Effort Management in the Commercial Grouper and Tilefish Fisheries
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12/5/2008 AMENDMENT 29 TO THE REEF FISH FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN (INCLUDING FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND REGULATORY IMPACT REVIEW) Effort Management in the Commercial Grouper and Tilefish Fisheries December 2008 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100 National Marine Fisheries Service Tampa, Florida 33607 Southeast Regional Office th 813-348-1630 263 13 Avenue South 813-348-1711 (fax) St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 888-833-1844 Toll Free 727-824-5308 [email protected] 727-824-5305 (fax) www.gulfcouncil.org http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov This is a publication of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA05NMF4410003-06 This page intentionally left blank Table of Contents ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS DOCUMENT ................................................................IV FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (FEIS) COVER SHEET...............VI TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR FEIS .....................................................................................VIII EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................IX FISHERY IMPACT STATEMENT ......................................................................................XIV PROBLEMS AND METHODS..............................................................................................XIV SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT DATA NEEDS...............................................................XV 1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 17 1.1 Background ..................................................................................................................... 17 1.2 Purpose and Need for Action......................................................................................... 18 1.3 History of Management.................................................................................................. 20 2.0 MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES.................................................................................. 28 2.1. SECTION A - GROUPER AND TILEFISH EFFORT MANAGEMENT .............. 29 2.1.1 ACTION A1: Selection of an Effort Management Approach................................ 29 2.1.2 ACTION A2: Permit Stacking ............................................................................... 37 2.1.3 ACTION A3: Speckled Hind and Warsaw Grouper Classification ...................... 39 2.2 SECTION B - IFQ PROGRAM DESIGN.................................................................... 42 2.2.1 ACTION B1: Substantial Participants .................................................................. 44 2.2.2 ACTION B2: Eligibility for Initial IFQ Shares...................................................... 47 2.2.3 ACTION B3: Initial Apportionment of IFQ Shares............................................... 50 2.2.4 ACTION B4: IFQ Share Definitions...................................................................... 59 2.2.5 ACTION B5: Multiuse Allocation and Trip Allowance........................................ 70 2.2.6 ACTION B6 Transfer Eligibility Requirements .................................................... 78 2.2.7 ACTION B7: Caps on IFQ Share Ownership........................................................ 81 2.2.8 ACTION B8: Caps on IFQ Allocation Ownership ................................................ 88 2.2.9 ACTION B9 Adjustments in Annual Allocations of Commercial TACs.............. 90 2.2.10 ACTION B10: Establishment and Structure of an Appeals Process................... 93 2.2.11 ACTION B11: Use it or Lose it Policy for IFQ Shares ....................................... 95 2.2.12 ACTION B12: Cost Recovery Plan ..................................................................... 97 2.2.13 ACTION B13: Guaranteed Loan Program........................................................... 99 2.2.14 ACTION B14: Approved Landing Sites............................................................ 101 2.3 SECTION C- ENDORSEMENTS............................................................................... 102 2.3.1 ACTION C1: Minimum Harvest Threshold for Endorsements ........................... 103 2.3.2 ACTION C2: Qualifying Years .......................................................................... 107 2.3.3 ACTION C3: Incidental Catch Provisions........................................................... 109 3.0 AFFECTED PHYSICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTS .. 111 3.1 Description of Affected Physical Environment .......................................................... 111 3.2 Description of Affected Biological Environment ....................................................... 114 3.3 Description of the Economic Environment................................................................. 119 3.3.1 Commercial Sector............................................................................................... 119 3.3.2 Recreational Sector............................................................................................... 132 4.0 AFFECTED SOCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE ENVIRONMENTS........................ 134 4.1 Description of the Social Environment ....................................................................... 134 4.2 Description of the Administrative Environment........................................................ 146 5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES....................................................................... 150 5.1 SECTION A – EFFORT, PERMITS, & GROUPER SPECIES MANAGEMENT150 i 5.1.1 ACTION A1: Selection of an Effort Management Approach.............................. 150 5.1.2 ACTION A2: Permit Stacking Action ................................................................ 155 5.1.3 ACTION A3: Speckled Hind and Warsaw Grouper Classification .................... 157 5.2 SECTION B - IFQ PROGRAM DESIGN.................................................................. 161 5.2.1 ACTION B1: Substantial Participants ............................................................... 161 5.2.2 ACTION B2: Eligibility for Initial IFQ Shares................................................... 164 5.2.3 ACTION B3: Initial Apportionment of IFQ Shares............................................ 166 5.2.4 ACTION B4: IFQ Share Definitions................................................................... 169 5.2.5 ACTION B5: Multiuse Allocation and Trip Allowance..................................... 173 5.2.6 ACTION B6: Transfer Eligibility Requirements ................................................. 179 5.2.7 ACTION B7: Caps on IFQ Share Ownership...................................................... 183 5.2.8 ACTION B8: Caps on IFQ Allocation Ownership .............................................. 187 5.2.9 ACTION B9: Adjustments in Annual Allocations of Commercial TACs.......... 189 5.2.10 ACTION B10: Establishment and Structure of an Appeals Process................. 193 5.2.11 ACTION B11: Use it or Lose it Policy for IFQ Shares ..................................... 195 5.2.12 ACTION B12: Cost Recovery Plan .................................................................. 199 5.2.13 ACTION B13: Guaranteed Loan Program......................................................... 201 5.2.14 ACTION B14: Approved Landing Sites........................................................... 203 5.3 SECTION C- ENDORSEMENTS.............................................................................. 206 5.3.1 ACTION C1: Minimum Harvest Threshold for Endorsements .......................... 206 5.3.2 ACTION C2: Qualifying Years for Endorsements ............................................. 210 5.3.3 ACTION C3: Incidental Catch Provisions.......................................................... 212 5.4 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ANALYSIS (CEA) .............................................................. 214 5.5 UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE EFFECTS ........................................................................ 239 5.6 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SHORT-TERM USES AND LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY ..................................................................................................................... 240 5.7 MITIGATION, MONITORING, AND ENFORCEMENT MEASURES..................... 240 5.8 IRREVERSIBLE AND IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENTS OF RESOURCES .. 242 5.9 ANY OTHER DISCLOSURES ......................................................................................... 242 6.0 REGULATORY IMPACT REVIEW.............................................................................. 244 6.1 Introduction................................................................................................................... 244 6.2 Problems and Issues in the Fisheries........................................................................... 244 6.3 Objectives....................................................................................................................... 244 6.4 Description of the Fisheries.......................................................................................... 244 6.5 Impacts of Management Alternatives ......................................................................... 244 6.5.1 Action A1: Effort Management Approach........................................................... 244 6.5.2 Action A2: Permit Stacking ................................................................................. 245