Council will consider use of MPAs for speckled hind and warsaw grouper
A series of Marine Protected Area Workshops continued in August in conjunction with public hearings held in North Carolina and Florida. The Council decided during its June meeting to continue to solicit public input on the possible use of MPAs to help reduce bycatch of speckled hind and warsaw grouper. Members of the public were asked to provide information on occurrence of the two species, associated habitats, and possible spawning locations.
The MPA Workshop series began in April and included an MPA Expert Workgroup meeting in Pooler, Georgia where scientists from around the country worked with fishermen from the region to provide recommendations to the Council.
After reviewing recommendations from its Scientific and Statistical Committee, from the first two public workshops, and the MPA Expert Workgroup’s report, the Council determined it would be helpful to continue the workshop series. Both speckled hind and warsaw grouper are listed as overfished and undergoing overfishing.
Harvest of the two species is prohibited. In an effort to minimize bycatch, the Council had previously implemented restrictions for harvesting deepwater species in waters greater than 240 feet, but removed the restrictions earlier this year after determining the measures did not address the bycatch issue. In addition, economic impacts of the restrictions were greater than expected.
The Council will review comments from the latest workshops as well as previous recommendations, and determine how to proceed during its September meeting.