# Presentation: 001913

## Annual Catch Limits& NS1 Guidelines

## Requirements of the 2006 MSRA

- Annual catch limits and accountability measures must be implemented:
- in fishing year 2010 for fisheries determined by the Secretary to be subject to overfishing
- MSRA Section 104 (b)(1)(A)
- in fishing year 2011 for all other fisheries
- MSRA Section 104 (b)(1)(B)

## Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) & Accountability Measures (AMs)

- ACLs and AMs work together as a system to ensure that overfishing will not occur
- ACLs & AMs must:
- end overfishing on fisheries and/or stocks subject to overfishing
- prevent overfishing on fisheries and/or stocks not subject to overfishing

## Preliminary Interpretation

- For each managed stock an:
- Overfishing Level (OFL) should be established
- An annual numerical amount of catch that would result in overfishing if exceeded
- Not identified in the Act but it is essential for developing accountability measures and monitoring ACL performance
- Annual Catch Limit (ACL) must be established
- An annual numerical target catch level
- Set below the OFL to ensure that overfishing does not occur

## Relationship between ACL & OFL

**Annual Catch Limit (ACL) **

**Overfishing Level (OFL)**

**Catch in Tons of Stock Z**

**Increasing**

**Year 1**

**Distance between the OFL and ACL will vary.**

##  Criteria for ACLs & OFLs

- Overfishing Levels (OFL) and Annual Catch Limits (ACL):
- Set for each managed fishery/stock
- Can be set for multiple year periods
- Numerical annual value set in weight or numbers of fish
- Includes all sources of fishing mortality, where possible:
- Landings
- Discards/Bycatch
- All sectors and user groups

## Issue: Sector Allocations 

- Allocation issues between sectors are of concern and can be addressed under ACLs.
- An ACL is required to be set for each managed fishery/stock
- The Councils and NMFS could:
- Subdivide an ACL (set for each fishery/stock) into “*sector-ACLs”*
- Develop AMs for each sector

## Accountability Measures (AMs)

- Management measures established with ACLs to end and prevent overfishing
- Two basic types:
- Preventive in-season management actions
- e.g., in-season fishery closure if the target catch limit has been reached
- Corrective management actions
- e.g., overage payback in the next fishing year
- Must be established for each fishery/stock
- Could be established for each sector

## Overarching Issue: Diverse Fisheries

- U.S. fisheries are biologically & ecologically diverse
- 530 stocks and stock complexes: range from Arctic to tropical regions
- Management approaches vary
- 46 FMPs: some use hard TACs, some use effort controls
- Data available for each stock vary
***ACL and AM guidance must address diversity in the fisheries to develop effective strategies able to meet the requirements of the Act.***

## Key Factors in Design and Implementation of ACLs & AMs

- Management / Regulatory Approach
- Some approaches are more effective than others at achieving actual catch levels close to targets
- Monitoring / Catch Data Availability
- Scientific Knowledge of Stocks
- Uncertainty
**All these factors combined affect fisheries management success and the feasibility of designing ACLs and AMs. **

## State and Federal Management

- How will Annual Catch Limits for Federal fisheries affect the relationship of Federal and State fishery management on shared stocks?

## Issue: Scientific Knowledge of Stocks Varies

_**Considerations**_
- Quality of catch data varies
- Completeness of catch data
- Landings and discards data from all sectors & user groups
- Landings data only, no discards
- No catch data at all
- Precision of catch data estimates
- e.g. size of confidence intervals, statistical methods used
- Many different data collection methods are used and each have different data quality issues
- Commercial: logbooks, port sampling, landings reports, processor/dealer reports, observers
- Recreational: MRFSS, other surveys

## Issue: Scientific Knowledge of Stocks Varies

_**Considerations (continued)  **_
- Biomass and fishing mortality estimates are not known for every stock
- Stock status varies: Known, Unknown, Undefined
- Subject to overfishing
- Overfished
- Approaching overfished
- Existence of other academic research varies
- Existence of anecdotal information varies
- No information exists on the stock

## Issue: Timeliness of Catch Data Varies

_**Considerations**_
- Timing of catch data availability (including analysis time):
- in-season allows for in-season adjustments to catch
- in time to make adjustments to next year’s target catch
- in time to make adjustments to target catch two or more years later
- No catch data at all

## Considerations in Developing ACLs and AMs for Each Fishery 

_**Considerations in Developing**__** ACLs and AMs for Each Fishery **_

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## Some Preliminary Themes  from Scoping

- Improve Data
- Develop guidelines for Optimum Yield
- How to deal with overages due to State fisheries
- Provide guidance on SSC role
- Councils should retain flexibility in developing measures
- Ensure ongoing review of management effectiveness
- AMs should provide short cycle-time -- prefer inseason adjustments to corrective ones

## More Preliminary Themes from Scoping

- ACLs for rebuilding stocks must ensure rebuilding - not just prevent overfishing
- Protect sectors from each other
- Will hard TACs be required when data are available to support them?
- Will paybacks be required if overfishing occurs?
- Is a buffer between OFL and ACL required?
- Mixed-Stock Exception in current NS1 guidelines seems incompatible with new MSA requirements

## Estimated Implementation Timeline

| Scoping Meetings (complete) | March-April 2007 |
| --- | --- |
| DEIS:  Issue NOA and 45-day comment period | July 2007 |
| Proposed Rule:  Issue rule and 45-day comment period | July 2007 |
| FEIS:  Issue NOA | October 2007 |
| Final Rule | November 2007 |
| Councils & NMFS amend FMPs / mgt measures | Jan 2008 – June 2009  |
| Secretarial Review of FMP amendments / mgt measures | June 2009 – Dec 2009  |
| ACL & AM mechanisms implemented for “overfishing” stocks | 2010 |
| ACL & AM mechanisms implemented for all 
other stocks | 2011 |

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