"A Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) stock assessment update for black sea bass was completed in 2013, and suggests the annual catch limit (ACL) for this species could be increased based upon the new acceptable biological catch (ABC) levels recommended by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (South Atlantic Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). The stock assessment update indicates black sea bass is no longer undergoing overfishing, is not overfished, and the stock is rebuilt. Based on the outcome of the stock assessment update for black sea bass, the SSC applied the approved ABC control rule to black sea bass, revised P* to be 40%, and recommended new ABC values for 2013-2015. At their December 2012 meeting, the South Atlantic Council determined it would be appropriate to modify certain management measures that are currently in place for black sea bass including changes to the commercial and recreational fishing years. The South Atlantic Council is considering modification to black sea bass management measures in Regulatory Amendment 14 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Snapper Grouper FMP), which is currently being developed. The South Atlantic Council stated in Section 1.4 of the Comprehensive ACL Amendment that necessary changes to the ABCs, ACLs, annual catch targets (ACT), and accountability measures for snapper grouper species would be made through the framework procedure modified in Amendment 17B to the Snapper Grouper FMP, which is a more rapid process than a plan amendment. In Regulatory Amendment 19 to the Snapper Grouper FMP (Regulatory Amendment 19), the South Atlantic Council is proposing: adjustments to the ACLs (including sector ACLs), recreational ACT, and optimum yield for black sea bass based on the ABC recommendation of the SSC, which is supported by the recent stock assessment update; and an annual prohibition on the use of black sea bass pots from November 1 through April 30 to minimize the probability of interactions between black sea bass pot gear and Endangered Species Act-listed whales during large whale migrations and right whale calving season off the southeastern coast"--Summary (page iii).

"At their August 2011 meeting, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved Regulatory Amendment 11 for review by the Secretary of Commerce by a unanimous vote. The proposed action in Regulatory Amendment 11 is the elimination of a possession prohibition for six deepwater snapper-grouper species (snowy grouper, blueline tilefish, yellowedge grouper, misty grouper, queen snapper, and silk snapper) harvested in depths greater than 240 feet (40 fathoms) in the South Atlantic EEZ. The closure was implemented on January 31, 2011, through Amendment 17B to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 17B). The purpose of the harvest prohibition approved in Amendment 17B is to reduce discards of speckled hind and warsaw grouper. However, there is evidence, from both public comments and new analysis of data, that the prohibition is not effective at its stated purpose and comes at a higher economic cost to fishermen than originally anticipated. A new analysis of landings data following the implementation of the prohibition indicates that different measures would be more appropriate to reduce discards of speckled hind and warsaw grouper than those implemented through Amendment 17B. Therefore, the Council has developed Regulatory Amendment 11 to remove the harvest prohibition implemented through Amendment 178. The Council intends to approve a new amendment with more effective measures to reduce discards of speckled hind and warsaw grouper at its December 2012 meeting"--Cover letter; Portfolio comprised of three related PDF documents digitized and organized by: NOAA Office of Program Planning and Integration (PPI) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) staff.