# Presentation: 671565

## Draft Amendment 1 to the Consolidated HMS FMP- Essential Fish Habitat

- Highly Migratory Species Management Division

## Essential Fish Habitat – MSA Requirements

**Identify and describe EFH**
**Minimize, to the extent practicable, adverse effects on EFH caused by fishing activities**
**Identify other actions to encourage the conservation and enhancement of EFH**
**305(b)(1)(A): the Secretary will set forth the schedule for amendment of FMPs to include the identification of EFH and for review and updating of EFH**

## EFH Regulations (published in 2002)

**Identify EFH for each species and lifestage**
**Identify Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs) **
**Identify fishing and non-fishing activities that may adversely affect EFH **
**Minimize fishing impacts that are more than minimal and not temporary **
**Review all EFH information at least once every 5 years**

## EFH Amendment Timeline

**Notice of Intent: Published November 7, 2006 (71 FR 65087)**
**Scoping: March-October 2007 (AP Meetings)**
**Predraft: October 2007**
**Notice of Availability of Draft EIS:  September 19, 2008 (73 FR 54384)**
**60 day comment period ends November 18, 2008**
**Final EIS: Summer 2009**

## HMS Essential Fish Habitat History

_**FMP for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish and Sharks and Amendment 1 to the Billfish FMP (1999)**_** **
**Original EFH descriptions and maps for each species and life stage published using a Geographic Information System (GIS) **
**Several HAPCs described for sandbar sharks**** **
_**Amendment 1 to the HMS FMP (2003)**_** **
**Updated EFH for 5 shark species (sandbar, blacktip, dusky, nurse, and finetooth)  **** **

## HMS Essential Fish Habitat History

_**Consolidated Atlantic HMS FMP (2006)**_**  **
**State, Federal, non-governmental data mapped and published **
**No changes to EFH proposed **
**Described all fishing gears that may affect EFH**** **** **
_**Draft Amendment 1 to the Consolidated Atlantic HMS FMP (2008)**_**  **
**EFH for all Atlantic HMS updated using a**** GIS to map each species and life stage **
**HAPC for bluefin tuna spawning proposed **
**Analyzed fishing and non-fishing impacts on EFH**** **** **

## Alternatives for Identifying EFH

_**Alternative 1**_** – No Action; maintain current boundaries**
_**Alternative 2**_** – Establish new EFH boundaries based on the highest concentration of a particular species by selecting high count cells**
**Points are merged with a 10’ x 10’ grid and a scale is created to reflect the number of points within each grid**
**Select the high count cells to delineate new EFH boundaries **** **

## Alternatives for Identifying EFH

_***Alternative 3 (Preferred Alternative***__*)*_* – ****Establish new EFH boundaries based on the 95 percent probability boundary***
**Individual data points are mapped and probability boundaries are generated**
**The 95 percent probability boundary includes, on average, 95 percent of the data points**
**Provides a standardized, reproducible, and predictable method for establishing EFH boundaries**
**	****	**

## How to Access HMS EFH Data	

**Hard Copy of the DEIS**
**Or**
_**http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/EFH**_
**Or**
_**http://sharpfin.nmfs.noaa.gov/website/EFH_Mapper/ HMS/map.aspx**_

## Alternatives for Identifying EFH

_**Alternative 4**_** – Establish new EFH boundaries using all points or cells where species are present**
_**Alternative 5**_** - Establish new EFH boundaries using the entire range of distribution for each species and life stage**
**	****	**

## Habitat Areas of Particular Concern

**HAPCs are based on one or more of the following considerations:**
**The importance of the ecological function provided by the habitat**
**The extent to which the habitat is sensitive to human-induced environmental degradation**
**Whether and to what extent, development activities are, or will be, stressing the habitat type**
**The rarity of the habitat type**
**	****	**

## Alternatives for Identifying HAPCs

_**Alternative 1**_** – No Action; maintain current HAPCs**
_***Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative)***_*** – Designate a HAPC for spawning bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico while maintaining current HAPCs.  ***
***	******Based on:***
***NMFS SEFSC larval surveys***
***Univ. of Southern MS larval surveys***
***POP, CTC, and TBF data***
***Written request from NCMC and TAG ***

## Slide 13

## Slide 14

## Alternatives for Identifying HAPCs

_**Alternative 3**_** – Designate a HAPC for spawning bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico based on the 95 percent probability boundary from bluefin tuna larval data collections**
_**Alternative 4**_** – Designate a HAPC for spawning bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico based on the 95 percent probability boundary for adult bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico**
**	****	**

## Fishing Impacts on EFH

_**Process**_
**Evaluate the potential adverse effect of fishing activities on HMS and non-HMS EFH**** **
**Minimize adverse effects from fishing on EFH, to the extent practicable**

## Slide 17

## Slide 18

## Slide 19

## Fishing Impacts on EFH

**HMS fishing gears do not have a negative impact on EFH **
**Other fishing gears do not have***** *****a negative impact on HMS EFH**
**Effects of bottom longline and other bottom tending gears on EFH are considered minimal and temporary*****,***** therefore NMFS is not proposing any new management measures at this time**

## Non-Fishing Impacts on EFH	

**Coastal Development**
**Agriculture**
**Dredging**
**Marinas and Navigation**
**Oil and Gas Exploration and Development**
**Renewable Energy Projects (72 FR 62673 November 6, 2007) **

## Slide 22

## Slide 23

## Public Hearings

| Date | Meeting | Location/Address | Public Hearing |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 13-16, 2008 | Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission | Key Largo Grand Resort & Beach Club,  97000 South Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037 | Oct 14, 2008
7:00-9:00 pm |
| Oct 14-16, 2008 | Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council  | Ramada Inn1701 S. Virginia Dare Trail,Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 | Oct 15, 20087:00-9:00 pm |
| Oct 19-23, 2008 | Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission | Rehoboth, DE | None |
| Oct 27-31, 2008 | Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council | Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel, 64 South Water St., Mobile, AL 36602 | Oct 28, 2008
7:00-9:00 pm |
| Nov 18-20, 2008 | New England Fishery Management Council | Sheraton Ferncroft Resort, 50 Ferncroft Rd., Danvers, MA 01923         | Nov 18, 2008
7:00-9:00 pm |
| Nov 30-Dec 5, 2008 | South Atlantic Fishery Management Council | Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 N. Water Street, Wilmington, NC  | Dec 3, 2008
7:00-9:00 pm |

## Public Comment Period – Closes November 18, 2008

_**Mail**_**:   NMFS HMS Management Division**
**	**** ****	****1315 East-West Highway**
**	****	****Silver Spring, MD 20910**
_**Fax:**_** ****	****(301) 713- 1917**
_**Email: **_**HMSEFH@noaa.gov**
**	**
_**For further information contact: **_**Chris Rilling or **
**	****Sari Kiraly, (301) 713-2347, chris.rilling@noaa.gov; sari.kiraly@noaa.gov**