Purpose and Need

The Puerto Rico FMP is one of three island-based FMPs developed by the Council to update the management of federal fishery resources in the U.S. Caribbean. The Puerto Rico FMP incorporates those components of the U.S. Caribbean-wide Reef Fish, Spiny Lobster, Queen Conch, and Corals FMPs that pertain to the EEZ surrounding the island of Puerto Rico 

The purpose of developing the Puerto Rico FMP/EA is to ensure the continued health of fishery resources occurring in the EEZ surrounding Puerto Rico within the context of the unique biological, ecological, economic, and cultural characteristics of those resources and the communities dependent upon them by managing on an island basis. The Puerto Rico FMP is intended to ensure productive and sustainable fisheries for the long-term livelihood, enjoyment, economy, and environment of Puerto Rico and the U.S.; conserve and manage the fisheries of Puerto Rico within an island-based approach; and, enhance stewardship among fishers, residents, and others who value the fishery resources and the marine and coastal environments of Puerto Rico and the U.S.

Puerto Rico FMP Goals and Objectives

The overarching goal of the Puerto Rico FMP is to ensure the continued health of fishery resources occurring in the EEZ surrounding Puerto Rico, within the context of the unique biological, ecological, economic, and cultural characteristics of those resources and the communities dependent upon them.

Specific fishery management goals for the EEZ off Puerto Rico are:

Goal 1: Prevent overfishing while achieving, on a continuing basis, the OY from each fishery in the U.S. Caribbean, taking into account and allowing for variations among, and contingencies in, fisheries, fishery resources, and catches.

Goal 2: Maintain long-term sustainable use of coral reef fishery resources while preventing adverse impacts to stocks, habitats of the fisheries resources, protected species, or the reef ecosystem as a whole.

Goal 3: Ensure the continued health of fishery resources occurring in Puerto Rico EEZ waters to provide for the sustained participation of Puerto Rico fishing communities and, to the extent practicable, minimize adverse economic impacts on such communities.

Goal 4: Manage the fisheries within the limits of local ecosystem production so as to not jeopardize a wide range of goods and services provided by a healthy ecosystem, including food, revenue, and recreation for humans.

Goal 5: Account for biological, social, cultural, and economic differences among the communities and fisheries of Puerto Rico.

Goal 6: Foster collaboration among territorial and federal authorities to achieve compatible management of fisheries throughout the waters surrounding Puerto Rico.

Goal 7: Ensure effective outreach and enforcement efforts.

To achieve the goals described above, the following objectives are defined:

Objective 1: Provide for long-term sustainable use of fisheries resources within the limits of local ecosystem production using a precautionary, ecosystem-based approach to management that accounts for uncertainty and relevant biological, ecological, economic, and social factors in the fishery, including the benefits of food production, recreational opportunities, and protection of marine ecosystems. Prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, and achieve OY on a continuing basis.

Objective 2: Reduce bycatch and waste in the fishery.

Objective 3: Ensure the metrics upon which OY is based are derived from the best available scientific information and are updated continuously every five years to respond to changing ecological, biological, economic, and social conditions.

Objective 4: Establish and maintain data collection and reporting programs necessary to support the conservation and management objectives of the Plan, including the biological, ecological, economic, and social data needed to assess the impacts of management measures. Adapt to technological and technical advances in methods of data collection, reporting, and analysis.

Objective 5: Promote international and domestic cooperation in the management of pan-Caribbean stocks.

Objective 6: Minimize conflicts between stakeholders by promoting effective marine spatial planning.

Objective 7: Promote fair and equitable use of fishery resources, recognizing the importance of those resources to fishing communities within the context of differences in local environment, culture, markets, user groups, gears, and seafood preferences.

Objective 8: Establish resource access permits as necessary and appropriate to facilitate data collection, sustainability, and long-term yield.

Objective 9: Provide flexibility in the management process which minimizes regulatory delay and allows for rapid adaptation to changing resource abundance, availability, health, or preference, using the best available scientific and socio-economic information.

Objective 10: Devise a regulatory framework that maximizes the efficiency and efficacy of enforcement efforts within and across jurisdictional boundaries while promoting the safe conduct of fishing operations.

Objective 11: Promote awareness of laws and regulations governing marine resource management and the science and social obligations that support that management, and to ensure informed public input into the management process.

Objective 12: Ensure the socio-economic health of the fishing communities dependent on federal fishery resources.

Objective 13: Protect spawning aggregations and, when needed, the habitats supporting those aggregations to ensure the future health of the resource.

Objective 14: Describe and identify EFH, adverse impacts on EFH, and other actions to conserve and enhance EFH. Adopt management measures that minimize adverse impacts from fishing on EFH and promote habitat conservation, including designation of specific habitat areas of particular concern within EFH for more focused management action.

Objective 15: Map, define, and manage habitat upon which the resource depends, with particular emphasis on coral reef resources throughout the region.

Objective 16: Ensure continued provision of ecosystem services derived from living marine resources, including adequate abundance of forage resources to ensure a healthy and diverse trophic web.

Objective 17: Account for ecological relationships and functional roles of species in the fishery that contribute to a healthy ecosystem, such as grazers, forage fish, habitat-builders, and top predators.

Objective 18: Require essential scientific data is gathered and analyzed in advance to guide the development of new fisheries to ensure they are sustainable from the start.

Objective 19: Promote measures to develop and sustainably manage underutilized marine fishery resources.

While most of these goals and objectives are being addressed throughout this plan, some will be addressed through future amendments to the Puerto Rico FMP, as requested by the Council to NMFS.