Saving Seafood

Senator Collins Urges Administration to Work to Find Agreement with Canada on Fishing Gray Zone

September 17, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Susan Collins (R-ME):

U.S. Senator Susan Collins sent a letter to President Trump urging the Administration to work with Maine and Canadian fisheries to find a solution to conservation issues that unfairly harm Maine’s seafood industry.

Lobstermen and fishermen who work in the Gray Zone—an area located approximately ten miles off the coast of Maine between the U.S. and Canada—are growing increasingly frustrated that their Canadian counterparts who fish in the same areas are not required to follow the same regulations, and thus are undermining American protections and threatening the sustainability of the stock.  This disparity undermines American protections, threatens the sustainability of the stocks, and causes dangerous interactions at sea.

“Maine lobstermen and fishermen have been waiting far too long for a resolution to the Gray Zone dispute, and the toll it is taking on their businesses, their safety, and the resources on which their livelihoods depend continues to mount,” wrote Senator Collins.  “I look forward to working with your Administration to address the inequities presented by the Gray Zone in order to protect our seafood harvesters and invaluable natural resources.”

Generations of Maine lobstermen have marked the tails of egg-bearing females they catch with a v-notch and returned them to the water, allowing them to lay eggs, grow larger, and reproduce in future years.  Maine lobstermen also abide by a maximum size limit, tossing back oversized lobsters in order to keep the stock strong.  Because Canada does not impose such conservation measures on its fisheries, a v-notched or oversized lobster tossed back by a Maine lobsterman can be caught by a Canadian lobsterman merely yards away and brought to market.

Read the full release here

Study Discovers Bias in Lice Counts on Farmed Salmon When Done by Farm Operators

September 14, 2020 — Mandatory self-monitoring can save taxpayers money, but a study out of Simon Fraser University found bias in the routine counting of sea-lice on farmed salmon in pens off the coast of British Columbia.

The scientists found that industry’s monthly counts two species of sea-lice are underestimated significantly. Canada’s federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans found the numbers increased by a factor of nearly 2 for one species of lice and just over a factor of 1 (in other words, doubling the amount) for another. Less lice means less delousing treatments, which are costly.

Read the full story at Seafood News

USITC investigating effects of CETA on US lobster industry

September 2, 2020 — The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) has announced it is planning to investigate the impacts of a Canada-E.U. trade agreement on the U.S. lobster industry.

The investigation was kicked off by a letter from the United States Trade Representative requesting the USITC provide a complete overview of the U.S. and Canadian lobster industries, including the trends in exports between both countries and the U.K. and E.U. That letter was itself kicked off by an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump, intended to boost the U.S. lobster industry.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

U.S. trade investigation to study lobster tariffs

September 2, 2020 — The U.S. International Trade Commission has embarked on an investigation into “possible negative effects” on the American lobster industry from Canada’s trade deal with the European Union.

The commission said it will investigate the overall economic impact of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement on the volume of U.S. exports of lobster to the European Union and the United Kingdom.

That trade deal between Canada and the EU removed all tariffs on imported Canadian lobsters and gave Canada’s lobster suppliers a clear advantage in the EU market, where U.S. suppliers faced an 8% tariff on their lobsters.

Lobster fishing is based mostly in New England and is one of the region’s the most lucrative marine industries. Massachusetts is the biggest exporter of lobster, behind Maine. Gloucester is the Bay State’s top port when it comes to lobster landings, while Rockport is in the top five.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Trump turns an election-year eye on Canadian lobster

August 31, 2020 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a trade investigation to assess the impact of Canada’s worldwide lobster exports on the U.S. lobster industry.

It’s the latest election year overture aimed at Maine, where lobster, valued at $468 million US in 2019, is the state’s largest export. It is also where Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Trump are trailing in the polls.

On Aug. 24, the United States International Trade Commission announced it will investigate the possible negative effects of the Canada-Europe Trade Agreement (CETA) on American lobster exports.

The investigation was requested by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. The investigation will also examine tariff treatment of Canadian lobster in the United Kingdom, China and other countries.

“We’re not sure what it means,” said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada.

Read the full story at CBC News

EU agrees to cut taxes on US lobsters in modest trade pact

August 24, 2020 — New England lobsters should soon be returning to European pots under a modest trade agreement announced Friday.

In a big win for New England beleaguered lobster industry, the European Union agreed to drop its 8% tariff on U.S. lobsters for the next five years and to work to make the move permanent.

For its part, the United States agreed to cut in half tariffs on EU imports worth about $160 million a year, including some prepared meals, crystal glassware and cigarette lighters. The tariff cuts are retroactive to Aug. 1.

U.S. lobster imports to the EU came to about $111 million in 2017 before falling off in the face of rising tensions between the trading partners and an EU trade agreement with Canada that favored Canadian lobster.

Lobster fishing, based mostly in Maine and Massachusetts, is one of the most lucrative marine industries in New England.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

NOAA Fisheries Sets Management Measures for Northeast Groundfish

July 28, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are approving the previously proposed Framework 59 and implementing new catch limits for groundfish stocks for the 2020 fishing year (May 1, 2020 – April 30, 2021), including the three stocks managed jointly with Canada. These revised catch limits are based upon the results of stock assessments conducted in 2019.

Framework 59 is adjusting the allocations of the total quota between the commercial and recreational fishery for Gulf of Maine cod and haddock. The proportion of quota allocated to the recreational fishery is increasing from 33.7 percent to 37.5 percent for Gulf of Maine cod, and is increasing from 27.5 percent to 33.9 percent for Gulf of Maine haddock. Management measures for the recreational fishery will be announced in a separate rulemaking.

Read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register and the permit holder bulletin available on our website.

New Online Tool Launched to Track Ship Speeds in Areas Frequented by Right Whales

July 22, 2020 — Oceana has released a new online tool that allows anyone to track ship speeds in speed zones designed to protect North Atlantic Right Whales along the east coast of the U.S. and Canada.

Using Global Fishing Watch data, which is a component of the new tool called Ship Speed Watch, Oceana Canada tracked ship speeds in the Cabot Strait from April 28 to June 15, 2020.

During the 49-day period, Transport Canada asked vessels longer than 13 meters to slow down to 10 knots.

Only a few complied, with 67 percent of the ships (464 out of 697) traveling faster than the 10-knot limit, and some traveling 20 knots or faster.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com