New England Fishery Management Council Omnibus Habitat Amendment - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

New England Fishery Management Council Omnibus Habitat Amendment Get involved: It could change where you fish Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum Ma rc h 1, 2013 Mic he lle Ba c hma n & Andy Apple g a te Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 1

Outline • Status quo manage me nt • Inte nt of ame ndme nt • Habitat manage me nt pr oposals • Gr oundfish manage me nt pr oposals • T ime line and oppor tunitie s for c omme nt Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 2

Status quo management Gr oundfish • c losur e s Ye a r round o Rolling o Habitat c losur e s • E xe mption ar e as • appr ove d in De c e mbe r 2012 (c ur r e ntly unde r going NMF S r e vie w) Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 3

Area (nm 2 ) Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 4

Area by Percent Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 5

Current rolling closures Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 6

Intent of amendment • Obje c tive s inc lude : o Inte gr ate and optimize me asur e s to minimize the adve r se impac ts to E F H ac r oss all Counc il manage d F MPs o E nhanc e gr oundfish fishe r y pr oduc tivity o Maximize soc ie tal ne t be ne fits fr om the gr oundfish stoc ks while addr e ssing c ur r e nt manage me nt ne e ds • Mor e tar ge te d and e ffe c tive manage me nt ar e as use d to ac hie ve obje c tive s Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 7

Primary Goals of Groundfish Closed Area Management Adopted Nov 2012 1. E nhanc e gr oundfish fishe r y pr oduc tivity 2. Maximize soc ie tal ne t be ne fits fr om the gr oundfish stoc ks while addr e ssing c ur r e nt manage me nt ne e ds Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 8

Objectives for Groundfish Closed Area Management 1. I mpro ve d spa wning pro te c tio n; inc luding pro te c tio n o f lo c a lize d spa wning c o nting e nts o r sub -po pula tio ns o f sto c ks 2. I mpro ve d pro te c tio n o f c ritic a l g ro undfish ha b ita ts 3. I mpro ve d re fug e fo r c ritic a l life histo ry sta g e s 4. I mpro ve d a c c e ss to b o th the use a nd no n-use b e ne fits a rising fro m c lo se d a re a ma na g e me nt a c ro ss g e a r type s, fishe rie s, a nd g ro ups. T he se b e ne fits ma y a rise fro m a re a s de sig ne d to a ddre ss o the r thre e g ro undfish c lo se d a re a o b je c tive s. Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 9

Management policy • Spawning c losur e s should be nar r owly ally de fine d spatially and te mpor • Spawning c losur e s should be de signe d to be adaptive and r e sponsive to var iations onme ntal c onditions in e nvir • Spawning c losur e s should inc lude spe c ific tr igge r s that would allow ar e as to e - ope n to fishing r Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 10

Management policy • F ishing by all ge ar s and fle e ts c atc hing gr oundfish should be pr ohibite d in spawning c losur e ar e as • F ishing by ge ar s that have a signific ant e ffe c t on habitat would be pr ohibite d in e as. juve nile gr oundfish habitat ar Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 11

Management policy • Gr oundfish spawning and habitat c losur e s should inc lude pr ovisions for c e c onditions monitor ing the r e sour • Monitor ing of ge ar s fishing in c lose d gr oundfish spawning and habitat ar e as e d. should be r e quir Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 12

Timeline and opportunities for comment 2013 o April – Pr e se nt dr aft gr oundfish manage me nt alte r native s to Counc il o April-June Habitat/ Gr oundfish Ove r sight Committe e me e tings to r e c onc ile diffe r e nc e s o June – Counc il appr ove s dr aft alte r native s for analysis is an E IS o June -No ve mb e r – E I S de ve lo pme nt o No ve mb e r – Counc il appr ove s DE IS 2014 o Ja nua ry-F e b rua ry – Public he ar ings and for mal c omme nt pe r iod o April – F inal appr oval o Co unc il sub missio n, NMF S re vie w a nd a ppro va l o Rule s b e c o me e ffe c tive De c 2014 Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 13

Proposed adjustments to habitat management Ha b ita t Ma na g e me nt Are a s Ha b ita t Re se a rc h Are a s De signe d to e nc ompass the Pr ovide spac e whe r e r e se ar c h • • loc ations thr oughout the r e gion c an be c onduc te d on habitat with vulne r able be nthic fe atur e s type s and spe c ie s of par tic ular inte r e st Inte nde d to minimize the adve r se • e ffe c ts of fishing on de signate d Re se ar c h age nda inc lude s four • E sse ntial F ish Habitat the me s: impac ts, r e c ove r y, natur al distur banc e , pr oduc tivity Some ar e as e ntir e ly ne w; some • ar e modific ations of e xisting Some time s ove r lapping with • ar e as HMAs F ishing r e str ic tions foc use d on Ge ne r al r e str ic tions on fishing to • • ge ar type s that have the gr e ate st allow for r e se ar c h- dir e c te d impac t impac ts Re e valuation afte r an initial • pe r iod to de te r mine if ar e a should c ontinue Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 14

New or modified Habitat Management Areas Color e d a r e a s show ne w or modifie d HMAs tha t ha ve be e n r e c omme nde d by the Counc il’s Ha bita t Committe e . T he Committe e ha s r e que ste d modific a tions to the options in the Gr e a t South Cha nne l a nd the se a r e c ur r e ntly unde r de ve lopme nt. Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 15

Jeffreys Ledge and Stellwagen HMAs Je ffr e ys L e dge Ar e a de signe d to foc us on shallowe r le dge habitats and allow fishing ac c e ss in the de e pe r , muddie r ar e as in the nor thwe ste r n por tion. T he le dge itse lf c ontains gr ave l dominate d habitats mor e vulne r able to fishing than adjac e nt soft bottome d habitats Pr opose d as a mobile bottom te nding ge ar c losur e Ste llwage n Ar e a ove r laps with Ste llwage n Bank National Mar ine Sanc tuar y Ar e a de signe d to e nc ompass gr ave l dominate d habitats mor e vulne r able to fishing; e xte nt of the se habitats doc ume nte d in multibe am data Also pr opose d as a mobile bottom te nding ge ar c losur e Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 16

Cashes Ledge and Fippennies Ledge HMAs Modifie d Ca she s L e dg e a r e a shifts bounda r y to the e a st – de sig ne d to e nc ompa ss the ma jor ity of the sha llowe r le dg e a r e a s a nd a llow fishing a c c e ss in the de e pe r we ste r n por tion F ippe nnie s L e dg e a r e a de sig ne d to foc us on por tions of the le dg e whe r e g r a ve l substr a te s a r e pr e se nt Ca she s L e dg e a nd F ippe nnie s L e dg e pr opose d a s mobile bottom te nding g e a r c losur e s Amme n Roc k a r e a pr opose d for e nha nc e d pr ote c tions – no fishing zone Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 17

Platts Bank HMA Curre ntly ope n to fishing Pla tts Ba nk a re a s de sig ne d to foc us on portions of the ba nk whe re g ra ve l substra te s a re pre se nt Propose d a s a mobile bottom te nding g e a r c losure Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 18

Jeffreys Bank HMA Cur r e nt ha bita t a r e a imple me nte d via Ame ndme nt 13, or Pr opose d modific a tion de sig ne d to e nc ompa ss the sha llowe st a r e a s of Je ffr e ys Ba nk whe n c obble a nd boulde r -domina te d ha bita ts a r e most c ommon Both a r e a s pr opose d a s mobile bottom te nding g e a r c losur e s Ha ve g otte n some industr y fe e dba c k spe c ific to the ne w a r e a indic a ting a pr e fe r e nc e for the e xisting a r e a Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 19

Eastern Maine DHRA Would be ba se d on hig hly vulne ra ble ha bita ts ide ntifie d using Swe pt Are a Se a be d Impa c t mode l (re d/ pink a re a s) Bounda rie s a nd spe c ific g oa ls a nd obje c tive s unde r de ve lopme nt – PDT is me e ting on 3/ 6. Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 20

Groundfish management • Gr oundfish manage me nt (data sour c e s and e xample maps) o Juve nile gr oundfish habitat to pr ote c t c r itic al e nvir onme nts for juve nile fish sur vival • Re plac e e xisting ye ar r ound gr oundfish ar e as • Close d to ve sse ls using mobile bottom te nding ge ar s o Spawning ar e as • Re plac e r olling c losur e s and ye ar r ound gr oundfish ar e as • Close d to all fle e ts • Ame s r e sults Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 21

CATT Analyses • Ge ogr aphic al mode ling of juve nile gr oundfish distr ibution: de pth, te mpe r atur e , substr ate • F ishe r y ne t r e ve nue maps • Classify move me nt and spawning fr om tagging data Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 22

CATT Analyses • Re le va nt c a se studie s o Inte nde d e ffe c t o Ac tua l e ffe c ts • Ge og ra phic c luste r a na lysis o Sta te a nd F e de ra l surve ys o Obse rve r da ta Ma ine F ishe rme n’ s F o rum 2013/ 03/ 01 23

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