Amendment No. 11 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic.

This Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Spiny Lobster fishery in the U.S. Fishery Conservation Zone (FCZ) of the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic under the Jurisdiction of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council implements conservation measures to help protect threatened and endangered species in a manner that complies with measures established in the 2009 biological opinion on the spiny lobster fishery (prepared under the Endangered Species Act). The measures aid in the protection and recovery of endangered and threatened species. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires analyses to determine whether, and to what extent, fishing operations impact threatened species including threatened staghorn and elkhorn corals (Acropora spp.). The 2009 ESA biological opinion on the spiny lobster fishery requires NOAA Fisheries Service and the Councils to work together to protect areas of staghorn and elkhorn coral by expanding existing or creating new closed areas for lobster trap fishing where colonies of these threatened species are present. Closure of areas to lobster fishing using all gear would further protect coral colonies from damage.