will reduce the commercial trip limit to 4,000 pounds after
75% of the commercial ACL has been reached. The measure is
currently under review by NOAA Fisheries.
Changes in allocations for
yellowtail snapper, a popular
target for fishermen off the
southern coast of Florida, are also
being considered. After the 2015
commercial fishery closed, the
Council approved changing the
fishing year to begin August 1st
in order to help extend harvest
through the winter season.
The Council’s intent is to move
forward with the development of
Yellowtail Snapper Fishery
an allocation policy and have the
• Fishery occurs primarily in
policy in place before considering
South Florida and FL Keys
allocations for other species.
• ACL = 3,037,500 lbs. (ww)
• Current allocation:
Allocation guidelines from NOAA
47.44% recreational
Fisheries will be considered in the
52.56% commercial
policy development.
Red Snapper - Snapper Grouper Amendment 43
Options to substantially reduce discards while allowing a
limited harvest of red snapper are being considered. The fishery
remains closed to harvest primarily due to the estimated number
of dead discards in the recreational fishery as the stock continues
to rebuild. The stock remains listed as undergoing overfishing
following a benchmark stock assessment completed earlier
this year. Amendment 43 includes an Adaptive Management
Approach that includes options to:
• Open limited seasons with various size and
bag limits
• Require recreational permit or tag program
• Recreational reporting requirements
• Modifiy accountability measures
• Require the use of best fishing practices to
reduce discard mortality, e.g. descending
devices, single hooks, etc.
• Establish an allowable year-round recreational fishing area for
snapper grouper species based on depth
Snapper Grouper Visioning Amendments - for commercial
and recreational sectors
Management measures are being considered as part of
the 2016-2020 Vision Blueprint long-term strategic plan for
managing the snapper grouper fishery. Individual amendments
are being developed for each sector. Prioritized options include:
• Recreational: modifying aggregate bag limits and re-evaluation of
the shallow water grouper closure (note that other items are
included in Amendment 43 above).
• Commercial: split seasons for deepwater species to help reduce
discards, modifications to trip limits and step-downs, changes to the
current shallow water grouper closure, and modifying the fishing
year for the golden tilefish hook-and-line sector.
Limited Entry for Federally
Permitted Charter Vessels?
In anticipation of implementing an
electronic reporting requirment for
federally-permitted charter/for-hire
vessels, the Council has requested
a Control Date of June 15, 2016 for
Atlantic Dolphin/Wahoo, Atlantic
Coastal Migratory Pelagic, and South
Atlantic Snapper Grouper Charter/
For-Hire permits. The Control Date
provides notice that the Council is
considering restricting participation in the fisheries. Fishermen
who enter the for-hire fishery after that date will not be assured
of future access should a limited entry program be implemented.
The Control Date is being reviewed by NOAA Fisheries and may be
modified in the future at the request of the Council.
During its September meeting, the Council discussed the
pros and cons of implementing a limited entry program for the
for-hire fishery and will continue discussions during its December
meeting.
The South Atlantic Update Fall 2016
4
Amendments at a Glance - A quick reference for proposed and recently implemented measures
Keeping track of the various amendments to fishery management plans as they are being developed and subsequent regulation
changes can be a challenge. Below is a brief overview of amendments in various stages of development and implementation. Draft
copies of the amendments are available in the briefing book materials for each Council meeting. Public hearing summaries and
scoping documents outlining proposed management measures are also available prior to scheduled meetings. Materials are posted
on the Council’s web site at www.safmc.net as they become available. Information on all amendments is available from the “Fishery
Management Plan” page of the website.
Currently Under Development by the Council
South Atlantic For-Hire Electronic Logbook Amendment
Requirement for Weekly
Reporting by Charter
Vessels
The amendment would require
weekly trip-level electronic
reporting for charter (6-pack)
vessels to better monitor
landings and discards, and
better assess the impacts
of regulations on the forPhoto credit: Harbor Light Software
hire industry fishing in federal waters.
The amendment would also modify the current timing of headboat
reporting. Status: Public hearings were held in Jan/Feb 2016. The
Council is scheduled to approve the amendment for Secretarial review
during its December 2016 meeting.
Snapper Grouper Amendment 41 – Mutton Snapper
The amendment revises biological parameters, catch levels, and
management measures for mutton
snapper. Actions include reducing the
Once an amendment is
recreational bag limit and commercial
approved by the Council,
trip limit and increasing the minimum
the document is then sent
size limit (see p.3). Scoping meetings
to NOAA Fisheries as part
were held in Jan/Feb 2016 and public
of the Secretarial review
hearings August 2016. Status: The
process. Additional public
Council is scheduled to approve the
comment is accepted on
amendment for Secretarial review duractions proposed in the
ing its December 2016 meeting.
amendment before they
Allocations for Dolphin and
Yellowtail Snapper – Dolphin
Wahoo Amendment 10/Snapper
Grouper Amendment 44
are approved, partially
approved, or disapproved
by the Secretary of
Commerce.
The joint amendments would modify allocations between the
commercial and recreational sectors for the Atlantic dolphin fishery
and the South Atlantic yellowtail snapper fishery. Alternatives in
the amendment include temporary and permanent allocation shifts,
establishing a common pool for the annual catch limit to be used by
either sector, and a reserve category with a roll over credit. Status: If
approved by the Council in December, public hearings will be held in
Jan/Feb 2017.
Approved by Council/Under Secretarial Review
Snapper Grouper Amendment 37 – Hogfish
Recent studies indicate there are two separate genetic stocks of hogfish
in the South Atlantic. The amendment specifies two separate stocks:
1) the Florida Keys/East Florida stock and 2) the GA/NC stock. A 2014
benchmark stock assessment was completed for hogfish and it was
determined that the FL Keys/EFL stock was overfished and undergoing
overfishing. The amendment establishes a rebuilding plan for the FL
Keys/EFL stock and would reduce bag limits and commercial trip limits,
increase minimum size limits, implement a recreational season of May October for the FL Keys/E FL stock, and other measures. Public hearings
were held in Jan/Feb 2016. Status: The Council approved the amendment for Secretarial review during its September 2016 meeting.
Coastal Migratory Pelagics Framework Amendment 4
Atlantic Migratory Cobia
In March 2016, the Council began development of this framework
amendment with actions intended to lengthen the recreational season
for Atlantic cobia (GA through NY) beginning in 2017. The recreational
season closed in Federal waters on June 20, 2016 due to the landings
in 2015 exceeding the recreational annual catch limit. Actions
include changes to bag limits, vessel limits, minimum size limits, and
accountability measures. Status: Public hearings were held in August
2016. The Council approved the amendment during its September 2016
meeting.
Snapper Grouper Amendment 36
Spawning Special Management Zones
The amendment would establish Spawning Special Management Zones
to help protect spawning snapper grouper species. Status: Approved
by Council in March 2016 and sent to NOAA Fisheries in August 2016.
Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 16
Commercial black sea bass pot closure and gear markings
The amendment would allow a winter season for the pot fishery within
designated depth contours and specific gear marking. Status: Approved
by the Council in December 2015 and sent to NOAA Fisheries in March
2016. Implentation pending.
Snapper Grouper Amendment 43 – Red Snapper
The amendment includes options to reduce discards of red snapper
while allowing access to the fishery as the stock continues to rebuild.
Status: The Council is scheduled to approve the amendment for public
scoping during its December 2016 meeting. Scoping is planned in Jan/
Feb 2016.
Snapper Grouper Visioning Amendments – Commercial and
recreational measures in separate amendments
The Council is developing two sector-specific amendments that include
options for management measures identified as part of the Council’s
2016-2020 Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery. Status: The
Council is scheduled to approve the amendments for public scoping during its December meeting. Scoping is planned in Jan/Feb 2016.
Note: This listing is an overview and is not all-inclusive. For a
complete list of amendments, visit
www.safmc.net.
The South Atlantic Update Fall 2016
5
Your Comments Matter!
Atlantic Cobia (Continued from page 1)
1-April 30 to ensure
that in the event of a
future overage of the
annual catch limit
and implementation
of associated
accountability
measures, the fishing
season would be open
long into the fishing Cobia public hearing in Kitty Hawk, NC.
year to allow for fishermen in all states to have the opportunity
to catch cobia. The Council will review public comments and
is scheduled to approve the amendment during its December
meeting.
The majority of Atlantic cobia are landed in state waters
off the coasts of northeastern North Carolina and Virginia.
To allow additional management flexibility, at the Council’s
request, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is
developing a complementary plan for the Atlantic cobia stock.
The Commission approved the Public Information Document
for the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Cobia during its
October meeting. A copy of the document is available via the
Commission’s website at www.asmfc under “Public Input”.
During its September meeting, the Council approved the
addition of a Cobia Sub-panel to its Mackerel Cobia Advisory
Panel, adding fishing representatives from each of the four
southeastern states and Virginia. The sub-panel will provide
recommendations specific to Cobia as management needs arise.
And now it is easier than ever to provide comment
Learn More
Council meeting materials are posted 2 weeks
prior to each quartlery meeting. A news release,
meeting summary and interactive story map is
available the last day of the meeting. For public
hearings, online presentations, summaries,
and story maps provide an overview of what is
proposed and why.
Attend
Attend a Council meeting or public hearing/scoping meeting. Public
hearings are scheduled throughout the region as needed. The Council
holds a public comment session during each of its quarterly meetings.
Submit Written Comments
Use the online public comment forms available for each Council meeting
and for public hearings. Comments submitted using the online form are
immediately posted to the Council’s website and available for all Council
members and the public to view.
Written Comment Process for Council Meetings:
• The public comment form is open for use when the briefing book is
posted to the website on the Friday two weeks prior to each meeting.
• Comments received by close of business the Monday before the
meeting will be compiled, posted to the website as part of the meeting
materials, and included in the administrative record.
• For written comments received after the Monday before the meeting,
individuals sending the comment must use the Council’s online form.
Comments will be automatically posted to the website and available
for Council consideration.
• Comments recevied prior to Noon on the Thursday of the meeting
week will be a part of the administrative record.
From The Executive Director’s Desk
Our
September
2016 meeting
was another
very busy
week.
Amendments
addressing
hogfish and
Gregg Waugh
cobia were
approved for formal review, and the
Council further developed an adaptive
management approach that could
lead to a red snapper opening of some
length in 2018.
For information about what
happened at each Council meeting,
please look for the Council’s Press
Release on the Friday afternoon after
each meeting. The press release
includes a link to an interactive Story
Map that covers the major items. For
those interested in the details, they are
included in the Meeting Report.
These items for the September meeting
are available at: http://safmc.net/
meetings/september-2016-councilmeeting. Please take a look and give us
your feedback on these methods to get
information out to you quickly.
The Council is partnering with the
National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) and the Atlantic Coastal
Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP)
on the following proposals to address
the public’s concerns about data:
1. Electronic Reporting Mobile
Application for Scamp – A pilot project
to use an electronic reporting app to
collect fishery dependent information
on discards for Scamp grouper.
Information on discarded fish and
fishing practices will be used to inform
the 2018 SEDAR stock assessment.
Outcomes of the project will be
evaluated to determine if this approach
can provide reliable and useful discard
information for other stocks.
2. Outreach for Electronic Reporting
– Conduct training and outreach
programs about electronic reporting
systems targeting charter captains and
law enforcement officers throughout
the region. The project will also develop
a customer service support system
to provide real-time troubleshooting
The South Atlantic Update Fall 2016
guidance on issues that may arise with
the electronic reporting system.
3. Recreational Stamp/Logbook –
Data are limited on the number of
participants, catch and harvest, and
the size distribution of discards in
the private recreational fishery. Of
particular concern is red snapper, which
has not had an open season since
2014. A pilot project would create a
recreational snapper grouper stamp/
permit for selected individual fishermen
to report recreational catch and discard
data via a mobile app. The data would
then flow through an application
program interface to the Atlantic Coast
Cooperative Statistics Program where
the public and managing partners
could access the data. The application
would also collect information on the
size composition of discards and alert
fishermen of managed areas.
The Council remains concerned about
our data shortcomings and intends to
continue working to fill the data gaps.
Gregg
6
SAFMC Meeting Dates and Locations
2017 Schedule
Know Before You Go!
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Apple/Iphone
Acronyms
Android
June 12-16, 2017
Sawgrass Marriott
1000 PGA Tour Blvd.
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Phone: 904/285-7777
December 4-8, 2017
Doubletree Oceanfront
2717 W. Ft. Macon Rd.
Atlantic Beach, NC
Phone: 252/240-1155
December 5-9, 2016
DoubleTree by Hilton
2717 West Fort Macon Road
Atlantic Beach, NC 28512
ACCSP - Atlantic Coast Cooperative
Statistics Program
ACL - Annual Catch Limit
ACT - Annual Catch Target
September 11-15, 2017
Town & Country Inn
2008 Savannah Highway
Charleston, SC
Phone: 843/571-1000
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting
ABC - Acceptable Biological Catch
AM - Accountability Measure
March 6-10, 2017
Westin Jekyll Island
110 Ocean Way
Jekyll Island, GA
Phone: 912/635-4545
Phone: 252/240-1155
A detailed agenda is posted on the Council’s website at www.safmc.net or contact the
Council office toll free at 1-866/SAFMC-10 or 843/571-4366.
MEETING AGENDA
AP - Advisory Panel
ASMFC - Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission
Monday
8:30 - 9:30
9:30 - 10:30
10:30 - 12:00
1:30 - 2:30
2:30 - 5:00
Advisory Panel Selection Committee (Partially Closed )
Law Enforcement Committee
SSC Selection Committee
Protected Resources Committee
Habitat & Ecosystem-Based Mgmt. Committee
Tuesday
8:30 - 10:30
10:30 - 11:30
1:00 - 4:00
4:00 - 5:00
5:00 - 6:00
SEDAR Committee (Partially Closed )
Spiny Lobster Committee
Jt. Dolphin Wahoo/Snapper Grouper/Mackerel
Cobia Committees
Information & Education Committee
Executive Finance Committee
Wednesday
8:00 - 4:30
4:30
Snapper Grouper Committee
Formal Public Comment
Thursday
8:00 - 9:00
9:00 - 10:00
10:00 - 11:00
11:00 - 12:00
1:30 - 2:30
2:30 - 4:30
4:30 - 5:30
Personnel Committee (Closed Session)
Snapper Grouper Committee (continued)
Highly Migratory Species Committee
Mackerel Cobia Committee
Citizen Science Committee
Data Collection Committee
Executive Finance Committee
Friday
8:30 - 1:00
- Council Session -
BRD - Bycatch Reduction Device
EEZ - Exclusive Economic Zone
EFH - Essential Fish Habitat
EFH/HAPC - Essential Fish Habitat/
Habitat Area of Particular Concern
FMP - Fishery Management Plan
HMS - Highly Migratory Species
ITQ - Individual Transferable Quota
MSA - Magnuson-Stevens Act
MSY - Maximum Sustainable Yield
MRIP - Marine Recreational Information
Program
NMFS - National Marine Fisheries
Service
OY - Optimum Yield
SEDAR - Southeast Data, Assessment,
and Review (stock assessment process)
SSC - Scientific & Statistical Committee
TAC - Total Allowable Catch
VMS - Vessel Monitoring System
Note! Follow the Council
meeting live online
Watch the Council meeting from Atlantic Beach, NC via
webinar. Registration information is available from the
December 2016 Meeting Information page at
www.safmc.net.
The South Atlantic Update Fall 2016
Channel SAFMC
www.facebook.com/
SouthAtlanticCouncil
7
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration
South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council
4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201
North Charleston, SC 29405
Presorted First Class
U.S. Postage
PAID
Charleston, SC
Permit 25
Electronic Service Requested
www.safmc.net
2016 - 2017
Mark your calendar...
Jan 18-Feb 8 SAFMC Public Hearing/ Scoping Meetings
Region-wide www.safmc.net
Jan 30-Feb 1 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Meeting
Jan 23-27
Printed on
recycled paper
South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council
Meeting
December 5-9, 2016
Atlantic Beach, NC
New Orleans, LA www.gulfcouncil.org
SEDAR 50 Data Workshop for Blueline Tile�ish
Charleston, SC
sedarweb.org
Jan 31-Feb 2 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting
Feb 14-16
Alexandria, VA www.asmfc.org
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting
Kitty Hawk, NC www.mafmc.org
Know Before You Go!
Download the FREE
SA Fishing Regulations
mobile App today.