Saving Seafood

New Jersey: Fisheries groups to meet on flounder management

December 11, 2017 — Flounder fishery regulations will be part of the discussion next week at a meeting of two fishery management bodies in Annapolis, Maryland.

“The purpose of next week’s meeting is to make a decision on whether or not the federal government will put in place a coastwide measure and all states will fish under the same regulations, or if it will defer to individual states,” said Adam Nowalsky, a former charter boat captain out of Atlantic City.

Under something called conservation equivalency, states have the right to set different regulations if they are expected to achieve the same level of harvest, Nowalsky said.

“Conservation equivalency will be the direction I expect things to go,” he said.

Last year New Jersey defied the ASMFC and federal regulations, and eventually won the right from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the federal Commerce Department to set its own rules. The state convinced those bodies its regulations would be as protective to the species.

Read the full story at the Press of Atlantic City 

 

Changes may be coming in the snapper/grouper fishery

November 15, 2017 — Dr. Michelle Duval of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, chair of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, anticipates a few changes to how the snapper/grouper fishery is managed after fishermen brought up some issues during the SAFMC’s Visioning Project last year.

“One of the things fishermen asked for was simpler regulations that would be easier to understand,” Duval said. “One example of this is in the shallow-water grouper fishery, where the bag limit is aggregate and may contain only one fish of certain species and not one of every species and even includes golden tilefish. Minimum sizes vary even within the grouper family, plus, there are established closures, and some species are prohibited entirely.

Read the full story at Carolina Sportsman

 

IUU Fishing off Montauk Exposed as NY Fines Party Boat Taking Illegal Sea Bass and Dumping Fish

September 20, 2017 — State marine enforcement officers issued eight tickets and 22 warnings last month after people aboard a party boat were spotted throwing “hundreds of pounds” of illegal fish overboard in Montauk Harbor, authorities said.

The boat was later found to have hundreds more undersized and over-the-limit fish — a combined 1,000 fish in all, authorities said last week.

The Department of Environmental Conservation, in an email, said a marine enforcement unit was patrolling Montauk Harbor Aug. 31 when officers confronted fishermen on the boat, Fin Chaser, who were tossing fish overboard. Anglers ignored orders to stop, the DEC said

Once at the Star Island Yacht Club dock in Montauk, officers discovered 500 fish in 17 coolers. They issued tickets and warnings for possession of undersized black sea bass and fluke, excess possession of sea bass and scup, failure to stop dumping on command and an incomplete vessel trip report.

Read the full story from Newsday at Seafood News

Warming oceans: fish on the move

August 17, 2017 — The oceans are getting warmer, and fish are adapting to rising ocean temperatures with their fins and swimming to waters that better suit their temperature preferences. Shifts in the distribution of important coastal fish species are resulting in changes to historical fishing options, new fishing opportunities and new fisheries management challenges.

There are many examples of the distributions of fish species changing in response to the warming oceans, but let’s focus on a few species important to Delaware both past and present. Winter flounder were popular recreational fish decades ago, but they have largely left Delaware waters that are now too warm. Summer flounder and black sea bass remain two of the most sought-after recreational fish in Delaware, but their distribution is gradually shifting northward, with fewer fish available in Delaware waters.

While flounder and black sea bass are examples of changing fish distributions that have decreased fishing opportunities in Delaware, other species seem to be more available in Delaware due to the warming ocean, such as cobia and blueline tilefish, with other southern species likely to become more common in Delaware as our waters continue to warm.

Changing temperatures, changing fish

Winter flounder were a popular, cool weather catch for Delaware’s recreational anglers during the 1960s and 1970s. Delaware was at the southern range of winter flounder distribution and their departure from Delaware waters began soon after those peak years. The number of winter flounder caught during December in Delaware’s Inland Bays by the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s trawl survey declined by more than 90 percent between 1966 and 1981.

Adult winter flounder had virtually disappeared from the trawl survey catches by the early 1990s, with a similar and notable reduction in recreational angler catches. Winter flounder have suffered a steep population decline over the past 20 years and the current winter flounder distribution suggests that this species is still moving north to stay in its preferred temperature range, making it unlikely that they will return to Delaware.

Read the full story from Outdoor Delaware at the Delaware State News

ASMFC & MAFMC Modify Scup Specifications for 2018 and 2019

August 11, 2017 — PHILADELPHIA — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) reviewed previously approved specifications for summer flounder, black sea bass and bluefish fisheries and modified 2018 and 2019 specifications for scup. The Commission’s actions are final and apply to state waters. The Council will forward its federal waters recommendations regarding scup specifications to NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Administrator for final approval.

The table below summarizes commercial quotas and recreational harvest limits (RHL) for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish (2017 values are provided for comparison purposes). Please note the 2019 scup specifications may be adjusted based on changes in the fishery or new scientific information.

Scup

The scup stock assessment update, which includes data through 2016, indicates the stock was not overfished and overfishing was not occurring in 2016. Spawning stock biomass was estimated to be 206% of the biomass target. Given the desire to maintain stable measures and take into account management uncertainty raised by the Monitoring Committee, the Commission and Council approved a commercial quota of 23.98 million pounds (a 30% increase from the 2017 quota) and a RHL of 7.37 million pounds (a 34% increase from the 2017 RHL) for the 2018 and 2019 fishing seasons. The difference between the increases in the commercial quota and RHL is due to projected discard estimates for the commercial and recreational fisheries.

Summer Flounder

For summer flounder, the Commission and Council received a data update, including catch, landings, and survey indices through 2016. The Council and Board maintained the previously approved 2018 specifications based on stock projections from the 2016 assessment update. A benchmark stock assessment is scheduled for peer review in late 2018. A working group is being formed to develop alternative modeling approaches to be considered in the assessment.

The Commission and Council were also presented a range of commercial alternatives for possible consideration in the Draft Summer Flounder Amendment. Based on feedback from both bodies, work will continue on the development of management alternatives for permits and latent effort, as well as commercial allocation. The Board and Council will decide which management alternatives to include in the document at a later meeting.

Black Sea Bass

The Commission and Council received a data update for black sea bass, including catch, landings, and survey indices through 2016. The update indicates black sea bass biomass continues to be high, and the 2015 year class appears to be above average. The Commission and Council maintained 2018 specifications, which were set in February 2017 based on stock projections from the 2016 assessment update. An assessment update is tentatively scheduled for 2018.

Bluefish

The Commission and Council also maintained 2018 specifications for bluefish. The 2018 commercial quota and recreational harvest limit are preliminary and will likely change following release of 2017 final Marine Recreational Information Program harvest estimates. These estimates can impact how much is transferred from the recreational sector to the commercial sector. An assessment update is scheduled for 2018.

For all four species, the Commission and Council actions are consistent with the recommendations of the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee based on the best available scientific information.  For more information about summer flounder, scup, or black sea bass, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior FMP Coordinator, at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org. For more information about bluefish, please contact Max Appelman, FMP Coordinator, atmappelman@asmfc.org.          

 

Warming Waters Bring New Marine Species to NC, But Chase Away Some Familiar Ones

Bull sharks and lion fish are among the species becoming more common in North Carolina, while black sea bass and other fish are getting harder to find.

August 8, 2017 — A big reason reason North Carolina is seeing so much change in its marine species is because the state has an unusual variety of them, said Sara Mirabilio, a researcher and fisheries extension specialist with North Carolina Sea Grant.

Near Cape Hatteras, the cold Labrador Current comes down from the Arctic, and the warm Gulf Stream flows up from the Gulf of Mexico.

“We are at the northernmost range for southern species and the southernmost range for northern species,” she said. “So climate change at the boundaries will show the most impact.”

In many ways climate change is unfolding as the slowest of slow-motion disasters. But fish can move quickly and for long distances when spurred by relatively small changes in water temperature.

Lately they have moved so quickly that fisheries regulations are lagging, and tensions are rising between commercial fishermen based where the fish used to be, and those where the fish have moved.

On a recent day, Mike Ireland’s 99-foot trawler “Sharon Nicole” was docked behind a seafood wholesaler in the Hobucken community east of New Bern, just off the Pamlico Sound.

Shrimp season was under way, but he and his crew were repairing one of the massive, powered winches that haul in their nets. It was an especially crucial one, because it reels in the small net they drag to locate fish.

“This is probably the most important tool on the boat,” Ireland said. “With this little sample net you can really pinpoint where they’re at.”

Read and listen to the full story at WUNC

MAFMC August 2017 Council Meeting Agenda

July 19, 2017 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Meeting Materials: Briefing documents will be posted at http://ww.mafmc.org/briefing/august-2017 as they become available.

Public Comments: Written comments must be received byWednesday, July 26, 2017 to be included in the Council meeting briefing book. Comments received after this deadline but before close of business on Thursday, August 3, 2017 will be posted as “supplemental materials” on the Council meeting web page. After that date, all comments must be submitted using an online comment form available at available at http://www.mafmc.org/public-comment. Comments submitted via the online form will be automatically posted to the website and available for Council consideration.

Webinar: For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/august2017.

Agenda

PDF Version

Tuesday, August 8th

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Surfclam/Ocean Quahog

  • Excessive Shares Amendment
    • Review scoping comments for excessive shares alternatives
    • Discuss next steps for amendment development
  • Surfclam OFL/ABC discussion

11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. Risk Policy Framework – Meeting 1

  • Initiate framework
  • Review risk policy and ABC framework alternatives

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Demersal Committee Meeting as a Committee of the Whole with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass and Bluefish Boards

1:00 p.m.  – 2:00 p.m. Bluefish Specifications

  • Review SSC, Monitoring Committee, Advisory Panel, and staff recommendations for 2018 specifications
  • Recommend any changes if necessary
  • ASMFC Bluefish Fishery Management Plan review

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Scup Specifications

  • Review SSC, Monitoring Committee, Advisory Panel, and staff recommendations for 2018 – 2019 specifications
  • Recommend changes to 2018 specifications if necessary and consider setting specifications for 2019

3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Summer Flounder Amendment

  • Approve Demersal Committee and ASMFC Board recommendations regarding alternatives

Wednesday, August 9th

9:00 a.m. Demersal Committee Meeting as a Committee of the Whole with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass and Bluefish Boards

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Summer Flounder Specifications

  • Review SSC, Monitoring Committee, Advisory Panel, and staff recommendations regarding previously implemented 2018 specifications
  • Recommend any changes if necessary

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Summer Flounder Recreational Issues

  • Report from Board’s Summer Flounder Recreational Working Group on work toward short- and long-term improvements to recreational specifications process

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Black Sea Bass Specifications

  • Review SSC, Monitoring Committee, Advisory Panel, and staff recommendations regarding previously implemented 2018 specifications
  • Recommend changes if necessary

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Black Sea Bass Recreational Issues and Amendment Consideration

  • Discuss potential opening of black sea bass wave 1 fishery in 2018
  • Report from Board on addendum for 2018 black sea bass recreational management
  • Report from Board on potential reconsideration of northern states’ wave 6 measures
  • Review initiation of black sea bass amendment (December 2015 motion)

3:00 p.m. Council Convenes

3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Law Enforcement Reports

  • NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
  • S. Coast Guard

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management Risk Assessment

  • Review and approve draft risk elements for risk matrix

Thursday, August 10th

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Business Session

  • Committee Reports
    • SSC
  • Executive Director’s Report, Chris Moore
    • Chub mackerel amendment update
    • MAFMC involvement in NEFMC Groundfish Framework 57 (southern windowpane flounder accountability measures)
    • Review timing of the Nantucket/Martha’s Vineyard Squid Buffer Framework Action
  • Science Report, Rich Seagraves
  • Organization Reports
    • NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Office
    • NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center
    • NOAA Office of General Counsel
    • Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
  • Liaison Reports
    • New England Council
    • South Atlantic Council
    • Regional Planning Body
  • Continuing and New Business

Reminder! SAFMC Meeting Starts Next Week in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

June 5, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Workshop:

Improving Survival of Released Fish

Monday, June 12th from 3:30 – 5:30 PM

  • Join members as they receive presentations on best fishing practices being used to reduce discard mortality.
  • Presenters:

    • Dr. Chuck Adams and Dr. Kai Lorenzen – Florida Sea Grant/University of Florida
    • Brian Husky – KeepEmWet Fishing
    • Andy Loftus – Fish Smart/ASA
    • Cameron Rhodes – SAFMC Outreach Staff
    • Stephen Theberge, Jr. – Rising Leaders Academy
    • Tom Twyford – West Palm Beach Fishing Club

Snapper Grouper Committee

Work continues on development of adaptive management measures for the red snapper fishery (Amendment 43). The committee will also review measures proposed for both recreational (Regulatory Amendment 26) and commercial (Regulatory Amendment 27) sectors as identified through the Council’s 2016-2020 Vision Blueprint. Measures include reducing the recreational size limit for black sea bass, commercial split seasons and more. In addition, the Committee will continue to review a white paper outlining approaches for developing a limited entry program for federal for-hire (charter) permits in the snapper grouper fishery.

Read the full release here

NOAA Revises Catch Limits for Black Sea Bass for 2017

June 2, 2017 — The catch limits for black sea bass have been revised for the remainder of 2017.

NOAA Fisheries has increased the commercial quota by 53 percent and the recreational harvest limit by 52 percent.

The revisions were based on new stock assessment information.

For planning purposes, fishery officials have also released the catch limit projections for 2018.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

ASMFC Finds New Jersey Out of Compliance with Addendum XXVIII to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP

June 1, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has found the State of New Jersey out of compliance with the mandatory management measures contained in Addendum XXVIII to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass. The Commission will notify the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior of its finding. This action was taken pursuant to the provisions of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act of 1993. The State of New Jersey has failed to effectively implement and enforce the provisions of Addendum XXVIII to the FMP for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass. Specifically, New Jersey has not implemented the following regulations required by Addendum XXVIII:

  • Shore mode for Island Beach State Park only: 17-inch minimum size limit; 2-fish possession limit and 128-day open season.
  • Delaware Bay only (west of the COLERG line):   18-inch minimum size limit; 3-fish possession limit and 128-day open season.
  • All other marine waters (east of the COLERG line):  19-inch minimum size limit; 3-fish possession limit and 128-day open season

The implementation of these measures is necessary to achieve the conservation goals and objectives of the FMP to end overfishing of the summer flounder stock. In order to come back into compliance the State of New Jersey must implement all of the above measures. Upon notification by the Commission, the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior have 30 days to review the recommendation and determine appropriate action, which may include a federal moratorium on fishing for Summer Flounder in New Jersey’s state waters. For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, Director, Interstate Fisheries Management Program, at tkerns@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.