Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council

This amendment would allow the Gulf states to manage certain aspects of the Gulf recreational red snapper fishery, including seasons and bag limits. At their January 2016 meeting, the Council voted to postpone action on this amendment indefinitely due to various concerns, including potential enforcement issues, lack of flexibility among the management options, and lack of support among stakeholders. The Council may return to this amendment at future meetings.

Although regional management is not currently a viable option through the Council, there are ongoing efforts through Congress to transfer some or all authority for the red snapper fishery to the Gulf states. LDWF will continue to advocate on behalf of its stakeholders and press Congress for state-based management of red snapper.

• Find out more about these efforts

Approved at the August 2015 Council meeting, Amendment 28 will allocate the amount of an increase in allowable red snapper harvest to the recreational fishery. Allowable harvest increased due to scientific analysis of and subsequent improvements in recreational data. The percentage increase will fluctuate annually; averaged over the next three years, the red snapper quota will be allocated 51.5% to the recreational sector and 48.5% to the commercial sector. The quota is currently split 49% recreational and 51% commercial. In September 2015, the Council forwarded the approved amendment to the Secretary of Commerce to review and implement. Before implementing this amendment, NOAA Fisheries must analyze the potential impacts of the amendment and report them in an environmental impact statement. The final environmental impact statement is now available for review and public comment. NOAA Fisheries has also published the proposed rule to implement this amendment and is currently seeking public comment on the rule.

• Read the final amendment and final environmental impact statement
• Comment on the final environmental impact statement (due February 16, 2016)
• Comment on the proposed rule (due March 10, 2016)

At their October 2015 meeting, the Council approved increasing the minimum recreational size limit for gag and black grouper to 24 inches total length, changing the opening date of the recreational gag season to June 1 to coincide with the opening of the red snapper season, and removing the December 3-31 fixed closed season for gag. The size limit changes will make recreational minimum size limits for gag and black grouper in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico consistent. The season changes will help keep the recreational gag season open until the end of the year or until the quota is projected to be reached, allowing anglers to take full advantage of the resource while still preventing overfishing. The Council forwarded their recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce to review and implement. If the Secretary approves, these changes will take effect in 2016.

• Read the final framework action

This amendment includes several actions that affect both Gulf and South Atlantic king mackerel. Based on results of the most recent stock assessment, proposed actions address boundaries, annual catch limits, recreational and commercial allocations, the recreational bag limit for Gulf king mackerel, among other issues. The Council is working with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) on this amendment. At their January 2016 meeting, the Council reviewed both the Gulf and South Atlantic Coastal Migratory Pelagic Advisory Panels’ and the SAFMC’s preferred management options (selected at their most recent meeting). The Council then selected their preferred management options. While they decided to maintain the current commercial and recreational allocations for Gulf king mackerel, they discussed developing a mechanism to temporarily reallocate unused recreational quota to the commercial sector in the future. Council staff will hold public hearings on the amendment in late February/early March, including one at the Hilton New Orleans Airport in Kenner, Louisiana at 6 pm on February 24, 2016 and a webinar on March 3, 2016 at 5 pm. Council staff will present a final version of the amendment to the Council during their April 2016 meeting. The Council will likely take final action on this amendment then.

• Read the amendment
• Attend a public hearing
• Submit a comment
• Read online comments and other comments

This amendment includes options for electronic reporting requirements for the charter for-hire and headboat fleets. At their January 2016 meeting, the Council decided to postpone taking final action on this amendment after reviewing it and hearing public comments, as there is a lack of detail on and support for management options currently in this amendment. The Council requested that NOAA Fisheries scientists develop a flowchart to illustrate the various alternatives for electronic reporting for review at the April 2016 Council meeting. The Council also requested that NOAA Fisheries scientists continue working on a report that analyzes how reporting alternatives meet management goals for review at the April or June 2016 Council meeting. They also requested that the technical committee, created to provide guidance on the structure and function of the electronic reporting program, meet to discuss the amendment before the June 2016 Council meeting.

• Read the amendment
• Submit a comment
• Read online comments and other comments

This amendment will create a management plan for the charter for-hire fleet and only applies to red snapper. The Council must decide on the type of management program to implement, e.g. traditional management tools such as size and bag limits and seasons and/or allocation-based programs. Council staff held scoping meetings in the fall of 2015 to gather suggestions and ideas from stakeholders to develop management alternatives. At their January 2016 meeting, the Council reviewed feedback from the scoping meetings, discussed management options, and requested that Council staff develop an option for charter boats to opt out of the proposed management programs.

• Read the amendment
• Submit a comment online
• Read online comments and other comments

This amendment will create a management plan for the headboat fleet. The Council must decide the type of management program to implement, e.g. traditional management instruments such as size and bag limits and seasons, allocation-based programs, and/or fish tags. Council staff held scoping meetings in the fall of 2015 to gather suggestions and ideas from stakeholders to develop management alternatives. At their January 2016 meeting, the Council reviewed feedback from the scoping meetings and discussed management options. They agreed that this amendment should apply to red snapper, gag, gray triggerfish, greater amberjack, and red grouper. They voted to remove an option for fishing cooperatives and requested that Council staff develop an option for headboats to opt out of the proposed management programs.

• Read the amendment
• Submit a comment online
• Read online comments and other comments

NOAA Fisheries has determined that gray triggerfish is not rebuilding as quickly as required and that the Council must prepare and implement a new rebuilding plan by November 2017. At their January 2016, the Council reviewed rebuilding recommendations from their scientific advisors and requested staff begin preparing an amendment to address these recommendations through a new rebuilding plan. Council requested that staff analyze options including reducing the bag limit, increasing the minimum size limit, and opening the season later. At a previous meeting, the Council had also requested that NOAA Fisheries conduct a new assessment; the earliest an update assessment can be scheduled is 2019.

NOAA Fisheries and the Council previously implemented a 20% buffer between the recreational red snapper annual catch limit (how much fish can be harvested without overfishing the stock) and the annual catch target (level of fishing set to account for management uncertainty). Basically, they set the amount of red snapper recreational fishermen can catch at a level lower than required to prevent accidental overharvest. In the two years this buffer has been in place, the recreational fishery has not exceeded its catch limits, meaning that the Council and NOAA Fisheries could consider decreasing the buffer. At their January 2016 meeting, the Council requested Council staff to develop a framework action to adjust the buffer. The Council will likely take final action on this at their October 2016 meeting; changes would not apply until the 2017 season.

• Read the options paper

The Council also voted to start developing a mechanism to reopen snapper season if recreational fishermen do not exceed their catch limit during their initial season.

NOAA Fisheries and the Council previously separated the recreational red snapper fishery into two components—federally permitted for-hire vessels and private anglers (which also includes state for-hire vessels) for management purposes. They chose to implement this change with a three-year sunset, meaning sector separation will end at the end of 2017 unless the Council chooses to extend it. At their January 2016 meeting, the Council directed staff to prepare an amendment to extend sector separation or eliminate the sunset on sector separation.

• Read the final version of Amendment 40 and final rule implementing Amendment 40

The Council’s scientific advisors presented the results of latest stock assessment of red grouper. According to the assessment, the red grouper population is abundant (not overfished) and fishing is at appropriate levels (no overfishing). Based on these results, Council requested that staff start developing a framework action to adjust red grouper catch limits.