Saving Seafood

Lobster boat tracking coming to protect whales, fishery

August 16, 2021 — America’s lobster fishing businesses could be subjected to electronic tracking requirements to try to protect vulnerable right whales and get a better idea of the population of the valuable crustaceans.

An arm of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate regulatory authority, said this month it is considering implementing the tracking requirements for lobster boats that have federal permits. The rules would also apply to boats that harvest Jonah crabs, which are the subject of another important New England fishery.

The tracking devices would record the location of the vessel while it is fishing, said Caitlin Starks, a fishery management plan coordinator with the commission. That would provide regulators with better data to get an idea of where in the ocean lobsters are located, she said.

The new rules could also help protect North Atlantic right whales, which number only about 360, Starks said. The whales are vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear, which can cause them to drown. They’ve been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act for more than 50 years and have suffered poor reproduction and high mortality in recent years.

New federal rules are coming to the lobster fishery soon to help protect the whales. Federal officials have said they will focus on reducing the number of vertical ropes in the water. They’re also expected to modify restricted areas of ocean.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Seattle Times

Electronic tracking system considered for lobstermen in federal waters

August 13, 2021 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is considering requiring electronic tracking for the lobstermen who fish in federal waters.

The commission’s American Lobster Management Board initiated a draft addendum last week with the goal of collecting spatial and effort data from lobster and Jonah crab fishermen.

“In my opinion, this is the single most important thing the American Lobster Board can do to ensure the viability of the American lobster fishery,” said Dan McKiernan, the board’s chairman. “Through the proposed action, the board seeks to significantly improve our understanding of stock status, identify areas where lobster fishing effort might present a risk to endangered North Atlantic right whales and provide important information to help reduce spatial conflicts with other ocean uses, such as wind energy development and aquaculture.”

The management board has expressed interest in implementing these types of requirements over the last few years and has supported efforts to look into the systems and technology that would be needed to collect the data.

In May, the board created a working group that had representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, state and federal law enforcement and members of the board to study electronic tracking. The working group recommended that data be reported at a minimum rate of one ping per minute for at least 90 percent of the fishing trip in order to tell the difference between when the fishermen are lobstering and when they are in transit. It would also be able to calculate the number of traps per trawl.  Cellular tracking devices are the preferred technology for the tracking.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Webinars

August 12, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

In order to help fishing communities and fishery managers prepare for an era of climate change, numerous fisheries management bodies along the Atlantic seaboard have teamed up to launch the East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning project.

The project is being organized by a core team of representatives from the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and NOAA Fisheries.

The team has lined up three kick-off webinars to introduce stakeholders to climate change scenario planning, explain the benefits of participating in the process, outline additional ways to become involved, and begin collecting stakeholder input.

Webinar dates and times are listed below and advance registration is strongly encouraged.

  • East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Kick-Off Webinar #1
    Aug 30, 2021 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM Register for Webinar #1
  • East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Kick-Off Webinar #2
    Sep 1, 2021 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Register for Webinar #2
  • East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Kick-Off Webinar #3
    Sep 2, 2021 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM Register for Webinar #3

Maine herring area 1A shuts for two months

August 11, 2021 — With 92 percent of its seasonal allocation projected to have been landed, the inshore Gulf of Maine herring area 1A officially closed at midnight Aug. 3, with zero landing days until Sept. 30, according to Maine state officials and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

As prescribed in Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring, vessels participating in other fisheries may not possess more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip per day harvested from Area 1A.

In addition, all vessels traveling through Area 1A must have all seine and mid-water trawl gear stowed.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Climate Change Scenario Planning: Input Needed to Prepare for an Era of Uncertainty in Ocean Conditions and Fisheries

August 11, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

On the East Coast of the U.S., some species of fish are already experiencing climate-related shifts in distribution, abundance, and productivity. No one knows for sure what the future holds, but a continuation or acceleration of climate change has the potential to strain our existing fishery management system and alter the way fishermen, scientists, and the public interact with the marine environment.

In order to begin preparing for this new era of uncertainty, management bodies along the entire Atlantic seaboard have teamed up to launch a project called East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning. Scenario planning is a way of exploring how fishery management may need to evolve over the next few decades as climate change becomes a bigger issue. Here is the introductory brochure.

Read the full release here

Electronic tracking considered for offshore lobster fishery 

August 10, 2021 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is considering requiring electronic tracking for the lobstermen who fish in federal waters.

The commission’s American Lobster Management Board initiated a draft addendum last week with the goal of collecting spatial and effort data from lobster and Jonah crab fishermen.

“In my opinion, this is the single most important thing the American Lobster Board can do to ensure the viability of the American lobster fishery,” said Dan McKiernan, the board’s chairman. “Through the proposed action, the Board seeks to significantly improve our understanding of stock status, identify areas where lobster fishing effort might present a risk to endangered North Atlantic right whales, and provide important information to help reduce spatial conflicts with other ocean uses, such as wind energy development and aquaculture.”

The management board has expressed interest in implementing these types of requirements over the last few years and has supported efforts to look into the systems and technology that would be needed to collect the data.

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander

MAFMC Revises Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Recommendations

August 9, 2021 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved a 1% increase in New York’s black sea bass commercial allocation, bringing New York’s baseline share of the coastwide quota to 8%, during a meeting last week with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (Commission) Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board (Board). This action modifies the state commercial quota allocations that had been previously approved through the Council’s Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment and the Commission’s Addendum XXXIII to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

The Amendment and Addendum, approved in February 2021, address significant changes in the distribution of black sea bass that have occurred since the original allocations were implemented in 2003. Among other things, these actions changed Connecticut’s baseline allocation from 1% to 3% of the coastwide quota to address its disproportionally low allocation compared to the increased availability of black sea bass in state waters. The Amendment and Addendum also added the state-by-state allocations to the federal FMP.

In March, New York appealed the allocation changes approved by the Board in February, arguing that its baseline quota should increase similarly to that of Connecticut as it too had experienced a significant disparity between allocation and the abundance/availability of black sea bass in Long Island Sound, which is shared by New York and Connecticut.

The Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board (Policy Board) considered the appeal in May. Finding that it was justified, the Policy Board remanded the section of Addendum XXXIII addressing baseline allocations back to the Board for corrective action to address impacts to New York’s baseline allocation in a manner comparable to the consideration given to Connecticut. Based on the Policy Board’s decision, the Board was required to increase New York’s baseline allocation by up to 2%.

The Council considered the implications of this decision during their June meeting and agreed to revisit these allocations with the Board, with the goal of maintaining the same final recommendations in the Council’s Amendment and the Commission’s Addendum.

During last week’s meeting, the Council and Board considered various potential increases in New York’s baseline quota. Both management bodies ultimately approved a 1% increase. The Council will forward its revised recommendations to NOAA Fisheries for final approval. A table containing the revised state allocations of the black sea bass commercial quota can be found below.

For more information, visit http://www.mafmc.org/actions/bsb-commercial-allocation or contact Julia Beaty, Fishery Management Specialist, jbeaty@mafmc.org, (302) 526-5250.

*These allocations represent the baseline quota plus the regional biomass distribution based on the results of the 2021 Operational Stock Assessment. These allocations will be updated if future assessments indicate a change to the biomass distribution.

Warm waters further threaten depleted Maine shrimp fishery

August 9, 2021 — Maine’s long-shuttered shrimp fishing business has a chance to reopen in the coming winter, but the warming of the ocean threatens to keep the industry shut down.

Maine shrimp were once a winter delicacy, but the fishery has been shut down since 2013. Scientists have said environmental conditions in the warming Gulf of Maine are inhospitable for the cold water-loving shrimp.

An interstate regulatory board is scheduled to make a decision this fall about whether to extend a moratorium on the shrimp fishery that is slated to end this year. Scientists have not seen a lot of good signs that suggest reopening the fishery is a good idea, said Dustin Colson Leaning, a fishery management plan coordinator for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which regulates the business.

“Looking at recent data hasn’t been very encouraging, and as you know, the ocean temperature isn’t cooling,” Leaning said. “On the environmental side, it doesn’t seem to be encouraging.”

Read the full story at the Associated Press

Climate Change Scenario Planning: Input Needed to Prepare for Uncertainty in Ocean Conditions and Fisheries

August 9, 2021 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

On the East Coast of the United States, some species of fish are already experiencing climate-related shifts in distribution, abundance, and productivity. Although the future is uncertain, a continuation or acceleration of climate change has the potential to strain our existing fishery management system and alter the way fishermen, scientists, and the public interact with the marine environment.

In order to begin preparing for this possibility, management bodies along the entire Atlantic seaboard have teamed up to launch a new project called East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning. Scenario planning is a way of exploring how fishery management may need to evolve over the next few decades in response to climate change. You can find additional details in the introductory brochure.

Weigh In! Stakeholder Input is Key to Effective Scenario Planning

The initiative is being organized by a Core Team of representatives from the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and NOAA Fisheries. The team has lined up three kick-off webinars:

  1. Monday, August 30, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
  2. Wednesday, September 1, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
  3. Thursday, September 2, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Please register at the links above. The webinars will introduce stakeholders to the overall initiative, explain the benefits of participating in the process, outline additional ways to become involved, and begin collecting stakeholder input.

An online questionnaire will be available soon to serve as an additional tool to collect input. Watch the Scenario Planning webpage for updates.

ASMFC 2021 Summer Meeting Webinar Press Release, Summaries, and Motions Now Available

August 9, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Press releases, meeting summaries and motions from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2021 Summer Meeting Webinar are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2021SummerMeeting/2021SummerMeetingSummary.pdf.  The document can also be obtained on the Commission website on the Meeting Archives page athttp://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive.

Presentations and audio files from this week’s meetings will be available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2021-summer-meeting-webinar (under the respective Board header) early next week.