Caribbean Fishery Management Council

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council, headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is responsible for the creation of management plans for fishery resources (FMPs) in the US Caribbean Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off Puerto Rico (PR) and the the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). The Caribbean Council is unique in being the only regional council that does not include one of the any of the 50 states in the Union in its management area. The CFMC jurisdiction area extends from nine nautical miles off the state waters of Puerto Rico, and three nautical miles off the territorial waters off the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas/St. John, and St. Croix).

The Caribbean Council has seven voting members and three non-voting members:

  • Four members who are appointed by the US Secretary of Commerce upon recommendations of the Governors of PR and the USVI;

  • Principal officials from PR and USVI with marine fishery management responsibility;

  • the Regional Administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southeast Regional Office (SERO); and

  • Three non-voting members are: the Director of the Southeast (Atlanta) Region of the Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Commander of the Seventh (Miami) District of the US Coast Guard (USCG), and a representative from the US Department of State (USDS).

Managed Fisheries

Spiny lobster crawls over a reef.

The Caribbean Council manages fishery resources in the U.S. Caribbean Exclusive Economic Zone under three island-based Fishery Management Plans (FMPs):

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