Added on Thursday, August 7, 2014  Fish Post

Releases – August 7, 2014

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is requesting public input on proposed management measures affecting the fishery management plans for snapper grouper, dolphin and wahoo, coastal migratory pelagics (includes king mackerel, spanish mackerel, and cobia), and golden crab. The public is encouraged to provide written comment and participate in upcoming public hearings scheduled from August 6-14, 2014, throughout the region on the proposed changes to management measures. The following measures are being considered:

For Public Hearing

Generic Accountability Measures and Dolphin Allocation Amendment includes: (1) Modifications to accountability measures for some species in the snapper grouper management complex; (2) Modifications to accountability measures for the commercial golden crab fishery; and (3) Modifications to the allocation between commercial and recreational sectors for dolphin (mahi-mahi).

Snapper Grouper Amendment 32 proposes measures to end overfishing and rebuild the blueline tilefish stock, including: (1) Removing blueline tilefish from the Deepwater-Complex for management; (2) Establishing an Acceptable Biological Catch, Optimum Yield, and other management parameters; (3) Reducing the current Annual Catch Limit; and (4) Establishing commercial trip limits and modifying recreational bag limits.

Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 20 addresses measures for snowy grouper, including: (1) Modifications to the rebuilding strategy; (2) Proposed split seasons for the commercial fishery; and (3) Modifications to trip limits and changes to recreational bag limits.

Coastal Migratory Pelagics Framework Amendment 2 includes: (1) Modifications to Atlantic group Spanish mackerel trip limits for the “Southern Zone”—Note: an amendment previously approved by the Council would establish a Northern Zone and a Southern Zone at the NC/SC boundary, with separate commercial quotas for Atlantic group Spanish mackerel.

Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 7 and Snapper Grouper Amendment 33 includes: (1) Proposed measures to allow recreational fishermen to bring fillets of dolphin and wahoo into the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from The Bahamas; and (2) Updates to current regulations that allow recreational fishermen to bring fillets of species in the snapper grouper management unit from The Bahamas into the U.S. EEZ.

For Public Scoping: (1) Snapper Grouper Amendment 35—Removal of four species from the snapper grouper management unit; and (2) Snapper Grouper Amendment 36—Process to consider protection of spawning areas for snapper grouper species.

Public scoping occurs at the beginning of the management process, providing the public an opportunity to comment on issues before the Council has decided to take any specific action. Using input received during the initial scoping process, the Council may then develop a Fishery Management Plan (FMP) or amendment to address these issues. Amendments considered for public hearings are further along in the management process and the Council is seeking public comment on specific management measures prior to the Council taking final action.

Summary documents, video presentations, and other materials for the amendments are posted on the Public Hearing and Scoping Meeting page of the Council’s website (www.safmc.net).  Complete copies of the public hearing versions of the draft amendments are also available.

Written comments will be accepted until 5:00 pm on August 18, 2014. Instructions for submitting comments, including email comments, are available from the website.

The Council will hold a series of public hearing/scoping meetings from Key West, Florida, to Morehead City, North Carolina (see schedule below). Council staff will be on hand to provide an overview of the proposed measures and available for informal discussions and to answer questions. Members of the public will have an opportunity to go on record to provide comments for consideration by the Council. Local Council representatives will attend the meetings and listen to public comment.

SAFMC August 2014 Public Hearing Schedule (all meetings 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm)

Wednesday, August 6, Bay Watch Conference Center, 2701 S. Ocean Boulevard, N. Myrtle Beach, SC 29582, Phone: 843/272-4600

Tuesday, August 12, Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront, 1550 N. Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931, Phone: 321/799/0003

Thursday, August 7, Crystal Coast Civic Center, 3505 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC 28557, Phone: 252/247-3883

Wednesday, August 13, Wyndham Riverwalk, 1515 Prudential Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32207, Phone: 904/396-5100

Monday, August 11, Key West Marriott Beachside, 3841 N. Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, FL 33040, Phone: 305/296-8100

Thursday, August 14, Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA 31322, Phone: 912/748-8888

 

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries has certified a new state record African pompano.

Toby Grantham, of Knightdale, reeled in the 46-pound fish on May 11 while fishing off Atlantic Beach.

The catch bests the previous state record of 40 pounds, 10 ounces, caught off Southport in 2003. The world record African Pompano weighed 50 pounds, 8 ounces, and was caught off Daytona Beach, FL, in 1990.

Grantham’s fish measured 47.5 inches total length (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail) and 43.5 inches fork length (from the tip of the nose to the fork in the tail). Its girth measured 35 inches.

He caught the fish using a MC Works 536 HS rod and Shimano Stella 10000 SWB reel with a vertical jig lure on 60-pound test line.

Grantham will receive a certificate and be listed on the Division of Marine Fisheries website as the state African pompano record holder.

Grantham also holds the state record for scamp for a 27-pound, 1-ounce fish he caught off Atlantic Beach in 2012.

For more information, contact Carole Willis, the state Division of Marine Fisheries’ sportfishing specialist, at (252) 808-8081 or carole.y.willis@ncdenr.gov.

 

NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a proposed rule to implement Framework Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Region. The proposed rule for Framework Amendment 1 published in the Federal Register (79 FR 44369) on July 31, 2014, and the comment period ends on September 2, 2014.

Recent stock assessments for Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel indicate the stocks are healthy, and catch levels can be increased.

If implemented, the proposed rule would increase the combined commercial and recreational catch limit for Spanish mackerel in the Gulf of Mexico from 5.15 million pounds to 12.7 million pounds in 2014-2015, and then decrease to 11.8 million pounds in 2015-2016, and 11.3 million pounds in 2016-2017.

In the South Atlantic, the proposed rule would increase the catch limit for Spanish mackerel from 5.69 million pounds to 6.063 million pounds; with 3.330 million pounds (55%) allocated to the commercial sector and 2.727 million pounds (45%) allocated to the recreational sector.

Framework Amendment 1 may be obtained from: (1) The NOAA Fisheries website; and (2) The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s website at www.safmc.net.

You may submit comments by the following methods:

Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2014-0075 click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.

Mail comments to : NOAA Fisheries,  Southeast Regional Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division, c/o Karla Gore, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 3370-5505.

NOAA Fisheries will accept anonymous comments. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only. Comments received through means not specified in this bulletin may not be considered.

For more information on Mackerel Framework Amendment 1, please click on this link to the Frequently Asked Questions found at:

http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/gulf_sa/cmp/2014/framework_am1/index.html.

 

NMFS is conducting a national economic assessment of retailers that sell marine recreational bait and tackle. The goal is to collect baseline economic data on: (1) Costs and gross sales; employment; (2) Sales by bait-and-tackle categories; (3) Fisheries targeted by customers; and (4) Factors affecting businesses.

These data will be used for economic impact [of regulations] analyses and to improve models.

Data collection was scheduled to begin July 14, 2014. NMFS will be sending out surveys to bait-and-tackle shop owners/operators around the country. Download a fact sheet, and find additional information at the NOAA Fisheries Recreational Economics Program website.

Direct further comments, questions, or concerns to: Dr. Cliff Hutt, Economics & Social Analysis Division, NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Department of Commerce, Phone: 301-427-8210, Cliff.Hutt@noaa.gov.