COVID-19 Archives - Page 95 of 162

Worldwide slowdown in fishing unlikely to save rare species

June 30, 2020 — Commercial fishing taking place worldwide has dipped since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but scientists and conservation experts say it’s unclear if the slowdown will help endangered species of marine life recover.

Hours logged by fishermen at sea fell by nearly 10% around the world after the March 11 declaration of a pandemic, and in some hard-hit countries such as China, fishing completely stopped. The fishing decline has spurred questions about food security, ocean management and global trade.

As countries begin to resume fishing, new questions are emerging about whether an extended fishing slowdown could help rare ocean animals, such as the North Atlantic right whale. The whale numbers only about 400 and is vulnerable to fatal entanglement in fishing gear.

Less fishing could also help jeopardized fish stocks of the Mediterranean Sea, which is home to the overfished Atlantic bluefin tuna. And many rare species are vulnerable to accidental catch, called bycatch, in fishing gear.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

NMFS relents on Northeast observers, extends moratorium through July

June 30, 2020 — Faced with dismay from fishermen and East Coast fishery management councils, NMFS announced it will delay its plan to resume at-sea observer deployments through July 31.

The agency backed away from its plan to restart the observer program July 1, after the Mid-Atlantic and New England fishery management councils sent NMFS Northeast regional administrator Michael Pentony and other officials letters expressing alarm that the decision was made too soon.

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center had been planning since May 28 to work toward a July resumption. But in recent weeks the covid-19 pandemic started a new upward arc across the nation.

“Although we had announced plans to resume observer deployments on July 1, we recognize the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and as such, has required us to re-evaluate and adapt to changing circumstances,” the agency said in a public statement issued Tuesday afternoon. “In response, NOAA Fisheries is extending the waiver granted to vessels with Greater Atlantic Region fishing permits to carry human observers or at-sea monitors through July 31, 2020.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Foodservice sector braces for impact as US COVID-19 cases spike

June 30, 2020 — A recent spike in U.S. COVID-19 cases has put the domestic foodservice sector back on the defensive.

Some U.S. restaurants are voluntarily re-closing their dining rooms – and many states and cities are now requiring masks in all public places – as cases jumped nationwide in the past week.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Observer Letter to NOAA Administrators

June 30, 2020 — Recently, Fishing Partnership Support Services reached out to federal administrators in regards to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and federal at-sea observers. The following is an excerpt from a letter addressed to Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator for NMFS, and Dr. John Hare, Science and Research Director for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

Fishing Partnership Support Services (FPSS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of commercial fishing families throughout the Northeast. Given the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we are gravely concerned by your decision to reintroduce observers to fishing vessels at this time. For the safety of our fishermen and observers, as well as their families, we ask you to change course and extend the waiver until you can work with the fishing community and public health officials: 1) to analyze the risk of the observer program to safety at sea, and 2) to develop effective protocols that minimize transmission of Covid-19.

The CDC has been clear that older adults and people with underlying medical conditions are at highest risk of developing a severe illness from COVID-19. “Severe illness means that the person with COVID-19 may require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe, or they may even die.”

Read the full letter here

Northeast Fisheries Observer Waiver – Extension Through July 31, 2020

June 30, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Although NOAA Fisheries had announced plans to resume observer deployments on July 1, we recognize the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and as such, has required us to re-evaluate and adapt to changing circumstances. In response, NOAA Fisheries is extending the waiver granted to vessels with Greater Atlantic Region fishing permits to carry human observers or at-sea monitors through July 31, 2020.

This action is authorized by 50 CFR 648.11, which provides the Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator authority to waive observer requirements, and is also consistent with the criteria described in the agency’s emergency rule on observer waivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We intend to begin redeploying observers and at-sea monitors on vessels fishing in northeast fisheries on August 1. During the month of July, we will continue to work with regional observer and at-sea monitoring service providers to finalize their observer redeployment plans, conduct outreach with industry, and finalize our internal programs and policies that will support the safe and effective redeployment of observers and at-sea monitors in the region.

Observers and at-sea monitors are an essential component of commercial fishing operations and provide critical information that is necessary to keep fisheries open and to provide sustainable seafood to our nation during this time. We will continue to monitor all local public health notifications, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for updates. We are committed to protecting the public health and ensuring the safety of fishermen, observers, and others, while fulfilling our mission to maintain our nation’s seafood supply and conserving marine life.

As has been done throughout the rest of the country, it is the intent of NOAA Fisheries to begin redeploying observers as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so. While we intend to begin redeploying observers on August 1, we recognize that this public health crisis continues to evolve and changing conditions may warrant re-evaluating these plans. Should our plans regarding re-deploying observers and at-sea monitors change, we will announce any changes as soon as practicable.

MASSACHUSETTS: Safety experts say New Bedford orders on fish houses and other industrial facilities could set national standard on COVID-19

June 30, 2020 — The emergency orders have been in place for over a month, but local health officials are already seeing positive changes.

The most notable change is the health department is seeing a decline in COVID-19 workplace complaints. Since the orders went into effect on May 11, there have been seven complaints made to the department compared to nearly 40 complaints received in April and early-May.

“In my work I feel that everything is being done with the correct hygiene,” Camila, a fish plant worker at North Coast Seafoods said. (The worker’s name was changed for this story to protect her identity.)

Early in the crisis, she was scared of infecting her child and elderly parents and hoped the facility would close. But, Camila said, she feels more secure in her job now. Workers receive appropriate PPE equipment, temperatures are taken daily, and the facility, including cafeteria tables, are disinfected constantly.

Additionally, employers, and temp agencies that place many fish plant workers in jobs, are now obligated to take the lead in preventing outbreaks. That means workers are no longer responsible for things like bringing their own masks or taking their temperature before coming to work.

Damōn Chaplin, health director of the New Bedford Health Department, said the shift in responsibility has helped provide a layer of protection for facility workers.

“We had several different industries, doing different levels of cleaning and levels of workplace practices,” Chaplin said. “And we wanted to make sure we had a standard level of performance across the board.”

The emergency orders combined with a greater availability of PPE and access to testing is what has reduced the number of complaints, Chaplin said.

“For me, it’s safe,” Camila said.

Read the full story at The Public’s Radio

Fisheries and Oceans Canada: No At-Sea Observers Through August 12

June 29, 2020 — The following was released by Fisheries and Oceans Canada:

Renewal of Fisheries Management Order FMO-2020-03 dated May 15, 2020

Pursuant to Subsection 9 of the Fisheries Act, the Minister of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans gives notice that the Fisheries Management Order dated May 15, 2020 regarding at-sea observer requirements has been renewed. It will remain in effect until August 12, 2020 unless otherwise revoked or amended.

As such, all fishing activities authorized under the Fisheries Act must continue to be carried out without any at-sea observers, unless the following requirements are met:

1. At-sea observer companies have in place safe working procedures related to COVID-19 which align with federal, provincial and or territorial guidelines;

2. Fishing vessels have in place safe working procedures consistent with the At-Sea Observer company’s procedures related to COVID-19;

3. A record of all safe working procedures can be presented to a fishery officer upon request.

Any person authorized to carry out fishing activities under the Fisheries Act is required to not authorize any at-sea observer to come on board any fishing vessel, unless these requirements are met.

Project to study pandemic impacts on Alaskan salmon season

June 29, 2020 — The following was released by Penn State:

Bristol Bay, Alaska is home to the world’s largest commercial sockeye salmon fishery, attracting thousands of fishermen, crews, and seasonal workers and tripling the region’s population. Running from early June to late July, the short salmon season is facing a new challenge this year, the coronavirus pandemic.

Penn State is part of a research team conducting surveys with fishery participants and residents to better understand the costs and benefits of varied mitigation policies and is developing pandemic preparedness scenarios. This collaborative project is being funded by a $200,000 National Science Foundation RAPID Response grant.

The concern for this year’s fishing season stems from the 13,000 commercial fishers, crew, and fish processor workers who are descending upon the Bristol Bay region. The largest hospital in the region only has 16 beds and two ventilators and, as of May 2020, was not prepared for an outbreak of coronavirus.

Because the overall economic value of the fishing season is estimated to be around $1.5 billion dollars and the region is dependent on the fishing industry, canceling the season is not economically feasible.

Read the full release here

Fisheries Survival Fund ‘Alarmed’ by Current Protocols for Resumption of At-Sea Monitoring

June 29, 2020 — The Fisheries Survival Fund (FSF) has written to NOAA Fisheries, voicing concerns over the agency’s decision to resume at-sea monitoring beginning in July. Specifically, FSF, which represents limited access scallop fishermen in the area covered by the order, is “alarmed” at the protocols the agency currently has in place.

According to the letter, the quarantine protocols for observers are unclear, at best. It notes that, after a required initial 14-day quarantine period, “it is unclear whether that observer will be required to quarantine for an additional 14 days before boarding another vessel.”

“Our country continues to grapple with the impacts and uncertainties of COVID-19’s spread,” the letter states. “Resuming the observer program too quickly and without appropriate protocols in place would put our crewmembers at a heightened and unnecessary risk of exposure to the virus.”

FSF also highlights uncertainty over how vessel captains and owners should respond to an observer displaying symptoms of COVID-19 at the start of a trip. FSF requests that NOAA extend the current waiver on observer coverage, which was implemented in March at the start of the COVID-19 crisis, until it addresses these issues.

The letter to NOAA follows letters from both the New England Fishery Management Council and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, which expressed similar concerns about the safety of resuming at-sea monitoring.

The full letter is available here