1 / 36

Caribbean Fishery Management Council 150 th Meeting August 12-13 2014 Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

Developing Compatible Regulations for Three Seasonally Closed Areas off Puerto Rico: Abrir la Sierra Bank, Bajo de Sico , and Tourmaline Bank. Caribbean Fishery Management Council 150 th Meeting August 12-13 2014 Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

barbra
Download Presentation

Caribbean Fishery Management Council 150 th Meeting August 12-13 2014 Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Developing Compatible Regulations for Three Seasonally Closed Areas off Puerto Rico: Abrir la Sierra Bank, Bajo de Sico, and Tourmaline Bank Caribbean Fishery Management Council 150th Meeting August 12-13 2014 Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

  2. Bajo de Sico and Tourmaline Bank are under federal and territorial jurisdiction Abrir La Sierra is under federal jurisdiction only

  3. Bajo de Sico: EEZ=62% FEDERAL WATERS: Fishing and possession of CFMC managed reef fish prohibited from 1 October to 31 March each year. 9 nm Bajode Sico Federal and State Waters: Prohibited use of traps, pots, nets and bottom longlines all year at Bajo de Sico. No anchoring allowed at Bajo de Sico. Current Regulations 2014

  4. FEDERAL WATERS: ALL FISHING PROHIBITED for all species from 1 December to 28 February each year. Anchor removal system required if anchoring. State Waters: No anchoring allowed all year at Tourmaline and Abrir La Sierra (all in EEZ). 9 nm Tourmaline Abrir La Sierra Federal and State Waters: Prohibited use of traps, pots, nets and bottom longlines all year at Tourmaline and Abrir La Sierra. Tourmaline EEZ =71%

  5. Seasonal Closures All fishing Area Closures Reef fish

  6. Action 1: Modify Length of Closed Season • Alt 1: No Action • Alt 2: Modify the Bajo de Sico closed season to be Dec 1-Last day of Feb. • Alt 3: Modify the closed season to be Oct 1-March 31 (Preferred) • Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank (Preferred) • Sub-Alt b: Tourmaline Bank (Preferred) • 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

  7. Alternatives selected by the deponents during the public hearing on ABT compatibility (July 18 2014) ^Action 1 tied to Action 6 and Action 5 (Alt. 4=open water column);

  8. Action 6: Modify Spearfishing Activities • Alt 5 (NEW): Prohibit spearfishing for all species during the seasonal closure established in Action 1 (Alternative 2) • Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank • Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico • Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank Alternative proposed by NC* - comments received at the PH of July 18 2014 supported his statement in toto

  9. Written Comments Action 1

  10. Action 2: Modify Reef Fish Fishing Activities • Alt 1: No Action • Alt 2: Prohibit fishing for Council-managed reef fish in Bajode Sico during the seasonal closure established in Action 1* • Alt 3: Prohibit fishing for and possession ofCouncil- managed reef fish during the seasonal closure established in Action 1 (Preferred) • Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank (Preferred) • Sub-Alt b: Tourmaline Bank (Preferred)

  11. Alternatives selected by the deponents during the public hearing on ABT compatibility (July 18 2014)

  12. Written Comments Action 2

  13. Action 3: Modify Spiny Lobster 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 • 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 • Alt 6: Allow fishing for spiny lobster year-round(Preferred) • Sub- Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank (Preferred) • Sub- Alt b: Bajo de Sico(Preferred) • Sub- Alt c: Tourmaline Bank (Preferred)

  14. Alternatives selected by the deponents during the public hearing on ABT compatibility (July 18 2014)

  15. Written Comments Action 3

  16. 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 (Preferred) • Sub-Alternative a: Abrir La Sierra Bank (Preferred) • Sub-Alternative b: Tourmaline Bank (Preferred)

  17. Alternatives selected by the deponents during the public hearing on ABT compatibility (July 18 2014)

  18. Written Comments Action 4

  19. 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(Preferred) • Alt 3: Upon request of the Council, prohibit fishing for HMS in some or all of the three areas 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: Upon request of the Council, prohibit fishing for HMS in some or all of the three areas during the seasonal closure established in Action 1, with an exception that would allow only surface trolling, as defined at §635.21(a)(4)(iv), for all HMS (Preferred) • Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank (Preferred) • Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico(Preferred) • Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank (Preferred) • Alt 5: Upon request of the Council, allow fishing for bigeye, albacore, yellowfin and skipjack (BAYS) tunas with speargun fishing gear in some or all of the three areas 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

  20. Alternatives selected by the deponents during the public hearing on ABT compatibility (July 18 2014) ^open water column

  21. Written Comments Action 5

  22. Action 6: Modify Spearfishing Activities • Alt 1: No Action: Retain the existing spearfishing regulations in each of the Abrir La Sierra Bank, Bajo de Sico, and Tourmaline Bank managed areas. • Alt 2: Prohibit spearfishing for Council-managed reef fish during the seasonalclosure established in Action 1 • Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank • Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico • Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank • Alt 3: Prohibit spearfishing for all non-HMS-managed species, includingCouncil-managed reef fish and coastal migratory pelagics, during the seasonal closure established in Action 1 (Preferred) • Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank (Preferred) • Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico(Preferred) • Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank (Preferred) • Alt 4: Prohibit spearfishing for all non-HMS-managed species, includingCouncil-managed reef fish and coastal migratory pelagics, year-round • Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank • Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico • Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank

  23. Alternatives selected by the deponents during the public hearing on ABT compatibility (July 18 2014)

  24. Action 6: Modify Spearfishing Activities • Alt 5 (NEW): Prohibit spearfishing for all species during the seasonal closure established in Action 1 (Alternative 2) • Sub-Alt a: Abrir La Sierra Bank • Sub-Alt b: Bajo de Sico • Sub-Alt c: Tourmaline Bank Alternative proposed by NC* - comments received at the PH of July 18 2014 supported his statement in toto

  25. Written Comments Action 6

  26. Participation and Comments Received: **Presidents and Representatives speaking on behalf of fishing associations ***NGOs, Amnea Groups submitted comments on behalf of their memberships

  27. Comments Received (July 18 2014)

  28. Alternatives selected by the deponents during the public hearing on ABT compatibility (July 18 2014) ^Action 1 tied to Action 6 and Action 5 (Alt. 4=open water column);

  29. Written Comments

  30. Comments • Yellowtail snapper fishers need to anchor; use of anchor retrieval system in place • Lobster harvesting by hand/snare while SCUBA • Free diving spear fishing for pelagics • Trolling for HMS and coastal pelagics

  31. Next Steps • This Meeting • Consider outcomes from July Public Hearing in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico • Consider comments received during comment period • Consider Public Hearing Draft of Amendment • Determine Final Preferred Alternatives • December Meeting • Review codified text • Approve Amendment for Secretarial Review

  32. Table 2.1

  33. Comments PH: Action 1

More Related