Can the CFMC Really Expect to Manage Caribbean Resources

Unless Significant Changes Occur?

“If you build it they will come”Have ACLs become a target for reporting

rather than a landings target?

What Next?• ACL’s are now in effect (only in Federal waters?).• CFMC has implemented closures for ACL over runs.• Why should fishermen pay for governmental errors ?

– PR snapper, addition of recreational landings to commercial.– DPNR failure to implement the St. Thomas trap reduction

program, we hear Federal waters to be closed if not implemented.

– Grouper closure despite fishermen support and success of Hind Bank MCD,

– DFW omission of species on data forms. – SEFSC data management issues?

• Questions remain about data being submitted and data handling once submitted.

• Experimental Design for port sampling-where is it?• Co-management or continued Top-Down management?• Just what is co-management?• How to rebuild trust.

MARFIN/CCRTotal Landings Fish Traps

y = 0.936xR2 = 0.7179

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

MARFIN

CCR

MARFIN/CCR Lobster Landings Lobster Traps

y = 0.9635xR2 = 0.7497

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

MARFIN

CCR

MARFIN/CCRTotal Landings Hand line

y = 1.0106xR2 = 0.8252

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

MARFIN

CCR

MARFIN/CCRTotal Landings Seine Net

y = 0.9799xR2 = 0.8674

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

MARFIN

CCR

In 2006 St. Thomas Fishermen were reporting accurately

Are Landings Really Dropping?

• St. Croix conch in 2007 was 240,000 lbs. Now under 50,000?

• St. Croix parrotfish was 360,000 lbs. Now under 180,000?

• Fishermen ask why grouper closures when there is a virtual plague of Red Hind in the market place and Red Hind (a low risk fish) are now the most frequent source of St. Thomas Ciguatera cases in the emergency room.

Virgin Islands Spiny Lobster Landings

19741976

19781980

19821984

19861988

19901992

19941996

19982000

20022004

20062008

20100

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

St. Croix ACL= 107,307 lbs

St. Thomas/St. John ACL= 104,199 lbs

Year

Land

ings

(lbs

)2007

Virgin Islands Snapper Landings

19981999

20002001

20022003

20042005

20062007

20082009

20102011

2012

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

St. Croix St. Thomas

Snap

per L

andi

ng

2007

St. Croix ACL 102,946 lbs. St. Thomas/St. John ACL 133,775 lbs.

St. Thomas Grouper Landings (Estimated and Reported)

19741976

19781980

19821984

19861988

19901992

19941996

19982000

20022004

20062008

20102012

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

SEFSC Grouper Estimated Grouper

St. Thomas/St. John ACL 51,849

2007

How to Regain Confidence in DataRebuilding Trust on Both Sides

• Right now self-reporting is not working because there is no oversight.

• Current St. Thomas data forms were based upon reference to port sampling and there doesn’t appear to be much port sampling at present. How can ACL status be determined?

• Port sampling needs to be initiated by DFW not at the convenience of the fishermen. Fishermen only calling when catches are small.

• “Verification” sampling to supplement full port sampling.

• Apparent SEFSC initiative in this area.

What is Co-Management?• End to “tokenism” in involving fishermen. Need to find more

meaningful way for participation.• Fishermen should be compensated for their time just like the

government and scientific participants.• Formats for shared experience with analysts and stakeholders

prior to management recommendation. Sitting in a room at SEDAR does not accomplish this.

• End to SSC reluctance to make management recommendations.• Streamlining process so that “risky” decisions can be addressed in

a reasonable period and SSC/CFMC are not discouraged from taking chances.

• Enforce regulations on importers, not just fishermen• There must also be other aspects as well.

89 mmLobster

Tail