Structuring Species Closures that Work for Fishermen Kate Quigley Council Economist Ad Hoc Committee on Socio-Economic Impact of Yearly Closures July 24, 2013

What is the Issue? The recently implemented Accountability Measures (AMs) require that each year, the fishing season be shortened by an estimated number of days to prevent exceeding the Annual Catch Limit (ACL). Without further action by the Council, this will be accomplished with a shortened season for all species groupings exceeding the ACL.

Shortening seasons for multiple species or groups of species within an island group could result in substantially reduced fishing opportunities due to overlapping closures. All AM closures are presently established by starting on December 31 and counting back until the required number of days is reached. What is the Issue?

What is a Possible Solution? A better approach might be for the Council, in cooperation with affected user groups, to decide when closures should occur. – Potentially less negative effects on fishers and the communities they support – Fishermen better able to allocate fishing effort – Potentially fewer overlapping closures

Choosing Closure Dates How can the Council choose closure dates that benefit fishermen? Basic idea - 1) NMFS determines the season length that ensures the ACL will not again be exceeded 2) Council staff uses economic data to identify possible closure options that would: Eliminate the overage Have least economic impact on fishermen

3) Council members discuss and cross some options off the list if they interfere with important fishing times (Lent, holidays, other fishery openings) and other considerations for fishermen and the communities they support 4) Seek user-group input on preferred closures 5) Council decision made based on input from user-groups and other information ECONOMIC MODEL IS ONLY ONE PART OF THE PROCESS Choosing Closure Dates

Economic Model – Identifying Closure Options One user-friendly model for each island/island group and species/species group Model looks at economic importance of species/species group on a daily basis over the course of a year Type in pounds by which the ACL was exceeded and model identifies several options for closures that will decrease landings by those pounds but that also have smallest economic impacts on fishermen

Economic Model - Data What kind of data is it good to have for this model? – Fishermen fisheries participation – Revenues – Cost of fishing – Prices – Market information – Subsistence fishing information

Economic Model - Data Types of DataWhat we HaveWhat is Missing *Pounds Caught ✓ *Revenues ✓ *Prices ✓ Comm. Fisheries Participation ✓ Subsistence Fishing (species targeted) ✓ Cost of fishing over the year (labor, diesel) ✓ Market information (peak buying times) ✓ Important events ✓ Weather occurrences ✓ *Commercial Catch Reports

Economic Model Input & Output Input – Pounds – Years to use (most recent, last three averaged, last five averaged) Output – Graphs showing temporal patterns of fish valuations (these used to predict best closure dates) – Calendar showing closure options

Model Benefits Fishermen can identify closure dates that have not been provided as options and those can be evaluated to see: – If they achieve pounds decrease needed and – What the estimated economic effect in revenues lost is The model is a way for the Council and constituents to have a conversation about a mutually preferred closure date.

Future Model Benefits The model will be updated each year with new landings data. As more data and knowledge is gathered, the model will be revised and improved. Example: portfolio fishing information Can provide for quick info on economic effects when usually this process takes months. In this way, the Council and constituents can more quickly consider options.

Draft Timeline Present draft model for one species/species group for each island/island group to Council in August 2013 and get feedback Present full draft model to Council in December 2013 and get feedback Present “final” model in March 2014 if not available earlier

Summary To avoid a closure of many species/species groupings at once at the end of the year, the Council can create closure options for other times during the year. To facilitate this conversation, a user-friendly economic model can be developed that provides for a daily “valuation” of species/species groupings over the course of a year. It can be used to identify closure options with least economic effects. The economic model can be used as a starting point for the conversation between the Council and constituents in choosing a preferred closure

Questions & Comments

Recommendations to the Council Recommend that Council staff develop economic model to evaluate options for – STX : Move closure for lobster – STT and STJ : Move closure for grouper Olsen/Kojis Motion passes unanimously (For August 2013 mtg) Recommend that Council staff develop an economic model to evaluate options to move closure for Snapper Unit 2 for the December 2013 meeting Velazquez/Kojis Motion passes unanimously

Issues to Keep in Mind and Address Data available (commercial landings, revenue) is not sufficient and needs to be improved St. Thomas - Data on fisheries participation can be incorporated St. Thomas - Market information is available and can be incorporated Concern that closures will be permanent and not flexible year to year PR – Data on fisheries participation will differ by region. Can we incorporate this information STX – Dolphin fishing varies seasonally