Saving Seafood

Researchers identify causes of decline in shellfish harvests

November 5, 2018 — NOAA researchers studying the 85 percent decline between 1980 and 2010 of the four most commercially-important bivalve mollusks — eastern oysters, northern quahogs, softshell clams, and northern bay scallops — have identified the causes.

Along with the sharp decline in commercially important bivalves, there has been a corresponding decline in the numbers of fishermen (89 percent) who harvested the bivalves, said researchers with NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.

The bivalve declines are in contrast to the previous three decades (1950–80) when the combined landings of the same bivalves were much higher and the trend in each of their annual landings was nearly level, decade by decade.

The only exceptions to the declines were seen in the harvest of northern quahogs in Connecticut and American lobsters in Maine. However, the numbers of American lobster landings have fallen precipitously – as much as 98 percent – from southern Massachusetts to New Jersey.

The researchers also found during the course of the study that a number of groups of marine and land animals have also experienced large shifts in abundance since the early 1980’s.

Read the full story at Digital Journal

After Many Decades Away, Humpback Whales Are Back In Long Island Sound. This Small Fish Could Be The Reason Why.

October 29, 2018 — One of the smallest, oddest and least-studied fishes in Long Island Sound may be playing a role in attracting one of the world’s largest ocean creatures to the waters along Connecticut’s coastline.

The tiny fish is called a northern sand lance or sand eel, and experts say it could be one of the reasons why massive humpback whales have returned to the Sound in recent years.

Sand lances, at 3 to 6 inches in length, are true fish but look like little silvery eels. They are also a favorite food of humpbacks, which can reach up to 60 feet in length and weigh as much as 40 tons.

“Most people don’t even know their name,” David Wiley, the research coordinator for the Stellwagon Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Cape Cod, said of sand lances. “But they’re extremely important.”

After many decades of absence, humpbacks returned to the Sound beginning in 2015 and at least a few have been recorded feeding in the waters between Connecticut and Long Island or off New London every year since.

Marine scientists believe the sand lance is far from the only reason why humpbacks have been returning to the Sound. They point out that other prey species favored by humpbacks, including menhaden and herring, have also been on the increase in the waters off Connecticut’s shoreline and are likely key to the humpbacks’ return.

Read the full story at the Hartford Courant

 

It’s ‘the last frontier on Earth that’s truly not well understood,’ and scientists are about to explore it

August 6, 2018 –In the briny deep, far from shore, the vast darkness is home to tiny, glowing fish, massive jellies that may be the largest animals on the planet, and an untold number of other creatures.

What inhabits this realm of the ocean — from about 600 feet to about 3,000 feet — is so shrouded in mystery that scientists call it the “twilight zone.”

At the end of the week, a team of marine biologists, engineers, and other specialists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will embark on the first long-term study of this netherworld, a nearly lightless region believed to be teeming with life — perhaps more than the rest of the ocean combined.

“It’s the last frontier on Earth that’s truly not well understood,” said Andone Lavery, a senior scientist who will oversee the first expedition. “We have many questions.”

Chief among them: What animals live there, and how many? Do they play a role in helping regulate the planet’s climate, and if so, how? Could these species provide a sustainable source of protein for the world’s growing population?

That last question may be the most controversial.

Read the full story at the Boston Globe

In the journey from sea to table, seafood origins largely opaque

June 25, 2018 — It wasn’t just another Friday in mid-June at Pagano’s Seafood in Norwalk, as the wholesale distributor shipped more than 50,000 pounds of seafood to some 500 customers throughout Connecticut and the tristate region heading into Father’s Day weekend, among the busiest of the year.

As trucks were loaded for deliveries, Kris Drumgold could tick off with ease the ports from which the wholesaler sources its seafood. But with a few exceptions — including the docks of Norwalk where local oyster boats land their hauls — Drumgold and his fellow wholesale and retail buyers in Connecticut must rely on the representations of the suppliers who send them fresh and frozen seafood for redistribution to markets, restaurants and clubs.

In an Associated Press investigation published recently of one New York company claiming to offer only locally sourced seafood, tests determined that at least some of Sea to Table’s catch in fact came from overseas, raising new questions about whether markets and restaurants are being duped in how they describe the fish they sell.

In an open letter to customers, Sea to Table founder Sean Dimin said his company is “addressing these claims quickly” and has terminated its relationship with a supplier.

Read the full story at the Connecticut Post

Connecticut joins the offshore wind rush

June 14, 2018 — Connecticut has officially entered the offshore wind energy world.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Wednesday awarded its first offshore wind project to Deepwater Wind for a 200-megawatt installation in the area it owns about half-way between Montauk, N.Y. and Martha’s Vineyard. It could begin providing electricity to the state by 2023 – enough to power about 100,000 homes.

The renewable and clean power solicitation also awarded fuel cell and anaerobic digester projects totaling about 50 megawatts. But it’s the prospect of offshore wind that created the most excitement and anticipation not only for its renewable energy, but also for the economic development potential that comes with it.

“Connecticut today is showing the region that it wants to participate in the budding offshore wind market and will share in the benefits of being an early mover in adopting this technology,” said Emily Lewis, a policy analyst at Acadia Center in a statement released by multiple environmental groups and unions. Acadia has been advocating for offshore wind for several years. “We hope the state continues to build on this commitment by setting an ambitious offshore wind mandate that creates a sustainable offshore wind industry and continued economic growth.”

Read the full story at the Connecticut Mirror

Connecticut Taps First-Ever Offshore Wind Power Among Clean Energy Projects

June 11, 2018 — The Malloy administration on Wednesday directed the first-ever purchase of offshore wind power as part of more than 250 megawatts of clean energy projects.

The state also made a commitment to fuel cells, welcomed by one of two fuel cell manufacturers in Connecticut.

Six projects selected by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection include 200 megawatts of offshore wind from Deepwater Wind, which is harnessing wind off Block Island and Long Island. The Connecticut project will contribute to 400 megawatts selected by Rhode Island.

The Malloy administration also directed that 52 megawatts of fuel cell energy be generated, including projects in Colchester, Derby, Hartford and New Britain.

In addition, 1.6 megawatts of of energy will be generated by an anaerobic digestion project in Southington. The process uses microorganisms that break down biodegradable material.

“We have an obligation to our children and grandchildren to invest in energy projects that reduce the impacts of harmful emissions,” Malloy said. “That’s why Connecticut is making investments in the technologies of the future, not of the past.”

The selections in this procurement are equivalent to about 5 percent of Connecticut’s load, or the amount of electricity that Connecticut consumes. Selected projects will now enter negotiations with Eversource and United Illuminating, the state’s two regulated utilities, to reach agreement on 20-year contracts.

Read the full story at The Hartford Courant

Scott Bennett: Modern Fish Bill Threatens Fishery Protection Policies

May 16, 2018 — Connecticut in the springtime means one thing — fishing season. The coastal communities awaken from a long winter, the energy from fishermen builds to a crescendo, the tackle shops start to buzz and the docks come alive with hopes of what the new season will bring. As a manager of a tackle shop, it is my favorite time of year.

In my 40 years in the industry, I’ve seen good fishing years and bad ones. This year is shaping up to be a good one, but there are troubling signs on the horizon. Some folks in Congress are pushing changes to the overarching legislation that governs our federally managed fisheries, and these changes threaten to undermine our prosperity and take us back to when fishing wasn’t so good. Contrary to its name, the proposed Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2017 or Modern Fish Act, is a big step backward and goes against what’s right for our marine resources. It would make it easier to reverse hard quotas on fishing that have helped restore stocks of species that were overfished.

Coastal communities and small businesses like mine, which are the backbone of Connecticut’s fishing industry, rely on abundant fish populations. So it is crucial that when conservation rules work well, like the policies that protect and rebuild fisheries under the existing Magnuson-Stevens Act, that we support an abundant fishery by keeping the law in place.

Read the full editorial at the Hartford Courant

 

As Gulf of Maine warms, will black sea bass make up for declines in lobster?

May 15, 2018 — The Gulf of Maine’s warming waters could mean that new fisheries are coming to Maine.

The Bangor Daily News reported that many lobster fishermen, concerned about a possible drop-off in the lobster resource, are looking at other species like Jonah crab and black sea bass. In 2016, fishermen in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island together earned $2.38 million from their black sea bass fishery.

If Maine were to develop a black sea bass fishery, she said, fishermen could use techniques and equipment that are very similar to what they use now to catch lobster, which would help with the transition, Marissa McMahan, a senior fisheries scientist for the environmental science nonprofit Manomet, told the BDN.

Read the full story at MaineBiz

 

NEFMC Meeting: April 17-19, 2018, Mystic, CT, Listen Live, View Documents

April 11, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting from Tuesday, April 17 through Thursday, April 19, 2018. The public is invited to listen-in via webinar or telephone. Here are the details.

MEETING LOCATION:  Hilton Hotel, 20 Coogan Boulevard, Mystic, CT 06355; Hilton Hotel Mystic.

START TIME:  The webinar will be activated at 8:00 a.m. each day. However, please note that the meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. The webinar will end at approximately 6:00 p.m. EST or shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live. There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (914) 614-3221. The access code is 167-206-035. Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  The agenda and all meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at April 17-19, 2018 NEFMC Mystic.

SPECIAL EVENT:  The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Office of Renewable Energy Programs will be holding an open house on Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in conjunction with the Council meeting. The event will be held in the Clipper Room near the Council’s main meeting room. BOEM has scheduled this open house to: (a) gather feedback on recently proposed commercial offshore renewable energy projects; (b) enhance communications between leaseholders and the fishing community; (c) answer questions about future leasing; and (d) solicit public comment on recently published public notices, including the Vineyard Wind project, which currently is under a 30-day public comment period with five public hearings scheduled from April 16 through April 19. Four will be held in Massachusetts (New Bedford, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Hyannis) and one in Kingston, RI. Learn more at Vineyard Wind notice and hearing schedule and visit open house.

GROUNDFISH NOTE:  On Wednesday morning, the Council will receive an overview of Northeast Fishery Sector IX’s steps to address its shortcomings, as well as a summary of Sector IX’s proposed operations plan as submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office. Because of recent information received from the industry, NMFS’s consultation with the Council on Sector IX likely will include: (a) discussion of the proposed Sector VII operations plan amendments that relate to Sector IX; (b) other sectors as they relate to Sector IX; and (c) effects on the sector system generally. The Council may provide recommendations to NMFS on any topics discussed.

 THREE MEETING OUTLOOK:  A copy of the New England Council’s Three Meeting Outlook is available HERE.

 

Whale-protection grant to fund study of how Maine lobstermen deploy their gear

April 10, 2018 — Maine is getting a $700,000 federal grant to collect details about how the lobster industry deploys its fishing gear, especially rope, in an effort to help protect endangered right whales.

The species recovery grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will underwrite a three-year project scheduled to start this summer to collect information that federal regulators need for future deciding right-whale protection regulations. The government is considering what steps it could take to protect the roughly 450 surviving members of the species in the wake of 17 North Atlantic right whale deaths last year in Canadian and U.S. waters.

“This research will ensure that future regulations are based on current, relevant data,” said Erin Summers, biological monitoring division director of the Maine Department of Marine Resources and the person who will lead the collection project. “Maine has been involved in the development and evolution of whale protection regulations over the past two decades. … This study is another example of Maine taking a leadership role in the protection of whales.”

Regulators will need to know how and where fishing gear is used throughout the Gulf of Maine to understand the relative risk of whale entanglement. That’s one of several factors known to play a role in the dwindling number of right whales – ship strikes are the other major cause of death, and scarcity of the whale’s favorite food, copepods, also contributes to dwindling reproduction rates.

The project will ask harvesters from Maine to Connecticut to voluntarily share information about how they rig and fish vertical lines, the rope that extends from the floating buoy to the string of lobster traps on the ocean floor. Data will include rope type and diameter, trap configuration and depth, and distance from shore. The project also will include a study on the breaking strength of vertical lines and the amount of load put on the lines during different hauling conditions.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald