In August, the Council directed staff to take draft Reef Fish Amendment 37 out for public hearings. See page 6 for hearing dates and locations. The latest stock assessment update for gray triggerfish indicates that the stock is both overfished (population too low) and experiencing overfishing (rate of removal too high). Because of this, the Council is working on an amendment that looks at modifying the rebuilding plan for gray triggerfish. The amendment also considers making changes to management measures that will allow the stock to rebuild as fishing continues.
The Council’s preferred alternatives so far are as follows:
• Modify the rebuilding plan – Preferred Alternative 3, which would rebuild the stock within 5 years, or by the end of 2016.
• Modify the sector Annual Catch Limit (ACL) and Annual Catch Target (ACT) – Preferred Alternative 4, which establishes a commercial ACL = 64,100 pounds whole weight and ACT = 60,900 pounds whole weight and a recreational ACL = 241,200 pounds whole weight and ACT = 217,100 pounds whole weight.
• Establish a commercial closed season – Preferred Alternative 2, which establishes a fixed closed season for gray triggerfish during peak spawning (June 1through July 31).
• Establish a commercial trip limit – Preferred Alternative 2, which sets a 50-pound whole weight trip limit.
• Establish a recreational closed season – Preferred Alternative 3, which establishes a fixed closed season for gray triggerfish during peak spawning (June 1through July 31).
• Modify the recreational bag limit – Preferred Alternative 3, which establishes a 2-gray triggerfish bag limit within the 20-reef fish aggregate bag limit.
• Modify Recreational Accountability Measures – Preferred Alternative 2, which allows NOAA Fisheries to close the fishery if the Annual Catch Target is reached; and, Preferred Alternative 4 - Add an overage adjustment to the accountability measure, Option b - only if the ACL is exceeded and the stock is overfished.
For more information visit http://gulfcouncil.org/fishery_management_plans/scoping-thru-implementation.php