Saving Seafood

ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section and Advisory Panel to Meet November 29th to Consider 2018 Fishery Specifications

September 28, 2017 — ARLINGTON, Va. — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section (Section) and Advisory Panel (AP) will meet on November 29, 2017 to consider specifications for the 2018 fishing season. The AP will meet in the morning (10 – 11:30 a.m.) to formulate recommendations for the Section’s consideration, and the Section will meet in the afternoon (1 – 3:30 p.m.) to set the specifications. Both meetings are scheduled to take place at the Westin Portland Harborview, Hotel 157 High Street, Portland, Maine; 207.517.8822.

In 2016, the Section approved a moratorium for the fourth consecutive fishing season (2014-2017) based on the status of the resource, which is considered at record low levels and experiencing low recruitment since 2012. The Northern Shrimp Technical Committee is currently updating the 2017 Northern Shrimp Stock Status Report, the findings of which will form the basis of the Section’s determinations for the 2018 season.  This Report will be included in the meeting materials, which will be available in early November.

For more information, please contact Max Appelman, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mappelman@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Herring fishing to be shut down along New England in October

September 27, 2017 — PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Fishing regulators are shutting down a chunk of the New England coast to herring fishing for most of the month of October.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission says vessels in the Atlantic herring fishery cannot catch or possess the fish in the shuttered area from Oct. 1 to Oct. 28. The closed area stretches along a coastal area that runs from southern Maine to Cape Cod.

The fisheries commission says the decision is based on an analysis of samples of female herring in the area.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Greenwich Time

Atlantic Herring Massachusetts/New Hampshire Spawning Closure in Effect Starting October 1 through October 28, 2017

September 27, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic Herring Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery regulations include seasonal spawning closures for portions of state and federal waters in Eastern Maine, Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire. The Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section approved a forecasting method that relies upon at least three samples, each containing at least 25 female herring in gonadal states III-V, to trigger a spawning closure.

Fifteen samples of female herring were collected to evaluate spawning condition. Based on the analysis of the samples, the Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning area will be closed starting at 12:00 a.m. on October 1, 2017 extending through 11:59 p.m. on October 28, 2017. Vessels in the directed Atlantic herring fishery cannot take, land or possess Atlantic herring caught within the Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning area during this time and must have all fishing gear stowed when transiting through the area. An incidental bycatch allowance of up to 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip/ calendar day applies to vessels in non-directed fisheries that are fishing within the Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning area.

The Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning area includes all waters bounded by the Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine coasts, and 43° 30’ N and 70° 00’ W.   For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, ISFMP Director, at 703.842.0740 or tkerns@asmfc.org.

A PDF version of the announcement can be found here –http://www.asmfc.org/files/AtlHerring/MA_NH_SpawningClosureSept2017.pdf

Menhaden battle once again pits Virginia against Northern states

September 25, 2017 — HEATHSVILLE, Va. — Five years ago, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission cut the menhaden harvest by 20 percent, forcing the largest employer in the rural tip of the Northern Neck, Omega Protein, to lay off workers and decommission a ship.

The tiny fish is sold by fishermen as bait to catch blue crabs and commercially rendered for its oil and byproducts at Omega’s Reedville plant. Environmentalists and anglers say it’s critical to the diet of other Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic species such as osprey, striped bass and dolphin. At the time, commissioners said menhaden was at the point of being depleted.

Since then, ASMFC, which manages fisheries from Maine to Florida, changed its method of assessment and says stocks are now healthy. It began easing catch limits to where the quota is now only about 6 percent short of the 212,000 metric tons it once was.

Omega, which catches a half-billion fish each year, replaced two of its seven ships this year with larger, more efficient ships and rehired some of its employees.

But the company sees a new problem.

Monty Deihl, vice president of Omega’s operations, calls it “a fish grab” by other ASMFC member states, specifically northern states where more menhaden have been showing up.

“The stock is very healthy, the quota could be raised, but no one wants to raise the quota because Virginia will get 85 percent of whatever is raised,” he told a crowd of mostly employees and their families at an ASMFC public hearing last week. “You should be offended at the way all the other stuff was done to try to get a piece of what you all put your time and careers in to build.”

Read the full story at the Free Lance-Star

Non-Traditional Stakeholders Sought for Participation on ASMFC’s Horseshoe Crab Advisory Panel

September 25, 2017 — ARLINGTON, Va. — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board is seeking nominations from nontraditional stakeholders to fill two seats on the Horseshoe Crab Advisory Panel. Examples of such stakeholders include, but are not limited to environmental organizations, grassroots organizations, and individuals/groups with an expertise or interest in shorebird conservation.

The intent of this action is to broaden the scope of public input to the Horseshoe Crab Management Board as it continues to manage resources with diverse stakeholder needs. Individuals interested in serving as advisors can submit an advisory panel nomination form via email (tberger@asmfc.org) or fax (703.842.0741) by 5:00 PM on October 6, 2017.

The Commission’s advisory panel process was established to address its increasing responsibilities under the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act. The Act mandates, among other considerations, that the Commission provide adequate public participation in its fishery management planning process, including at least three public hearings (during amendment development) and procedures for submission of written comments to the Commission. Advisory Panels have been developed for Atlantic herring, Atlantic menhaden, American eel, American lobster, black sea bass, bluefish, coastal sharks, horseshoe crab, Jonah crab, northern shrimp, scup, shad & river herring, South Atlantic species (croaker, spot, spotted seatrout, Spanish mackerel, red drum, cobia, black drum), spiny dogfish, striped bass, summer flounder, tautog, weakfish, and winter flounder.

For more information, please contact, Tina Berger, Director of Communications, at tberger@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Atlantic Herring Western Maine Spawning Closure in Effect Starting September 26, 2017 through October 24, 2017

September 22, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: 

The Atlantic Herring Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery regulations include seasonal spawning closures for portions of state and federal waters in Eastern Maine, Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section approved a forecasting method that relies upon at least three samples, each containing at least 25 female herring in gonadal states III-V, to trigger a spawning closure.

Sampling in the Western Maine spawning area began on July 31, 2017; four samples of female herring were collected to evaluate spawning condition. Based on the analysis of the samples, the Western Maine spawning area will be closed starting at 12:00 a.m. on September 26, 2017 extending through 11:59 p.m. on October 24, 2017. Vessels in the directed Atlantic herring fishery cannot take, land or possess Atlantic herring caught within the Western Maine spawning area during this time and must have all fishing gear stowed when transiting through the area. An incidental bycatch allowance of up to 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip/ calendar day applies to vessels in non-directed fisheries that are fishing within the Western Maine spawning area.

Western Maine spawning area includes all waters bounded by the following coordinates:

43° 30’ N     Maine coast
43° 30’ N      68° 54.5’ W
43° 48’ N         68° 20’ W
North to Maine coast at 68° 20’ W

For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, ISFMP Director, at 703.842.0740 or tkerns@asmfc.org.

Atlantic Herring Area 1A effort controls

September 21, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (Commission) Atlantic Herring Section Members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts met today to revise effort controls in the Area 1A Trimester 2 fishery as well as set effort controls for Trimester 3.

Trimester 2 Effort Controls

The Section revised the effort control measures for the 2017 Area 1A Trimester 2 (June 1 – September 30) fishery. The revised measures are underlined and become effective Sunday, September 17, 2017.

Days Out of the Fishery

  • Vessels with a herring Category A permit that have declared into the Trimester 2 Area 1A fishery may land herring seven (7) consecutive days a week. One landing per 24 hour period. Vessels are prohibited from landing or possessing herring caught from Area 1A during a day out of the fishery.
    • Landing days in New Hampshire and Massachusetts begin on Monday of each week at 12:01 a.m.
    • Landings days in Maine begin on Sunday of each week at 6:00 p.m.
  • Small mesh bottom trawl vessels with a herring Category C or D permit that have declared into the Trimester 2 fishery may land herring seven (7) consecutive days a week.

Weekly Landing Limit

  • Vessels with a herring Category A permit may harvest up to 1 million pounds (25 trucks) per harvester vessel, per week.
  • 120,000 pounds out of the 1,000,000 pounds weekly limit can be transferred to a carrier vessel (see below).

At-Sea Transfer and Carrier Restrictions (no changes were made)
The following applies to harvester vessels with a herring Category A permit and carrier vessels landing herring caught in Area 1A to a Maine, New Hampshire or Massachusetts port.

  • A harvester vessel can transfer herring at-sea to another catcher vessel.
  • A harvester vessel is limited to making at-sea transfers to only one carrier vessel per week.
  • Carrier vessels are limited to receiving at-sea transfers from one catcher vessel per week and can land once per 24 hour period. A carrier vessel may land up to 120,000 pounds (3 trucks) per week.  The carrier limit of 3 trucks is not in addition to the harvester weekly  landing
  • Carrier vessel: a vessel with no gear on board capable of catching or processing fish. Harvester vessel: a vessel that is required to report the catch it has aboard as the harvesting vessel on the Federal Vessel Trip Report.

The initial Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (ACL) is 31,115 metric tons (mt) after adjusting for a carryover from 2015 and the research set-aside. The Section allocated 72.8% of the sub-ACL to Trimester 2 and 27.2% to Trimester 3. After incorporating the 295 mt fixed gear set-aside and the 8% buffer (Area 1A closes at 92% of the sub-ACL) the seasonal quotas are 20,625 mt for Trimester 2 and 7,706 mt for Trimester 3.

Landings will be monitored closely and the fishery will be adjusted to zero landing days when 92 percent of the trimester’s quota is reached.

Fishermen are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip from Area 1A on no landing days.

Trimester 3 Effort Controls

Section members set Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) days out measures for Trimester 3 (October 1 – December 31). Section members, with input from industry, agreed to three consecutive landing days until 92% of the Area 1A sub-ACL is projected to be harvested or until further notice.  Vessels may only land once every 24-hour period.

  • Beginning on October 1, 2017: Vessels in the State of Maine may land herring starting at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays up to 5:59 p.m. on Wednesday.
  • Beginning on October 2, 2017: Vessels in the State of New Hampshire and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may land herring starting at 12:00 a.m. on Mondays up to 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday.

Trimester 3 landings will be closely monitored and the directed fishery will close when 92% of the Area 1A sub-ACL is projected to be reached. Fishermen are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip from Area 1A until the start of Trimester 3. For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, at 703.842.0740 or tkerns@asmfc.org.

Reminder! South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting September 25-29, 2017 in Charleston, SC

September 20, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Note: The Council meeting was rescheduled due to Hurricane Irma. Please check out the information below regarding next week’s meeting schedule and opportunities for public comment.  Unless otherwise indicated, members of the public are invited to attend all meetings.

Meeting materials, including agendas, overviews, presentations, and documents are available via the Council’s website at www.safmc.net.

Meeting Location:

Town and Country Inn

2008 Savannah Highway

Charleston, SC 29407      

Phone: Reservations: 843/571-1000

Agenda Highlights  

  • Full Council Session – Monday, September 25
    Harvest Options for Red Snapper 
    The Council will hold a special session from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM on Monday of the meeting week to specifically address measures to allow harvest of red snapper. The Council will review alternatives in Snapper Grouper Amendment 43 to determine an annual catch limit for red snapper and allow a limited season in 2018. The Council will also consider options to request that NOAA Fisheries take emergency action for a red snapper mini-season in 2017.

    • Red Snapper Public Comment – Monday, September 25 
      10:15 AM
      Public comment will be solicited on measures proposed in Amendment 43 to allow for a limited harvest of red snapper in 2018 and options for requesting emergency action for harvest in 2017.  The Council is scheduled to take action during Monday’s Full Council Session. Provide your comments online now and register to attend the meeting via webinar as it occurs (see below).
  • Snapper Grouper Committee The committee will continue to review measures proposed for both recreational (Regulatory Amendment 26) and commercial (Regulatory Amendment 27) sectors as identified through the Council’s 2016-2020 Vision Blueprint.
  • Mackerel Cobia Committee The committee will receive an update on the development of an interstate fishery management plan for Atlantic cobia (Georgia through New York) by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The committee will also review options to modify the current commercial trip limit for king mackerel during their meeting.
    • NOTE: The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a public hearing on measures proposed for Atlantic cobia on Tuesday, September 26th beginning at 7:00 PM in conjunction with the Council meeting.

Atlantic Menhaden Catch Limits May Get Overhaul

September 18, 2017 — A major overhaul could be coming in how menhaden are managed along the East Coast — one that might, for the first time, try to account for the ecological role of the small and oily fish.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which oversees migratory fish along the coast, is preparing to update its menhaden management plan this fall. It’s looking to revisit how the catch is distributed among states and fisheries and may adjust the catch limit for the Chesapeake. Public hearings on potential changes are scheduled for September, with written comments accepted through Oct. 20.

It should be noted that a July ruling by the U. S. Commerce Department has thrown into doubt the ASMFC’s authority in regulating fisheries. The federal ruling allowed New Jersey, one of the 15 states regulated by (and represented on) the ASMFC, to reject the commission’s harvest restrictions on Atlantic flounder, which has been declining since 2000. It’s the first time since the commission was authorized by Congress in 1993 to adopt and enforce coastwide harvest restrictions that a state has been allowed to ignore the commission’s harvest regulations. Fisheries managers are concerned that other states might follow suit if pressure from fishing interests is great enough.

Regarding menhaden, people generally don’t eat the small, oily fish, yet it has been the focus of heated debates in recent years over how many should be caught. By weight, menhaden are the largest catch in the Bay, primarily because Reedville, VA — home port of Omega Protein’s “reduction” fishing fleet — is where the fish are reduced (processed) into vitamin supplements, fish meal and other products.

Read the full story at Chesapeake Bay Magazine

Shrimp plan changes advance

September 11, 2017 — ELLSWORTH, Maine — Meeting in Portland at the end of August, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section selected several final measures for inclusion in the latest revision to the Fishery Management Plan for northern shrimp.

Known as “Amendment 3,” the latest version of the plan will bring about a number of significant changes to the way the fishery is managed — if indeed the northern shrimp fishery is ever resuscitated. Because fisheries scientists believed that the northern shrimp population had collapsed, commercial shrimp fishing on the Gulf of Maine has been banned since 2014 with only an extremely limited harvest for scientific data collection purposes permitted.

Before the amendment becomes effective, it will have to be approved by the ASMFC. In its recent action, the shrimp section also recommended that the commission approve the amendment at its next meeting, tentatively scheduled to be held in Norfolk, Va., next month.

The newly recommended provisions would make several changes in both the philosophy and the practical measures affecting the management of the shrimp fishery.

The plan’s stated objectives will now call for managing the resource to support a viable fishery and will give individual states more control over the way the fishery is managed.

Read the full story at the Ellsworth American