South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
Category Archives: South Atlantic
Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association awarded $5,000 in scholarships
This year the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association awarded $5,000 in scholarships from Key Largo to Key West. Proceeds were raised from the Florida Keys Seafood Festival in January and sales of the cookbook “Ocean Flavors and More.”Five students received $1,000 each, including Catherine Guninovart of Coral Shores High School, Ariel Jesus Rodriguez and Sean Roussin of Marathon Middle High School, and Kayla Geide and William DeSantis Jr. of Key West High School.
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council doubles catch limit for black sea bass
“The council had a special meeting in May via webinar to approve this, as soon as the stock assessment had been reviewed,” she said. “The intent is that this increase would go into effect before the current catch limit is met. From the information we’ve received, there really isn’t a reason we foresee that this wouldn’t be approved.” continued @ Star News online
Two Hialeah men arrested on charges of poaching 468 lobsters
Two Hialeah men have been popped on charges of poaching 468 Florida spiny lobsters out of season, more than half of them undersized. continued @ MiamiHerald.com
News Release: Coast Guard to boaters in Tropical Storm Andrea’s path: prepare now
The Coast Guard is urging the maritime community and the boating public to track Tropical Storm Andrea’s progress and take early action to protect themselves and their vessels. Extremely high seas, heavy rains, flooding and damaging winds that accompany tropical storms and hurricanes present serious hazards to mariners. Here are a few tips to help mariners protect themselves, their families and their vessels: continued
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were busy busting poachers during the “For Future Generations,” operation
keysnews.com – State fishery managers have wrapped up a more than month-long mutton snapper spawn operation in which 52 vessels were inspected and 15 misdemeanor fishing violations and 12 routine boating citations were issued. continued
SC considers seafood origins truth-in-advertising bill
the state.com – If those tasty crustaceans smothered by grits in South Carolina restaurants are from Florida, the restaurant owner would be breaking the law by calling them “local” shrimp, under a change working its way through the Legislature. continued
Commercial shrimp season opened today; Beaufort Co. shrimpers optimistic
The commercial trawling season for white roe shrimp opens today in South Carolina waters, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. DNR decides when to open the season based on factors such as spawning, growth and weather.The past few months have been unusually cool, slowing shrimp growth, according to Mel Bell, director of the Office of Fisheries Management. But the shrimp, although slightly smaller than usual, are spawning on schedule, he said. continued
Fisherynation.com Editorial: The Great Atlantic Sturgeon Debacle
This Sturgeon debacle should serve as a pretty clear indication of how our fisheries “management” system works, or more to the point, how it doesn’t work.
How, by any stretch of regulation protocol, methodology, or just plain ol’ administrative integrity, can NOAA declare a species to be endangered without an assessment? Perhaps NOAA’s luminous legal department, Lois Schiffer, could give us the “legal” justification,,,continued
Yellowtail Snapper harvest might increase – Allocation for the commercial segment would rise by nearly 460,000 pounds
keysnet.com – After it took an emergency rule to keep Florida’s commercial harvest of yellowtail snapper open through all of 2012, federal managers want to boost the allowable catch. The National Marine Fisheries Service now proposes to establish an annual catch limit of 3 million pounds of whole yellowtail, up from 2.2 million pounds. Allocation for the commercial segment would rise by nearly 460,000 pounds, to 1.59 million pounds of yellowtail. continued
NOAA concedes:sturgeon not endangered, after all
Without a stock assessment and to howls of outrage by industry and questions about the justification of the action by the New England Fishery Management Council, NOAA approved a petition by the Natural Resources Defense Council 15 months ago that granted Atlantic sturgeon protection under the Endangered Species Act. Now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration decided that its Jan. 31, 2012 action — declaring the sturgeon endangered along the entire Atlantic Coast except in the Gulf of Maine, where it was only “threatened” — was premature and may not have been necessary. continued
ASMFC 2013 Spring Meeting Tuesday, May 21, 2013 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM EDT – Listen via webinar
Webinar Registration The webinar will provide audio and visual access to the proceedings of the ASMFC management boards meeting from May 20-23, 2013. For a detailed agenda and meeting materials, go to http://www.asmfc.org/spring2013Mtg.htm. Register to listen The eel management board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is voting Tuesday on proposed new regulations. The three options are to keep the status quo, close the fishery or set a catch quota.
A welcome goodbye to a bleak stone-crab season – Florida Keys commercial fleet.
KeyNet.comBut we never had a winter,” he said. “It went from fall to summer. The first cold front didn’t hit until March.” For unknown reasons, it has been a banner season for octopus, a predator of stone crabs in the Keys and all al
ong the state’s Gulf of Mexico coast. “When the octopus season went ballistic, the crabs either got attacked or dug themselves in,” Hill said. continued
Stone crabs season turns sour after a super start – Poor harvest called lousy luck, nothing more
When commercial fisherman Shane Dooley of Pine Island pulled his first stone crab trap of the season on Oct. 15, he laughed out loud. It was loaded with crabs. “We want ’em all like that one, baby,” he said. Florida’s stone crab season ends today, and it didn’t fulfill its first-day potential: Fishermen got a few weeks of good landings, but then the crabbing died. continued
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Approves Increases for Black Sea Bass Annual Catch Limits
In a compromise vote, the Council approved an increase from the current limit of 847,000 pounds (all measures in whole weight) to 1,814,000 pounds. . continued
Shrimper ready for Blessing – F/V Miss Alena will be the lead boat Brunswick Ga. 75th Annual Blessing of the Fleet 3 p.m. Sunday
Looking at his office wall, Speedy Tostensen admires all the pictures of his shrimp boats.Some are newspaper clippings in black and white. Others are photos in bright, vibrant colors that show off the fishing boats he decorated for special events such as the Blessing of the Fleet procession in East River Sunday. All of the photos are from the past, including the Brunswick Spring Fiesta – a city-hosted festival held in the 1980s at Mary Ross Waterfront Park in conjunction with the annual Blessing of the Fleet. continued
Stone crab season closes May 16 in Florida
The commercial and recreational harvest of stone crab claws in Florida closes on May 16, with the last day of harvest on May 15. This closure occurs each year during the species’ peak spawning season to help protect and sustain Florida’s valuable stone crab resource. Stone crab season will reopen on Oct. 15. continued
Popular red snapper makes a comeback
South Florida Sun-Sentinel – WASHINGTON – Over 18 years of running Old Dixie Seafood in Boca Raton, Larry Siemsen has seen supplies of locally caught red snapper dwindle and prices double, thanks to decades of over-fishing and recent federal restrictions to help the popular fish recover. But now the red snapper is making a comeback near Florida’s shores, saved by those strict federal limits. And Florida anglers, state officials and boat captains — who say they’re finding far more big, healthy snappers – are clamoring for looser limits on this favorite for catching and eating. Not so fast, conservationists say continued
New Georgia law puts redfish off limits to commercial fishing
The Times-Union – Monday, Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law House Bill 36, sponsored by Rep. Ben Watson, R-Savannah. It formally designates the red drum as a “game fish,” limiting it to recreational fishing. continued
Bill Kelly, Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association, to lobby against annual catch limits at “Managing Our Nation’s Fisheries” Conference
keysnews.com – “I’m going to address annual catch limits, and their effects on the commercial fishing industry,” Kelly said. “We want to make sure fishery management is based on sound science.” continued
South Atlantic Red rules under review by the NMFS (noaa fisheries is not an agency)
Miami Herald – NOAA proposes to develop an equation to determine the annual catch limit for both the commercial and recreational sectors if fishing is allowed. But first it plans to establish whether last summer’s mini-season resulted in too many landings and dead discards. continued
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary rule groups meet
keysnews.com – Three committees reviewing the rules of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary are closing in on their formal recommendations. continued
Thousands of illegal lobster condos called casitas still line seafloor off the Florida Keys
keysnews.com – The removal of illegal lobster condos called casitas from the waters off the Florida Keys has come after extensive criminal investigations and at the cost of those convicted of placing them on the seafloor.Between 1,200 and 1,500 casitas — which were built out of PVC piping, concrete blocks and in some cases hurricane shutters and highway guardrails — were removed from the Gulf of Mexico nearshore waters of the Keys between 2009 and 2012, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) law enforcement officers. continued
Jellyfish-catching operation gets trial run in Port Royal
the beaufortgazzette.com – The glistening, slimy, pink and gray orbs plopped one after another off the conveyor belt into a white plastic container, where Mark Smith waited to shovel chips of ice on top of the “jellyballs.” continued
Carteret County Marine Fisheries Advisory Board adopts resolution opposing game fish House Bill 983
JDNews.com – BEAUFORT — An advisory panel in Carteret County has gone on record against a proposed game fish bill saying it would hurt the consumers of local seafood as well as the state’s commercial fishermen. The Carteret County Marine Fisheries Advisory Board adopted a resolution Tuesday night opposing the portions of House Bill 983 that propose to designate red drum, spotted sea trout and striped bass as coastal game fish. continued
Grouper Fishing Opens May 1 In Florida Atlantic Waters
BrevardTimes.com – Species included in the recreational and commercial opening are gag, black, red, yellowmouth, yellowfin and tiger grouper; scamp; red hind; rock hind; coney; and graysby. State waters in the Atlantic are from shore to 3 miles out. continued
Snapper and grouper fishermen in the Keys don’t want proposed vessel monitoring systems, likening them to ‘an ankle bracelet.’
Miami Herald – Keys commercial fishers unanimously opposed mandatory satellite tracking while fishing for snapper and grouper in the South Atlantic at a meeting Wednesday in Key Largo. Key West fisherman Daniel Padron likened the VMS proposal to being under house arrest. “I have done no criminal action in Southeast Florida and I don’t deserve an ankle bracelet,” Padron said. “When the bad guys are caught, slap a VMS on their boat.” “You need to put your efforts into monitoring the recreational sector,” Stieglitz said. “You can’t run a fishery on just what the commercial fishermen are doing. You have no idea what recreational fishermen are doing.” continued
The Lee Brothers show you how to hold an oyster roast
RALEIGH, N.C. — You can’t roast oysters without one piece of essential equipment: a pint of beer. That’s the first lesson I learned from award-winning cookbook authors Matt and Ted Lee, who let me persuade them to show me how to throw an oyster roast. Oyster roasts are a culinary tradition in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, where the Lee brothers grew up. The Lees were in town on a recent swing through North Carolina promoting their latest cookbook, “The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen.” continued
The Miami Herald | EDITORIAL – OUR OPINION: No time for Florida to increase fishing days
On Wednesday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will consider having a 44-day fishing season for red snapper within state waters — up to nine miles from shore. That’s the wrong call. continued
Group gathers support for Fisheries Investment and Regulatory Relief Act
“How stupid was I?” Still, it was too rough to fish on Monday so he met with a representative of the Pew Environment Group, which supports the bill, for the first of a series of meetings to gather information and support in South Carolina. The Pew Environment Group opposes amending Magnuson-Stevens, he noted. continued
