Administrative Policy

Motion:  to recommend to the full Council to form an outreach and education committee and adopt the charge on Tab G, No. 3

Motion carried with no objection

Motion: to ask the SSC to provide the Council with the expected number of discards associated with their catch level recommendations for ACLs.

Motion carried with no objection

Budget-Personnel

Motion:  to include an Amendment for operator permits under the activities page 2 of Tab M, No. 4

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  to approve the CY 2008 operational budget.

Motion carried with no objection

Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel/Red Drum (Aquaculture Amendment)

Motion:  To add draft Action 9 as presented in Tab J, No. 4b, into the amendment. 

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  Ask the IPT to revise the Aquaculture amendment to address the concerns raised by General Counsel and public comment

Motion carried with no objection

Mackerel

Motion: Approve the Terms of Reference for Number 8 of the SEDAR 16 King Mackerel Assessment Workshop.

8.  Estimate the Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) based upon the following criteria for the assessment workshop:

1. Based on migratory groups and mixing zone dynamics defined using best available scientific information
2. Based on these ABC’s provide separate management evaluations for the two areas delineated at the Monroe-Dade County line.
3. Based on these ABC’s, provide separate management evaluations for the two areas delineated at the jurisdictional line between the Gulf Council and the South Atlantic Council.
4. Based on migratory groups and mixing zone dynamics defined using best available scientific information, provide separate ABC values for each of two management areas delineated at the Gulf and South Atlantic Council boundaries.

Motion: to reconsider the motion passed yesterday

Motion to reconsider carried

Motion:  Approve the Terms of Reference for Number 8 of the SEDAR 16 King Mackerel Assessment Workshop.

8.  Estimate Allowable Biological Catch (ABC) based on the following criteria:

1. Based on migratory groups and mixing zone dynamics defined using best available scientific information, provide separate ABC values for each of two management areas delineated at the Miami-Dade/Monroe County line: all fish caught north of the line allocated to the Atlantic management area and all fish caught south of the line allocated to the Gulf management area.
2. Based on migratory groups and mixing zone dynamics as currently defined, provide separate ABC values for the Gulf and Atlantic Migratory Units based on allocating all fish in the mixing zone to the Gulf Migratory Unit (essentially the ‘continuity’ approach).  
3. Based on migratory groups and mixing zone dynamics as currently defined, provide separate ABC values for the Gulf and Atlantic migratory units based on allocating 50% of the fish in the mixing zone to the Gulf Migratory Unit and 50% of the fish to the Atlantic Migratory Unit.
4. Based on migratory groups and mixing zone dynamics defined using best available scientific information, provide separate ABC values for each of two management  areas delineated at the Gulf and South Atlantic Council boundaries.

Motion carried with no objection

Reef Fish

Reef Fish Options Paper for Amendment 29 (Grouper/Tilefish IFQ)

Motion:  Section A, Action A1:  Alternative 4 the Preferred Alternative Implement an individual fishing quota program in the commercial grouper and tilefish fisheries (Section D)

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  Section D1: Add alternative 5 – Restrict initial eligibility to commercial reef fish permit holders and to reef fish captain and crew only

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  Action D1:  remove the language “substantial participants” from all of the alternatives in this section.

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  Action D1 add an Alternative 6 – Establish an auction system for initial eligibility

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  To expand action D2 to add the alternatives added under D1:

• to commercial reef fish permit holders and to captain and crew only
• to include an auction system

Motion carried with no objection

Motion: to add a new action that defines “substantial participant”

Motion carried with no objection

Motion Action D9:  Add an alternative to auction future increases in TAC in commercial quota.

Motion carried with no objection

Motion: Action D10 to make alternative 2 preferred alternative:  The Regional Administrator (RA) will review, evaluate, and render final decision on appeals.  Filing of an appeal must be completed within 90 days of the effective date of the final regulations implementing the IFQ program.  Hardship arguments will not be considered.  The RA will determine the outcome of appeals based on NMFS’ logbooks.  If NMFS’ logbooks are not available; the RA may use state landings records. Appellants should submit NMFS’ logbooks to support their appeal.

Motion carried with no objection

Motion: Under D13 - to add an alternative with an 8,000 pound threshold to define substantially fished

Motion carried with no objection

Motion: to remove Action 14 – IFQ Monitoring and Management Board - to the considered but rejected section

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  to add an action to contain alternatives that would/would not require participants to land at designated landing sites

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  to add an new action to  establish a loan program utilizing of up to 25% of cost recovery fees collected from participants

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  to add an action to develop alternatives to address the issue of Warsaw grouper and speckled hind discards in the shallow water grouper (SWG) fishery after the deep water grouper (DWG) fishery closes

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  In Section C (Endorsements) add a sub alternative for a grouper longline endorsement

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  The intent of the Council is to have Amendment 29 ready for referendum consideration no later than August 2008

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  to remove Section B – latent permits and place it in the considered but rejected section

Motion carried with no objection

Motion: to delete Actions D5-D6 to the considered but rejected section

     D5 – Banking

     D6 – borrowing

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  Public Hearing Locations for Amendment 29

• Biloxi Area
• New Orleans Airport Area
• Orange Beach
• Ft. Myers
• St. Petersburg
• Panama City
• Galveston, Keys

Motion carried with no objection

Reef Fish Amendment 30A

Motion: Action 3 - Preferred Alternative 4, as modified: Maintain the one-fish per angler bag limit, increase the recreational minimum size limit for greater amberjack to 30-inch FL, and eliminate the bag limit for captain and crew.  Reduces landings by 26 percent.

Motion carried by a vote of 12 to 4

Motion: Action 7 – Accountability measures for gray triggerfish: to substitute the revisions in the handout “Tab B-4 Addendum to Action 7” into the document and to give staff editorial license to ensure that the text reflects the Council’s intent

Motion carried by voice vote with one opposed

Motion:  to approve amendment 30A for Secretarial Review and implementation with the changes made in committee.

Motion as modified:  to submit amendment 30A and associated regulations to the Secretary of Commerce for review, approval, and implementation

Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote

Motion: Delegate authority to the Chairman of the Council to review any editorial changes to the regulations between now and the time it is submitted to the Secretary and deem those changes as necessary and appropriate

Motion carried with no opposition

Reef Fish Amendment 30B (Gag/Red Grouper)

Motion:  Action 1 maintain the preferred alternative 2 with preferred options a & e

Motion carried with no objection

Motion: Section 2.5, Action 5: The preferred alternative be Alternative 3 - Establish an interim allocation of TAC between the recreational and commercial fisheries as the average share during the years 1986 through 2005.  The recreational:commercial proportions would be gag 61:39, red grouper 24:76. 

Motion carried by roll call vote 13 to 3, with 1 abstention

Motion:  to add Action 6 – Accountability Measures with measures patterned after those in 30A

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  Section 2.8, Action 8: the preferred alternative be Alternative 3: When 80% of an individual species quota is projected to be 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 10% of the grouper catch by weight until either the gag or red grouper quotas are reached, or the shallow-water grouper quota is reached, whichever comes first.

Substitute Motion:  Section 2.8, Action 8: the preferred alternative be Alternative 3: When 80% of an individual species quota is reached or projected to be 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 10% of the grouper catch by weight until either the gag or red grouper quotas are reached or projected to be reached, or the shallow-water grouper quota is reached or projected to be reached, whichever comes first.  These proportions apply when the vessel returns to port.

Substitute Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  Section 2.9, Action 9: The preferred alternative be Alternative 2 - Establish:

• a gag bag limit of 1 fish per person per day within the aggregate bag limit
• no red grouper bag limit (catch up to the aggregate)
• aggregate grouper bag limit of 3 fish per person
• a January 15 through April 15 closed season on shallow-water grouper (45% reduction in gag, 14% increase in red grouper, 274 day season)

Motion carried by voice vote

Motion:  Action 10 – the Preferred Alternative be Alternative 3, option a, sub option ii:

Reduce the minimum size limit for commercial shallow water grouper species that currently have a size limit to: Option a: 18-inches TL for black, gag, red, and yellowfin grouper (scamp remains at 16 inches).  This lower minimum size limit would apply to the: Suboption ii:  Shallow water grouper commercial longline fishery (Note: Existing size limits would continue to apply to other gear)

Motion failed by voice vote

Motion: Section 2.11, Action 11 – marine reserves, have no preferred alternative

Motion carried by voice vote

Motion:  Section 2.13, Action 13: The preferred alternative be Alternative 2: All vessels with federal commercial or charter reef fish permits must comply with the more restrictive of state or federal regulations when fishing in state waters.

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  to add an alternative: commercial gag fishing be limited to:

A – trip limit of 300 pounds

B – a ratio of percentage of gag to red grouper from the total landings from the previous year

Motion failed by voice vote

Motion: to send Reef Fish Amendment 30B to public hearings before the April Council meeting.

Motion carried with no objection

Shrimp

Motion:  To support the continuation of the Cooperative Texas Closure for 2008 throughout the EEZ off Texas to the 200-mile limit.

Motion carried with no objection

Motion:  to hold a meeting of the Shrimp AP prior to the April Council meeting if the data shows that the 74% reduction target in effort from the 2001-2003 average has not been met

Motion carried with no objection

Other Motions

Motion:  adoption of the committee roster as shown on Tab I dated 1/28/08

Motion carried with no objection