Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed 2019 Recreational Rules for Summer Flounder

May 17, 2019 — The following was published by NOAA Fisheries: 

NOAA Fisheries is seeking comments on proposed recreational fishery management measures for the 2019 summer flounder fishery.

We propose to continue the conservation equivalency approach for the summer flounder recreational fishery, in which states or regions develop minimum sizes, possession limits, and fishing seasons that will achieve the necessary level of conservation. Both the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recommended continuing conservation equivalency.

The proposed rule contains additional details on conservation equivalency, including what measures would be put in place if conservation equivalency is not ultimately recommended by the Commission.

Note that black sea bass and scup recreational measures for 2019 are unchanged from 2018.

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register today.

Comments are due June 3, 2019.

Submit your comments through the e-rulemaking portal or by mailing: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Emily Gilbert, Regional Office, 978-281-9244

Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, 978-281-9175

Omega Protein comes out swinging as magazine questions MSC’s integrity

May 14, 2019 — US firm Omega Protein has come out fighting following a column, published in Sport Fishing Magazine, made claims of impropriety in the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification process of the Atlantic menhaden fishery.

In the editorial, Sport Fishing Magazine “impugns the integrity of both the [MSC] and the Atlantic menhaden fishery,” said Omega Protein. In response to the recommendation by the independent auditor that the menhaden fishery be MSC certified, editor Doug Olander made accusations of impropriety rather than critiquing the fishery, the independent assessment, or the MSC process on its merits, it said.

“MSC certification has always been based on objective criteria, which are evaluated by independent, third-party auditors,” the company said. “The process is entirely transparent, publicly available and easily accessible to [the magazine’s editor, Doug] Olander. If a fishery doesn’t score high enough on the assessment, it isn’t certified. Fisheries can be denied certification, and several fisheries have lost their certification for not maintaining standards.”

Olander wrote that Omega Protein was “buying its way to public respectability”, and looking to “wrap itself in a cloak of respectability by claiming it’s a certified sustainable fishery”. In fact, said Omega Protein, as made clear in the report compiled by the independent auditors, the menhaden fishery does meet the criteria for MSC certification.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

NEW JERSEY: As striper population drops, Jersey Shore anglers split over new rules

May 14, 2019 — On calm, sunny days, dozens of boats dock at Kammerman’s Marina in Atlantic City. Most set out to sea for one fish in particular: the Atlantic striped bass.

The popular recreational catch faced near extinction a few decades ago, leading to a temporary ban on capturing the species in the mid-1980s.

Now, striped bass are being overfished again amid a decades-long drop in their population, and new regulations are coming next year, leaving South Jersey fishermen divided.

The Atlantic States Marines Fisheries Commission, which manages fishing from Maine to North Carolina, wants to put more restrictions on the harvest. In an April memo, the commission said it was launching a study into how to reduce fish deaths by 17% by 2020.

“Striped bass are one of the most sought-after game on the East Coast,” said Max Appelman, fishing coordinator at the commission. “There are probably a number of other variables are play, but these (fishing and overfishing) are the only two we can put our fingers on.”

Read the full story at the Press of Atlantic City

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Cobia Draft Amendment 1

May 13, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board approved Draft Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Migratory Group Cobia (Atlantic cobia) for public comment. Atlantic coastal states from Virginia through South Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on Draft Amendment 1. The details of those hearings follow.

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

  • June 12, 2019; 6:00 PM
  • 380 Fenwick Rd, Building 96
  • Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
  • Contact: Pat Geer at 757.247.2200

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

  • June 13, 2019; 7:00 PM
  • Dare County Commissioners Office
  • 954 Marshall Collins Drive, Room 168
  • Manteo, NC
  • Contact: Chris Batsavage at 252.808.8009

Read the full release here

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Cobia Draft Amendment 1

May 10, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board approved Draft Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Migratory Group Cobia (Atlantic cobia) for public comment. Atlantic coastal states from Virginia through South Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on Draft Amendment 1. The details of those hearings follow.

Read the full release here

Presentations and Audio Files from the ASMFC 2019 Spring Meeting Now Available

May 9, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The presentations and audio files from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2019 Spring Meeting are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-spring-meeting; go to the relevant board/committee header and click on either “Presentations” or “Audio.” Audio files of this meeting and prior meetings can also be found on the Commission’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/ASMFCvideos.

A daunting task begins: Reducing lobster gear to save whales

May 6, 2019 — Fishing managers on the East Coast began the daunting process this week of implementing new restrictions on lobster fishing that are designed to protect a vanishing species of whale.

A team organized by the federal government recommended last week that the number of vertical trap lines in the water be reduced by about half. The lines have entrapped and drowned the North Atlantic right whale, which numbers a little more than 400 and has declined by dozens this decade.

The interstate Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission met Monday outside Washington to discuss the implementation of the new rules, which are designed to reduce serious injuries and deaths among whales by 60 percent.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Gloucester Daily Times 

Fisheries Commission Looks to Manage Dropping Rockfish Population

May 6, 2019 — The goal is to save the striped bass population on the east coast.

But many watermen fear that further restrictions could affect their livelihoods.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Eastern Shore Director Alan Girard says the dropping rockfish population are in need of some regrowth.  The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is looking to manage that population through these regulations.

Read the full story at WBOC

ASMFC 2019 Spring Meeting Press Releases, Summaries and Motions Now Available

May 3, 2019 — 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 2019 Spring Meeting are now available here. The document can also be obtained on the Commission website on the Meeting Archives page at http://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive. Presentations and audio files from this week’s meetings will be posted to the 2019 Spring Meeting page (http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-spring-meeting) next week.

ASMFC Horseshoe Crab Board Approves Benchmark Stock Assessment for Management Use

May 3, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The 2019 Horseshoe Crab Benchmark Stock Assessment evaluated the stock status of the resource by region, finding populations within the Delaware Bay and Southeast regions remaining consistently neutral and good, respectively, through time. The Northeast region population has changed from poor to neutral, while the status of the New York region population has trended downward from good, to neutral, and now to poor. The Benchmark Assessment was endorsed by the Peer Review Panel and accepted by the Horseshoe Crab Management Board (Board) for management use.

To date, no overfishing or overfished definitions have been adopted for management use. For the assessment, biological reference points were developed for the Delaware Bay region horseshoe crab population although not endorsed by the Peer Review Panel for use in management. However, given the assessment results of low fishing mortality and relatively high abundance, overfishing and an overfished status are unlikely for female horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay region.

Read the full release here