May 26, 2015 — Two Michigan lawmakers they and other members of Congress are sponsoring bipartisan legislation to protect the Great Lakes from the damaging effects of plastic microbeads found in some soaps and personal care products.
ASMFC American Lobster Board: States Schedule Hearings
May 26, 2015 – The following was released by the ASMFC:
Arlington, VA – The states of Maine through Rhode Island and Maryland have scheduled their public hearings to gather input on the Draft Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Jonah Crab. The details of those hearings follow.
Maine Department of Marine Resources
July 6, 2015; 6-8 PM
Casco Bay Lines Conference Room
56 Commercial Street
Portland, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6024
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
July 7, 2015; 7:30 PM
Urban Forestry Center
45 Elwin Road
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Contact: Doug Grout at 603.868.1095
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
July 8, 2015; 5 – 9 PM
Fairfield Inn and Suites
185 MacArthur Boulevard
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Contact: Dan McKiernan at 617.626.1536
Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management
July 9, 2015; 5:30 – 9 PM
University of Rhode Island Bay Campus
Corliss Auditorium
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Mark Gibson at 401.423.1935
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
June 30, 2015; 4:30 – 7 PM
Ocean Pines Library
1106 Cathell Road
Ocean Pines, Maryland
Contact: Craig Weedon at 410.643.4601 ext. 2113
The Jonah Crab FMP was initiated in response to concern about increasing targeted fishing pressure for Jonah crab, which has long been considered a bycatch in the lobster fishery. However, growing market demand has increased landings by 6.48 fold since the early 2000s. The majority of crab are harvested by lobstermen using lobster traps. With the increase in demand for crab, a mixed crustacean fishery has emerged that can target both lobster or crab or both at different times of year based on slight legal modifications to the gear and small shifts in the areas in which traps are fished. The mixed nature of the fishery makes it difficult to manage a Jonah crab fishery completely separate from the American lobster fishery without impacting the number of vertical lines and traps capable of catching lobster in state and federal waters. A complete picture of the Jonah crab fishery in federal and state waters is difficult to ascertain due to the mixed nature of the fishery. In the absence of a comprehensive management plan and stock assessment, increased harvest of Jonah crab may compromise the sustainability of the resource.
The Draft Jonah Crab FMP presents management objectives, proposed regulations to the commercial and recreational fisheries, monitoring requirements, and recommendations for federal waters fisheries. The proposed options seek to address the following issues:
· The crab resource is not directly regulated in federal waters but is rather regulated incidentally by the American lobster regulations. There are no crab specific regulations in federal waters or permit/license requirements.
· There are no minimum size protections for Jonah crab, nor are there regulations to protect spawning biomass, including restrictions on the harvest of females or egg carrying females.
· Supermarkets and other major buyers are positioning to discontinue selling processed and whole Jonah crab unless it is managed sustainably which would impact the ex-vessel price.
· A lack of universal permit and reporting requirements makes it difficult to characterize catch and effort to the full extent in order to manage the fishery
· A Jonah crab trap is not distinguishable from a lobster trap making it difficult to independently manage crab and lobster fisheries.
· Because crab traps are similar in design and function to lobster traps, but are not specifically regulated, there may be implications with the lobster fishery and marine mammal interactions compromising the effectiveness of the Large Whale Take Reduction and Lobster plans.
Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft FMP either by attending public hearings or providing written comments. The Draft FMP can be obtained at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/DraftJonahCrabFMP_PublicComment.pdf or via the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org, under Public Input. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on July 24, 2015 and should be forwarded to Megan Ware, FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Jonah Crab FMP). For more information, please contact Megan Ware at mware@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.
Fishermen’s service honors those lost at sea
New Bedford, Mass. — May 26, 2015 — When the Carpenter family gathered on the waterfront Monday morning to pose for a group photo after the annual Fishermen’s Memorial Service hosted by the New Bedford Port Society, it took a few minutes to get everyone positioned.
There were a lot of people to fit in the frame.
At least 15 immediate and extended family members of late fisherman Joseph F. Carpenter Jr., traveled from various parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island to attend Monday morning’s service on Pier 3, as they said they do every year.
This year, though, marked 20 years since Carpenter’s death in September 1995, when he was aboard a boat named Rapture. Cheryl, one of his five sisters, said Monday that Carpenter got tangled in a line, and indicated the weather was rough.
The family didn’t talk very much about the exact circumstances of his death. Instead, they enjoyed their time together and shared the opportunity to remember Carpenter, whose name was one of more than 300 read under sunny skies Monday by the Hon. Armand Fernandes and Pat Hunt of the Port Society.
Read the full story at New Bedford Daily Times
Land-based industry suffering along with fishermen
New Bedford, Mass. — May 26, 2015 — When consumers enjoy a seafood dinner caught by local boats, it isn’t just the fisherman they need to thank for the pleasure.
Dozens of family-owned allied area businesses play a vital role in the local fishing industry, supplying a wide variety of goods and services that keep fishing afloat, ranging from gear and fuel to food, fresh water and ice.
Retired fisherman James Kendall, owner of New Bedford Seafood Consulting, underscores the importance of these allied businesses to all sectors of the commercial seafood industry. Often family-owned, these operations, he notes, have been forced to become “very adaptive” to meet the changing and frequently diminishing needs of the fishing industry brought about by the reduction in fishing trips allowed by the federal government.
According to Kendall, these allied industries are “critical” to the survival of the fishing industry but are in danger of disappearing. In some smaller ports, Kendall notes, some services are no longer available, causing fishermen to turn to businesses in New Bedford and Gloucester or similar, larger ports.
“Without them, we can’t operate,” Kendall said, listing services such as fuel and ice delivery, equipment and ship repair, and stocking provisions as crucial supports to the successful operation of any commercial fishing vessel.
Read the full story at The New Bedford Standard-Times
New call for outside review of NOAA assessments
May 26, 2015 — GLOUCESTER, Mass. — The battle over the validity of NOAA fish stock assessments that continually have led to slashed groundfish quotas has reached a higher pitch, with mounting calls for a third-party assessment of the manner the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration assesses fish stocks.
Under questioning by U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., on Wednesday, NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan defended the accuracy of the agency’s fish stock assessments and said she would welcome a third-party review of the agency’s methods and performance in arriving at the science that serves as the basis for the federal government’s fishery management policies.
Ayotte’s questioning stemmed largely from the Northeast Seafood Coalition-sponsored petition proclaiming no confidence “in the stock status reported by recent assessments for many groundfish stocks” and seeking a third-party review of NOAA’s methods and results.
The petition urged the formation of a “blue ribbon panel of assessment scientists” that would include government, academic and industry leaders and be coordinated by either the National Research Council or the U.S. Government Accountability Office “to determine the underlying causes of assessment failures.”
The petition also seeks binding recommendations from the blue ribbon panel “to correct those causes in a transparent and collaborative manner and in time for the updated review scheduled for all groundfish stocks this coming September.”
The petition, signed by almost 150 fishermen from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Virginia, was sent to 14 U.S. senators and 20 members of the House of Representatives.
Read the full story and watch the Youtube video at the Gloucester Times
New York State DEC changes stance: ‘We do not ticket anglers for taking photos of fish’
The Department of Environmental Conservation announced this afternoon that it would not be ticketing anglers for taking pictures of out-of-season or endangered fish they catch.
The statement contradicts the recent DEC fishing guide and a position stated earlier this month by the state agency.
“The DEC does not ticket anglers for taking pictures of fish,” said Lori Severino, a DEC spokesperson, in an email to syracuse.com this afternoon. She said she wished to “clarify” the DEC’s position on the issue.
Earlier this month, Severino said taking a picture of an out-of-season fish that was caught by an angler was a “ticketable offense” that can result in a ticket from an environmental conservation officer. The fine could be up to $250, and/or 15 days in jail, she said.
She noted then that the “new” regulation, published on page 52 of the DEC’s fishing guide, was in response to the increasing trend of anglers catching out-of-season fish and posting pictures of their catches on Facebook and other social media.
NEW JERSEY: Crawfish Fest features new acts, new food
May 24, 2015 — It’s that time of year again: The crawfish are coming to New Jersey.
The 26th annual Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest kicks off Friday, May 29, at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Frankford.
“It’s always a good time,” Arnone said on Friday. “The forecast is great. It’s going to be cloudy. We need the clouds. Some people say you need the sun; not really. It’s going to be 75 degrees. It’s nice drinking weather. Nice eating weather and nice dancing weather.”
Arnone spent Friday afternoon at Hayek’s Market in Newton giving out samples of the jambalaya that is served at the annual festival.
The three-day festival will feature 24 musical acts on four stages.
Union dockworkers ratify labor contract for U.S. West Coast ports
Union dockworkers at all 29 U.S. West Coast ports have voted overwhelmingly to ratify a contract agreement reached in February with shipping companies and terminal operators to end months of labor strife that snarled trans-Pacific trade.
Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union voted 82 percent in favor of the new five-year labor pact, which runs through June 2019, the union said in announcing the final tally of balloting that took place during the past month.
The companies on the other side of the negotiating table, represented by the Pacific Maritime Association, likewise voted to ratify the labor deal on Tuesday.
Final approval, which had been expected, came three months after negotiators for the two sides reached a tentative settlement with the help of a federal mediator and U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez.
Politicians ask Rutgers to cancel ocean blasting tests off New Jersey’s Long Beach Island
May 22, 2015 — SHIP BOTTOM, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Senate president and a congressman representing the Jersey shore are asking Rutgers University to cancel planned research that involves blasting the ocean floor with sound waves.
Senate President Steve Sweeney and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. wrote to Rutgers President Robert Barchi on Friday, saying the testing will harm or kill marine animals, including turtles, dolphins and whales, and will harm New Jersey’s crucial tourism industry.
The research is scheduled to start in June off Long Beach Island and comes after an aborted attempt to do the tests last summer that wound up in court.
Rutgers, the University of Texas and the National Science Foundation want to do research on sediments deposited on the ocean floor to study climate change. The plan is to complete a 3-D map of part of the ocean floor by studying the result of changing global sea levels, dating back 60 million years. The data may offer clues as to what could happen as the ocean rises.
But opponents say it also could be a precursor to drilling for oil and gas off New Jersey’s coast, which is not allowed.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at U.S. News and World Report
Whale SENSE Atlantic-Leading the Industry in a Responsible Direction
May 22, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
| Contacts: Jennifer Goebel, NOAA Fisheries 978-281-9373 or 617-335-4301 (cell)Monica Pepe, Whale and Dolphin Conservation 508-746-2522 Whale Watches with Whale SENSE: Leading the Industry in a Responsible Direction
Voluntary Whale SENSE program in the Northeast and Alaska delivers great whale watching experiences while keeping whales safe
Whale watch season is off to a great start here in the Northeast, with dozens of humpbacks, minke, and fin whales feeding, resting, and socializing in the area. Through Whale SENSE, a voluntary responsible whale watching program sponsored by NOAA and Whale and Dolphin Conservation, whale watchers can be assured that their exhilarating experiences with the whales are not interfering with the whales’ natural behaviors.The Whale SENSE program, which started seven years ago in collaboration with Atlantic Coast whale watching companies, now spans two coasts. A total of 13 whale watch companies in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey will participate in the 2015 program, and, as of this spring, seven new participants have joined in Juneau, Alaska. “The growth of the Whale SENSE program offers passengers a means of choosing a company that will provide them with the most up-to-date information on whales, while ensuring that the trip is safe for not only the passengers, but also the whales,” says Monica Pepe of Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Whale SENSE participants follow viewing guidelines by reducing speeds, keeping a safe distance, and communicating with other vessels. They also pledge to advertise responsibly by captioning pictures to inform their passengers of how whales are protected. In addition, Whale SENSE participants receive annual training on whale protection laws, and participate in environmental conservation projects, such as beach clean-ups or internship programs. In the event that they see a marine animal is in distress, they also stand by the animal until authorized rescuers arrive. “Whale SENSE reminds us to think about the needs of the animals along with the needs of the industry. The expansion of Whale SENSE to Alaskan waters unites the industry in our mission to watch whales and other marine wildlife in a responsible way,” said Stanley Tavares, owner of Plymouth and Provincetown Whale Watching. All whales in U.S. waters are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it illegal to injure, kill, or harass whales. “We feel that affording whales the right to exist in relative peace by following Whale SENSE protocols for responsible whale watching is important for the long-term well-being of all whales,” said Blair Perkins, owner and captain of Shearwater Excursions. Having served more than 1 million passengers, Whale SENSE companies continue to be the SENSE-ible whale watching choice. To find out if a whale watch company participates in the program, check for the new Whale SENSE logo that is displayed on all participating vessels. Get a list of Whale SENSE participants in your area, and keep up with Whale SENSE on Facebook. |