Tab B, No. 5(d) 6/16/2021 Red Grouper Allocations and Annual Catch Levels and Targets Draft Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico Including Final Environmental Impact Statement, Fishery Impact Statement, Regulatory Impact Review, and Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis June 2021 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 blank COVER SHEET DRAFT AMENDMENT 53 TO THE FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE REEF FISH FISHERY IN THE GULF OF MEXICO FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (DEIS) Abstract: This FEIS is prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act to assess the environmental impacts associated with a reasonable range of alternatives intended to modify the sector allocation, overfishing limit, acceptable biological catchError! Bookmark not defined., annual catch limits, and annual catch targets of red grouper in the Gulf of Mexico. This FEIS is being prepared using the 1978 CEQ NEPA Regulations. NEPA reviews initiated prior to the effective date of the 2020 CEQ regulations may be conducted using the 1978 version of the regulations. The effective date of the 2020 CEQ NEPA Regulations was September 14, 2020. This review began on April 21, 2020, and the agency has decided to proceed under the 1978 regulations. Responsible Agencies and Contact Persons Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) 813-348-1630 4107 W. Spruce Street, Suite 200 813-348-1711 (fax) Tampa, Florida 33607 [email protected] Matt Freeman ([email protected]) http://www.gulfcouncil.org National Marine Fisheries Service (Lead Agency) 727-824-5305 Southeast Regional Office 727-824-5308 (fax) 263 13th Avenue South http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 Peter Hood ([email protected]) Type of Action ( ) Administrative ( ) Legislative (X) Draft ( ) Final Filing Dates with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Notice of intent (NOI) to prepare EIS published: April 21, 2020 Draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) filed with EPA: May 7, 2021 DEIS comment period ended: June 28, 2021 EPA comments on DEIS: Amendment 53 – Red Grouper i Allocations and Annual Catch Levels and Targets FINAL EIS TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Sheet ...................................................................................................................................... i Draft Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Fishery in the Gulf of Mexico ............................................................................................................................................. i Final Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) ............................................................................... i Final EIS Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ ii Abbreviations Used in this Document ........................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... xii Fishery Impact Statement ............................................................................................................ xiii Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... xvii Chapter 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2. Management Alternatives ....................................................................................... 14 Chapter 3. Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 29 Chapter 4. Environmental Consequences ................................................................................. 90 Chapter 5. Regulatory Impact Review .................................................................................... 148 Chapter 6. Initial Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis ........................................................... 155 Chapter 7. List of Agencies, Organizations, and Persons to Whom a Copy of the EIS Is Sent .......................................................................................................................................... 162 Chapter 8. List of Preparers and Reviewers ........................................................................... 163 Chapter 9. References ............................................................................................................. 164 Chapter 10. Index .................................................................................................................... 176 Appendix A. Other Applicable Law ........................................................................................... 181 Appendix B. Bycatch Practicability Analysis ............................................................................. 185 Appendix C. Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council – Allocation Policy ...................... 208 Appendix D. Allocation Triggers ............................................................................................... 211 Appendix E. Allocation Factors .................................................................................................. 228 Appendix F. Allocation Review Triggers ................................................................................... 244 Appendix G. ACL/ACT Control Rule for the Recreational Sector ............................................ 247 Appendix H. ACL/ACT Control Rule for the Commercial Sector ............................................ 248 Appendix I. Modification of Management for Red Grouper in the Gulf.................................... 249 Amendment 53 – Red Grouper ii Allocations and Annual Catch Levels and Targets ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS DOCUMENT ABCError! Bookmark not defined. acceptable biological catch ACL annual catch limit ACT annual catch target AM accountability measure APAIS Access Point Angler Intercept Survey BiOp biological opinion BLL bottom longline CEA cumulative effects analysis CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CFpA Net Cash Flow per Angler Trip CHTS Coastal Household Telephone Survey COI certificate of inspection Council Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council CS consumer surplus DLMTool Data Limited Methods Tool DPS distinct population segment DWG deep water grouper ELMRP Estuarine Living Marine Resources Program EEZ exclusive economic zone EFH essential fish habitat EIS environmental impact statement EJ environmental justice ESA Endangered Species Act F fishing mortality rate FES Fishing Effort Survey FGBNMS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary FMP fishery management plan FWC Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission FWRI Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute GG gag grouper GGM gag grouper multi-use Gulf Gulf of Mexico GT gray triggerfish gw gutted weight HAPC Habitat Area of Particular Concern HCR harvest control rule IFQ individual fishing quota LNG liquefied natural gas Magnuson-Stevens Act Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act MFMT maximum fishing mortality threshold MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act mp million pounds Amendment 53 – Red Grouper iii Allocations and Annual Catch Levels and Targets MRIP Marine Recreational Information Program MRFSS Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey MSST minimum stock size threshold NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOS National Ocean Service OFL overfishing limit OLE NOAA Office of Law Enforcement OY optimum yield PAH polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PDF probability distribution function PS producer surplus PSE proportional standard error pw product weight Reef Fish FMP Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico RFFA reasonably foreseeable future action RG red grouper RGM red grouper multi-use RQ regional quotient RS red snapper Secretary Secretary of Commerce SEDAR Southeast Data, Assessment and Review SEFSC Southeast Fisheries Science Center SF Sustainable Fisheries SFA Sustainable Fisheries Act SOI Segments of Interest SPR spawning potential ratio SRHS Southeast Region Headboat Survey SSB spawning stock biomass SSC Scientific and Statistical Committee SWG shallow-water grouper TAC total allowable catch TF tilefish TL total length USCG United States Coast Guard VEC valued environmental component ww whole weight Amendment 53 – Red Grouper iv Allocations and Annual Catch Levels and Targets TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Sheet ...................................................................................................................................... i Draft Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Fishery in the Gulf of Mexico ............................................................................................................................................. i Final Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) ..............................................................................