May 20, 2013 DRAFT -- NOT FINAL ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT SECTION 7 CONSULTATION BIOLOGICAL OPINION Action Agency: National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Region, through its Sustainable Fisheries Division Activity: Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation on the Continued Implementation of Management Measures for the Northeast Multispecies, Monkfish, Spiny Dogfish, Atlantic Bluefish, Northeast Skate Complex, Mackerel/Squid/Butterfish, and Summer Flounder/Scup/Black Sea Bass Fisheries [Consultation No. F/NER/2012/01956] Consulting Agency: National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Regional Office, through its Protected Resources Division Date Issued: ______________________________ Approved by: ______________________________ May 20, 2013 DRAFT -- NOT FINAL Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 Consultation History ................................................................................................... 1 2.1 Consultations Review .................................................................................................. 1 2.1.1 Multispecies ........................................................................................................... 2 2.1.2 Monkfish ................................................................................................................ 3 2.1.3 Spiny Dogfish ........................................................................................................ 4 2.1.4 Bluefish .................................................................................................................. 6 2.1.5 Skates ..................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.6 Atlantic Mackerel/Squid/Butterfish ....................................................................... 7 2.1.7 Summer Flounder/Scup/Black Sea Bass ................................................................ 8 2.2 Cause for Reinitiating .................................................................................................. 9 3.0 Description of the Proposed Action ........................................................................... 9 3.1 Description of the Gear Used in the Seven Fisheries ................................................ 11 3.2 Description of the Current NE Multispecies Fishery ................................................. 12 3.3 Description of the Current Monkfish Fishery ............................................................ 21 3.4 Description of the Current Spiny Dogfish Fishery .................................................... 24 3.5 Description of the Current Atlantic Bluefish Fishery ................................................ 27 3.6 Description of the Current NE Skate Complex Fishery ............................................. 28 3.7 Description of the Current Mackerel/Squid/Butterfish Fishery ................................. 32 3.7.1 Description of the Atlantic Mackerel Fishery ...................................................... 33 3.7.2 Description of the Short-fin Offshore (Illex) Squid Fishery ................................ 36 3.7.3 Description of the Longfin Inshore Squid Fishery .............................................. 38 3.7.4 Description of the Butterfish Fishery ................................................................... 40 3.8 Description of the Current Summer Flounder/Scup/Black Sea Bass Fishery ............ 42 3.9 Summary by Gear Type ............................................................................................. 45 3.10 Exempted, Education, and Research Fishing Permits ............................................... 46 3.11 Fisheries Observer Programs ..................................................................................... 48 3.12 Action Area ................................................................................................................ 49 4.0 Status of the Species .................................................................................................. 49 4.1 Species Not Likely to Be Adversely Affected ........................................................... 51 4.1.1 Hawksbill Sea Turtles .......................................................................................... 51 4.1.2 Shortnose Sturgeon .............................................................................................. 51 4.1.3 Smalltooth Sawfish DPS ...................................................................................... 51 4.1.4 Corals ................................................................................................................... 52 4.1.5 Johnson's Sea Grass ............................................................................................. 53 4.1.6 Sperm Whale ........................................................................................................ 53 4.1.7 Blue Whale........................................................................................................... 54 4.1.8 Right Whale Critical Habitat ............................................................................... 54 4.1.9 Atlantic Salmon Critical Habitat .......................................................................... 55 4.2 Status of Large Whales .............................................................................................. 55 4.2.1 North Atlantic Right Whale ................................................................................. 56 i May 20, 2013 DRAFT -- NOT FINAL 4.2.2 Humpback Whale................................................................................................. 65 4.2.3 Fin Whale ............................................................................................................. 71 4.2.4 Sei Whale ............................................................................................................. 74 4.3 Status of Sea Turtles .................................................................................................. 77 4.3.1 NWA DPS of Loggerhead Sea Turtle .................................................................. 78 4.3.2 Leatherback Sea Turtle ........................................................................................ 94 4.3.3 Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle .................................................................................. 105 4.3.4 Green Sea Turtles ............................................................................................... 110 4.4 Status of Atlantic Sturgeon ...................................................................................... 117 4.4.1 Status of Gulf of Maine DPS ............................................................................. 129 4.4.2 Status of New York Bight DPS ......................................................................... 134 4.4.3 Status of Chesapeake Bay DPS.......................................................................... 138 4.4.4 Status of the Carolina DPS ................................................................................ 140 4.4.5 Status of South Atlantic DPS ............................................................................. 144 4.5 Status of Gulf of Maine DPS of Atlantic Salmon .................................................... 149 4.5.1 Species Description ............................................................................................ 150 4.5.2 Disease and Predators ........................................................................................ 152 4.5.3 Status and Trends of Atlantic Salmon ............................................................... 153 4.5.4 Factors Affecting Recovery of Atlantic Salmon ................................................ 155 5.0 Environmental Baseline ......................................................................................... 159 5.1 Federal Actions with Formal or Early Section 7 Consultations .............................. 159 5.1.1 Federal Fisheries Not Part of the Proposed Action ............................................. 161 5.1.2 Federal Fisheries Included in This Opinion ........................................................ 168 5.1.3 Hopper Dredging ............................................................................................... 176 5.1.4 Research and Other Permitted Activities ........................................................... 178 5.1.5 Vessel Activity and Military Operations ........................................................... 183 5.2 Non-Federally Regulated Fisheries .......................................................................... 184 5.2.1 Atlantic Croaker ................................................................................................. 185 5.2.2 Weakfish ............................................................................................................ 186 5.2.3 Whelk ................................................................................................................. 186 5.2.4 Crab .................................................................................................................... 187 5.2.5 American Lobster Trap and Fish Trap Fisheries ............................................... 188 5.2.6 Northern Shrimp ................................................................................................ 189 5.2.7 American Shad ..................................................................................................