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US Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery Improvement Project Archive Date: May 2016

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US Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery Improvement Project Archive Date: May 2016 US Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery Improvement Project Archive Date: May 2016 The US Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish FIP was suspended due to satisfaction of FIP participants with the outcomes that have been achieved. Gag is no longer experiencing overfishing and has been rebuilt to a sustainable population size; red snapper is no longer experiencing overfishing and is in the process of rebuilding; the recreational red snapper fishery is now subject to accountability measures to end overharvest; advancements have been made in ecosystem-based fishery management in the Gulf of Mexico; and electronic monitoring has been piloted in this fishery. (The final report on the electronic monitoring project is due to be released by Mote Marine Lab in July 2016 and will be added to this archive FIP report.) Though substantial progress has been made by this FIP, the participants are not currently interested in pursuing MSC certification due to market conditions. Industry or other stakeholders should contact SFP if there is interest in re- activating this FIP under industry leadership. Species: northern red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) red grouper (Epinephelus morio) gag (Mycteroperca microlepis) FIP Scope/Scale: Fishery level (US only) Fishery Location: Gulf of Mexico, US - for map see Gulf of Mexico FIP Participants: • Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders' Alliance • Save On Seafood Co. • Gulf Wild FIP Stakeholders: • Publix • Seattle Fish Company • Louisiana Foods • Darden • Environmental Defense Fund • The Ocean Conservancy • Southeastern Fisheries Association • Evans Meats • J. J. McDonnell • Wegmans • Wild Seafood Co. • Katie's Seafood Sustainability Information: See Summary tab at these links on FishSource.com: Red Snapper - Gulf of Mexico, Gag - Gulf of Mexico, Red Grouper, long line - Gulf of Mexico, Red Grouper, vertical line - Gulf of Mexico See also Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch for red grouper, gag, and red snapper. Date Publicly Announced: 2010 FIP Stage: 5, improvements in the water Current Improvement Recommendations: SFP recommends that supply chain take the following action: • Increase number and frequency of reef fish stock assessments. Only the most frequently harvested reef fish species have been assessed. The status of many other retained species is unknown. • Improve discard data collection methods and practices. Insufficient information on discards and discard survival is one of the primary sources of uncertainty in reef fish stock assessments. • Evaluate the Gulf of Mexico reef fish observer program. Perform an evaluation of the Gulf of Mexico reef fish observer program to determine statistically robust coverage levels, and then establish a plan to increase observer coverage to those levels. Background: This FIP was initiated to address sustainability concerns that were outlined in a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) pre-assessment. While science-based catch limits are in place in the region and fisheries are rebounding under the current management plan, there is a lack of information on fish that are caught and thrown back (discards). Discards impact the overall health of those stocks and should be considered in management of the fishery. The fishermen engaged in this FIP are currently focused on improving the collection of discard data. Another initial focus of this FIP was to improve accountability in the recreational component of the red snapper fishery, which routinely exceeded their total allowable catch. This issue was resolved in early 2015 (see Progress Update narrative below for more information). There are over 40 different species of grouper in the Gulf of Mexico, and the two most abundant are red grouper and gag grouper. In 2008, gag and red grouper accounted for more than 80 percent of the commercial grouper catch in the Gulf of Mexico, and nearly all of that catch is made off the west coast of Florida. Grouper are primarily harvested with vertical hook and line gear (commonly referred to as “bandit rigs”), secondarily with bottom longline. Among a variety of snappers harvested in the Gulf of Mexico, red snapper is the most economically important. Many snapper that are red in color are passed off as red snapper in the marketplace, but the only species that legally can be labeled “red snapper” is the Northern red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus. Red snapper are primarily harvested with vertical hook and line gear (“bandit rigs”), and are predominantly caught off the shores of Texas and Louisiana, though the population is rapidly increasing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The majority of US harvested grouper and snapper are sold domestically. In addition to the domestic supply, the US imports a significant quantity of fresh grouper and snapper. Approximately 50 percent of the US grouper supply and 75 percent of the US snapper supply is imported. Years of heavy fishing pressure and inadequate regulations led to overfishing and overcapitalization in the US Gulf of Mexico reef fish fisheries. Groupers and red snapper are highly prized by both recreational and commercial fishermen and this demand has taken a toll on the stocks. In recent years, these fisheries have been guided by successful management plans and are rebuilding. Even with these successes, more can be done to improve accountability and data collection, reduce discards, and meet stock rebuilding timelines. Key sustainability issues include: • High-quality and frequent stock assessments are needed to ensure the continued sustainability of the Gulf of Mexico reef fish resources. Though most of the primarily targeted reef fish have been assessed, uncertainty in the accuracy of the results is high and stock assessments are not repeated frequently enough. In addition, other reef fish species that are retained by this fishery need to be assessed. • Scientists and managers do not have adequate information on bycatch and discards in the commercial reef fish fishery. This information is necessary to estimate total mortality for use in stock assessments. Observer coverage is only 1 percent in the vertical line fleet and limited due to funding constraints. Because of the potential for sea turtle bycatch in the longline fleet, observer coverage in 2011 was increased to 17 percent. In addition, data generated from mandatory discard logbooks (20 percent of fleet selected annually) may be inaccurate. A number of fishermen submit reports of “no discards” almost exclusively, which is highly unlikely in such a multispecies fishery and where size and harvest limits necessitate regulatory discards. FIP Objectives: • Reduce uncertainty and increase frequency of reef fish stock assessments. Red grouper, gag grouper, black grouper, yellowedge grouper, red snapper, vermilion snapper, yellowtail snapper, tilefish, greater amberjack, and gray triggerfish have all been assessed at least once. Ideally assessment updates (new years of data added) would happen every year or every other year, with new benchmark assessments (using new models) every few years. As sufficient data are gathered, the other 20+ species in the reef fish complex should be assessed. FIP participants will continue to explore methods of improving the accuracy and quantity of fishery- dependent data. • Obtain better bycatch and discard data. FIP participants are currently working on cooperative research to obtain better bycatch and discard data for the red snapper fishery via onboard observers, as well as an electronic monitoring pilot project to assess its potential for enhanced monitoring of discards. The initial goal of the electronic monitoring (EM) project was to determine if EM is a suitable tool for collecting discard information. Initial results were promising but indicated that further work was needed, and that success (logistically and financially) could only be achieved by building regional capacity to implement EM programs in the southeast United States (instead of relying on remote contractors to perform the system installation/maintenance and data analysis). After regional capacity is in place and EM is shown to be an effective method of discard data collection, FIP participants will determine if they will pursue EM as a voluntary practice or if they will work with federal fishery regulators to make it part of the mandatory discard data collection program. Additionally, the federal government has contracted an independent statistical review of the Gulf of Mexico reef fish observer program that will provide improved methodologies for vessel selection protocols, as well as bycatch estimation techniques for both abundant and rare species. FIP participants will monitor progress on this review and press the government if need be. Progress Update: 2011 • Fishermen began signing conservation covenants in early 2011 and those fishermen also started tagging their catch as “Gulf Wild” to ensure that it could be identified and separated from vessels that did not want to sign the covenants. • NOAA Fisheries increased observer coverage of the longline fleet to 19.5 percent to better monitor interactions with sea turtles. • In September, Seattle Fish Company sent a letter to federal fishery regulators in support of continued conservative management. • In November 2011, an electronic monitoring (EM) pilot project was launched by the Ocean Conservancy and the Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance (RFSA). EM systems were installed on six Alliance-member fishing vessels to investigate the potential for video camera monitoring of discards. 2012 • The Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance launched a cooperative research
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