November 4, 2022 — Following the release of new research, the Fisheries Survival Fund (FSF) is encouraging the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) to open currently closed scallop areas.
NOAA backs expansion of US aquaculture industry
November 4, 2022 — NOAA has released its first-ever strategic plan for expanding “a resilient aquaculture industry” in the U.S. over the next five years.
The plan was co-authored by representatives of NOAA Fisheries, the National Sea Grant College Program, and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. The 20-page report states that domestic seafood is a vital resource for the United States, and that aquaculture can be effective in fighting climate change, replenishing wild stocks, and aiding in the recovery of threatened and endangered species.
Fishing for red snapper might be limited in 2023
November 3, 2022 — The start of red snapper season is two weeks, but in 2023, one might not be able to take home their usual amount.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is considering adding more limits. Passionate fisherman like Lori McBride, who calls Jacksonville home, believes there’s plenty of fish to go around.
Pilot System Could Return Endangered Salmon to Their Historic Habitat
November 2, 2022: The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
State and federal biologists and engineers, in partnership with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, have begun testing an experimental system in Shasta Reservoir. It could help collect young salmon from the McCloud River in future years and return them to their historic habitat.
The Juvenile Salmonid Collection System is a pilot project 6 years in the making. It is part of a long-term effort to help fish better survive California’s hotter, drier future and more extreme droughts. The collection system will float in the McCloud River arm of the reservoir and guide cold water toward a collection point. This cold water flows down from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The initial testing is running from September to mid-November. It will not involve salmon but will use temperature and hydraulic measurements to assess the operation and performance of the collection system.
If successful, the system will be tested in future years with salmon to determine its efficacy and if it can be a critical part of winter-run salmon reintroduction. Biologists expect that juvenile salmon will follow the colder water to that collection point. They can be retrieved there and transported downstream around the dam to continue their migration to the ocean.
System to Collect Juvenile Salmon
Recovery plans call for returning endangered Chinook salmon to their original spawning grounds in the cold McCloud River above Shasta Reservoir. The fish may better survive drought and climate change in that cooler habitat. Juvenile salmon hatched in the river need to be collected as they migrate downstream before or just after they enter the reservoir. The reservoir is home to warmer waters and predators.
“This is an innovative and important project that comes at a critical time for endangered winter-run Chinook salmon,” said Scott Rumsey, Acting Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region. “While we will need a few years to move this ahead, we have no time to waste in preparing this native California species for the rising challenges of climate change.”
Reintroduction efforts strive to reestablish endangered winter-run salmon in colder, high-elevation rivers where they once spawned before reservoirs blocked their migration. This would improve their resilience to a changing climate and could allow for more flexibility in managing water in the Sacramento River.
An important component of the project has been the commitment of state, federal, and regional authorities to Tribal engagement. Strategic efforts and planning have been enhanced with the support and commitment to developing a partnership with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe. The participation of the Tribe brings unique perspectives and incorporates Tribal knowledge to the project.
Important Step for Imperiled Species
This is the first step in creating the infrastructure necessary to connect winter-run Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River with cold-water spawning and rearing habitat in the McCloud River.
The testing of the collection system is a separate effort from the transfer of about 40,000 winter-run eggs from the Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery to the McCloud River. They incubated in the hatchery throughout the summer. That effort, supported by project partners, was an urgent response to the severe drought and will improve the salmon’s odds of survival this year.
The testing of the system will require intermittent restricted access for boats in the upper McCloud arm of the reservoir, as the system spans the entire channel. California Department of Water Resources and contractor staff will be on site.
Partners on the project include:
- Shasta-Trinity National Forest
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- California Department of Water Resources
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Winnemem Wintu Tribe
Massachusetts wind power project ‘no longer viable’ without contract adjustments, says developer
November 1, 2022 — The developer for a major offshore wind power project in Massachusetts has asked state regulators to pause review of the contract for one month, saying that global price hikes, inflation and supply chain shortages are disrupting the plan.
The Commonwealth Wind project, which would supply 1,200 megawatts of offshore wind power starting in 2028, “is no longer viable and would not be able to move forward” without amendments to the power purchase agreement (PPA), according to a motion recently filed by the developer.
Attorneys for Commonwealth Wind in the motion cited global commodity price increases, in part because of the war in Ukraine, the sudden spike in interest rates, prolonged supply chain constraints and persistent inflation as reasons for the increased expected cost of construction.
Gulf’s first two zones for offshore wind farms selected off Louisiana, Texas
November 1, 2022 — The federal government has selected the first two areas for offshore wind development in the Gulf of Mexico, clearing the way for a process that could have windmills spinning over the waves near Louisiana by the decade’s end.
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Monday finalized the boundaries for the two zones: a 174,000-acre area south of Lake Charles and a 508,000-acre area near Galveston, Texas.
The two areas have the potential to generate enough power for almost 3 million homes, according to BOEM. That’s enough electricity for the combined populations of Houston, New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
The commercial leasing process for the two areas is expected to begin by the middle of next year. After a multi-year site assessment, survey process and environmental review, offshore wind developers could begin installing turbines before 2030.
U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, said BOEM’s site selection is an “important first step” toward a stronger economy and cleaner energy for the Gulf region.
“Offshore wind is a key component to achieving our nation’s clean energy goals to lower costs and cut pollution, while creating good jobs for Americans,” he said.
Bering Sea crabbers’ emergency action plea opens for public comment
October 31, 2022 — The National Marine Fisheries Service has opened a review and is taking public comment on Bering Sea crabbers’ request to take emergency action to close the Red King Crab Savings Area and the Red King Crab Savings Subarea to all fishing gear that comes into contact with the ocean bottom.
The request from the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers is dated Sept. 29, after the association failed to sway the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to take new steps for setting aside crab habitat and further reducing bycatch from other fisheries.
Warning signs months before pointed toward declining snow and king crab numbers, and on Oct. 10 Alaska state officials announced sweeping closures in response to dismal survey results. Crab fleet advocates predict direct revenue loss of $500 million from losing the 2022-2023 season and possibly twice that in broader economic impact.
Feds unveil plan to grow wind power while sparing rare whale
October 31, 2022 — The federal government has outlined a strategy to try to protect an endangered species of whale while also developing offshore wind power off the East Coast.
President Joe Biden’s administration has made a priority of encouraging offshore wind along the Atlantic coast as the U.S. pursues greater energy independence. Those waters are also home to the declining North Atlantic right whale, which numbers about 340 in the world.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released a draft plan this month to conserve the whales while allowing for the building of wind projects. The agencies said the ongoing efforts to save the whales and create more renewable energy can coexist.
Bering Sea crabbers call for new ‘crisis response’ to fishery disasters
October 28, 2022 — The closing of the Bering Sea snow and red king crab fisheries poses a $1 billion economic hit and continued danger of future fishery collapses from climate change in the North Pacific, the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers say.
“Across the country, fisheries are racing the clock to adjust to changing climate and growing uncertainty,” according to a statement issued by the association Wednesday. “In the North Pacific, ABSC is proposing a 3-prong approach for crab and disasters like it: provide rapid financial relief, develop adaptive and responsive management, and bolster continued science and research. Alaska’s snow crab fishery is the perfect test case for innovating these crisis responses.”
“This is a defining moment in U.S. fisheries management,” said Jamie Goen, executive director of the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers. “We must focus on what we can control: helping hard-working fishing families and coastal communities and using the information we have to make better, more balanced, holistic management decisions.”
Chesapeake Bay blue crab harvest hits record low
October 28, 2022 — New crab fishing restrictions have been put in place for the Chesapeake Bay in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic after surveys found that the bay’s crab population is at an historic low.
Results from a bay-wide blue crab dredge survey showed a continued downturn in juvenile crab recruitment and a record low year of total blue crab abundance. The total abundance declined from 282 million in 2021 to 227 million crabs in 2022. That’s the lowest abundance estimate in the 33-year history of the winter dredge survey. The last all-time high of 852 million crabs was reported in 1993.
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