Testing Traps to Target Lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic, Including Within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TESTING TRAPS TO TARGET LIONFISH IN THE GULF OF MEXICO AND SOUTH ATLANTIC, INCLUDING WITHIN THE FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY FINAL PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT April 13, 2018 National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Southeast Regional Office Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary 263 13th Avenue South 33 East Quay Road St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5505 Key West, FL 33040 727-824-5308 305-809-4700 727-824-5305 (fax) 305-293-5011 (fax) http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/ Abbreviations and Acronyms Used in the Document ACCSP Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program BOEM Bureau of Ocean Energy Management CFR Code of Federal Regulations CMP Coastal Migratory Pelagics CPUE Catch per unit effort DPS Distinct Population Segment DW Dolphin-Wahoo EA Environmental Assessment EEZ Exclusive economic zone EFH Essential fish habitat EFP Exempted Fishing Permit EIS Environmental Impact Statement E.O. Executive Order ESA Endangered Species Act FAC Florida Administrative Code FAD Fish Aggregation Device FGBNMS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary FKNMS Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary FMP Fishery Management Plan FWC Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission FR Federal Register GMFMC Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council GPS Global Positioning System GRNMFS Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Gulf Gulf of Mexico Gulf Council Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council HAPC Habitat Areas of Particular Concern LIONFISH PEA ii HMS Highly Migratory Species IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ITS Incidental Take Statement KM King Mackerel LC Spiny Lobster LOA Letter of Acknowledgement LOF List of Fisheries Magnuson- Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Stevens Act MCE Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act MPA Marine Protected Area NARW North Atlantic Right Whale NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NHPA National Historic Preservation Act NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOS National Ocean Service NRFCC National Recreational Fisheries Coordination Council OMB Office of Management and Budget ONMS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries PEA Programmatic Environmental Assessment PRA Paperwork Reduction Act RF Reef Fish South Atlantic South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Council SAFMC South Atlantic Fishery Management Council LIONFISH PEA iii SEFSC Southeast Fisheries Science Center SERO Southeast Regional Office SG Snapper-Grouper SM Spanish Mackerel SMZ Special Management Zone UME Unusual Mortality Event U.S. United States USGS United States Geological Survey LIONFISH PEA iv Programmatic Environmental Assessment – Testing Traps to Target Lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic, including within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Proposed actions: Testing of various trap types and design modifications across multiple areas to determine their effectiveness at catching lionfish. Lead agency: Programmatic Environmental Assessment – National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southeast Regional Office For Further Information Contact: NMFS, Southeast Regional Office Contact: Frank Helies 263 13th Avenue South [email protected] St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Contact: Kelli O’Donnell 727-824-5305 [email protected] 727-824-5308 (fax) http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Contact: Joanne Delaney 33 East Quay Road [email protected] Key West, FL 33040 305-809-4700 305-293-5011 (fax) https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/ LIONFISH PEA v Table of Contents List of Appendices ........................................................................................................... viii List of Figures .................................................................................................................... ix List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Proposed Action ................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Background ....................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Purpose and Need ............................................................................................. 9 1.4 Scope of PEA .................................................................................................. 10 1.5 NEPA Advanced Planning Procedures ........................................................... 11 Chapter 2. Actions and Alternatives ................................................................................ 13 2.1 Action 1. Allowable trap types ....................................................................... 14 2.1.1 Alternatives .................................................................................................. 14 2.1.2 Discussion .................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Action 2. Allowable testing locations / times of year .................................... 19 2.2.1 Alternatives .................................................................................................. 19 2.2.2 Discussion .................................................................................................... 19 2.3 Action 3. Number of traps ............................................................................. 27 2.3.1 Alternatives .................................................................................................. 27 2.3.2 Discussion .................................................................................................... 29 2.4 Action 4. Bait ................................................................................................. 33 2.4.1 Alternatives .................................................................................................. 33 2.4.2 Discussion .................................................................................................... 33 2.5 Summary of proposed actions and preferred alternatives ............................... 34 Chapter 3. Affected Environment .................................................................................... 35 3.1 Trap Fishery Descriptions .......................................................................................... 36 3.2 Biological and Ecological Environment ......................................................... 42 3.2.1 Lionfish Biology and Landings .............................................................................. 42 3.2.2 Bycatch ........................................................................................................ 44 3.2.3 Essential Fish Habitat and Other Habitats .............................................................. 47 3.2.3.1 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary ............................................................ 48 3.2.3.2 Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary ...................................................................................................... 49 3.2.4 Protected Species ......................................................................................... 50 3.2.5 Climate Change ............................................................................................ 67 3.3 Physical Environment ..................................................................................... 68 3.4 Economic and Social Environment ................................................................. 68 3.4.1 EFP Applicants and Cooperators ................................................................. 69 3.4.2 Commercial Lionfish Fishery ...................................................................... 72 3.4.3 Participants in the Commercial Lionfish Fishery ........................................ 76 3.4.4 Economic Impacts of the Lionfish Fishery .................................................. 84 3.4.5 Other Affected Fisheries .............................................................................. 85 Chapter 4. Environmental Consequences and Comparison of Alternatives .................... 87 4.1 Action 1. Allowable trap types ...................................................................... 88 4.1.1 Biological and Physical Effects ................................................................... 88 LIONFISH PEA vi 4.1.2 Economic and Social Effects ....................................................................... 93 4.2 Action 2. Allowable testing locations / time of year ..................................... 96 4.2.1 Biological and Physical Effects ................................................................... 96 4.2.2 Economic and Social Effects ..................................................................... 101 4.3 Action 3. Number of traps ........................................................................... 103 4.3.1 Biological and Physical Effects ................................................................. 103 4.3.2 Economic and Social Effects ..................................................................... 118 4.4 Action 4. Bait