Amendment 10 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Coral, Coral Reefs, and Live/Hard Bottom Habitat of the South Atlantic Region

The proposed action would establish a shrimp fishery access area (SFAA) along the eastern boundary of the northern extension of the Oculina Bank Habitat Area of Particular Concern (OHAPC) where trawling for rock shrimp is currently prohibited. Within the proposed SFAA, a shrimp vessel with a valid limited access commercial vessel permit for rock shrimp would be allowed to bottom trawl for rock shrimp. Coral Amendment 10 would help achieve optimum yield in the South Atlantic rock shrimp portion of the shrimp fishery and increase economic and social benefits to rock shrimp fishermen by increasing access to historic rock shrimp fishing grounds, while maintaining protection of the Oculina deep water coral ecosystems.