Regulatory Amendment 16 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, Changes to the Seasonal Closure for the Black Sea Bass Pot Sector

Regulatory Amendment 16 contains an action to address the prohibition on the use of black sea bass pots annually from November 1 through April 30 that was implemented through Regulatory Amendment 19 and became effective on October 23, 2013. The prohibition was a precautionary measure to prevent interactions between black sea bass pot gear and whales listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) during large whale migrations and the right whale calving season off the southeastern coast. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, through Regulatory Amendment 16, is considering changing the length of the closure and changing the area of the closure. The goal is to minimize adverse socio-economic impacts to black sea bass pot endorsement holders while maintaining protection for ESA-listed whales in the South Atlantic region. The regulatory amendment contains another action to consider gear changes to black sea bass pots.