Comprehensive Fishery Management Plans for Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. John, and St. Croix

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council has submitted the Comprehensive Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Puerto Rico Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (Puerto Rico FMP), the Comprehensive FMP for the St. Thomas and St. John EEZ (St. Thomas and St. John FMP), and the Comprehensive FMP for the St. Croix EEZ (St. Croix FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, theses three new FMPs would repeal the existing U.S. Caribbean-wide FMPs: the Reef Fish FMP, the Spiny Lobster FMP, the Queen Conch FMP, and the Coral FMP. Each new island FMP will include all fishery management measures (e.g. seasonal and area closures, size and bag limits) presently included in the Spiny Lobster, Reef Fish, Queen Conch, and Coral FMPs that are applicable to that island’s EEZ as well as new and/or updated measures specific to each island’s EEZ/island group . These new/updated measures include a revised list of managed species and stock/stock complex organization, new status determination criteria (SDC) and management reference points, new or updated accountability measures (AM), essential fish habitat (EFH) descriptions for species new to management, and updated framework procedures.