Fishing Year 2012 Northeast Multispecies Sector Operations Plans and Contracts A Final Environmental Assessment National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Regional Office 55 Great Republic Drive Gloucester MA, 01930 March 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. I LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................... IV LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... VI 1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................1 1.1 MULTISPECIES FISHERY ........................................................................................... 2 1.1.1 Sectors .................................................................................................................. 14 1.1.2 Common Pool ...................................................................................................... 17 1.1.3 Potential for Redirection of Effort and/or Fleet Consolidation ............................ 18 1.2 HISTORY OF SECTORS IN THE NORTHEAST MULTISPECIES FISHERY ......................................................................................................................... 18 1.2.1 Amendment 13 ..................................................................................................... 18 1.2.2 Amendment 16 ..................................................................................................... 18 1.2.3 Sector Management in FY 2011 .......................................................................... 19 2.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE ACTION ..................................................19 3.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES .............................................20 3.1 ALTERNATIVE 1 - IMPLEMENTATION OF SECTOR OPERATIONS PLANS FOR FISHING YEAR 2012 ............................................................................. 20 3.1.1 No Action Alternative 1 ....................................................................................... 20 3.2 ALTERNATIVE 2 – STATE PERMIT BANK SECTORS ........................................ 24 3.2.1 Maine Permit Banking Sector (MPBS)................................................................ 24 3.2.2 No Action Alternative 2 ....................................................................................... 25 3.3 ALTERNATIVE 3 – SECTOR SPECIFIC EXEMPTIONS FOR MULTISPEICES SECTORS ......................................................................................... 25 3.3.1 No Action Alternative 3 ....................................................................................... 35 3.4 ALTERNATIVE 4 - EXEMPTIONS TO BE ANALYZED FOR STATE PERMIT BANK SECTORS ONLY .............................................................................. 35 3.4.1 No Action Alternative 4 ....................................................................................... 36 3.5 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT REJECTED FROM FURTHER ANALYSIS ...................................................................................................................... 36 3.5.1 Sector Roster Deadline ........................................................................................ 36 3.5.2 GOM Rolling Closure Areas ............................................................................... 36 3.5.3 Maximum ACE Carryover Provision .................................................................. 37 4.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT .........................................................................39 4.1 BACKGROUND SECTOR DATA FOR MULTIPLE VECS .................................... 39 4.1.1 Introduction to FY2009 and 2010 Sector Data .................................................... 39 4.1.2 Annual Catch Entitlement Comparison ............................................................... 40 4.1.3 Introduction to Sector Fishing Data for FY 2009 and 2010 ................................ 41 4.1.4 Data from All Trips Fished by Sector Vessels ..................................................... 42 4.1.4.1 Overall Trends in Catch, Trips, and Geardays by Sector Vessels Fishing on Any Trip ............................................................................................. 42 i 4.1.4.2 Data Trends Across Gear Types .......................................................... 43 4.1.4.3 Data Trends by Location – Regulated Mesh Area (RMA) .................. 45 4.1.4.4 Seasonal Data Trends .......................................................................... 45 4.1.4.5 Overall Data Trends by Sector ............................................................ 46 4.1.5 Shifts of Effort from Sectors into Other Fisheries ............................................... 46 4.1.6 Bycatch Data ........................................................................................................ 48 4.2 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT/HABITAT/EFH ......................................................... 50 4.2.1 Affected Physical Environment ........................................................................... 51 4.2.1.1 Gulf of Maine ...................................................................................... 51 4.2.1.2 Georges Bank ...................................................................................... 54 4.2.1.3 Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic Bight ........................................ 55 4.2.2 Habitat .................................................................................................................. 56 4.2.3 Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) ............................................................................... 60 4.2.4 Gear Types and Interaction with Habitat ............................................................. 60 4.2.4.1 Gear Types........................................................................................... 60 4.2.4.2 Gear Interaction with Habitat .............................................................. 64 4.3 ALLOCATED TARGET SPECIES .............................................................................. 65 4.3.1 Species and Stock Status Descriptions ................................................................ 65 4.3.1.1 Gulf of Maine Cod ............................................................................... 66 4.3.1.2 Georges Bank Cod ............................................................................... 67 4.3.1.3 Gulf of Maine Haddock ....................................................................... 67 4.3.1.4 Georges Bank Haddock ....................................................................... 68 4.3.1.5 American Plaice ................................................................................... 68 4.3.1.6 Witch Flounder .................................................................................... 68 4.3.1.7 Gulf of Maine Winter Flounder ........................................................... 69 4.3.1.8 Georges Bank Winter Flounder ........................................................... 69 4.3.1.9 Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine Yellowtail Flounder .................................... 69 4.3.1.10 Georges Bank Yellowtail Flounder ..................................................... 70 4.3.1.11 Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic Yellowtail Flounder ................. 70 4.3.1.12 Redfish ................................................................................................. 70 4.3.1.13 Pollock ................................................................................................. 70 4.3.1.14 White Hake .......................................................................................... 71 4.3.2 Assemblages of Fish Species ............................................................................... 71 4.3.3 Stock Status Trends ............................................................................................. 72 4.3.4 Areas Closed to Fishing ....................................................................................... 73 4.3.5 Interaction between Gear and Allocated Target Species ..................................... 74 4.4 NON-ALLOCATED TARGET SPECIES AND BYCATCH ..................................... 74 4.4.1 Spiny Dogfish ...................................................................................................... 75 4.4.2 Skates ................................................................................................................... 75 4.4.3 Monkfish .............................................................................................................. 76 4.4.4 Interaction between Gear and Non-allocated Target Species and Bycatch ......... 76 4.5 PROTECTED RESOURCES ........................................................................................ 77 4.5.1 Species Present in the Area .................................................................................. 77 4.5.2 Species Potentially Affected ................................................................................ 80 4.5.2.1 Sea Turtles ........................................................................................... 80 4.5.2.2 Large Cetaceans ................................................................................... 81 4.5.2.3 Small Cetaceans ..................................................................................