NOAA Ecosystem Goal Fisheries Management Program

1
NOAA Ecosystem GoalFisheries Management Program
Performance Measures and Strategic Planning
CCC Briefing February 2009
2
Performance Measures

• NOAA Fisheries has a number of performance
  measures used to support the budget and track
  agency performance
• The work of the Regional Fishery Management
  Councils contributes to this performance in a
  number of areas

3

Performance Measures most relevant to the
Regional Fishery Management Councils p1

• Improving Stock Status
• Increase the Fish Stock Sustainability Index
  (GPRA measure, for use by FMCs) - Components for
  this measure include knowing the status of a
  stock, whether it is overfished or subject to
  overfishing, and what the estimated biomass level
  is relative to the biomass that produces the
  maximum sustainable yield (Bmsy).
• Percentage of Fish Stocks, known to be subject to
  Overfishing for longer than one year, with
  improved management measures to end overfishing
  in place. This focuses on getting management
  measures quickly in place to end overfishing once
  the status determination is made.
• Percentage of required ACL amendments for
  overfishing stocks implemented on schedule.
• Ecosystem Approaches to Management
• Percentage of existing fishery management plans
  (FMPs) reviewed within the past five years to
  update essential fish habitat (EFH) information
  per the EFH regulatory guidelines. (Habitat
  Conservation Program PM)
• Fishery Sustainability Index (FSI) (In
  Development) This measure is intended to
  include the socio-economic health on fishing
  communities as well as the ecological fitness of
  the fish stocks within that fishery.

4

Performance Measures most relevant to the
Regional Fishery Management Councils p2

• Fisheries Information
• Number of fisheries regulated through the use of
  permits.
• Number of fisheries with adequate catch data.
• Number of fisheries with adequate social and
  economic data.
• Catch Shares
• Number of fisheries managed under Limited Access
  Privilege Programs.
• The percentage of overfished stocks with
  rebuilding plans implemented as required.

5
Performance Measures most relevant to the
Regional Fishery Management Councils p3

• Bycatch Reduction
• Number of key fisheries that meet bycatch
  reduction goals. - High-priority fisheries are
  those fisheries where bycatch is (1) a
  significant biological concern (i.e., related to
  an overfished fishery or a fishery with an
  incidental take statement) (2) an economic
  concern (i.e., a fishery that closes prematurely
  due to excessive bycatch) and/or (3) of special
  concern to the Assistant Administrator of NOAA
  Fisheries.
• Number of additional bycatch reduction
  engineering projects whose results are
  incorporated into management systems.
• International
• Number of partnerships with non-Federal entities,
  including foreign governments that implement
  and/or support international conservation and
  management of fisheries.
• Outreach and Education
• Number of outreach and education activities
  completed.

6
Key Performance Measures

• The following slides present more detail on some
  of the most important performance measures
• Number of LAPP programs (Catch Shares)
• FSSI
• Annual Catch Limit implementation
• Essential Fish Habitat 5 year updates

7
Catch Shares

• Catch shares are designed to promote economic and
  ecologically sustainable fishery management
  practices by supporting a direct link between the
  long-term ecological health of the fisheries and
  economic health of those fishing communities.
• Catch shares include Limited Access Privilege
  Programs (LAPPs).
• NMFS is continuing to work towards its goal of
  doubling the number of LAPPs (from 8 to 16) by
  2011.
• Performance Measure Number of fisheries managed
  under Limited Access Privilege Programs.

8
Number of Fisheries Managed Under Limited Access
Privilege Programs (12) as of CY 1st quarter 2009

• New England
• Georges Bank Cod Hook Gear Sector
• Georges Bank Cod Fixed Gear Sector
• Atlantic Sea Scallop General Category IFQ
• Northeast Groundfish Multispecies Sector Program

• North Pacific
• Pacific Halibut Sablefish
• Western Alaska Community Development Quota
• Bering Sea Pollack (AFA) Cooperatives
• Bering Sea King and Tanner Crab
• Central GOA Rockfish Pilot Program
• Bering Sea Groundfish Cooperative

• Mid-Atlantic
• Surf Clam and Ocean Quohog
• Golden Tilefish IFQ

Pacific 1. Pacific Sablefish Permit Stacking
Program 2. West Coast Groundfish Trawl TIQ

• South Atlantic
• Wreckfish

Western Pacific None
Caribbean None

• Gulf of Mexico
• Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper IFQ
• Gulf of Mexico Grouper and Tilefish IFQ

U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration National Marine
Fisheries Service Office of Sustainable Fisheries
Blue In Development
9
Fish Stock Sustainability Index

• The FSSI is a performance measure for the
  sustainability of 230 U.S. fish stocks selected
  for their importance to commercial and
  recreational fisheries.
• The FSSI will increase as overfishing is ended
  and stocks rebuild to the level that provides
  maximum sustainable yield.
• The FSSI is calculated by assigning a score for
  each fish stock based on the five following
  criteria
• Overfished status is known
• Overfishing status is known
• Overfishing is not occurring (for stocks with
  known overfishing status)
• Stock biomass is above the overfished level
  defined for the stock
• Stock biomass is at or above 80 of the biomass
  that produces maximum sustainable yield (BMSY)2
  

10
Fish Stock Sustainability Index
11
Annual Catch Limits

• The development and implementation of ACLs is
  intended as a measure to end overfishing, as
  required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
  Conservation and Management Act.
• Performance Measure Percentage of required ACL
  amendments for overfishing stocks implemented on
  schedule.
• All stocks subject to overfishing are required to
  have ACLs in place in 2010.
• All other stocks are required to have ACLs in
  place by 2011.

12
Stocks Subject to Overfishing and Required to
Have ACLs in Place in 2010 (32) as of CY 1st
quarter 2009

• New England
• Cod Gulf of Maine
• Cod Georges Bank
• Yellowtail flounder Georges Bank
• Yellowtail flounder Southern New England/Middle
  Atlantic
• Yellowtail flounder Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine
• White Hake
• Winter Flounder Georges Bank
• Winter Flounder Southern New England/Middle
  Atlantic
• Thorny Skate

Indicates non-FSSI stock Blue Also
Overfished NOTE This map does not include the
results of GARM III. Northeast multispecies
stock status is based on GARM II (assessed in
2005).
North Pacific None

• Highly Migratory
• Species
• Sandbar Shark
• Dusky Shark
• Blacknose Shark
• Shortfin Mako - Atlantic

Pacific None

• South Atlantic
• Vermilion Snapper
• Red Snapper
• Snowy Grouper
• Tilefish
• Red Grouper
• Black Sea Bass
• Gag
• Black Grouper
• Speckled Hind
• Warsaw Grouper

Western Pacific None

• Caribbean
• Snapper Unit 1
• Grouper Unit 1
• Grouper Unit 4
• Queen Conch
• Parrotfishes

• Gulf of Mexico
• Red Snapper
• Greater Amberjack
• Gag
• Gray Triggerfish

U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration National Marine
Fisheries Service Office of Sustainable Fisheries
13
Essential Fish Habitat

• Performance Measure Percentage of existing
  fishery management plans (FMPs) reviewed within
  the past five years to update essential fish
  habitat (EFH) information per the EFH regulatory
  guidelines. (Habitat Conservation Program
  Performance Measure).
• This Performance Measure was added in 2008. The
  Fishery Management Councils and NMFS are mandated
  to periodically review the EFH provisions of FMPs
  and revise or amend those provisions no less than
  every five years.
• There are several key issues the Councils and/or
  NMFS should evaluate that could affect existing
  EFH identifications and descriptions. These may
  include
• Changes to the status of species (overfished or
  rebuilt),
• Changes to restoration techniques that would
  allow historic ranges to be restored,
• New information about the species and/ or
  lifestage distribution, abundance, density,
  productivity, or habitat associations,
• New analytical techniques such as modeling
  applications or mapping applications,
• New information on habitat types not previously
  considered,
• Changes in where, when or how gear is used in a
  fishery,
• Improved information about how gear is used, or
• New information about the effects of gear on
  habitat.

14
Performance Reporting for Grants

• Identification of specific performance goals
• - stocks that require ACLs in 2010
• - ACLs required for 2011
• - LAPP/Catch Share programs
• - EFH updates for each FMP
• Etc
• Report progress and accomplishments in quarterly
  grants reporting