Saving Seafood

Warning for seafood lovers: Beware of toxic fish

February 9, 2017 — When you think of what can hurt you in the ocean, chances are sharks come to mind.  But a more likely threat to your health is something that you can’t see: tiny toxins found on algae called ciguatoxins.

Researchers are Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero have been taking a close look at ciguatoxins, which can make you sick, and in rare cases be deadly.

FGCU Marine Science professor Dr. Michael Parsons tells 4 In Your Corner he’s done a theoretical calculation to give an idea of just how toxic we’re talking.  “If you had purified ciguatoxin, you would need, say, just 150 pounds of it to kill everybody on the planet,” says Parsons.

Read the full story at FOX 4

SOUTH ATLANTIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL: Reminder – Public Hearing/Scoping Meetings Begin This Week in Florida

January 23, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Join local representatives from the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and Council staff as public hearing and scoping meetings continue this week along Florida’s east coast.

The Council is holding a series of public hearing/scoping meetings to collect public input on proposed management measures for yellowtail snapper, red snapper options and the Vision Blueprint for the snapper grouper fishery.

Monday, January 23 

Lexington Hotel & Conference Center

1515 Prudential Drive

Jacksonville, FL

Tuesday, January 24

Hilton Cocoa Beach

1550 N. Atlantic Ave.

Cocoa Beach, FL

Wednesday, January 25

Flagler Place

201 S.W. Flagler Ave.

Stuart, FL

Thursday, January 26

Hilton Key Largo

97000 Overseas Hwy.

Key Largo, FL

Read the full release at the SAFMC

NOAA Fisheries Announces a Commercial Trip Limit for Dolphin in the Atlantic

December 30, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

The final rule implementing Regulatory Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic (Regulatory Amendment 1) will publish in the Federal Register on December 30, 2016 (81 FR 96388). The final rule becomes effective on January 30, 2017.

The final rule establishes a commercial trip limit for dolphin of 4,000 pounds whole weight after 75 percent of the commercial sector annual catch limit has been reached. The trip limit applies to dolphin caught commercially from Maine through the east coast of Florida. The trip limit remains in place until the end of the fishing year or until the entire commercial annual catch limit is met, whichever comes first. The purpose of the trip limit is to reduce the chance of an in-season closure of the dolphin commercial sector as a result of the annual catch limit being reached during the fishing year, and to reduce the severity of social and economic impacts caused by these closures.

For more information on Regulatory Amendment 1, please visit the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office Website here.

University of South Florida to study how commercial fishermen were affected economically by BP oil spill

December 27, 2016 — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Six years ago, when the Deepwater Horizon disaster forced the federal government to close off vast tracts of the Gulf of Mexico to fishing, some commercial fisherman weighed anchor and tried their luck elsewhere. Others quit fishing to work for BP on the cleanup.

But exactly how many did which, and what impact that had on their finances, has never been gauged.

Now, thanks to a $1 million grant, marine scientists from the University of South Florida, the University of Miami and University of California will try to figure that out. They will examine data that they expect will help them understand how the oil spill affected fishermen economically.

The researchers hope to learn how many tried a new fishing area and how many worked on the cleanup, and which paid better.

The grant from the National Academies of Science would then allow them to create a computer model to calculate how future oil spills might hurt the fishing industry in other areas, said Steve Murawski, a USF fisheries biologist who has overseen numerous projects related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.

“Say five years from now there’s a proposal for drilling off Florida,” Murawski said. “We could make a projection that if there’s a spill, what would be the impact on the counties there.”

The Deepwater Horizon disaster began in April 2010 with an explosion that killed 11 crew members. The rig sank 5,000 feet to the bottom of the gulf and began gushing oil.

Because the leak happened so far from the surface, BP could not immediately shut it off. Underwater robots sent down to monitor the spill broadcast live footage of the oil gushing from the rig, footage shown around the world.

Read the full story at the Tampa Bay Times

Feds spreading turtle-protection rules to more shrimp boats

December 16, 2016 — The federal government is tightening rules that make many shrimping boats use devices that keep sea turtles from dying in their nets.

The new rules could eventually save 2,500 turtles per year, said an announcement being published Friday in the Federal Register.

The change was made to settle a lawsuit that the activist environmental group Oceana filed last year, claiming old rules violated the Endangered Species Act by not addressing some deaths caused by shrimping in southeastern states.

Many shrimpers have used safety equipment called turtle-excluder devices for decades, but others have been exempt from rules requiring them. The new rules require the devices on skimmer trawls, pusher-head trawls and butterfly trawls, except for boats doing a different, shallow type of fishing in Miami’s Biscayne Bay.

The new rules are expected to affect about 5,800 boats.

On the Atlantic coast, the rules are projected to cost owners of affected boats an average of $1,365 in the first year, more than $1,200 of that being the cost of TED equipment.

The changes “may be a necessary and advisable action to conserve threatened and endangered sea turtle species,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in announcing the new rules.

All sea turtles in America’s coastal waters are considered either endangered or threatened.

The rule changes are targeted at shrimpers in the South.

Read the full story at The Florida Times-Union

NOAA Seeks Public Comment for Proposed Rule to Require Turtle Excluder Device Use for Skimmer Trawls, Pusher-Head Trawls, and Wing Nets (Butterfly Trawls)

December 16, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

In an effort to strengthen sea turtle conservation efforts, NOAA Fisheries is seeking comments on a newly proposed rule.  The rule, if implemented, would require all skimmer trawls, pusher-head trawls, and wing nets (butterfly trawls) to use turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in their nets.  A TED is a device that allows sea turtles to escape from trawl nets.  The purpose of the proposed rule is to aid in the protection and recovery of listed sea turtle populations by reducing incidental bycatch and mortality of sea turtles in the southeastern U.S. shrimp fisheries.

Vessels participating in the Biscayne Bay wing net fishery in Miami-Dade County, Florida would be exempt from this rule because they operate by sight fishing and the agency does not currently believe this fishery presents a threat to sea turtles.

To further support the proposed rule, NOAA Fisheries also prepared a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), which includes:

  • a description of the purpose and need for evaluating the proposed action and other potential management alternatives;
  • the science and data used in the analyses, background information on the physical, biological, human, and administrative environments; and
  • a description of the effects of the proposed action and other potential management alternatives.

Request for Comments

The proposed rule and a notice of availability on the DEIS were published in the Federal Register on December 16, 2016.  Written comments on the DEIS and proposed rule must be received no later than January 30 and February 14, 2017, respectively, to be considered by NOAA Fisheries Service.  All comments received by NOAA Fisheries Service will be addressed in the final rule and final environmental impact statement.  Electronic copies of the proposed rule or the DEIS may be obtained from the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov and the NOAA Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office’s website http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pr.htm.

Public Hearings

We have scheduled six public hearings in January 2017 to solicit public comment on the proposed rule.  The dates, times, and locations of the hearings are as follows:

  1. Larose, LA – January 9, 2017, 4pm-6pm, Larose Regional Park and Civic Center, 307 East 5th Street, Larose, LA 70373.
  2. Gretna, LA – January 10, 2017, 12pm-2pm, Coastal Communities  Consulting, Inc., 925 Behrman Highway, Suite 15, Gretna, LA 70056.
  3. Belle Chasse, LA – January 10, 2017, 4pm-6pm, Belle Chasse Community Center, 8398 Highway 23, Belle Chasse, LA 70037.
  4. Biloxi, MS – January 11, 2017, 4pm-6pm, Biloxi Visitor’s Center, 1050 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi MS 39530.
  5. Bayou La Batre, AL – January 12, 2017, 10am-12pm, Bayou La Batre  Community Center, 12745 Padgett Switch Road, Bayou La Batre, AL 36509.
  6. Morehead City, NC – January 18, 2017, 12pm-2pm, Crystal Coast Civic  Center, 3505 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC 28557.

How to Submit Comments

You may submit comments by either of the following methods.  Comments received through other means may not be considered.

Electronic Submissions:  Federal e-Rulemaking Portal:

http://www.regulations.gov

  • Enter the following docket number into the “Search” box:  NOAA-NMFS-2016-0151.
  • Select the appropriate title, and click “Submit a Comment.”  This will display the comment webform.
  • Attachments to electronic comments (up to 10 MB) will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

Mail:  Michael C. Barnette, NOAA Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, Protected Resources Division, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5505.

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Recognizes Law Enforcement Officer of the Year

December 9, 2016 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council awarded its annual Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award to Special Agent Richard Chesler during the Council’s meeting this week in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. The annual award recognizes distinctive service, professionalism, and dedication to enforcing fisheries regulations in the South Atlantic. Special Agent Chesler is a criminal investigator assigned to NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement Southeast Division in Port Orange, Florida.

“The Council recognizes the important role that law enforcement plays in effective fisheries management,” said Council Chair Dr. Michelle Duval. “We are fortunate to have dedicated men and women working tirelessly in the field and behind the scenes, at both the state and federal level to help protect our marine resources. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to present the award to Agent Chesler, who has exemplified these characteristics throughout his law enforcement career.”

Special Agent Chesler began his career nearly two decades ago as a U.S. Coast Guard recruit, working counter-drug and U.N. Sanction enforcement in the Caribbean, Eastern Pacific and Northern Arabian Gulf. His duties also included working as a boarding officer enforcing fisheries regulations in the frigid waters off the coast of Alaska, where he developed a passion for natural resources. After leaving active duty, Chesler pursued his interests in conservation by accepting a position as patrol officer for the National Park Service Park Police in the Washington DC area. Before becoming a Special Agent with NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement in 2003 he also worked as a deputy U.S. Marshal.

As a Special Agent for NOAA Fisheries Chesler conducts complex criminal and civil investigations of violations of federal fisheries law under the Magnuson-Stevens Act as well as those impacting endangered species, marine mammals, and regulations covered under the Lacey Act. He also works field enforcement including patrols and surveillance and provides liaison and training as part of the joint enforcement agreement (JEA) with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, working closely with the offshore patrol vessel program. Agent Chesler shares his subject matter expertise on fisheries with the U.S. Coast

Guard Sector Jacksonville operations and intelligence departments. With an outgoing personality, SA Chesler has coordinated or participated in numerous outreach events, presented to the Council on law enforcement issues, and authored the law enforcement component of the Oculina Evaluation Plan, outlining enforcement approaches for the managed area.

Since joining NOAA Enforcement he earned a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida and combines his education and unique field experience to provide high-level enforcement training at the state and federal level. Because of his reputation as an instructor, Agent Chesler was selected to participate in international enforcement capacity building for living marine resources, providing training in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Brazil.

“SA Chesler’s tireless work ethic, outstanding liaison with partner agencies, and willingness to take on additional leadership responsibilities has significantly contributed to the overall success of NOAA’s Southeast Office of Law Enforcement,” said Manny Antonaras, Deputy Special Agent in Charge. Chesler recently volunteered for and performed as an acting supervisor. He has also been instrumental in streamlining the processing time for case packages, leading to faster issuance of summary settlements.

“It is both an honor and privilege to join the elite group of fisheries enforcement professionals who have received this award,” said Chesler. “This award is a reflection of the outstanding partnerships I enjoy with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard.  For me, I see it as a team award, I’m just the person accepting it”.

The Council initiated the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award in 2010. Nominees may be submitted from each of the southeastern state law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard, and NOAA Fisheries. The Council’s Law Enforcement Advisory Panel selected three of the nominees for 2015 consideration by the Council. The other nominees were Officer Amos Williams with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Marine Patrol and Officer Clay McDonough with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

NORTH CAROLINA: Shark’s 8,500-mile odyssey ends on a fisherman’s hook

December 8, 2016 — A mako shark caught by commercial fishermen off North Carolina traveled more than 8,500 miles after a tracking device was attached 18 months earlier, an ocean research group says.

Researchers studying shark migrations for the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., attached the device to the female shark’s dorsal fin in mid-2015 near Ocean City, Md.

A donation to the institute by Heather Finke sponsored the tag in honor of Charlotte Latin School.

A commercial long-line fishing boat caught the shark near Manns Harbor last month. The last of the tag’s 265 data transmissions from the sea to an orbiting satellite was recorded on Nov. 24.

Data show the shark swimming up and down the East Coast (click mako sharks > W. North Atlantic > Charlotte) between North Carolina and Rhode Island, making one big loop into the Atlantic north of Bermuda last spring. It traveled an average of 15 miles a day over 557 days.

“We’re happy to have recovered the satellite tag, but disappointed about the loss of the mako,” said executive director Greg Jacoski of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which supplies the tags. “It’s important for us to recover tags because of the value they have for our research efforts.”

5,000-year-old corals are now threatened

December 1, 2016 — Coral genotypes can survive for thousands of years, possibly making them the longest-living animals in the world.

Researchers have determined the ages of elkhorn corals, Acropora palmata, in Florida and the Caribbean and estimated the oldest genotypes to be more than 5,000 years old. The results are useful for understanding how corals will respond to current and future environmental change.

“Our study shows, on the one hand, that some Acropora palmata genotypes have been around for a long time and have survived many environmental changes, including sea-level changes, storms, sedimentation events, and so on,” says Iliana Baums, associate professor of biology at Penn State.

“This is good news because it indicates that they can be very resilient. On the other hand, the species we studied is now listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act because it has suffered such sharp population declines, indicating that there are limits to how much change even these very resilient corals can handle.”

Many people mistake corals for plants or even non-living rocks, but corals actually consist of colonies of individual invertebrate animals living symbiotically with photosynthetic algae.

Read the full story at Futurity

Population Recovery of 800-Pound Groupers Not Entirely Welcome

November 28th, 2016 — After many years of a fishing ban in the U.S. on this endangered species, the goliath grouper population is recovering as sports fishermen and charter boat operators in the Keys report that the 800-pound fish has been causing big trouble according to National Geographic.

Fished to near-extinction in its western north Atlantic habitat by 1990, the goliath grouper was listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Goliath groupers, long-lived fish that could reach 40 years old, can grow up to eight feet in length.

“There are a lot of spots we don’t go to anymore because you won’t catch anything,” said Brice Barr, a charter boat skipper and president of the Key West Charter Fishermen’s Association. “The goliaths will catch every single fish that you hook. They hear the sound of our boats and that’s the dinner bell. They know they are going to get fed.”

Groupers are also blamed for the Florida reef’s dwindling snapper and smaller grouper stock, leading fisherman to petition for the fishing ban to be lifted. “They’re not selective in what they eat,” Barr continued. “If you ask most fishermen, they say we need to get rid of the goliath. These top predators are becoming so protected, they are starting to prey more and more on the rest of the fish.”

Read the full story at Nature World News