Saving Seafood

Florida’s red snapper season begins off Atlantic Coast

July 15, 2019 — After weeks of anticipation, Florida anglers headed offshore Friday for the first of two weekends that make up the year’s recreational season for red snapper.

“It’s going to be mayhem,” Captain Mike Mulholland said with a laugh. He’s completely sold out for all five days of the season, Friday through Sunday this weekend and Friday and Saturday next weekend. Anglers will be limited to one fish per person, per day, with no minimum size limit.

Mulholland, captain of the Sea Spirit fishing charter boat out of Ponce Inlet, sold out two weeks ago and started making a back-up list, just in case he had cancellations.

He wishes it was more. He’s one of many fishermen and charter captains who are ready for federal officials to extend the season.

Read the full story at The Daily Commercial

Sturgeon, America’s forgotten dinosaurs, slowly coming back

July 10, 2019 — Sturgeon were America’s vanishing dinosaurs, armor-plated beasts that crowded the nation’s rivers until mankind’s craving for caviar pushed them to the edge of extinction.

More than a century later, some populations of the massive bottom feeding fish are showing signs of recovery in the dark corners of U.S. waterways.

Increased numbers are appearing in the cold streams of Maine, the lakes of Michigan and Wisconsin and the coffee-colored waters of Florida’s Suwannee River.

A 14-foot Atlantic sturgeon — as long as a Volkswagen Beetle — was recently spotted in New York’s Hudson River.

“It’s really been a dramatic reversal of fortune,” said Greg Garman, a Virginia Commonwealth University ecologist who studies Atlantic sturgeon in Virginia’s James River. “We didn’t think they were there, frankly. Now, they’re almost every place we’re looking.”

Following the late 1800s caviar rush, America’s nine sturgeon species and subspecies were plagued by pollution, dams and overfishing. Steep declines in many populations weren’t fully apparent until the 1990s.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

FLORIDA: Opposition rises against Venice pier shark fishing ban

July 5, 2019 — If the city of Venice goes forward with a plan to ban shark fishing from both the Venice Municipal Fishing Pier and the three miles of beach within city limits, it will likely face citizen backlash and a possible lawsuit.

Rob Merlino, the de facto leader of an ad hoc committee that was formed in 2017, when the Venice City Council considered new regulations at the pier — including a shark fishing ban — wrote in an email Tuesday that they were unhappy they were not consulted prior to the council’s June 25 vote to direct city attorney Kelly Fernandez and staff to draft an ordinance to ban shark fishing.

He said committee members are considering both a boycott of city businesses to prompt them to pressure the council and legal action.

Read the full story at The Herald-Tribune

Fishermen Encouraged to Use Best Practices and Assist with Data Collection During Red Snapper Opening

July 2, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

As anglers get ready to head offshore with the upcoming opening of red snapper season, there are a few things that can make your trip a success not only for you, but for the fish you release, and for fishery biologists hard at work to gather information while the season is underway.

First, know the rules. The recreational red snapper fishery will open for harvest on July 12, 13, and 14 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), and again on July 19 and 20, 2019 (Friday and Saturday). The bag limit is one fish per person/day with no minimum size limit. A reminder, dehookers are required when fishing for snapper grouper species, including red snapper. The use of non-stainless-steel circle hooks (offset or non-offset) is also required when using natural baits north of 28 degrees north latitude (just south of Melbourne, FL). Note that the number of fishing days is determined by NOAA Fisheries each year. For additional information, including a Q&A reference, visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/bulletin/noaa-fisheries-announces-limited-openings-recreational-and-commercial-red-snapper.

Plan ahead. Expect to release fish and know how to properly do so. Be prepared to help improve the chances that a fish captured in deeper water will survive by having a descending device rigged and ready and/or properly use a venting tool. Fish caught in deep water, typically 50 feet or greater, may experience barotrauma, an expansion of gas in the fish’s swim bladder due to pressure changes that causes damage to the swim bladder or other internal organs. When a fish suffering from barotrauma is released, it is often unable to swim back down to the depth it was captured, making it difficult to survive. No one wants to see a “floater”. If a fish needs to be released and shows signs of barotrauma, venting or the use of a descending device will go a long way in making sure the fish is available to catch another day. Learn more at: http://safmc.net/regulations/regulations-by-species/red-snapper/.

Do your part to help improve fisheries management by using MyFishCount, a recreational reporting app and web-portal that allows anglers to voluntarily report their catches through the MyFishCount website or free mobile application. Learn more and download the app by visiting: https://www.myfishcount.com. In addition, cooperate with the fishery biologists that you may encounter dockside when you’ve finished your fishing trip. The red snapper opening offers an opportunity for staff from state marine resource agencies to collect data and learn from your fishing trips. Your cooperation during these sampling efforts will go a long way in providing better data and ultimately lead to better management.

Finally – be safe, be courteous, and enjoy your fishing trip!

Council Requests Emergency Action for Commercial Mackerel Fishery

June 17, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Nearly 40 fishermen and others interested in federal fishery management issues spoke during a public hearing held this week as part of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s week-long meeting in Stuart, Florida. The majority of comments focused on the need for an increase in the commercial king mackerel fishery off the southeastern coast of Florida during the second season that extends into the winter months (October 1st through the end of February). Since the 2015-16 season, the commercial fishery in the Southern Zone (Flagler/Volusia county line south) has harvested under 60% of their annual catch limit. The value of the unharvested quota is estimated $3,885,647 per season over the past four fishing seasons.

Fishermen explained that the current limit of 50 fish per trip often marginalizes profit and keeps fishermen from carrying crew, preventing a new generation of fishermen from getting involved in the fishery and presenting safety at sea issues. Fishermen also spoke about the recent negative economic impacts of severe weather and environmental factors such as poor water quality.

After considering public comment and recommendations from its Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel, the Council approved a motion to request NOAA Fisheries use emergency action to increase the second season commercial king mackerel trip limit from 50 fish to 75 fish in the Southern Zone. The Council made the request with the intention of having the increase in place by the beginning of the October 1, 2019 opening. The Atlantic king mackerel stock is not overfished or undergoing overfishing, and it is not anticipated that the commercial quota will be exceeded with the increased trip limit.

“We sincerely appreciate the Council’s support in recognizing the importance of increasing the commercial king mackerel trip limit here in South Florida,” said Ira Laks, Chairman of the Council’s Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel and a dual-permitted commercial/charter captain from Jupiter, Florida. “The Council considered input from its advisory panel as well as a number of mackerel fishermen who attended Wednesday night’s public hearing,” explained Laks. “I want to also thank all of the fishermen who took the time and effort to attend the hearing. It made a difference.”

Other Items
Red Grouper
A 2017 stock assessment for red grouper indicates the stock is overfished and undergoing overfishing. As a result, the Council reduced the annual catch limit for red grouper in 2018, but further measures are needed. The Council approved Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 30 during its meeting this week. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the amendment will revise the rebuilding schedule for the red grouper stock and modify the spawning season prohibition off the coasts of North Carolina and South Carolina, adding the month of May to the current January through April closure. The amendment would also establish a commercial trip limit of 200 pounds gutted weight for red grouper in federal waters.

Red Snapper
The Council also discussed options for the red snapper fishery. The number of recreational fishing days for red snapper in federal waters in the South Atlantic is determined by NOAA Fisheries each year, based on the estimated harvest from the previous year. If fishing is allowed, the opening dates of both the recreational fishery and commercial fishery currently begin in July. The Council is considering options for modifying the current parameters in place, including the season start dates as well as days of the week when red snapper harvest is allowed to allow more flexibility for the season and reduce the number of fish that must be released.

Regulatory Amendment 33 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan would address these modifications and includes action to remove the minimum number of days for allowing a red snapper season (currently 3 days or more), modify the start date of the recreational red snapper season, revise the days of the week harvest would be allowed, and modify the start date of the red snapper commercial fishery. Public hearings via webinar and listening stations will be scheduled for August and the Council will review public comments during its September 16-20, 2019 meeting in Charleston, SC. The public hearing schedule will be publicized as soon as it becomes available.

Dolphin Wahoo
The Council also continued to work on management measures for dolphin fish and wahoo through Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan. The amendment currently includes actions to revise annual catch limits, sector allocations, and accountability measures and options to reduce the vessel limit for dolphin. The amendment would also remove operator card requirements, addresses retention and gear training requirements for commercial vessels and options for allowing for-hire vessels north of the North Carolina/Virginia border to fillet dolphin with skin intact under the condition that two fillets equal one fish. Dolphin and wahoo are managed in federal waters along the Atlantic coast by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils. There is no minimum size limit for dolphin in federal waters off of North Carolina northward. The Council’s Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panel had requested the Council considers allowing the sale of bag limit dolphin by dual-federally permitted (charter and commercial) vessels. After considering public comment and input received during this week’s public hearing, and much discussion, the Council decided to remove the action as part of Amendment 10. The Council will continue to discuss the amendment in September.

At the request of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and after considering public scoping comments, the South Atlantic Council will move forward to develop an amendment to designate bullet and frigate mackerel as ecosystem component species within the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan and evaluate appropriate regulatory actions. The designation, widely supported during the scoping process, would acknowledge the important role the two species play as forage fish for dolphin and wahoo.

The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for September 16-20, 2019 at the Town and Country Inn in Charleston, SC. Additional information for this week’s meeting, including final committee reports, an interactive story map, and meeting report is available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/.

Early South Atlantic Snapper Closure Draws Ire

June 10, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Another early mandated closure of yellowtail snapper commercial fishery has local commercial fishermen again calling for a reallocation of that species because the recreational fishing side has not been meeting its annual allocation every year.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will close the fishery Friday, June 7, and will reopen it Aug. 1, which is the start of a new fishing year for yellowtail snapper. The fishing year for yellowtail runs from Aug. 1 to July 31.

The August 2018 through July 2019 commercial catch limit is 1,596,510 pounds whole weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial catch limit and harvest should close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded, according to the South Atlantic Fishery Management.

During the commercial closure, all sale or purchase of yellowtail snapper is prohibited, and harvest or possession of yellowtail snapper in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open, according to council.

This is the second straight year the council closed the commercial yellowtail fishery roughly two months early.

Yellowtail snapper is one of the most profitable commercial fin fisheries in the Keys. The Keys account for 90 percent of the yellowtail landings in the United States.

The top five communities with the highest levels of commercial landings of yellowtail snapper include the Florida communities of Key West, Miami, Marathon, Fort Lauderdale and Key Largo, according to the South Atlantic Council. The top Florida communities for recreational fishing also include communities in South Florida and the Florida Keys.

For the past several years, Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association Executive Director Bill Kelly has lobbied state and federal fishery managers to reallocate some of the unused yellowtail annual catch allocation from the recreational sector to the commercial sector.

The annual catch limit for commercially harvested yellowtail is about 1.6 million pounds and the recreational annual catch limit is roughly 1.4 million pounds.

The recreational side has not harvested 500,000 to 700,000 pounds of yellowtail in South Atlantic waters for the past six of seven years and 500,000 pounds in Gulf waters, according to Kelly.

“The recreational sector has not harvested more than 50 percent in the past 10 years, but still we have early closures,” Kelly said.

Reallocation is a hugely controversial issue when it comes to all fisheries. The federal General Accounting Office is currently taking input on fishery reallocation and is interviewing fishermen this week at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council this week at Gulf Council’s meeting in Florida.

The General Accounting Office will be at the South Atlantic’s meeting next week in Stuart, Florida to take input.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

New Video from Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance Showcases Fight Against Invasive Lionfish

June 5, 2019 — This week, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) is convening Capitol Hill Ocean Week in Washington, D.C. Additionally, President Trump has declared the month of June “National Ocean Month” in recognition of the importance of the ocean to the economy, national security, and environment of the United States.

For the duration of Ocean Week, Saving Seafood will share materials related to the sustainable and economically vital U.S. commercial fishing and seafood industries, including information tied directly to events being organized as part of the NMSF conference.

The following was released by the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance:

A new video released today by the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA), ‘Eat ‘Em to Beat ‘Em’: Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance Fights Invasive Lionfish, shows how members of the alliance are doing their part to help eliminate the scourge of invasive lionfish from Southeast U.S. waters.

Lionfish were first detected off the coast of Florida in 1985 but only began spreading rapidly throughout the region in recent years. Fishermen today are seeing more and more lionfish on the reefs and fewer of the native species that the industry and region have historically relied on.

Florida officials launched a lionfish awareness initiative in 2014 to inform the public about the invasion and let people know that they can kill and eat the fish. Local chefs are discovering popular ways to serve lionfish in restaurants and there’s now a healthy market for them.

“People are inherently jazzed on the idea of being able to one, enjoy their meal, and two, be a positive impact on the environment,” says Parker Destin, owner of Dewey Destin’s Restaurant Group and a GCSA member, in the video. “At the end of the day, they can feel good about having eaten [lionfish].”

Classes for both school-age children and adults are teaching people about the invasion and proper methods for eradicating the fish. Tournaments are bringing together fishermen to eliminate as many lionfish as possible. Since the lionfish awareness campaign began in 2014, it has tracked the removal of over 500,000 fish—and the actual number is likely even higher.

Members of the GCSA are in Washington, D.C., this week for Capitol Hill Ocean Week and will be featured at the 44th Annual NOAA Fish Fry this evening. Mr. Destin of Dewey Destin’s Restaurant Group will be serving red snapper two ways: pecan encrusted and pan seared with lemon Beurre blanc. Greg Abrams of Greg Abrams Seafood will be serving tuna ceviche and fried oysters in a Kung Pao sauce.

About the GCSA

The Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA) unites fishermen, seafood dealers, and restaurants to advocate for the fair distribution of fish across the Gulf Coast. Americans who live in or visit the Gulf should have fish to catch at sea and fish to buy on shore. Our members drive a fishing economy that provides jobs, promotes tourism, and delivers fresh seafood across the Gulf Coast.

REMINDER: SAFMC Meeting Starts Next Week in Stuart, FL

June 4, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet next week (June 10-14, 2019) in Stuart, Florida to discuss a number of federal fishery issues affecting offshore fisheries from NC to the Florida Keys. The meeting will be held at the Hutchinson Island Marriott, 555 NE Ocean Boulevard, Stuart, FL 34996. The meeting week begins with a series of committee meetings and concludes with a meeting of the Full Council.

There are several opportunities for public comment relative to the upcoming meeting. The briefing book materials, including agendas, overviews, and discussion documents, are available from the Council’s website. An online public comment form is now available from the meeting page, and in-person public comment will be taken at the meeting. You may also view public comments from the website.

Florida senators back push for federal help with red tide

May 31, 2019 — Florida’s senators are pushing the Commerce Department to issue a disaster declaration over Florida’s wildlife-killing red tide.

Florida’s latest bout with red tide brought images from up and down the state’s Gulf Coast of dead fish washing ashore after being choked by a surge of oxygen-hogging algae.

“Southwest Florida’s coasts have provided an important source of opportunity for generations of families who have built their livelihoods on these productive waters,” Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, both Republicans, wrote in a Wednesday letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. “To best support these working families in their time of need following the recent significant and persistent red tide events, we ask for your assistance in promptly fulfilling the State of Florida’s request for a federal fishery resource disaster declaration.”

Read the full story at The Hill

SAFMC Meeting June 10-14, 2019 in Stuart, FL

May 29, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Briefing book materials are now available for the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s June 10-14, 2019 meeting at the Hutchinson Island Marriott, 555 NE Ocean Boulevard, Stuart, FL 34996. The meeting week begins with a series of committee meetings and concludes with a meeting of the Full Council.

The briefing book materials, including agendas, overviews, and discussion documents, are now available from the Council’s website.