UPDATES CFMC
January 2025
The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) newsletter contains activity announcements, facts on various marine species, and valuable information on fishing and the regulations that govern this activity in federal waters around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
SALVAPEJE SALVAPEJE:: DESCENDING DEVICES DESCENDING DEVICES
NOAA Fisheries, the federal agency responsible for the stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources and their habitat, approved Amendment 2 to the three Fishery Management Plans for the U S Caribbean (Puerto Rico, St Thomas/St John and St. Croix). Amendment 2 was developed by the CFMC and NOAA Fisheries, and requires that all fishers have a descending device ready for use on each fishing vessel when fishing or possessing reef fish managed by the CFMC in federal waters around Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John and St. Croix. Having a descending device available and ready for use could help reduce discard mortality of federally managed reef fish affected by barotrauma. The requirement does not mandate that the device be used to release every fish, but that the device should be available for use when necessary (i.e., when the fish is showing signs of barotrauma). The descending device helps the released fish swim back to the bottom and not die
U.S. Caribbean Federal Waters
Federal waters in Puerto Rico extend seaward from 9 to 200 nautical miles from shore and in the U.S. Virgin Islands, extend seaward from 3 to 200 nautical miles from shore.
Photo: Marcos Hanke / 787 Fishing Charters
BIT BY BIT!
What is a descending device?
It is an instrument with weights tied to a line (or fishing line) that, when used, helps fish overcome buoyancy by releasing them at depth, where they have a greater chance of surviving. In other words, the device helps the fish NOT float on the surface and be preyed upon.
Under the proposed regulation, a descending device means:
An instrument to which is attached a minimum of 16 ounces of weight and a length of line that will release the fish at the depth from which the fish was caught or a minimum of 60 feet (18 meters).
The descending device attaches to the fish’s mouth or is a container that will hold the fish (for example, a milk crate with a weight).
The device MUST be capable of releasing the fish automatically, by the actions of the operator of the device, or by allowing the fish to escape on its own.
Since minimizing surface time is critical to increasing survival, descending devices MUST be readily available for use while engaged in fishing for Council managed reef fish in federal waters.
There are different types and brands of descending devices. Some of them are:
The Seaqualizer
Milk crate with a weight
Photos: Seaqualizer / Marcos Hanke / 787 Fishing Charters
Inverted hook or Shelton Fish Descender
hook of 'longliner' with 'swivel'
weight from 2 to 5 lb
Homemade device
130 lb stainless steel cable
5/0 hook without barb
Which reef fish this regulation would apply to?
In the Fishery Management Plans, managed fish species are divided in three categories based on functional groups: 1) reef fish, 2) coastal pelagics, and 3) rays
The reef fish group includes several species of snappers, groupers, parrotfishes, surgeonfishes, triggerfishes, wrasses, angelfishes, porgies, grunts, and jacks. At the end of this newsletter, we include a list of the reef fish managed by the CFMC in the U.S. Caribbean. Visit the NOAA Fisheries webpage, Caribbean fisheries section, to see the Fishery Management Plans (hyperlink below):
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/caribbean-island-based-fishery-management-plans
Also, visit the following Code of Federal Regulations links to see the most up to date lists of managed species:
Puerto Rico:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-VI/part-622/subpart-S/section-622.431
St. Croix:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-VI/part-622/subpart-T/section-622.471
St. Thomas/St. John:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-VI/part-622/subpart-U/section-622.506
Photo: Marcos Hanke / 787 Fishing Charters
What is barotrauma and how can I identify it?
Barotrauma is a pressure related injury that fish experience when reeled up from depth
Barotrauma typically occurs in depths of 50 feet or greater, but can occur in shallower depths depending on the species caught. As fish are reeled up from deep water, gases in the body cavity and internal organs expands, often displacing the organs and leaving the fish severely bloated.
BAROTRAUMA
baro = pressure trauma = injury
barotrauma = injury caused by a change in pressure
Barotrauma could be identified through the following symptoms:
stomach protruding from mouth intestines protruding from anus bubbling scales
fish floating on surface bulging eyes bloated belly
Photos: Marcos Hanke / 787 Fishing Charters
When should we use the descending device?
We can use it whenever a fish that we want to release or need to release shows signs of barotrauma. There are multiple reasons why you might release a fish. Here are some examples:
the species is regulated - That is, the species could be prohibited, have a seasonal closure, have a minimum size limit or have a bag/trip limit (which is the maximum amount that can be caught per fisher/boat per trip).
the species has no commercial or recreational value - for example, commercial fishers have no market for the species. Recreational fishers may not consume certain species or may just be fishing for catch and release.
Descending devices are an effective and low-cost tool that help properly return fish to the depth that they were caught, which increases the chances of survival. In this way, we protect the fisheries of tomorrow.
How can I get a descending device?
There are several ways to obtain a device:
Buy it in fishing supply stores.
Buy it online.
Make it at home with materials you probably have on hand
We count on you to continue taking care and improving the health of our Caribbean fisheries!
Photo: Raúl O. Ortiz, Burracas / CFMC
CONCEPTS REVIEW CONCEPTS REVIEW
U.S. Caribbean - St. Thomas/St. John, St. Croix and Puerto Rico
Island-Based Fishery Management Plans - Through these plans, the CFMC manage fisheries in federal waters around the U.S. Caribbean. There are three separate fishery management plans, one for each area: Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John and St. Croix. Each of these plans include management measures for those species of reef fish, coastal pelagic fish, spiny lobster, queen conch, corals, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and rays within their waters, as applicable.
These plans allow NOAA Fisheries and the CFMC to manage species identified in federal waters surrounding the U.S. Caribbean, while considering the differences between fishing sectors (commercial and recreational) that operate in those waters, the markets available for the products caught in those waters, the economy of the islands, fishers, fishing communities, and the unique social and cultural attributes of each island.
More information about descending devices
Salvapeje (video with English subtitles): https://bit.ly/4jq3bOt
Caribbean Fishery Management Council (webpage): www.caribbeanfmc.com
CFMC Updates, descending device issuehttps://issuu.com/caribbeanfmc/ docs/cfmc updates nov 2022
Return ’Em Right: https://returnemright.org/
Big Fish Initiative: https://bigfishinitiative.com/
Visit the CFMC Linktree and look for the SALVAPEJE section!
Reef
Reef
Fish Managed by the CFMC
Fish Managed by the CFMC
St. Croix Reef Fish
Snappers: black, blackfin, silk, vermilion, queen, lane, gray, mutton, schoolmaster, yellowtail
Groupers: Nassau, goliath, graysby, coney, red hind, rock hind, black, red, tiger, yellowfin, misty (fishing for Nassau and goliath groupers is prohibited in the U.S. Caribbean)
Parrotfishes: blue, midnight, rainbow, queen, princess, redtail, stoplight, redband, striped, redfin
Surgeonfishes (Médicos): blue tang (barbero), ocean surgeonfish (médico), doctorfish (cirujano)
Triggerfishes: queen
Angelfishes: queen, gray, French
Grunts: white grunt, bluestriped
Squirrelfish: longspine squirrelfish
Snappers: black, blackfin, silk, vermilion, queen, lane, mutton, yellowtail
Groupers: Nassau, goliath, coney, red hind, black, red, tiger, yellowfin, yellowmouth, yellowedge, misty (fishing for Nassau and goliath groupers is prohibited in the U.S. Caribbean)
Parrotfishes: blue, midnight, rainbow, queen, princess, redtail, stoplight, redband, striped, redfin (fishing for blue, midnight, and rainbow parrtfishes is prohibited in the U.S. Caribbean)
Surgeonfishes: blue tang, ocean surgeonfish, doctorfish
Triggerfishes: queen
Wrasses: hogfish
Angelfishes: queen, gray, French
Grunts: white grunt, bluestriped, margate
Jacks: Blue runner
Porgies: jolthead, saucereye, sheepshead, sea bream
St. Thomas/St. John Reef Fish
Puerto Rico Reef Fish – Peces de arrecife de Puerto Rico
Snappers (Pargos): black (prieto), blackfin (alinegra), silk (chillo ojo amarillo), vermilion (besugo), wenchman (muniama de adentro), cardinal (muniama de afuera), queen (cartucho), lane (arrayao, manchego), mutton (sama), dog (pargo colorao), schoolmaster (pargo amarillo), yellowtail (colirrubia), cubera (cubera)
Groupers (Meros): Nassau (cherna), goliath (batata), coney (mantequilla), graysby (mantequilla), black (negro), red (rojo), tiger (tigre), yellowfin (guajil), yellowmouth (guajil boquiamarillo), yellowedge (guasa aletiamarilla), misty (guasa), red hind (cabrilla), rock hind (cabra mora) (pescar meros cherna y batata está prohibido en el Caribe Estadounidense)
Parrotfishes (Loros): blue (azul), midnight (judío), rainbow (guacamayo), queen (cotorro), princess (princesa), redtail (colirrojo), stoplight (verde), redband (manchado), striped (rayado) (pescar loros azul, judío y guacamayo está prohibido en el Caribe Estadounidense)
Surgeonfishes (Médicos): blue tang (barbero), ocean surgeonfish (médico), doctorfish (cirujano)
Wrasses (Capitanes): hogfish (capitán), puddingwife (capitán de piedra), Spanish hogfish (loro capitán)
Angelfishes (Ángeles): queen (Isabelita), gray (Isabelita gris), French (Isabelita negra)
Grunts (Roncos): white grunt (cachicata, boquicolorao)
Jacks (Jureles): crevalle jack (jurel), African pompano (pompano), rainbow runner (salmón)
Triggerfishes (Pejepuercos): ocean (turco), queen (pejepuerco), gray (pejepuerco gris)
This newsletter was written by Cristina D Olán Martínez (CFMC), formatted by Rosana López Muñoz, and reviewed by NOAA Fisheries SERO Caribbean Branch (M López-Mercer and S Stephenson), by CFMC staff (M Rolón and D Martinó), by J Ramos (OEAP Chair) and by the CMFC Fisheries Liaisons Officers for STT/STJ and Puerto Rico (N. Greaux and W. Santiago). We also acknowledge the guidance and pictures provided by Capt Marcos Hanke This bulletin has been prepared for educational purposes only and does not replace official documents related to Amendment 2 and/or federal regulations applicable to Amendment 2 and the fishery management plans. CFMC, NOAA Fisheries, nor any of their partners or collaborators endorse any particular brand of descending devices Mentions of products and brands in this newsletter have been made exclusively for educational and demonstration purposes
