Meeting Notice
December 23, 2021
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will host a hybrid (virtual and in-person) meeting of its Reef Fish Advisory Panel. The meeting will convene from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, EST on January 5 and from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, EST on January 6, 2022. The meeting will be held at the Council Office located at 4107 West Spruce Street, Suite 200, Tampa, Florida 33607.
Virtual attendees can register for the meeting, here. Members of the public are welcome to attend in-person. In effort to promote a safe meeting experience, in-person attendees will be required to wear masks and socially distance while moving about the Council offices and meeting space. Attendees may remove masks when seated or when providing public comment.
The Reef Fish Advisory Panel will address the following:
Reef Fish and Individual Fishing Quota Program landings
Staff from NOAA’s Southeast Regional Office will present the Panel with a current summary of reef fish and commercial Individual Fishing Quota program landings.
Gag Grouper
The Panel will review results from the most recent gag grouper stock assessment (SEDAR 72) and recommendations from the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee on new overfishing limit and acceptable biological catch levels. The panel will also hear a summary of feedback gathered through the Council’s Fisherman Feedback (Something’s Fishy) Tool on gag grouper. The Panel is expected to discuss gag grouper and make management recommendations.
Scamp Grouper
The Panel will review results from the most recent scamp grouper stock assessment (SEDAR 68) and recommendations from the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee. The panel will also hear a summary of feedback gathered through the Council’s Fisherman Feedback (Something’s Fishy) Tool on scamp grouper. The Panel is expected to discuss scamp grouper and make management recommendations.
Greater Amberjack
The Panel will review projections from the most recent greater amberjack stock assessment (SEDAR 70) and recommendations from the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee for new overfishing limit and acceptable biological catch levels. The panel will also hear a summary of feedback gathered through the Council’s Fisherman Feedback (Something’s Fishy) Tool on greater amberjack. The Panel is expected to discuss greater amberjack and make management recommendations.
Yellowtail Snapper
The Panel will review and make recommendations on South Atlantic Snapper Grouper Amendment 44 and Gulf Reef Fish Amendment 55 which considers modifying yellowtail snapper catch limits, jurisdictional allocation, South Atlantic sector allocation, and South Atlantic commercial management measures.
Southeast For-Hire Integrated Electronic Reporting Program
The Panel will discuss the potential for using COLREGs demarcation lines as a boundary for hail-out requirements for federally permitted for-hire vessel reporting. The Panel will also discuss the benefits and limitations on auto-populated reporting forms. Finally, the Panel will review the Draft Framework Action to modify location reporting requirements to allow vessels to continue fishing if their vessel location monitoring equipment fails.
Vermillion Snapper
The Panel will review and make recommendations on a Framework Action that considers modifying vermilion snapper overfishing limit, acceptable biological catch, and annual catch limits.
Commercial Electronic Logbook Program
The Panel will hear a presentation and make recommendations on updates to the Commercial Electronic Logbook Program.
Public comment will be held in-person and over the webinar before the meeting adjourns.
For an agenda and meeting materials, click here.
Register for the webinar here.