Saving Seafood

Industry-Funded Monitoring Coverage in the Atlantic Herring Fishery Will Begin on July 1, 2021

May 14, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Beginning on July 1, 2021, NOAA Fisheries will begin selecting vessels with Category A or B herring permits fishing on declared herring trips for industry-funded monitoring (IFM) coverage. Vessels issued a Category A or B Atlantic herring permit will be required to secure and pay for at-sea monitoring coverage on trips that are selected for IFM coverage.

These vessels must log into their Pre-Trip Notification System (PTNS) web account to review the list of approved providers in PTNS and rank them in order of preference. Vessels should rank their providers in PTNS by June 20, 2021 to avoid any delays in the IFM assignment process.

For more information, go to our IFM website, which includes information on reporting requirements, approved IFM providers, the midwater trawl electronic monitoring exempted fishing permit, and other details.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Carrie Nordeen, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9272

Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103

Deadline Extended: ASMFC Still Seeks Proposals for At-Sea Monitoring Trainers

May 14, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, in cooperation with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to conduct components of the At-Sea Monitoring (ASM) Training Program for the center. The submission deadline has been extended to May 24, 2021.

NOAA Fisheries is required to collect biological and compliance data aboard U.S. domestic fishing vessels, data which cannot be obtained at the dock or on research vessels. Specifically, observer data is essential to reliably estimating catch and bycatch, and in helping to implement programs to reduce bycatch. A sharp increase to the coverage rate (up to 100%) for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery in Fishing Year 2022 and observer attrition during the 2020 fishing year have resulted in the need for approximately 140 new at-sea monitors.

The awardee shall provide and retain the necessary qualified personnel, materials, equipment, services, and facilities to conduct components of the ASM training for the Center. The Awardee shall conduct approximately 4-6 trainings per year. The training will be conducted as a collaborative effort between NOAA Fisheries and the Awardee; where some components of the training will be conducted by the Awardee and some training components will be conducted by NOAA Fisheries.

Application Instructions

Applicants seeking to apply to the RFP must submit, as a single file, an electronic proposal by email no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on May 24, 2021. Please see the RFP online for complete proposal details, qualifying requirements, and submission instructions.

For More Information:

Please contact Deke Tompkins at dtompkins@asmfc.org or (313) 303-2623.

Press contact: Tina Berger, (703) 842-0740

Submission Deadline for Proposals to Conduct Components of the At-Sea Monitoring Training Program Extended to May 24, 2021

May 13, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, in cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), is extending the submission deadline for proposals to conduct components of the At-Sea Monitoring (ASM) Training Program for the NEFSC. The deadline is extended until May 24, 2021 (previously May 19, 2021). The complete Request for Proposals (RFP) can be found here. For more information, please contact Deke Tompkins at dtompkins@asmfc.org.

NOAA Fisheries Announces Policy for Electronic Monitoring Cost Reimbursement for Groundfish Sectors

April 2, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces its policy to reimburse electronic monitoring costs in addition to human at-sea monitoring costs.

NOAA Fisheries has been reimbursing industry’s costs for sector at-sea monitoring in the groundfish fishery using funds appropriated by Congress to fully fund monitoring in that fishery. Beginning May 1, 2021, groundfish sectors may use electronic monitoring to meet sector monitoring requirements, provided that the sector has a contract with an approved electronic monitoring service provider and electronic monitoring is part of the sector’s approved operations plan. Accordingly, we are announcing the details of our policy to reimburse electronic monitoring costs in addition to human at-sea monitoring costs.

Consistent with that policy, we encourage vessels to purchase and install electronic monitoring systems now, while funding is available, in preparation for the implementation of Amendment 23 in 2022. For more information please read our bulletin.

Questions?

Industry: Contact Claire Fitz-Gerald, Regional Office, 978-281-9255

Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103

Can Cameras Replace Observers on Fishing Vessels?

March 22, 2021 — A 360-degree camera observes the deck of a boat off New Zealand. As the fishers bring up their lines, they find they have ensnared a black petrel. The bird, with its black feathers and pale-yellow hooked beak, breeds only in New Zealand and is one of about 5,000 adults worldwide. Nobody on board noticed it diving into the water and getting trapped. The boat’s main fishing line is tens of kilometers long, with thinner subsidiary lines branching off. From these lines hang barbed hooks.

The New Zealand government and conservation bodies have been working to reduce rare bird bycatch. The fishers hurry to remove the petrel and return it to the ocean before the onboard observers see what’s happened. But the camera sees and uploads all.

The authorities hope to use electronic monitoring like this to find out how many black petrels die every year after being caught in fishing gear, and if the fishing vessels are taking measures to prevent it.

Thankfully, this was just a drill, the bird a dummy bought on board by the crew. They’re working with the government, helping to train software to identify black petrel bycatch.

Read the full story at The Maritime Executive

REMINDER: NOAA Fisheries Continues Weekly For-Hire Reporting Webinars with a Time Change

March 1, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Regional Office will host weekly question and answer webinar sessions to assist participants with program information and compliance.

WHEN:

The webinars are scheduled for Tuesday evenings starting at 6:30 PM, EST, from March 2 to March 30, 2021.  The webinar will continue each Tuesday evening for as long as people have questions.

To register for the webinars and access additional information, such as tool-kits and instructional videos, go to: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/recreational-fishing-data/southeast-hire-electronic-reporting-program. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Program staff and software vendor representatives will participate in these webinars to answer questions and resolve issues users identify.  These webinars are for anyone with an interest in the Southeast Electronic For-Hire Program and specifically, any captain, owner, or lessee running a headboat or charter trip on a boat with any of the following permits: Atlantic coastal migratory pelagics, Atlantic dolphin wahoo, South Atlantic snapper-grouper, Gulf of Mexico reef fish, and Gulf of Mexico coastal migratory pelagics.

NOAA Fisheries implemented the new Southeast For-Hire Electronic Reporting Program in January 2021.  This program will provide more timely catch, effort, and discard information from federally-permitted for-hire vessels, to be used in future fish population assessments and management evaluations.

Please call our customer service hotline with any questions (available from 8:00-4:30, EST) at 1-833-707-1632 or email us at ser.electronicreporting@noaa.gov.

Please know that NOAA Fisheries is here to help, and we respect your time and business operations.  We look forward to working with you during the implementation phase of this new program.  Our goals are to provide each fisherman with excellent customer service, improve for-hire data collection, and reduce the amount of time you spend reporting so you can focus more time on your customers.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

Read the full release here

NOAA wants monitors on 40% of groundfish trips

January 28, 2021 — NOAA Fisheries has established a monitoring coverage target that would deploy at-sea monitors aboard 40% of all groundfish sector trips in the Northeast in the upcoming 2021 fishing year, the agency announced Tuesday.

The 2021 ASM coverage target represents a 25% increase from the 32% monitoring coverage target in the 2020 fishing year for the Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery.

“Consistent with the requirement to monitor sector operations and to reliably estimate overall catch to the extent practical, the coverage target level will be 40%,” NOAA Fisheries stated in its bulletin  announcing the coverage target.

At-sea monitoring coverage levels for Northeast sector groundfish vessels was one of the more tumultuous issues of the 2020 fishing season because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the monitoring program and the New England Fishery Management Council’s approval of Amendment 23 that set future at-sea monitoring coverage target rates for the fishery.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Major Refresh Orients our Fishery Monitoring and Research Division Toward the Future

January 27, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Staff involved with cooperative research and fishery monitoring at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center interact daily with the fishing industry. It’s a challenging job, and an essential one: scientists and fishermen working together in areas of mutual interest improves fisheries science and management.

It’s little wonder that managing the many moving parts of this effort requires constant assessment and adaptation. The most recent effort is a major one that has resulted in a new internal structure to improve operations and maximize resources.

The ultimate goal is to ensure accurate representation of fishing activity.

“Improving integration of our efforts, modernizing our systems, and making the data we collect even more useful will enable us to have increased confidence in our science, take some of the burden off the industry, and make it easier for fishermen to access information,” said Amanda McCarty, chief of the center’s Fishery Monitoring and Research Division, which includes the fishery monitoring and cooperative research efforts.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces 2021 At-Sea Monitoring Coverage Levels for Groundfish Sector Fishery

January 26, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces that for fishing year 2021, the total target at-sea monitoring (ASM) coverage level is 40 percent of all groundfish sector trips subject to the ASM program.

Our annual analysis to determine the level of ASM coverage required to estimate discards for each northeast multispecies stock with no greater than a 30-percent coefficient of variation (CV30) calculated a minimum target coverage level of 33 percent of all groundfish sector trips, based on Georges Bank yellowtail flounder. For more information about that analysis, please read the Summary of Analyses Conducted to Determine At-Sea Monitoring Requirements for Multispecies Sectors FY 2021. In addition to the CV analysis, we also considered analyses of bias developed by the Groundfish Plan Development Team and the peer review by a sub-panel of the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee in 2019. Consistent with the regulations and the Court’s ruling in Oceana v. Pritzker, we have determined that coverage needs to be increased above the minimum coverage necessary to achieve a CV30 in order to address the peer review’s conclusions. Consistent with the requirement to monitor sector operations and to reliably estimate overall catch to the extent practicable, the coverage target level will be 40 percent.

Read the full release here

Fisheries Monitoring Operations in the Northeast

January 25, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Northeast Fisheries Observer Program

Our observers collect catch, gear, fishing effort, and biological data over a range of commercial fisheries. These data are widely used throughout the region for a variety of scientific and management analyses. It’s especially key for estimating the annual bycatch of all federally managed species in the region, including protected species. Each year the Northeast Fisheries Science Center uses this information to report on the estimated discards for the previous year. The results are then used to determine the observer sea-day schedule for the coming year. The process is governed by regulatory requirements commonly referred to as the Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology

All federally permitted vessels are required to carry an observer when selected. Vessels operating in state water fisheries may be required to carry an observer if they have a high likelihood of interacting with marine mammals.

Learn more about this program

At-Sea Monitoring Program

At-sea monitoring is an integral part of quota monitoring for groundfish sectors vessels. All groundfish catch by these vessels—landed or discarded—counts toward the quota. Catch data collected on commercial groundfish vessels by at-sea monitors is a primary source information used to monitor quotas throughout the year. It is also critical for estimating total discards by sector, gear type, and stock area. This information is critical for a host of applications from assessment to evaluating fishery management measures and ensuring regulatory compliance. The region’s at-sea monitoring requirements are detailed under Amendment 16 of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan

Learn more about this program

Industry-Funded Scallop Program

Industry-funded scallop observers monitor catch from dredge and trawl gear aboard commercial sea scallop vessels as specified by the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. Data collected by these observers are used to identify key characteristics of the commercial Atlantic sea scallop fishery in the region. The observer data inform stock assessments, monitor commercial gear selectivity, aid in spatial management, and help support a sustainable sea scallop fishery.

Learn more about this program

Read the full release here