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Lawmakers Oppose 100% At-Sea Monitoring Plan for Fishing Boats

September 4, 2020 — In a new letter to regulators, a group of Massachusetts lawmakers say a proposal to require at-sea monitors on every commercial groundfishing boat for every trip could put independent fleets and vessel owners out of business.

“We should be supporting this industry. Not drowning it in burdensome increased costs and regulations. I stand with our local fishermen, and urge the Council to reject this ill-advised proposal,” said Senator Mark Montigny today.

The New England Fisheries Management Council is considering Amendment 23 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. It would require groundfishing vessels to implement 100-percent at-sea monitoring or a blend of at-sea and electronic monitoring. The goal is to improve catch accountability, but fishermen argue the proposal would be too costly without accomplishing the stated goal.

Since the commercial groundfishery was declared a federal disaster in 2012, revenues have declined, the letter states. Businesses do not have the revenues to absorb the added costs. Piling more costs on the industry at this time will favor larger vessels and those with larger catch allocations, forcing smaller vessel owners out of business, the lawmakers argue.

Read the full story at WBSM

Fishermen, state leaders push back against at-sea monitoring proposal

September 3, 2020 — Senator Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) has joined local fishermen and his legislative colleagues to push back against a proposed policy shift that would require 100% at-sea monitoring of commercial groundfish vessels.

The New England Fisheries Management Council (NEFMC) is considering Amendment 23 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that would require groundfishing vessels to implement 100% at-sea monitoring or a blended approach of at-sea monitoring and electronic monitoring.

The proposed change seeks to improve catch accountability in the fishery, but fishermen argue this particular proposal is overly burdensome and unnecessary to achieve the stated goal, a press release from Montigny’s office states.

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell and Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken also co-signed a letter to the New England Fisheries Management Council opposing Amendment 23 to Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

At-sea monitor meeting to be held online, not in person

September 2, 2020 — The New England Fishery Management Council dispensed with the suspense on Monday when it announced its September meeting, initially set for Gloucester, will be conducted online via webinar.

The three-day meeting, scheduled for Sept. 29 to  Oct. 1, is expected to include the council’s final action on the highly contentious measure — Amendment 23 — to establish future monitoring levels for sector-based vessels in the Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery. The council hopes to post the remainder of the agenda by the end of this week.

The September meeting was scheduled for the Beauport Hotel Gloucester on Commercial Street. But that was before the dawning of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent indoor and outdoor gathering restrictions that have forced all but one of the council’s public meetings and hearings online.

The current Massachusetts indoor gathering restrictions call for no more than eight individuals per 1,000 square feet of space, with the gathering not to exceed 25 individuals in any single enclosed space.

Those restrictions would have limited an in-person meeting to the council’s 18 voting members, a handful of non-voting members and legal counsel. The public and even some council staff presenters would have been forced to participate via online webinar.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Multiple Groups, Politicians Call on NOAA to Continue Waiver of At-Sea Observers

August 18, 2020 — At-sea observers in the Northeast were reinstated by NOAA on August 14— but multiple groups and politicians are urging the government agency to reconsider their decision.

Observer coverage has been waived for months due to health concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. However, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Chris Oliver announced late last month that observer coverage in the Northeast would resume on August 14.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Questions remain as monitors return to boats

August 17, 2020 — NOAA Fisheries will redeploy at-sea monitors and other observers aboard Northeast fishing vessels today for the first time since March despite continued health and safety concerns from fishing stakeholders.

The federal fisheries manager first excused the vessels from carrying all observers with a March 20 waiver that it extended six times because of pandemic-related health and safety concerns.

During a Wednesday webinar, as NOAA Fisheries officials discussed how they hope to complete the deployment safely, it became clear there would be no seventh extension despite the tenacity of the pandemic.

It was also clear that the path toward redeployment still has some murky stretches, which NOAA officials quickly conceded.

“There are a lot of unknowns,” said Katherine McArdle, branch chief for the agency’s Fisheries Sampling Branch. “We’re going into this with a very sensitive and gentle manner.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

MAFMC: Due to COVID-19, Redeployed Observer Program Isn’t Safe

August 17, 2020 — The following letter was written by Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Administrators to the National Marine Fisheries Service:

On behalf of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), I am writing to express our deep concern about the plan to redeploy observers on vessels in the Greater Atlantic Region on August 14, 2020. Given the continued transmission of the COVID-19 virus, we do not believe the observer program can be safely operated at this time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, when we last communicated on this issue (June 23, 2020), the 7-day new case average was under 30,000 new cases per day. 1 On August 11, 2020, the national 7-day average of new cases was over 52,000 new cases per day. 1 Given the ongoing community transmission of the virus and the particularly high risk of transmission in the close quarters onboard a vessel, we believe that deploying observers on fishing vessels at this time poses an unwarranted risk to fishermen, observers, and associated communities.

During our August 2020 Meeting the Council discussed these concerns and approved a motion to recommend that you extend the observer/monitor waiver granted to vessels with Greater Atlantic Region fishing permits through December 31, 2020. This recommendation aligns with the Council’s position regarding in-person meetings, which prioritizes the health and safety of participants. It also appears to align with NOAA Fisheries’ recent decision to cancel several at-sea surveys “due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the unique challenges those are creating for NOAA Fisheries.”

In evaluating when and how to redeploy observers, we encourage you to consider not only the health risks to individuals onboard the fishing vessels but also the potential lost wages/revenues and liabilities if a vessel cannot operate due to an infection caused by an observer. We still have not yet received an official response to the following question posed to you in our June 23, 2020 letter: “Given the known risks of the ongoing pandemic, is NOAA planning to assume liability for the health costs and other legal or financial ramifications resulting from an infection transmitted by an observer?” (The same question would apply to an infection transmitted to an observer.)

Read the full release here

Fishing industry seeks relief from observer coverage

July 21, 2020 — West Coast trawlers and fishing industry leaders looking to minimize the risk of exposure to the coronavirus are asking for an emergency waiver from a requirement to carry human observers.

The National Marine Fisheries Service provided a two-week waiver from observer coverage in the spring. Chris Oliver, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, clarified in a message posted Thursday that waivers remain available on a vessel-by-vessel basis.

According to a spokesman, the federal agency has issued some individual vessel waivers for trips in the past three months — all were for times when observers were not available, not for other reasons, such as a vessel operator’s concerns about the coronavirus.

Industry representatives argue that further steps are needed as the threat of the pandemic continues and case numbers rise.

Read the full story at The Astorian

NOAA Fisheries Chief Chris Oliver on Observers and Monitors

July 16, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA:

Observers and monitors, at-sea and shoreside, are an essential component of commercial fishing operations and provide critical information that is necessary to keep fisheries open and to provide sustainable seafood to our nation during this time. We recognize the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and as such, it has required us to adapt to changing circumstances. Our adaptation is multi-faceted. Across the Pacific and Western Pacific, the majority of fisheries require full observer coverage; on the East Coast, the majority of fisheries require partial coverage. The differences in the requirements are an important reason that we have used our ability to waive observer coverage in some regions and fisheries, and not in others.

In addition, how fisheries operate varies regionally and even within a region, including factors such as whether crew or observers need to cross state lines. Some of these operational aspects have allowed the agency and observer service providers to more quickly adapt processes and procedures for deployment. In other cases, we’ve needed more time. For example, in the Northeast, because of the number of different jurisdictions, additional time was needed to finalize our observer redeployment protocols. Consequently, we delayed observer coverage for an additional month. Throughout most regions though, individual trips and vessels in partial-coverage fleets continue to be released from coverage on a case-by-case basis. Overall, our approach to observer coverage and monitoring allows us to be as adaptable as possible given all of the variability across our regions and fisheries.

Finally, the contractual relationships between industry and NOAA Fisheries and observer service providers vary by region and sometimes within a region, affecting what ability, if any, the agency has to make changes to protocols and processes.

In general, observers create no more risk than a crew member, although we do have allowances for vessel by vessel waivers in situations where that may not be the case, and observer provider companies are generally able to match precautionary measures that vessels impose on crew members. Ultimately, within our limited authority, our goal is to have observers and monitors following the same safety protocols that fishermen are following.

Providing seafood to the country remains an essential function even in these extraordinary times and adequately monitoring United States fisheries remains an essential part of that process. We will continue to monitor all local public health notifications, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for updates, and adjust our processes as needed. We are committed to the health and safety of fishermen, observers, and others while fulfilling our mission to maintain our nation’s seafood supply and conserving marine life.

Below is an update as of the situation in each of our regions as it pertains to observer coverage:

Regional Snapshot of Current Observer Waivers

  • Alaska Region – NOAA Fisheries is in the process of positioning observers at select ports throughout Alaska to meet monitoring objectives for vessels in the Partial Coverage Category of the North Pacific groundfish and Pacific Halibut fisheries. NOAA Fisheries has identified ports in Alaska where current travel and lodging conditions allow observers to meet and maintain applicable national, state, and local health mandates for deployment into the commercial fisheries. The region may release trips from observer coverage on a case-by-case basis for vessels in the Partial Coverage Category, as needed, in consideration of national, state, and local travel and safety requirements. No deviation has been made from the 2020 Annual Deployment Plan for vessels using electronic monitoring or to the requirement that vessels continue to log trips in Observer Declare and Deploy System (ODDS). Observer coverage continues for vessels in the Full Coverage Category of regional fisheries.
  • West Coast Region – Beginning at 12:00 am on May 1, 2020, fishery observer and catch monitor coverage was again required per existing regulations for all commercial fishing vessels and first receivers in required West Coast fisheries. Waivers of partial, scientific observer coverage are being issued on a vessel-by-vessel basis, including for the portion of the fleet using electronic monitoring. Waivers of observer coverage will continue on a vessel-by-vessel basis, as needed, in consideration of national, state, and local travel and safety requirements. The region is also ready to provide waivers for large purse seine vessels unable to get an Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)-approved observer for tuna fisheries in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
  • Pacific Island Region – Observer coverage requirements continue in all required fisheries. Although contracted observers are being placed on most Hawaii pelagic longline trips in Hawaii, waivers of observer coverage on a vessel-by-vessel basis will continue, as needed, in consideration of evolving national, state, territory, and local travel and safety requirements. International observer requirements for tuna purse seine vessels have been waived by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission until July 31, 2020.
  • Southeast Region – Beginning at 12:00 a.m. on May 5, 2020, observer coverage was again required per existing regulations for the following fisheries: South Atlantic Penaeid Shrimp, South Atlantic Rock Shrimp, South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper, Southeast Gillnet, Gulf of Mexico Commercial Reef Fish, Gulf of Mexico Shrimp, Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Pelagic Longline, Shark Bottom Longline (Atlantic HMS), Shark Gillnet (Atlantic HMS). Waivers of observer coverage on a vessel-by-vessel basis will continue, as needed, in consideration of national, state, and local travel and safety requirements. The region continues to work with the regional observer provider to finalize their observer redeployment plans to support the safe and effective redeployment of observers in the region.
  • Greater Atlantic Region – The region has extended the existing observer waiver exempting all vessels issued Greater Atlantic Region permits from the requirements to carry an observer or at-sea monitor. This waiver is in effect through July 31. When deployment resumes, we will include allowances for vessel by vessel waivers in situations for which there are medical or other issues where the observer may pose an additional risk beyond that posed by a normal crew member (i.e., small vessel with isolated crew for example). We will continue to work with the regional observer provider to finalize their observer redeployment plans to support the safe and effective redeployment of observers in the region.

Read the message here

Under pressure, NOAA delays at-sea monitors for a month

July 1, 2020 — After facing significant pushback from elected officials, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration abruptly reversed course Tuesday and announced it will not resume sending observers out to sea on fishing vessels until at least August.

NOAA had been planning to revive at-sea monitoring in the Northeast on Wednesday after more than three months of suspending the practice, describing it as a key function to track fishery health. Late Tuesday afternoon, however, the agency said the evolving course of the pandemic “required us to re-evaluate and adapt to changing circumstances.”

A waiver exempting fishing vessels from their requirement to carry human observers or at-sea monitors will now remain in place through July 31, during which NOAA plans to conduct outreach with industry leaders and flesh out safety practices it will deploy when monitoring does return.

“As has been done throughout the rest of the country, it is the intent of NOAA Fisheries to begin redeploying observers as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so,” NOAA wrote in a press release. “While we intend to begin redeploying observers on August 1, we recognize that this public health crisis continues to evolve and changing conditions may warrant re-evaluating these plans.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

NMFS relents on Northeast observers, extends moratorium through July

June 30, 2020 — Faced with dismay from fishermen and East Coast fishery management councils, NMFS announced it will delay its plan to resume at-sea observer deployments through July 31.

The agency backed away from its plan to restart the observer program July 1, after the Mid-Atlantic and New England fishery management councils sent NMFS Northeast regional administrator Michael Pentony and other officials letters expressing alarm that the decision was made too soon.

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center had been planning since May 28 to work toward a July resumption. But in recent weeks the covid-19 pandemic started a new upward arc across the nation.

“Although we had announced plans to resume observer deployments on July 1, we recognize the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and as such, has required us to re-evaluate and adapt to changing circumstances,” the agency said in a public statement issued Tuesday afternoon. “In response, NOAA Fisheries is extending the waiver granted to vessels with Greater Atlantic Region fishing permits to carry human observers or at-sea monitors through July 31, 2020.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

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