|
Spiny Lobster Fishery Management Plan
Original Fishery Management Plan The Fishery Management Plan for Spiny Lobster in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic (FMP) was implemented July 2, 1982 (47 FR 29203). The FMP largely extended Florida's rules regulating the fishery to the EEZ throughout the range of the fishery, i.e. North Carolina to Texas. The management measures included: specifying minimum size limit and closed season, requiring degradable panels, prohibiting use of spears or hooks, limited attractant to 200 per vessel, required attractants to be held in shaded box, required trap number and color code be displayed, created special recreational 2-day season before commercial season, prohibited possession of egg-bearing lobster, and required reporting of landings. Amendment 1 was implemented on July 15, 1987 (52 FR 22659) with certain rules deferred and implemented on May 16, 1988 (53 FR 17196) and on July 30, 1990 (55 FR 26448). This amendment updated the FMP rules to be more compatible with that of Florida (State). The management measures included: limiting attractants to 100 per vessel, requiring live wells, requiring a commercial vessel permit, provided for a recreational permit, limited recreational possession to 6 lobsters, modified the special 2-day recreational season before commercial season, modified the duration of the closed commercial season, provided a 10-day trap retrieval period, prohibited possession of egg-bearing spiny lobster, specified the minimum size limit for tails, provided for a tail separation permit, and prohibited possession of egg-bearing slipper lobster. Amendment 2 was approved on October 27, 1989 (54 FR 48059) and provided a regulatory amendment procedure for instituting future compatible State and federal rules without amending the FMP.Amendment 3 was implemented on March 25, 1991 (56 FR 12357) and contained provisions for adding a scientifically measurable definition of overfishing, an action plan to prevent overfishing, should it occur, as required by the Magnuson Act National Standards (50 CFR Part 602), and the requirement for collection of fees for the administrative cost of issuing permits. The FMP, as amended, provides for management of the fishery throughout its range from North Carolina through Texas. However, the commercial fishery and, to a very large extent, the recreational fishery, occur off South Florida and principally off Monroe County in the Florida Keys (96 percent of landings in 1984).Amendment 4 allows harvest year-round for any person who is limited to a daily bag and possession limit of 2 lobsters per person in the EEZ off North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Spiny Lobster Amendment 5 & 6 Amendments 5 and 6 were the SAFMC's Generic Amendments for Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Sustainable Fisheries Act, respectively. For information contact the SAFMC. Spiny Lobster Amendment 7 Amendment was the Council's Generic Amendment addressing the establishment of the Tortugas Marine Reserves. |
.