Saving Seafood

The South Atlantic Bite – Newsworthy Notes – July 7, 2021

July 7, 2021 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

SAFMC Seminar Series
Release Mortality Estimation of South Atlantic Reef Fishes
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. via webinar

Release mortality, or the number of fish that die when released by anglers, is one of the most pervasive threats to fisheries sustainability, according to Dr. Brendan Runde with NC State University. For many reef fishes in the southeast, discards now exceed harvests as a result of increasingly strict regulations. As a result, the mortality of released fish has become a crucial component of assessing stocks. Interest in techniques to help mitigate release mortality, such as the use of descending devices, has subsequently increased.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s seminar series continues in July with the Council hosting a presentation from NC State University scientists on Release Mortality Estimation of the South Atlantic Reef Fishes. Join Council members and others as they learn more about research conducted to better estimate release mortality and how this information may help guide future management.

This seminar series features informational presentations on scientific studies relevant to fisheries in federal waters off the South Atlantic. The presentation is for informational purposes only and no management actions will be taken. The seminars are open to the public and include the opportunity for registrants to participate in discussions. Register now for the webinar and receive email reminders as the date approaches!

Recreational Fishing Community Leads Effort to Promote Conservation Through Use of Descending Devices
FishSmart project demonstrates continued angler support for improving fish survival in the South Atlantic

A recent news release from the American Sportfishing Association highlights the FishSmart South Atlantic Red Snapper and Red Drum Conservation Effort programs and the 2,600 anglers that participated by taking action to increase fish survival rates through the use of descending devices for Red Snapper, and short leader circle hooks for Red Drum. According to the release, the three-year FishSmart project provided an opportunity for researchers to determine the true capability of anglers to adopt the use of descending devices.

For the Red Snapper component, survey results show that two-thirds of anglers had little knowledge of descending devices prior to enrolling in the programs. Nearly 75 percent of the anglers surveyed believe that descending devices will help reduce discard mortality and plan to use the devices in the future. A fact sheet about the project provides additional details.

“The FishSmart survey results, and those from an earlier effort in the Gulf of Mexico, reaffirm that anglers are a tremendous force for conservation when provided with information and tools proven to improve the survival of released fish,” remarked Mike Leonard, ASA’s vice president of Government Affairs. “We’re encouraged by the strong support behind descending devices, which reinforces the importance of their use, and we ask that fishery managers take this support into account as they develop fishing regulations.”

Department of Commerce Announces 2021 Appointments to Regional Fishery Management Councils

On June 28, 2021 the Secretary of Commerce announced the appointment of 31 new and returning members of the the eight regional fishery management councils. Established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, councils are responsible for developing region-specific fishery management plans that safeguard and enhance the nation’s fisheries resources. Council members represent diverse groups, including commercial and recreational fishing industries, environmental organizations, and academia.

Each year, the Secretary of Commerce appoints approximately one-third of the total 72 appointed members to the eight regional councils. The members are nominated by the governors of fishing states, territories, and tribal governments. Council members are appointed to both state-specific and regional seats – also known as obligatory and at-large seats, respectively. Council members serve a three-year term and may be reappointed to serve three consecutive terms.

The following appointments were made to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Obligatory Seats
Laurilee Thompson (Florida)
Judy Helmey (Georgia)

At-large Seats
Arnold G. ‘Spud’ Woodward* (Georgia)
Thomas Roller (North Carolina)

Asterisk indicates reappointment. The appointments are effective August 11, 2021.

Secretary Ross appoints Regional Fishery Management Councils for 2019

July 1, 2019 — Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the 2019 Regional Fishery Management Council appointments on Thursday, a move that was applauded by the recreational boating and fishing communities.

The appointments include Scott Lenox, Tim Griner, Dr. Tom Frazer, Troy Williamson, Peter Hassemer, Marc Gorelnik, Cora Campbell and Nicole Kimball.

A coalition of recreational and fishing groups said the new appointees have a “proven ability to balance all factors in complicated fishery management decisions.”

“These appointments are an important step forward for America’s recreational fishing and boating community, and we’re grateful that the Department of Commerce continues to move in the right direction on this issue,” said Center for Sportfishing Policy president Jeff Angers in a statement.

The Regional Fishery Councils are “where the rubber meets the road” in terms of federal marine fisheries management, said American Sportfishing Association government affairs vice president Mike Leonard.

“While the overall balance of the councils still skews toward commercial fishing despite the two sectors being on par with each other economically, we appreciate Secretary Ross making continued progress in addressing this historic inequity,” said Leonard.

Read the full story at Trade Only Today

Council Receives Red Snapper Update; Will Consider Flexibility for Seasonal Dates Beginning in 2020

March 8, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

A presentation by NOAA Fisheries on the 2019 red snapper season evoked questions and much discussion from members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council during their week-long meeting in Jekyll Island, Georgia. The meeting week began with a notification on Monday by NOAA Fisheries that there would be a 2019 season for red snapper. The Council received a presentation on how the 2019 red snapper season was determined and the rationale for the 5-day recreational season. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for determining if a red snapper season can be held each year and the number of days the season will last. The Council has the authority to determine when the season would occur, if harvest is allowed.

In 2013, the Council established protocol that, if a red snapper season were allowed, it would open during the same time period each year – the second weekend in July for the recreational sector (not to open for less than 3 days) and the second Monday in July for the commercial fishery. This year, the recreational red snapper season will open July 12-14, 2019, with an additional two days the following Friday and Saturday, July 19-20. The recreational bag limit is one per/person day with no minimum size limit. The commercial fishery will open Monday, July 8th and close once the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) is met or on January 1, 2020. The sector allocation for red snapper is 71.93% recreational and 28.07% commercial. Currently, the total ACL is 42,510 fish. A new stock assessment for red snapper will begin in 2020.

“We recognize that fishermen want a longer season for red snapper as the stock rebuilds, and we will continue to work toward that goal,” said Council Chair Jessica McCawley. “We appreciate NOAA Fisheries announcing this season early enough for fishermen to plan for the July opening and encourage anglers to exercise best fishing practices during the 2019 season – and throughout the year.”

The Council discussed the need for additional flexibility when determining what days (weekends/weekdays) and the time of the year the red snapper season would occur if an opening is allowed. “When these dates were originally established, I don’t think that fishermen believed this would be the new norm for red snapper fishing,” said Council member Spud Woodward. “Considering the input we received during recent recreational workshops, we need to reexamine when these limited number of red snapper fishing days should occur.” The Council will begin work on a framework amendment to allow modification of the seasonal dates and continue to address this at its June 2019 meeting. Public comments will be taken at the June meeting.

Best Practices

For red snapper, and many other species in the Snapper Grouper Management Complex, the use of best fishing practices can help fishermen avoid non-targeted species and increase the survivability of fish that are released. Fishermen can now take advantage of a new Best Fishing Practices online tutorial specifically designed for fishermen that bottom fish for snapper grouper species. Developed by the South Carolina Wildlife Federation with guidance from Council staff, the tutorial is easy to use and addresses issues of hook injury, handing, predation after release, and barotrauma. Fishermen completing the tutorial are eligible to receive a free SeaQualizer descending device. Learn more at: http://safmc.net/electronic-reporting-projects/myfishcount/.

Private recreational anglers are also encouraged to participate in MyFishCount, a voluntary reporting program that allows anglers to report their fishing activity, including fish landed and released, using a mobile application. Learn more at: http://safmc.net/electronic-reporting-projects/myfishcount/.

The Council is currently developing Regulatory Amendment 29 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan to address best fishing practices for snapper grouper species, including requirements for the use of descending devices and/or venting devices, modifying current requirements for non-stainless-steel circle hooks, and adjusting the prohibition on the use of powerhead gear by divers. Public hearings on the amendment will be scheduled prior to the Council’s June 2019 meeting.

Other Business

The Council continued work on management options to include in the Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 10, narrowing down the number of options for the amendment. Options currently include: allowing bag limit sale of dolphin for dually-permitted for-hire and commercial federal permit holders, removal of the Operator Card requirement in the dolphin wahoo fishery, reducing the recreational vessel limit for dolphin, gear modifications and training requirements for the commercial longline fishery, allowing adaptive management of sector ACLs for dolphin, revising accountability measures for dolphin, allowing properly permitted vessels with gear onboard that are not authorized for use in the dolphin wahoo fishery to possess dolphin or wahoo, and modifications to biological parameters for dolphin. The Council will continue to develop the amendment at its June 2019 meeting.

The Council also received a report from the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), and Yamaha Marine Group on Exploring Approaches for Innovated Management of the Private Recreational Sector of the South Atlantic Snapper Grouper Fishery. ASA, in conjunction with the CCA and Yamaha Marine Group recently launched a project to explore new ideas for management of the private recreational sector targeting snapper grouper species. A workshop with Council members was held in 2018, and subsequent regional meetings were held from November 2018 until January 2019 to get input from local representatives in the recreational community. The report includes input from the workshops on angler preferences, harvest rate management, harvest tags for certain species, use of a recreational stamp, electronic reporting, and reducing release mortality. The Council reviewed the report and will consider the recommendations in future management decisions.

Additional information for this week’s meeting, including an interactive Story Map and meeting report is available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/.

The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for June 10-14, 2019 at the Hutchinson Island Marriott in Stuart, Florida. Additional information for the meeting will be posted at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/.

East and West Coast NCFC Members: ‘H.R. 200 Will Create Flexibility Without Compromising Conservation’

June 25, 2018 — WASHINGTON — Today, East and West Coast members of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities (NCFC) submitted a letter to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in support of H.R. 200, the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act, which would update the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

The letter, which was also sent to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Emeritus Don Young, and other top Congressional officials, states that H.R. 200 will “create flexibility without compromising conservation.”

“We want a Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) that allows for both sustainable fisheries management, and the long-term preservation of our nation’s fishing communities,” the groups wrote. “We firmly believe that Congress can meet these goals by allowing for more flexibility in management, eliminating arbitrary rebuilding timelines, and adding other reforms that better take into account the complex challenges facing commercial fishermen.”

The letter does not include support from the NCFC’s Florida, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic members, which supported the legislation from the beginning, but withdrew their support due to a late change to the Manager’s Amendment that would negatively impact their region. The NCFC’s East and West Coast members continue to support the bill on its overall merits, but share the concerns of Gulf and South Atlantic fishermen over this late alteration.

Organizations affiliated with the NCFC do not accept money from ENGOs, and represent the authentic views of the U.S. commercial fishing industry.

The letter signers represent the American Scallop Association, Atlantic Red Crab Company, Atlantic Capes Fisheries, BASE Seafood, California Wetfish Producers Association, Cape Seafood, Garden State Seafood Association, Inlet Seafood, Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, Lund’s Fisheries, North Carolina Fisheries Association, Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, Seafreeze Ltd., Town Dock, West Coast Seafood Processors Association, and Western Fishboat Owners Association.

Read the full letter here

 

American Scallop Association Delivers Letter to Wilbur Ross, Participates in NOAA Fish Fry

June 11, 2018 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the American Scallop Association:

American Scallop Association (ASA) leadership traveled to Washington last Wednesday to participate in the 43rd Annual NOAA Fish Fry. In Washington, they hand-delivered a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross regarding current issues facing the American scallop industry.

“This is the fourth year that we have participated in the NOAA Fish Fry,” said ASA General Counsel, Attorney John Whiteside. “Attending the NOAA Fish Fry gives us the opportunity to interact with policy-level decision makers on the domestic and global issues that affect us most.”

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross visits the ASA tent at the NOAA Fish Fry.

In the letter, they outline several issues currently affecting the domestic, U.S. wild-caught, Atlantic sea scallop industry, including a request to restart the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations due to international price undercutting issues.

Specifically, as a result of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the Canadian scallop industry now operates at an 8 percent advantage over its American counterpart. The agreement gives Canadian-based companies an unfair advantage in their exports to the European Union, making U.S. prices uncompetitive.

“The ASA had a discussion focused on international trade with US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross about how CETA-rigged prices are causing irreparable harm to US companies trying to export lobster and scallops to the EU,” said Attorney Whiteside. The ASA urged the Secretary to resume the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations as soon as possible and be steadfast in demanding that tariff rates for fishery products like scallops and lobster mirror those set in the CETA treaty.”

ASA General Counsel, John Whiteside, delivers letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

ASA members buy and sell over 75 percent of U.S. Atlantic sea scallops landed annually and are leaders in the domestic and international sea scallop trade. Headquartered along the Eastern Seaboard, members employ over 4,000 people throughout their domestic and international operations.

The NOAA Fish Fry gives industry representatives the opportunity to draw awareness to issues facing fisheries across the cuntry while bringing industry stakeholders and top government officials together under one roof. This year, ASA members were visited by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and President Trump’s nominee to head NOAA, Barry Myers. ASA members are NOAA Fish Fry regulars, and have represented the scallop industry for years at the event. ASA members that attended the event include: John F. Whiteside, Jr., Ross Paasche, Joseph Furtado, Paul Joly, Master Chef George Karousos, Barbara Cournoyer, Brittany Bushee, and Steve Zevitas.

ASA General Counsel, John Whiteside, meets with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

Read the letter to Secretary Ross here

About the American Scallop Association

The ASA was founded in 1992 to foster a better public understanding of the importance of the scallop industry and to represent and promote the interests of the domestic, U.S. wild-caught, Atlantic sea scallop industry. Its aim is to support ASA members and all other affiliated interests to ensure a viable and long-term future for the Atlantic sea scallop fishery through effective dialogue, consultation, collaboration and partnerships.

Commercial Fisheries Generate $1.2 Billion to South Central Alaska Economy

SEAFOODNEWS.COM By Peggy Parker — June 24, 2015 — A landmark study released earlier this month calculates the economic impact from commercial fisheries in Alaska’s central coast, including Anchorage west to Homer and east to Cordova.

Key findings in the “The Economic Impact of the Seafood Industry in Southcentral Alaska” by the McDowell Group show that commercial seafood generated $1.2 billion in total economic output in the region. This figure includes $685 million in first wholesale value of seafood products and $501 million in gross value added to the region through secondary impacts.

Nearly 11,000 direct jobs were created in the area by the seafood industry in 2013, including resident commercial fishermen and processing workers, hatchery employees, and commercial fishery management staff.

In addition, the industry draws more than 1,000 fishermen from outside the Southcentral region who participated in the area fisheries in 2013.

Labor income generated by the seafood industry contributed $411 million to this area’s economy. That includes an estimated $247 million in direct labor income plus an additional $164 million in multiplier impacts.

The Alaska Salmon Alliance (ASA) commissioned the McDowell Group to examine how Southcentral communities, and the region as a whole, benefit from Alaska’s seafood industry.

“Southcentral is a well-known hub for oil, gas, and tourism. The region also plays a critical role in maximizing the value of commercial fishery resources,” said Paul Dale, ASA Board of Directors president. “This report clearly documents the importance of the seafood industry in Southcentral Alaska’s regional and local economies.”

The 100-page report documents inputs to local economies in Cordova, Homer, and the Kenai region, where each received more than $50 million in total annual labor income. More than 1,000 full-time equivalent jobs in each community/area are linked to the seafood industry.

Major processors are expanding in Valdez; Seward is adding new capacity to service large vessels; and Whittier, in addition to hosting a processing plant, is a key part of the region’s transportation network. Over 100 million pounds of seafood products passed through Whittier in 2013 destined for Anchorage port facilities or Lower 48
markets.

Southcentral was home to 2,168 active commercial permit holders in 2013, each acting as a small business and having the same impact in the economy as other independent locally-owned businesses. The region has 35 primary seafood processing plants and three non-profit salmon hatchery associations.

Salmon is the foundation of the region’s seafood industry, accounting for 85 percent of total first wholesale value produced in Southcentral.

Commercial fisheries in Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound accounted for the majority (57 percent) of gross fishing earnings, but Southcentral residents also have a significant presence in commercial fisheries outside the region.

Commercial fisheries create hundreds of millions of pounds of backhaul for cargo carriers. This backhaul lowers the cost of living for all Southcentral residents by offsetting northbound freight rates. It is conservatively estimated that seafood backhaul saves Southcentral households at least $70 per year.

ASA is a trade organization comprised of regional seafood processors and commercial fishermen with the mission of promoting science-based salmon management and policies in order to preserve the long-term opportunities for all salmon user groups in Cook Inlet.

A copy of the full report and additional information about ASA is available online: http://www.aksalmonalliance.org [2].

This story originally appeared on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It has been reprinted with permission.