CFMC UPDATES
JANUARY 2026
The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) newsletter contains activity announcements, facts on various marine species, and valuable information on fishing and the regulations that govern this activity in federal waters around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
TH TH
188 188 CFMC PUBLIC HYBRID CFMC PUBLIC HYBRID
MEETING SUMMARY MEETING SUMMARY
St. Thomas, USVI St. Thomas, USVI
DECEMBER 3-4, 2025 DECEMBER 3-4, 2025
Public Hybrid Meeting Public Hybrid Meeting
The 188 CFMC Hybrid Public Meeting was held on December 3-4, 2025, in St. Thomas, USVI.
This newsletter provides a summary of the meeting’s key points.
The summary has been divided into sections for easier reading.
Links to the meeting documents and recordings are provided at the end. th
Actions and Amendments Actions and Amendments
During the meeting, the status of various amendments to the fishery management plans and management actions was presented. Below is a summary of several amendments and regulatory actions and their status at the time of the meeting.
Summary
Status
The final rule was published and became effective on November 3, 2025, except for the descending device requirement, which will be effective on April 1, 2026
Amendment 2: Puerto Rico & USVI FMPs
Amendment 2: New rules on nets and descending devices
Amendment 2 regulates the use of various net gear types for the conservation of marine resources in the federal waters of Puerto Rico, St Croix and St Thomas/St John
Limitations on Fishing Gears
The use of trawl nets, purse seines, gillnets, and trammel nets is prohibited to all fishing.
Single exception: surface gillnets are allowed only for the commercial harvest of non-federally managed fish species (e.g., bait).
Quantity: strictly one net per vessel (includes gear on board and in the water).
Dimensions: maximum length of 600 feet.
Supervision: must be tended at all times.
Deployment: must maintain continuous surface contact and remain at least 20 feet above the seafloor.
Prohibition: anchoring the net to the bottom is strictly prohibited.
Reef Fish Harvest
Descending Devices: It is mandatory to have descending devices ready for use when catching reef fish to ensure fish survival when returning it to the water.
Photo: Raúl O. Ortiz, Burracas / CFMC
Amendment 3: Puerto Rico & USVI FMPs
Amendment 3: New management measures for dolphifish and wahoo
Summary
Status
The final rule is under development.
Management points and ACLs for queen triggerfish in St. Croix and St. Thomas/St. John have been updated based on the most recent population assessments (SEDAR 80):
ACL St Croix: 18,808 lb (whole weight)
ACL St. Thomas/St. John: 92,919 lb (whole weight)
The goal is to prevent overfishing and achieve the optimal yield.
Amendment 4: Puerto Rico FMP
Amendment 4: Reclassification of rainbow runner as a pelagic fish
Summary
Status
The proposed rule is under development.
Rainbow Runner (Elegatis bipinnulata) would be reclassified from reef fish to pelagic fish under the Puerto Rico Fishery Management Plan
Main changes:
New goals: The annual catch target and responsibility measures for the pelagic group would be adjusted.
Bajo de Sico: Catch restrictions for this species would be lifted during the six-month closed season in this area
Recreational fishing: rainbow runner would be removed from the aggregate bag limit for reef fish.
The measure ensures scientific management in accordance with the rainbow runner’s migratory nature and fishing patterns.
Status of the follwong actions was presented:
modification of accountability measures for pelagic fish; review of stocks in need of conservation and management; review of accountability measures for spiny lobster in Puerto Rico; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) 91 and 84, focused on spiny lobster in the U.S. Caribbean, and on yellowtail snapper in Puerto Rico and St. Thomas/St. John, and stoplight parrotfish in St. Croix, respectively.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SEDAR, VISIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SEDAR, VISIT
https://sedarweb.org/
SOUTHEAST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER
SOUTHEAST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER REPORT REPORT
The Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) presented updates on:
stock assessments in the U.S. Caribbean; collaborative projects focused on sampling and monitoring of snappers and groupers; Puerto Rico recreational port sampling; Puerto Rico lobster survey;
progress on the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program in the U.S. Caribbean; population surveys and genetic connectivity studies of the queen conch; and collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez on aquaculture projects.
They also reviewed several social science research efforts encompassing oral histories, interviews, the incorporation of Local Ecological Knowledge into fisheries management, perceptions of changes in the marine environment, lobster fishing in St. Croix, and the use of fishing aggregating devices (FADs), among other topics.
GENETIC CONNECTIVITY
The degree to which gene flow affects evolutionary processes within populations.
LOCAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
This is the set of knowledge, practices, and ideas that communities have acquired through their personal experience regarding the ecological relationships of their environment and the organisms that live in it.
OTHER REPORTS
IOther reports submitted were:
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funded research projects
Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC)
Outreach and Education Advisory Panel (OEAP)
CFMC social media
Big Fish Initiative
Fisheries Liaison Officers
Recreational fisheries outreach initiatives
Law enforcement – Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA-PR), USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR), US Coast Guard, and NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement (OLE)
OTROS TOPICS
Other topics discussed during the meeting were: Mariculture
CFMC’s response to the Executive Order on American Seafood Competitiveness
To read the full Executive Order, you can access https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF13017.
Motions Summary
During the meeting, the CFMC approved the following strategic actions:
Fisheries Management
Spiny Lobster: The Scientific and Statistical Committee's (SSC) recommendation on acceptable biological catch (ABC) limits for spiny lobster in St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix was approved.
Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs): A request was made to explore permitting and research options, and to obtain a technical presentation in 2026 that incorporates input from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and NOAA regarding these options.
Outreach, Education and Participation
Capacity Building: The Outreach and Education Advisory Panel (OEAP) was instructed to analyze new communication tools to improve participation of fishers in the decision-making process at meetings and during public comment periods.
Local Representation: Each District Advisory Panel (DAP) may include a representative from a local non-profit organization among its members.
Appointments
New St. Croix DAP Members : Nicholas Charles Rogers, Daniel Santiago and Anthony Ortiz were appointed to the St. Croix DAP.
Meeting Links
To read the documents and view the recordings of the meeting, you can do the following:
Go to the CFMC General Archive and access the meeting’s folder:
https://caribbeanfmc.com/generalarchive?view=article&id=109:188thcfmc-hybrid-regular-meetingdocuments&catid=2
Visit ISSUU:
https://issuu.com/caribbeanfm c/stacks/426c0323102f4c2ca0 5831f1c4a3b952.
Watch the videos on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/live/m Mx7q5uKzQo? si=3nDoCgsQqpOE0R9k
https://www.youtube.com/live/da ajZnlLLS4?si=ONdp0 phZSbTI8Xd
Writing: Cristina D. Olán Martínez (CFMC) | Design and layout: Rosana López Muñoz (Rosana Studio) | Illustrations: Puerto Rico Sea Grant | Review: María del Mar López-Mercer (NOAA Fisheries/SERO), Miguel Rolón (CFMC), Diana Martino (CFMC) y Jannette Ramos García (Presidenta OEAP)