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Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment DRAFT: July 8, 2016

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Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment DRAFT: July 8, 2016 Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment Amendment xx to the Northeast Multispecies FMP Amendment xx to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP Amendment x to the Monkfish FMP Amendment x to the Atlantic Herring FMP Amendment x to the Red Crab FMP Amendment x to the Skate FMP Amendment x to the Atlantic Salmon FMP DRAFT: July 8, 2016 Prepared by the New England Fishery Management Council DRAFT COVER IMAGES, CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER RIGHT: A large black coral and two Paramuricea corals in Oceanographer Canyon. Image courtesy of NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, 2013 Northeast U.S. Canyons Expedition. Close-up of a sea pen colony at 2,023 meters depth on Retriever Seamount. Sea pens are octocorals and the characteristic eight pinnate tentacles are plainly visible in this image. The dark line running down below the tentacles of each polyp is the pharynx, connecting the mouth to the bag-like digestive cavity. A mysid shrimp (“possum shrimp”) is swimming by the colony. Image courtesy of NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, Our Deepwater Backyard: Exploring Atlantic Canyons and Seamounts. Cup corals and a sea star a mile underwater in Heezen Canyon. Image courtesy of NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, 2013 Northeast U.S. Canyons Expedition. A Paramuricea coral in Nygren Canyon which 165 nautical miles southeast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Image courtesy of NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, 2013 Northeast U.S. Canyons Expedition. Updated 8 July 2016 Page 2 DRAFT 1 Executive summary 1.1 Need and purpose for action The purpose of this action is to consider area-based management measures for deep-sea corals occurring within the New England region. This action is needed to reduce potential impacts to corals from fishing activity, as allowed under the Council's discretionary authority. The Council has identified the following problem statement for this amendment: The Council is utilizing its discretionary authority under section 303(b) in MSA to identify and implement measures that reduce, to the extent practicable, impacts of fishing gear on deep-sea corals in New England. This amendment contains alternatives that aim to identify and protect concentrations of corals in select areas and restrict the expansion of fishing effort into areas where corals are likely to be present. Deep-sea corals are fragile, slow-growing organisms that play an important role in the marine ecosystem and are vulnerable to various types of disturbance of the seafloor. At the same time, the importance and value of commercial fisheries that operate in or near areas of deep-sea coral habitat is recognized by the Council. As such, measures in this amendment will be considered in light of their benefit to corals as well as their costs to commercial fisheries. 1.2 Alternatives considered 1.3 Environmental consequences of alternatives 1.4 Areas of controversy 1.5 Issues to be resolved Updated 8 July 2016 Page 3 DRAFT 2 Contents 2.1 Table of contents 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................ 3 1.1 Need and purpose for action .................................................................................. 3 1.2 Alternatives considered ......................................................................................... 3 1.3 Environmental consequences of alternatives ......................................................... 3 1.4 Areas of controversy .............................................................................................. 3 1.5 Issues to be resolved .............................................................................................. 3 2 CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ 4 2.1 Table of contents ................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Tables..................................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Maps ...................................................................................................................... 6 3 BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE ........................................................................... 8 3.1 Need and purpose for action .................................................................................. 9 3.2 Problem statement ................................................................................................. 9 3.3 Management background and authority .............................................................. 10 3.4 Amendment development process ....................................................................... 12 4 MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES ..................................................................... 15 4.1 No Action ............................................................................................................ 16 4.2 Broad deep-sea coral zone designations .............................................................. 16 4.2.1 Landward boundary approximating the 300 m contour ................................ 17 4.2.2 Landward boundary approximating the 400 m contour ................................ 17 4.2.3 Landward boundary approximating the 500 m contour ................................ 17 4.3 Discrete deep-sea coral zone designations .......................................................... 20 4.3.1 Canyon coral zones ....................................................................................... 27 4.3.2 Seamount coral zones ................................................................................... 72 4.3.3 Gulf of Maine coral zones and boundaries ................................................... 78 4.4 Management measures in broad and discrete coral zones ................................... 89 4.4.1 Fishing restriction options for coral zones .................................................... 89 4.4.2 Special Access Programs, exploratory fishing, and research in coral zones 89 4.4.3 Framework provisions for deep-sea coral zones ........................................... 96 5 CONSIDERED AND REJECTED ALTERNATIVES ......................................... 97 6 DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIROMENT .................................... 98 6.1 Physical setting .................................................................................................... 98 6.1.1 Gulf of Maine ................................................................................................ 98 6.1.2 Continental slope, canyons, and seamounts .................................................. 98 6.2 Coral diversity and distribution ......................................................................... 101 6.2.1 Gulf of Maine ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 6.2.2 Continental slope, canyons, and seamounts ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 6.3 Coral vulnerability to fishing impacts ............................................................... 122 6.4 Fishery resources .................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 6.4.1 Gulf of Maine ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 6.4.2 Continental slope, canyons, and seamounts ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 6.5 Fisheries and fishing communities ....................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Updated 8 July 2016 Page 4 DRAFT 6.5.1 Gulf of Maine ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 6.5.2 Continental slope, canyons, and seamounts ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 6.6 Protected resources ............................................................................................ 141 7 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE ALTERNATIVES ......................... 142 8 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ANALYSIS .............................................................. 143 9 COMPLIANCE WITH THE MAGNUSON STEVENS FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT...................................................... 144 10 COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT 145 11 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER APPLICABLE LAWS .................................. 146 12 REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 147 12.1 Glossary .......................................................................................................... 147 12.2 Literature cited ............................................................................................... 147 12.3 Index ............................................................................................................... 147 2.2 Tables Table 1 – Species of coral in the NE region that are likely to be more vulnerable to fishing gear based on their physical characteristics ........................................... 8 Table 2 – Size and depth of broad coral zones ................................................................. 17 Table 3 – Deep-sea coral data sources for the Northeast Region ..................................... 21 Table 4 – Recent deep-sea coral oriented cruises within the New England region .......... 23 Table 5 – Depth statistics for proposed canyon zones ...................................................... 30 Table 6 – Number of historical (pre-2012) records of corals in the canyon zones ........... 30 Table 7 – Depth statistics for seamount zones .................................................................. 72 Table 8 – Number of historical records of corals in the seamount zones ........................
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