from North Carolina to Texas, in practice the commercial and recreational 

 harvest of spiny lobster from U.S. waters is almost exclusively limited to 

 waters off Southern Florida." (DEIS, 1979). 



The plan strives to protect the spiny lobster population 

 for future use while allowing harvesting at a rate which approaches the maximum 

 sustainable yield and which provides the optimum economic and social contribution 

 from the fishery. To accomplish this, strict management measures have been 

 recommended including: "a size limit, a closed season, (including a special 

 recreational season), certain gear restrictions, measures to protect 'shorts' 

 and 'egg-bearing' females and prevent poaching, and a measure to encourage a 

 mechanism to minimize conflicts. Limited mandatory statistical reporting 

 will be required by user groups." (Summary Sheet DEIS). The species 

 involved are spiny lobster ( Panulirus argus ) and associated incidental 

 species as follows: smooth tail lobster ( Panulirus laevicauda ); and Spanish 

 lobster ( Scyllarides aequinoctial is , Scyllarides nodifer , Scyllarus americanus , 

 and Scyllarus chacei ) . 



Negligible economic, social or environmental changes are 

 anticipated, according to the DEIS, due to the proposed action. Impacts 

 of the plan are generally the same as those due to existing state regulatory 

 efforts and current practices within the fishery, since the proposed regulations 

 are almost identical to present State regulations. Enforcement duties for 

 the Spiny Lobster Plan will also be turned over to the State in the event 

 of Plan approval . 



b . Draft FMP for Snapper-Grouper Resources 



The latest version of this draft FMP (February 1980) 

 reviews (1) the short- and long-range goals of the FMP; (2) the distribution, 

 abundance and present condition, ecological relationships, estimate of 

 maximum sustainable yield, and probable future condition of fisheries within 

 the snapper — grouper complex; (3) the condition of natural and artificial 

 habitats of the stocks and Federal and State habitat protection programs, 

 laws and policies; (5) the history and present efforts of commercial and 

 recreational user groups, vessels and fishing gear; (6) the economic 

 characteristics of the fishery; (7) a description of the business, markets 

 and organizations associated with the snapper-grouper fishery; and (8) a 

 description of the social and cultural framework of domestic snapper-grouper 

 fishermen. Decision Elements for the draft Snapper-Grouper FMP were approved 

 by the Coiincil (August 25, 1980), as follows: 



° Management Subunits: 



1. Rlack sea bass 



2. North of Canaveral (mid-depth) 



Gag grouper Vermillion snapper 



Scamp Grunts 



Red porgy Speckled hind 



Red snapper Triggerfish 



76 



