Of the US Caribbean to Address Required Provisions of the Magnu
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Comprehensive Amendment to the Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) of the U.S. Caribbean to Address Required Provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act: • Amendment 2 to the FMP for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands • Amendment 1 to FMP for the Queen Conch Resources of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands • Amendment 3 to the FMP for the Reef Fish Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands • Amendment 2 to the FMP for the Corals and Reef Associated Invertebrates of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Including Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Regulatory Impact Review, and Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis 24 May 2005 Caribbean Fishery Management Council 268 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918-2577 (787) 766-5926 (Phone); (787) 766-6239 (Fax) http://www.caribbeanfmc.com National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office 263 13th Avenue South St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 (727) 824-5305 (Phone); (727) 824-5308 (Fax) http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov Table of Contents Tables and Figures in Appendix A ............................................... vi Abbreviations and acronyms ................................................... viii Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) Cover Sheet ..................... ix Comments and Responses to DSEIS. x 1 Summary ..............................................................1 1.1 Description of alternatives ...........................................1 1.2 Environmental consequences ........................................10 1.2.1 Physical environment ........................................10 1.2.2 Biological/ecological environment .............................11 1.2.3 Social/economic environment .................................12 1.2.4 Administrative environment ..................................13 1.3 Major conclusions and areas of controversy ............................14 1.4 Incomplete or unavailable information ................................14 1.4.1 Availability and completeness of the utilized information ........... 15 1.4.2 Relevance of the incomplete or unavailable information ............ 16 1.4.3 Summary of existing credible scientific evidence .................. 16 1.4.4 Evaluation of impacts .......................................17 2 Introduction ...........................................................18 2.1 The fishery management process and applicable laws .....................18 2.1.1 Federal fishery management ..................................18 2.1.2 State fishery management ....................................20 2.1.3 International issues ..........................................21 2.2 History of federal fisheries management ...............................21 2.2.1 Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands ...................................22 2.2.2 Fishery Management Plan for the Queen Conch Resources of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands ...................................22 2.2.3 Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands .......................................... 23 2.2.4 Fishery Management Plan for the Corals and Reef Associated Invertebrates of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands ............ 25 2.2.5 Generic FMP amendments ....................................26 2.2.6 Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks .. 27 2.2.7 Fishery Management Plan for The Atlantic Billfishes ............... 28 3 Purpose of and need for action .............................................29 3.1 Purpose of action .................................................29 3.2 Need for action ...................................................30 ii 4 Description and comparison of alternatives ................................... 32 4.1 Fishery management units and sub-units ...............................32 4.1.1 Defining fishery management units and sub-units .................. 32 4.1.2 Additional options for aquarium trade species ....................35 4.1.3 Additional options for Caribbean conch resources ................. 36 4.2 Biological reference points and stock status determination criteria ........... 37 4.2.1 Maximum sustainable yield (MSY) .............................38 4.2.2 Fishing mortality (F) and biomass (B) ratios. .....................42 4.2.3 Optimum yield (OY) ........................................46 4.2.4 Minimum stock size threshold (MSST) ..........................47 4.2.5 Maximum fishing mortality threshold (MFMT), and limit and target control rules ...............................................49 4.3 Regulating fishing mortality ........................................54 4.4 Rebuilding overfished fisheries ......................................64 4.4.1 Nassau grouper .............................................65 4.4.2 Goliath grouper ............................................68 4.4.3 Queen conch ...............................................72 4.4.4 Grouper Unit 4 .............................................75 4.5 Conserving and protecting yellowfin grouper ...........................77 4.6 Achieving the MSFCMA bycatch mandates ............................80 4.6.1 Bycatch reporting ...........................................80 4.6.2 Minimizing bycatch and bycatch mortality to the extent practicable ... 83 4.7 Achieving the MSFCMA EFH mandates ..............................87 4.7.1 Describe and identify EFH ....................................87 4.7.2 Minimize adverse effects on EFH ..............................90 5 Description of the fishery/affected environment ...............................92 5.1 Physical environment ..............................................92 5.1.1 Geology ..................................................92 5.1.2 Oceanography and climate ....................................93 5.1.3 Major habitat types ..........................................94 5.2 Biological environment ............................................96 5.2.1 Council-managed species .....................................96 5.2.2 Other affected species ......................................193 5.3 Social and economic environment ...................................212 5.3.1 Commercial fishing activity ..................................212 5.3.2 Recreational fishing activity .................................217 5.3.3 The spiny lobster fishery ....................................221 5.3.4 The queen conch fishery ....................................223 5.3.5 The reef fish fishery ........................................225 5.3.6 The coral reef fishery .......................................228 5.3.7 The HMS fishery ..........................................229 5.3.8 Fishing communities .......................................231 5.4 Administrative environment .......................................232 iii 6 Environmental consequences ............................................. 233 6.1 Fishery management units and sub-units ..............................233 6.1.1 Defining fishery management units and sub-units ................. 233 6.1.2 Additional options for aquarium trade species ................... 252 6.1.3 Additional options for Caribbean conch resources ................ 260 6.2 Biological reference points and stock status determination criteria .......... 265 6.2.1 Maximum sustainable yield (MSY) ............................265 6.2.2 Fishing mortality (F) and biomass (B) ratios .....................282 6.2.3 Optimum yield (OY) .......................................297 6.2.4 Minimum stock size threshold (MSST) .........................314 6.2.5 Maximum fishing mortality threshold (MFMT), and limit and target control rules ..............................................327 6.3 Regulating fishing mortality .......................................353 6.4 Rebuilding overfished fisheries .....................................399 6.4.1 Nassau grouper ............................................399 6.4.2 Goliath grouper ...........................................410 6.4.3 Queen conch ..............................................413 6.4.4 Grouper Unit 4 ............................................425 6.5 Conserving and protecting yellowfin grouper ..........................428 6.6 Achieving the MSFCMA bycatch mandates ...........................440 6.6.1 Bycatch reporting ..........................................440 6.6.2 Minimizing bycatch and bycatch mortality to the extent practicable .. 454 6.7 Achieving the MSFCMA EFH mandates .............................466 6.7.1 Describe and identify EFH ...................................466 6.7.2 Minimize adverse effects on EFH .............................470 6.8 Cumulative effects analyses ........................................473 6.9 Unavoidable adverse effects .......................................481 6.10 Mitigation measures ..............................................481 6.11 Relationship between short-term uses and long-term productivity .......... 483 6.12 Irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources .................. 483 6.13 Any other disclosures .............................................484 7 Regulatory Impact Review ...............................................484 7.1 Introduction ....................................................484 7.2 Problems and objectives ..........................................484 7.3 Impacts of proposed alternatives ....................................485 7.4 Private and public costs ...........................................485