The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council met in Biloxi, Mississippi, August 19-22, 2024. Three fresh Council people, Juan’ John ‘ Sanchez, Troy Frady, and Jason Osborne, and two returning Council people, J. D. Dugas and Billy Broussard, were inducted for a 3-year name. The Council elected J. D. Dugas as Chair and Dr. Kesley Banks as Vice Chair, each for a one-year expression. The following is a summary of the Council’s behavior:
Ocean-based fishing control road map for NOAA’s 2024 draft is available.
The Council reviewed the updated 2024 NOAA Fisheries Draft Ecosystem Based Fishery Management ( EBFM) Road Map, which was developed using recommendations from its Ecosystem Technical Committee. The NOAA Fisheries ‘ efforts to implement EBFM Policy over the next five years are being guided by the Road Map, which aims to improve climate-ready decision-making. The Council’s comment letter, which applauds the increased emphasis on social and economic factors, praises efforts to improve understanding of habitat processes, and encourages further cooperation with managing partners, will be sent to NOAA Fisheries as soon as feasible.
Appropriate Biological Catch Control Rule
A comprehensive method that takes into account scientific uncertainty can be determined by the Council’s Acceptable Biological Control Rule. The scientific uncertainty that could lead to overfishing is not properly taken into account by the current ABC Control Rule. The Scientific and Statistical Committee of the Council is collaborating with NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center ( Science Center ) to create a new ABC Control Rule that more effectively addresses the limitations of the current approach. The Science Center’s plan to evaluate potential ways to improve the ABC Control Rule techniques is anticipated to be finished in two years.
For-Hire Data Collection System
The Council continued to work on a proposed amendment that would consider creating a new for-hire data collection software. A non-technical method of validating an effort that would n’t call for the use of vessel monitoring systems (VMS ) was chosen by the Council to proceed. Alternatively, a combination of vacation declarations, pre-landing notifications, approved landing’s locations, logbooks submitted before offloading find, dockside intercepts, and “did not fish” reports is expected to provide confirmation of vacation effort. The Council also took into account the possibility of collecting financial data and changed the document’s options by lowering the number of journeys that could be examined by an economical study. The Council anticipates keeping working on this file at its November 2024 meet.
Shrimp
The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission and Sea Grant hosted a presentation at the Southeast Shrimp Strategy and Planning gathering, which was presented to the Council. The meeting brought together local leaders from the Gulf and the South Atlantic regions to discuss the issues facing the crab market. The meeting’s objectives were to support the industry in coming up with strategies and make policy adjustments that might help them overcome those challenges. The results of the meeting will also be included in the continuing Shrimp Futures Project at NOAA Fisheries.
Shallow and Deep-Water Groupers
The Council was involved in developing Reef Fish Amendment 58, which proposes changing management practices for the pelagic structures in shallow and deep water.
The shallow-water fishes complex is comprised of scamp, yellowmouth fishes, black fishes, and yellowfin grouper, and is now managed with a single monthly get control. Due to the fact that a stock assessment ( SEDAR 68 ) and catch recommendations for scamp and yellowmouth grouper were carried out separately from the remaining species, the complex cannot be managed in this way. The recommended catch limits for black and yellowfin grouper remain intact, while the recommended catch limits for scamp and yellowmouth grouper result in a significant decrease in the permitted harvest. The Council must establish criteria to determine whether the new sub-complexes are overfished or experiencing overfishing, as well as create acceptable produce and accountability measures for each new sub-complex. Additionally, the Council will consider a recreational season and establishing new commercial individual fishing quota ( IFQ ) program share categories, allocations, and accountability measures for each sub-complex.
The deep-water fishes intricate is comprised of poland grouper, white grouper, yellowedge grouper, and striped hind, and is now managed with a single monthly catch limit. The most recent stock assessment on yellowedge grouper ( SEDAR 85 ), which was reviewed by the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee ( SSC), revealed that while yellowedge grouper is not overfished, it is experiencing overfishing. Based on SEDAR 85, the SSC updated the get recommendations for yellowedge groupers, and the SSC updated the capture recommendations for another three different deep-water grouper species. The deep-water fishes advanced ‘ new get limit recommendations result in a lower allowable harvest. Because get recommendations for each types are in the same information units, the deep-water fishes complex can still be managed as a single unit.
The Council made the decision to divide the file into two distinct amendments and develop the management options being considered. The Council anticipates that future meetings will focus on both papers.
Red Fish fish period and buffer for hire on a charter
The Council reviewed the draft options for a Framework Action that take into account the adjustment of the national for-hire fishing time and the buffer between the monthly red snapper get limit and monthly catch target. The Council decided to keep the buffer between the red snapper’s annual catch limit and annual catch target after hearing public testimony. The Council also included an alternative that would consider allowing the federal for-hire fishing season to begin on May 15th of each year, as well as a change that would remove a proposal that would change the start date by predicting the season’s length backwards, if the season is anticipated to be open for more than 92 days. The Council will continue to work on it during its November meeting and does not anticipate any potential changes to this document being implemented in time for the 2025 fishing season.
Commercial Individual Fishing Quota Program
The Council continued to work on Reef Fish Amendment 59, which changes the requirements for participation to increase opportunities for new participants. The document’s recommendations include creating or maintaining a shareholder account, obtaining or maintaining shares, and maintaining and maintaining an annual allocation. Additionally, there is a law that contemplates requiring shareholders to land a portion of their annual allocation to show fishing activity. During its meeting in November 2024, the Council intends to work on changes to the individual fishing quota program.
Stock Assessment Process
A presentation on proposed changes to the stock assessment process was given to the Council. The changes aim to improve the flexibility, timeliness, and quality of stock assessments. Additionally, the Southeast Fisheries Science Center of NOAA aims to prioritize important stocks while allowing the evaluation of the remaining stocks to take less time-consuming measures.
