Saving Seafood

Council Actions

Data & Methods Workshop Scheduled for Atlantic Menhaden Ecological Reference Point Benchmark Stock Assessment

May 22, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has begun work on the Atlantic Menhaden Ecological Reference Point (ERP) Benchmark Stock Assessment. The assessment will be used to evaluate the health of the stock and inform the management of the species in an ecological context. In order to ensure the incorporation of the most up-to-date information on Atlantic menhaden, a single-species menhaden stock assessment update will also be completed in 2025. The ERP assessment will be peer-reviewed in 2025.                                                       

The ERP Work Group will conduct a Data & Methods Workshop from October 2 – 6; details on the location will be released once they become available. The Workshop is open to the public, with the exception of discussions of confidential data*, when the public will be asked to leave the room.
The Commission welcomes the submission of data sources and alternate models that will improve the accuracy of the assessment. This includes, but is not limited to, data on commercial landings and discards, catch per unit effort and relative abundance, biological samples (length or age frequency), and life history information (growth, maturity, fecundity, natural mortality, spawning stock biomass) for Atlantic menhaden. As an ecological-based assessment, the Commission is also interested in information on major predators of Atlantic menhaden (e.g., predator diets, consumption rates, trends in abundance) and alternate prey species such as Atlantic herring or bay anchovies, including evidence for localized depletion or changes in abundance at finer regional scales. For data sets or models to be considered, the data must be sent in the required format with accompanying description of methods to Katie Drew, Stock Assessment Team Lead, at kdrew@asmfc.org by Friday, September 1, 2023.  Any models submitted without complete, editable source code and input files will not be considered.
For more information about the assessments, the submission and presentation of materials at the Data and Methods Workshop, or attending the Workshop, please contact James Boyle, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at jboyle@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Locals testify against expanding marine monument

May 22, 2023 — THE local opposition to a proposed expansion of a marine national monument in the Pacific Remote Islands was clear Friday, as most public commentators expressed their frustrations and aired their concerns to representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA was on island to collect public comments regarding a proposal to expand the boundaries of marine protections at Howland and Baker Islands, and Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll, as well as encompass the areas under one marine national monument.

Most speakers against the expansion of the national marine monument shared one or more of the following basic arguments: the NOAA process to establish the sanctuary was too unilateral, in that it came from the federal government with not enough input from the Pacific; Pacific peoples were already conserving marine resources prior to NOAA’s establishment; and American Samoa’s fish canning industry will be damaged if the PRI national monument is expanded.

Read the full article at Marianas Variety 

Gulf of Maine offshore wind developers open for public comment

May 22, 2023 — As offshore wind developers inch closer to the horizon, fishermen on the East Coast are eagerly searching for answers.

On May 10-11, the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management (BOEM) hosted the Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force Meeting at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.

The purpose of the two-day meetings was to update task force members and the public on BOEM’s commercial and research offshore wind energy planning activities and discuss the next steps for the Gulf of Maine, including a Call for Information and Nominations.

More information from BOEM can be found here.

On May 3, 2023, BOEM announced the publication of the Gulf of Maine’s Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment for a wind energy research lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf offshore Maine in the Federal Register on May 4, 2023.

This meeting gave the greater public and fishermen the ability to ask questions in person to BOEM members, as well as an open 30-day public comment period that will end June 5 at 11:59 p.m.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

U.S. Department of Commerce allocates $220 million in fishery disaster funding to AK and WA

May 19, 2023 — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the allocation of over $220 million in fishery disaster funding, appropriated by Congress in the 2022 and 2023 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Acts. The funding will address fishery disasters that occurred in multiple Alaska and Washington fisheries between 2019 and 2023.

“Fishery disasters have devastating effects on local communities and our blue economy,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This disaster funding provides much needed assistance to our fishing industry and we will work with the affected communities to begin the difficult work of helping them recover.”

Read the full article at KINY

Northeast Fisheries, Ecosystems Continue To Depart From Historical Norms

May 19, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The fisheries of the Northeast span from Northern Maine down to the tip of North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras. These centuries-old fisheries harbor stories of trials and tribulations, perfect storms, and generations of tradition. It wouldn’t be out of line to describe these fisheries and the people involved as strong, hardworking, and able to weather any challenge that history has thrown at them. However, the continued effects of climate change pose another threat to these storied fisheries and the ecosystems that support them. NOAA’s 2023 State of the Ecosystem reports show that environmental conditions continue to push historical boundaries, altering the ecosystems, their inhabitants, and their productivity. Results from these reports will be discussed in-depth during a public OneNOAA Seminar on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 12pm ET.

The annual State of the Ecosystem reports are presented as two reports, focusing on the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions. They describe changes in physical, chemical, biological, and socioeconomic indicators that, when compiled, help describe the health of the Northeast ecosystem over time. These measurable characteristics of the environment are selected using NOAA’s Integrated Ecosystem Assessment framework. As part of the assessment process, NOAA scientists and collaborators work closely with stakeholders in their respective communities to identify components of the ecosystem that are important for monitoring the health of the ecosystem as well as the human communities that rely on these systems. Results from the annual State of the Ecosystem reports are presented to the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils to inform management groups about important trends and changes in the ecosystem and move towards the usage of ecosystem-wide science in making management decisions, a holistic approach known as ecosystem-based fishery management.

 

Judge rejects lawsuit by Nantucket residents to block wind turbines, protect right whales

May 19, 2023 — A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit brought by Nantucket residents who argued that the planned construction of dozens of wind turbines off the affluent resort island threatens the survival of endangered Northern Atlantic right whales.

Nantucket Residents Against Turbines said Vineyard Wind’s proposed project of some 62 turbines in waters 14 miles (22 kilometers) south of the island is in a crucial area for foraging and nursing for the dwindling species, which researchers estimate to number about 340.

In a ruling issued Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani found the group failed to show that either the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management or the National Marine Fisheries Service violated the Endangered Species Act or the National Environmental Policy Act in issuing a 2021 biological opinion or final environmental impact statement for the wind energy project.

Read the full article at the Gloucester Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Sanfilippo invited to Rose Garden for salmon fight

May 19, 2023 — For more than a decade Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, has helped advocate for the cause to protect Bristol Bay in Southwest Alaska and the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery from a proposed open-pit gold and copper mining project near the bay’s headwaters.

She did so even though Gloucester, the nation’s oldest seaport, and Bristol Bay are some 3,600 miles apart on opposite coasts of the United States.

On Thursday at 4 p.m., Sanfilippo attended a celebration in the Rose Garden of the White House that marked the protection of Bristol Bay from the Pebble Mine project.

According to his remarks, President Joe Biden told advocates his administration had used its authority under the Clean Water Act to ban the disposal of mine waste in the Bristol Bay watershed. Sanfilippo helped advocate for this cause, got others in the local and regional fishing industry onboard, and helped those in Alaska organize in their David vs. Goliath fight.

Biden pointed out the Bristol Bay salmon fishery supports 15,000 jobs in fishing, processing and tourism with an economic value of $2.2 billion.

Once back in Gloucester, Sanfilippo said in an interview Tuesday that Biden was so on point she wondered how she could get him to protect the Massachusetts fishery with its 70,000 jobs from the threat posed by looming offshore wind energy projects.

Read the full article at Gloucester Times

A marine sanctuary proposal raises concern from residents

May 19, 2023 — A proposal to turn large swaths of ocean into a protected marine sanctuary was met with pushback from residents concerned about the federal government taking more control over the waters of the Western Pacific.

Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of National Marine Sanctuaries were at the Guam Museum in Hagåtña on Wednesday night to field questions and hear comments about the proposal. It would turn the reefs and waters around the area designated as “Pacific Remote Islands” into a sanctuary.

The Pacific Remote Islands comprise Baker, Howland and Jarvis Islands; Johnston, Wake and Palmyra Atolls; and Kingman Reef. NOAA officials said the area is home to some of the most diverse tropical marine life on the planet, including threatened and depleted species such as hawksbill sea turtles, giant clams and melon-headed whales.

Read the full article at the Guam Daily Post

SFP’s 2022 reduction fisheries report warns of stagnation in sustainability improvements

May 19, 2023 — The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership’s 2022 reduction fisheries assessment has raised concerns over the continued stagnation of movement on sustainability in the sector since 2018.

Published on 19 April, the report is the 13th edition of SFP’s assessment of the world’s reduction fisheries, which are fisheries that focus on stocks used mainly for fishmeal and fish oil. SFP released the 2022 report in two parts to better align with the release of key stock assessments and management measurements for the 19 fisheries studied.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

ALASKA: Representative Peltola applauds NOAA Fisheries’ proposal to revise key National Standards for fisheries management

May 19, 2023 — Thursday, Representative Peltola applauded the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Fisheries division announcement of an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, which would allow revisions to the division’s Guidelines for National Standards, specifically sections (NS) 4 (allocations), 8 (communities), and 9 (bycatch).

Read the full article at KINY