Framework Amendment 2 to the Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas and St. John Fishery Management Plans: Updates to the Spiny Lobster Overfishing Limit, Acceptable Biological Catch, and Annual Catch Limit

Framework Amendment 2 to the Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas/St. John Fishery Management Plans (FMP) would modify the overfishing limit, acceptable biological catch, and annual catch limit for spiny lobster under each FMP consistent with results from the 2022 Update Assessment to the 2019 SEDAR 57 Spiny Lobster Stock Assessments.
Framework Amendment 2 modifies the OFL, ABC, and ACL for spiny lobster under each FMP consistent with results from the 2022 Update Assessment to the 2019 SEDAR 57 Spiny Lobster Stock Assessments and recommendations from the Caribbean Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). The Council accepted the SSC’s recommendation of a constant ABC based on the 3-year average of the ABCs projected for the years 2024-2026 and set the ACL equal to 95% of the ABC. The final rule updates the ACL for the spiny lobster stock under each FMP.