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Amendment 56 to the Fishery Management Plan for Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico: Modifications to Catch Limits, Sector Allocation, and Fishing Seasons for Gulf of Mexico Gag, including Regulatory Impact Review, Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, and Bycatch Practicability Analysis
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2023
[PDF-5.55 MB]
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Alternative Title:Modifications to Catch Limits, Sector Allocation, and Recreational Fishing Seasons for Gulf of Mexico Gag
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Description:Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) gag, a type of grouper, is managed under the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Reef Fish FMP). Amendment 56 to the Reef Fish FMP is intended to end overfishing of the Gulf gag stock and follows an interim action to reduce overfishing of Gulf gag, which was developed by the National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS), as recommended by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). This amendment is being developed because the most recent update to the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) 72 stock assessment (2022) estimated that gag is overfished and is undergoing overfishing as of 2019. The gag stock is managed under a stock annual catch limit (ACL), which is divided between the commercial and recreational sectors. The commercial ACL is currently set at 39% of the stock ACL, and the recreational ACL is set at 61% of the stock ACL. The current sector allocation was set in Amendment 30B to the Reef Fish FMP and was based on the average landings from 1986 – 2005 (GMFMC 2008a). Amendment 30B set an interim sector allocation that would be in effect until such time the Council, through the recommendations of the (now former) Ad Hoc Allocation Committee, could implement a separate amendment to allocate grouper resources between recreational and commercial sectors. This interim sector allocation was based on all available years during which grouper were identified by species. It also used the longest and most robust time series to reduce the influences of short-term shifts in landings resulting from changes in recruitment or regulations. Because the Council ultimately did not initiate another amendment to the Reef Fish FMP to revisit grouper allocations, the 39:61 gag sector allocation remains in effect.
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Rights Information:CC0 Public Domain
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