Attachment 6c TAB03_A06c_SGReg 33_Draft_082119_BBversion Regulatory Amendment 33 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region Modifications to red snapper season specifications Including an Environmental Assessment, Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis, and Regulatory Impact Review August 21, 2019 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 4055 Faber Place Drive; Suite 201 North Charleston, SC 29405 Award Number FNA15NMF4410010 Attachment 6c TAB03_A06c_SGReg 33_Draft_082119_BBversion Abbreviations and Acronyms Used in the FMP ABC acceptable biological catch MARMAP Marine Resources Monitoring ACL annual catch limit Assessment and Prediction Program AM accountability measure MFMT maximum fishing mortality threshold ACT annual catch target MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act B a measure of stock biomass in either MRFSS Marine Recreational Fisheries weight or other appropriate unit Statistics Survey BMSY the stock biomass expected to exist MRIP Marine Recreational Information Program under equilibrium conditions when fishing at FMSY MSST minimum stock size threshold BOY the stock biomass expected to exist MSY maximum sustainable yield under equilibrium conditions when fishing at FOY NEPA National Environmental Policy Act BCURR the current stock biomass NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service CPUE catch per unit effort NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration DEIS draft environmental impact statement OFL overfishing limit EA environmental assessment OY optimum yield EEZ exclusive economic zone RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act EFH essential fish habitat RIR Regulatory Impact Review F a measure of the instantaneous rate of fishing mortality SAFMC South Atlantic Fishery Management Council F30%SPR fishing mortality that will produce a SEDAR Southeast Data Assessment and Review static SPR = 30% SEFSC Southeast Fisheries Science Center FMSY the rate of fishing mortality expected to achieve MSY under equilibrium SERO Southeast Regional Office conditions and a corresponding biomass of BMSY SIA social impact assessment FOY the rate of fishing mortality expected SPR spawning potential ratio to achieve OY under equilibrium conditions and a corresponding SSC Scientific and Statistical Committee biomass of BOY SMZ special management zone FMP fishery management plan SPR spawning potential ratio FMU fishery management unit SSB stock spawning biomass M natural mortality rate I Attachment 6c TAB03_A06c_SGReg 33_Draft_082119_BBversion SSC Scientific and Statistical Committee TAC total allowable catch II Attachment 6c TAB03_A06c_SGReg 33_Draft_082119_BBversion Regulatory Amendment 33 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region Proposed actions: Modify the South Atlantic red snapper season specifications. Responsible Agencies and Contact Persons South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 843-571-4366 4055 Faber Place, Suite 201 843-769-4520 (fax) North Charleston, South Carolina 29405 www.safmc.net IPT lead: Myra Brouwer [email protected] National Marine Fisheries Service 727-824-5305 Southeast Regional Office 727-824-5308 (fax) 263 13th Avenue South http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 IPT lead: Frank Helies [email protected] III Attachment 6c TAB03_A06c_SGReg 33_Draft_082119_BBversion Table of Contents Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. IV List of Appendices ............................................................................................................ VI List of Tables ................................................................................................................... VII List of Figures ................................................................................................................ VIII Summary ............................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 What actions are being proposed in this framework amendment? ................... 1 1.2 Who is proposing the framework amendment? ................................................ 1 1.3 Where is the project located? ............................................................................ 2 1.4 Why is the South Atlantic Council considering action (Purpose and Need) .... 2 1.5 What is the history of management for red snapper? ....................................... 3 Chapter 2. Proposed Actions and Alternatives .................................................................. 6 2.1 Action 1. Remove the minimum number of days for the South Atlantic red snapper seasons ................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Action 2. Modify the start date for the recreational red snapper season .......... 7 2.3 Action 3. Revise the days of the week recreational harvest of red snapper would be allowed during an open season ......................................................... 8 2.4 Action 4. Modify the start date for the red snapper commercial season ........ 10 Chapter 3. Affected Environment .................................................................................... 11 3.1 Habitat Environment ....................................................................................... 11 3.1.1 Inshore/Estuarine Habitat............................................................................. 11 3.1.2 Offshore Habitat ........................................................................................... 11 3.1.3 Essential Fish Habitat .................................................................................. 13 3.1.4 Habitat Areas of Particular Concern ........................................................... 14 3.2 Biological and Ecological Environment ......................................................... 15 3.2.1 Fish Populations Affected by this Amendment .......................................... 15 3.2.2 Bycatch and Discards .................................................................................. 18 3.2.3 The Stock Assessment Process .................................................................... 18 3.2.4 Protected Species ......................................................................................... 19 3.3.1 Economic Description of the Commercial Sector ....................................... 21 3.3.2 Economic Description of the Recreational Sector ....................................... 25 3.5 Administrative Environment ........................................................................... 40 3.5.1. Federal Fishery Management .......................................................... 40 3.5.2 State Fishery Management .......................................................................... 41 3.5.3 Enforcement ................................................................................................ 41 Chapter 4. Environmental Effects and Comparison of Alternatives ................................ 43 4.1 Action 1. Remove the minimum number of days for the South Atlantic red snapper seasons ............................................................................................... 43 4.2 Action 2. Modify the start date for the recreational red snapper season ........ 46 4.3 Action 3. Revise the days of the week recreational harvest of red snapper would be allowed during an open season ....................................................... 50 4.4 Action 4. Modify the start date for the red snapper commercial season ........ 53 Chapter 6. Cumulative Effects ......................................................................................... 56 IV Attachment 6c TAB03_A06c_SGReg 33_Draft_082119_BBversion 6.1 Affected Area .................................................................................................. 56 6.2 Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Actions Impacting the Affected Area 56 6.3 Consideration of Climate Change and Other Non-Fishery Related Issues ..... 59 6.4 Overall Impacts Expected from Past, Present, and Future Actions ................ 61 6.5 Monitoring and Mitigation .............................................................................. 61 Chapter 7. List of Interdisciplinary Plan Team (IPT) Members ...................................... 63 Chapter 8. Agencies and Persons Consulted.................................................................... 64 Chapter 9. References ...................................................................................................... 65 Appendix A. Considered But Rejected Alternatives ......................................................... 1 Appendix B. Glossary ........................................................................................................ 1 Appendix C. History of Management ................................................................................ 1 Appendix D. Bycatch Practicability Analysis ................................................................... 2 Appendix E. Regulatory Impact Review ........................................................................... 1 Appendix F. Regulatory Flexibility Analysis .................................................................... 1 Appendix G. Other Applicable Laws ................................................................................