southern flounder fmp amendment 1

Southern Flounder FMP Amendment 1

NC Marine Fisheries Commission

August 12, 2010

Overview• Background

– 2005 FMP and 2009 Stock Assessment

• Life History • Commercial and Recreational

Fisheries• Environmental Factors• Management Issues and AC and

NCDMF recommendations

Background• 2005 FMP recommended management

measures to end overfishing, reduce bycatch, and alleviate user conflicts

• 30% overall harvest reduction needed to achieve sustainable harvest

• Projected overall harvest reduction of 17.2% from MFC selected management measures– Reassess the stock after 3 years

• Commercial landings decreased and recreational harvest remained near time series high after FMP implementation

Background• 2009 stock assessment: overfished &

overfishing• Sustainable harvest based on achieving

spawning potential ratio (SPR) of 25% (F threshold = 0.59)

• (2005 FMP F threshold = 0.57) F (2007) = 0.75

• Further harvest reductions needed to achieve sustainable harvest

• Harvest reductions based on projections that achieve sustainable harvest by 2015

• Overfishing to end 2 years after FMP adoption

Life History• Live up to age 9+ and grow as large

as 20+ pounds• Females grow larger than males• Spawn in ocean (November-

February)• Juveniles in estuaries first two

years of life

Commercial Fisheries• 89% of total annual landings (1991-

2007) and averaged 3.3 million pounds per year

• Since FMP implementation, only 75% of total annual landings (2005-2007) and averaged 2.2 million pounds per year

• 96% of landings from pound nets, gill nets and gigs

• Pound nets were historically the top gear but landings surpassed by gill nets in 1995

Recreational Fisheries• Harvested by hook and line, gigs and

gill nets• Average annual hook and line harvest

increased from 113,000 pounds/year (1991-1999) to 309,000 pounds/year (2000-2007)

• Annual Recreational use of Commercial Gear License (RCGL) harvest less than hook and line harvest with big decline from 2002 to 2007

Environmental Factors• Southern flounder use a wide range of

coastal habitats which all serve critical functions throughout their life history

• The Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP) focuses on fish habitat and threats to habitat

• 26 recommendations in this FMP are specific to southern flounder

IssuesTen principal management issues in 3

main categories:1. Sustainable Harvest2. Conflict between Fisheries3. Bycatch of Undersized Southern

Flounder and Protected Species

Achieving Sustainable Harvest

Establish harvest reductions that end overfishing in 2 years and rebuild the spawning stock biomass by

2015

Management OptionsCommercial

• Status quo (sea turtle lawsuit settlement)

• Static/dynamic quotas

• 15-inch size limit• Overall season

closure• Gear season

closures• Trip limits• 5.75-inch minimum

mesh size for large mesh gill nets and pound net escape panels

Recreational• Status quo• 15-inch size limit• Season closure• Reduce the 8 fish

creel limit

Research Recommendations

• Investigate the feasibility of a quota as a management tool for the commercial southern flounder fishery

• Annual survey of the recreational gig fishery (underway)

AC and DMF Recommendations

• Commercial: Status quo (large mesh gill net management measures implemented by sea turtle lawsuit settlement), which results in an overall commercial harvest reduction of 22.2%

• Recreational: Increase the minimum size limit to 15 inches and decrease the creel limit to 6 fish, which results in an overall recreational harvest reduction of 20.2%

Ocean Harvest of Southern Flounder

The impact of the ocean harvest of older, larger, and predominantly female southern flounder to the

stock

Management Options• Status quo• Management measures specifically

for the ocean flounder fisheries that reduce adult harvest of southern flounder


• Further research on southern flounder remaining in ocean after spawning

• Determine exact spawning locations

• Further otolith microchemistry research

• Tagging study in ocean• Update southern flounder maturity

schedule• Sample ocean spear fisheries

AC Recommendation• Status quo—no additional

commercial and recreational regulations specifically for ocean caught flounder

DMF Recommendation• Status quo and address the

research recommendations

Large Mesh Gill Net -Related Conflicts

User conflicts that occur between large mesh commercial gill net

fishermen and recreational anglers and between large mesh gill net

fishermen and other users

Management Options• Status quo• Maximum yardage limit reduction• Limitations on how large mesh gill

nets are set• Daytime attendance• Season closures• Nursery area restrictions• Mediation• Area/coast-wide management

measures


• Status quo—implement mediation and proclamation authority to address user conflicts associated with large mesh gill nets

Minimum Distance betweenPound Nets and Gill Nets

in Currituck SoundCompetition for space between

pound nets and gill nets in Currituck Sound

Management Options• Status quo (200-yard minimum

distance)• Implement 500-yard minimum

distance in Currituck Sound from August 15 through December 31


• Increased fish house sampling of the Currituck Sound flounder gill net and pound net fisheries

• Increased at-sea observer trips with gill netters and pound netters in Currituck Sound

AC Recommendation• Implement a 500-yard minimum

distance between gill nets and pound nets in Currituck Sound north of the Wright Memorial Bridge (US Highway 158) from August 15 through December 31

DMF Recommendation• No recommendation

Explore the Elimination of the RCGL

Determine if the elimination or phase-out of the RCGL is

appropriate

Management Options• Status quo• Elimination of the RCGL• Prohibit the use of gill nets by the

RCGL• Prohibit the use of shrimp trawls by

the RCGL


• Reestablish a RCGL survey to obtain harvest and discard estimates

• Establish an at-sea observer program of the RCGL fishery

AC Recommendation• Status quo regarding the RCGL license

until there are data indicating a negative influence on southern flounder and support the NCDMF research recommendations as well as a survey of SCFL holders who are inactive to collect data on what SCFL holders are doing with their licenses

DMF Recommendation• Status quo and address research

recommendations

Update on Southern Flounder Bycatch in the

Crab Pot FisheryUpdate of information available on

southern flounder bycatch in the crab pot fishery

Management OptionsReduce Flounder

Bycatch• Status quo• Require flatfish

escapement devices on crab pots

Minimize Ghost Pot Mortality

• Status quo• Require

degradable material in crab pots


• Formulate a bycatch estimate of southern flounder from crab pots

• Further research degradable materials to determine which works best in a given water body and how other parameters, such as microbial activities and light penetration impact degradation rates and performance of the crab pot

• Further research flatfish escapement devices that minimize undersized flounder bycatch and maximize the retention of marketable blue crabs


• Status quo and expand research on flatfish escapement devices and degradable panels under commercial conditions to other parts of the state to evaluate existing and alternative designs, degradation rates, and estimate the retention rate of legal sized blue crabs and the cost to crab pot fishermen

Southern Flounder Discards in the Recreational Hook

and Line Fishery Release mortality of southern

flounder in the recreational hook and line fishery and its potential

impact on the stock

Management Options• Status quo• Implement regulations on terminal

tackle used to fish for southern flounder

• Implement a summertime season closure to the recreational southern flounder fishery


• Further research on factors that impact release mortality of southern flounder in the recreational hook and line fishery

• Research on deep hooking events of different hook types and sizes on southern flounder


• Status quo and expand research on factors impacting the release mortality of southern flounder and on deep hooking events of different hook types and sizes on southern flounder

Incidental Capture of Protected Species in

Southern Flounder Large Mesh Gill Net and Pound

Net Fisheries Management actions for NC’s

commercial large mesh estuarine flounder gill net fishery and flounder pound net fishery

addressing incidental capture of protected species

Management Options• Status quo• Request funding for state observer

program• Apply for Incidental Take Permit for

large mesh gill net fisheries• Continue gear development

research to minimize protected species interactions


• Population dynamics research for all Atlantic Ocean protected species

• Continued gear research in the design of gill nets and pound nets to minimize protected species interactions

• Development of alternative gears to catch southern flounder


• Request funding for state observer program

• Apply for Incidental Take Permit for large mesh gill net fisheries

• Continue gear development research to minimize species interactions

Gear Requirements in the Flounder Pound Net Fishery

Evaluation of the 5.5-inch stretched mesh escape panel under a 14-inch

minimum size limit, and the increased amount of undersized southern flounder caught in the

flounder pound net fishery

Management Options• Status quo • Implement 5.75-inch escape panels

coast wide• Require pound netters to fish their

nets after a certain number of days

Research Recommendations• Further research on the size

distribution of southern flounder retained in pound nets with 5.75-inch and 6-inch escape panels

• Research on the species composition and size distribution of fish and crustaceans that escape pound nets through 5.75-inch and 6-inch escape panels

• Coast wide at-sea observations of the flounder pound net fishery

• Discard mortality estimates of southern flounder from pound nets

AC Recommendation• Status quo (5.5-inch escape panels

coast wide) and recommend further research on 5.75-inch escape panels

DMF Recommendation• Status quo until further research is

conducted to determine if rule changes are necessary

Gear Requirements in the Flounder Gill Net FisheryEvaluation of the 5.5-inch stretched

mesh minimum mesh size for large mesh flounder gill nets under a 14-

inch minimum size limit, and the effort in the large mesh gill net

fishery

Mesh Size Management Options

• Status quo• 5.75-inch minimum mesh size from

April 15 to December 15• 5.75-inch minimum mesh size from

June 1 to December 15

Maximum Yardage Limit Management Options

Option 1(Sea Turtle Lawsuit Settlement

Agreement)• 3,000 yards—Albemarle and Currituck

sounds• 2,000 yards—Croatan, Roanoke,

Pamlico, Core, Back, and Bogue sounds; Pamlico, Pungo, Neuse, and Bay rivers

• 1,000 yards—Hwy. 58 Bridge at Emerald Isle to SC state line


Option 2• 2,000 yards—Albemarle, Currituck,

Croatan, Roanoke, and Pamlico sounds

• 1,000 yards—Pamlico, Pungo, Neuse, and Bay rivers and from Core Sound to SC state line


Option 3• 2,000 yards—Albemarle, Currituck,

Croatan, Roanoke, Pamlico, Core, and Back sounds

• 1,000 yards—Pamlico, Pungo, Neuse, and Bay rivers and from Hwy 58 Bridge at Emerald Isle to SC state line

Other Large Mesh Gill Net Management Options

Maximum Net Length• Status quo (sea

turtle lawsuit settlement agreement)

• Coast wide maximum large mesh gill net length of 100 yards

No Daytime Sets• Status quo (sea

turtle lawsuit settlement agreement)

• Coast wide restriction on daytime sets of large mesh gill nets


• Continue at-sea observations of the large mesh gill net fishery, including acquiring biological data on harvest and discards

• Increase the number of large mesh gill net catches sampled in areas such as Albemarle Sound and the Newport River


• Status quo (maintain minimum mesh size of 5.5-inch stretched mesh for large mesh gill nets from April 15 to December 15 and large mesh gill net management measures implemented by the sea turtle lawsuit settlement agreement)

southern flounder fmp amendment 1

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