Fisheries Improvement Project

Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic – Florida Shrimp Fishery Improvement Project

Species:

• Brown Shrimp (Farfantepenaeus Aztecus)
• White Shrimp (Litopenaeus Setiferus)
• Northern Pink Shrimp / Hoppers (Fanfantepenaeus Duorarum)

FIP Coverage Area:

Florida State and Federal waters in the US Gulf of Mexico and US Atlantic Ocean.

FIP Coordinator:

Reese Antley (Wood’s Fisheries) 

FIP Participants:

• Wood’s Fisheries (Supplier)
• Wegman’s (Retailer)
• Patricia Lee (Vessel/Fleet)
• Captain HW (Vessel/Fleet)
• Michael Branning (Fleet Owner)
• Candie Luck (Vessel/Fleet) *2015 addtion 

Sustainability Information:

FishSource

• Northern brown shrimp, Gulf of Mexico, Florida state and federal waters
• Northern brown shrimp, NW Atlantic, Florida state and federal waters
• Northern pink shrimp, Gulf of Mexico, Florida state and federal waters
• Northern white shrimp, Gulf of Mexico, Florida state and federal
• Northern white shrimp, NW Atlantic, Florida state and federal waters

Ratings

• FishChoice

FIP Objectives

This is a 2 part Improvement Project

• Reduce bycatch by educating vessel captains and crews – Each crew will be instructed by the FWC to ensure that the fishermen know how to tune the BRDs and TEDs to operate correctly and at optimum efficiency.
• Inspection of BRD and TED use and Compliance – Each Vessel will schedule regular State, Federal and Third Party inspections.  This will ensure that gear is properly tuned and that the crews are using the education of what was learned in Objective 1.  All gear inspection, pass or fail, will be documented and made public as part of this FIP
• Participate in the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Supplier Round Table – Work with industry partners to monitor sustainability issues and push for improvements where needed.  Information on the Roundtable can be found at ​https://www.sustainablefish.org/Programs/Improving-Wild-Fisheries/Seafood-Sectors-Supply-Chain-Roundtables/Shrimp/Gulf-of-Mexico-Shrimp-SR

• Reduce bycatch and turtle interactions by implementing trawl time limits***   This will also increase the overall quality of the shrimp  – Participating vessels will reduce tow times to the following limits;
  • When surface water is less than 80° trawl times will be 3 hours or less
  • When surface water is greater than 80° trawl times will be 2 hours or less
  • Supporting Documentation
    • Sea Turtle Conservation and The Shrimp Industry Congressional Hearing

                              ***Additional Objective added Summer 2014

Progress:

Spring 2014

• Gear inspections for Patricia Lee and The Captain HW are scheduled on next offloading – End of March 2014. 
• FWC will conduct training sessions with all FIP participants at the supplier and Vessel level on BRD and TED complacence.      The Training Sessions has been postponed until the last week in January 2015
• FIP p2 information will be available soon.

Winter 2014 -2015

• Added the Candie Luck (Vessel/Fleet) as a participating vessel for 2015.
• Inspection and FIP logs
  • Gear Inspection for the Patricia Lee and The Captain HW Completed
  • Implemented Trawl (drag) time limits on participating vessel
  • Observations made by captains and crew indicate a decline in By-Catch Ratio due to shorter trawls.     
  • Sea turtle interactions have been reported higher however, only 2 turtle deaths were reported on the participating vessels.  This is a decrease from 2013 where 7 turtle deaths were reported by the same vessels.  It is important to note that interactions will increase as the turtle population increases.  The goal is to reduce the number of turtle deaths.
  • ByCatch and Turtle data will be collected at every offload for FIP Participants (Example Form from Database)  

Spring 2015

• Gear Training and inspections by Gary Graham (Texas Tech) and Lyndsey Parker (University of Georgia) with SeaGrant
  • Patrica Lee Report
  • Captain HW Report
• By Catch, Turtle and Boarding’s has been collected from all FIP Participants and all Unloadings Unloadings with Multiple FIP Records
• Turtle Interaction where down due to the weather and area fished
• No Turtle Deaths Recorded

Summer 2015

• By Catch, Turtle and Boarding’s has been collected from all FIP Participants and all UnloadingsUnloadings with Multiple FIP Records
• One Turtle Death

Winter/Spring 2016

• Formed Partnership with Audubon Nature Institute and Trace Register in developing data validity and digital certificates for FIPs.  This will allow third party verification of the data provide by the FIP participants.
• By Catch, Turtle and Boarding’s has been collected from all FIP Participants   Unloadings
• 19 Turtle interactions with 0 deaths.

Fall 2016

Audubon and Trace Register, at the FMI GMA Summit, presented the G.U.L.F certificate developed on the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic – Florida Shrimp Fishery Improvement Project

• FMI Presentation

Utilize live AIS Data for verification of area worked. 

• Vessel track with AIS Data

Working with potential new partners on expanding the FIP into new regions.

As of December 1, 2016 all boats that are unloaded at the Port St. Joe dock are required to fill out the FIP questionnaire regardless of FIP participation.     

2019/2020 Update    

Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Supplier Roundtable Activity

• In April, the roundtable participants sent a letter to NOAA asking for an update on TED compliance data.  In response NOAA published “Turtle Excluder Device Compliance Information“

Dockside and Water Activities 

• FIP reporting requirements were extend to all vessels in which Wood’s Fisheries purchased product directly from no matter the unloading facility.   
• ByCatch, Turtle Interactions, Turtle Deaths and Trawl times collected from all direct buy vessels –  2019/2020 Unloading
• Gear Inspections

For more information on other FIPs check out Sustainable Fisheries Partnership!