2022 Standardized Bycatch Reduction Methodology (SBRM) Five-Year Review

Background

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council have specified SBRMs for all FMPs. A final rule, effective on March 21, 2017, requires Regional Fishery Management Councils (Councils) to explain, in an FMP or a fishery research plan, how the current SBRMs meet the statutory purpose of an SBRM based on an analysis of four required considerations, including:

1. Bycatch characteristics
2. Feasibility of methodology (from a cost, technical, and operational perspective)
3. Data uncertainty
4. Data use for assessing amount and type of bycatch.

The Councils, in consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), must review the current SBRMs within five years of the final rule effective date (February 2017), and must conduct follow up reviews at least once every five years. Workgroups for each of the three Councils were assembled to compose these five-year reviews. Workgroups consisted of individuals from the NMFS Southeast Regional Office, NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center, and the Councils. Using the four criteria outlined in the final rule, these workgroups analyzed the current SBRMs in the documents linked to below. These reports use data from the 2015-2019 fishing years, where available, as in most cases it represents the most recent and complete dataset available. The information included in these documents constitutes the review required by the SBRM final rule.

Findings

The workgroups presented the SBRM five-year review to each of the respective Councils for a determination of the adequacy of current SBRMs in each FMP to meet the statutory purpose of an SBRM based on the four requirements. The Councils findings were as follows:

• Caribbean Fishery Management Council:  The SBRMs for all FMPs were determined to meet the statutory purpose based on the four requirements. NMFS concurred with these findings.  Read the Caribbean SBRM Five-Year Review Here
• Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council: The SBRMs for all FMPs were determined to meet the statutory purpose based on the four requirements. NMFS concurred with these findings. Read the Gulf of Mexico SBRM Five-Year Review Here
• South Atlantic Fishery Management Council: The SBRMs for all FMPs were determined to meet the statutory purpose based on the four requirements. NMFS concurred with these findings. Read the South Atlantic SBRM Five-Year Review Here