Saving Seafood

Farmers Pitted Against Fishermen in House

July 13, 2016 — The plan to buoy historically low salmon populations imperiled by California’s historic drought made for a contentious hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill. House Republicans accused federal agencies of depriving farmers of water while the Golden State’s reservoirs sit full.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Maine Fisheries Service teamed up for the drought proposal debated at this morning’s hearing of the House Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans.

Though recent El Nino storms have left the state’s largest reservoirs full, the contentious plan calls for less water to be pulled from California’s largest reservoir, Shasta Lake, to preserve cold-water supplies needed to keep the Sacramento River at or below 56 degrees this fall.

Warm water in the Sacramento River has contributed to devastatingly high mortality rates of juvenile winter run Chinook salmon over the last several years, but the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has complained that the plan could block federally contracted water deliveries without much warning.

Jeff Sutton, manager of the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority in Northern California, told Congress the move would cripple harvests.

This year’s wet winter encouraged the planting of additional crops, Sutton said, with farmers expecting to receive their full-contracted water allotments for the first time in several years.

Read the full story at Courthouse News

NEW YORK: Federal fish fight erupts over Hudson River PCB cleanup

March 31, 2016 — FORT EDWARD, NY — Federal agencies are fighting over how quickly the PCB dredging project of the Hudson River by General Electric Co. might someday make the fish once again safe to eat.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is disputing a finding by two other agencies — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — that EPA seriously overestimated by “several decades” how quickly recently-concluded GE river dredging will reduce PCBs in fish to levels fit for human consumption.

On Tuesday, EPA issued a 110-page rebuttal to the NOAA and Fish and Wildlife findings, which were first reported in 2015 and this week published in a peer-reviewed national scientific journal. Last fall, GE wrapped up a six-year dredging project between Fort Edward and Troy, although a coalition of environmental groups and river advocates said too much toxic pollution remains left behind.

EPA claimed less optimistic conclusions on future PCB levels in fish by other federal scientists “are not supported by the full range of available evidence,” according to an EPA statement accompanying its rebuttal.

Read the full story at the Albany Times-Union

Connecticut fighting move to give Long Island Sound waters to New York, Rhode Island

February 2, 2016 — WASHINGTON – Connecticut’s lawmakers and state officials are trying to derail a bill would take about 150 square miles of Long Island Sound waters from federal government control and give that authority to New York and Rhode Island, a move that could hurt the state’s fishing industry.

The bill would require Connecticut fishermen to obtain permission from the neighboring states to continue to fish those waters, known as an “exclusive economic zone,” or EEZ. Members of the state’s congressional delegation say that would be a costly and burdensome process.

“We believe that this misguided legislation was crafted strategically to benefit certain states while disproportionately harming the Connecticut fishing industry,” delegation members said in a letter to the leaders of the House Natural Resources Committee.

At issue is the “EEZ Clarification Act,” sponsored by New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, that would re-designate 150 square miles of federal EEZ waters in the vicinity of Block Island, between Montauk, N.Y., and Point Judith, R.I., as  New York and Rhode Island state waters.

At a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing Tuesday, Zeldin said the strip of water known as the EEZ poses a threat to fishermen “who can go from fishing legally to breaking the law” by inadvertently straying into federal waters and facing fines.

“Law-abiding, responsible fishermen should not be punished for doing their job,” Zeldin said.

But a representative from the Fish and Wildlife Service and conservationist John McMurray, owner of One More Cast Charters, testified that stripping federal protections from the waters would hurt the Long Island Sound striped bass population.

Read the full story at The Connecticut Mirror

 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, AESA Agree: American Eel Population Stable, Not Threatened

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — October 14, 2015 — The following was released by the American Eel Sustainability Association:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has rejected a petition from the Council for Endangered Species Act Reliability (CESAR) to list American eels as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), confirming that the species is “stable” and not in need of Federal protection. The announcement also affirms and reiterates the American Eel Sustainability Association’s (AESA) repeated public statements attesting to the fishery’s sustainable operations, thanks in large part to the sacrifices made by eel fishermen to ensure proactive, responsible resource management.

According to the FWS, “the eel’s single population is overall stable and not in danger of extinction (endangered) or likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future (threatened).” This determination was reached after an extensive review of the most recent scientific data from several federal agencies and independent sources, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).

The Service specifically cited “harvest quotas and mechanisms restoring eel passage around dams and other obstructions” as some of the proactive measures being taken to conserve the species, as well as one of the primary reasons the American eel is not under threat. The FWS also mentioned the species’ wide geographic range, as well as “flexibility and adaptability” in its lifecycle and habitat as reasons for the decision.

This is the second time that the Service has determined that American eel does not require protections under the ESA, first ruling in 2007 that eels were not “endangered.” These repeated findings support AESA’s position that the species is being sustainably harvested, and that current management by the ASMFC is ensuring the health and future viability of the eel stock. Through their adherence to strict quotas and support of responsible management, American eel fishermen have played a key role in maintaining today’s healthy populations.

AESA commends the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its thorough review of American eel, as well as the ASMFC for its proactive management and conservation of the species. AESA will continue to advocate for strong and responsible eel management to safeguard the sustainability for the future.

The American Eel Sustainability Association (AESA) is a leading industry organization focused on the science and management of American eel. For more information about AESA and the American eel fishery, please visit www.americaneel.org.

View a PDF of the release here