July 18, 2017 — The U.S. Department of Commerce says its top official was right to reverse a decision about flounder fishing regulations made by an interstate commission.
Head of Maine Aquaculture Association named to federal marine panel
July 14, 2017 — The head of the Maine Aquaculture Association has been named to a federal marine advisory panel.
Sebastian Belle, executive director of the aquaculture trade association, has been appointed to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee. As a member of the advisory committee, Belle will advise the Secretary of Commerce and NOAA on issues related to living marine resources that fall under the purview of the Department of Commerce, according to a joint release from U.S. Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins announcing the apointment.
“Sebastian has established himself as a national leader in the aquaculture industry, and his expertise will help guide the Department of Commerce and NOAA as they shape important policy relating to our marine resources,” said the senators in the statement. “Sebastian brings with him a deep understanding of Maine’s diverse marine ecosystem that supports our state’s coastal communities, creates and sustains jobs, and helps drive the economy.”
Belle was formerly a lobsterman and state aquaculture coodinator. He helped found TAAG, which specializes in aquaculture investment and consulting, and is also the president of Econ-Aqua, a consultancy that focuses on farm management, financial due diligence, and risk and analysis control.
Call for Nominations to U.S. Advisory Panel on Pacific Whiting Treaty
July 14, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The National Marine Fisheries Service is soliciting nominations for appointments to the United States Advisory Panel (AP) to the Pacific Hake/Whiting Treaty. The position is for a four year term beginning in 2018.
Nominations must be received by August 11, 2017.
The Pacific Whiting Act implements the 2003 agreement between the U.S. and Canada that provides for the establishment of an Advisory Panel (AP). The AP makes recommendations to the Joint Management Committee on bilateral Pacific whiting management issues.
AP members must be knowledgeable or experienced in the harvesting, processing, marketing, management, conservation, or research of the offshore Pacific whiting resource. Eight individuals represent the United States on the AP, and nominations for one of those positions are being solicited through this notice.
Nomination packages for appointments should include:
1. The name of the applicant or nominee, position they are being nominated for and a description of his/her interest in Pacific whiting; and
2. A statement of background and/or description of how the nominee is knowledgeable or experienced in the harvesting, processing, marketing, management, conservation, or research of the offshore Pacific whiting resource. Letters of support for nominees will also be considered.
Candidates may submit nominations by any of the following methods:
This story originally appeared on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.
Fishermen will be allowed to catch more monkfish
July 17, 2017 — Federal fishing regulators will allow fishermen to catch a little bit more monkfish over the next three years.
The monkfish, also known as goosefish is a popular food fish that’s native to the East Coast. They’re a staple of displays in New England fish markets, where they often stick out because of their bizarre appearance.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it’s increasing the monkfish quota in the northern fishery management area by 8 percent. The quota’s going up in the southern fishery area by 1 percent.
Monkfish are caught from Maine to Virginia, with most of the catch coming to shore in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The harvest was worth more than $19 million in 2015.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Portland Press Herald
NOAA Announces $13.8 Million in Coastal Resilience Grants
July 17, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:
NOAA announces approximately $13.8 million in recommended funding for 19 projects under our Coastal Resilience Grants Program. Competition was fierce – we received 167 proposals requesting more than $135 million in funding and committing $91 million of matching and in-kind support. We had 116 proposals under the Strengthening Coastal Communities category, of which we are recommending 8 for funding, and 51 under the Habitat Restoration category, of which we are recommending 11 for funding.
These 19 projects will affect more than 500 coastal communities, bringing the total to well over 700 communities for the first three years of funding (2015-17).
Habitat Restoration projects will remove dams, enhance levees, restore channels, and promote natural barriers. They will also provide vital habitat for fish and protect communities from floods, both of which are essential to the nation’s economy.
Strengthening Coastal Communities projects will give decision-makers information to craft practical solutions to protect coastal infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and ports.
Both categories of projects are expected to reduce the loss of lives and the costs of damages from weather, water, and climate events, which cause an average of approximately 650 deaths and $15 billion in damage per year in the United States.
See the full list of the 2017 projects.
ASMFC Reacts to Commerce Secretary Decision to Reject Commission Advice on Summer Flounder
July 14, 2017 — ARLINGTON, Va. — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
On July 11th, Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, notified the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that he has found the State of New Jersey to be in compliance with Addendum XXVII to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan. According to the letter sent to the Commission, Secretary Ross’s decision was based on the assertion that “New Jersey makes a compelling argument that the measures it implemented this year, despite increasing catch above the harvest target, will likely reduce total summer flounder mortality in New Jersey waters to a level consistent with the overall conservation objective for the recreational fishery.” This is the first time since passage of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (Atlantic Coastal Act) in 1993 and the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act in 1984 that the Secretary of Commerce failed to uphold a noncompliance recommendation by the Commission.
“The Commission is deeply concerned about the near-term impact on our ability to end overfishing on the summer flounder stock as well as the longer-term ability for the Commission to effectively conserve numerous other Atlantic coastal shared resources,” stated Commission Chair Douglas Grout of New Hampshire. “The Commission’s finding of noncompliance was not an easy one. It included hours of Board deliberation and rigorous Technical Committee review, and represented, with the exception of New Jersey, a unanimous position of the Commission’s state members. Our decision was based on Technical Committee’s findings that New Jersey’s measures were not conservationally-equivalent to those measures in Addendum XXVIII and are projected to result in an additional 93,800 fish being harvested. Additionally, we had an obligation as a partner in the joint management of summer flounder with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) to implement measures to end overfishing immediately or face the possibility of summer flounder becoming an overfished stock.”
Based on the latest stock assessment information, summer flounder is currently experiencing overfishing. Spawning stock biomass has been declining since 2010 and is just 16% above the threshold. The vast majority of fishery-independent surveys show rapidly declining abundance. Any increase in overall mortality puts the stock at risk for further declines and increases the probability of the stock becoming overfished. If the stock falls below the biomass threshold, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires the Council to initiate a rebuilding program, which could require more restrictive management measures.
New Jersey was not the only state to be concerned about the impact of the approved measures to its recreational fishing community. Two other states submitted alternative proposals that were rejected in favor of the states equally sharing the burden of needed reductions. Those states, as well as other coastal states, implemented the approved measures in order to end overfishing and support the long-term conservation of the resource.
“The states have a 75-year track record of working together to successfully manage their shared marine resources,” continued Chairman Grout. “We are very much concerned about the short and long-term implications of the Secretary’s decision on interstate fisheries management. Our focus moving forward will be to preserve the integrity of the Commission’s process, as established by the Atlantic Coastal Act, whereby, the states comply with the management measures we collectively agree upon. It is my fervent hope that three-quarters of a century of cooperative management will provide a solid foundation for us to collectively move forward in achieving our vision of sustainably managing Atlantic coastal fisheries.”
The Commission is currently reviewing its options in light of Secretary Ross’s action, and the member states will meet during the Commission’s Summer Meeting in early August to discuss the implications of the Secretary’s determination on the summer flounder resource and on state/federal cooperation in fisheries management under the Atlantic Coastal Act.
For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, Director, Interstate Fisheries Management Program, at tkerns@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.
John Bullard announces retirement from NOAA
July 12, 2017 — John Bullard, NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator, formally announced Wednesday that he will retire on Jan. 5.
“We wish John well,” New England Council Executive Director Tom Nies said in a statement. “He is always willing to work with the council to find management solutions and empowers those around him to actively participate in the process, which is one of his key accomplishments.”
Bullard took the post in July 2012. It followed positions including mayor of New Bedford, a spot within the Clinton administration and president of Sea Education Association.
“As the former mayor of New Bedford, Bullard brought with him a unique connection to the fishing industry, and used that connection to improve communication with all aspects of the industry and Congress during a very challenging period for the agency,” said Sam Rauch, NOAA Fisheries deputy assistant administrator for regulatory programs in a statement.
NOAA will launch a search for Bullard’s replacement within the next several months.
After Bullard’s announcement, NOAA praised his accomplishments during his five years with he organization.
Bullard helped manage 44 fish stocks, including scallop and lobster, which are worth $500 million each, NOAA said.
During his tenure, he oversaw efforts to reduce entanglements for marine life in the Atlantic Ocean and helped develop strategies to repopulate rivers in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.
In 2016, he approved the Mid-Atlantic Council’s deep-sea coral amendment, which protected 15 deep-sea canyons totaling 24 million acres.
“John is an example of public service and more importantly, an example of working with stakeholders to have a positive impact on tough issues,” said Dr. Jon Hare, science and research director at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, in a statement. “I will miss working with him and am thankful for his time as regional administrator.”
ABOUT THE U.S. SEAFOOD IMPORT MONITORING PROGRAM
July 13, 2017 — The following was released by the National Ocean Council Committee on IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud:
The Seafood Import Monitoring Program establishes for imports of certain seafood products, the reporting and recordkeeping requirements needed to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU)-caught and/or misrepresented seafood from entering U.S. commerce, thereby providing additional protections for our national economy, global food security and the sustainability of our shared ocean resources. NOAA Fisheries published the final rule establishing the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) on December 9, 2016. This is thefirst-phase of a risk-based traceability program—requiring the importer of record to provide and report key data—from the point of harvest to the point of entry into U.S. commerce—on an initial list of imported fish and fish products identified as particularly vulnerable to IUU fishing and/or seafood fraud. January 1, 2018 is the mandatory compliance date for this rule.
Upcoming Public Meetings
To view transcripts and/or recordings of previous meetings, please click here.
Overview of the Final Rule
- The final rule reflects and responds to numerous public comments and campaign messages received on the proposed rule and underscores NOAA Fisheries’ extensive efforts to establish an effective program that minimizes the burden of compliance on industry while providing the necessary information to identify illegal and/or misrepresented seafood imports before they enter the U.S. market.
- The Seafood Import Monitoring Program establishes permitting, data reporting and recordkeeping requirements for the importation of certain priority fish and fish products that have been identified as being particularly vulnerable to IUU fishing and/or seafood fraud.
- The data collected will allow these priority species of seafood to be traced from the point of entry into U.S. commerce back to the point of harvest or production to verify whether it was lawfully harvested or produced.
- The collection of catch and landing documentation for these priority seafood species will be accomplished through the International Trade Data System (ITDS), the U.S. government’s single data portal for all import and export reporting.
- The Seafood Import Monitoring Program is not a labeling program, nor is it consumer facing. In keeping with the Magnuson-Stevens Act authority (under which the regulatory program has been promulgated) and the strict information security of the ITDS–the information collected under this program is confidential.
- The importer of record will be required to keep records regarding the chain of custody of the fish or fish product from harvest to point of entry into U.S.
NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator Announces Retirement
July 12, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:
NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator John Bullard today formally announced he will retire on January 5, 2018. Bullard, who took the top job in the agency’s Gloucester-based office in 2012, will leave a legacy of improved relationships with the regulated community, the research community, environmentalists, local, state, and federal officials and agency partners, including the New England and the Mid-Atlantic fishery management councils and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
As the regional administrator responsible for leading the agency’s approach to fisheries, habitat, sea turtle, and marine mammal issues from Maine to North Carolina as well as the Great Lakes region, Bullard also provided a much-needed conduit helping the regulated communities understand the critical role of science in informing management decisions.
“As the former Mayor of New Bedford, Bullard brought with him a unique connection to the fishing industry, and used that connection to improve communication with all aspects of the industry and Congress during a very challenging period for the agency,” said Sam Rauch, NOAA Fisheries Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs.
As Regional Administrator, Bullard worked with the fishery management councils and the commission to manage 44 fish stocks, including two, scallops and lobster, worth more than $500 million each.
During his tenure, he faced the daunting New England groundfish crisis. Bullard met the challenge head on, making the tough and unpopular decision to impose emergency closures when the New England Council failed to act.
“I know how difficult these issues are, and I tried to tackle them with courage and compassion,” says Bullard.
Bullard worked with Congress and state directors to deliver $32.8 million in disaster assistance to affected fishing families and communities. In close collaboration with the New England Council, Bullard then put quotas and closures in place to protect cod and other depleted fish stocks.
“We wish John well,” said New England Council Executive Director Tom Nies. “He is always willing to work with the council to find management solutions and empowers those around him to actively participate in the process, which is one of his key accomplishments. That may go unnoticed by many, but it is one of the reasons our council has been able to complete so many management actions during his tenure.”
Bullard’s leadership in protecting living marine resources included removing approximately 30,000 miles of rope from Atlantic coastal waters to reduce whale entanglements and expanding critical habitat for North Atlantic right whales in the region by more than 25,000 nautical miles. He also oversaw development of a strategy to restore river herring populations, imposed catch caps on mackerel and herring fisheries, and removed dams and created fish passages to double fish runs in key Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts rivers.
“For me, John is an example of public service and more importantly, an example of working with stakeholders to have a positive impact on tough issues,” said Dr. Jon Hare, science and research director at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center. “I will miss working with him and am thankful for his time as regional administrator.”
Bullard strongly supported groundbreaking actions created to bolster the Mid-Atlantic region’s important recreational and commercial fisheries. In 2016, he approved the Mid-Atlantic Council’s deep-sea coral amendment that protects 15 deep-sea canyons and a total area of 24 million acres, about the size of Virginia, where fragile, slow-growing corals live. These hotspots of biodiversity provide important habitat, refuge, and prey for fish and other marine life. Bullard has also advanced an action to protect small schooling fish, also known as forage fish, which serve as prey for larger fish, marine mammals, and sea birds. This would be the first ever action on the Atlantic coast to designate forage fish as important parts of the ecosystem and provide protection for them.
“Throughout his tenure as regional administrator, John has been an engaged and dedicated participant in the council process, and he has played an important role in increasing focus on the Mid-Atlantic portion of the Greater Atlantic Region,” said Chris Moore, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. “His insight and leadership have been especially valuable to the Mid-Atlantic Council during the development of several new initiatives such as the Deep Sea Corals Amendment, the Unmanaged Forage Fish Amendment, and the development of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management.”
Bullard also led the charge to modernize access and sharing of fishery dependent data in cooperation with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the fishing industry, the councils and the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program. He championed electronic monitoring pilot projects on fishing vessels with partners in the industry and environmental non-government organizations to increase coverage and improve the data on which our science is based.
“It’s been an honor and pleasure to work with John. He has been a strong supporter of state/federal cooperation in the management of our shared marine resources,” said Bob Beal, executive director of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. “We are grateful for his contributions to sustainable management and wish him the very best.”
“I’m really proud of the work I’ve done with the GARFO team. They are intelligent, hard-working, and caring professionals, and I rely on them every day to make me smart on the many issues we face,” said Bullard, who has no plans to slow down before he leaves. “There is work left to do before I leave—very important work. Still on my list are the Omnibus Habitat Amendment, the New England Council’s Deep Sea Coral Amendment, some critical dam removals, electronic monitoring, the Carlos Rafael situation, the summer flounder crisis, and the continuing groundfish challenge, among others.”
However, once he does bid the agency goodbye, he plans to literally sail into the sunset, provided the weather is warm enough!
The agency will launch a search for Bullard’s replacement within the next several months.
Atlantic Region Increased Large Coastal Shark Retention Limit to 36 Sharks per Trip and Regulation Reminders
July 12, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) is increasing the retention limit for the commercial aggregated large coastal shark (LCS) and hammerhead shark management groups for directed shark limited access permit holders in the Atlantic region from 3 to 36 LCS other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip as of July 16, 2017. This adjustment is intended to promote equitable fishing opportunities in the Atlantic region, while allowing quota to be harvested throughout the year. All other retention limits and shark fisheries remain unchanged in the Atlantic region.
The retention limit will remain at 36 LCS other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip in the Atlantic region through the rest of the 2017 fishing season or until NOAA Fisheries announces via a notice in the Federal Register another adjustment to the retention limit or a fishery closure. This retention limit adjustment affects anyone with a directed shark limited access permit fishing for LCS in the Atlantic region.
NOAA Fisheries wants to remind commercial shark fishermen of the following regulations:
- Sharks must be landed with fins naturally attached, including dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, anal, and caudal fins (§635.30(c)(1)).
- While on a vessel, the head and viscera of the shark may be removed, but the backbone cannot be removed, and the shark cannot be halved, quartered, filleted, or otherwise reduced (§635.30(c)(2)). Additionally, once landed and offloaded, sharks that have been halved, quartered, filleted, cut up, or reduced in any manner may not be brought back on board a vessel (§635.30(c)(3)). In other words, sharks cannot be cut up to be used as bait.
- All federal permit holders must land sharks to federally-permitted dealers (§635.31(c)(1)).
- All sharks that are not being retained must be released in the water in a manner that maximizes survival (§635.24(a)(6)).
This notice is a courtesy to the HMS fishery participants to help keep you informed about the fishery. For further information on this retention limit adjustment, contact Lauren Latchford, Guý DuBeck, or Karyl Brewster-Geisz at 301-427-8503. The information will also be posted on the HMS website at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/species/sharks/news/shark_news_2017.html.
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