Gulf Council Motions

June 5, 2008 - Houston, Texas

Administrative Policy

Motion: To send a letter to GSMFC to request funding for the Gulf regional data programs including but not limited to the At Sea Observer program

Motion carried

Motion: To write a letter to the SSC to informing them of the ACL and AM guidelines asking for comments so that comments are available for the August Council meeting

Motion carried

Ad Hoc Allocation

Motion: For this committee to not only to look at present and historical participation in the fisheries, but also to consider the future and what demographic and other factors will change, but also how the fisheries best serve the public in the coming years

Motion failed

Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel/Red Drum (Aquaculture)

The following motion addressed several committee motions at once:

Motion:

Action 1, Preferred Alternative 2: To instruct the IPT to require permits of any hatcheries located in the EEZ

Action 1, Preferred Alternative 2: To allow transferability of permits

Action 2: To instruct the IPT to include changes into the document for Action 2

Action 2, Preferred Alternative 3: To instruct the IPT to include 25% of the planned grow out structures proposed within the first two years or the applicant must resubmit a new application

Action 6, Preferred Alternative 3: To remove the prohibition of siting aquaculture facilities in marine sanctuaries

Action 6, Preferred Alternative 3: In preferred Alternative 3, strike the words “one or more of"

Action 6, Preferred Alternative 3: Add a new sub-alternative to preferred Alternative 3 that would require a benthic habitat survey

Action 9, Preferred Alternative 2: That the preferred alternative be Alternative (b) MSY=OY and the proxy for OY would be (d) 64 million pounds

Action 9, Preferred Alternative 2: That the preferred alternative be Alternative 2, Option (c) 20% of OY

Motion carried

Motion: Action 2 - That the operator can request modifications to the time schedule created by natural catastrophes

Substitute Motion: Action 21: That the operator can request modification to the time schedule and reporting schedules in response to a natural catastrophe

Substitute motion carried

Motion: To create a fishery management plan in place of the generic amendment for aquaculture

Motion carried

Joint Stone Crab/Spiny Lobster

Motion: To select Key West, Marathon, and Miami as public hearing sites for Spiny Lobster

Motion carried

Motion: To approve Draft Spiny Lobster Amendment for public hearings

Motion carried

Reef Fish

Reef Fish Amendment 30B

Motion: The natural mortality rate used in the preferred alternative for Action 1 be modified to 0.15

Motion carried with no opposition

Motion: Action 5 - That Alternative 1 be the Council’s preferred alternative: Alternative 1. Revert to the allocation of TAC between the recreational and commercial fisheries as specified for framework actions in Amendment 1 to the Reef Fish FMP as the average share during the years 1981 through 1987. Only 1986-1987 landings are used since grouper were not identified to species in the commercial fishery until 1986. The recreational:commercial proportions would be gag 65:35, red grouper 23:77.

Motion failed

Motion: Action 8 – To remove Alternative 3 from the current document and replace it with Alternative 3 from Tab B, No. 3(b) and add Alternative 4 from Tab B, No. 3(b)

New Preferred Alternative 3: When 80 percent of the gag or red grouper quota is reached or projected to be reached, the directed fishery for the applicable species would be closed; however, an incidental harvest* trip limit would be allowed until either the gag, red grouper, or shallow-water grouper quota is reached or projected to be reached, upon which the shallow-water grouper fishery would close. The incidental harvest trip limit provision would not be implemented unless the quota for the applicable species is projected to be harvested prior to the end of the fishing year. If implemented, the incidental harvest trip limit would be:

Preferred Option a: 10% of the grouper catch by weight. The percentage would apply when the vessel returns to port.

Option b: 100 pounds.

Option c: 200 pounds.

Alternative 4. The commercial shallow-water grouper fishery closes when either the red grouper quota, gag quota, or shallow-water grouper quota is reached, whichever comes first. For gag, a trip limit would apply to extend the grouper fishing year. The gag trip limit would be:

Option a: 300 pounds or

Suboption i: 15 percent of the grouper caught on a trip, whichever is greater.

Suboption ii: 20 percent of the grouper caught on a trip, whichever is greater.

Option b: 300 pounds.

Option c: 500 pounds.

Option d: 1,000 pounds.

Motion carried

Motion: Action 8 - To make Alternative 4, Option C, the preferred alternative:

Option a: 300 pounds or

Suboption i: 15 percent of the grouper caught on a trip, whichever is greater.

Suboption ii: 20 percent of the grouper caught on a trip, whichever is greater.

Option b: 300 pounds.

Option c: 500 pounds.

Option d: 1,000 pounds.

Motion failed

Substitute Motion: Action 8 – To add alternative option (d) of 500 pounds

Substitute motion failed

Motion: Action 8 - The preferred alternative be Alternative 3c: When 80 percent of the gag or red grouper quota is reached or projected to be reached, the directed fishery for the applicable species would be closed; however, an incidental harvest* trip limit would be allowed until either the gag, red grouper, or shallow-water grouper quota is reached or projected to be reached, upon which the shallow-water grouper fishery would close. The incidental harvest trip limit provision would not be implemented unless the quota for the applicable species is projected to be harvested prior to the end of the fishing year. If implemented, the incidental harvest trip limit would be:

· Option a: 10% of the grouper catch by weight. The percentage would apply when the vessel returns to port.

· Option b: 100 pounds.

· Preferred Option c: 200 pounds.

Motion carried

Motion: Action 8 – to delete Option (a) under Alternative 3 and add an alternative of 500 lbs.

Motion carried

Motion: Action 9 – Preferred Alternative 7 - Establish

- A gag bag limit of 2 fish per person within the aggregate bag limit

- A red grouper bag limit of 2 fish per person within the aggregate

- Aggregate grouper bag limit of 4 fish per person

Option a – February 15-March 31 reduces gag 23%, increases red 19%

Option b – June 1-July 31 reduces gag 26%, reduces red 6%

Option c – September 15-November 15 reduces gag 25%, increases red 14%

Option d – November 1-December 31 reduces gag 26%, increases red 19%

Amendment: to add a preferred option:

Option e – February 1 – March 31 closure, reduced gag by 26%, increases red by 17%

Amendment Carried

Amendment: That the preferred option be Option d – November 1-December 31 reduces gag 26%, increases red 19%

Amendment failed

Motion as amended: Action 9 – Preferred Alternative 7 - Establish

- A gag bag limit of 2 fish per person within the aggregate bag limit

- A red grouper bag limit of 2 fish per person within the aggregate

- Aggregate grouper bag limit of 4 fish per person

Option a – February 15-March 31 reduces gag 23%, increases red 19%

Option b – June 1-July 31 reduces gag 26%, reduces red 6%

Option c – September 15-November 15 reduces gag 25%, increases red 14%

Option d – November 1-December 31 reduces gag 26%, increases red 19%

Preferred Option e – February 1 – March 31 closure, reduced gag by 26%, increases red by 17%

Motion as amended carried

Motion: Action 11 – That the gag, red, and black grouper commercial closure from February 15th to March 15th be eliminated if the seasonal area closure is adopted

Motion carried

Motion: Action 11 - Add under Alternative 2, option iv, all fishing prohibited March-April, all fishing allowed May-February

Motion carried

Motion: The Council requests that NOAA Fisheries prepare an interim rule based on the preferred management measures that address gag grouper that are contained in Amendment 30B

Motion carried

Reef Fish Amendment 29

Motion: Action B-12 – To move Alternative 3 to considered but rejected

Motion carried

Motion: Action B-12 - Add a preferred alternative, and it be Alternative 1, no action

Motion carried

Motion: Action B-12 – Preferred Alternative 2 include preferred option b(ii) and c(i)

Motion carried

Motion: Action B-13 - Change preferred alternative to Alternative 1, no action

Motion failed

Motion: Action B-14 – To change the word “certified” to “approved”

Motion carried

Motion: Action B15 - To remove this section from the document and use it as the basis for a letter to the SOC requesting a referendum and restrict participation in the referendum to the persons who have substantially fished in grouper and tilefish fishery as included in preferred Alternative 3

Preferred Alternative 3: Restrict participation in the referendum to persons that have substantially fished in the grouper and tilefish fisheries. Only commercial reef fish permit holders who have combined average annual grouper and tilefish landings from logbooks during the qualifying years of at least 4,000 pounds (per permit) are considered as having substantially fished.

Option a: Votes will be unweighted by the permit’s grouper and tilefish catch history

Amendment: Action B15 – That Option a be the preferred option: Option a: Vote will be weighted by the permit’s grouper and tilefish catch history

Amendment failed for a tie vote

Amendment: Action B15 – use 8,000 pounds instead of 4,000 pounds and votes will be unweighted

Amendment carried

Motion as amended: Action B15 - To remove this section from the document and use it as the basis for a letter to the SOC requesting a referendum and restrict participation in the referendum to the persons who have substantially fished in grouper and tilefish fishery as included in preferred Alternative 3

Preferred Alternative 3: Restrict participation in the referendum to persons that have substantially fished in the grouper and tilefish fisheries. Only commercial reef fish permit holders who have combined average annual grouper and tilefish landings from logbooks during the qualifying years of at least 8,000 pounds (per permit) are considered as having substantially fished.

Preferred Option a: Votes will be unweighted by the permit’s grouper and tilefish catch history

Motion as amended carried

Motion: To convene the Ad Hoc Grouper IFQ AP for one day to discuss the multi-use allocation and flexibility measures by conference call

Motion carried

Motion: To send Reef Fish Amendment 29 to public hearing

Motion carried

Reef Fish Other Motions

Motion: To approve the dates for the Hogfish SEDAR 19

- Data workshop – May 18-22, 2009

- Assessment workshop – October 5-9, 2009

- Review workshop – January 25-29, 2010

Motion carried

Motion: At the next Reef Fish Committee meeting, have white papers of pros and cons with known details on these items for further discussion – the language in Handout Tab B, Ad Hoc Recreational Red Snapper, the first paragraph through the first two bulleted points:

Alternative Management Ideas

a. Develop a program for regional management of recreational management of red snapper (regional seasons, bag limits, size limits, TAC, etc.).

b. Explore limited access privilege programs (LAPP) for the for-hire and private recreational sectors along with improved data and monitoring of harvest and bycatch including:

c. Explore the use of a catch card and fish tag system to manage the recreational harvest.

d. Explore mechanisms for red snapper quota shares to be leased or sold back and forth between commercial and recreational sectors and either banked or fished recreationally.

e. Explore establishment of a reef fish permitting system and red snapper endorsement for private recreational fishermen (or vessels).

Bycatch Reduction Ideas

· Explore the possibility of a first fish rule to reduce bycatch mortality

· Limit the number of hooks dropped per line to two for the recreational red snapper for-hire sector.

Motion carried

Other Motions

Motion: To approve the creation of the Outreach and Education AP

Motion carried

Motion: To jointly convene the Law Enforcement Advisory Panel with the GSFMC Law Enforcement Committee

Motion carried

Motion: To send a letter to the SOC to ask that if Florida and Texas do not enact compatible regulations in 2009, that the SOC move to pre-empt the state’s regulations so that the state regulations would all be compatible

Motion to table

Motion to table carried 8 to 6

Motion: To write a letter expressing our gratitude to Bill Daughdrill for his service on the Council

Motion carried