2020 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Report ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES MARCH 2021 U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service Atlantic Highly Migratory Species | SAFE REPORT For HMS Permitting Information and Regulations • HMS recreational fishermen, commercial fishermen, and dealer compliance guides: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ • atlantic-highly-migratory-species/atlantic-hms-fishery-compliance-guides Regulatory updates for tunas: hmspermits.noaa.gov For HMS Permit Purchase or Rewards Issuer Permits Contact Information OpenHMS Permit Access Shop Vessel Permits HMS Charter/Headboat, Atlantic Tunas (888) 872-8862 (General, Harpoon, Trap), Swordfish hmspermits.noaa.gov General Commercial, HMS Angling (recreational) Southeast Regional Office Commercial Caribbean Small Boat, (727) 824-5326 Smoothhound Shark www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/ resources-fishing/southeast-fisheries- permits Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Incidental HMS Squid Trawl (978) 281-9370 www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-england- mid-atlantic/resources-fishing/vessel-and- dealer-permitting-greater-atlantic-region LimitedIssuer Access Vessel Permits Permits Contact Information HMS Permit Shop Atlantic Tunas Purse Seine category (888) 872-8862 hmspermits.noaa.gov Southeast Regional Office Directed Shark, Incidental Shark, Directed (727) 824-5326 Swordfish, Incidental Swordfish, Atlantic www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/ Tunas Longline category resources-fishing/southeast-fisheries- permits DealerIssuer Permits Permits Contact Information Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Atlantic Tunas Dealer (978) 281-9370 www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-england- mid-atlantic/resources-fishing/vessel-and- dealer-permitting-greater-atlantic-region Southeast Regional Office Atlantic Shark Dealer and Atlantic (727) 824-5326 Swordfish Dealer www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/ resources-fishing/southeast-fisheries- permits ii U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service Atlantic Highly Migratory Species | SAFE REPORT For Safety-at-Sea Information Through the U.S. Coast Guard • • Region-based regulatory and safety information: www.uscg.mil/Units/Organization Safety alerts, news bulletins and regulatory information: mariners.coastguard.blog For Copies of HMS SAFE Reports • 2014–present: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/content/atlantic-hms-stock-assessment-and-fisheries-evaluation- • reports Cover2000–2013: image: Getty Send Images. email to: [email protected] U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service iii Atlantic Highly Migratory Species | SAFE REPORT LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES .................................................................................................. IX LIST OF COMMONLY USED ACRONYMSTable ................................................................................. of Contents XIX EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...........................................................................................................XXII 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Agency Activities and Regulatory Actions for HMS in 2020 .......................................... 3 1.3 International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 2020 Accomplishments ......................................................................................................... 7 1.3.1 Temperate Tunas ................................................................................................ 7 1.3.2 Tropical Tunas ..................................................................................................... 7 1.3.3 Sharks ................................................................................................................. 8 1.3.4 Compliance ......................................................................................................... 8 1.4 State Regulations .......................................................................................................... 8 2 STATUS OF THE STOCKS .............................................................................................. 24 2.1 Status Determination Thresholds ............................................................................... 24 2.2 Stock Assessment Determinations ............................................................................. 26 2.3 Stock Assessment Report References ......................................................................... 36 2.4 Chapter 2 References ................................................................................................. 37 3 ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT ........................................................................................... 39 3.1 Current Essential Fish Habitat Boundary Data Sources .............................................. 39 3.2 Essential Fish Habitat Designations in the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan and Its Amendments ............................................................................ 39 3.3 Shark Nursery Grounds and Essential Fish Habitat Studies ........................................ 40 3.3.1 Cooperative Atlantic States Shark Pupping and Nursery Survey Results .......... 40 3.3.2 Gulf of Mexico States Shark Pupping and Nursery Survey Results ................... 44 3.3.3 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 49 3.4 Chapter 3 References ................................................................................................. 50 4 PERMITS AND TOURNAMENTS .................................................................................. 51 4.1 Atlantic HMS Vessel Permits ....................................................................................... 51 iv U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service Atlantic Highly Migratory Species | SAFE REPORT 4.1.1 Limited Access Permits ..................................................................................... 51 4.1.2 Incidental HMS Squid Trawl Permit .................................................................. 57 4.1.3 Open Access Permits ........................................................................................ 57 4.1.4 Atlantic HMS Permit Endorsements ................................................................. 71 4.2 Exempted Fishing Permits, Display Permits, Letters of Acknowledgement, Scientific Research Permits, and the Shark Research Fishery ...................................................71 4.3 Dealer Permits for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Shark ............................................ 72 4.4 Atlantic HMS Tournaments ......................................................................................... 75 4.4.1 Background ....................................................................................................... 75 4.4.2 Registration Data .............................................................................................. 76 5 FISHERY LANDINGS DATA ........................................................................................... 82 5.1 Background ................................................................................................................. 82 5.2 Data By Species ........................................................................................................... 82 5.2.1 Total Allowable Catch and Annual Catch Limits for Atlantic HMS Management Groups .............................................................................................................. 82 5.2.2 U.S. Landings by Species ................................................................................... 85 5.2.3 U.S. Catch Comparison to International Catch ................................................. 92 5.3 Data by Gear ............................................................................................................... 94 5.3.1 Background ....................................................................................................... 94 5.3.2 Pelagic Longline ................................................................................................ 95 5.3.3 Purse Seine ....................................................................................................... 99 5.3.4 Commercial Handgear .................................................................................... 100 5.3.5 Recreational Handgear ................................................................................... 107 5.3.6 Bottom Longline ............................................................................................. 113 5.3.7 Gillnet ............................................................................................................. 116 5.3.8 Green-Stick ..................................................................................................... 118 5.4 Landings of Non-Target Atlantic HMS in Other Fisheries .......................................... 118 5.4.1 Bottom Longline Fisheries .............................................................................. 118 5.4.2 Gillnet Fisheries .............................................................................................