Snapper Grouper Amendment 56
Amendment Summary
Purpose of Amendment: Respond to most recent stock assessment (SEDAR 76) for black sea bass.
Action Summary: Revise catch levels, revise status determination criteria, and consider the revision of sector allocations, and other black sea bass management measures.
Key Events:
- June 2023: Amendment development initiated.
- September 2023: Council informed by the SSC that a work group is further evaluating projections of future catch, so overfishing limit and acceptable biological catch recommendations will not be available until the March 2024 Council meeting.
- March 2024: Acceptable biological catch recommendations made by the SSC. Initial discussions about information necessary to evaluate management changes.
- June 2024: Approved for scoping. Directed staff to conduct scoping webinars after the September 2024 Council meeting.
- August 2024: SSC provided additional direction on the projections and corresponding assumptions to the assessment analysts.
- September 2024: Council directed staff to explore trip data, coordinate with SEFSC and SSC, and conduct scoping after the December 2024 Council meeting.
- December 2024: Reviewed SSC recommendations on the development of catch projections for ABC recommendations. The SSC will review updated projections to develop ABC recommendations in April 2025. Directed staff to conduct scoping prior to the March 2025 Council meeting.
- March 2025: Reviewed scoping comments and gave direction to staff on the actions and alternatives to develop in the draft amendment.
- The Council paused work on adjusting catch levels for black sea bass in June 2025 pending further review of the stock assessment and SSC recommendations. The Council initiated work through Regulatory Amendment 37 to modify management measures.
Most recent amendment document
- Final approval
- Implementation
- Pre-scoping
- Public hearing
- Rule making
- Scoping
- Secretarial review