Saving Seafood

NEFMC: Atlantic Herring Research Set-Aside Competition Underway; Proposals Due by September 20, 2018

August 1, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The federal competition for 2019-2021 Atlantic Herring Research Set-Aside (RSA) Awards is now open. The deadline for submitting full proposals is 5 p.m., Thursday, September 20, 2018.

The New England Fishery Management Council established the RSA program in 2007 under Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. Under the program, the Council sets aside 0% to 3% of the annual catch limit (ACL) from each herring management area to support research identified by the Council as priority projects. NOAA Fisheries manages the RSA competition and administers the program.

IMPORTANT: The amount of quota that will be set aside for 2019-2021 projects is not known yet and will be determined only after the Council sets specifications for the next three fishing years. The Council will receive an update on 2019-2021 specifications during its September meeting in Plymouth, MA and then take final action in December at its meeting in Newport, RI. RSA proposals are due before the Council takes final action.

During the 2016-2018 specification-setting process, the Council elected to set aside the maximum level of 3% for RSA compensation. The Council once again will need to specify the percentage allocated to the RSA Program in the 2019-2021 specifications package.

Atlantic Herring Research Set-Aside Priorities

The Council adopted five research priorities for the 2019-2021 Atlantic Herring RSA Program when it met back in December 2017. These – in no particular order of priority – cover the following scope:

  • Portside sampling and bycatch avoidance projects primarily related to haddock and river herring/shad;
  • Stock structure and spatial management projects – in particular, continued work on:
    • distinguishing among subcomponents of the herring resource – Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and Southern New England – and identifying stocks of origin from mixed catches,
    • identifying the relative size of stock components, movements, and mixing rates,
    • ascertaining the degree of homing, and
    • investigating potential effects of climate change;
  • Research spawning dynamics, including projects related to life history, gear interactions, and spatial patterns, including studies to evaluate whether gear interactions disrupt spawning and negatively affect recruitment due to egg disposition and survival;
  • Localized depletion studies to evaluate the influence of potential localized depletion of herring on predators; and
  • Projects designed to evaluate discard rates and mortality of released fish in the purse seine fishery.

NOTE: RSA compensation fishing is exempt from: (1) the Area 1A January-May seasonal closure and the Area 1B January-April seasonal closure; and (2) area closures that occur when a sub-ACL has been reached.

2018 Assessment Results, Amendment 8

The Council is awaiting results from the 2018 benchmark stock assessment for Atlantic herring. The stock’s status will factor into the Council’s decision-making for 2019-2021 specifications. Information about the assessment is available at SAW/SARC 65 and 2018 benchmarks.

The Council also is scheduled to take final action on Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring FMP in late September and may select a new acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule. Control rules guide the specification-setting process. Learn more at Amendment 8.

View the release in its entirety here.

 

Change in Area 1A Trimester 2 Effort Controls and Meeting Notice

July 19, 2018 — 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 revised the effort control measures for the 2018 Area 1A Trimester 2 (June 1 – September 30) fishery. 

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 five (5) 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 640,000 lbs (16 trucks) per harvester vessel, per week. 
  • 160,000 lbs (4 trucks) out of the 640,000 lbs weekly limit can be transferred to a carrier vessel (see below).

At-Sea Transfer and Carrier Restrictions

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 160,000 lbs (4 trucks) per week. The carrier limit of 4 trucks is not in addition to the harvester weekly landing limit. 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 Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (ACL) is 32,084 metric tons (mt) after adjusting for a carryover from 2016 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 21,291 mt for Trimester 2 and 7,955 mt for Trimester 3.

These effort controls are projected to extend the Trimester 2 fishery through the end of August. Landings will be monitored closely and the fishery will be adjusted to zero landing days when the trimester’s quota is projected to be reached.

The Atlantic Herring Section members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts are scheduled to reconvene via conference call to review fishing effort on:

  • Wednesday, August 8 at 12:30 pm

To join the call, please dial 888.585.9008 and enter conference room number 845-202-505 when prompted. 

Fishermen are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip from Area 1A on no landing days. Please contact Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mware@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740 for more information.

A copy of the announcement can be found here –http://www.asmfc.org/files/AtlHerring/AtlHerringDaysOutTri2_July2018.pdf. 

Atlantic Herring June 26th Days Out Conference Call Cancelled

June 21, 2018 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts set effort control measures for the Area 1A fishery via Days Out meetings/calls.

The previously scheduled Days Out call on June 26, 2018 at 10:00 AM has been cancelled. Given the current weekly landings limit in the Area 1A fishery has not been fully harvested by all vessels and catch rates have not exceeded projections, the states have decided a Days Out call is not warranted at this time. The Section awaits the results of the 2018 Atlantic Herring Benchmark Stock Assessment, which is scheduled for peer review onJune 26-28, as well as the outcome of the recommendation from the New England Fishery Management Council to NOAA Fisheries to reduce the 2018 sub-ACLs.

The Atlantic Herring Section members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts are scheduled to reconvene via conference call to review fishing effort on the days listed below. If the states determine a Days Out call is needed ahead of July 17th, a call can be scheduled and the public will be notified via a press release.

  • Tuesday, June 26 at 10:00 AM – CANCELLED
  • Tuesday, July 17 at 10:00 AM
  • Wednesday, August 8 (time TBD)

To join the calls, please dial 888.585.9008 and enter conference room number 845-202-505 when prompted.

Please contact Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mware@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740 for more information.

A PDF of the announcement can be found here.

MASSACHUSETTS: Herring Hearing Happening June 19

June 7, 2018 — The New England Fishery Management Council is holding a rare public hearing in Chatham next week to consider rules designed to protect one of the most important fish species in our waters: Atlantic herring.

The council is mulling a host of options designed to protect sea herring from overfishing by mid-water trawlers, which can scoop up entire schools in a single haul. While local boats do not take part in large-scale herring fisheries, the species is a critical food source for groundfish like cod, haddock and flounder and other species like bluefin tuna.

The hearing is set for Tuesday, June 19 at 6 p.m. at the community center, one of seven sessions being held between Maine and Pennsylvania to consider the proposed rules. Known as Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, the proposals cover two major components: a control rule to govern catch limits and proposed area closures to address localized stock depletion and user conflicts.

The control rule would guide regulators in setting long-term catch limits. Locally, the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance has argued in favor of a control rule that focuses not on the commercial value of the sea herring fishery but on the role of the species in the larger ecosystem. Advocates for this approach say it will put a new emphasis on conservation while allowing regulators to consider the biological and ecological requirements of Atlantic herring stocks.

Ten alternatives are being considered for the control rule, encompassing 15 different ways that regulators could evaluate how catch levels affect the ecosystem. Regulators will also need to decide whether the control rule is implemented on a one-year variable basis or every three years with a fixed catch limit.

Read the full story at The Cape Cod Chronicle

NEFMC June 12-14, 2018, Portland, ME, Listen Live, View Documents

June 5, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting from Tuesday, June 12 through Thursday, June 14, 2018. The public is invited to listen-in via webinar or telephone. Here are the details.

MEETING LOCATION:  Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 Spring Street, Portland, ME 04101; Holiday Inn.

START TIME:  The webinar will be activated at 8:00 a.m. each day. However, please note that the meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. The webinar will end at approximately 6:00 p.m. EST or shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live. There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8422. The access code is 454-885-013. Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  The agenda and all meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at June 12-14, 2018 NEFMC Portland, ME.

COMMENT DEADLINE:  Written comments must be received no later than 8 a.m., Thursday, June 7 to be considered at this meeting.

ATLANTIC HERRING PUBLIC HEARING:  The Council will conduct a public hearing on Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan on Tuesday, June 12 at 5 p.m. or immediately following the close of Council business that day.  The hearing initially was scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. but the start-time has been revised to 5 p.m.  The public hearing document and related materials can be found at Amendment 8 hearing. The webinar will remain activated in “listen-only” mode to cover the public hearing for those who wish to hear the presentation.

THREE MEETING OUTLOOK:  A copy of the New England Council’s Three Meeting Outlook is available HERE.

COUNCIL MEETING QUESTIONS:  Anyone with questions prior to or during the Council meeting should contact Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

New England Council Holds Hearings on Herring Rule Changes, Plenty of Input Offered

May 24, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The series of hearings started on Tuesday in Narragansett, RI and will continue in Rockport, ME tonight. If Tuesday’s meeting is any indication, the New England Fisheries Management Council can expect more industry opposition to changes in the Atlantic herring fishery management plan tonight in Rockport.

The issue is about using “acceptable biological catch” or ABC, for setting the sustainable catch limit for herring, a standard used in most other management plans around the country. But using ABC in the control rule, which is set every three years, would limit flexibility compared to how the fishery has been managed in the past, reported Rhode Island Public radio’s (RINPR) Avory Brookins.

“We are going to need the flexibility in setting the (acceptable biological catch) over the coming years as we are expecting a decrease in quota due to poor recruitment in the fishery (recruitment is how many young fish are entering the population each year),” Katie Almeida, fishery policy analyst for the Town Dock, wrote.

Almeida said flexibility is important because recruitment is environmentally driven, the report said.

Another council concern is local depletion of herring stocks with other proposed restrictions.

RINPR quotes the Sustainable Fisheries Coalition, a group made up of commercial fishing companies that participate in the Atlantic herring fishery, as pointing out that “there is currently no evidence that the existing rules are causing localized depletion, or are harming the herring population in any way.”

The changes are part of Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. The Council’s hearings are to solicit comments on two of the major components in the amendment. They include:

(Part 1) 10 alternatives to establish a long-term acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule that “may explicitly account for herring’s role in the ecosystem” plus “address the biological and ecological requirements of the stock;” and
(Part 2) nine primary alternatives to address potential localized depletion and user conflicts, with several spatial and seasonal sub-options designed to help minimizing biological and socioeconomic impacts.

After tonight’s hearing in Rockport, the Council will meet stakeholders in Gloucester on Wednesday, May 30, Philadelphia on Tuesday, June 5 (immediately following the close of business at the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting), Portland, ME on June 12, (immediately following the close of business at the New England Fishery Management Council meeting), Chatham, MA on June 19, and a webinar on June 20.

For more information on Amendment 8 and the public hearings, see the NEFMC website here.

This story was originally published by Seafood News, it is republished here with permission.

 

Members Of Commercial Fishing Industry Oppose Proposed Changes To Herring Fishery

May 23, 2018 — Commercial fishing companies are against proposed changes to the Atlantic herring fishery management plan.

The New England Fisheries Management Council wants to establish a new process for setting the sustainable harvest limit, referred to as the “acceptable biological catch.” That control rule, which is set every three years, would be in place for a longer period of time.

The Town Dock, a Rhode Island-based seafood dealer and processor, said in a statement changing that rule would be problematic for the fishery.

Read the full story at Rhode Island Public Radio

 

Scallop RSA Program: NEFMC and NOAA Announce 15 Awards Selected for 2018-2019 funding

May 16, 2018 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

 

The New England Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) are pleased to announce that 15 projects have been selected for 2018-2019 funding through the Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program.

“The Scallop RSA Program truly has become one of the flagships of the scallop fishery,” said New England Council Chairman Dr. John Quinn. “The collaborative efforts that take place at sea between fishermen and researchers go a long way toward enhancing our understanding of what’s happening with the resource. The results of this RSA work funnel back to the Council and support stock assessments. Without a doubt, the RSA program helps us better manage our – Virginia Institute of Marine Science photo extremely valuable scallop fishery.”

Projects will address research priorities established by the Council, with a particular focus on resource surveys. The awards are expected to generate more than $12 million: $3 million to fund research; and $9 million to compensate industry partners who harvest set-aside quota

“We are excited to be able to work with the New England Fishery Management Council, industry, and scientists to fund sea scallop science through the Research Set-Aside Program,” said NEFSC Science and Research Director Dr. Jon Hare. “The projects funded support surveys, bycatch mitigation, and biological studies, all with the purpose of improving the information used in the management of the sea scallop resource.”

The New England Council established the Sea Scallop RSA Program to address research questions that support management of the scallop resource. The Council sets the research priorities and researchers compete for funding through a federal grant competition managed by NOAA Fisheries.

No federal funds are provided to support the research. Instead, projects are awarded pounds of scallops, which have been “set aside” from the annual fishery quota for this purpose. Successful applicants partner with the fishing industry to harvest their set-aside award to generate funds for the research. There are active research set-aside programs for Atlantic sea scallops, Atlantic herring, and monkfish.

2018-2019 Scallop RSA Award Summary

The awards fall into three categories: scallop surveys (dredge, drop camera, and HabCam); bycatch mitigation; and sea scallop biology.

Scallop Surveys

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) received new awards to conduct dredge surveys in Closed Area I, Closed Area II, and the Nantucket Lightship. Under an existing award from last year, VIMS also will conduct a dredge survey of the Mid-Atlantic Bight. As part of ongoing efforts to better understand scallop survey dredge performance, VIMS investigators received an award to evaluate the hydrodynamic characteristics of both lined and unlined survey dredges in the largest flume tank in the world, located in St. John’s, Newfoundland at Memorial University’s Marine Institute.

The University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) received three awards to conduct surveys using a drop-camera array. Through these awards, researchers plan to conduct high-resolution surveys of the Nantucket Lightship, Closed Area I, Great South Channel, and select portions of the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will conduct Habitat Camera Mapping System (HabCam) optical surveys throughout the Mid-Atlantic Bight and on the northern flank of Georges Bank. In addition to these surveys, researchers will continue to evaluate dredge effects on habitat and habitat recovery in the Closed Area II Habitat Area of Particular Concern. Coonamessett Farm Foundation will conduct a HabCam survey of the Nantucket Lightship and Southern Flank of Georges Bank.

Bycatch Mitigation

Coonamessett Farm Foundation will continue its seasonal survey on Georges Bank, collecting information on bycatch rates for yellowtail flounder and other species relative to scallop meat yield. These data also will be used to evaluate sea scallop health and meat quality, biological questions about several flounder species, and to examine lobsters for shell disease.

Coonamessett Farm Foundation will continue its loggerhead sea turtle tagging program, receiving funds to tag up to 20 loggerheads with water activated tags. Tag data will be used to evaluate spatial and temporal overlap between loggerhead sea turtles and the scallop fishery.

Coonamessett Farm Foundation also will be testing a dredge twine-top cover net in an attempt to quantify dredge selectivity characteristics.

Sea Scallop Biology

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science will investigate sea scallop density-dependence factors that may be affecting growth, mortality, and reproduction of scallops in the Nantucket Lightship and Elephant Trunk areas. In addition, VIMS will conduct a pilot study to extend the current stock assessment model to better account for sea scallop ages with a particular focus on the Mid-Atlantic Bight and Nantucket Lightship areas.

WHOI will receive support to determine if a gonadosomatic index (GSI) can be calculated from Light Field 3D images of shucked scallops collected during fishing operations. The GSI is used to assess maturity and spawning events in many species of fish and shellfish, including scallops. If successful, this could improve the ability to collect and quantify scallop maturation and spawning data during the course of routine fishery sampling procedures.

The 2018-2019 award listings can be found on the Northeast Fisheries Science Center website at: https://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/coopresearch/news/scallop-rsa-2018-2019/.

RSA award announcements and answers to “frequently asked questions” also are available at https://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/coopresearch/rsa_program.html.

Visit the New England Council’s scallop webpage: https://www.nefmc.org/management-plans/scallops.

View the release in its entirety here.

 

Herring’s Role in Ocean Food Web Could Change Fishing Rules

May 10, 2018 — ROCKPORT, Maine — Changes could be coming to the harvest of a small fish that supports one of the largest fisheries on the East Coast.

Federal fishing managers have debated changes to the harvest of Atlantic herring in recent years, and the potential new rules are headed for public comment this month and next. Herring are small schooling fish that are harvested in the hundreds of millions of pounds annually to supply food, bait and fish oil.

The New England Fishery Management Council is considering changing the rules to “explicitly account for herring’s role in the ecosystem.” Herring are also a key piece of the ocean food web.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at US News

 

Atlantic Herring: NEFMC to Conduct Seven Public Hearings on Amendment 8 in May and June from Maine to Pennsylvania

May 3, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:   

The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled a series of public hearings on Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. The purpose of the hearings is to solicit comments on the amendment’s two major components, which include: (Part 1) 10 alternatives to establish a long-term acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule that “may explicitly account for herring’s role in the ecosystem” plus “address the biological and ecological requirements of the stock;” and (Part 2) nine primary alternatives to address potential localized depletion and user conflicts, with several spatial and seasonal sub-options designed to help minimizing biological and socioeconomic impacts.

Public Hearing Schedule:

  • Narragansett, RI – Tuesday, May 22, University of Rhode Island, Coastal Institute Building, Hazard Room, 215 S. Ferry Road, 6 p.m.
  • Rockport, ME – Thursday, May 24, Samoset Resort, 220 Warrenton Street, 6 p.m. • Gloucester, MA – Wednesday, May 30, Beauport Hotel, 55 Commercial Street, 6 p.m.
  • Philadelphia, PA – Tuesday, June 5, DoubleTree by Hilton, 237 South Broad Street, 4 p.m., NOTE: This hearing will begin immediately following the close of business at the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting
  • Portland, ME – Tuesday, June 12, Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 Spring Street, 4 p.m., NOTE: This hearing will begin immediately following the close of business at the New England Fishery Management Council meeting
  • Chatham, MA – Tuesday, June 19, Chatham Community Center, 702 Main Street, 6 p.m.
  • Webinar Hearing – Wednesday, June 20, starting at 2 p.m. Registration is required to participate. Here’s how:

Follow the registration instructions at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6985865165132506115. In addition, a call-in option is available to join the webinar. Dial 1 (415) 930-5321 and, when prompted, plug in the following access code: 346-818-026. Be aware that regular phone charges may apply. The public hearing document will be available soon at https://www.nefmc.org/library/amendment-8-2. All other Amendment 8 materials are available at this link as well, including the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). A copy of the meeting notice with the full schedule of public hearings and webinar instructions can be downloaded at http://s3.amazonaws.com/nefmc.org/A-8-Public-Hearing-Notice.pdf.

As for the ABC control rule alternatives in Amendment 8, the Council conducted an extensive Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) to collect stakeholder input from the bottom up and assess the performance of different management approaches. The MSE also helped gauge the tradeoffs between the various alternatives, spelling out the pros and cons of each proposal. Amendment 8 proposes that future modifications to the ABC control rule be made through a framework adjustment or an amendment.

What Will Happen Next Following the public hearing process, the Council’s Herring Committee, Herring Plan Development Team, and Herring Advisory Panel will review comments over the summer and develop recommendations for the full Council to consider.

View the release in its entirety here.