2023AccountabilityMeasures
AndyStrelcheck,RegionalAdministrator,NMFS-SERO
181st CaribbeanFisheryManagementCouncilMeeting
April18-19,2023
Ponce,PuertoRico
AnnualCatchLimitMonitoringProcessundertheIsland-basedFishery ManagementPlans(regulationsas
of10/13/2022)
• Atthebeginningoftheyear,landingsforeachstock,stockcomplex,orindicator stockarecomparedtotheACL(ReefFishandSpinyLobster*)orACT(Pelagics) basedonasequenceoflandings.
• 1st yearofFMPimplementation(2023)–mostrecentsingleyearoflandings
• 2nd yearofFMPimplementation(2024)–mostrecentsingleyearoflandings
• 3rd yearofFMPimplementation(2025)–averageofmostrecent2yearsoflandings
• 4th yearofFMPimplementation(2026)andthereafter–averageofmostrecent3yearsoflandings
*FrameworkAmendment1,effective4/15/2023,revisedtheAMtousethe3-yearaveragelandingsforspinylobster.
Atthebeginningof2023,themostrecentyearofcommerciallandingsavailable:
PuertoRico=2019
USVI=2021
Additionally,recreationaldataarenotavailable:forallislands,thecommercialACL =stockACL(anyrequiredclosurewouldapplytoallfishingforthestock/complex)
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service Page 2
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AccountabilityMeasuresforReefFishandSpinyLobster
• IfNMFSestimatesthatlandingsexceededtheACL,thelengthofthefishingseason willbereducedbytheamountnecessarytopreventlandingsfromexceedingthe ACLinthecurrentyear.
• TheAMis not applied ifNMFSdeterminesthatafishingseasonreductionisnot necessarybasedonthebestscientificinformationavailable.
• TheAMis not applied iftheNMFSdeterminesdatacollectionormonitoringefforts improved.
• AnyfishingseasonreductionwillbeappliedstartingfromSeptember30and movingearliertowardthebeginningofthefishingyear. Ifthelengthofthe requiredfishingseasonreductionexceedsthetimeperiodofJanuary1through September30,anyadditionalfishingseasonreductionwillbeappliedstarting fromOctober1andmovinglatertowardtheendofthefishingyear.
Source50CFR622.440(c)(2);50CFR622.480(c)(2);50CFR622.515(c)(2)
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service Page 3
AccountabilityMeasuresforPelagicSpecies
• Foreachstock/complex,the annual catch target isequalto90%ofthe ACL.
• Atornearthebeginningthefishingyear,landingsforthePelagicstockor stockcomplexwillbeevaluatedrelativetoitsACTbasedonamovingmultiyearaverageoflandings,asdescribedintheFMP(seeslide2).
• IflandingsexceedtheACT,NMFSinconsultationwiththeCaribbeanFishery ManagementCouncilwilldetermineappropriatecorrectiveaction.
Source: 50CFR622.440(b)(7);50CFR622.480(b)(3);50CFR622.515(b)(3)
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service Page 4
TransitionfromReefFishandSpinyLobsterFMPstoIsland-basedFMPs
• LandingsdataforPuertoRicoandtheUSVIgenerallyarenotavailablefor comparisontotheACLsorACTsuntil1to2yearsaftertheyearinwhichthe fishingactivityoccurred.
• DuringthefirstfewyearsofimplementationundertheIsland-basedFMPs,the availablelandingswouldbefromthepreviousmanagementregime(i.e., managementundertheReefFishandSpinyLobsterFMPs;replacedinOct.2022).
• Duringthistransitionperiod,NMFSwouldevaluateiftheavailablelandings would exceed theACLsorACTssetundertheIsland-basedFMPs.
• OncetheavailablelandingsarefromyearswhentheIsland-basedFMPswerein place(i.e.,2023andlater),NMFSwouldevaluateifthelandings exceeded theACLs orACTssetundertheisland-basedFMPs.
• Inbothcases,iftheoveragewasdeterminedtobefromincreasedcatch,theAM wouldbeappliedasdescribedontheprevioustwoslides.
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service Page 5
NMFSreviewofstocks/complexeswithlandingsthatexceededtheACLorACTfor2023
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service Page 6
FMP Stock/Complex Landings (lbs) ACL (lbs) ACT (lbs) Reason for Overage (SEFSC) Closure Applied? PuertoRico Cuberasnapper(Snapper6) 7,266 119 N/A ImprovedReporting No Greatbarracuda 1,916 495 445 Needsfurther evaluation No Queenconch 203,640 0 N/A IncreasedCatch No;harvest prohibited Southernstingray(Rays3) 2,243 0 N/A IncreasedCatch No;harvest prohibited St.Croix Black,red,tiger, yellowfingrouper(Grouper5) 1,344 701 N/A ImprovedReporting No Mistygrouper(Grouper6) 120 77 N/A ImprovedReporting No St.Thomas/ St.John Black,red,tiger,yellowfin grouper(Grouper4) 5,915 2,254 N/A ImprovedReporting No Hogfish 3,117 2,951 N/A ImprovedReporting No Queenconch 298 0 N/A IncreasedCatch No;harvest prohibited Nassaugrouper 3,117 0 N/A IncreasedCatch No;harvest prohibited
ImprovedReporting
ForHogfishandGrouper4(STT/STJ),Grouper5andMistygrouper(STX),andCubera snapper(PR)theimprovedreportingwasdeterminedbecausethespecieswerenoton thereportingformsduringtheperiodusedtosettheACLs(seetablebelow).
ForGreatBarracuda(PR),moreinvestigationisrequiredtounderstandthereporting dynamicsofthefishery. Thereportingformsonlyhavethegeneralcategoryof “barracuda.” GreatBarracudaisapelagicstockmanagedunderanACT. IftheACTis exceeded,NMFSmustconsultwiththeCaribbeanFisheryManagementCouncilto determineappropriatecorrectiveaction.
2016
Red,black,tiger,yellowfingrouper (STT/STJG4andSTXG5)
Mistygrouper
2012-2016species-specificratio appliedto2000-2010“Groupers” aggregatelandings
Black,red,tigergrouperadded in2016
2011;species-specificratio likelyinaccurate
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service Page 7
Stock/Complex Reference Period for ACL Year added to Report Form Hogfish
2012-2016
Cuberasnapper 1988-2004,2006-2011 2014
NextSteps
• RevisitACLsforthosestocks/complexesthatinclude speciesthatwerenotonthereportingformsduringthe periodusedtosetACLs.
• Startdiscussiontodetermineappropriatecorrective actions,ifany,forACToveragesforpelagicstocks.
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service Page 8