Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Coral, Coral Reefs, and Live/Hard Bottom Habitats of the South Atlantic Region; Coral Amendment 10

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 10 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Coral, Coral Reefs, and Live/Hard Bottom Habitats of the South Atlantic Region (Coral FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), Amendment 10 to the Coral FMP (Coral Amendment 10) 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. Coral Amendment 10 would increase access to historic rock shrimp fishing grounds while maintaining protection of the Oculina deep-water coral ecosystems, provide increased socio-economic benefits to fishers, and increase the likelihood of achieving optimum yield (OY) in the rock shrimp portion of the South Atlantic shrimp fishery.