Saving Seafood

SAFMC: Commercial Closure in Federal Waters for Atlantic Migratory Group Spanish Mackerel Southern Zone on February 5, 2019

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

WHAT/WHEN:

  • The commercial harvest of Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel in the Atlantic southern zone will close at 6:00 a.m., local time, on February 5, 2019, and will open on March 1, 2019, for the March 2019 through February 2020 fishing season. The Atlantic southern zone includes federal waters off the states of South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida.
  • During the commercial closure, harvest or possession of Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel in or from the Atlantic southern zone is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

  • The March 2018 through February 2019 commercial catch limit for the Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel southern zone is 2,667,330 pounds. Commercial landings are projected to have met the commercial catch limit. According to the accountability measure, harvest must close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded.

AFTER THE CLOSURE:

  • The prohibition on sale or purchase during a closure for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel does not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 6:00 a.m., local time, February 5, 2019, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
  • During the closure, a person on board a vessel that has been issued a valid Federal commercial or charter vessel/headboat permit for coastal migratory pelagic fish may continue to retain, but not sell or purchase, Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel in the Atlantic southern zone under the recreational bag and possession limits, as long as the recreational sector is open.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov.

Four newborn right whales spotted early in 2019 breeding season

February 1, 2019 — The end of 2018 contained more dark news for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, as scientists finding that the species decline had quickened.

An estimate by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) brought the total population count of the species to a maximum total of 411 individuals remaining, with as few as 100 of those remaining being females of breeding age. That news came on top of already grim finding that no new calves were born during the 2017-2018 breeding season.

But on 22 January, three new calves were reported by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. And on 25 January, the agency recorded a spotting of a fourth right whale calf off the coast of Georgia.

The North Atlantic right whales, one of the world’s three right whale populations, spend much of the winter in the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean off Florida and Georgia before migrating to New England the Canadian Maritimes for the summer. There, they face the danger of entanglement in fishing lines used in lobster and crab fishing.

In 2017, 17 right whales died from ship strikes or entanglements in fishing gear. In 2018, an additional three right whales died, with one of the deceased right whales found to have died from entanglement in snow crab gear used in Canada.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Atlantic Spanish Mackerel Southern Zone Commercial Trip Limit Reduction to 500 pounds on January 27, 2019

January 24, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN:

  • The daily trip limit for the commercial harvest of Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the southern zone is reduced from 1,500 to 500 pounds effective 6:00 a.m., local time, on January 27, 2019.
  • The southern zone includes federal waters off the states of South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida. The boundary for the southern zone is the North Carolina/South Carolina border and the Monroe/Miami-Dade Counties, Florida, border.

WHY THIS TRIP LIMIT REDUCTION IS HAPPENING:

  • The March 2018 through February 2019 commercial catch limit for the Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel southern zone is 2,667,330 pounds, and the adjusted commercial catch limit is 2,417,330 pounds.
  • When commercial landings of Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the southern zone reach or are projected to reach 100 percent of the adjusted commercial catch limit, the daily trip limit is reduced to 500 pounds. The trip limit reduction is necessary to slow the rate of commercial harvest to avoid exceeding the commercial catch limit.

AFTER THE TRIP LIMIT REDUCTION:

The 500 pound commercial trip limit will remain in effect until the end of the current fishing season on February 28, 2019, or when 100 percent of the commercial catch limit is reached or projected to be reached, whichever occurs first.

If 100 percent of the commercial catch limit is reached or projected to be reached, NMFS will close the commercial sector in the southern zone for the remainder of the fishing year.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov.

Reports of Right Whale Calves Give Researchers Hope

January 23, 2019 — Local North Atlantic Right Whale researchers are hearing some good news from their colleagues off the southeastern coast of the United States.

A third right whale calf was recently spotted during the current birthing season in waters off Florida.

The critically endangered species has an estimated population just over 400.

Center for Coastal Studies Researcher Charles “Stormy” Mayo said the three births are excellent news but female right whales need to reproduce more.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

2nd North Atlantic right whale calf spotted off Florida

January 17, 2019 — Another North Atlantic right whale calf and its mother have been spotted off Florida, the critically endangered species’ second confirmed newborn of the winter birthing season, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The mother, tentatively identified as #3317, is an important example of the ideal calving rate for a reproductively mature right whale female, said Philip Hamilton, a research scientist with the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.

“She actually gave birth three years ago,” Hamilton said about a previous birth, compared to the nine years between documented births for the season’s other right whale mother, #2791, spotted with a calf Dec. 28 off Jacksonville Beach, Florida. “That’s very heartening that at least some right whales are able to reproduce as quickly as they can.”

Right whale #3317 is about 16 years old, and has been spotted by government surveys since 2002 from Florida to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, according to the aquarium’s right whale database. She was spotted in Cape Cod Bay several times in 2016 by researchers for the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times

Offshore Oil Drilling in Florida Still Possible Despite Ban

January 16, 2019 — Floridians took a stand against offshore oil drilling Nov. 6 by voting their opposition into the state constitution, where it’s almost certain to stay for at least a generation.

The issue resonates with Alan Johnson, mayor of St. Pete Beach (population “pushing 10,000”), a 6-mile-long, sandy tourist magnet on Florida’s Gulf coast.

“The big problem that people relate to here is that they’ve been to Houston, where they can see the oil rigs offshore, and they complain about big balls of tar on the beaches. Everybody’s deathly afraid of that happening here,” Johnson says. “We’re the designated sunset capital of Florida and the last thing we want to do is ruin that.”

So did passage of Amendment 9, the new ban on drilling in Florida coastal waters, solve the problem?

Johnson is doubtful. “There was a lot of confusion as to what it really accomplished,” he says. “We’re at the mercy of what happens in Washington.”

State waters extend 3 nautical miles off the coast, but the states have no direct control over 200 miles of federal waters. And oil ignores man-made borders.

Read the full story at U.S. News and World Report

Congress Reauthorizes National Harmful Algal Bloom Program

January 7, 2019 — The following was released by the American Sportfishing Association:

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (HABHRCA) of 2018 before the holiday break. The vote was the final step toward sending the bipartisan legislation to the President’s desk.

“This legislation is critically important to advancing the scientific understanding and ability to monitor and assess harmful algal blooms,” said American Sportfishing Association (ASA) Policy Director Clay Crabtree. “With the ongoing frequency of harmful algal blooms and their devastating impacts on fisheries, we are grateful that Congress moved this bill across the finish line.”

In August, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard held a hearing on harmful algal blooms and discussed this legislation. ASA Member Patrick Neu, President of the Future Anglers Foundation and Executive Director of the National Professional Anglers Association testified before the subcommittee about the impact harmful algal blooms have on anglers and fisheries habitats, and highlighted the risks posed to businesses, like local fishing tackle shops.

“Given what we’ve witnessed this year in South Florida, the Great Lakes, and in many other parts of the country, this legislation is crucial in providing federal resources to communities as more local businesses that depend on access to healthy aquatic systems are negatively impacted,” said Kellie Ralston, ASA’s Southeast Fisheries Policy Director. “We applaud Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), and the other bill authors for championing this important legislation and securing its passage through Congress.”

Read the full release here

SAFMC Recruitment Announcement

December 28, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, headquartered in North Charleston, S.C., is responsible for the conservation and management of fish stocks within the federal 200-mile limit of the Atlantic off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and east Florida to Key West. The Council is responsible for Coastal Migratory Pelagics from New York to Florida and for Dolphin/Wahoo, from Maine to Florida.

The Meeting and Grants Coordinator/Office Assistant is responsible for all aspects of on-site support of various types of meetings, from public hearings to Council Meetings. Additionally, responsibilities include submission of grants and reports via the Federal Grants on-line system and general office support.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Assists the Administrative Officer and Technical Staff with support including but not limited to:

Selects, stages, loads, and transports recording and AV equipment to various meetings within our geographical area.

Sets up and operates the recording and AV equipment and troubleshoots as necessary. Takes roll of meeting participants for the record and ensures that Council Committee Chairs sign the certification pages of minutes.

Provides liaison between the meeting attendees and the hotel as necessary regarding the billing.

Submits grant reports to the regional office via Grants On-line. Coordinates our four states with the submission and proper documentation for payments under their annual contracts and provides documentation to the executive director for certification.

Coordinates the maintenance of all equipment with appropriate vendors, to include the copies, postage machines, and recording and AV equipment. Responsible for sending the landlord trouble tickets for repairs to the office as necessary.

Assists with running meetings via webinar.

Formats and tracks verbatim Council minutes to ensure that certification is documented.

Orders, tracks, and reconciles invoices and inventories for all purchases for the office.

Is available to travel an average of 14 weeks per year to meetings in support of Council and SEDAR activities.

Performs other general office duties, such as distributing mail, answering and directing phone calls, copying, and filing.

Prepares and distributes official office correspondence.

Performs other duties as assigned by the Administrative Officer.

Read more here

Florida recreational fishing survey improves data collection for Gulf red snapper

December 19, 2018 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Fisheries announced today the certification of a new survey design used to estimate Gulf red snapper caught by anglers fishing from private boats in Florida, building on an agency priority of collecting accurate and timely recreational fishing data.

Florida’s survey is one of several survey designs developed by the Gulf States in collaboration with NOAA Fisheries to supplement the agency’s Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) angler surveys as well as improve monitoring of the Gulf red snapper fishery.

“Red snapper are an important resource relied on by countless communities and businesses in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “This updated survey design, and others like it, will help the Department of Commerce and NOAA ensure that we will continue to enjoy this resource far into the future.”

“The certification of Florida’s new supplemental survey design, and similar efforts in other Gulf states, demonstrates NOAA’s commitment to collaborating with state and regional partners to advance recreational fishing data collection,” said retired Navy Rear Adm. Timothy Gallaudet, Ph.D., NOAA’s acting under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. “Working together to meet the states’ unique data needs helps improve data quality and provide fishing opportunities for generations to come.”

Once Florida and NOAA Fisheries collaboratively develop and implement a transition plan to integrate the Gulf Reef Fish Survey with the MRIP survey, the resulting estimates can be used in Federal stock assessments and fishery management actions. Moreover, the survey is now eligible for Federal funding, pending availability, to support implementation efforts and ongoing improvements.

To learn more about Florida’s Gulf Reef Fish Survey, similar efforts in other Gulf States and the Marine Recreational Information Program go to countmyfish.noaa.gov.

US fishing interests concerned over seismic air gun blasting in Atlantic Ocean

December 10, 2018 — A decision by NOAA Fisheries to issue five permits for seismic air gun blasting in the Atlantic Ocean has drawn sharp criticism from business and environmental leaders who fear the blasts could be harmful for fish and other marine wildlife.

The blasting will be used to conduct surveys that will provide data to oil and gas industry businesses, who may then seek to conduct offshore drilling in federal waters between Cape May, New Jersey and Cape Canaveral, Florida. President Trump opened the door for such exploration in an executive order last year.

“The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has responsibility for permitting geophysical surveys, and makes decisions about energy development in the waters of the outer continental shelf,” NOAA Fisheries said in a press release.

Observers will be aboard survey vessels and will notify operators if a protected species comes near the air guns. Shutdowns will be mandatory when certain species are seen.

However, opponents to the plan fear the blasts, which they claim can impact marine life thousands of miles away, will still be detrimental to marine life and those whose livelihoods depends on fishing. The Business Alliance for Protecting the Atlantic Coast said it represents 42,000 business and 500,000 fishing families along the Atlantic coast.

Read the full story at Seafood Source