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Section 1 Section 2 SECTION 1 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Fishery Management Plan for Scup Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Amendment 8 to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan: Fishery Management Plan for the Scup Fishery SECTION 2 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Fishery Management Plan for Scup Addendum 1 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Regulatory Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Summer Flounder and Scup Fishery Scup Quota Management System 1 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Fishery Management Plan for Scup Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Amendment 8 to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan: Fishery Management Plan for the Scup Fishery 2 Fishery Management Report No. 26 of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN and ADDENDUM 1 FOR SCUP March 1996 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Fishery Management Plan for the Scup Fishery (FMP), prepared by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), is intended to manage the scup (Stenotomus chrysops) fishery pursuant to the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, as amended (MFCMA). The management unit is scup (Stenotomus chrysops) in US waters in the western Atlantic Ocean from Cape Hatteras northward. Chapter 10 specifies ASMFC compliance criteria and is not included in the Council FMP. The objectives of the FMP are to: 1. Reduce fishing mortality in the scup fishery to assure that overfishing does not occur. 2. Reduce fishing mortality on immature scup to increase spawning stock biomass. 3. Improve the yield from the fisheries. 4. Promote compatible management regulations between state and federal jurisdictions. 5. Promote uniform and effective enforcement of regulations. 6. Minimize regulations to achieve the management objectives stated above. Overfishing for scup is defined as fishing in excess of Fmax. The Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) have adopted a fishing mortality rate reduction strategy that will implement minimum fish sizes and commercial gear regulations in year 1 (1996) of the FMP. Beginning in year 2 (1997), exploitation rates will be reduced until a level of 19% (the exploitation rate associated with the current estimate of Fmax ) is reached in year 7. The recovery schedule is as follows: Exploitation rates Current 69% Year 2 47% Year 5 33% Year 7 19% The following is a summary of the management measures adopted by the Council and Commission to implement the fishing mortality rate reduction strategy (a complete description of the adopted management measures is in section 9.1): Management measures for all years 1. Operator permits for commercial and party and charter boats. 2. Vessel permits for party and charter boats. 3. Vessel permits for commercial vessels (permits to sell) under a moratorium on entry. Vessels with documented landings of scup for sale between 26 January 1988 and 26 January 1993 qualify for a moratorium permit to land and sell scup under this moratorium program. 4. Dealer permits (permits to purchase). 5. Permitted vessels may only sell to permitted dealers and permitted dealers may only buy from permitted vessels. 6. Party and charter boat, commercial vessel, and dealer reports. 7. Scup pots or traps are defined by the state regulations that apply to a vessel's principal port of landing. 8. Scup pots or traps are required to have an escape vent of 2.25" square, 3.1" diameter circular, or the equivalent. 9. The hinges and fasteners of one panel or door in scup pots or traps must be made of one of the following degradable materials: a. untreated hemp, jute, or cotton string of 3/16" (4.8 mm) diameter of smaller; b. magnesium alloy, timed float releases (pop-up devices) or similar magnesium alloy fasteners; or c. ungalvanized or uncoated iron wire of 0.094" (2.4 mm) diameter or smaller. 10. A maximum size of 18" in diameter for rollers used in roller rig trawl gear. Management Measures for Year 1 1. A 9" total length (TL) minimum fish size in the commercial fishery in federal and state waters. Scup less than 9" TL could not be sold. 2. A 4.0" minimum mesh size for vessels retaining more than 4,000 pounds of scup. 3. A 7" total length (TL) minimum fish size in the recreational fishery in both state and federal waters. States having larger minimum size limits would be encouraged to keep them. Management Measures for Years 2 and Subsequent Prior to year two and annually thereafter, the Council, working through a Monitoring Committee, would evaluate the success of the FMP relative to the overfishing reduction goal and propose adjustments to the management system. Beginning with year two, management measures would include: For the commercial fishery: 1. A 9" TL minimum fish size which may be adjusted annually through framework action. Scup less than the size limit could not be sold. 2. A 4.0" minimum mesh size for vessels retaining more than 4,000 pounds of scup. The mesh size and the threshold may be adjusted annually through framework action 3. A coastwide quota with federal permit holders being prohibited from landing (selling) after the quota had been landed. Quota overruns would be deducted from the quota for the subsequent year. All states would need to prohibit scup sales following Federal sales prohibition. 4. A framework for time/area closures to reduce bycatch and prevent quota overruns. For the recreational fishery: 1. A 7" TL minimum fish size, which may be adjusted annually through framework action. 2. A possession limit, which may be adjusted annually through framework action. 3. An open season in the recreational fishery, which may be adjusted annually through framework action. 4. A coastwide recreational harvest limit. Landings in excess of the limit would be deducted from the harvest limit for the subsequent year. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. COVER PAGE ................................................................................................................................................................... 1 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................................... 2 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 4. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5 4.1. DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN ....................................................................................................................... 5 4.2. PROBLEMS FOR RESOLUTION ........................................................................................................................ 5 4.3. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................... 7 4.4. MANAGEMENT UNIT ........................................................................................................................................ 7 4.5. MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ............................................................................................................................. 7 4.6 TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION .................................................................................................................... 7 5. DESCRIPTION OF THE STOCK ................................................................................................................................................... 8 5.1. SPECIES DESCRIPTION AND DISTRIBUTION .............................................................................................. 8 5.2. ABUNDANCE AND PRESENT CONDITION ................................................................................................. 8 5.3. ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS AND STOCK CHARACTERISTICS ....................................................... 9 5.4. MAXIMUM SUSTAINABLE YIELD ................................................................................................................. 11 5.5. PROBABLE FUTURE CONDITION .................................................................................................................. 11 6. DESCRIPTION OF HABITAT ...................................................................................................................................................... 12 6.1. DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPECIES, HABITAT REQUIREMENTS, AND HABITATS OF SCUP ............. 12 6.2. HABITAT CONDITION ...................................................................................................................................... 15 6.3. GENERAL CAUSES OF POLLUTION AND HABITAT DEGRADATION ................................................ 18 6.4. PROGRAMS TO PROTECT, RESTORE, PRESERVE, AND ENHANCE THE HABITAT OF THE STOCKS FROM DESTRUCTION AND DEGRADATION ....................................................................... 22 6.5. MID-ATLANTIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL HABITAT POLICY .......................................... 24 6.6. HABITAT PRESERVATION, PROTECTION AND RESTORATION RECOMMENDATIONS ............... 25 6.7. HABITAT RESEARCH NEEDS .......................................................................................................................... 27 7. DESCRIPTION OF FISHING ACTIVITIES ...............................................................................................................................
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