Development of Island-Based Fishery Management Plans SERO Draft Actions and Alternatives 158th Caribbean Fishery Management Council Regular Meeting August 23-24, 2016 San Juan, Puerto Rico

Summary of Island-Based Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) Draft Environmental Impact Statements Actions and Alternatives Action 1 - Species to manage on each Island-based Fishery Management Plan Action 2 - Species Groupings Action 3 - Management Reference Points Action 4 - Framework Measures Action 5 - Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Designation for new species

Action 1: Determine species to be included for management in the STX, STT, PR Fishery Management Plan Preferred Alternative 2 – Stepwise Application of Four Criteria to determine inclusion/exclusion in FMPs Criterion A. Include: overfished species, prohibited harvest species due to ecological importance, or species with seasonal closures or size limits. Criterion B. From the remaining species, exclude: species that infrequently occur in federal waters based on expert analysis guided by available data. Criterion C. From the remaining species, include biologically vulnerable species or species with essential ecological value, as determined by expert analysis. Criterion D. From the remaining species, include economically important species based on threshold of landings or value and important bycatch species, as established by expert analysis. Puerto Rico FMP = queen conch, spiny lobster, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, all coral, and 63 finfish. *18 new species St. Thomas/St. John FMP = queen conch, spiny lobster, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, all coral, and 47 finfish. * 3 new species St. Croix FMP = queen conch, spiny lobster, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, all coral, and 43 finfish. * 2 new species

Action 2: Establish stocks or stock complexes in the (STT, STX, PR) Fishery Management Unit (FMU) (DRAFT) Alternative 1. No Action. In the X Island FMU, retain the stocks/stock complexes presently managed under the Reef Fish, Spiny Lobster, Queen Conch, and Corals and Reef Associated Plants and Invertebrates (Coral) FMPs. Alternative 2. Do not organize the species in the Puerto Rico FMU in stock complexes. Species would be managed as individual stocks.   Alternative 3. (DRAFT) Manage species in the X Island FMU as individual stocks or as stock complexes. Species would be managed individually or as stock complexes, based on one or more of the following: cluster analysis based on landings patterns; outcomes from the SEDAR Caribbean Data Evaluation Workshop (2009) (only for species previously managed that will remain in the FMP); biological/life history similarities and vulnerability (for all species); or, expert opinion from the scientific and fishing communities (for all species). Alternative 4. Other (example: use/do not use indicator species)

Action 3: Define management reference points for stocks/stock complexes within the STT, STX, PR Fishery Management Unit (FMU) (DRAFT) . 1.3.1. Action 3(a): Establish a year sequence for determining mean or median annual landings for each stock within the X Island FMU. 1.3.2. Action 3(b): Establish management reference points for stocks in the X Island FMU.

*Action 4: Framework Procedures (DRAFT) Allows a class of actions to be undertaken pursuant to procedures described under the particular Island-Based FMP without requiring an amendment to the underlying FMP. Thus management actions can be adjusted within the scope and criteria established by the FMP and implementing regulations, which differs from revising management measures through a lengthier amendment to the FMP. In this action, framework measures are intended to describe future management actions, which would be implemented within a range as defined and analyzed in the FMPs and associated analyses. If the action proposed does not fall within the scope of the FMP, then the FMP must be amended and framework actions cannot be used. Management measures that could be adjusted through framework amendments include quotas adjustments, closures, bag/trip limits, gear rules, and reference point modifications. The purpose of the framework is to allow the Council to more expeditiously adjust reference points and management measures in response to changing fishery conditions

Action 4: Framework Procedures (DRAFT) Types of Framework Procedures Open frameworks or Closed Frameworks Open frameworks address issues where there is more policy discretion in selecting among various management options developed to address an identified management issue, such as changing a size limit to reduce harvest. - Takes less time than an amendment to an FMP Example: Changing the commercial quota for queen conch in STX in 2013 (Regulatory Amendment 2 to the Queen Conch FMP). Types of Open Frameworks Abbreviated Framework Standard Framework Can be used for routine or insignificant changes Regulatory changes that do not qualify as routine or insignificant. Request is made with letter or memo from the Council to the RA with supporting analyses (biological, social, economic) Requires a completed framework document with supporting analyses If RA concurs and approves action, it will be implemented through publication of FR Notice. Council to specify the list of Actions that can be taken under each Framework (set thresholds of what can be done under each, for example, bag limit change of 1 fish (Abbreviated)

Action 4: Framework Procedures (DRAFT) Closed Frameworks address much more specific factual circumstances, where the FMP and implementing regulations identify specific action to be taken in the event of specific facts occurring, such as closing a sector of a fishery after their quota has been harvested. The action’s ecological, economic, and social impacts have already been described in the analyses prepared when the framework measure was adopted. These actions are taken by “rule-related notices” Example: AM-based closures in 2016 fishing year when an ACL has been exceeded. Federal Register Notice announcing the closures.

Action 4: Framework Procedures (DRAFT) Current framework in the 4 FMPs could benefit from more specificity (more details) The IPT is currently drafting potential alternatives based on the Gulf and South Atlantic Councils’ established framework procedures. Example: Alternative 1. No action. Do not modify the existing framework procedure for implementing management measures in the X Island FMP. Alternative 2. Adopt the base Framework Procedure listed in Table X. Alternative 3. Adopt the more broad Framework Procedure listed in Table Y. Alternative 4. Adopt the more narrow Framework Procedure listed in Table Z.

Action 5: Framework Procedures (DRAFT) Alt. 1: Current measures in the Reef Fish, Spiny Lobster, Coral, and Queen Conch FMPs Framework Measures in Caribbean Council FMPs a) Quota Requirements b) Seasonal Closures c) Area Closures d) Fishing Year e) Trip/Bag Limit f) Size Limits g) Gear Restrictions or Prohibitions h) Fishery Management Unit (FMU) i) Total Allowable Catch (TAC) j) Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) k) Accountability Measures (AMs) l) Annual Catch Targets (ACTs) m) Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) n) Optimum Yield (OY) o) Minimum Stock Size Threshold (MSST) p) Maximum Fishing Mortality Threshold (MFMT) q) Overfishing Limit (OFL) r) Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) control rules s) Actions to Minimize the Interaction of Fishing Gear with Endangered Species or Marine Mammals

Example from the Gulf Council

Action 4: Framework Procedures (DRAFT) Next steps: IPT continues developing the draft alternatives to include under Action 4 of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for each island management area. Council reviews the draft alternatives and provides input at the December 2016 Council Meeting. Changes are made if desired. The preferred alternative for each island management area will become the framework procedure that will be included in the respective FMP.

*Action 5: Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Designation (DRAFT) The Magnuson-Stevens Act has a habitat conservation provision known as EFH that requires each existing and any new FMPs to describe and identify EFH for each federally managed species, minimize to the extent practicable impacts from fishing activities on EFH that are more than minimal and not temporary in nature, and identify other actions to encourage the conservation and enhancement of that EFH. Identification and Description of EFH must occur for any new species added to the FMUs and any existing designations removed for species not included in the island- based FMUs.  Designating new Habitat Areas of Particular Concern is optional and could be added as an alternative.  Five-year review EFH Information – potential opportunity/need to modify existing EFH or EFH/HAPC designations through the Island-based FMPs.