Recommendations from the ACLG

ACLG Meeting

February 23-25 2008

Carolina, Puerto Rico

Queen Conch St. Croix

• A quota be set for 50,000 lb, 6-month closure [June-Nov], 200 conch per boat, no possession when the season is closed or quota reached. Size limit 9 inches or 3/8” LT (passed unanimously)

• ACL (Commercial) STX EEZ+State=50,000 lb

Queen Conch

• Recommend that the queen conch fishery be closely monitored.

Queen Conch St. Thomas/St. John

• ACL commercial (STT/STJ): 50,000 lb

• ACL EEZ =0 (STT/STJ)

• (13 yes)

Queen Conch Puerto Rico

• ACL EEZ PR = 0 (passed unanimously)

Queen Conch

• [Recommend that the] SSC in conjunction with the Commonwealth look at Average catch for conch to develop ACL for PR [state waters.] (passed unanimously)

Nassau Grouper

• ABC = 0 [all of US Caribbean]

• Monitoring of the Nassau grouper aggregations is highly recommended.

• (passed unanimously)

METHODOLOGYfrom Methodologies Working Group

Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 Scenario 4 Scenario 5 Scenario 6 Scenario 7 Scenario 8Life History Demographics Yes Yes Not useful Yes/No Yes Yes Yes/No YesRepresentative Lengths Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes - single time period (recent only) Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes - multiple time period Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No NoCatch Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No NoNo recruitment anomaly Yes Yes Yes NA Yes No, there are anomalies identified NA Yes

Trend in stock Yes No Yes No Yes No No No

Can stock status be determined? Yes Yes No No Yes No No YesCan OFL be determined? Yes Yes Yes No No No No NoCan ABC be determined? Yes Yes Yes No No No No NoCan ACL be determined? Yes Yes Yes No No No No No

Comments Do not increase catch; decrease if Council wants to be precautionary; take into account vulnerability with

scalers

Same as Scenario 5, taking account in the

direction of the anomaly; if recruitment

index available can correct

Create experimental fishery with monitoring

OFL would be >, =, or < recent

catch based on ratio of Fmsy/F

OFL should not exceed recent catch; ABC would need to be set lower than Scenario 1 b/c of

single point estimate and possible time lag

due to non-equilibrium status

Maintain current management

unless evidence of overfishing;

intensify monitoring; Council

may establish alternative mgmt

measures

Can give management advice (e.g.,

effort), but not catch advice

OFL reduced from recent catch if trend in F increasing,

otherwise equal to recent catch; no justification to increase catch until stock no longer overfishing

Methodology Recommendation 1

• Approve Scenario 4 as shown [see previous slide] including the advice given when the data fall within this scenario. (passed unanimously)

STT/STJ Parrotfish

• [ABC] commercial [catch] STT/STJ parrotfish = 50,000 lb – Scenario 4 (1994-2006 average of catches)

– (passed unanimously)

STX Parrotfish

• [ABC] commercial [catch] STX (1994-2006) = 270,000 [lb]

– Parrotfish [in] STX will fall in Scenario 4 – Recommend not [to] increase catch more than

270,000 and decrease if the Council was to be precautionary (one vote against)

Methodology Recommendation 2

• Approve Scenario 3 as shown including the advice given when the data fall within this scenario. (In the cases where the demographic data is not useful but have length data, no recruitment anomaly and have catch data) (passed unanimously)

Parrotfish Puerto Rico

• Methodology of Scenario 3 for Puerto Rico parrotfish with average catch for 1999-2006 (80,000 lbs)

• Recommend catches [no higher than] of 80,000 lbs for parrotfish (when OFL cannot be determined) and Council can be more precautionary if they want to be. Setting the most appropriate years to set the level. – (passed unanimously)

• Recent catch corrected (0.54 for 04-05-06) provides an average catch of 73,000 lb

• Preliminary analysis shows increase in mean lengths for 1999-2000; therefore trend in F likely decreasing

STT/STJ GU4

• For STT GU4 use scenario 7 [as recommended by the Methodologies Workgroup] with the comments on creating experimental fishery and monitoring – (passed with 1 abstention)

STX GU4

• For STX GU4 use scenario 7 [as recommended by the Methodologies Workgroup] with the comments on creating experimental fishery and monitoring. {Intent is to collect the data needed, SSC to [develop] the correct language; not as per NMFS’ experimental permits, etc.} – Passed with 2 abstentions (members present

= 11)

PR GU4

• Use scenario 7 [as recommended by the Methodologies Workgroup] for Puerto Rico GU4 (passed with 1 abstention)– Recommend setting catch no higher than the

1994-2006 average landings.

STT/STJ/STX SU1

• STT/STX SU1 use Scenario 7 [as recommended by the Methodologies Working Group and create an experimental fishery with monitoring]– Passed with 1 abstention

Methodology Recommendation 3

• Approve Scenario 1 [from] Methodolog{ies Working Group} including advice from Scenario 1.– Passed unanimously

SU1

• Based on analysis scenario 1 for SU1 recommend that set and ABC of 200,000 lb (RG/JB)

• See Todd’s e-mail

• Issues mis id silks and others; most landed species;

•

PR SU1

• For PR use Scenario 1 to determine the OFL for snapper unit 1. The SSC should determine appropriate species grouping options for use in determining OFL and use average catch from 1999-2006. (Passed with 1 opposed)

PR SU1

• Based on analysis of scenario 1 for snapper unit 1 in PR we recommend an OFL of 284,400 lbs for PR. (Passed, with 1 opposed and 2 abstentions.)

PR SU1

• Use Scenario 1 to set OFL for SU1. – SSC to determine appropriate species

groupings – Use average catch for 1999-2006

– Passed with 1 opposed

Recommendation

• Recommend STFA be involved in the development of the experimental fishery

Summary ACLG Scenario Recommendations

PR STT STX

QC ACL EEZ =0

closely monitor

ACL=50,000 lb

ACL EEZ=0

(ACL=EEZ+State=50,000 lb; 200 qc/boat

6-month closed

Nassau ABC=0

monitor aggregations

ABC=0 ABC=0

NOTE: Commercial Sector

Summary ACLG Scenario Recommendations

PR STT STX

Parrotfish 3 (99-06) (80,000)

4 (94-06 avg.) (ABC=50,000)

4 (94-06 avg.) (max. 270,000)

GU4 7 7 7

SU1 1 (200,000) 7 7

NOTE: Commercial Sector