Saving Seafood

National Fisheries Institute Statement on Biden Administration’s Climate Taskforce Plan

May 7, 2021 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

Today’s release of recommendations to the National Climate Taskforce illustrates an understanding that simply walling off parts of the ocean, without a science-based fisheries management goal, is not a sound policy. In fact, the report states that, “many uses of our lands and waters, including of working lands, can be consistent with the long-term health and sustainability of natural systems.”

Further, the report bolsters the fundamental underpinnings of the Magnuson Steven Act, that relies on regional councils to manage fisheries sustainability oversight, when it calls for support of, “locally led conservation and restoration efforts of all kinds and all over America, wherever communities wish to safeguard the lands and waters they know and love.”

Locally led, science based resource management is not a catchy slogan but it is a thorough strategy.

Salmon have shrunk so much that Whole Foods redid its guidelines

May 5, 2021 — At OBI Seafoods, a sprawling operation with outposts throughout Alaska, there’s all sorts of extra machinery for workers to master. At Whole Foods Market, there are new guidelines for purchasing salmon from wholesalers. And at Ivar’s, a fixture on Seattle’s waterfront for eight decades, the chef is sending back skimpy salmon delivered to his kitchen.

Behind all these changes is an alarming trend that’s been building for years: The giant schools of wild Pacific salmon that can turn southeast Alaska’s ice-cold waters into a brilliant orange blur are thinning out, and those that do survive are shrinking in size.

It’s the shrinking part that’s causing the biggest logistical snarl right now. Many salmon are so small they’ve thrown off OBI’s fish-sorting process and no longer meet the purchasing specifications at Whole Foods and culinary demands at Ivar’s. There, head chef Craig Breeden snaps photos of the fish next to his knife to illustrate their diminutive size before shipping them back.

Read the full story at The Oregonian

Shrinking Salmon in Alaska Will Hit the Global Fish Trade

May 3, 2021 — Climate change and other threats to one of the world’s last bastions of wild salmon are already roiling the food supply chain and could alter U.S. export sales of the widely sought-after fish.

About 40% of the world’s wild salmon comes from Alaska, where fishermen are seeing fish size shrink. Scientists are still delving into the precise causes — it’s complicated because there are five different species of Pacific salmon in North America — but the consensus is that climate change is a main culprit.

The size conundrum could end up disrupting global trade flows. American exporters may soon find they’re selling more to Japan, which typically favors smaller fish. Meanwhile, European markets, especially those with heavy demand for smoked salmon, prefer bigger products, according to Elizabeth Herendeen, marketplace manager at Alaska-based Salmon State, which advocates for the protection of Pacific salmon.

It’s the latest example of how climate change is changing how food is produced and where it gets shipped. Rapidly warming temperatures are forcing some lobster boats to move further offshore, and hotter Midwest summers are a threat to yields. Agriculture futures have surged recently as bad weather makes it harder to grow crops at a time when food inflation is already on the rise.

Read the full story at Bloomberg

NEFMC Seeks Contractor for Habitat Climate Vulnerability Assessment Matrix and Species Narratives Development

May 3, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking the services of an independent contractor to develop informational products for fishery managers that integrate the results of three assessments:

  • The Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment (NHRA);
  • The Northeast Fish and Shellfish Climate Vulnerability Assessment (FSCVA); and
  • The Northeast Habitat Climate Vulnerability Assessment (HCVA).

This is a temporary contractor role, commencing on or about July 1, 2021, with expected completion by December 31, 2022.  The contractor will work closely with the Council’s Habitat Plan Coordinator, as well as other NHRA and HCVA investigators.  The application deadline is May 31, 2021.

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT: This project provides the New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils, which lead the Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment, with an opportunity to integrate the outputs from all three of the identified assessments for use in fisheries management.  The major objectives for this project are to:

  • Refine and advance a preliminary habitat-species vulnerability matrix; and
  • Develop species narratives for prioritized managed and forage species in the region.

The matrix will summarize which species use which habitat types, by life stage, and identify habitat and species climate vulnerabilities.  The species narratives will describe how the vulnerability of habitats to climate change may impact the vulnerability of those species, with a focus on species that are highly dependent on highly vulnerable habitats.

HOW MANY SPECIES ARE INVOLVED: The objective is to complete narratives for 50 species as part of this contract, with the remaining 20 species completed if possible, as resources permit.  A table containing the full list of species is available in the solicitation announcement.

TIMELINE: The timeline for this effort is July 2021 through December 2022, though most work is expected to be completed by July 2022 to align with the end date of the Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS: The Council is looking for candidates who have: (1) background in marine fisheries biology, ecology, habitat science, climate science, and/or habitat modeling, including knowledge of Greater Atlantic Region managed and forage species; (2) familiarity with the federal fisheries management in the Greater Atlantic Region, including a basic understanding of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and regulatory guidance; (3) strong writing skills and a demonstrated ability to summarize complex issues in clear, easily read documents; (4) a demonstrated ability to work well as part of a team but with considerable independence and initiative and strong interpersonal skills; and (5) the ability to research and compile fisheries habitat and scientific research with minimal supervision.

APPLICATION DETAILS: Interested professionals are encouraged to submit a letter of interest, current resume or curriculum vitae, examples of similar work completed for other organizations or publications, and a budget with expected expenses no later than May 31, 2021.

QUESTIONS: For more information, contact Executive Director Tom Nies at (978) 465-0492 ext. 113, tnies@nefmc.org, or Habitat Plan Coordinator Michelle Bachman at (978) 465-0492 ext. 120, mbachman@nefmc.org.

ASMFC 2021 Spring Meeting Webinar Supplemental Materials Now Available

April 28, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2021 Spring Meeting Webinar are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2021-spring-meeting-webinar for the following Boards/Committees (click on “Supplemental” following each relevant committee header to access the information). For ease of access, all supplemental meeting materials have been combined into one PDF – http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2021SpringMeetingWebinar/2021SpringMeetingMaterialsCombinedSupplemental.pdf. Below is the list of documents included in the supplemental materials.

American Lobster Management Board – April 2021 Technical Committee Meeting Summary and Memo on Electronic Vessel Tracking for Federal Lobster and Jonah Crab Fleet

ACCSP Coordinating Council – FY2022 Request for Proposal Package and ACCSP News & Web Announcements

American Eel Management Board – Advisory Panel Report on American Eel Fisheries, Recent Landings, and Market Demand

Climate Crisis Executive Order – Florida FWC Comments

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – 2020 FMP Review; Memo on NC DMF Daily Pound Net Landings Proxy for Effort for Atlantic Menhaden; Memo on Atlantic Menhaden Spatial Model Needs

Shad and River Herring Management Board – Technical Committee Recommendations on American Shad Habitat Plan Updates

Webinar Information

Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Monday, May 3 at 1 PM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 12:30 PM) on Thursday, May 6. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur. To register for the webinar go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4182611915717793807, Webinar ID# 647-565-931.

Each day, the webinar will begin 30 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter.  If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.

If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can may also call in at 1.562.247.8321 (a pin will be provided to you after joining the webinar); see webinar instructions  for details on how to receive the pin. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, you can do so by dialing 1.562.247.8321 (access code: 785-852-884).

Public Comment Guidelines

To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board  approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings. Please note these guidelines have been modified to adapt to meetings via webinar:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide an opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).

  1. Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of the webinar (April 19) will be included in the briefing materials.
  2. Comments received by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, April 27 will be included in the supplemental materials.
  3. Comments received by 10:00 AM on Friday, April 30 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.

Comments should be submitted via email at comments@asmfc.org. All comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.

PFMC Ad Hoc Climate and Communities Core Team online meeting May 21, 2021

April 26, 2021 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Climate and Communities Core Team (CCCT) is holding an online meeting, which is open to the public. The online meeting will be held Friday, May 21, 2021, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time and continuing until business is completed.

Please see the CCCT meeting notice on the Council’s website for details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Dr. Kit Dahl at 503-820-2422; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

FIS looks to satellite tech for new opportunities to elevate Scottish seafood

April 21, 2021 — As part of its strategy to advance the sustainability and prosperity of Scottish fisheries, Fisheries Innovation Scotland (FIS) has commissioned Edinburgh, Scotland-based company Space Intelligence to conduct “blue sky” research into the potential benefits of utilizing satellite technology within the sector.

With Space Intelligence specializing in Earth observation and transforming satellite data into actionable information, the project will encompass a “pioneering review” of the role that satellite technology could play in supporting Scottish fisheries, FIS said, adding that this is the first time that a satellite technology company has supported the sector in this way.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

ALASKA: Glacier Bay’s Alsek River predicted to shift course within a few decades due to climate change

April 16, 2021 — New research indicates that the Alsek River will change course dramatically over the next few decades. Geologists with the National Park Service predict that glacial retreat related to climate change may move the mouth of the river 20 miles away from its current location. This could pose challenges for raft trips and fishing in Glacier Bay National Park.

The Alsek River originates in the Yukon Territory and flows hundreds of miles south before emptying into the Pacific Ocean at Glacier Bay National Park. Near the end of its journey, the river widens into Alsek Lake. It’s currently separated from the Grand Plateau Lake by a glacier.

But when that glacier melts enough, the lakes will combine and eventually drain into the ocean down a steep embankment.

Michael Loso is a Park Service geologist who researches the Alsek changing course.

“Presently, the Alsek River can’t get there because this glacier, you know, this big pile of ice is in the way,” Loso said. “But really, the thrust of our paper is to make the case that once that glacier ice completely goes away, by a combination of melting and calving into the two lakes, you would be able to paddle your raft right on over to Grand Plateau Lake because the two lakes would be combined.”

Read the full story at KTOO

NEFMC Discusses Scallops, Habitat, Climate Change, NTAP, Congressional Updates, and Ecosystem at April 2021 Meeting

April 16, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council met April 13-15, 2021 by webinar. Here are some highlights.

CLIMATE SCIENCE: The Council received a climate science presentation from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center that covered: observed changes on the Northeast Continental Shelf related to temperature, currents, and pH; NOAA’s Climate Science Strategy; the Northeast Regional Action Plan; and more.

NRCC CLIMATE CHANGE PLANNING: The Northeast Region Coordinating Council (NRCC) is moving forward with an East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Initiative. The NRCC consists of leadership from the Shown above, the U.S. Northeast Continental Shelf. A list of upcoming webinars in the NOAA Fisheries U.S. Northeast Climate-Fisheries Seminar Series is posted here. – NOAA Fisheries graphic New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils, the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The South Atlantic Council, although not an NRCC member, is participating in the climate change scenario planning initiative.

Read the full release here

ALASKA: Kodiak Fisheries Adjust to Tariffs, Pandemic and Climate Change

April 15, 2021 — For the first time in 20 years, China is not a viable market for U.S. seafood suppliers due to increased tariffs between the two countries, as well as complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This uncertainty has raised concerns among Kodiak processors, harvesters and industry leaders.

In an effort to keep processors working, the trawl industry had requested that the rockfish season begin on April 1, one month earlier than is typically authorized.

Read the full story at Seafood News