NAVASSA ISLAND WORKSHOPSummary

March 24-25, 2008

Ponce, Puerto Rico

NIW Summary

Scoping Meetings – Will be conducted in partnership with the DOC and the DOI. Need to prepare a scoping meeting document that will be submitted in 2008; after which the decision has to be made by the Council whether an FMP is warranted for the Island of Navassa. ( This process has to be finished by 2010.) The scoping document (source document) will include, among others:

• Literature Review– Management History– Fishery Biology/Habitat– Fishery Socio-economics

NIW Summary

• Management Alternatives

– No Action

– Adopt an ecosystem based management approach

• a. MPA (Type 1) (could be preferred alternative)

• b. MPA (Other types)

– Apply the suite of management measures already in place in the US Caribbean

– Other alternatives

NIW Summary

• Enforcement ConsiderationsCoast Guard Enforcement Concerns:

1. Need for enforceable regulations2. Need for defined area of jurisdiction (EEZ)3. Need for prosecution of violators, end game.

USGC in conjunction with NOAA Fisheries Enforcement, will endeavor to enforce implemented regulations regarding Navassa Island with the three concerns indicated above.NMFS enforcement will relay on the USCG platform.This enforcement will require additional funding, manpower, and equipment.

NIW Summary

• Other Applicable Laws

– The source document and/or FMP will have to discuss other applicable laws and regulations such as Endangered Species Act, Outer Continental Shelf Land Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, etc. As well as executive orders-- Coral Reef Protection, Marine Protected Areas.

NIW Summary

International Considerations

If an FMP is implemented it must consider TAC and foreign allocation issues.

The developing process for an FMP also must require that the EEZ boundaries be delineated by the appropriate authorities.

NIW Summary

• Candidates for the Navassa Island Task Team (NITT) to be appointed by the Chairman of the CFMC, shall include:

– CFMC staff

– Socio-economist

– Coral reef biologist

– Stock assessment expert

– DOI expert on Navassa Island

– NMFS / SERO scientist

– Socio-anthropologist

NIW Summary

• Data and Research Needs

– More fish counters are needed, because of the deeper depths, to obtain enough samples for more robust statistical analyses – reassess data for community description and ecosystem approach

– Surveys in deeper water (>40m) are necessary to get a better picture of the whole Navassa ecosystem

– Recruitment processes for these reef fishes are unknown

– Determine the seasonality of fishing effort

– Size frequency distribution for fish for at least the exploited fisheries

– Physical Oceanography of the area (recruitment)

– Identification of fish spawning aggregations

– Hydroacoustic surveys of fish aggregations along the shelf edge

– Survey resources already overfished/undergoing overfishing (Nassau, Goliath, Queen Conch, etc.)

NIW SummaryData and Research Needs - Continuation

- Number of fishers and boats from each community reaching Navassa- Gather data on the local economy from Jérémie to Les Cayes including data on

satellite industries: -Number of fishers, boat makers/repairers, net makers/repairers, trap

maker/repairers, sail makers/repairers-Ice manufacturers-Salt producers/distributors-Gear sellers (hook and line)-Outboard engine repair-Other related industries

- Explore possibilities of participatory/cooperative management methodologies- Gather more information on catch from fishers arriving from Navassa upon return to

Haiti (and possibly at Navassa itself)- At Navassa, tag the fishers with a GPS to track them around the island during their

stay in order to determine fishing areas (and possibly types of gear and gear locations).

- Try to find out how much the “big businessmen fishers” in Haiti are taking from Navassa.

- Increase data on other fishing occurring around the island (US, Jamaican, Cuban, Venezuelan, etc.)

- Collect temporal data on boats/fishers at Navassa (satellite imagery…daily preferably, weekly, monthly)

- Continue data collection on local ecology (fish, coral, algae, mammals, reptiles, etc.)