Draft Fishery Management Plan for Spotted Seatrout in North Carolina Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture Pine Knoll Shores September 15, 2010
FMP GOAL Determine the status of the stock and ensure long-term sustainability for the spotted seatrout stock in North Carolina
FMP Objectives 1. Develop an objective management program that provides conservation of the resource and sustainable harvest in the fishery 2.Ensure the spawning stock is of sufficient capacity to prevent recruitment-overfishing 3.Address socio-economic concerns for all user groups
FMP Objectives (cont) 4. Restore, improve, and protect important habitats that affect growth, survival, and reproduction of the stock. 5. Evaluate, enhance, and initiate studies to increase understanding of spotted seatrout biology and population dynamics in North Carolina. 6. Promote public awareness regarding the status and management of the stock.
Status of the Stock • Age based statistical model • 2009 stock assessment indicated the spotted seatrout stock in NC/VA has been overfished and overfishing occurring throughout the entire 18-year time series (1991-2008) • Spawning Potential Ratio (SPR) is a measurement of the spawning potential of a population after the impacts of fishing mortality • SPRs are below the DMF benchmark threshold and ASMFC recommended criteria of 20%
FMP Purpose � Recommend or maintain management measures that prevent overfishing and provide the long-term sustainable harvest for the fishery � Areas to be addressed: • Habitat and water quality • Socioeconomic factors • Management strategies • Insufficient data and research needs
Issues Addressed in the FMP • Achieving sustainable harvest • Impacts of cold stun events on the population • Enforcement of size, creel limit and gear regulations in joint, coastal or inland fishing waters • Management measures to address user group competition • Closing the gig fishery Dec. - March 31
Sustainable Harvest Background • 2009 stock assessment indicated the stock in NC/VA has been overfished and overfishing has been occurring throughout the 18-year time series. Issue • Establish harvest reductions that achieve sustainable harvest by rebuilding the spawning stock biomass above the threshold level and end overfishing within 10 years.
Spawning Stock Biomass Overfished Status
Fishing Mortality By Sector Overfishing Status
Sustainable Harvest END OVERFISHING IMMEDIATELY REBUILD STOCK WITHIN 10 YEARS MANAGEMENT OPTIONS REDUCTION REQUIRED Trip Limit Size Bag Limit 14 " 2 fish 50 lbs 57%
Sustainable Harvest COMMERCIAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT OPTIONS REDUCTION REQUIRED Minimum Size (TL) 14 " 28.5% RECREATIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT OPTIONS REDUCTION REQUIRED Minimum Size (TL) 14 " 28.5%
Sustainable Harvest 1/2 REDUCTION NEEDED TO END OVERFISHING - ASSESS IN 5 YRS Recreational Fishery MANAGEMENT OPTIONS % REDUCTION 14-inch minimum size limit and: • 6 fish bag limit 29.0% Commercial Fishery MANAGEMENT OPTIONS % REDUCTION 14-inch minimum size limit and: • Weekend Closure- no possession on weekends 29.7% November-February: all gear out of water (including RCGL)
Sustainable Harvest DMF SST AC MFC • ½ reduction needed, • Same as DMF •½ reduction needed, 6 fish recreational bag, (commercial & 6 fish recreational bag, 14-inch minimum size for recreational) 14-inch minimum size for recreational and recreational and commercial , and • Promote the use of commercial, and weekend weekend closure for barbless hooks closure for commercial commercial gears (no gears year-round (no possession on • No use of gill nets possession on weekends). weekends), gear will as RCGL gear to need to be removed on harvest • commercial gear will be weekends, November- spotted seatrout allowed to remain in the February water on the weekends • Western Albemarle • A maximum of 3 fish over Sound and Currituck 24 inches for recreational Sound exempt from fishermen weekend gear removal • small mesh net attendance requirement is extended to include weekends, December through February Recreational = 29.0% Recreational = 29.0% Same as DMF Commercial = 29.7% Commercial = 13-26%
Sustainable Harvest (cont) DMF SST AC MFC •The matter should be • Regulations need to be in • The matter should be revisited within 3 years place for a minimum of 3 revisited within 3 years to determine if sustainable years to assess their due to problems with harvest measures are effectiveness. The 5 year the stock assessment working FMP review schedule model (ie., inability to needs to account for mortality be adhered to associated with cold stun, and lack of a stock recruit relationship)
Cold Stun Events Background • Death of large numbers of spotted seatrout following severe cold spells has been well documented. Periodic increases in mortality associated with cold stuns should be considered when implementing management measures. Issue • Periodic increases in mortality associated with cold stun events can have a negative impact on population size. Should information and quantification of cold stun events be considered for incorporation into fisheries models and/or management decisions?
Impacts of Cold Stun Events on the Population DMF SST AC MFC • Remain status quo with the • Give the sustainable • Status quo with harvest options the assumption that the director the assumption opportunity to work in will intervene in the event of a that the director will rebuilding the stock to catastrophic event and do intervene in the 20% SPR what is necessary in terms of event of a temporary closures by catastrophic event waterbody and do what is necessary in terms of temporary closures by water body, but the director’s proclamation needs to be an informed decision based on quantifiable data and the outcome needs to be quantified post the closure
Impacts of Cold Stun Events on the Population (cont) DMF SST AC MFC • Same as DMF • Same as DMF • More extensive research on cold stun events (DMF, universities, etc)
Enforcement Background • MFC is responsible for managing, protecting, preserving and enhancing marine and estuarine resources, while WRC is responsible for regulating fishing activities in inland waters. Issue • Improving compliance with and agency enforcement of management measures in joint and coastal or inland fishing waters
Enforcement of Size, Creel Limit and Gear Regulations in Joint, Coastal or Inland Fishing Waters DMF SST AC MFC • Same as DMF • Same as DMF • Development of a mutual aid agreement between DMF Marine Patrol and WRC enforcement officers for inland fishing waters.
User Group Competition Background • Commercial gill net and recreational hook and line fishermen have been in competition for seatrout, and in some instances, competition has escalated to conflict. Issue • Determine management measures to reduce conflicts between recreational and gill net fisheries
Management Measures to address User Group Competition DMF SST AC MFC • Same as DMF • Same as DMF • Move forward with the mediation policy process to resolve conflict between spotted seatrout fishermen
Closing the Gig Fishery December 1 – March 31 Background • Operates in areas where water is clear during the cold winter months and fish are lethargic Issue • AC voted for a closure of the commercial gig fishery Dec. 1 – March 31
Use of Gigs to Harvest Spotted Seatrout December-March DMF SST AC MFC • Same as DMF • Same as DMF • Status quo. DMF to continue to track contributions of gigs to overall landings
Research Needs 1. Develop juvenile abundance index for better understanding of stock recruitment relationship 2. Research the feasibility of including measures of temperature or salinity into stock-recruitment relationship 3. Determine batch fecundity estimates for NC 4. Conduct area-specific spawning surveys 5. Investigate relationship of temperature with juvenile and adult mortality
Research Needs 6. Define overwintering habitat requirements 7. Study impacts of cold stun events 8. Develop model to predict/estimate the impact of cold stun events on local and statewide abundances 9. Investigate distribution in nursery and non-nursery areas 10. Further research on possible influences of salinity on release mortality
Research Needs 11. Microchemistry, genetic, or tagging studies to verify migration patterns, mixing rates, or origins between NC & VA 12. Tagging studies to verify estimates of natural and fishing mortality 13. Tagging studies to determine if there are localized populations within NC 14. A longer time series and additional sources of fishery independent information
Research Needs 15. Increased observer coverage in a variety of commercial fisheries, and over a wider area 16. Continue collecting fishery dependent information to describe the size and age structure of harvested population 17. Investigate the distribution in Inland Fishing Waters 18. Survey of fishing effort in creeks with conflict complaints 19. Determine targeted species in nursery areas and creeks with conflict complaints
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