May 26, 2023 — NOAA Fisheries released its first Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy on 22 May, with the goal of ensuring the agency is treating all communities equitably.
“The federal government recognizes that barriers to equity have left many communities underserved, and they are often the most vulnerable to environmental issues, such as climate change,” the strategy reads.
May 25, 2023 — Dozens of East Coast mayors representing cities in three Democratic-led states — New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland — are calling for an offshore wind development moratorium in light of recent marine wildlife deaths.
In an open letter to Congress sent Tuesday, 50 mayors from across the three states said offshore wind development should immediately cease until a thorough investigation is conducted. The mayors expressed concern that the increasing number of whale and dolphin deaths is negatively impacting the ocean ecosystem their communities rely upon.
“Our coastal economies rely on a healthy ocean ecosystem to function, and we are increasingly concerned about the environmental impacts offshore wind may already be affecting our communities,” the mayors wrote to Congress.
May 25, 2023 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Council) has called on the U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to ensure that the “Governors of the U.S Pacific Territories are consulted with” as the National Marine Sanctuary designation process begins for the Pacific Remote Island Areas.
The call is outlined in the Council’s letter last month signed by Council chairman, John Gourley and Executive Director, Kitty M. Simonds to NOAA Administrator, Richard W. Spinrad, who was informed that the Council at its 194th Meeting in March this year, discussed this particular issue.
In the letter, the Council requests that NOAA, and all other involved agencies, consult with the U.S. Pacific Territories beyond the public comment opportunity on this proposed sanctuary.
The Council also requests that the National Ocean Service (NOS) provide a presentation to the Council on the proposed sanctuary, so that the Council may ascertain its responsibilities and role in the process, as outlined by the federal National Marine Sanctuaries Act.
May 25, 2023 — Blue Water Fisheries, based in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, is proposing a new offshore aquaculture operation in the waters off the coast of New England.
The company has proposed installing 40 submersible fish pens in two mooring grids that would occupy 250 acres of open water roughly seven miles off the coast of Newburyport, Massachusetts, U.S.A. The company hopes to grow salmon and steelhead trout at the farm, along with lumpfish for a research study, using technology from Innovasea.
May 24, 2023 — To understand the emergency catch limits being rushed into place for recreational anglers who chase striped bass — by far the most popular saltwater fish in the Northeast and the centerpiece of a multibillion-dollar industry — you have to understand “the slot” and how the “class of 2015″ is swimming right into it.
The slot refers to the size range of fish an angler is allowed to keep. In Massachusetts, where an estimated quarter-million anglers chase “stripers” each year, the slot has been 28 to 35 inches since 2020.
As a management practice, the restrictions allow for the harvest of wild food — licensed anglers can keep one slot fish per day — while protecting the larger fish, which are the most important breeders, requiring they be released back into the ocean to replenish the population.
May 24, 2023 — The Gulf of Maine is now on a federal overfishing watchlist after a group of scientists found the haddock population is on the decline.
As a result of the population decline showed in the survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has limited the amount of haddock New England fishermen can catch this season.
Now, the New England Fishery Management Council estimating fishing season will close as early as August.
But fishermen said they are seeing an increase in the highly demanded fish this season, not a decrease, and they are questioning the science behind the survey.
In an effort to protect the fish and the fishermen, the New England Fishery Management Council has asked NOAA to increase the limit.
May 23, 2023 — Two major wind power projects planned off the New Jersey coast have taken big steps forward with the completion of an environmental impact study for Ocean Wind 1 and the opening of the public comment portion of a draft environmental analysis for Atlantic Shores.
In announcing each development, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management described each as supporting the Biden-Harris administration’s offshore energy goals. President Joe Biden has presented offshore wind as a key part of plans to reduce the impact of climate change and build the nation’s renewable power infrastructure.
Weighing in at 570 pages, not counting more than a dozen appendices, the environmental impact statement for Ocean Wind 1 supports the construction of 98 turbines starting 15 miles off the coast and describes most potential impacts of the project as minor or negligible.
May 24, 2023 — As offshore wind companies seek permits for new projects, officials in New Bedford are weighing in on the impact on the fishing industry.
SouthCoast Wind, formerly Mayflower Wind, is proposing a 2,400-megawatt offshore wind project located 30 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.
New Bedford Port Authority Executive Director Gordon Carr is calling for SouthCoast Wind to follow Vineyard Wind’s lead in support of local fisheries programs and projects. Vineyard Wind is closing in on construction of its wind farm.
In a letter to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that oversees the process, Carr responded to the request for comments about SouthCoast’s draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) outlining the impact of the project.
May 22, 2023 — As NOAA celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, created to conserve endangered species and their habitats, the organization releases its 2023 edition of the State of the Ecosystem.
Developed annually for the New England and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, the State of the Ecosystem reports provide the current status of the Northeast Shelf marine ecosystems. These annual, collaboratively produced reports inform the councils about ecological, oceanographic, and socioeconomic aspects of the ecosystem—from fishing engagement to climate conditions.
You may think that these reports do not have much to do with the fishing industry, but in fact they do, and large sections of each document – the 52-page 2023 Mid-Atlantic report and 55-page 2023 New England report – are dedicated to fishing management and how changes in the ecosystem reflect in the industry. In fact, the reports are organized into two sections:
May 22, 2023 — The following was released by BOEM:
In support of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed its environmental analysis of the proposed Ocean Wind 1 wind project offshore New Jersey, which could power up to a half million homes with clean renewable energy.
“BOEM continues to make progress towards a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a new clean energy industry in the United States,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “Offshore wind is a critical component of the Biden-Harris administration’s strategy to tackle the climate crisis, while creating good-paying jobs and ensuring economic opportunities are accessible to all communities.”
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is growing the American economy from the bottom up and middle out – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to driving over $470 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating good paying jobs and building a clean energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.
Ocean Wind LLC proposes to construct up to 98 wind turbine generators (WTGs) and up to three offshore substations within its lease area. At its closest point, the Ocean Wind 1 project will be at least 13 nautical miles southeast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Export cables are anticipated to make landfall in Ocean County and Cape May County, New Jersey. If all 98 WTGs are approved for installation, the estimated capacity range will be from 1,215 to 1,440 megawatts, capable of powering up to 504,000 homes per year. If approved, Ocean Wind 1 will be the third commercial-scale offshore wind project located on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf approved by the Biden-Harris administration.
A “Notice of Availability” for the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Ocean Wind LLC’s Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore New Jersey” will publish in the Federal Register on May 26, 2023. The final EIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the activities laid out in Ocean Wind LLC’s Construction and Operations Plan. The final EIS is available on BOEM’s website.
On June 24, 2022, BOEM published a draft EIS, initiating a 45-day public comment period, which was later extended until Aug. 23, 2022. BOEM also held three virtual public hearings to solicit additional feedback on the draft EIS from Tribal nations, local community members, commercial fishing interests, and other ocean users. BOEM received a total of 1,389 comment submissions from Federal, Tribal, state, and local government agencies; non-governmental organizations, and the general public during the comment period.
BOEM considered these comments and stakeholders’ feedback when developing the final EIS, a critical step to ensure the project can move forward while balancing the needs and interests of everyone who may be affected by the development.
Next Steps
BOEM plans to issue a Record of Decision (ROD) on whether to approve the proposed project this summer. The ROD is the conclusion of the National Environmental Policy Act EIS process.