Gulf Coast Fisherman

March 3, 2008 (MASGP-08-001-03)

REGULATORY CHANGES FOR BYCATCH REDUCTION DEVICES

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries Service) has published a final rule making the following changes regarding bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) used by the shrimp fishery:

  • The BRD certification criterion is changed for the western Gulf of Mexico.
  • The BRD Testing Manuals (also known as the BRD Protocols) have been revised and consolidated.
  • New BRDs are certified for use in the shrimp fishery.

BRDs have been required in shrimp trawls since 1997 for the South Atlantic, since 1998 for the western Gulf of Mexico (western Gulf), and since 2004 for the eastern Gulf of Mexico (eastern Gulf). Both the Gulf of Mexico (GMFMC) and South Atlantic (SAFMC) Fishery Management Councils established Bycatch Reduction Device Testing Protocol Manuals, outlining procedures to test and certify additional BRDs. BRD certification criteria have differed by area. In the western Gulf, BRDs have been certified based on their ability to reduce red snapper bycatch. In the eastern Gulf, BRDs are certified if they reduce the weight of the finfish bycatch by at least 30 percent. Originally, BRDs were certified for the South Atlantic based on their effectiveness at reducing Spanish mackerel and weakfish, but in 2005, the SAFMC changed the criterion to a 30-percent finfish reduction.

The new rulemaking modifies the bycatch reduction certification criterion for the western Gulf to match the criterion of the eastern Gulf and South Atlantic. A BRD that reduces the weight of finfish in a trawl by 30 percent will be certified for use in the shrimp fishery of the western Gulf. This change makes the BRD certification criterion consistent throughout the jurisdiction of the GMFMC and SAFMC. In addition, NOAA Fisheries Service has created a “provisional certification” category for BRDs. A provisional certification would apply to a BRD that excludes at least 25 percent of the finfish by weight in a trawl. A provisional certification will allow the BRD to be used in the Gulf of Mexico or South Atlantic for 2 years. This time period allows additional wide-scale industry evaluation of the BRD to further refine the design or application of the BRD so it can eventually meet the 30 percent finfish exclusion rate to be fully certified.

With a consistent certification criterion throughout the southeast, NOAA Fisheries Service has consolidated and revised the BRD testing manuals for the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic. The original manuals spelled out rigorous “one-size-fits-all” testing procedures to be followed by every applicant. The primary change in the manual’s procedures now allows applicants to describe how they intend to test a new BRD. This allows additional flexibility for a specific test. In addition, NOAA Fisheries Service changed the statistical procedure used to evaluate the data collected during a test. The changes are intended to promote additional research on BRDs, while ensuring an acceptable level of statistical precision and accuracy in the results.

Based on the changes from this rulemaking, NOAA Fisheries Service has certified new and more effective BRDs for use in the shrimp fishery. The BRDs may be used in the fishery beginning March 14, 2008. The Modified Jones-Davis BRD is certified for use in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic regions. The Composite Panel BRD is provisionally certified for use in both areas as well, until February 13, 2010. In addition, the Extended Funnel BRD is currently certified for use in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic, but it is not certified for the western Gulf. With the change to the certification criterion for the western Gulf, the Extended Funnel BRD will be allowed in the western Gulf. However, recent tests in the Gulf of Mexico indicate the Extended Funnel BRD only meets the requirements to be provisionally certified. Therefore, the Extended Funnel BRD will be provisionally certified throughout the Gulf of Mexico through February 13, 2010. All the new tests on the Extended Funnel BRD were conducted in the Gulf of Mexico. The fishery in the South Atlantic is conducted in shallower water, using somewhat different gear and methods, and the bycatch is different from the bycatch found in the Gulf of Mexico fishery. Therefore, the results from the Gulf of Mexico tests do not apply to the South Atlantic, and the Extended Funnel BRD will remain certified for use in the South Atlantic.

For information regarding these new BRDs, please contact NOAA Fisheries Service’s Pascagoula Laboratory, Harvesting Technology Branch, 3209 Frederic Street, P.O. Drawer 1207, Pascagoula, Mississippi 39568; phone: (228) 762-4591. Copies of the final rule and the revised BRD Testing Manual are available by contacting NOAA Fisheries Service’s Southeast Regional Office at 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. The final rule can be obtained in electronic form from the Federal Register Web site: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html (do an advanced search for final rules using “AU59” as a keyword), and from the Southeast Regional Office Web site: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/sf.htm

FEDERAL DATA COLLECTIONS IN THE GULF SHRIMP FISHERY IN 2008

Federal Gulf shrimp permits are renewed annually. The application for renewal needs to be received within one year of the permit’s expiration date. The permit office can be reached by calling 1-877-376-4877 (toll free). Permit related information also can be found on the Web at: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.

Besides the annual permit renewal, every permit holder is required to complete and submit the following:

1. “Annual landings form” (Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Federal Permit Reporting Form):
This one-page form collects total annual shrimp landings in pounds and dollars by shrimp species harvested from state and federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This data collection is being introduced this year, asking for 2005, 2006, and 2007 information. In subsequent years, the request will only be for the previous year.

2. Gulf Shrimp Vessel & Gear Characterization Form:
This six-page form collects information about total annual fishing effort (such as number of trips, days at sea, and crew), and about the gear most commonly used during the past year (such as details on typical gear configuration, bycatch reduction device and turtle excluder device used, and on-board electronics). This year, information will be requested for both 2006 and 2007. In subsequent years, the request will only be for the previous year.

Both these forms are required for all permit holders. Please direct any questions to Rebecca Smith at (409) 766-3783. Forms are expected to be mailed beginning February 2008. The due date is April 30, 2008. In addition to the above forms, a small number of permit holders may be selected to participate in one or more additional data collections. These permit holders will be notified if selected for any of the additional data collections. If selected, participation is required for permit renewal.

MOBILE BAY WATERWAY INFORMATION ON LINE

The port of Mobile, Alabama has become the 14th in the U.S. to install the PORTS system of accurate, real-time meteorological and oceanographic data that boaters and ship operators can access for free. PORTS stand for Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System and was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to enhance maritime safety. In partnership with the Port of Mobile, NOAA installed monitoring devices that , every six minutes, update measurements of water level, currents, salinity, wind and bridge clearance. All of this data is quality controlled and available at Tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/ports

Sincerely,


Dave Burrage

Marine Resources Specialist
MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center