Saving Seafood

Council Actions

ASMFC: August 7 Atlantic Herring Days Out Call Canceled; Next Call Scheduled for August 14

August 5, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (Commission) Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts set effort control measures for the Area 1A fishery via Days Out webinars. Current effort controls for Season 1 (June – September) are detailed in Memo 20-50 which is available on the Commission’s website (click here).

The previously scheduled Days Out call on August 7, 2020 at 8:30 AM has been cancelled. Given the current rate of landings in the Area 1A fishery, and that the weekly landings limit has not been fully harvested by all vessels, the states have decided a Days Out call is not warranted at this time.

The Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts are scheduled to reconvene via conference call to review fishing effort on:

  • Friday, August 14, at 8:30 – 10:00 am
  • You can join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone at the following link:https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/924867957. If you are new to GoToMeeting, you can download the app ahead of time (click here) and be ready before the meeting starts. The meeting will be using the computer audio (VoIP), but if you are joining the webinar from your phone only, you can dial in at +1 (646) 749-3122 and enter access code 924-867-957 when prompted. The webinar will start at 8:00 a.m., 30 minutes early, to troubleshoot audio as necessary.

If it is decided that this meeting is also not needed, it may be canceled. Please contact Max Appelman, FMP Coordinator, at mappelman@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740 for more information.

ASMFC: American Shad Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Find Coastwide Abundance Remains Depleted

August 5, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The 2020 American Shad Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report indicate American shad remain depleted on a coastwide basis. Multiple factors, such as overfishing, inadequate fish passage at dams, predation, pollution, water withdrawals, channelization of rivers, changing ocean conditions, and climate change are likely responsible for shad decline from historic abundance levels. Additionally, the assessment finds that shad recovery is limited by restricted access to spawning habitat. Current barriers partly or completely block 40% of historic shad spawning habitat, which may equate to a loss of more than a third of spawning adults. The “depleted” determination was used instead of “overfished” because the impact of fishing on American shad stocks cannot be separated from the impacts of all other factors responsible for changes in abundance. The benchmark assessment was endorsed by the Peer Review Panel and accepted by the Shad & River Herring Management Board (Board) for management use.

“On behalf of the Board, I want to commend the members of the Shad Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee for their outstanding work on the 2020 Benchmark Stock Assessment Report,” stated Board Chair Dr. Michael Armstrong from Massachusetts. “This is a considerable body of work that substantially advances our understanding of the challenges facing American shad stocks along the Atlantic coast. It certainly has given the Board a lot to think about regarding next steps in management to improve population resiliency. Given the stock-specific nature of shad management, the Board has tasked the Technical Committee with identifying potential paths forward to improve shad stocks along the coast considering the assessment results.”

Coastwide adult mortality is unknown, but was determined to be unsustainable for some system‐specific stocks, indicating the continued need for management action to reduce adult mortality. Specifically, adult mortality was determined to be unsustainable for three stocks – Connecticut, Delaware, and Potomac – and sustainable for five stocks – Hudson, Rappahannock, York, Albemarle Sound, and Neuse (see table on page 2 for information by system). The terms “sustainable” and “unsustainable” were used instead of “not overfishing” and “overfishing” because fishing mortality cannot be separated from other components contributing to total mortality. Though adult mortality was determined to be sustainable for some system‐specific stocks, it is important to note that maintaining sustainable adult mortality will not result in favorable abundance status if juvenile mortality is unsustainable. Unfortunately, juvenile mortality status cannot be determined due to insufficient data collection in all systems; without these determinations, significant uncertainty remains in assessment advice for management of American shad. Thus, the recovery of American shad will need to address multiple factors including anthropogenic (human-caused) habitat alterations, predation by non‐native predators, and exploitation by fisheries. The assessment also highlights the need for stock composition monitoring data in order to separate the impacts of fishing from other factors driving American shad population dynamics in future stock assessments.

Read the full release here

MAFMC News Roundup – 8/5/20

August 5, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Last Chance to Submit Comments on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth: The Council is seeking ideas and suggestions for reducing burdens on domestic fishing and increasing production within sustainable fisheries. Input will help inform the Council’s development of a prioritized list of recommended actions as required under Section 4 of Executive Order 13921. Learn more and submit comments here. Comments are due today, August 5, at 5:00 p.m.

August 6 Joint MAFMC/ASMFC Meeting: The Council will meet jointly via webinar with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board and Bluefish Management Board on August 6, 2020. An agenda and other details related to the joint portion of the meeting are available on the August 6, 2020 Joint MAFMC/ASMFC Meeting Page. Webinar connection information is available on the ASMFC’s Summer 2020 Meeting page.

August 2020 Council Meeting: The Council’s August 2020 Council Meeting will be held via webinar next week, August 10-13. A portion of the meeting will be conducted jointly with the ASMFC’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board and Bluefish Management Board. An agenda, briefing materials, and webinar connection details are available on the August 2020 Council Meeting Page.

Redeployment of Northeast Observers: NOAA Fisheries has announced that deployment of observers and at-sea monitors in the Northeast partial-coverage fisheries will resume on August 14. To improve transparency in its approach to observer deployment, NOAA Fisheries has established national-level criteria for vessels to be waived (released) from observer or at-sea monitor coverage.

Recreational Tilefish Permitting and Reporting: Beginning August 17, 2020, any recreational vessel that intends to target or retain blueline or golden tilefish north of the NC/VA border will be required to obtain a Federal private recreational tilefish vessel permit. In addition, recreational vessel operators will be required to submit electronic vessel trip reports (eVTRs) within 24 hours of returning to port from any recreational trip targeting or retaining tilefish. For more information, read the NOAA Fisheries announcement or visit the Council’s Recreational Tilefish Permitting and Reporting page.

Proposed Commercial eVTR Requirements: NOAA Fisheries has published a proposed rule to implement a framework jointly developed by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils which would require federally permitted commercial fishing vessels to submit vessel trip reports electronically within 48 hours of the end of a trip. For more details, please see the NOAA Fisheries announcement or visit the Council’s Commercial eVTR page. Comments must be submitted by August 17, 2020.

Chub Mackerel: NOAA Fisheries has published a final rule implementing Amendment 21 to the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This action integrates Atlantic chub mackerel into the FMP and implements long-term conservation and management measures for the species from Maine through North Carolina.

Illex Squid Quota Increase: NOAA Fisheries has increased the 2020 acceptable biological catch for the Illex squid fishery from 26,000 mt to 30,000 mt. This quota increase was recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council based on preliminary work by its Illex Squid Working Group, which concluded that the species continues to be lightly exploited and the fishery footprint is small. See the permit holder bulletin for more information.

Offshore Wind: The Coast Guard is conducting a Port Access Route Study (PARS) to evaluate the adequacy of existing vessel routing measures and determine whether additional vessel routing measures are necessary for port approaches to New York and New Jersey and international and domestic transit areas in the First District area of responsibility. A public comment period on this study is open through August 28. A virtual public meeting will be held via webinar and teleconference to provide an opportunity for oral comments on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, beginning at 6 p.m. EST. More information is available here.

Upcoming Webinars:

Questions? Contact Mary Sabo – msabo@mafmc.org, (302) 518-1143.

PFMC: Request for nominations on the Habitat Committee (due August 31 2020)

August 4, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is requesting nominations of qualified candidates to fill one commercial fishery position on its Habitat Committee. Successful candidates will serve out the remainder of the 2019-2021 Council advisory body term. To ensure consideration, nominations should be received at the Council office no later than 5 p.m. Monday, August 31, 2020.

Please see the Council’s Advisory Body Vacancy webpage for full details on the available positions, including the vacancy announcements and how to apply.

The Council is committed to the principle of diversity and is particularly interested in receiving nominations from a broad spectrum of people. Eligibility or selection for these positions will not be based on race, color, national origin, handicap, age, religion, or sexual orientation.

If you have further questions, please contact Mr. Mike Burner at 503-820-2414; toll free 1-866-806-7204.

MAFMC: New Permitting and Reporting Requirements for Recreational Blueline and Golden Tilefish

August 4, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office published a final rule on July 16, 2020 establishing permitting and reporting requirements for recreational vessels fishing for tilefish north of the North Carolina/Virginia border. Beginning on August 17, 2020, any recreational vessel that intends to target or retain blueline or golden tilefish will be required to:

  • Obtain a Federal private recreational tilefish vessel permit through the GARFO Fish Online website.
  • Submit electronic vessel trip reports (eVTRs) through a NMFS-approved eVTR application within 24 hours of returning to port from any recreational trip targeting or retaining tilefish.

Recreational tilefish anglers will be able to choose between several eVTR applications, which currently include the NOAA Fish Online mobile app (for Apple iOS devices), the NOAA Fish Online web portal, the SAFIS eTrips/mobile 2 application (for Apple, Android, and Windows 10 devices), and SAFIS eTrips Online

Coming Soon: New Recreational Tilefish Reporting App

In response to feedback from recreational fishermen related to this permitting/reporting action, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has been working with Harbor Light Software to develop a user-friendly application called “eFIN” where anglers can submit reports via Apple or Android devices. eFin was developed with input from private anglers and is designed to provide a simple, user-friendly interface. eFin is expected to be available for all users in the coming weeks. Updates on the availability of this application will be sent to the Council’s email list and posted on the Recreational Tilefish Permitting and Reporting page.

National Archives and Records Administration notice of availability of proposed records schedules; request for comments (electronic monitoring)

August 3, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

NOAA Fisheries is working with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to establish a new retention schedule for the raw imagery and other data collected by Electronic Monitoring systems. This NOAA Fisheries website provides background information, the proposed rule, the link to the NARA website, and the instructions on how to comment. Public comments are due to NARA by September 4, 2020.  Please note, this rule-making differs from the NMFS, West Coast Region’s Electronic Monitoring Program EM data retention policy.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Brett Wiedoff at 503-820-2424; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

NEFMC August-September 2020 Meeting Lineup – Skates, Scallops, Groundfish, Herring, and More

August 3, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled numerous public hearings, advisory panel meetings, and committee meetings throughout August and September to address actions related to Atlantic sea scallops, groundfish, Atlantic herring, skates, habitat, ecosystem-based fishery management, and more. Webinar registration links and related documents are – or soon will be – posted on each of the respective hearing/meeting webpages. Here’s the lineup.

SKATES – Thursday, August 6: The Council’s Skate Committee will meet by webinar at 9:00 a.m. to continue developing and clarifying the problem statement, goals, and objectives for Amendment 5 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This action is considering whether to limit access to the skate wing and bait fisheries. Meeting materials and the webinar registration link are at Skates August 6.

Read the full release here

Reminder – Advisory Panel Seats Open

August 3, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting applicants for open advisory panel seats. The Council’s advisory panels inform and guide the Council in developing and implementing federal fishery management plans. Members include recreational and commercial fishermen, seafood dealers and processors, scientists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as environmental groups and fishing organizations, and concerned citizens.

Most of the seats on advisory panels are allotted by state and fishery sector, with others considered “at large” and open to any interested person. Advisory panel members are appointed by the Council to three-year terms and may be reappointed for two additional terms. The Council’s advisory panels generally meet once or twice each year and members are compensated for travel and per diem expenses.

Applications are now being solicited for the following positions:

  • Habitat Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management Advisory Panel
    (1) NC Recreational Seat, (1) SC Recreational Seat, and
    (1) At-Large Research Scientist Seat
  • Law Enforcement Advisory Panel
    (1) Commercial Seat and (1) Recreational Seat
  • Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel
    (1) NGO Seat and (2) Open Seats
  • Outreach and Communication Advisory Panel
    (1) Open Seat, (1) Recreational Seat, and (1) Media Seat
  • Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel
    (3) NC Seats, (3) SC Seats, (1) GA Seat, and (6) FL Seats

How to Apply
Detailed instructions on how to apply and application forms for individual advisory panels are available online from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/about-safmc/advisory-panels/. For questions please contact Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, at Kim.Iverson@safmc.net or call 843/571-4366.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact area Council representatives to discuss their interest in serving. Contact information for all Council members is available from the Council’s website at safmc.net/council-members/ or through the Council office.

Applications must be received by August 10, 2020 for consideration by the Council during its September 14-18, 2020 meeting scheduled via webinar.

Commercial Closure for Blueline Tilefish in South Atlantic Federal Waters on August 11, 2020

August 3, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN:

The commercial harvest of blueline tilefish in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close at 12:01 a.m., local time on August 11, 2020. During the commercial closure, all sale or purchase of blueline tilefish is prohibited, and harvest or possession of blueline tilefish in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

The current commercial catch limit is 87,521 pounds whole weight. The catch limit will increase to 117,148 pounds whole weight on August 17. According to the accountability measure, harvest must close to prevent the new catch limit from being exceeded.

AFTER THE CLOSURE:

The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a federal commercial permit for South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper.

The 2021 commercial fishing season for blueline tilefish in the South Atlantic will open on January 1, 2021, with a commercial catch limit of 117,148 pounds whole weight.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=383bc195ccbeab4fd6bec1c24905df34&node=sp50.12.622.i&rgn=div6#se50.12.622_1193.

PFMC: Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup to hold online meeting August 28, 2020

August 3, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG) will convene an online meeting.  This online meeting is open to the public, and will be held Friday, August 28, 2020, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time, or until business for the day has been completed.

Please see the EWG meeting notice on the Council’s website for details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Dr. Kit Dahl at 503-820-2422; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.