Draft Options Paper for Accountability Measures for Pelagic Stocks

AccountabilityMeasureOptionsforPelagicStocks

DiscussionPaper,August2025

Background

PelagicstocksundereachofPuertoRico,St.Croix,andSt.Thomas/St.JohnFMPs (Island-basedFMPs)arenewtofederalmanagement(Table1)(CFMC2019a,b,c). The Councilreliedonexistinglandingsdatatodevelopmanagementreferencepointsforpelagicfish includedintheFMPs. However,itisuncertainifthisdatafullyrepresentstheactualharvest. Becausethesestockswerenotfederallymanagedbefore,datacollectionforsomestocksmay havebeenlesscomplete,likelymissingkeytemporalandspatialvariationsinthefisheries.

Reflectingeconomicandculturalconsiderationsguidingtheharvestofpelagicstocksinallthree islands,theCaribbeanFisheryManagementCouncil(Council)usedadifferentapproachto managepelagicstocksuntilamorecompleteunderstandingoftheseimportantfisheriesis obtained(CFMC2019a,b,c). AsrequiredundertheMagnuson-StevensFisheryConservation andManagementAct(Magnuson-StevensAct),theisland-basedFMPsestablishedannualcatch limits(ACLs)andaccountabilitymeasures(AMs)forallpelagicstocks. However,insteadof applyinganAMintheeventofanACLoveragethatreducesthelengthofthefishingseasonto preventtheACLfrombeingagainexceededasisdoneforreeffishandspinylobster,the Councilestablishedanannualcatchtarget(ACT)thatwouldserveastheAMtrigger,as describedbelow.

Table1.ListofpelagicspeciesmanagedundereachoftheIsland-basedFMPs

CurrentAMsapplicabletoPelagicStocksundereachoftheisland-basedFMPs

TheACTswereestablishedtoaddressuncertaintyinthelandingsofthesespecies,allofwhich arenewtomanagement,andareconsistentwiththeMagnuson-StevensActNationalStandard1 Guidelines. TheACTforeachpelagicstockorstockcomplexservesasatargetbelowtheACL, butprovidesstabilityforfisheriesthatareapttofluctuatearoundatargetcatchrate. TheACTs foreachpelagicstock/stockcomplexinallthreeFMPsweresetat90%oftheapplicableACL andserveastheAMtrigger.

AsdiscussedintheIsland-basedFMPs,anAMwouldbetriggerediftheapplicablelandings (e.g.,sectorlandings,asavailable)exceedtheapplicableACTforthatstock/stockcomplex. For PuertoRico-whenlandingsforonesectorarenotavailableforcomparisontothatsector'sACL andACT,theACLandACTforthesectorwithavailablelandingsaretheACLandACTforthe stockorstockcomplex(seeprocessforapplyingAMsbelow).

Application of AMs for Pelagic Stocks (Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Thomas/St. John)

Atornearthebeginningofthefishingyear,landingsforeachstock,stockcomplex,orindicator stockwillbeevaluatedrelativetotheapplicableACTforthestockorstockcomplexbasedona movingmulti-yearaverageoflandings,asdescribedintheFMP IfNMFSestimatesthat landingshaveexceededtheapplicableACTforastockorstockcomplex,NMFSinconsultation withtheCouncilwilldetermineappropriatecorrectiveaction.

Annual Catch Monitoring Process

Step1.Assoonaslandingsareavailableeachyear,SoutheastRegionalOffice(SERO)staff compareseachpelagicstock/stockcomplex'slandingstotheapplicableACT.

➔ Iflandings<ACT,thennocorrectiveactionisrequired.

➔ Iflandings>ACT,thenNMFSnotifiestheCounciloftheoverage.

Step2.AlthoughnotrequiredbytheAM,SEROstaffsendsasummarymemolistingthose pelagicstockswithACToveragestotheSoutheastFisheriesScienceCenter(SEFSC)forreview

Step3.NMFSandtheCouncildiscussanddetermineappropriatecorrectiveaction.

Currently,thereisaneedfortheCounciltospecifyAMcorrectiveactionswhenanoverage occurs. AlthoughrecentmonitoringofpelagicspecieslandingshastriggeredAMsforsome species(Table2),nocorrectiveactionhasbeentakentodatebecausetherearenospecific correctionactionscurrentlyidentifiedinregulations. Notethatformanyofthestocks,boththe ACTandtheACLwereexceeded,whichmayemphasizetheneedtoreviewtheuseofanACT astowhetheritisservingitspurpose. TheCouncilmaywanttoconsiderremovingtheACTand usetheACLasthetriggerforthepelagicAMorimplementingothermanagementmeasuresthat mayconstrainharvesttotheACT/ACL. Forinstance,NMFSrecentlyimplementednewsize limitsfordolphinandwahoothatmaybesufficienttoconstraincatchestotheACTand/orACL.

Additionally,theCouncilcouldevaluatepossibleactionsthatcouldbeimplementedtoaddress instanceswhereACLsorACTsforpelagicspeciesareexceeded.

Table2.SummaryofannualcatchmonitoringforpelagicstocksthatexceededtheirACTand/or ACLsinceimplementationoftheisland-basedFMPsin2022.

Pelagic Stock (FMP)

Potentialoptionsforpelagicstockscorrectiveactions

1. Potential Actions if the ACT is exceeded

a. IftheACLisnotexceeded,thennocorrectiveactionisrequired.

b. IftheACLisexceeded,NMFSimplementsacorrectiveactionasrecommendedby theCouncil.

Ifcorrectiveactionisneeded,NMFSwouldimplementacorrectiveactionasrecommendedby theCouncilthroughanamendmenttotheFMP

Pros and Cons of NMFS-implemented AM Options

Pros:

● TheAMcouldbeimplementedfollowingtheyear(s)ofanoverageandwould defineaclearAMcorrectivemeasurewithoutfurtherconsultationwiththe CFMC.

Cons:

● DelaysinlandingslimithowquicklyanAMcanbeimplementedfollowingan overage.

Barracuda (PR)

Wahoo (PR)

● Changingcorrectiveactionseachyearcouldcreateconfusionamongfishers.

NoteontheuseofACTsasatriggerforAMs:TheACT/ACLmonitoringprocessin placemaynotserveitspurposeforsomeofthesepelagicstocks,basedonpast monitoring,whenbothACTsandACLswereexceeded(Table1). Additionally,thereare noreal-timecommerciallandingsavailableorcollectionofrecreationallandingsbythe MarineRecreationalInformationProgram,thusmonitoringcommercialandrecreational landingstotheACTin-seasonisnotpossibleatthistime.

2. Potential Corrective Actions

AcorrectiveactioncouldbespecifiedintheAM. Thefollowingcouldbeconsideredas a post-seasoncorrectiveaction:

a. TemporaryFisheryClosure:Implementatemporaryfisheryclosure,whichcouldbe similartothatestablishedintheprocessfortheReefFishAMapplication(seeCFMC 2019a,b,c).

Pros:

● Reducestherateofharvestinfederalwaters.

Cons:

● Maynothavetheintendedeffectduetotemporalandspatialvariabilityofpelagic fish.

● Requiresterritoriestoadoptcompatibleregulationstobefullyeffective.

b. Trip/BagLimitAdjustments:Implementormodifyexistingcommercialtripor recreationalbaglimits.

Pros:

● Acommercialtriplimitcouldslowtherateofharvest.

● Arecreationalbaglimitisalreadyinplacefordolphinandwahoo.

Cons:

● Foracommercialtriplimitorchangestoexistingrecreationalbaglimitstobe effectivelyimplementedwillneedsupportfromterritorialnaturalresource agencies(compatibleregulations).

● Establishingacommercialtriplimitasanaccountabilitymeasureactioncould increaseenforcementissuesandrequireadditionalcommunicationwith fishermen.

● Imposingchangesintriplimitsin-seasonorfromyear-to-yearwillrequire increasedcommunicationwithfishersandcouldcreateconfusionaboutexisting restrictions.

c. SizeLimitAdjustments:Implementormodifycurrentsizelimitsforstocks.

Pros:

● Slowstherateofharvest.

● Sizelimitswererecentlyimplementedfordolphinandwahooinallislands.

Cons:

● Mayneedsupportfromtheterritorialnaturalresourceagenciestobefully effective.

● Imposingchangesinsizelimitsin-seasonorfromyear-to-yearwillrequire increasedcommunicationwithfishersandcouldcreateconfusionaboutexisting restrictions.

d. OtherMeasures?

Additionalconsiderations:

● Gearmodifications-forexample,useofnon-offsetcirclehookstodecreasediscard mortalityforsmallfishreleasedorthatshakeoffbeforebeinglanded(referencein Mertenetal.2022)-Notaffectlegallandedcatch,butpreventsmortalityforothers.