Tab K, No. 5 5/21/2018 Modifications to the Spiny Lobster Gear Requirements and Cooperative Management Procedures Photo credit Ben Gutzler Public Hearing Draft Amendment 13 to the Fishery Management Plan for Spiny Lobster in the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic Including Environmental Assessment, Fishery Impact Statement, Regulatory Impact Review, and Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis June 2018 This is a publication of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA15NMF4410011. This page intentionally left blank ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT COVER SHEET Type of Action ( ) Administrative ( ) Legislative (X) Draft ( ) Final Responsible Agencies: National Marine Fisheries Service Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Southeast Regional Office Council 263 13th Avenue South 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100 St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 Tampa, Florida 33607 727-824-5305 813-348-1630 727-824-5308 (fax) 813-348-1711 (fax) http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov http://www.gulfcouncil.org Contact: Kelli O’Donnell Contact: Morgan Kilgour [email protected] [email protected] Contact: Nikhil Mehta [email protected] South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 4055 Faber Place Dr., Suite 201 North Charleston, SC 29405 843-571-4366 www.safmc.net Contact: Christina Wiegand [email protected] Spiny Lobster Bully Net Fishing And Protocols and Procedures i ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS DOCUMENT ABC acceptable biological catch ACCSP Atlantic Coastal Cooperatives Statistics Program ACL annual catch limit ACT annual catch target AM accountability measure AP advisory panel ASMFC Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission BEA US Bureau of Economic Analysis BiOp biological opinion C crawfish license CD commercial dive permit CFR Code of Federal Regulations CN bully net permit Councils Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils DPS distinct population segments EA environmental assessment EEZ exclusive economic zone EFH essential fish habitat EIS environmental impact statement E.O. Executive Order EJ Environmental Justice ESA Endangered Species Act F fishing mortality FAC Florida Administrative Code FMP fishery management plan FWC Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission FWRI Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute GDP gross domestic product GMFMC Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council GSMFC Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Gulf Gulf of Mexico Gulf Council Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council HAPC Habitat Area of Particular Concern IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Magnuson-Stevens Act Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act mp million pounds MRIP Marine Recreational Information Program MSY maximum sustainable yield NARW North Atlantic right whales NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency OFL overfishing limit Spiny Lobster Bully Net Fishing And Protocols and Procedures ii PDARP Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan pw product weight RA Regional Administrator RS restricted species endorsement RQ regional quotient SAFMC South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Secretary Secretary of Commerce SERO Southeast Regional Office Spiny Lobster FMP Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic South Atlantic Council South Atlantic Fishery Management Council SPL Saltwater Products License SSC Scientific and Statistical Committee tpy tons per year USCG United States Coast Guard USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service ww whole weight Spiny Lobster Bully Net Fishing And Protocols and Procedures iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Environmental Assessment Cover Sheet ......................................................................................... i Abbreviations Used in this Document ............................................................................................ ii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii Chapter 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose and Need ................................................................................................................. 4 1.3 History of Management ........................................................................................................ 4 Chapter 2. Management Alternatives ............................................................................................ 7 2.1. Action 1: Florida state bully net permit, marking requirements, and gear prohibitions for bully net gear in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off Florida ........................................ 7 2.2. Action 2: Commercial spiny lobster bully net and dive gear trip limits in the EEZ off Florida ................................................................................................................................ 10 2.3. Action 3: Specification of degradable panels in spiny lobster traps in the EEZ off Florida ............................................................................................................................................ 12 2.4. Action 4: Harvesting restrictions near artificial habitat* in the EEZ off Florida ............. 14 2.5. Action 5: Establish an enhanced cooperative management procedure for federal and Florida state agencies for the management of spiny lobster .............................................. 16 Chapter 3. Affected Environment ................................................................................................ 20 3.1 Description of the Fishery ................................................................................................. 20 3.2 Description of the Physical Environment .......................................................................... 24 3.3 Description of the Biological/Ecological Environment ..................................................... 28 3.4 Description of the Economic Environment ........................................................................ 32 3.4.1 Commercial Sector.................................................................................................... 32 3.4.2 Recreational Sector ................................................................................................... 36 3.5 Description of the Social Environment ............................................................................. 38 3.5.1 Fishing Communities ................................................................................................ 38 3.5.2 Environmental Justice Considerations ...................................................................... 44 3.6 Description of the Administrative Environment ............................................................... 48 3.6.1 Federal Fishery Management .................................................................................... 48 3.6.2 State Fishery Management ........................................................................................ 49 Chapter 4. Environmental Consequences .................................................................................... 51 Spiny Lobster Bully Net Fishing And Protocols and Procedures iv 4.1 Action 1: Florida state bully net permit, marking requirements, and gear prohibitions for bully net gear in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off Florida ...................................... 51 4.1.1 Direct and Indirect Effects on the Physical and Biological/Ecological Environment 51 4.1.2 Direct and Indirect Effects on the Economic Environment ...................................... 52 4.1.3 Direct and Indirect Effects on the Social Environment ............................................ 52 4.1.2 Direct and Indirect Effects on the Administrative Environment .............................. 53 4.2 Action 2: Commercial spiny lobster bully net and dive gear trip limits in the EEZ off Florida ................................................................................................................................ 53 4.2.1 Direct and Indirect Effects on the Physical and Biological Environments ............... 53 4.2.2 Direct and Indirect Effects on the Economic Environment ...................................... 54 4.2.3 Direct and Indirect Effects on the Social Environment ............................................ 55 4.2.4 Direct and Indirect Effects on the Administrative Environment .............................. 56 4.3 Action 3: Specification of degradable panels in spiny lobster traps in the EEZ off Florida 56 4.3.1 Direct and Indirect Effects on the Physical and Biological Environments ............... 56 4.3.2 Direct and Indirect Effects on the Economic Environment ...................................... 57 4.3.3 Direct and Indirect Effects on the Social Environment ............................................ 57 4.3.4 Direct