The South Atlantic Bite
Newsworthy Notes – February 27th, 2025
Reminder! Council Meets Next Week in Jekyll Island, GA
Meeting available via webinar as it occurs
Council members will gather next week, March 3-7, 2025 in Jekyll Island, Georgia to address federal fishery management issues, including management of Black Sea Bass, Golden Tilefish, King Mackerel, and Spanish Mackerel. The meeting will be held at Villas by the Sea, 1175 Beachview Drive North and is open to the public. The meeting will also be available via webinar as it occurs. Register now, and receive email reminders as the meeting date approaches!
The week-long Council meeting begins Monday, March 3rd with a meeting of the Snapper Grouper Commercial Subcommittee. The Council will also hold meetings of the following committees during the week: Habitat & Ecosystem; Snapper Grouper; Mackerel Cobia; Southeast Data Assessment and Review (SEDAR); and a joint meeting of the Habitat & Ecosystem and Shrimp Committees. There will also be meetings of the full Council during the week.
Public Comment
A public comment session on agenda items will be held on Wednesday, March 5th beginning at 4:00 p.m. and allow for in-person and remote (via webinar) verbal public comment. Written comments are also being accepted. Briefing book materials, including agendas, overviews, and public comment forms are now posted to the Council’s website.
NOTE: NOAA Fisheries to Hold Public Hearing on Secretarial Amendment 59 and Proposed Management Changes for Red Snapper
NOAA Fisheries will hold a public hearing on management measures proposed in Secretarial Amendment 59 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan, specifically to end and prevent overfishing of Red Snapper in the South Atlantic region. The overfishing status determination is primarily due to the estimated dead discards from the recreational sector.
To achieve the Red Snapper dead discard reduction target, Amendment 59 proposes an annual discard reduction season for recreational fishermen (including for-hire), using hook-and-line fishing gear. The bottom fishing prohibition would apply to all species in the snapper grouper complex and includes an alternative that would prohibit recreational harvest from December 1 through the end of February in federal waters off Northeast Florida.
Presentation and Public Hearing – Wednesday, March 5th
A presentation on measures proposed in Amendment 59 will be provided by NOAA Fisheries at 2:30 p.m. during the Council meeting on Wednesday, March 5th. NOAA Fisheries will accept comments on Amendment 59 beginning at 5:00 p.m. following the Council meeting in Jekyll Island, GA. Additional details on Secretarial Amendment 59 are available from NOAA Fisheries.
Mark McWaters Announced as 2024 Citizen Science Project SAFMC Release Champion
Congratulations to Mark McWaters for earning the title of “Release Champion” in the citizen science project SAFMC Release! This project partners with fishermen to collect valuable data on released shallow water grouper and Red Snapper. Participants submit information such as fish length, depth caught, descending device use, and optional fishing location.
Mark has made outstanding contributions to the project, submitting an impressive 41 entries in 2024. Mark is a Florida native who grew up fishing the bays and offshore along the Florida panhandle before moving to Jacksonville where he fishes out of Mayport. Although he has been fishing for over 57 years, he still has trouble sleeping the night before an offshore trip. Mark stated, “Fishing is a passion that brings people together and builds relationships that last a lifetime. I’m hopeful that the Release project data will inform management decisions and support the health of our fisheries so we all can continue to enjoy the many benefits fishing brings to us all.”
By sharing on-the-water observations, Mark and his fellow Release participants have provided valuable information about their snapper grouper fishery. Learn more about the project on the SAFMC Release webpage.
Study Takes a ‘Bite’ Out of Shark Depredation Using Citizen Science
Shark depredation is a hot-button issue in recreational fishing, as anglers face off against these stealthy ocean bandits. These underwater thieves snatch fish straight off the line, often leaving nothing but scraps – or a broken leader – as evidence of their heist.
The Southeast, a major hub for saltwater fishing, is a depredation “hot spot” due to high fishing activity. While fisheries managers in the United States monitor shark depredation in commercial fisheries, efforts to evaluate these interactions in recreational fishing have been limited.
With Florida’s recreational fishing being economically vital and concerns about rising shark depredation, understanding its extent is crucial. A major research gap is identifying depredating shark species, as most events occur at depth and are rarely observed, making accurate identification difficult.
Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute researchers and collaborators have addressed these challenges by involving the public in citizen-science research. Using multiple methodologies that included social media, online angler surveys, cooperative fishery-dependent charters, and genetic analysis, the study uncovers the scope and impact of shark depredation in Florida’s recreational fisheries.
Results of the study, published in the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Journal of Marine Science, reveal that across methodologies, snapper-grouper species were the most frequently depredated target species group, and bull sharks and sandbar sharks were the most commonly identified depredating species. Findings show 43% of anglers experienced depredation and the probability of experiencing depredation ranged from 10% to 60% and varied both regionally and seasonally.
Read the complete article from Florida Atlantic University to learn more about this captivating study, view video of shark depredation as it occurs, and watch an informative and entertaining video, “Swabbing for Depredation”!
SAFMC and Sharks
The issue of shark depredation is not new to the Council members. Many Council members have first-hand experience, and all have certainly heard concerns from constituents. The Council has submitted multiple letters to NOAA Fisheries over the past several years relaying concerns about the dramatic increase in interactions with several large shark species, including bull, blacktip, silky, tiger, hammerhead, great white, sandbar, and dusky sharks.
The feature article Taking a Bite: Shark Depredation and Fisheries Management focuses on the issue of depredation by sharks and its impacts on South Atlantic fisheries, including the complexities of addressing the issue, and how fishermen can get involved in reporting depredation through the Council’s Citizen Science project SAFMC Release.
Additional Snippets:
National Fish Habitat Board Seeks Nominations for Board Member Seat Representing the Commercial Fishing Industry
The National Fish Habitat Partnership seeks a candidate representing the commercial fishing industry to join the National Fish Habitat (Board). Join efforts to protect, restore, and enhance fish habitat nationwide by submitting your application by March 31, 2025. For more information, visit fishhabitat.org or contact Ryan Roberts, rroberts@fishwildlife.org.
Mark Your Calendar
Keep track of meetings scheduled by the Council from the Meetings page of the website and register for meeting webinars as information becomes available. Register early and receive email reminders as the meeting date(s) approach!