Final Annual Catch Limit Guidance

Final Annual Catch Limit Guidance Prepared by Andy Strelcheck (NMFS, SERO) Presented by Joe Kimmel

National Standard 1 Guidance • Final rule published January 16, 2009 (74 FR 3178); rule became effective February 17, 2009 • Rule provides guidance on how to comply with new annual catch limit (ACL) and accountability measure (AM) requirements for ending overfishing of Federally managed fisheries.

MSA Mandate • Fishery management plans shall “establish a mechanism for specifying annual catch limits in the plan … at a level such that overfishing does not occur in the fishery, including measures to ensure accountability.” – MSA Section 303(a)(15)

Snapper unit 1 - black snapper - blackfin snapper - silk snapper - vermilion snapper Grouper unit 4 - tiger grouper - yellowfin grouper - yellowedge grouper - misty grouper - red grouper Parrotfishes Queen Conch (harvest prohibited in EEZ off STT/STJ and PR) Nassau Grouper (harvest prohibited in EEZ) Caribbean Stocks/Complexes Requiring ACLs by 2010

Role of SSC • Each Council is required to “develop annual catch limits for each of its managed fisheries that may not exceed the fishing level recommendations of its SSC …” • “Each SSC shall provide its Council ongoing scientific advice for fishery management decisions, including recommendations for ABC, preventing overfishing, MSY, …”

Setting Limits and Targets SSC Role Council Role Overfishing Limit Science-Management feedback loop Scientific Uncertainty Acceptable Biological Catch ABC ≤ OFL Annual Catch Limit ACL ≤ ABC Management Uncertainty Science-Management feedback loop Annual Catch Target ACT ≤ ACL (recommended)

Setting ABC • Council must establish a specified approach for setting ABC (i.e., an ABC control rule) based on SSC advice. • ABC should be set for a stock or stock complex as a function of the scientific uncertainty in the estimate of OFL. • If possible, ABC should be based on the probability of whether or not overfishing will occur. This probability should not exceed 50%.

Flexibility in Application of Guidelines • Some circumstances may not fit the standard approaches to specification of reference points and management measures. • These include, among other things,conservation and management of ESA listed species, harvests from aquaculture operations, … • Councils may propose alternative approaches for satisfying requirements of the MSA than those set forth in guidelines. • Councils must document their rationale for any alternative approaches for these limited circumstances in an FMP or FMP amendment, …

Questions?

Overfishing Limit Overfishing Limit SSC Role OFL determined by peer-review process and SSC OFL = annual amount of catch corresponding to MFMT The OFL is an estimate of the catch level above which overfishing is expected to occur

Acceptable Biological Catch SSC Role ABC set by SSC ABC ≤ OFL ABC should account for scientific uncertainty and be specified based on ABC control rule Probability of overfishing cannot be > 50% and should be lower Overfishing Limit Science-Management feedback loop Scientific Uncertainty Acceptable Biological Catch ABC ≤ OFL

Scientific Uncertainty • ABC control rule should consider uncertainty in such factors as: • stock assessment results • retrospective revision; • assessment time lags; and, • projections • The ABC control rule may be used in a tiered approach to address different levels of scientific uncertainty.

Annual Catch Limit SSC Role Council Role Overfishing Limit Science-Management feedback loop Scientific Uncertainty Acceptable Biological Catch ABC ≤ OFL Annual Catch Limit ACL ≤ ABC ACL set by Council; must be ≤ ABC If ACL exceeded, accountability measures triggered ACL should not be exceeded > 1 out of 4 years

Annual Catch Target SSC Role Council Role ACTs recommended in system of AMs to ensure the ACL is not exceeded. Take into account management uncertainty Overfishing Limit Science-Management feedback loop Scientific Uncertainty Acceptable Biological Catch ABC ≤ OFL Annual Catch Limit ACL ≤ ABC Management Uncertainty Science-Management feedback loop Annual Catch Target ACT ≤ ACL (recommended)

Management Uncertainty • Sources of uncertainty • Late reporting • Misreporting/under reporting • Management’s ability or inability to constrain catch • Should assess past management performance when setting catch targets

Final Annual Catch Limit Guidance