Council Approves Snapper Grouper Amendment 13C - Final Alternatives Listed
Public input plays role in final management measures

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council voted to approve Amendment 13C to its Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan to address overfishing for snowy grouper, golden tilefish, vermilion snapper, and black sea bass during its recent meeting in Carolina Beach, North Carolina. Management measures include reductions in commercial quotas and recreational bag limits, increases in recreational size limits, and changes to the fishing year for black sea bass. The amendment allows for a moderate increase in the harvest of red porgy as the stock continues to rebuild. Public comment received via letters, email, and through a series of 11 public hearings helped determine the final management measures included in the amendment. The Council also received recommendations from its Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel during the meeting regarding proposed measures.

The majority of public comment focused on the negative social and economic impacts of management options originally included in the document that would end overfishing immediately. Substantial decreases in harvest, ranging from a 66% reduction for snowy grouper to a 31% reduction for vermilion snapper, affected both commercial and recreational fisheries. Collectively, snowy grouper, golden tilefish, vermilion snapper, and black sea bass make up 40% of the commercial revenue in the snapper grouper fishery. While snowy grouper and golden tilefish are predominately fished commercially, both vermilion snapper and black sea bass are also important to both recreational fishermen and the charter/headboat industry. Council members heard reports from fishermen of healthy catches of vermilion snapper and black sea bass and received comments regarding the uncertainty of data being used for stock assessments, including recommendations from its Scientific and Statistical Committee.

After considering all of the recommendations and public comment, the Council modified measures contained in Amendment 13C to help minimize impacts to the fishery and address bycatch concerns, while continuing to meet mandates to end overfishing. These include using a "step-down" approach for reductions in quotas and for newly established Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for black sea bass. In all cases, after the commercial quota is met, purchase and sale is prohibited and harvest and/or possession is limited to the bag limit.

Snowy Grouper
For example, the current quota for snowy grouper of 344,508 pounds (gutted weight) would be reduced to 151,000 pounds in year 1, to 118,000 pounds in year 2, and to 84,000 pounds in year 3 onwards until modified. The step-down approach is also used for reducing commercial trip limits, reducing the current trip limit of 2,500 pounds when the season is opened to 275 pounds in year 1, and to 100 pounds by year 3 onwards until modified. The Council had initially proposed reducing the quota to 84,000 pounds with a 10 fish trip limit in the public hearing draft of the amendment. A recreational bag limit of 1 fish per person/day within the 5-grouper aggregate bag limit is included.

Black Sea Bass
Amendment 13C establishes an initial TAC of 1,110,000 pounds (gutted weight) for black sea bass in year 1, with a commercial quota of 477,000 pounds and a recreational allocation of 633,000 pounds. By year 3, the TAC is reduced to 718,000 pounds, the commercial quota reduced to 309,000 pounds, and the recreational allocation to 409,000 pounds. Recreational landings are limited by increasing the recreational minimum size limit from 10" total length to 11" in year 1, and to 12" in year 2 onwards until modified. The recreational bag limit is reduced from 20 to 15 black sea bass per person/day. The amendment also changes the fishing year to June 1 - May 31 and requires at least a 2 inch mesh for the back panel of sea bass pots and removal of all black sea bass pots from the water once the quota is met.

Vermilion Snapper
The Council also modified its initial preferred alternatives for vermilion snapper, allowing an increase from the proposed commercial quota of 821,000 pounds to 1,100,000 pounds (gutted weight) and eliminating a recreational closure in January and February. The amendment would increase the vermilion snapper recreational size limit from 11" total length to 12" total length.

Golden Tilefish
Other measures include a reduction in the commercial golden tilefish quota from 1,001,633 pounds (gutted weight) to 295,000 pounds, with a commercial trip limit of 4,000 pounds until 75% of the quota is taken, when the trip limit is reduced to 300 pounds. The trip limit would not be adjusted downward unless 75% is harvested on or before September 1. The recreational bag limit will be reduced to 1 per person/day within the current 5-grouper/day aggregate bag limit.