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Key Message:
NOAA Fisheries requests your comments on Amendment 3 to each of the Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas and St. John Fishery Management Plans (Amendment 3). For dolphinfish and wahoo, Amendment 3 and the proposed rule would establish minimum size limits for all fishing (commercial and recreational) and recreational bag limits in federal waters around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Comments on this amendment are due by November 5, 2024.
Summary of Proposed Changes:
Amendment 3 and the proposed rule would establish the following management measures.
For all fishing (commercial and recreational) in U.S. Caribbean federal waters:
- A 24-inch fork length minimum size limit for dolphinfish.
- A 32-inch fork length minimum size limit for wahoo.
For federal waters around Puerto Rico:
- A recreational bag limit of 5 dolphinfish per person per day, not to exceed 15 dolphinfish per vessel per day, whichever is less.
- A recreational bag limit of 5 wahoo per person per day, not to exceed 10 wahoo per vessel per day, whichever is less.
For federal waters around St. Croix and St. Thomas and St. John:
- A recreational bag limit of 10 dolphinfish per person per day, not to exceed 32 dolphinfish per vessel per day, whichever is less.
- A recreational bag limit of 2 wahoo per person per day, not to exceed 10 wahoo per vessel per day, whichever is less.
The purpose of Amendment 3 is to ensure dolphinfish and wahoo have adequate time to mature and reproduce, and to take a precautionary approach to management to protect against overfishing.
How to Comment on Amendment 3:
The comment period is open now through November 5, 2024. You may submit comments by electronic submission or by postal mail. Comments sent by any other method (such as e-mail), to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered by NOAA Fisheries.
Formal Federal Register Number: 89 FR 72794, published September 6, 2024
Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.
1. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/document/NOAA-NMFS-2024-0070-0002
2. Click the "Comment" icon and complete the required fields.
3. Enter or attach your comments.
Mail: Submit written comments to Sarah Stephenson, Southeast Regional Office, NOAA Fisheries, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is NOAA Fisheries announcing today?
- NOAA Fisheries is announcing a public comment period for Amendment 3 to add minimum size limits and recreational bag limits for dolphinfish and wahoo in U.S. Caribbean federal waters.
- The comment period on the Amendment 3 is open from September 6, 2024, through November 5, 2024.
- NOAA Fisheries will also publish a proposed rule to implement Amendment 3. Another fishery bulletin to request comments will be sent when the rule publishes. Comments on both Amendment 3 and the proposed rule will be considered in the final rule.
Why are we doing this proposed action?
- Dolphinfish and wahoo came under Federal fisheries management in 2022 under the Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas and St. John Fishery Management Plans. Each Fishery Management Plan and associated final rule established annual catch limits, annual catch targets, and accountability measures for dolphinfish and wahoo, but did not establish other management measures often used to limit harvest or effort such as minimum size limits or recreational bag limits.
- The Caribbean Fishery Management Council is concerned about the increasing opportunity for the overharvest of juvenile dolphinfish or wahoo as a result of the increasing influx and presence of Sargassum in the region. Sargassum is a type of floating brown algae that provides food, protection, and habitat for many marine species. Sargassum mats are natural fish aggregating devices for dolphinfish and wahoo, including juveniles of each species, making them easier to locate and catch by fishermen.
- The Caribbean Fishery Management Council is also concerned about the lack of information available on the recreational harvest of dolphinfish and wahoo, and the potential for excess harvest of the species to occur during recreational fishing trips.
- Through Amendment 3, NOAA Fisheries and the Caribbean Fishery Management Council are taking a precautionary approach to management to ensure dolphinfish and wahoo have adequate time to mature and reproduce and to protect against overfishing.
Where can I find more information on Amendment 3?
- Contact NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office
By Mail: Sarah Stephenson
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office
Sustainable Fisheries Division
263 13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505
By FAX: (727) 824-5308
By Phone: (727) 824-5305
- Amendment 3 may be found online at the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office Web site at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/amendment-3-puerto-rico-st-croix-and-st-thomas-and-st-john-fishery-management-plans.
Sign Up For Text Message Alerts - Find Out About Immediate Openings and Closures
NOAA's Text Message Alert Program allows you to receive important fishery related alerts via text message (SMS). Standard message & data rates may apply. You may opt-out at any time. Text alerts you may receive include:
- Immediate fishery openings and closures
- Any significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly
Sign up for one or more of the following groups:
- Gulf of Mexico Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts
- Text GULFRECFISH to 888777
- Gulf of Mexico Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts
- Text GULFCOMMFISH to 888777
- South Atlantic Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts
- Text SATLRECFISH to 888777
- South Atlantic Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts
- Text SATLCOMMFISH to 888777
- Caribbean Fisheries Related Alerts
- Text CARIBFISH to 888777
Quick Glance Contact List for the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office
Other contacts:
Media: Allison Garrett, 727-551-5750
NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Recreational Fishing Coordinator: Sean Meehan, 727-385-5202
