SPINY LOBSTER(Panulirus argus)

PUBLIC HEARING DRAFT CFMC, GMFMC & SAFMC

Consideration of a minimum possession size for imports into the U.S.

March 26, 2008

Distribution

3 inch CL:Florida and US EEZ

3.5 inch CL:PR, USVI, andCaribbean EEZ

Stock Structure

• DNA analysis - Caribbean spiny lobster Single stock throughout its range

• LARVAL STAGE: LONG & PELAGIC; WIDE DISPERSAL

Stock Status

• Spiny lobster heavily exploited throughout its range; seeing some signs of full utilization and some stock declines.

• Overexploitation in foreign fisheries could jeopardize abundance of U.S. stocks because U.S. larval recruitment is dependent on the reproductive potential of stocks managed by other countries.

Table 1. Estimated status of national populations of Caribbean spiny lobster of participating countries. Source: WECAFC 2007).

Status of Stock Countries Under-exploited Venezuela (some areas) Fully-exploited or stable Antigua & Barbuda, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico,

Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands, Turks & Caicos, USA (Florida), Venezuela (some areas)

Over-exploited Nicaragua, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Columbia, Honduras

Unknown Bahamas, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, other Less Antilles countries

Imports

> 90 percent of the Caribbean spiny lobster marketed in the United States is imported.

SPINY LOBSTER IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED STATES(JAN 1999 THRU AUG 2001)

Costa Rica1%

386,859 lbsHonduras

8%2,015,476 lbsColombia

2%526,831 lbs

Brazil25%

6,641,360 lbs

Haiti1%

372,397 lbs

Jamaica3%

677,039 lbsMexico

8%2,084,692 lbs

Turks and Caicos1%

271,744 lbs

Nicaragua20%

5,203,705 lbs

Bahamas26%

7,192,798 lbs

Panama1%

292,476 lbs

Belize4%

941,102 lbs

Source: U.S. Customs

Enforcement Loopholes1. Lack of U.S. minimum size limit for all

imports.

2. Use of secretive codes to disguise undersized lobster tail shipments.

3. Increased use of “trans-shipment thru countries of convenience (weaker laws and changing country of origin).

4. Shipping illegal tails to U.S. ports where inspectors are not savvy to regulations.

Current Situation

Regulation GMFMC/SAFMC/FL CFMC

Min. Carapace Length 3” (7.62 cm)* 3.5” (8.9 cm)***

Min. Tail Length 5.5” (13.97 cm)

Min. Tail Weight

Berried Lobsters No possessionCan’t strip tails**

Can’t possess on vesselCan be kept in trapsCan’t strip eggs

Clipped Fins No possessionCan’t strip fins**

No possessionCan’t clip fins

Tail Meat

*Does not apply to use of shorts as attractants.**Applies to spiny & slipper lobsters.***Lobsters must be kept whole until landed.

Caribbean Agreement (2006; 2007)CL (50% maturity)

TL TW

Antigua & Barbuda; Bahamas; Belize; Brazil; Colombia; Coata Rica; Cuba; Dominican Republic; France (Martinique, Guadaloupe); Haiti; Honduras; Jamaica; Mexico; Nicaragua; Turks and Caicos; USA; Venezuela

74 mm (2.91”)

140 mm

(5.5”)

4.5 – 5.5 ounces

Retain regulations if > 76 mm

3.0” CL ≈ 5.5” TL ≈ 4.5 oz tail weight

Matthews et al. 2005

Matthews et al. 2005

4.0 MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES

• 4.1 Action 1: Minimum Conservation Sizes of Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) Import Products into the United States

• Alternative 1 - Status Quo - Maintain the current regulations as they exist under the Caribbean FMP and the South Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico FMP. The regulations, which include minimum sizes and possession and handling requirements for egg bearing spiny lobster, pertain only to spiny lobster (P. argus) in or from the EEZs under the respective FMPs.

4.0 MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES (cont.)

Alternative 2 - No one in the Continental U.S. would be allowed to import a spiny lobster (Panulirus argus): 1. 3.0 inches (7.62 cm) or less carapace length if the animal is whole. 2. Less than 5.5 inches (13.97 cm) tail length if only the tail is present. 3. Less than 5 ounces tail weight (5 ounces is defined as a tail that

weighs 4.5 – 5.4 ounces). In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, no one would be allowed to import a spiny lobster (Panulirus argus): 1. Less than 3.5 inches (8.89 cm) carapace length if the animal is

whole. 2. Less than 6.2 inches (15.75 cm) tail length if only the tail is present. 3. Less than 6.0 ounces tail weight (6 ounces is defined as a tail that

weighs 5.9 – 6.4 ounces).

Alternative 3 - No person shall import into the Continental U.S. and Caribbean U.S. imports that are smaller than the existing Continental U.S. minimum size limit. For example, no one in the Continental and Caribbean U.S. would be allowed to import a spiny lobster (Panulirus argus): 1. 3.0 inches (7.62 cm) or less carapace length if the animal is whole. 2. Less than 5.5 inches (13.97 cm) tail length if only the tail is present. 3. Less than 5 ounces tail weight (5 ounces is defined as a tail that

weighs 4.5 – 5.4 ounces).

4.0 MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES (cont.)

Other Management Alternatives: Prohibit the Importation/Possession of Caribbean Lobster

Tail Meat

Other Management Alternatives: Prohibit importation/possession of Caribbean spiny lobster

with eggs attached or where the eggs, swimmerets, or pleopods have been removed or stripped

Country Berried females Spawn/tar Fillet Moulting Removal of eggsAnguillaAntigua & BarbudaArubaBahamasBarbadosBelizeBermudaBonaireBrazilBritish Virgin IslandsCayman IslandsColombiaCosta RicaCubaCuracaoDominicaDominican RepublicFrench GuianaGrenadaGuadaloupeGuatemalaGuyanaHaitiHondurasJamaicaMartiniqueMexico ?MontserratNicaraguaPanamaSabaSt. BarthelemySt. EustatiusSt. Kitts/NevisSt. LuciaSt. MaartenSt. MartinSt. Vincent/Gren.SurinamTortolaTrinidad & TobagoTurks & CaicosUSA Puerto Rico USVIVenezuela

Spiny Lobster Other Harvesting Prohibition

4.2 Action 2: Other Import Restrictions

Alternative 1 - Status Quo - Do not have other restrictions on the importation of spiny lobster.

Alternative 2 - Do not allow the importation of lobster tail meat without the exoskeleton attached; and do not allow the importation of spiny lobster with eggs attached or importation of spiny lobster where the eggs, swimmerets, or pleopods have been removed or stripped.

WHAT NEXT?• All comments considered by Councils in

developing amendment; more opportunities to comment

• Public Hearing Draft presented to the Councils (March – June 2008)

TIMING (page 7)

Item Proposed Dates

Anticipated & Actual Dates

Letter designating CFMC admin. lead 7/20/07 NOI for DEIS published in FR 7/26/07; comments

due by 8/27/07 Scoping (public comments) Oct – Dec 2007 Thru 1/28/08 CFMC approves for scoping 8/14-15/07 GMFMC approves for scoping 10/29-11/1/08 CFMC final scoping meeting 11/13/07 SAFMC approves for scoping 12/2-7/07 CFMC Meets 12/11-12/07 Joint SA/GM Scoping – Islamorada, FL 1/24/08 TEAM named & writes document 1/30/08 CFMC approves for PH 3/26-27/08 GMFMC approves for PH 6/2-5/08 TX SAFMC approves for PH 6/8-13/08 FL DEIS Published May 2008 July 2008 Public Hearings June 2008 July 2008 Councils review & approve Aug-Oct 2008 CFMC reviews & approves 8/14-15/08 GMFMC reviews & approves 8/4-7/08 MS SAFMC reviews & approves 9/15-19/08 SC Final Document sent to Secretary 10/1/08 FEIS Published & Proposed Rule Final Rule Effective End of Feb 2009

Alternative Carapace Length Tail LengthTail Weight/

Industry Allowances

1

> 3.0 inches - Gulf of Mexico and

South Atlantic; ≥ 3.5 inches - Caribbean

≥ 5.5 inches - Gulf of Mexico and

South Atlantic; N/A for Caribbean

N/A

2

> 3.0 inches continental U.S.; ≥ 3.5 inches in the

Caribbean

≥ 5.5 inches continental U.S.; ≥

6.2 inches Caribbean

≥ 4.5 oz continental U.S.; ≥ 5.9 oz Caribbean/continental U.S - 5 oz weights = 4.5 - 5.4 oz;

Caribbean - 6 oz weights = 5.9 - 6.4 oz.

3 > 3.0 inches ≥ 5.5 inches≥ 4.5 oz/

5 oz weights = 4.5 - 5.4 oz