Public Hearing DraftDeveloping Consistent Regulations for Three

Seasonally Closed Areas off Puerto Rico: Abrir La Sierra Bank, Bajo de Sico,

and Tourmaline Bank

Caribbean Fishery Management Council149th MeetingSt. Croix USVI

April 22-23 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this amendment is to establish consistent regulations governing the three target areas as a means of ensuring protection of spawning aggregations of reef fish and the benthic habitat supporting those aggregations, which also serves as residential, recruitment, and foraging habitat for a variety of species.

And Need There is a need to modify the seasonal closures to

ensure continued and consistent provision of the important ecological services they provide, including recruitment, residential, foraging, and spawning aggregation habitats for commercially and recreationally important reef fish and shellfish, as well as sea turtles. There is also a need to establish consistency among the three closed areas to facilitate enforcement and avoid confusion among constituents.

Goal Now

• “The overarching goal of this proposed modification is to achieve regulatory consistency among the three areas, thereby facilitating enforcement of those regulations.”– Protect fish spawning aggregations

• Goal 1: Achieve consistency in the EEZ • Goal 2: Request Puerto Rico implement

compatible regulations• Goal 3: HMS compatibility also requested

9 millas nauticas

Tourmaline

Abrir La Sierra

FEDERAL WATERS: ALL FISHING and possession of all species is prohibited from 1 December to 28 February each year.Anchor removal system required if anchoring.

Federal and State Waters: Prohibited use of traps, pots, nets and bottom longlines all year at Tourmaline and Abrir La Sierra

Regulations date back to 1993/1996 in EEZ

Red hind seasonal area closures

Bajo de Sico

Federal and State Waters: Prohibited use of traps, pots, nets and bottom longlines all year at Bajo de Sico.

FEDERAL WATERS: Fishing and possession of reef fish prohibited from 1 October to 31 March each year.No anchoring allowed at Bajo de Sico

9 nm

Regulations date back to 1996/changed in 2010

Management Bajo de Sico Tourmaline Abrir La Sierra

Seasonal Area ClosureEEZ 1 Oct-30 March

(6 months)1 Dec – 28 Feb (3 months)

1 Dec – 28 Feb (3 months)

PR NONE NONE NONE

Gear BannedEEZ Traps, pots, bottom longlines and nets are prohibited

YEAR ROUNDPR

Species/gears managed during seasonal area

closure

EEZ Reef Fish ONLYQueen Conch prohibited in EEZ

ALL Fishing Prohibited (including pelagics, lobster, reef fish, queen conch, HMS)

PR NONE NONE NONE

Anchoring

EEZ Prohibited Allowed (retrieval system)

Allowed (retrieval system)

PR Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited (but all EEZ)

Seasonal Closures

EEZ Red hind (Dec-Feb); SU1 (Oct-Dec); GU4 (Feb-April); Mutton (Apr-Jun); Lane (Apr-Jun); QC (Jan-Dec)

PR Red hind (Dec-Feb); Silk/blackfin (Oct-Dec); yellowfin grouper (Feb-Apr); Mutton (Apr-May); QC (Aug-Oct)

Original Purpose 1996

• “Because aggregating fish are highly susceptible to capture by a variety of gears, a total ban on all fishing is needed to protect the spawning aggregations and to facilitate effective enforcement of this measure.”

– 1997: Compatibility among 3 areas and between federal and state

MM Considered and Rejected: 1996

• “REJECTED MEASURE: Close the area for red hinds but allow fishing for other species.

– It is not possible for fishing to take place over a red hind spawning aggregation and selectively fish for other species. Fishing gear used in these areas does not discriminate by species. In addition, enforcement will be almost impossible if fishers are allowed in the closed areas.”

What is the intention of the Council?

• Goal 1: Achieve consistency in the EEZ among areas

• Goal 2: Request Puerto Rico implement compatible regulations

• Goal 3: HMS compatibility also requested

History• March 2011 (137th Meeting): Directed to evaluate needs and options

regarding consistent regulations for the three areas, including the use of spear

• December 2011 (141st Meeting): Motion to develop working group for Abrir/Bajo/Tourmaline consistency

• March 2013 (145th Meeting): White Paper presented to Council

• August 2013 (147th Meeting): prepare a simple and easy-to-follow summary of the available options and take those options to scoping hearings in fall 2013

• November 25, 2013: Scoping Hearing held in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

• December 2013 (148th Meeting): Council motion to develop a public hearing draft for consideration at the April 2014 Council meeting, and to schedule public hearings during summer 2014

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 11

Council Presentations• March 2011 (137th Meeting): Richard Appeldoorn presentation on

Abrir La Sierra Bank and Bajo de Sico

• August 2013 (147th Meeting): Spawning aggregation overview by Appeldoorn and Scharer

• December 2013 (148th Meeting): Fish Spawning Aggregations (Heyman and Scharer) and EFH of the Deep (Valdez-Pizzini et al.)

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 12

Action 1: Modify Length of Closed Season• Alt 1: No Action

• Alt 2: Modify the Bajo de Sico closed season to be Dec 1-Feb 28.

• Alt 3: Modify the closed season to be Oct 1-March 31• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 4: Modify the closed season to be Dec 1-May 31.• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 5: Modify the closed season to be year-round.• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Abrir la Sierra

Bajo de Sico

Tourmaline Bank

Red, Black, Tiger, Yellowfin, Yellowedge Grouper

Mutton and Lane Snapper

Black, Blackfin, Vermilion, Silk Snapper

Red Hind

Federal Closures – Western Puerto Rico

Action 1: Modify the Length of the Closed Fishing Season

• SELECT MONTHS OF CLOSURES:

Dec-Feb Oct-March Dec-May All Year

Bajo de Sico

Tourmaline

Abrir La Sierra

Action 1: Modify Length of Closed Season• Alt 1: No Action

• Alt 2: Modify the Bajo de Sico closed season to be Dec 1-Feb 28.

• Alt 3: Modify the closed season to be Oct 1-March 31• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 4: Modify the closed season to be Dec 1-May 31.• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 5: Modify the closed season to be year-round.• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 1: No Action:

• Alt 2: Prohibit fishing for Council-managed reef fish in Bajo de Sico during the seasonal closure established in Action 1 (removes prohibition on possession)

• Alt 3: Prohibit fishing for and possession of Council-managed reef fish during the seasonal closure established in Action 1

• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 4: Allow spearfishing for Council-managed reef fish during the seasonal closure established in Action 1

• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

Action 2: Modify Reef Fish Fishing Activities

Action 3: Modify Reef FishFishing Activities

• Reef Fish: fishing and possession Prohibit fishing of council- managed reef fish

Prohibit fishing and possession of council- managed reef fish

Allow spearfishing of council- managed reef fish

Bajo de Sico

Tourmaline

Abrir La Sierra

• Alt 1: No Action:

• Alt 2: Prohibit fishing for Council-managed reef fish in Bajo de Sico during the seasonal closure established in Action 1 (removes prohibition on possession)

• Alt 3: Prohibit fishing for and possession of Council-managed reef fish during the seasonal closure established in Action 1

• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 4: Allow spearfishing for Council-managed reef fish during the seasonal closure established in Action 1

• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

Action 2: Modify Reef Fish Fishing Activities

• Alt 1: No Action

• Alt 2: Prohibit fishing for spiny lobster in Bajo de Sico during the seasonal closure established in Action 1 (removes prohibition on possession)

• Alt 3: Prohibit fishing for and possession of spiny lobster during the seasonal closure established in Action 1

• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 4: Prohibit fishing for spiny lobster year-round• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 5: Prohibit fishing for and possession of spiny lobster year-round• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

Action 3: Modify Spiny Lobster Fishing Activities

Action 3: Modify Spiny Lobster Fishing Activities

• Lobster: fishing and possession Allow fishing Allow

possessionDo not allow

fishing

Do not allow possession

Bajo de Sico

Tourmaline

Abrir La Sierra

• Alt 1: No Action

• Alt 2: Prohibit fishing for spiny lobster in Bajo de Sico during the seasonal closure established in Action 1 (removes prohibition on possession)

• Alt 3: Prohibit fishing for and possession of spiny lobster during the seasonal closure established in Action 1

• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 4: Prohibit fishing for spiny lobster year-round• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 5: Prohibit fishing for and possession of spiny lobster year-round• Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

Action 3: Modify Spiny Lobster Fishing Activities

Action 4: Prohibit Anchoring

• Alt 1: No Action

• Alt 2: Prohibit anchoring during the seasonal closure established in Action 1

• Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 3: Prohibit anchoring year-round• Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alternative b: Tourmaline Bank

Action 4: Prohibit Anchoring

• Prohibit anchoring?

No Action Prohibit in season anchoring

Prohibit anchoring (all the time)

Bajo de SicoTourmalineAbrir La Sierra

Action 4: Prohibit Anchoring

• Alt 1: No Action

• Alt 2: Prohibit anchoring during the seasonal closure established in Action 1

• Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 3: Prohibit anchoring year-round• Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alternative b: Tourmaline Bank

‘Action’ 5: Modify HMS Fishing Activities• Alt 1: No Action

• Alt 2: Upon request of the Council, prohibit bottom longline fishing for HMS year- round in Bajo de Sico

• Alt 3: Upon request of the Council, prohibit fishing for HMS in some or all of the three areas during the time period established in Action 1

• Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank

• Alt 4: Upon request of the Council, prohibit fishing for HMS in some or all of the three areas during the time period established in Action 1, with an

exception that would allow only surface trolling, as defined at §635.21(a)(4)(iv), for all HMS; and speargun fishing gear for for bigeye, albacore, yellowfin, and skipjack tunas

• Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank• Sub-Alternative b: Bajo de Sico• Sub-Alternative c: Tourmaline Bank

Action 5: Modify HMS Fishing Activities

• Request to HMS

Other Issues

• EEZ-State compatibility

Next Steps• This Meeting

• Review Outcomes of Scoping Hearings √148th• Define Purpose and Need √

• Direct Staff to Develop Public Hearing Draft including Actions and Alternatives √

• Before Next Meeting• Develop Public Hearing Draft

√

• Next Meeting• Approve for and Schedule Public Hearings

Next Steps• This Meeting

• Review/Approve Public Hearing Draft• Select Preferred Alternatives• Schedule Public Hearings

• Before August Meeting• Hold Public Hearings

• August Meeting• Review outcomes of Public Hearings• Approve for Secretarial Submission?