Amendment 4 to the Puerto Rico Fishery Management Plan: Reclassification of the Rainbow Runner as a Pelagic Fish
Summary
Amendment 4 reclassifies rainbow runner from the Reef Fish group to the Pelagic Fish group under the Puerto Rico Fishery Management Plan. This reclassification would update management by:
- Excluding rainbow runner from specific harvest constraints applicable to Reef Fish, including the Bajo de Sico seasonal area closure and the aggregate recreational bag limit;
- Establishing an annual catch target for each fishing sector (commercial and recreational) consistent with management of the Pelagic Fish group; and
- Modifying rainbow runner accountability measures to be consistent with those applied to the Pelagic Fish group under the Puerto Rico Fishery Management Plan.
This action is to ensure that the species is managed in accordance with its life history characteristics and fishing patterns, and that federal management is consistent with the Council’s management of pelagic species.