Spiny Lobster Bully Net Fishery

Transcription

1 Spiny Lobster Bully Net Fishery Public Workshops February 2015 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Marine Fisheries Management Photo courtesy of Ben Gutzler

2 Workshop Ground Rules All points of view are valid Behave with courtesy and respect Discuss the topic and not the person Phones off (or on vibrate) and side conversations outside Please direct questions and comments to FWC staff *A written survey will be handed out after the presentation, please fill it out before leaving

3 Workshop Format 1. Overview of the fishery 2. Management options 3. Next steps 4. Questions 5. Public input

4 Why Are We Here? FWC has received a series of requests from fishermen to consider changes to commercial regulations for the spiny lobster bully net fishery Receive feedback and discuss opinions of possible options

5 History of Bully Netting Lobster is 1 of Florida s top 3 most valuable commercial fisheries Culturally important fishery to South Florida Commercial harvest dates back to early 1800s Bully netting is one of the oldest methods of harvest Prominent in 1920s Development of the trap (1940s) and dive (1950s) fisheries More efficient Took large portion of the harvest

6 Trap Fishery Historically, trap landings consisted of greater than 90% of total catch Trap reduction program in place since 1993 Dive Fishery Late 1990s, landings shifted toward dive-related harvest Coupled with overall catch declines Some dive landings associated with illegal casita harvest CD endorsement was created to limit effort in the divebased fishery beginning in 2004

7 Bully Net Fishery A minor component of the commercial catch in recent history (<1% of commercial lobster harvest) Effort and landings expanded in 2013/2014 Only harvest method that has not undergone effort limitation regulations <1% 5% Commercial Lobster Gear Use Over Time 15% <1% 3% 4% 95% 85% 93% Trap Dive Bully Net 2013

8 General Commercial Lobster Regulations Requires SPL, RS, and either C# or CD Open season Aug 6 March 31 Minimum size limit of 3 carapace All spiny lobster in possession required to be whole Federal permit required to possess wrung tails Possession/stripping of egg-bearing lobster is prohibited May be harvested only by trap, diving, bully net, or hoop net Vessel limit of 250 by diving (south FL only) or bully net Commercial diving and working traps at night is prohibited Small incidental bycatch allowed from net or trawl

9 Potential Benefits of Regulations Reduce potential for user conflicts Between industry participants Between industry and non-industry user groups Maintain historic proportion of the catch for individual sectors Continue to promote the sustainability of the lobster fishery

10 Why Regulations May Not Be Necessary Bully netting is a somewhat self-limiting fishery Need clear, calm nights Provides an economically feasible entrance into the lobster fishery Preserves the culture of being able to participate in the Key s commercial lobster fishery

11 Management Options Create an endorsement for bully netting Limit time of day that bully net catch can be on a vessel Create a bully net season Modify vessel limit

12 Bully Net Endorsement Options Type of endorsement program None (status quo) Open access Limited entry with qualification requirements Limit bully net endorsements to vessel SPLs Vessel marking requirements Prohibit trap pullers on bully net boats Limit each endorsement to a single vessel Prohibit CD and trap certificate holders from also holding a bully net endorsement

13 Time of Day Limitation Bully netting is a nighttime fishing method Traps and CDs are daytime methods Bully net catch could only be on board from an hour before sunset to an hour after sunrise Similar to regulations that say CD holders and trappers can only harvest lobster during the day

14 Bully Net Season Bully netting occurs primarily in the early months of the lobster season Weather dependent harvest method Winter months not favorable to bully netting Cold at night Water not clear Setting a 2 3 month season would: Have a minimal impact on the fishery Improve enforcement capabilities

15 Decrease vessel limit Current vessel limit: 250 lobster/day : only 20% of commercial bully net trips landed 150 lobster or more Decreased limit will: Address harvest rates without an endorsement program Reduce opportunity for harvest by illegal methods 60% 55.1% % of total bully net landings by trip 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 25.3% 11.8% 5.8% 2.8% 0% Lobster/trip

16 Additional Management Alternatives Other ideas? Alternatives to regulations?

17 Next Steps Based on input from stakeholders, FWC staff will determine whether additional regulations are warranted If management changes are determined to be appropriate: A draft rule will be prepared and presented to the Commission and public for comment

18 Questions?

19 We Want Your Feedback! Bully net endorsement Limited entry or open access Limit to vessel SPL Vessel marking requirements Trap pullers on bully net vessels Time of day limitation Modify vessel limit Additional ideas Don t forget to fill out the written survey before you leave!

20 The following slides are considered back up material and are not anticipated to be part of the actual presentation

21 Lobster Landings by Sector 9,000,000 Commercial Spiny Lobster Harvest (pounds) 8,000,000 7,000,000 6,000,000 5,000,000 4,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 0 * Recreational Season * Recreational landings are not available for 2004/2005

22 Commercial Landings by Harvest Method Spiny Lobster Harvest (%) by Gear Unknown Other Bully Dive Trap 0 * * CD endorsement program began Season