# Presentation: 137408

## Caribbean Highly Migratory Species Issues Discussion

- HMS Management Division
- Advisory Panel Meeting
- April 16, 2008

## Caribbean Fishery

- NMFS recognizes the unique characteristics of some segments of the Caribbean fisheries
- Small vessels
- Short trips
- Generally limited profit margins
- High local and personal consumption of catches
- Artisanal component

## Limited Permitting

|  | Tuna LL | SWO-D | SWO-I | SWO-HG | SHK-D | SHK-I |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| USVI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rest of Atlantic | 218 | 181 | 79 | 82 | 227 | 290 |

-  Limited number of fishing and dealer permits held in the Caribbean
- Limited Access Vessel Permits (Nov. 30, 2007)

## Open Access Permits

| Territory | Angling Permit | CHB Permit | General Category Permit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Puerto Rico | 773 | 19 | 97 |
| St. Croix | 26 | 3 | 12 |
| St. Thomas | 6 | 11 | 2 |
| St. John | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| Rest of U.S. | 23,412 | 3,861 | 3,504 |

- Open Access Permits (Nov 30, 2007)

## Dealer Permits

- Dealer Permits (Nov. 30, 2007)

|  | Atlantic
SWO
Dealer | Atl. Shark
Dealer | Bluefin Dealer | BAYS Only Dealer | BFT & BAYS
Dealer |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Puerto Rico | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| USVI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Rest of U.S. | 188 | 192 | 9 | 17 | 253 |

## Landings

| 2006 HMS Caribbean Landings (MT) |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Species | Caribbean  | Total U.S. |
| Yellowfin Tuna | 188.0 | 7075.0 |
| Skipjack Tuna | 18.2 | 61.0 |
| Bigeye Tuna | 11.0 | 987.0 |
| N. Albacore Tuna | 10.9 | 396.0 |
| N. Atl. Swordfish | 88.9 | 2048.0 |
| Blue Marlin* | 2 fish | 2 fish |
| White Marlin* | 1 fish | 1 fish |

- *Exclusive of tournament landings

## Known Problems

- Unpermitted fishing vessels and dealers result in:
- Increased risk of regulatory violations
- Limited data & reporting
- Underestimates of size and value of Caribbean landings
- Disadvantage to U.S. Caribbean if domestic regional allocations are made
- Underestimate of U.S. landings during international negotiations
- Limits ability to fulfill international reporting obligations
- Increased uncertainty in stock assessments and management decisions

## HMS FMP Caribbean Amendment

- To address these and other issues, NMFS intends to:
- Develop a FMP amendment for the Caribbean
- ID specific barriers
- Develop ways to address unique issues
- Examine possibility of modifying existing management measures to better fit the needs of the U.S. Caribbean while still meeting management goals

## Looking Forward - the Process

- Caribbean Council Meeting (12/2007)
- Prescoping meetings (3/2008) – informal discussions with local stakeholders to identify range of issues in need of resolution
- HMS Advisory Panel Meeting (4/2008)
- Conduct formal public scoping – request input from public on issues in need of resolution
- Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Rule
- Public Hearings
- Final EIS and Final Rule

## Partners

- Identify appropriate partners
- Caribbean Fishery Management Council
- Dept. of Natural Resources – Puerto Rico
- Dept. of Planning and Natural Resources; Div. of Fish and Wildlife – USVI
- Local fishing organizations
- Commercial
- Recreational
- Others?

## Issues Raised By the CFMC

- Dealer Permits
- Concern raised over lack of dealer permits - Should fishermen also hold dealer permits?
- Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs)
- FADs are currently deployed, USVI DFW plans to deploy more
- Sales of HMS
- Concern over sales of HMS by fishermen not holding Territorial Commercial Fishing Permit (USVI) (HMS CHB)
- Outreach
- Spanish Translation necessary (summary documents/presentations)
- HMS should work with NMFS Caribbean field stations, fishing magazines and radio stations to announce hearing dates locations/outreach
- New regulatory brochures should be distributed at tournaments, boat ramps, cleaning stations, and tackle shops

## Pre-Scoping: Puerto Rico

- PR fisheries data collection limited (large correction factors generally applied)
- NMFS should draft a MOU with PR acknowledging the need for HMS data collection effort
- Few permitted HMS dealers; Should commercial fishermen also hold dealer permits?
- Currently, fish sold directly from vessels or at roadside stands (not through HMS dealers)
- NMFS should translate and distribute summary of DEIS

## Pre-Scoping: St. Thomas

- Interest in a combined HMS harvest and dealer permit
- DFW St. Thomas could modify commercial catch report to collect HMS catch; DFW could send summary reports to NMFS
- Handlines are dominant gear type
- Dealer permit problem: fish sold directly from harvesters to hotels/restaurants
- Vessels average 25’ (37’ max)
- FADS – Important to USVI tunas fishery (8 deployed, 24 planned)

## Pre-Scoping: St. Croix

- Interest in a HMS harvest/dealer permit
- DFW St. Croix willing to participate in HMS data collection
- FAD Tuna fishery with very limited SWO
- Handline and buoy gear used for YFT
- “Trailer” fishery, vessels 24’ – 26’
- Dealer permit problem: fish sold directly from harvesters to hotels/restaurants

## Discussion

- Partners
- CFMC; PR; DFW St. Thomas and St. Croix; Fishing organizations; other?
- Potential Options
- Create commercial HMS Caribbean small boat permit (combined tuna, swordfish, and shark)
- Combine commercial vessel and dealer permits (harvest and sale permit)
- Partner with PR and USVI to collect landings data
- Modify authorized gear
- Address FAD issue
- Other?