[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 172 (Friday, September 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53024-53025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21278]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD476


Stock Status Determination for Atlantic Highly Migratory Atlantic 
Sharpnose and Bonnethead Sharks

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This action serves as a notice that NMFS, on behalf of the 
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), has determined that Atlantic 
sharpnose sharks (Rhizoprinodon terraenovae) are split into two stocks 
(Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico), each with a status of ``not overfished, 
no overfishing occurring,'' and bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) are 
split into two stocks (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico), each with a status 
of ``unknown.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karyl Brewster-Geisz or Gu[yacute] 
DuBeck at 301-427-8503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Atlantic sharpnose and bonnethead sharks are 
managed under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act. NMFS manages all shark species under 
the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery 
Management Plan and its amendments.
    Atlantic sharpnose and bonnethead sharks were both previously 
assessed in 2007 as part of the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review 
(SEDAR) process. At that time, both species were determined to have the 
status of ``not overfished, no overfishing occurring.'' These species 
were most recently assessed again in 2013 as ``standard'' assessments 
as part of SEDAR 34. While ``benchmark'' assessments allow for major 
changes, standard assessments generally update previous benchmark 
assessments with additional years of data and allow for only minor 
changes. All documents and information regarding of the most recent 
assessment (SEDAR 34) and the 2007 assessment (SEDAR 13) can be found 
on the SEDAR Web page at http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/sedar/.
    On the first day of the face-to-face assessment workshop meeting in 
June 2013, the scientists determined that the genetic information 
clearly indicated both species should be split into a Gulf of Mexico 
stock and an Atlantic stock. However, because the assessments had been 
scheduled as standard assessments, the assessment process and timing 
would not allow the scientists to make this change. Making such a 
change would have required four benchmark assessments rather than two 
standard assessments. It would have also required additional changes to 
the format and structure of the data that had not been anticipated and 
allowed for in the overall SEDAR schedule. Based on a request from 
fishery managers to continue given that the previous assessments were 
over 5 years old and updated scientific advice was needed, the 
scientists agreed to continue with the standard assessment of both 
species as single stocks in order to provide management advice on the 
potential status of the stocks.
    Regarding Atlantic sharpnose, there were 20 model runs for this 
species. Seventeen of the 18 model runs that considered the species to 
be a single stock found that the species as a single stock was not 
overfished and no overfishing was occurring (Base run: 
F2011/FMSY = 0.34, SSF2011/
SSFMSY = 1.73). A sensitivity run that included only those 
indices that were decreasing found that the species as a single stock 
may be overfished with overfishing occurring (F2011/
FMSY = 1.06, SSF2011/SSFMSY = 0.40). 
Additionally, the scientists at the 2013 assessment could use catch and 
indices of abundance data that were split between the two stocks 
because the scientists at the 2007 assessment had considered such a 
split and therefore had split overall catch data and indices of 
abundance between the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic regions. This split 
in data allowed the scientists to conduct sensitivity analyses using 
the biology for each stock with the respective catch data and indices. 
The Atlantic sensitivity run found the stock was not overfished and no 
overfishing was occurring (F2011/FMSY = 0.23; 
SSF2011/SSFMSY = 2.07). The Gulf of Mexico 
sensitivity run also found the stock was not overfished and no 
overfishing was occurring (F2011/FMSY = 0.57; 
SSF2011/SSFMSY = 1.01). Considering the 
assessment as a whole, including the multiple sensitivity analyses, the 
scientists determined that the assessment provided a consistent picture 
of stock status, especially in terms of the stock not being overfished. 
Two of the three peer reviewers agreed with the results of Atlantic 
sharpnose shark assessment; the third reviewer was concerned about bias 
in the shrimp trawl data. Based on these results, NMFS has decided to 
split the Atlantic sharpnose shark species into two stocks--an Atlantic 
stock and a Gulf of Mexico stock--and determined that the status of 
both stocks is not overfished and no overfishing is occurring.
    Regarding bonnethead sharks, there were 19 model runs for this 
species. Sixteen of the 19 model runs, including the base run, found 
that the species--as a single stock--was not overfished and no 
overfishing was occurring (Base run: F2011/FMSY = 
0.50, SSF2011/SSFMSY = 1.27). The continuity run 
indicated that overfishing was occurring (F2011/
FMSY = 1.01, SSF2011/SSFMSY = 1.37). A 
sensitivity run that looked at only decreasing indices indicated the 
species may be overfished (F2011/FMSY = 0.96, 
SSF2011/SSFMSY = 0.58). Two of the sensitivity 
runs attempted to examine the status of the Atlantic stock and the Gulf 
of Mexico stock. However, because the 2007 benchmark stock assessment 
for bonnethead sharks did not split the catch data and indices of 
abundance data between stocks, the 2013 assessment did not split the 
catch and indices of abundance data between stocks, which is different 
from what was done in the Atlantic sharpnose shark assessment. Thus, 
the sensitivity runs examining the Atlantic stock and the Gulf of 
Mexico stock used the respective biology for each stock but did not 
split the data or indices between the different stocks. Specifically, 
the Atlantic sensitivity analysis used the Atlantic stock biology with 
the combined Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic catch data and indices of 
abundance; the Gulf of Mexico sensitivity used the Gulf of

[[Page 53025]]

Mexico stock biology with the combined Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic 
catch data and indices of abundance. The sensitivity run using the 
Atlantic biology for the single stock found the stock was overfished 
and overfishing was occurring (F2011/FMSY = 1.09; 
SSF2011/SSFMSY = 0.73). The sensitivity run use 
the Gulf of Mexico biology for the single stock found the stock was not 
overfished and no overfishing was occurring (F2011/
FMSY = 0.45; SSF2011/SSFMSY = 1.48).
    The assessment found that, when assessed as single stock, the 
status of bonnethead sharks was not overfished and no overfishing was 
occurring. The scientists stressed that there is strong evidence for 
two separate stocks and that using the biology corresponding to the 
Atlantic for the assessment for a single stock led to a different 
conclusion on stock status (i.e., the stock was overfished and 
overfishing was occurring). None of the peer reviewers agreed with the 
determination of bonnethead sharks for the species as a single stock. 
The reviewers all felt that the species should have been split into two 
different stocks and analyzed in a manner that is similar to what was 
done with Atlantic sharpnose sharks. As such, based on these results 
and the peer reviews, NMFS decided to split the bonnethead shark 
species into two stocks--an Atlantic stock and a Gulf of Mexico stock--
and determined that the status of both stocks is unknown.
    In the upcoming Amendment 6 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly 
Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan, NMFS will be considering 
implementing total allowable catches and commercial quotas for the non-
blacknose SCS complexes in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions, 
which includes the sharpnose and bonnethead stocks, based on the 
results of the SEDAR 34 assessment. Pending such an Amendment, the 
separate Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico sharpnose and bonnethead shark 
stocks remain within the overall non-blacknose SCS management complex, 
with the quotas for the complex designated for this fishing year. 
Current regulations specify that ``[i]nseason and/or annual quota 
transfers of regional quotas between regions may be conducted only for 
species or management groups where the species are the same between 
regions and the quota is split between regions for management purposes 
and not as a result of a stock assessment.'' Although the non-blacknose 
SCS quota currently is split between regions for management purposes, 
transferring quota between the two regions would be inconsistent with 
accomplishing the objectives of the fishery management plan now that 
sharpnose and bonnethead have been split into separate stocks as a 
result of the stock assessment. Such a transfer would, essentially, 
disregard the scientific bases for splitting sharpnose and bonnethead 
sharks into two stocks, and there is no practicable way to analyze the 
impacts of and establish separate quotas for these stocks or the 
complex as a whole absent the amendment process. The next assessments 
for these two species are not yet scheduled but will include benchmark 
assessments for each stock.

    Dated: September 2, 2014.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-21278 Filed 9-3-14; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P