Dem Approves Application Submitted By RI Fluke Conservation Cooperative For Participation In Summer Flounder Sector Allocation Pilot Program

Dem Approves Application Submitted By Ri Fluke Conservation Cooperative For Participation In Summer Flounder Sector Allocation Pilot Program

Friday, April 17th, 2009 at 2:38 PM

Dem Approves Application Submitted By RI Fluke Conservation Cooperative For Participation In Summer Flounder Sector Allocation Pilot Program
Providence, RI. -(FishNLand.com)- The RI Department of Environmental Management has approved the application of the Rhode Island Fluke Conservation Cooperative (RIFCC) to participate in a 37-week summer flounder sector allocation pilot program.

The purpose of the experimental program is to assess the effectiveness and viability of a catch-share approach as an alternative to traditional quota management. The approach offers a promising new way to support fishermen, and the resource they depend upon, by reducing discards, improving economic efficiencies, and supporting safety at sea.

Two months ago, DEM adopted regulations that allowed any group of licensed commercial fishermen from RI to form a sector and apply for participation in the program, pursuant to a detailed set of application requirements. The regulations were adopted following a public hearing process and review by the RI Marine Fisheries Council. DEM Director W. Michael Sullivan’s detailed decision memo, which set forth the reasons for his decision to move forward with the experimental program, is posted on the Department’s website at: http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/pdf/dirsectr.pdf

The Department received one application, from the RIFCC, and after careful review in accordance with the review criteria set forth in the regulations, the Department approved the application, subject to some relatively minor adjustments, with an allowable start date of April 12.

The pilot program participants include the following eight vessels: F/V Elizabeth Helen, F/V Grandville Davis, F/V Kelsi Morgan, F/V Linda Marie, F/V Ocean State, F/V Restless, F/V Thistle, and F/V Virginia Marise. The owners and operators of all eight vessels have entered into a fully executed sector contract, which binds them to all of the terms and conditions of their operations plan. The eight vessels are all legally established members of the RIFCC, which is controlled by a Board of Directors. Christopher Brown is the Board-appointed sector manager.

In accordance with the DEM regulations governing the pilot program, the sector participants are authorized to commercially harvest and land summer flounder in Rhode Island in any amount, up to the amount of their sector allocation, at any time of year, until the allocation is fully harvested, subject only to a total allowable catch limit established for the summer season. The participants will not be bound by the traditional quota management program restrictions involving daily and weekly possession limits and sub-period closures.

The allocation for the RIFCC for the 37-week period running from April 12 to December 31, 2009 is 176,370 pounds. That amount was established by taking the average amount of summer flounder (as a percentage of Rhode Island’s total commercial quota) harvested by the program participants over the past five years, applying that percentage to Rhode Island’s total commercial summer flounder quota for 2009, and then subtracting the total pounds of summer flounder landed by the eight vessels to date in 2009 (from January 1 through April 11). Specifically, the eight vessels landed a total of 1,195,661 pounds of summer flounder in Rhode Island during the five-year period 2004-2008. Those total landings were 11.53% of the combined total commercial summer flounder landings (i.e. total annual state quotas) for the same period. Thus, the eight vessels have landed, on an average annual basis, 11.53% of the State’s commercial summer flounder quota over the past five years. Rhode Island’s total commercial summer flounder quota for 2009 is 1,684,023 pounds; 11.53% of that is 194,168 pounds. Since January 1 of this year, six of the eight vessels have landed a total of 17,798 pounds of summer flounder (the other two vessels have not landed any summer flounder so far this year). Subtracting 17,798 from 194,168 yields the final figure of 176,370 pounds.

In accordance with the regulations governing the pilot program, the participants will be required to abide by a total allowable catch (TAC) for the summer period, beginning May 1 and running through October 31. (The Department is proposing a regulatory adjustment that will clarify the end date of the summer sub-period quota as being October 31, or the date when the summer sub-period quota applicable to all other RI commercial fishermen is fully harvested, whichever comes first.) During that period, the maximum allowable catch of summer flounder by the sector participants will be 60,000 pounds (8 vessels x 7,500 pounds/vessel). The summer TAC is a subset of the sector’s 179,638 pound total allocation.

In accordance with the regulations governing the program, the participants will also be required to abide by a number of terms and conditions, namely:

” All legal-sized fluke (over 14 inches) harvested by the eight vessels must be retained, landed, and counted against the sector allocation, unless the fish are damaged and unsellable. ” All discards of undersized fluke (under 14 inches), and damaged and unsellable legal-sized fluke, by the eight vessels must be counted against the sector allocation. ” All eight vessels must use detailed tracking forms to account for all landings and discards throughout the course of the program, and those forms, along with weekly electronic updates, must be provided to DEM. DEM will also receive landings data for all eight vessels from licensed dealers. ” All eight vessels must notify DEM’s Office of Law Enforcement at least one hour prior, but not more than six hours prior, to making any commercial landing in RI, regardless of whether or not such landings include summer flounder. ” All eight vessels must agree to take state or federally authorized observers at any time; and the sector must further agree to fund all observer costs. ” All eight vessels must agree to allow all information and data associated with the program – including but not limited to catch and landings data and discard data, on a per-vessel basis – to be made publicly available.

” None of the eight vessels may fish with gear that is designed to catch summer flounder between June 1 and September 30 within one mile of the southern RI coastline. [The RIFCC has committed to a self-imposed restriction on the use of such gear during this period out to three miles from the southern RI coastline.] ” Once the sector’s summer TAC has been fully harvested, all of the eight vessels must refrain from fishing with gear that is designed to catch summer flounder until the summer sub-period ends; and none of the eight vessels will be allowed to land any by-catch of summer flounder until the summer sub-period ends. Once the sector’s overall allocation has been fully harvested, all of the eight vessels must refrain from fishing with gear that is designed to catch summer flounder for the rest of the calendar year; and none of the eight vessels will be allowed any by-catch of summer flounder for the rest of the year.

With regard to observer coverage, the URI Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science is developing an observer coverage plan for the program, with a target of a minimum of 200 observed trips. Economists from URI will also track landings and prices of fluke landed by the sector and non-sector boats. Additionally, efforts are being made to secure federal funding to acquire cameras that would be placed on each vessel to record all activities on all trips. In order to properly gauge the effectiveness of the pilot program, it is important to compare sector operations with non-sector operations. DEM, in coordination with URI and the National Marine Fisheries Service, will be pursuing this parallel track via the ongoing federal observer program with a focus on non-sector commercial summer flounder fishermen.

DEM has developed a webpage that will be devoted exclusively to the summer flounder sector allocation pilot program. The page will document the weekly catch and landings data for each of the eight vessels, as well as cumulatively for the sector as a whole, on a week-to-week basis throughout the year. The page will also include links to the documents submitted by the RIFCC as part of their application, as well as observer trip summaries and other relevant information pertaining to the sector operations. The page will be available via a link from DEM’s Marine Fisheries page – http://www.dem.ri.gov/topics/mftopics.htm — beginning next week.

DEM, through its Office of Law Enforcement, will also be conducting periodic boardings and inspections of the eight vessels for the purpose of monitoring compliance with all applicable rules and regulations.

Although, to date, no other group has applied to participate in the pilot program, the regulations governing the program allow any group to apply at any time.

DEM enacted the summer flounder sector allocation pilot program for the purpose of determining whether it is a workable system and beneficial to the fishery as a whole. Accordingly, as the relatively small-scale experimental program is undertaken, DEM plans to simultaneously launch consideration of a broad-based program for the summer flounder fishery as a whole, drawing upon the insights gained through the pilot program and the perspectives of all who would be affected by any continued or broadened program.