Snapper Grouper Amendment 44
Amendment Summary
Purpose of Amendment: Revise Acceptable Biological Catch based on the latest assessment (SEDAR 64, 2019) and revised landings (MRIP-FES).
Action Summary: Adopt recommended Acceptable Biological Catch, adjust jurisdictional allocation between the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Councils, and adjust Annual Catch Limits, and sector allocations (South Atlantic only).
Key Events:
- December 2020: Amendment development initiated (jointly with the Gulf Council).
- June 2021: Review the APs input on the fishery’s performance, a fishery overview, and a draft options paper including actions previously considered (in 2018).
- September 2021: Review preliminary analyses and approve for scoping. Request input from stakeholders on commercial management measures (commercial trip limits) and get feedback from advisors (SG and Reef Fish APs) and the Gulf Council.
- November 2021: Scoping hearings held on November 2 and 3.
- December 2021: Work on the amendment suspended pending an interim analysis to include three additional years of data (through 2020).
- September 2022: interim analysis results presented to Council. Direction to reinitiate work on the amendment.
- December 2022: The Council decided to delay work on the amendment until June 2023.
- June 2023: Gulf and South Atlantic Councils reviewed actions and alternatives, preliminary analysis and draft amendment.
- September 2023: paused development to allow time for SSCs (SA and Gulf) to reconsider the recommended stock ABC because of MRIP-FES issue and to determine whether the assessment can be re-done with FL State Reef Fish Survey data.
Most recent amendment document
- Final approval
- Implementation
- Pre-scoping
- Public hearing
- Rule making
- Scoping
- Secretarial review