July 23, 2025 Caribbean Fishery Management Council – Ad Hoc Committee 270 Muñoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 401 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918
Subject: Request for Consideration of Revisions to the Commercial Catch Report and Related Management Measures Dear Members of the Ad Hoc Committee, On behalf of the St. Thomas Fishermen’s Association (STFA), we would like to express our appreciation for the opportunity to provide input on fishery management practices that affect our community and livelihoods. We respectfully submit the following requests for your consideration and action: 1. Creation of a Commercial Catch Report (CCR) Specific to the Trap Fishery Approximately 90–95% of the catch reported in the current CCR is derived from trap catch landings. We request the development of a CCR specific to the trap fishery, which would significantly improve the accuracy of data and allow for better-informed management decisions. 2. Revision of the Existing CCR Species List We propose the removal of the following species from the current CCR due to their rare occurrence in catch and the high potential for species misidentification: o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Rock Hind, Tiger, Yellowmouth, and Yellowedge Grouper Gray and Tomtate Grunt Gray (Mangrove) Snapper Jolthead and Sheepshead Porgy Ocean Surgeon Sea Cucumbers Sea Urchins Queen, Redband, and Redfin Parrotfish Bar Jack and Bigeye Scad Caribbean Reef, Great Hammerhead, Nurse, and Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks Flying Fish Filefish Turtle Interactions Pelagics
The Saint Thomas Fisherman’s Association/Post Office Box 1483/Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands/ 00804 EMAIL: sttfa.usvi@gmail.com FACEBOOK: St. Thomas Fisherman’s Association