Saving Seafood

Cuomo threatens to sue if fluke quotas aren’t reallocated

October 11, 2017 — LONG ISLAND, New York — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo threatened Tuesday to sue the federal government if two interstate fishery-management agencies meeting in December fail to reach an “equitable” redistribution of the coastwide quota for fluke.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on Tuesday, Cuomo wrote it was “imperative” that the federal and interstate agencies take “immediate action” to “reallocate” the quota for fluke “in a fair and equitable manner or New York will be forced to take legal action to protect the interests of fishermen in this state.”

Cuomo gave the agencies until December to act. “If the December meetings do not result in a process for a dramatic increase [in] the commercial fluke allocation for New York, I will commence litigation and secure from the courts the rights of New York’s fishermen as a matter of law,” he wrote.

Read the full story at Newsday

New England Council Endorses 2018 U.S./Canada TACs; Receives Progress Report on Groundfish Framework 57, Monitoring Amendment

September 28, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council today accepted 2018 total allowable catches (TACs) for three groundfish stocks on Georges Bank (GB) that the U.S. shares with Canada – Eastern GB cod, Eastern GB haddock, and GB yellowtail flounder. The TACs were recommended by the U.S./Canada Transboundary Management Guidance Committee (TMGC) based on advice from the U.S./Canada Transboundary Resources Assessment Committee (TRAC). The U.S. has members on both the TMGC and the TRAC.

The TACs will be included in Framework Adjustment 57 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, which is still under development. The National Marine Fisheries Service must approve the TACs before they are implemented.

Proposed Fishing Year 2018 U.S./Canada TACs in Metric Tons (mt)

Eastern GB Cod

Eastern GB Haddock

GB Yellowtail Flounder

Total Shared TAC

951

40,000

300

U.S. TAC

257

15,600

213

Canada TAC

694

24,400

87

The allocation shares for 2018 are based on the following formula: historical catches weighted 10%; and resource distribution based on trawl surveys weighted 90%.

The TACs reflect the following changes from 2017 levels for U.S. quotas:

  • Eastern Georges Bank Cod: 111 mt increase
  • Eastern Georges Bank Haddock: 13,900 mt decrease
  • Eastern Georges Bank Yellowtail Flounder: 6 mt increase

Read the full release at the New England Fishery Management Council

Atlantic Menhaden Catch Limits May Get Overhaul

September 18, 2017 — A major overhaul could be coming in how menhaden are managed along the East Coast — one that might, for the first time, try to account for the ecological role of the small and oily fish.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which oversees migratory fish along the coast, is preparing to update its menhaden management plan this fall. It’s looking to revisit how the catch is distributed among states and fisheries and may adjust the catch limit for the Chesapeake. Public hearings on potential changes are scheduled for September, with written comments accepted through Oct. 20.

It should be noted that a July ruling by the U. S. Commerce Department has thrown into doubt the ASMFC’s authority in regulating fisheries. The federal ruling allowed New Jersey, one of the 15 states regulated by (and represented on) the ASMFC, to reject the commission’s harvest restrictions on Atlantic flounder, which has been declining since 2000. It’s the first time since the commission was authorized by Congress in 1993 to adopt and enforce coastwide harvest restrictions that a state has been allowed to ignore the commission’s harvest regulations. Fisheries managers are concerned that other states might follow suit if pressure from fishing interests is great enough.

Regarding menhaden, people generally don’t eat the small, oily fish, yet it has been the focus of heated debates in recent years over how many should be caught. By weight, menhaden are the largest catch in the Bay, primarily because Reedville, VA — home port of Omega Protein’s “reduction” fishing fleet — is where the fish are reduced (processed) into vitamin supplements, fish meal and other products.

Read the full story at Chesapeake Bay Magazine

Changes to cod, haddock, flounder quotas eyed in New England

September 18, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — Federal fishing regulators are planning a host of changes to the quota limits of several important New England fish, including cod.

New England fishermen search for cod in two key fishing areas, Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine. Regulators have enacted a series of cutbacks to the cod quota in those areas in recent years as cod stocks have dwindled.

This year, regulators want to trim the Georges Bank cod quota by 13 percent and keep Gulf of Maine’s quota the same.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at NH1

Federal Regulators Conduct Fishing Net Testing for Flounder

September 15, 2017 — WASHINGTON — A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research project in the Northeast was recently conducted to test the efficiency of different sweep types of fishing nets.

The team targeted summer flounder from Long Island to Nantucket and red hake in the western Gulf of Maine off Cape Ann.

Preliminary results show that smaller fish were caught more often using a chain sweep.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

Big Alaska salmon harvest about 5 percent more than forecast

September 12, 2017 — Alaska’s salmon season is nearly a wrap but fall remains as one of the fishing industry’s busiest times of the year.

For salmon, the catch of 213 million has surpassed the forecast by 9 million fish. High points include a statewide sockeye catch topping 50 million for the 10th time in history (37 million from Bristol Bay), and one of the best chum harvests ever at more than 22 million fish.

Total catches and values by region will be released by state fishery managers in November.

Hundreds of boats are now fishing for cod following Sept. 1 openers in Prince William Sound, Cook Inlet, Kodiak and throughout the Bering Sea.

Pollock fishing reopened to Gulf of Alaska trawlers Aug. 25. More than 3 billion pounds of pollock will be landed this year in Alaska’s Gulf and Bering Sea fisheries. Fishing also is ongoing for Atka mackerel, perch, various flounders, rockfish and more.

Read the full story at Alaska Dispatch News

RHODE ISLAND: Fisherman and scientists collaborate during voyage

September 8, 2017 — NARRAGANSETT – Last week, the fishing vessel Karen Elizabeth docked home in Point Judith following a 10-day voyage that involved the study of flat fish populations and the methods used to catch various species. Formulated by the Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel, a group made up of fishing industry professionals, government bodies and various fishing councils, the research was examining the number of summer flounder, winter flounder and red hake off the coast of New England. The resulting data will go on to better inform catch and population estimates of each species and came about due to the collaboration of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the local fishing industry.

On the NOAA side, John Manderson, a senior fisheries research biologist with specialties in field ecology, habitat ecology, fisheries ecosystem science and collaborative research working out of the organization’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in New Jersey, served as the chief scientist on the project. Chris Roebuck, operator of the Karen Elizabeth, was representing the fishing industry. The crew onboard the vessel totaled 10 members – five researchers and five fishing professionals.

The goal of the study was to develop a quantitative understanding of two different modes of ocean-floor species surveying – one approved by the federal government and one designed by the fishing community for maximum efficacy.  For this experiment, the third leg of the overall project, researchers were examining the catch rates of summer flounder, winter flounder and red hake. Previous and similar research conducted in 2015 was examining yellow-tail flounder and grey sole.

“My specialty has become collaborative research with the fishing industry,” said Manderson. “The reason for that is that at the scale of the ecosystem, experts in the fishing industry have much greater access to the ecosystem and as a result they have much better intuitions about what is going on in the ecosystem in real time, including changes in habitat occurring as a result of changes in climate, than we do. “

The fishing vessel Karen Elizabeth is a twin trawler equipped with two nets as close together as possible which can then be towed simultaneously at approximately the same speeds and for the same duration. These assets lend the boat well to research-based projects that involve comparing different survey methods literally side-by-side.

Read the full story at the Narragansett Times

 

NOAA Fisheries Removes the Northern and Southern Windowpane Flounder AMs for all Trawl Vessels

August 31, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective tomorrow, September 1, 2017, until February 28, 2018, non-groundfish trawl vessels fishing with a codend mesh size of 5 inches or greater are no longer required to use approved selective trawl gear (haddock separator trawl, rope separator trawl, or Ruhle trawl) in the large southern windowpane flounder Accountability Measure (AM) areas. For more information, read the permit holder bulletin and the emergency rule as filed in the Federal Register. 

Through a previous action, groundfish vessels may also fish in the AM areas without selective gear, effective September 1 2017 through April 30, 2018. While we were able to remove the accountability measures for the groundfish vessels through existing regulatory processes, an emergency rule was required to remove the accountability measures for non-groundfish trawl vessels. This emergency rule is intended to minimize economic harm to the fluke and scup fisheries.

NEW JERSEY: Freeholders Praise Washington’s Approval Of Flounder Limits

July 22, 2017 — The federal government’s decision to cap flounder fishing limits at levels favored by the state, county and local fishermen is a win for the entire Jersey Shore, Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari said.

“We are very pleased with this decision that maintains the limits that the state already imposes on daily flounder catches,” Vicari said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) earlier this month affirmed New Jersey’s summer-flounder fishing size, bag limits and the length of the fishing season, meaning all rules adopted by the state earlier this year will remain in effect through early September.

The decision also won final approval from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

In approving the state plan, Ross rejected a proposal to reduce the annual flounder haul by 34 percent and instead found that New Jersey’s existing rules are in compliance with the safe and sustainable management of summer flounder.

The Freeholders in April passed a resolution favoring the existing limits and rejecting the proposed 34 percent decrease, saying the change would have harmed the local tourism economy and done nothing to protect the flounder population.

Read the full story at Jersey Shore Online

Feds shutting down Massachusetts flounder fishery for year

July 19, 2017 — Federal fishing regulators are shutting down the summer flounder fishery in Massachusetts for the year because fishermen are nearing the end of their quota.

Summer flounder are the subject of a major commercial fishery on the East Coast, with fishermen bringing more than 10 million pounds of them to land most years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says Massachusetts fishermen are projected to meet or exceed their quota for the fish Wednesday.

The East Coast summer flounder fishery has been the source of a disagreement between the Trump administration and interstate fishing regulators in recent months. An interstate commission announced in June that it had found the New Jersey summer flounder fishery out of compliance with rules.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Jersey Herald