Gulf Council Motions
November 1, 2007 - Biloxi, Mississippi
Habitat Protection
Motion: Council send a letter to MRAD stating that MRAD should scamp vessels destined to be scrapped before the vessels enter the Gulf of Mexico
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: that the Council send a letter to the LA Department of Natural Resources stating that the fishery impacts of the Violet Freshwater Diversion into Mississippi Sound should be analyzed while designing and constructing the diversion. To the extent practicable, the diversion should be constructed to minimize marine fishery impacts while still achieving the goals of the project.
Substitute Motion: that the Council send a letter to the LA department of Natural Resources stating that the fishery impacts of the Violet freshwater diversion into Mississippi Sound should be analyzed while designing and constructing the diversion. To the extent practicable, the diversion should be constructed to maximize benefits to marine fishery resources while still achieving the goals of the project.
Substitute motion carried with no objection
Motion: the Council request FEMA in its clean up include side scan sonar surveys of LA navigable waters with emphasis on traditional fishing grounds as part of a mission statement
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: The council send a letter to the Secretaries of Commerce and Interior stating that we are aware of proposals being discussed to create systems of MPA’s in the Gulf of Mexico. Without taking a position on individual proposals, we recommend that all such proposals come through the Council process and that they apply the principles and processes for the development of a national system of marine protected areas developed by the MPA Federal Advisory Committee (MPAFAC) with particular attention to public participation.
Copy letter to MPAFAC
Motion carried with two abstentions
Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel/Red Drum (Aquaculture Amendment)
Motion: to adopt Tab J, No. 4(a) Revised Purpose and Need.
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: to require a minimum of one locating device on each pen.
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: To eliminate live rock from the generic aquaculture amendment
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: to accept table 6.7-1 with the changes proposed on line 5 and 16.
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: to accept all changes on Tab J, no. 4(b)
Amendments: to adopt the following:
Action 3, Alternative 3(f): Other appropriate permit conditions, as specified by the NMFS regional administrator, necessary for issuance and administration of an aquaculture permit
Action 8, Alternative 2(i): any other appropriate recordkeeping and reporting requirements, as specified by the NMFS Regional Administrator, necessary for issuance, review, and administration of an aquaculture permit
Amendments carried with no objection
Amendment: to add “in consultation with the adjacent state” to both alternatives
Amendment withdrawn
Motion as amended: to accept all changes on Tab J, no. 4(b) with the following amendments:
Action 3, Alternative 3(f): Other appropriate permit conditions, as specified by the NMFS regional administrator, necessary for issuance and administration of an aquaculture permit
Action 8, Alternative 2(i): any other appropriate recordkeeping and reporting requirements, as specified by the NMFS Regional Administrator, necessary for issuance, review, and administration of an aquaculture permit
Motion as amended carried
Motion: Action 4: Modify the Preferred Alternative 4: Allow the aquaculture of all marine species in the Gulf of Mexico managed by the Council except those species in the shrimp and coral management plans and send a letter to NOAA Fisheries Service requesting development of concurrent rulemaking to allow aquaculture of highly migratory species. Do not allow non-native species, transgenic species, or otherwise genetically modified species to be used for aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico
Motion carried by voice vote
Motion: to direct staff to modify the amendment to remove the coral and shrimp FMP references throughout the document
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: hold another round of public hearings on the aquaculture amendment – one per state the week of December 10th
Motion carried with no objection:
Motion: Hold Public hearings in:
Tampa/St. Pete
New Orleans Airport Area
Biloxi
Mobile
Houston Hobby
Motion carried with no objection
Other Motions
Dr. Tom McIlwain was elected Council Chairman, Dr. Bob Shipp was elected Vice-Chairman
Red Drum
Motion: Request that the SEFSC and/or a select committee formed from the Finfish SAP conduct a risk/benefit study to evaluate potential risk impacts of allowing harvesting in the EEZ of red drum for research purposes.
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: have the SEFSC and/or a select committee formed from the Finfish SAP panel determine how many fish would need to be taken in the EEZ to increase the precision of the 2009 SEDAR stock assessment.
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: To have staff develop a scoping document to amend the red drum FMP for the purpose of developing a long-term research program to determine the status of the stocks in the EEZ.
Motion failed
Substitute Motion: To have staff develop a long term research program for the purpose of developing a long-term research program to determine the status of the stocks in the EEZ and determine what plan amendment would be needed to implement that research program
Substitute motion withdrawn
Reef Fish
Reef Fish Amendment 29
Motion: Move Action 2 – Buyback or Buyout Program, and Action 5 – Effort-Based Approach Individual Transferable Effort Quota, to the Considered but Rejected Section
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Add Tab B, No. 7(c) Draft Grouper Individual Fishing Quota Outline to Action 4.
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: to incorporate the October 1-2, 2007 AHGIFQAP recommendations into the options paper
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: to clarify that the AHGIFQAP charge includes Tilefish
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: that the Council have the Ecosystem SSC continue to develop the ecosystem model, and that the Council look at avenues to fund development
Motion carried with no objection
Reef Fish Amendment 30B
Motion: Action 1 - Adopt Alternative 2 with Suboptions a and e as the Preferred Alternative: Alternative 2: Set minimum stock size threshold (MSST), maximum fishing mortality threshold (MFMT), and optimum yield (OY) based on the biomass reference point corresponding to maximum yield per recruit (MAX), which in this instance is the proxy for maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Set MFMT equal to FMAX, set MSST equal to:
Option a. (1-M)*SSBMAX (M = 0.14)
and set OY equal to:
Option e. the yield at 75 percent of FMAX
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 2 - Red Grouper minimum Stock Size Threshold:
be moved to the considered but rejected section
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 3 – Set Gag TAC: Alternative 2 be the Preferred Alternative: Set directed TAC on a yearly basis for gag during 2008 through 2012 at the yield for each year as defined by the constant FOY projection from the 2007 assessment and reevaluation. TAC in 2008 would be 3.13 mp, TAC in 2009 would be 3.38 mp, TAC in 2010 would be 3.62 mp, TAC in 2011 would be 3.82 mp, TAC in 2012 would be 3.99 mp, and TAC in 2013 (and thereafter unless modified by a subsequent amendment) would be 4.13 mp. TAC would be updated and revised, as needed, based on periodic stock assessments.
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 4 – Red Grouper TAC: Alternative 2 be the Preferred Alternative: Set red grouper TAC at the constant catch level corresponding to fishing at equilibrium FOY. TAC would be 7.57 mp.
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 5 – Red and Gag Grouper Allocations: to not select a preferred alternative for this section
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 6 – Accountability Measures: Move these measures from Amendment 30B in to a new amendment to address AM and ACL for gag, red snapper, greater amberjack, gray triggerfish
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 7 – Shallow-water grouper, red grouper, and gag commercial quotas: Alternative 3 be the preferred alternative: Set the commercial gag and red grouper quotas by multiplying the TAC for each year by each species’ commercial allocation. The quota for the commercial other shallow water grouper will be 0.68 mp which is the average landings for the baseline years of 2001-2004. The aggregate commercial shallow-water grouper quota for each year is the sum of the gag, red grouper, and other shallow-water grouper quotas.
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 8 – Application of Quota Closures: to include the SSC’s recommendation for Alternative 5: When 90% or some other percentage of an individual species quota is reached (gag or red grouper), directed commercial harvest of that species closes. However, harvest of the remaining shallow-water species can continue with a bycatch allowance on the closed species of 5-10% of the grouper catch by weight until either both gag and red grouper quotas are reached, or the shallow-water grouper quota is reached, whichever comes first.
Motion carried with one objection
Motion: Action 8 – Application of Quota Closures: Move Alternative 4 to the considered but rejected section: Whichever of the following occurs first will be implemented, but not both:
When 70 percent (or some other percentage) of the gag quota is reached, commercial harvest of shallow-water grouper in statistical areas 5 through 21 would be prohibited. Or: when 70 percent (or some other percentage) of the red grouper quota is reached, commercial harvest of shallow-water grouper in statistical areas 1 through 4 would be prohibited. However, if both quotas are estimated to be reached within 30 days of one another, then all statistical areas would remain open until either the gag, red grouper, or shallow-water grouper quotas were met. Harvest of shallow-water grouper in the remaining open areas could continue until either the gag quota, red grouper quota, or shallow-water grouper is reached, whichever comes first.
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 8 – Application of Quota Closures: move alternative 3 to the considered but rejected section: When an individual species quota is reached (gag or red grouper), commercial harvest of that species closes, but harvest of the remaining shallow-water species can continue until either both gag and red grouper quotas are reached, or the shallow-water grouper quota is reached, whichever comes first.
Motion carried with on opposed
Motion: Action 9 – Recreational harvest of gag and red grouper: Move alternatives 5, 6 & 7 with increases in gag size limit to the considered but rejected section
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: for Action 9 – change the references of red, gag and black grouper to “shallow-water grouper”
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 9: do not consider any aggregate bag limits higher than 3- fish
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 9 - to add an alternative with a 3-fish aggregate grouper bag limit
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 10 – Alternatives to reduce discard mortality of grouper:
Move Alternatives 2, 4, and 5 to the considered but rejected section; and
add a new alternative that would remove or reduce the size limit for the shallow-water grouper commercial longline fishery
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 10 – add a new alternative that would remove or reduce the size limit for the shallow-water grouper commercial fishery
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Public Hearing Locations for RF Amendment 30B:
New Orleans Airport Area (not downtown)
Galveston
Port Aransas
Naples
Madeira Beach
Panama City
Biloxi
Orange Beach
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: to direct staff to develop an alternative to look at reducing the recreational size limit with a uniform size limit of 20 inches for gag and black grouper
Motion carried with no objection
Red Snapper Allocation Document
Motion: establish an “Allocation AD HOC Committee” of council members to study and develop consistent guidelines and principles for establishing allocations between recreational and commercial sectors in our FMPs. This committee will engage expertise from SSC and SEP and incorporate requirements of National Standard 4 and other applicable law and rules.
Motion carried with no objection
Reef Fish Amendment 30A
Motion: Action 2 – modifications to greater amberjack rebuilding plan: Alternative 1 be the preferred alternative: Status Quo. Maintain the three-year stepped rebuilding plan based on a constant FOY projection as specified in Secretarial Amendment 2. Directed TAC for 2008 through 2010 and 2011 through 2012 would be set to the first year of each interval as defined by the constant FOY projection from the 2006 assessment; 1.9 mp for 2008 through 2010 and 3.5 mp from 2011 through 2012.
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 2 – modifications to greater amberjack rebuilding plan: Add an alternative: recast alternative 1 with annual increases in TAC and no increase in the overall harvest than in status quo, and reaching the rebuilding by the same year as Alternative 1
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: to move actions 1 and 9 in Amendment 30A that deal with allocation of greater amberjack and gray triggerfish to considered but deferred
Motion carried with one objection
Motion: Action 12 - Gray triggerfish commercial management alternatives: Alternative 6 be the preferred alternative: Increase the commercial size limit to 14 inches FL and establish a commercial hard quota of 80,000 pounds in 2008, 93,000 pounds in 2009, 106,000 pounds in 2010, 117,000 pounds in 2011, 127,000 pounds in 2012, and 135,000 pounds in 2013. Reduces landings by 61 percent.
Motion carried with one objection
Motion: Action 4 – Greater amberjack recreational management alternatives: to add an alternative to increase the recreational minimum size limit to 30-inch fork length, 1 fish per angler, and eliminate the bag limit for captain and crew.
Substitute Motion: Action 4 – Greater amberjack recreational management alternatives: to add an alternative 6 to increase the recreational minimum size limit to 31-inch fork length, 1 fish per angler, and eliminate the bag limit for captain and crew
Substitute Motion carried with no objection
Motion: Action 4 – Greater amberjack recreational management alternatives: to add an alternative 7 to increase the recreational minimum size limit to 30-inch fork length, 1 fish per angler, eliminate the bag limit for captain and crew, and a closure in January and February
Substitute Motion: Action 4 – Greater amberjack recreational management alternatives: to add an alternative with 1 fish per angler, eliminate the bag limit for captain and crew, a closure in January and February, and an increase the recreational minimum size limit to:
Option a: 30-inch fork length
Option b: 31-inch fork length
Substitute motion carried
Motion: Action 4 – Greater amberjack recreational management alternatives: to move alternatives 2 and 4 to the considered but rejected section
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: To make the following motion the preferred alternative: Motion: Action 4 – Greater amberjack recreational management alternatives: to add an alternative 6 to increase the recreational minimum size limit to 31-inch fork length, 1 fish per angler, and eliminate the bag limit for captain and crew
Motion carried by hand vote of 10 to 4
Substitute motion: that the following motion be the preferred alternative: Action 4 – Greater amberjack recreational management alternatives: to add an alternative with 1 fish per angler, eliminate the bag limit for captain and crew, a closure in January and February, and an increase the recreational minimum size limit to:
Option a: 30-inch fork length
Option b: 31-inch fork length
Substitute motion failed by voice vote
Motion: Action 5, Preferred Alternative 4 remain the preferred alternative Establish a quota for the commercial fishery (Reduces landings by 38 percent). The annual commercial quota under a constant FOY rebuilding plan TAC for 2008 through 2010 would be 504,000 pounds
Motion carried with no objection
Reef Fish Other Business
Motion: add an action to reef fish amendment 30b that all reef fish vessels with federal commercial or charter permits must comply with federal regulations regardless of where they are fishing, unless there are more restrictive state regulations that apply.
Substitute Motion: add an action to reef fish amendment 30b that all reef fish vessels with federal commercial or charter permits must comply with the more restrictive of state or federal regulations when fishing in state waters
Substitute Motion carried with one objection
Motion: the Council send a letter to the Gulf states urging compatibility with federal fishery regulations and identify potential ramifications of differences
Motion carried with two opposed
Substitute motion: to ask NMFS to write a letter to the Gulf States to explain the need for compatibility of regulations
Substitute motion failed
Motion: That the Council initiate a plan amendment to provide for those charterboat reef fish permit holders who did not renew their charterboat reef fish permits during the qualifying period due to the hurricanes be given 45 days to renew their permit after the effective implementation date of this plan amendment
Motion failed by voice vote
Spiny Lobster/Stone Crab
Motion: Convene the Spiny Lobster AP prior to the January 2008 Council meeting
Motion carried with no objection
Motion: to hold a scoping meeting on the spiny lobster amendment in Key Largo before the January 2008 Council meeting
Motion carried with no objection