June 22, 2021 — NOAA Fisheries has a new leader.
Janet Coit was named NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator on June 21, succeeding acting Administrator Paul Doremus, Ph.D., who has held the position since January 2021.
National Fisheries Institute Statement on the NOAA Appointment of Janet Coit
June 22, 2021 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:
The National Fisheries Institute is pleased the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has appointed Janet Coit to lead the agency as the assistant administrator.
During her tenure at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, she developed an ability to work with stakeholders to ensure seafood was harvested the right way, streamlined agency processes, and promoted seafood locally and abroad. This same approach is needed at the federal level.
We look forward to working with Janet Coit in her new role.
RHODE ISLAND: Former DEM chief Janet Coit named to lead U.S. fisheries office
June 22, 2021 — It’s a rare thing for someone to occupy a Cabinet-level position in state government under three different governors. But Janet Coit was able to do it, steering the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for a decade, the longest tenure of any director in the 44-year history of the agency.
Now, she’s set to take a set of traits — diligence, diplomacy, likeability — that she used to great effect as Rhode Island’s top environmental official to what will surely be a more challenging position on the national stage. On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Coit’s former boss in the Rhode Island State House, announced the selection of Coit to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries office.
Raimondo described Coit as a source of trusted counsel while she was governor and said she will bring a wealth of experience to what’s also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Council Approves Management Measures for Dolphin and Wahoo in Federal Waters along the Atlantic Coast
June 22, 2021 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved proposed management measures affecting fisheries for Dolphin and Wahoo in federal waters along the Atlantic coast during its meeting last week. Measures include modifying the recreational vessel trip limit for Dolphin from 60 fish to 54 fish per vessel per trip while maintaining the 10 fish per person daily bag limit. The measures are being proposed through Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan for the Atlantic. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the new measures could be implemented in 2022.
The proposed reduction in the daily trip limit was reached after much discussion by the Council in an effort to address concerns expressed by fishermen, primarily from South Florida and the Florida Keys, about declines in the size and number of Dolphin landed in recent years. In contrast, many fishermen involved in the for-hire fishery off the coast of North Carolina opposed reductions to the current 60 fish vessel limit, citing negative economic impacts to the charter industry and noting limited changes to the numbers and sizes of Dolphin fish observed in their area over the past few years. A reduction of 48 Dolphin per vessel had been considered earlier as a preferred measure. Options to apply reductions in specific areas were also considered but ruled out. For example, an option to reduce recreational vessel limits for Dolphin for the east coast of Florida resulted in nominal reductions in harvest (<1%) given that more than 90% of trips harvested less than 10 fish per vessel per trip.
Council Chair Mel Bell noted the difficulty in managing the Dolphin fishery along the Atlantic coast. “Dolphin is a highly migratory species by nature that is harvested internationally. We don’t have a stock assessment for Dolphin or Wahoo. We’re missing the actual data. We’ve heard so many differences between what is being observed between Florida and North Carolina, private anglers and for-hire,” said Bell. “This attempt to compromise is difficult.” He noted the Council will continue to monitor the fishery and can take further action in the future.
Amendment 10 includes actions to update Annual Catch Limits (ACL) for both Dolphin and Wahoo largely based on updated recreational landings and modify allocations between recreational and commercial sectors. The recreational sector allocation for Dolphin would increase from 96.07% to 97.55% of the total ACL.
The amendment would also revise recreational accountability measures to allow for temporary reductions in bag limits, vessel limits, and the season should the sector ACL be projected to be met for Dolphin and temporarily reduce the bag limit, length of the season, or implement a vessel limit for Wahoo to prevent the sector ACL from being exceeded (post season). In addition, the amendment would remove the requirement for an Operator Card for for-hire and commercial federal Dolphin Wahoo permit holders and allow possession of limited quantities of Dolphin or Wahoo onboard commercial vessels with trap, pot or buoy gear on board.
The Council removed a proposed measure to reduce the recreational bag limit for Wahoo after considering recommendations from its advisory panels, public comment and updated data analyses. The current limit is 2 Wahoo per person per day. Council members had considered the reduction to address concerns that the recreational ACL could be met and result in a closure of the fishery, including the for-hire sector, in late fall. The Council agreed to address additional management measures for Dolphin and Wahoo in its future work plan.
Other Business
During the meeting week the Council received stock assessment presentations and fishery overviews for Gag grouper, golden Tilefish and Red Snapper. The stock assessment for Gag found the stock is overfished and undergoing overfishing. The Council has begun developing an amendment to incorporate fishing level recommendations from its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and address management needs. Fishing level recommendations will also be incorporated into an amendment to update fishing levels for Tilefish. The stock is not considered overfished or undergoing overfishing, but the SSC cautioned about the high level of uncertainty in the assessment.
The Council discussed the results of a recent stock assessment for Red Snapper. The assessment shows that abundance of Red Snapper is at an all-time high, reflecting what fishermen are seeing on the water. The stock remains listed as overfished and undergoing overfishing. Overfishing is primarily due to the high number of Red Snapper that are released by fishermen year-round and don’t survive. Council members recognize that these issues are an effect of regulations and the high number of interactions expected when a stock is abundant and the species is aggressive and desirable.
The stock remains overfished, as expected, because the population is early in its recovery period and it will take time to rebuild the age structure. For example, the abundance of fish age 3 and older has recovered to a greater extent than the abundance of fish age 10 and older. Red Snapper can live to be over 50 years old. The good news is that stock rebuilding is on track and consistent with the Council’s rebuilding plan. Recovering the entire stock, not just the youngest ages, is important to ensuring stable fisheries over the long term.
The Council’s SSC will meet later this summer to provide fishing level recommendations for Red Snapper after reviewing alternative recruitment scenarios and considering the use of descending devices and other best practices in the fishery. The Council will develop an amendment to address the SSC recommendations and agreed to work to address short-term and long-term measures to help meet Red Snapper management challenges.
Additional information, including the stock assessment and a video presentation outlining the issues affecting the recovery of the Red Snapper stock is available from the Meeting Story Map.
Council members also reviewed public comment on a proposed Rock Shrimp Fishery Access area within the Oculina Bank Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern, an area off the east coast of Florida where deepwater Oculina coral is found. Council members heard concerns about the impacts of trawling near the coral areas and also acknowledged the historic trawling grounds and the work and cooperation from its Deepwater Shrimp Advisory Panel members in establishing the original protected area. The Council is scheduled to address Coral Amendment 10 again during its September meeting.
The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for September 13-17, 2021, in Charleston, SC. Information from this week’s meeting, including Committee Reports and the June 2021 Meeting Story Map is available from the Council’s website.
Is Mississippi losing the catfish wars? Flood of fish imports continues despite USDA oversight
June 22, 2021 — Mississippi farmers are losing the catfish wars against their foreign competitors with the very weapon they saw as their salvation.
The domestic catfish industry along with representatives like the late U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi lobbied to move oversight of catfish processing from the Food and Drug Administration to the U.S. Department of Agriculture five years ago with the expectation the USDA’s stricter eye would limit the foreign imports that had decimated domestic production throughout the Mississippi Delta.
Instead, imports of siluriformes– the larger category of catfish and catfish-like fish sometimes referred to by their family name “pangasius”– have only increased since the switch to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service in 2016. Meanwhile, domestic prices and production, mainly in Mississippi and other Southern states, have continued to decline.
Almost 65,000 additional tons of catfish were imported in 2019 than in 2015 before the FSIS took over according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service.
The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce lists recent processing volumes at 5 million pounds per month less than in 2015 during FDA oversight. As domestic prices have declined, the average value of imports has grown with the added USDA label.
Final Rule to Designate Coral Protection Areas on Georges Bank and in the Gulf of Maine
June 22, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Today, NOAA Fisheries signed a final rule to designate coral protection areas on Georges Bank and in the Gulf of Maine. Under the discretionary provisions for deep-sea coral protection in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the New England Fishery Management Council developed this action to reduce the impacts of fishing gear on deep-sea corals after considering long-term sustainable uses of the fishery resources in the area. The Council process took several years and included a high-degree of public input in the development of the final protection areas and associated measures. Deep-sea corals are important sources of habitat for many species of fish and invertebrates, including commercially important fish species.
This action:
- Establishes the Georges Bank Deep-Sea Coral Protection Area. This area is on the outer continental shelf in New England waters. It complements the Frank R. Lautenberg Deep-Sea Coral Protection Area established by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in January 2017.
- Prohibits bottom-tending commercial fishing gear (with the exception of red crab pot gear) in the Georges Bank Coral Protection Area to protect deep-sea corals.
- Designates the Mount Desert Rock and Outer Schoodic Ridge Coral Protection Areas in the Gulf of Maine. Vessels are prohibited from fishing with bottom-tending mobile gear in these areas. Vessels are still able to fish for lobster in these areas using trap gear.
- Designates the Jordan Basin Dedicated Habitat Research Area in the Gulf of Maine as a dedicated habitat research area.
For more information, read the final rule or the bulletin posted on the web.
MAINE: Discovery Wharf opens doors after year-long hiatus
June 21, 2021 — The Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries on Atlantic Avenue in Stonington has announced the reopening of its marine education center, Discovery Wharf. The interpretive center will open its doors beginning Tuesday, June 22, with a limited schedule and new reservation system.
Discovery Wharf has welcomed thousands of visitors from across the country and world, but it was closed to the public last summer due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a news release reports. The use of a booking system this season will allow staff to follow CDC, state, and local guidelines as well as proper cleaning procedures in between visitors to ensure a safe experience for everyone.
Visitors can enjoy the marine touch tank, interactive display wall, and virtual reality exhibit. This year’s VR exhibit will feature new experiences, including scallop and offshore lobster fishing, a tour of an oyster farm, and ice fishing. Visitors can also expect to see a familiar face when being welcomed by Captain Leroy Weed, the star of MCCF’s online video series, “Ask Leroy!”
NOAA Administrator Talks Recent U.S.-Canada Meeting on North Atlantic Right Whale Mortalities
June 21, 2021 — Acting NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Paul Doremus provided an update following a meeting with Canadian officials that focused on the management and conservation of North Atlantic right whales.
On June 10, NOAA, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada held their first biannual meeting of the year. NOAA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, Sam Rauch, and Regional Administrator for the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, Mike Pentony were present for the virtual meeting.
Film highlights how lobster fishers could help save right whales
June 21, 2021 — David Abel sees a clear solution to the human threat posed to North Atlantic right whales, involving a rethink of the rope-based methods of lobster fishing off New England and Atlantic Canada.
The Boston Globe journalist and documentary maker, along with producer Andy Laub, laid out the vision in the film “Entangled” released this week. It portrays the tensions between environmentalists, regulators and lobster harvesters during 2019 as the whale appeared on the way to potential extinction.
Warming waters in the northeastern Atlantic have put the whales on a collision course with fishing gear in lobster and crab areas, as well as bringing the animals into shipping lanes where vessel strikes are more probable, the documentary notes.
The threats have created challenges for the National Marine Fisheries Service in the United States and the federal Fisheries Department, as they’ve have struggled to balance the vying interests of an endangered species with the need to preserve a mainstay fishery of northeastern North America’s coastal communities.
Peter Pan posts USD 1.10 per pound for Bristol Bay sockeye
June 21, 2021 — Peter Pan Seafood shook up the world’s largest wild salmon run on 19 June with the announcement it will pay a base price of USD 1.10 (EUR 0.84) per pound for sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska.
The price upholds reports of a strong market for wild sockeye and is a welcome development for Bristol Bay fishermen, who were disappointed by last season’s base price of USD 0.75 (EUR 0.63).