Saving Seafood

Management & Regulation

NOAA Fisheries Announces 2nd Reduction in Northern Red Hake Possession Limit

August 19, 2015 — NOAA Fisheries announces that the possession limit for Northern red hake will be reduced from 1,500 lb per trip to 400 lb per trip effective on Monday, August 24. This revised possession limit will be in effect for the remainder of the 2015 fishing year (April 30, 2016) to ensure the total allowable landings will not be exceeded.

The northern red hake possession limit must be reduced from 1,500 lb to 400 lb when landings for the fishing year reach or are projected to reach 62.5 percent of the total allowable landings.
Read the rule as filed in the Federal Register, or read the permit holder bulletin on our website.
Questions? Contact Reid Lichwell, Regional Office, at 978-281-9112 or reid.lichwell@noaa.gov.

Tuna Fishermen and Boaters Advised to Watch Out for Whales

August 19, 2015 — NOAA Fisheries reminds all fishermen and boaters to keep a safe distance from whales. Whales can get hooked in tuna rigs or tangled in monofilament line. We recommend boaters keep a distance of at least 100 feet from all whales (and at least 500 yards from endangered North Atlantic right whales, as required by federal law).

 In recent years, we have received increasing numbers of reports of tuna fishermen trolling their gear too close to humpback whales. This can result in injuries to both the whales and the people.

 Humpbacks create bubble clouds to corral their prey, and then lunge through the center to swallow the small fish. Fishermen or boaters in these bubble patches run the risk of colliding with a massive 79,000-pound humpback whale as it rapidly approaches the surface. When a whale collides with a vessel, it can be gravely injured and die from its injuries. Collisions with whales have also thrown boaters from vessels, causing injuries and even death.

 In addition to the potential risk of a collision, the close proximity of a boat may cause a whale to stop feeding. All whales in U.S. waters are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it illegal for people to harm, injure, kill, chase, or harass whales or any other marine mammal. Harassment includes any activity that results in changes to the whales’ natural behaviors, such as feeding. Penalties for Marine Mammal Protection Act violations are fines of up to $20,000 and up to one year in prison. In addition, some whales are protected under the Endangered Species Act, such as North Atlantic right whales, humpback whales, and fin whales.

 Get more information on safe boating near whales.

Stock assessments important for fish and fishermen

August 14, 2015 — Why was the striped bass limit cut to one fish?  Why are you allowed to take 9″ scup from select shore areas and the minimum is 10″ from a boat and other shore areas?  And, why have we been restricted to one black sea bass all summer?

The answer to these and similar questions lies, in part, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) ability to manage and prioritize fish stock assessments for recreational and commercial fisheries so fish managers can make decisions based on the best available scientific information.

Earlier this month NOAA released a final version of a new stock assessment prioritization system.  NOAA manages over 500 fish species nationally but only has the recourses to conduct about 200 fish stock assessments a year with its partners.  So, they had to develop an objective and transparent way to prioritize assessments.  Details of the final assessment system report can be found at www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/stock-assessment/stock-assessment-prioritization.

Stock assessments are fundamental to the sustainable management of our Nation’s fisheries. They represent the best scientific information available used to determine the status of fish stocks and guide the setting of harvest regulations that prevent overfishing and attain optimum yield from our Nation’s fisheries.

Read the full story at the Cranston Herald

 

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Decision to Reallocate Red Snapper Hurts American Consumers and Provides False Hope to Recreational Anglers

August 13, 2015 — The following was released by Share the Gulf:

Today the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) voted to reallocate several hundred-thousand pounds of red snapper away from the commercial fishing sector to the purely recreational sector. Share the Gulf is coalition of more than 44,000 chefs, restaurateurs, conservationists, seafood suppliers, commercial fishermen and consumers that has opposed the proposal.

“The vast majority of Americans do not own an offshore boat; they access the fishery through their favorite restaurants and grocery stores. This vote erodes their right to this shared American resource and hurts the businesses that provide it to them. Thankfully thousands of chefs, fishermen and seafood lovers made their voice heard or this could have been much worse,” said Stan Harris, CEO of the Louisiana Restaurant Association.

The proposal, known as Amendment 28, has gone through numerous iterations as it has been under consideration by the Gulf Council for years. Currently the red snapper fishery is divided almost 50-50 between the commercial and recreational sectors. Some alternatives considered in Amendment 28 could have shifted millions of pounds of fish and done untold damage to commercial fishermen, the seafood supply chain, restaurants and grocery stores.

“I voted against this because it takes millions of consumer meals off the market while not even providing a full extra day of fishing for recreational anglers. Some on the council were trying to shift millions of pounds of red snapper, so this could have been worse had people not stood up and fought for their right to access the fishery even if they don’t own a boat,” said David Walker, a commercial fisherman from Alabama who also sits on the Gulf Council.

“This was a poor decision by the Gulf Council because it hurts consumers and local businesses while not actually helping fisherman. Recreational management is so broken that this will not give them more than one extra day of fishing. Hopefully, now that this distraction is finished, we can focus on fixing the management system to give private anglers the fishing opportunities they deserve,” said Jason DeLaCruz, owner of Wild Seafood Company in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Read the release from Share the Gulf

MA Gov. Baker backs fishermen’s call for NOAA to pay for monitors

August 13, 2015 — With a crystalline portrait of America’s oldest seaport serving as the backdrop, Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday attacked NOAA’s plan to force fishermen to pay for at-sea observers on their boats and reiterated his pledge to help convince the federal fishing regulator to consider science other than its own.

Baker, speaking to a crowd of about 100 near the Fishermen’s Wives Memorial on Stacy Boulevard, with the city’s Outer Harbor sparkling in the background, called the federal at-sea observer proposal “the most perfect example of an unfunded mandate I think I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“I think it’s ridiculous and it’s outrageous,” Baker told the audience of fishermen, fishing advocates, Gloucester officials and members of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association. “If they want to send observers out on the boats, they should pay for them with their own money.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has told the commercial fishermen in the Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery that it expects to run out of money to fund the at-sea observer program by Oct. 31 and then will shift the responsibility for funding it  — estimated at $600 to $800 per day for each boat that carries an observer — to the fishing permit holders.

“It’s insult to injury as far as I’m concerned,” Baker said. “And I’m sure that most of the people in the fishing industry feel the same way.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

 

 

Proposed Red Snapper Amendment Criticized by LSU Scientist

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — August 13, 2015 — Dr. James Cowan, Professor at the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Studies at Louisiana State University (LSU), has written a letter to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council opposing the under-consideration Amendment 28 to the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan. Among other changes, Amendment 28 would transfer red snapper quota from the commercial fishery to the recreational fishery.

According to Dr. Cowan, “the notion that reallocation of red snapper from the commercial sector of the fishery to the recreational sector is a conservation measure is indefensible.” Instead, he notes that the key to maintaining a stable red snapper population is to ensure that there is a good year class every 5-7 years. He explains that one of the main problems currently facing the fishery is the lack of older fish, who produce more eggs and are thus more likely to contribute to producing new red snapper.

Dr. Cowan further criticizes the Amendment, noting that red snapper remains overfished, and that “raising [Annual Catch Limits], reallocation of more of the fishery to recreational sector, along with state management of the resource, will result in overfishing again within two to four years.” Given that current issues can be traced to a lack of older red snapper in the population, he notes, “there appears to be no justification” for reallocating quota to the recreational fishery. And because that fishery is more likely to target larger, older snapper, Dr. Cowan writes that, “I believe that the proposed reallocation will result in an increased risk of failure to reach the 2032 stock rebuilding target.”

Read the full letter from Dr. Cowan here

 

NOAA Fisheries Announces New 2015 Scallop Regs Story Map: New Way to See Information

August 12, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Office has posted our first Story Map, a new communication tool for complicated map-based information. Story Maps allow us to combine maps with explanations, images, and videos, to provide a new way for viewers to see and interact with information.

Our first test of the Story Map tool shows an overview of the existing 2015 Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery regulations. The Story Map allows users to easily find what they need. For example, users can locate open and closed areas at different times of year, see gear requirements by area, and get other regulatory information.

The Story Map is live on our Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery page. Also included is an instructional video on how to use a Story Map for those who want more information.

This Story Map is our first contribution to the growing number of map-based web applications on the NOAA GeoPortal. We hope to produce many more in the year to come.

Please tell us what you think!

Send your comments, suggestions, and questions on the Story Map concept to:
Dean-Lorenz Szumylo
GIS Specialist, Information Resource Management
Dean.Szumylo@noaa.gov
(978) 282-8479

If you have questions about the 2015 Atlantic Sea Scallop regulations, please contact:
Travis Ford
Fishery Policy Analyst, Sustainable Fisheries Division
Travis.Ford@noaa.gov
(978) 281-9233

Emily Gilbert
Fishery Policy Analyst, Sustainable Fisheries Division
Emily.Gilbert@noaa.gov
(978) 281-9244

Public comment period opens for NOAA’s proposed rule to protect marine mammals in international fisheries

August 10, 2015 –NOAA today issued a proposed rule to protect marine mammals in international fisheries which would require U.S. trading partners to take measures to limit the incidental killing or serious injury of marine mammals due to fishing activities if they want to export seafood to the United States.

The rule, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), aims to level the playing field for American fishermen who comply with U.S. marine mammal conservation standards, and is intended to help foreign fisheries support a healthy and diverse marine ecosystem.

Under the proposed rule, nations exporting fish and fish products to the U.S. would be required to demonstrate that killing or serious injury of marine mammals incidental to their fishing activities do not occur in excess of U.S. standards.

“This rule proposes a system that would lead many foreign nations to improve their fishing practices to protect marine mammals,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “Those changes to current practice across the world will mark one of the most significant steps in the global conservation of marine mammals in decades, and could save substantial numbers of these vulnerable animals from injury and death, while at the same time leveling the playing field for U.S. fishermen.”

To comply, nations could adopt a marine mammal conservation program consistent with the United States’ program, or develop an alternative regulatory program with results comparable in effectiveness to U.S. regulatory programs for reducing marine mammal bycatch. NOAA would then evaluate each nation’s program to determine whether a nation has taken sufficient action and may export seafood to the United States.

NOAA, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State, will consult with the harvesting nations and, to the extent possible, engage in a capacity building program to assist with monitoring and assessing marine mammals stocks and bycatch and reduce unsustainable bycatch.

“The United States is a global leader in marine mammal conservation and sustainable fisheries practices. However, successful management and conservation of our global ocean can only be achieved through international cooperation and collaboration,” said John Henderschedt, director of NOAA Fisheries Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection. “Building on our success domestically, this proposed rule will serve as another venue for the U.S. to work with other countries and international partners to reduce marine mammal death and injury associated with fishing operations.”

The proposed rule provides a 5-year grace period during which foreign nations will be able to gather information about the impacts of their fisheries on marine mammals and work to ensure that these impacts do not exceed U.S. standards. NOAA will consult with the harvesting nation and, to the extent possible, work with nations to build their capacity to meet the rule’s standards.

NOAA is accepting public comment on the proposed rule until November 9, 2015. More information on the submission process can be found in the Federal Register notice.

Read the story from NOAA

 

REVISED: ASMFC 2015 Summer Meeting Press Releases, Meeting Summaries and Motions Now Available

August 11, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC):

The document containing the press releases, meeting summaries and motions from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2015 Summer Meeting has been revised with the inclusion of the following American Lobster Management Board which had been inadvertently removed.

Motion to adopt the following biological measures for commercial Jonah crab harvest:

·         For Issue 2 – Minimum size – Option 5:  a minimum size of 4.75”
·         For issue 3 – Commercial minimum size tolerance – Option 1: No tolerance for undersize crabs.
·         For Issue 5 – Egg-Bearing Females – Option 2: Prohibit retention of egg-bearing females.

Motion made by Mr. Adler and seconded by Mr. Keliher. Motion passes unanimously.

The revised document can be obtained at the following link – http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/Summer2015/2015SummerMeetingSummary.pdf.

Lobster Catch Up In Maine, Down In Southern New England

August 7, 2015 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has released a preliminary assessment of the U.S. Atlantic coast lobster stock, and it presents a mixed picture. The Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank has seen a record high abundance of lobster, while Southern New England’s stock has diminished, due in part to rising water temperatures, a report indicates.

“The Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank stock is not overfished and not experiencing overfishing,” according to a panel assessment representing the Commission, in an Aug. 5 news release. “The Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank were previously assessed as separate stock units and are now combined into one stock unit due to evidence of seasonal migratory patterns and connectivity between the two areas. Conversely, the Southern New England stock is severely depleted with poor prospects of recovery, necessitating protection.”

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is an interstate compact, working with the federal government. The Commission was established in 1942 to sustain healthy fisheries along the U.S. coastline.

Read the full story at Penobscot Bay Pilot