Federal Fishery Managers Consider New Approaches
Budget cuts, staff reductions and Executive Orders lead to open discussion of changes in federal fishery management; Options proposed for the commercial snapper grouper fishery, Black Sea Bass management; Public hearings scheduled for Shrimp Fishery Access Area
Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council met this past week in Cape Canaveral, Florida, to address federal fishery management issues in the South Atlantic region. During the week-long meeting, the Council acknowledged that new approaches may be necessary to federal fisheries management given recent changes that include reductions in staffing and funding at NOAA Fisheries, as well as Executive Order 14276 Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.
The Council will develop its response to the directives in Executive Order 14276, including identifying measures to reduce regulatory burden and promote domestic fisheries. Information will be provided on the Council website and input solicited from the public and Council advisory panels. Council members identified initial items that respond to the Executive Order during last week’s meeting, including revision or removal of the “2 for 1” provision for commercial snapper grouper federal permits, removing species from the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Unit, addressing shark depredation, and shifting management of Spiny Lobster to the State of Florida. The Council will review public input and continue discussions during its September 2025 meeting.
Commercial Snapper Grouper Fishery
After reviewing input from the Commercial Snapper Grouper Sub-Committee, the Council decided to move forward with scoping to gather input on management changes to be considered through Amendment 60 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan. Potential actions at this time include revising or removing the current 2-for-1 snapper grouper unlimited permit policy and the requirements to acquire or retain a snapper grouper (SG1) commercial permit; considering dynamic trip limits that vary throughout the season; and establishing a non-target or out-of-season allowance for harvest.
Public scoping will be held online this summer, and public feedback will be presented to the Commercial Sub-Committee at the September 2025 Council meeting.
Black Sea Bass
The results of the latest stock assessment for Black Sea Bass in the South Atlantic indicate the stock is overfished and experiencing overfishing despite uncertainties noted by the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) in the information used to develop catch level recommendations.
The Council will develop a framework amendment to address declining Black Sea Bass abundance. Potential actions will consider lowering Black Sea Bass catch levels, changes to minimum size limits, reducing the recreational bag limit, and implementing a spawning season closure. The Council requested further evaluation of the assessment by the SSC and additional peer review.
Rock Shrimp Fishery Access Area – Oculina Bank HAPC
The Council continued discussion of amendments to the Coral Fishery Management Plan and Shrimp Fishery Management Plan to establish a shrimp fishery access area for the rock shrimp fishery along the eastern edge of the northern extension of the Oculina Bank Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC). The Coral HAPC extends along the eastern coast of Florida, where deepwater coral, Oculina varicosa, is known to exist. Council members considered comments in support of allowing fishing in the historical area as well as those opposing any additional access to the deepwater coral HAPC.
Coral Amendment 11 and Shrimp Amendment 12 would allow federally permitted rock shrimp vessels access within a designated area along the eastern boundary of the Coral HAPC, where the rock shrimp fishery operated historically. Federally permitted rock shrimp vessels are required to have Vessel Monitoring Systems to identify their location at all times.
The Council will hold two public hearings prior to its September 2025 meeting.
Other Business
In order to focus on actions that are deregulatory in accordance with Executive Orders, the Council paused work on the For-Hire Reporting Improvement Amendment as well as an amendment to implement a private recreational permit and education requirement for the snapper grouper fishery. The amendments remain in the Council’s work plan, but the timing of development is uncertain.
Additional information about the Council’s June 2025 meeting, including individual reports from committee meetings and meetings of the full council, is available from the Council’s website at: June 2025 Council Meeting – South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for September 15-19, 2025, in North Charleston, South Carolina.