MAFMC

Baltimore, MD

8 December 2014

P. Clay, G. DePiper, J. Hare,

E. Houde, S. Gaichas, R. Seagraves

Managing Forage Fish in theMid-Atlantic

A Revised White Paper to Inform the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Overview of Council, SSC, and Public Comments on October draft

With summary responses and links to the document

Social and Economic considerations?

• Analysis of social and economic tradeoffs needs to be central to forage fish management policy development

– Document completely restructured to clarify the central nature of social and economic considerations and tradeoffs in developing management policy

– Included additional data on coastal communities and SMB complex

Which species are included?

• Consider adding American shad, hickory shad and white mullet to forage species list; – Alosines are included in the forage species time series plots and

are included in the diet data examined. – Table 2 is based on the MAFMC SSC forage definition which

requires that species be small throughout their lifespan. – American shad, hickory shad, and mullet are important forage

species for the council to consider and would be included in aggregate "forage base" assessments but either (like hakes) outgrow the MAFMC SSC forage definition, or are generally south and inshore of the primary MAFMC area.

• Provide analysis of NEAMAP food habits data base to identify additional forage species found inshore. – NEAMAP food habits data added to Table 5 and Figure 1.

Current management, future options

• Develop list of specific management options for managed forage species similar to those developed for unmanaged species. – This would be addressed in specific FMP analyses. However, we

have outlined more clearly what the different management options might be.

• Describe historical abundance of predators and forage base. Need better visual display of current or historical F v M for managed forage species. What degree of precaution is already built into current management policies for managed forage species? – Added time series where available for historical abundance and

added B/Bmsy and F/Fmsy to Table 2.

Wider literature, ecosystem indicators?

• Check literature for additional diet data for billfish. – Billfish are included in the literature, and references are available

from different regions but were considered less relevant to the MAFMC. We will continue to look for other references as possible.

• Can we manage the forage base at the guild of functional group level? Describe aggregate forage biomass and consider annual updates of aggregate forage biomass in NEFSC State of the Ecosystem Report. – We (NEFSC and collaborators) are actively developing an

indicator-based assessment framework for the forage base in aggregate and look forward to working with MAFMC on this. Basic requirements are included in the document. We also welcome additional comments on the draft State of the Ecosystem report and will work with MAFMC so that it meets management needs.

Forage life history management

• For many, if not all forage species, there appears to be no quantifiable stock-recruitment relationship. Therefore, the question was asked if we can expect predictable benefits from not harvesting forage species at Fmsy levels as contemplated under Magnuson Act. Document should include more discussion about impacts and tradeoffs related to leaving larger forage populations in the ocean. – Included more discussion on this point.

• Forage management policy should recognize that forage species are characteristically short lived and exhibit highly variable population dynamics driven largely by environmental factors. In addition, productivity of forage species can vary greatly as a function of ecosystem/environmental regime shifts which complicates specification of biological reference points. – Included more discussion on this point.

Unfished and unmanaged forage species

• Moratorium on development of new fisheries for forage should be considered but term moratorium sounds draconian and alternative descriptor should be developed; others commented that the term moratorium implies a temporary situation and is appropriate.

– See staff memo.

• There were numerous written and verbal comments (Council and public) supporting pre-emption of the development of new fisheries for forage species until scientific analyses can demonstrate the ecosystem level impacts of those fisheries.

– See staff memo.

Outline: Revised Forage Fish White Paper

• Current status of MAFMC managed fisheries and management objectives

• Evaluating management changes and tradeoffs between objectives

• Ecosystem services and forage species

– Supporting service: energy transfer to exploited and protected species

– MAFMC SSC Forage definition based on supporting services

– Provisioning service: fisheries for food, use in other industries

• Forage Species in the Mid-Atlantic Ecosystem(s)

– Forage species list based on definition, with landings and current status if known

– Forage species list based on predator diets (NEFSC, NEAMAP, literature values)

– Managed forage abundance trends

– Mid Atlantic food web

– Assessing the forage base in the Mid-Atlantic region

• Communities and fleets landing Squid-(Atlantic) Mackerel-Butterfish (SMB)

• Background on forage species management

• Potential alternative management measures for Mid-Atlantic forage species

– Targeted, currently managed forage species (SMB)

– Unfished and unmanaged forage species

Current status of MAFMC managed fisheries

Management objectives

Evaluating management tradeoffs

• Tradeoffs between forage species indirect in situ value

– Prey value to high valued predator fisheries

• Recreational

• Commercial

– Prey value to Endangered/Protected species

• Whale watching industry

– Cultural importance (historical river herring runs)

• and direct market value

– Directed fisheries (food, agricultural and industrial products)

• Changing consumer tastes: slow food

– Inter-fishery linkages

• Herring and lobster

• Extreme variability between species—case by case analysis

– Understand key predators’ needs (species, amount, seasons, areas)

– Understand forage role in economy (value, substitutability)

Manage prey for predator productivity?

Predator

• Reliance on prey?

• Where/when?

Prey

• Seasonal migration

• Other factors affecting availability

Figures courtesy John Manderson

Consider Human Responses

• Does decreasing forage fish landings increase fishing pressure on other susceptible species?

– Effort pushed into less well managed/new fishery?

• Are there differential impacts due to seasonal migrations?

• How to handle potential increased market demand due to increased consumer interest in eating low on the food chain?

• All trade-offs must be carefully weighed

Ecosystem services and

forage species

• Small throughout lifespan

• Major prey throughout lifespan– For fish, marine mammals, birds

– >5% of diet, 5 or more years

– High mortality due to consumption

• Central in food webs, highly productive– Trophic level between 2 and 4

– Many trophic links, energy conduit

– Production >1/100th; biomass >1/1000th of system primary production

• Often– Schooling, pelagic

– High recruitment variability

MAFMC SSC Ecosystems Subcommittee Forage Fish Definition

Forage species of the Mid Atlantic

1. By definition

2. By predator type

a. list predators

b. what do they eat?

Common name Species Fished

Y/N

Mean Annual

Landings (mt)

(2008-2012)

Current status

B/Bmsy; F/Fmsy

Management

Authority

Bycatch

Important Y/N

Atlantic herring Clupea harengus Y 82,422.4 3.3; 0.52 NEFMC/ASMFC Y

Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus Y 210,776.0 0.22-1.4* ; 3.36 ASMFC N

Atlantic mackerel Scomber scombrus Y 12,003.2 Unknown, unknown MAFMC Y

Butterfish Peprilus triacanthus Y 244.1 1.7; 0.025 MAFMC Y

Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus Y 605.2 “Depleted” ; unknown ASMFC Y

Blueback herring Alosa aesitvalis Y 6.2 “Depleted” ; unknown ASMFC Y

Longfin squid Doryteuthis pealii Y 9,892.0 1.284; unknown MAFMC Y

Illex squid Illex illecebrosus Y 11,227.5 Unknown, unknown MAFMC Y

Bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli N Unassessed N

Striped anchovy Anchoa hepsetus N Unassessed N

Silver anchovy Engraulis eurystole N Unassessed N

Round herring Etrumeus teres N Unassessed N ?

Thread herring Opisthonema oglinum Y 0 Unassessed Y, small

Spanish sardine Sardinella aurita Y 0 Unassessed Y, small

Sand lance Ammodytes americanus

and A. dubius

N 0 Unassessed N

Atlantic silverside Menidia menidia Y 6.4 Unassessed N

1. Mid Atlantic Forage Fishes (by definition)

Further south (but coming north?): white mullet, scaled sardine. Offshore: Atlantic saury.Outgrow definition: American and hickory shad, hakes, drums, scup.

2a. Mid Atlantic predator list—fishMAFMC managed Spiny dogfishSummer flounderMonkfish ButterfishScupAtl. mackerelBluefishBlack sea bassTilefishESA listedAtlantic sturgeonShortnose sturgeonHighly MigratoryLarge coastal sharksPelagic sharksBillfishTunas

Other managedLittle skateSpotted hakeSilver hakeFourspot flounderWindowpaneAtlantic herringWinter skateSmooth dogfishRed hakeWinter FlounderWeakfishClearnose skateOcean poutBlueback herringYellowtail flounderN. Searobin

Witch flounderRosette skateSpotAtlantic croakerGulf Stream

flounderSea ravenCusk eelLonghorn sculpinStriped bass American shad

2a. Mid Atlantic predator list—all others

Baleen WhalesFin whaleHumpback whaleSei whaleMinke whaleN Atlantic right

whaleToothed Whales

and DolphinsPilot whale White-sided

dolphinCommon dolphinBottlenose dolphinHarbor porpoiseSealsHarbor sealGray seal

Sea TurtlesLoggerhead LeatherbackKemp’s ridley

Pelagic seabirdsHerring gull Great black-backed

gull Laughing gullBonaparte's gullBlack-legged

kittiwakeRed phalarope Red-necked

phalarope

Pelagic seabirdscontinued

Northern gannet Northern fulmar Wilson's storm-petrelLeach's storm-petrelGreat shearwaterCory's shearwaterManx shearwaterAudubon's

shearwaterSooty shearwaterCommon tern

(spring)Royal ternRazorbill

Coastal birdsGreat cormorantDouble-crested

cormorant LoonsBrown pelicanAmerican bitternGreat blue heronGreat egretSnowy egretTricolored heronLittle blue heronGreen heronBlack-crowned night-

heronCommon merganserRed-breasted

merganser OspreyBlack skimmer

Bald eagle

2b. Mid Atlantic major forage by predator

Fish in NEFSC database

Crabs and shrimp

Amphipods

Other zooplankton

Fish (incl. unid.)

Anchovies

Hakes

Sandlance

Herrings

Molluscs

Unid. cephalopods

Loligo sp.

Bivalves

Annelids

Ctenophores

Fish in NEAMAP database

Crabs and shrimp

Fish (incl. unid)

Anchovies

Butterfish

Sand lances

Scup

Menhaden

Drums

Amphipods

Polychaetes

Molluscs

Bivalves

Longfin squid

Mysids

Highly migratory fish

Large coastal sharks:

Fish (unid, bluefish, summer flounder)

Skates/rays/sharks

Crabs

Large pelagics:

Squids (incl. Illex sp.)

Fish (unid, mackerel, butterfish, bluefish, hakes, sandlance)

ESA listed fish

Annelids

Shrimp

Other benthic invertebrates

2b. Mid Atlantic major forage, by predator

Baleen Whales

Krill

Herrings

Other zooplankton

Sandlance

Large gadids

Mackerels

Other fish

Toothed Whales and Dolphins

Squids

Mackerels

Other fish

Small gadids

Herrings

Mesopelagics

Seals

Other fish

Sandlance

Small gadids

Flatfish

Herrings

Large gadids

Squids

Sea Turtles

Crabs

Fish (scavenged?)

Ctenophores and jellyfish

2b. Mid Atlantic major forage, by predator

Pelagic seabirds

Gulls: fish, offal and fish scavenged from commercial fishing operations, euphausiids

Shearwaters: fish (sandlance, saury), squids

Storm petrels and Phalaropes:zooplankton, fish eggs and larvae

Gannets: fish (menhaden, mackerel, saury

Fulmars: euphausiids, squids

Coastal birds

Fish and crustaceans; extremely varied diet along salinity gradients

Osprey, Cormorants and Pelicans—Menhaden, herring, estuarine fish (mullet, drums, anchovy…)

Key forage of managed fish

1. Summer flounder

2. Bluefish

NEFSC and NEAMAP

Anchovies

Cephalopods Cephalopods

Hakes and cods

Hakes and cods

Herrings

Mackerels

Mysids

Other fish

Porgies and pinfish

Porgies and pinfish

Unid crabs/shrimp

Unid fish

Unid fish

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Summer Flounder NEFSC Summer Flounder NEAMAP

All others

Unid fish

Unid crabs/shrimp

Unid

Sandlance

Porgies and pinfish

Other fish

Mysids

Mackerels

Herrings

Hakes and cods

Drums

Cusk-eels

Crustacea

Cephalopods

Butterfish

Bluefish

Anchovies

Anchovies

Anchovies

Bluefish

Butterfish

Butterfish

Cephalopods

Herrings

Unid fish Unid fish

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Bluefish NEFSC Bluefish NEAMAP

Managed forage abundance trends

Managed forage abundance trends

Food webs of the Mid Atlantic

1. Energy flow

2. Predators and prey of commercial forage

3. Key fishery links

Assessing the forage base: ICES advice

Incorporated into herring assessment: predation evidence increased recent M

Deroba et al. 2012 SAW /SARC 54

Primary production and zooplankton

Fish condition, seabird reproductive success

Communities and fleets landing Squid-(Atlantic) Mackerel-Butterfish (SMB)

Wide geographic range

Consider in broader context of all landings

Wide range of community dependence

Community Pounds

(2012)

North Kingstown/Saunderstown, RI 18,972,719

Cape May, NJ 18,776,939

Narragansett/Point Judith, RI 10,288,046

Montauk, NY 3,903,965

Hampton Bays, NY 3,625,168

New Bedford, MA 3,460,644

New London, CT 1,656,386

Gloucester, MA 1,477,881

Stonington, CT 1,357,003

Hampton, VA 682,747

Point Lookout, NY 567,555

Woods Hole, MA 492,742

Belford, NJ 463,610

Point Pleasant, NJ 361,013

Fall River, MA 346,158

Newport, RI 219,726

Sandwich, MA 133,950

Community Value (2012)

Narragansett/Point Judith, RI $10,953,170

North Kingstown/Saunderstown, RI $10,495,820

Cape May, NJ $8,564,656

Montauk, NY $4,941,669

Hampton Bays, NY $3,294,589

New London, CT $2,089,494

New Bedford, MA $1,506,719

Stonington, CT $1,417,898

Point Lookout, NY $535,135

Belford, NJ $514,341

Woods Hole, MA $455,104

Point Pleasant, NJ $268,772

Gloucester, MA $220,924

Hampton, VA $193,469

Newport, RI $190,148

Sandwich, MA $144,237

East Lyme, CT $136,992

Falmouth, MA $111,086

Forage species management considerations

Tradeoffs in conserving provisioning and supporting ecosystem services

Lenfest report and recommendations

SSC National Workshop IV: EBFM and Forage Fish Issues

– Need better ways to estimate forage biomasses

– Need better ways to estimate predator demand

– Determining M2 is important

– Ecosystem forage buffers vs single-species buffers?

Social and economic tradeoffs, habitat considerations,

data poor methods, spatial and temporal tools?

Pacific Fishery Management Council

http://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/CPS_FMP_as_Amended_thru_A13_current.pdfhttp://www.pcouncil.org/wpcontent/uploads/I1a_ATT1_Eco_Initiative1_forage_APR2014BB.pdf

Potential ABC/OFL framework for forage species

Questions for Sarah?

Exploited Forage Stocks

NS1 advises Councils to maintain

forage stocks at levels higher than

Bmsy to protect ecosystem structure

and function

Implications for biological reference

points

Managed Forage Species

Atlantic mackerel

Long-finned squid

Illex squid

Butterfish

All in one FMP!

Exploited Forage Stocks

BRP Options Maintain MSA based reference points

and potentially apply additional buffers

Define “ecological reference points”-

biological reference points modified

based on ecological importance and

scientific uncertainty

Currently little or no National guidance

on how to implement either approach

Forage OFL/ABC Control Rules

Maintain existing MSA based OFL definition (Fmsy or proxy)

and add additional buffers

One option: ABC based on P* = P*- f(M gradient)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3

B/Bmsy

Pro

bab

ilit

y o

f O

verf

ish

ing

typical

atypicalP* = 0.40

P* = 0.35

P* < 0.35

Mortality-based reference points Source

F = M Beverton 1990

F = 0.87 M Zhou et al. 2012

F = 0.67 M Patterson 1992

FERP = (0.2, 0.5 or 0.75) FMSY Lenfest 2012

Biomass-based reference points Source

BERP = 0.75 B0 FAO 2003,

Smith et al. 2011

BERP = (0.8, 0.4, or 0.3) B0 Lenfest 2012

Potential Ecosystem-Based Reference Points for Forage Fishes

Maintain minimum biomass

threshold for FS Specify minimum biomass at which

directed fishery would be greatly

reduced or closed (PFMC includes this

provision in the CPS FMP)

Originally included in mackerel ABC

control rule but removed after 1996

MSA compliance amendments

Consider adding to SMB complex BRP

control rules

BRPs for Forage Species

No simple “one size fits all” solution

EAFM WG to develop framework for

analysis of social and economic

tradeoffs as well as complex biological

considerations and environmental

influences on managed FS

Guidance document will provide

comprehensive framework to evaluate

BRP control rules for managed FS

(applied within existing FMPs)

Potential management alternatives

for unfished forage species

No Action

Ecosystem Component Species

Develop a Forage Species Plan

Declare Moratoria on New Forage Fisheries

Ecosystem Component Species

Unfished forage species, or a complex of species,

could be declared EC species in FMPs (prey for

managed species or bycatch in the managed

fishery)

EC species not included as managed species in the

FMPs, but abundances and habitats monitored

Council adjust measures in FMPs in response to

changes in abundance of the forage species

complex or key species in that complex

Being proposed by the Pacific Fishery Management

Council (PFMC 2014)

Develop a Forage Species “Plan”

Need to consider FS role in supporting

managed MAFMC species, but also within

context of greater ecosystem

Not an FMP but a mechanism that could

allow tracking of abundance of ecosystem

forage species biomass complex

Would help address questions related to

adequacy of forage base in Mid-Atlantic

ecosystems

Prohibit New Forage Fisheries

Anticipating potential development of new

fisheries on forage species, declare moratoria.

Fisheries still could be developed, but it would

insure formal processes are followed before a

fishery could be initiated, including need for

stock assessments, determination of effects on

existing fisheries, FMPs, and the ecosystem.

Pacific Fishery Management Council

Ecosystem Initiative 1

PFMC Ecosystem Initiative 1

Prohibit the development of new

directed fisheries on forage species

not currently managed until the

Council has had an adequate

opportunity to assess the scientific

information relating to any proposed

fishery and to consider potential

impacts to existing fisheries, fishing

communities, and the greater marine

ecosystem.

PFMC Ecosystem Initiative 1

Approach Formed ad hoc EW to develop ways of

achieving protection of FS by

incorporating them into one or more of

its FMPs

Council approved preliminary preferred

alternative of using “Ecosystem

Trophic Pathways” approach

Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based

Amendment 1

would modify all four PFMC FMPs

(CPS, Groundfish, HMS, Salmon)

Designation of FS as ecosystem

component species identified as

bycatch or prey of FMP species

New directed EEZ fishing for these

species would be prohibited (some di

minimus landing allowed) until impact

analysis adequate

MAFMC Staff Recommendation

Council should pursue options to

prohibit or restrict development of new

fisheries for forage species (generally

following PFMC model)

MAFMC approach will need to account

for differences in ecosystems,

fisheries, and governance structure

between US West and East coasts

MAFMC Staff Recommendation

task EAFM WG (or alternate group)

with development of a strategy and

specific options to accomplish goal of

protection of unfished/unmanaged

forage species associated with Council

managed species and the ecosystems

that support them

take into account Atlantic Coast

conditions and contingencies

MAFMC Unfished Forage Initiative

Issues

Should it be strictly defined forage

species or low trophic level?

For example, much of the forage base

identified for Mid-Atlantic ecosystem

not classically defined FS (e.g.,

substantial portion comprised of

crustaceans)

MAFMC Unfished Forage Initiative

Governance/Jurisdiction

PFMC has jurisdiction over virtually the

entire W. Coast CA Current ecosystem

(through four FMPs)

E. Coast involves three Councils,

ASMFC (15 States) and NMFS HMS

through 49 FMPs

What are the jurisdictional limits of a

unilateral action by MAFMC?

Unfished Forage Initiative

Draft Purpose and Need

The purpose of this action is to prohibit new directed commercial

fishing in Federal waters on unmanaged, unfished forage species

until the Council has had an adequate opportunity to both assess the

scientific information relating to any proposed directed fishery and

consider potential impacts to existing fisheries, fishing communities,

and Atlantic Coast Marine Ecosystem (ACME).

This action is needed to proactively protect unmanaged, unfished

forage fish of the U.S. Atlantic East Coast Exclusive Economic Zone

(EEZ) in recognition of the importance of these forage fish to the

species managed under the Council’s FMPs and to the larger ACME.

This action is not intended to supersede state or federal fishery

management for these species, and coordination would still occur

through the existing Council process

End Forage Presentation

Questions?

Climate White Paper

Update

Draft white paper near completion

Review draft will be presented at

February Council meeting

(coincidental with NOAA Climate

Strategy Briefing aka Dr. Merrick)

Major need identified is development

of capacity to conduct Risk Analysis

and Management Strategy Evaluations

Comprehensive Management Strategy

Evaluation

Identified as major research need in

MAFMC 5 year research plan, National

SSC IV, MONF III Conference, Forage

and Climate White Papers

Council should place high priority on

Comprehensive MSE development

Involve EAFM WG in MSE

development for Atlantic Mackerel and

black sea bass

Comprehensive Management Strategy

Evaluation

National SSC V (Feb 2015) will include

discussion of MSE development on

East (Wilberg) and West (Punt) coasts

Offers excellent opportunity to

leverage these discussions and to plan

Council’s EAFM Species and Fisheries

Workshop (central theme will be

comprehensive MSE for MAFMC

managed species)

End Climate Presentation

Questions?