South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
Much of the week was spent in the Snapper Grouper Committee, addressing topics such as commercial management measures, fishery management unit revision, and headboat vessel limits. The Council also discussed the SEDAR committee, including a name change to the program, and the scheduling of the Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel meeting in fall of 2026 and subsequent assembly of the committee in March 2027.
Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved two amendments to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan that, if approved by the Secretary of Commerce, would modify current federal regulations for species in the snapper grouper management complex. The Council considered input received during public comment and recommendations from its Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel […]
September 20th, 2024 Two nominees were selected to receive the 2023 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award from the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council during the Council’s quarterly meeting this week in Charleston, South Carolina. The annual award was presented to Game Warden Lucas Barnard with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Staff […]
Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet next week to discuss a broad variety of federal fisheries management topics. The meeting will be held at the Shores Resort & Spa, 2637 South Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118 and is open to the public and available via webinar as it occurs.
SAFMC Seminar Series, Mackerel Port Meetings, BFP MVP, Citizen Science Program 2023 Annual Report, and more at this week’s South Atlantic Bite.
Members of the South Atlantic Council met last week in Jekyll Island, Georgia and discussed a broad range of topics, ranging from Black Sea Bass to reporting compliance in the for-hire fishery.
Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved measures to reduce the annual catch limit for Red Snapper and help address release mortality for Red Snapper and other species managed as part of the snapper grouper complex. Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 35 would reduce the total Annual Catch Limit from 42,510 fish to 28,000 fish once implemented.
There were many agenda items affecting federal fisheries management for the September meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, but a single issue dominated interest from the public – the potential use of time/area closures for the snapper grouper fishery. The Council received a total of 1,047 online written comments, with the majority opposing time and area closures to address release mortality in the Red Snapper fishery. The opposition continued as the Council received comments during the meeting in Charleston, SC from charter captains, recreational fishermen, regional business leaders, boat and fishing gear manufacturers, and Florida Congressman John Rutherford.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will continue to develop measures to revise catch levels for Red Snapper and help reduce release mortality for all species managed in the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan. Reductions in catch levels for Red Snapper are required to end overfishing. The most recent stock assessment for Red Snapper shows the stock remains overfished and is undergoing overfishing, primarily due to the increasing number of fish that die after being released throughout the year as the stock continues to rebuild. Council members considered public input and recommendations from the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel during discussions at the Council meeting last week in Key West, Florida. The measures are proposed in Regulatory Amendment 35 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan and would apply to federal waters off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida.
Next week’s meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will be a busy one, as Council members address federal fishery issues ranging from ways to reduce release mortality in the Snapper Grouper fishery to evaluating the Council’s Citizen Science Program.
