Accountability Measure Options for Pelagic Stocks Discussion Paper, August 2025
Background Pelagic stocks under each of Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas/St. John FMPs (Island-based FMPs) are new to federal management (Table 1) (CFMC 2019 a, b, c). The Council relied on existing landings data to develop management reference points for pelagic fish included in the FMPs. However, it is uncertain if this data fully represents the actual harvest. Because these stocks were not federally managed before, data collection for some stocks may have been less complete, likely missing key temporal and spatial variations in the fisheries. Reflecting economic and cultural considerations guiding the harvest of pelagic stocks in all three islands, the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) used a different approach to manage pelagic stocks until a more complete understanding of these important fisheries is obtained (CFMC 2019 a, b, c). As required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the island-based FMPs established annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) for all pelagic stocks. However, instead of applying an AM in the event of an ACL overage that reduces the length of the fishing season to prevent the ACL from being again exceeded as is done for reef fish and spiny lobster, the Council established an annual catch target (ACT) that would serve as the AM trigger, as described below.
Table 1. List of pelagic species managed under each of the Island-based FMPs Species
Puerto Rico
St . Croix
St. Thomas/St. John
Dolphinfish
Y
Y
Y
Pompano dolphinfish
Y
N
N
Wahoo
Y
Y
Y
Little tunny
Y
N
N
Blackfin tuna
Y
N
N
King mackerel
Y
N
N
Cero mackerel
Y
N
N
Great barracuda
Y
N
N
Tripletail
Y
N
N
1