Sixty-Fourth Annual Report (2013) of the GULF STATES MARINE
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission is an organization of the five states whose coastal waters are the Gulf of Mexico. This Compact, authorized under Public Law 8166, was signed by the representatives of the Governors of the five Gulf States on July 16, 1949, at Mobile, Alabama. The Commission’s principal objectives are the conservation, development, and full utilization of the fishery resources of the Gulf of Mexico to provide food, employment, income, and recreation to the people of these United States. Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Sixty-Fourth Annual Report (2013) to the Congress of the United States and to the Governors and Legislators of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas Presented in compliance with the terms of the Compact and State Enabling Acts Creating such Commission and Public Law 66-81st Congress assenting thereto. Edited by: Debora K. McIntyre and Steven J. VanderKooy Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission 2404 Government St Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564 (228) 875-5912 www.gsmfc.org Preserving the Past ▪ Planning the Future ▪ A Cooperative Effort Charles H. Lyles Award The Charles H. Lyles Award is awarded annually by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) to an individual, agency, or organization which has contributed to the betterment of the fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico through significant biological, industrial, legislative, enforcement, or administrative activities. The recipient is selected by the full Commission from open nominations at the spring March meeting. The selection is by secret ballot with the highest number of votes being named the recipient. The recipient is awarded the honor at the annual meeting in October. CHARLES H. LYLES Award Recipients Charles H. Lyles 1984 Theodore B. Ford 1985 J.Y. Christmas 1986 John Breaux 1987 John Ray Nelson 1988 I.B. “Buck” Byrd 1989 Hugh A. Swingle 1990 John A. Mehos 1991 J. Burton Angelle 1992 Louis A Villanova 1993 Theodore H. Shepard 1994 Edwin A. Joyce, Jr. 1995 Tommy D. Candies 1996 Walter M. Tatum 1997 Thomas L. Heffernan 1998 Trent Lott 1999 James Barkuloo 2000 Walter Fondren, III 2001 Jerald K. Waller 2002 Andrew J. Kemmerer 2003 Hal Osburn 2004 Leroy Kiffe 2005 Robert P. Jones 2006 Wayne E. Swingle 2007 Ralph Rayburn 2008 W. “Corky” Perret 2009 Albert L. King, Sr. 2010 Virginia “Ginny” Vail 2011 R. Vernon Minton 2012 Larry B. Simpson 2013 ii Acknowledgements In submitting this Sixty-Fourth Annual Report, we the Commissioners, wish to express our most sincere appreciation for the splendid cooperation of the members of Congress and the Governors and Legislators of our Compact states. We fully appreciate that success in the management of the public’s fishery resources would not be possible without your valued assistance. This acknowledgement is also extended to the directors of the federal, state, and interstate agencies and their respective staff, and to representatives of all organizations and individuals who have contributed to the realization of the objectives of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. Respectfully submitted, Joe Gill, Jr., Chairman Randy Pausina, 1st Vice-Charman David Heil/Dan Ellinor, 2nd Vice-Chairmen Chris Blankenship, Immediate Past Chairman Mike Ray/Robin Riechers, Chairman’s Appointee Larry B. Simpson, Executive Director David M. Donaldson, Assistant Director/Acting Director iii Table of Contents Charles H. Lyles Award ................................................................................................................................ ii Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... iv Commission Roster ....................................................................................................................................... v Active Committees ....................................................................................................................................... vi Executive Director’s Report.......................................................................................................................... 1 Emergency Disaster Recovery Program ....................................................................................................... 2 Oil Disaster Recovery Program .................................................................................................................... 5 Stock Assessment Enhancement Program .................................................................................................. 12 Sport Fish Restoration Administration Program ......................................................................................... 13 Administration of the Gulf of Mexico Regional Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species ................................. 16 Southeast Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) ..................................................................... 19 Habitat Program .......................................................................................................................................... 21 Interjurisdictional Fisheries (IJF) Management Program ........................................................................... 22 Fisheries Information Network (FIN) ......................................................................................................... 24 Economics Program .................................................................................................................................... 29 Alabama Marine Resources Division ......................................................................................................... 34 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ................................................................................. 41 Florida Department of Agriculture .............................................................................................................. 61 Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Office of Fisheries ........................................................ 64 Mississippi Department of Marine Resources .......................................................................................... 105 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department ........................................................................................................112 National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office ................................................................ 123 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council ......................................................................................... 132 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service .................................................................................................................. 137 Report on Examination of Financial Statements, Supplemental Data, Internal Control and Compliance for the year ended December 31, 2013 ......................................... 143 iv Commission Roster Commission Officers Chairman: Joe Gill, Jr. 1st Vice-Chairman: Randy Pausina 2nd Vice-Chairmen: David Heil/Dan Ellinor Commissioners (Order of listing – administrator, legislator, governor’s appointee) ALABAMA Senator R.L. “Bret” Allain, II N. Gunter Guy Jr., Commissioner State Senator District 21 Alabama Department of Conservation Franklin, Louisiana & Natural Resources Campo “Camp” Matens Montgomery, Alabama Baton Rouge, Louisiana Representative Steve McMillan MISSISSIPPI Bay Minette, Alabama Jamie Miller, Executive Director Chris Nelson Mississippi Department of Marine Bon Secour Fisheries, Inc. Resources Bon Secour, Alabama Biloxi, Mississippi FLORIDA Senator Brice Wiggins Nick Wiley, Executive Director Pascagoula, Mississippi Florida Fish and Wildlife Joe Gill, Jr. Conservation Commission Joe Gill Consulting, LLC Tallahassee, Florida Ocean Springs, Mississippi Senator Thad Altman TEXAS State Senator, District 24 Carter Smith, Executive Director Melbourne, Florida Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Stephen M. Greep, Jr. Austin, Texas Alexander & Greep Insurance Senator Mike Jackson Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Texas Senate LOUISIANA Austin, Texas Robert Barham, Secretary Troy Bello Williamson, II Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Corpus Christi, Texas Fisheries Baton Rouge, Louisiana Commission Staff Larry B. Simpson, Executive Director David M. Donaldson, Assistant Director/Acting Director James R. Ballard, Program Coordinator Debora K. McIntyre, Staff Assistant Donna B. Bellais, Survey Coordinator Alexander L. Miller, Program Coordinator Gregory S. Bray, Programmer/Analyst Cheryl R. Noble, Staff Assistant Joseph P. Ferrer, III, Systems Administrator Angela R. Rabideau, Staff Accountant Robert W. Harris, Programmer/Analyst Jeffrey K. Rester, Program Coordinator Virginia K. Herring, Administrative Officer Alyce R. Ryan, Staff Assistant Ralph E. Hode, Program Coordinator Douglas J. Snyder, Survey Coordinator Lloyd W. Kirk, SEAMAP Database Programmer Deanna L. Valentine, Data Entry Clerk Ashley P. Lott, Staff Assistant Steven J. VanderKooy, Program Coordinator Nancy K. Marcellus, Administrative Assistant v Active Committees Executive Committee ...................................................................................................Joe Gill, Jr, Chairman Randy Pausina David Heil/Dan Ellinor Mike Ray/Robin Riechers Chris Blankenship Law