October 11, 2023 — Ten killer whales have been caught incidentally as bycatch by Alaska trawling vessels so far in 2023, only one of which survived, according to NOAA Fisheries.
The number of incidents – which took place between 6 May and 9 September – is higher than usual for such a short time period, raising alarms at the agency.
May 30, 2023 — The following was released by Blue Harvest Fisheries:
The newest, most modern vessel in the New England groundfish fishery, the F/V Nobska, has returned to port after its successful inaugural deployment. The vessel was acquired earlier this year by Blue Harvest Fisheries, as part of the company’s investment in the future of its groundfish operations.
The Nobska embarked on four back-to-back trips between April 7 and May 10, and landed 335,000 pounds of fish in its home port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, with additional landings in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The catch included several groundfish species, including monkfish, flounder, haddock, Acadian redfish, hake, and pollock. A series of three to four back-to-back trips, followed by a short break for maintenance and crew rest, is a typical operational plan for this vessel.
The Nobska sailed under the leadership of Captain Aldie Leeman, and with the same crew as before the Blue Harvest Fisheries acquisition.
“We’re very pleased with the performance of the Nobska on its maiden voyage, and are excited to see its future potential,” said Chip Wilson, CEO of Blue Harvest Fisheries. “We are confident in the future of the groundfish fishery, and vessels like the Nobska are an important part of that future.”
Blue Harvest Fisheries acquired the Nobska in February from Maine, where it previously operated as the Francis Dawn. Built in 2019, it is a state-of-the-art vessel that replaces an older Blue Harvest Fisheries vessel, also named the Nobska. It includes features like a modern electronics system, and a slurry ice/vat system for the fish hold that allows it to keep groundfish fresher for longer.
“This is the first step in implementing our long-term investment strategy for groundfish,” said Wilson. “With these investments Blue Harvest Fisheries will be able to consistently offer high-quality groundfish, like those just landed by the Nobska.”
Blue Harvest is also making plans to launch a sixth groundfish vessel, the Schelvis (named after the Dutch word for haddock). With a registered length of 85′, and gross tonnage of 175 tons, Schelvis was purchased as part of the company’s 2020 acquisition of 12 vessels and 27 fishing permits from the Carlos Rafael family. The vessel, which never fished under the Rafael family ownership, will make its first Blue Harvest Fisheries voyage upon completion of a $1.9 million upgrade. The Schelvis will be run by Captain Luke deWildt, who has 25 years of industry experience. He was previously captain of the F/V Teresa Marie III for 18 years, the last four under Blue Harvest Fisheries ownership.
Captain deWildt stated that he is “looking forward to the utilizing the upgrades on this newly renovated vessel,” which represents the newest class of vessels in the fishery. It will be safer for his crew, and with state-of-the-art equipment and electronics, he expects the Schelvis to be among the top performing vessels in the fishery.
May 10, 2023 — When the new fishing year began May 1, Northeast ground fishermen faced new regulations and management.
In Massachusetts, some people are hopeful that a new cadre of aspiring fishermen in Cape Cod are paying close attention. That’s because a training program, offered by the non-profit Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, is focused on bringing younger people into local fisheries — including learning about what it takes to enter into what has been described as “a graying fishery.” In New England, the average age of groundfish and lobster captains is 55 according to the New England Young Fishermen’s Alliance (NEYFA).
The Fishermen Training program offered by Cape Cod Fishermen’s Alliance links new or beginner fishermen to local fishing fleets, and offers potential opportunities in a very hands-on way. There was a time when everyone participating in the training might have been focused almost exclusively on learning about fishing on well-established species like cod and haddock. But, the dynamics of being a successful groundfisherman have shifted.
“I love hearing stories from the old timers about cod and haddock,” says Stephanie Sykes, the program and outreach coordinator of the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, “whereas now, our gillnet fleets tend to target skates and dogfish.”
The training program has adapted to the realities of Cape Cod’s fisheries, including less of a focus on cod. “There are a few boats that still groundfish,” adds Sykes, “but their business is usually diversified.” In other words, groundfishing remains part of the training, but it is one small part of the larger equation for Cape Cod fishermen.
“One of the things I’ve seen over the past five years is a pivot to really strongly supporting and encouraging the diversification of a fishing business, to withstand a pandemic, market gluts, and other things,” says Sykes. “Diversification creates a more resilient fishing business.” Sykes knows firsthand about the importance of diversification now, as she is a commercial fisherman who used to gillnet for groundfish — but nowadays, focuses more on conch and black sea bass.
In places like Cape Cod, where the name reveals the one-time dominance of cod, shifting to and then educating consumers about other local (but less known) sustainable fish, such as hake, is one part of the solution. According to NOAA data, Atlantic cod was plentiful in the past, but by 2021, the catch dropped to about 1.3 million pounds harvested (valued at $2.9 million) — the lowest haul in recorded history. A 2019 stock assessment revealed that the Gulf of Maine cod was making “inadequate progress” toward rebuilding.
The regulatory New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), alongside various policy, management and commercial fishing partners, have been working for some time to rebuild Gulf of Maine cod. However, council spokeswoman Janice Plante says “the stock is classified ‘overfished,’ meaning the biomass is below where it should be, with ‘overfishing occurring,’ meaning fishing mortality is too high, since 2011, as well as in some of the years before that.”
April 28, 2023 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet by webinar to discuss issues related to groundfish, National Standard Guideline revisions, and other topics. The public is invited to listen live. Here are the details.
WHEN: Friday, May 5, 2023
START TIME: 9:30 a.m.
WEBINAR REGISTRATION: Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live. There is no charge to join the meeting through this webinar. The Remote Participation Guide is posted here.
CALL-IN OPTION: To listen by telephone, dial +1 (415) 930-5321. The access code is 916-377-054. Your regular phone charges will apply.
AGENDA: The SSC will meet to discuss:
COMMENTS: The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Address comments to Council Chair Eric Reid or Executive Director Tom Nies and email them to comments@nefmc.org. Additional information is available in the meeting notice.
MATERIALS: All documents for this meeting will be posted on the SSC May 5, 2023 meeting webpage.
QUESTIONS: Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492, ext. 101, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.
December 15, 2022 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council selected final measures for Framework Adjustment 65 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan when it met December 5-8, 2022 in Newport, RI. The Council also voted to submit the framework to NOAA Fisheries for approval and implementation. The framework will guide the 2023 fishing year for groundfish, which begins on May 1. Several provisions and specifications in this action will apply to fishing years 2024, 2025, and beyond.
Gulf of Maine Cod:
Gulf of Maine cod is overfished and experiencing overfishing. Framework 65 contains a new 10-year rebuilding plan, which has a 70% probability of rebuilding this stock by 2033. The strategy: (1) utilizes a fishing mortality rate set at 60% of what the rate is that would produce maximum sustainable yield; and (2) produces a fishing mortality rate of 0.104, which is very low and will continue to result in low catch limits during the 10-year rebuilding period.
The Council initially considered a higher fishing mortality rate of 0.121 for Gulf of Maine cod as recommended by its Groundfish Committee. However, the higher rate, while still extremely restrictive, resulted in a lower probability of stock rebuilding during the 10-year period and led to higher catch limits.
After fully debating the best course forward, the Council agreed by consensus to adopt the lower fishing mortality rate to offer more protection for Gulf of Maine cod and give the stock a better chance of rebuilding.
This new rebuilding plan will not change the 551 metric ton (mt) acceptable biological catch (ABC) that the Council adopted for fishing years 2023 and 2024. Allocations to the fishery will be based on these existing ABC values, which the Council supported in part because of uncertainty over stock projections. Also, the 551 mt ABCs will promote stock rebuilding since they are lower than they would be if calculated under the new fishing mortality rate in the rebuilding plan.
The rebuilding plan will begin in 2024 and remain in place for 10 years unless the Council is notified by NOAA Fisheries that Gulf of Maine cod is rebuilt or the plan is modified.
November 15, 2022 — Fishermen from the U.S. state of New Jersey who oppose a federal regulation requiring them to pay for monitors to oversee their trips have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up their case.
The New Jersey herring fishermen say a federal law gives NOAA the ability to make them pay up to USD 700 (EUR 680) per day to cover the costs of the monitors – which they claim is often more than what captains and crew members can earn on their trips.
June 22, 2022 — Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, have announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s approval of up to $52 million in Pacific and Alaskan groundfish purchases.
The USDA will buy cod, haddock, pollock, and flounder to supplement the federal government’s food-assistance programs as part of its Section 32 program.
Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act authorizes a percentage of customs receipts to be transferred to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to support the prices of surplus domestic commodities and to distribute those commodities through various USDA programs designed to feed hungry Americans.
June 16, 2022 — Western Alaska villagers have endured the worst chum salmon runs on record, several years of anemic Chinook salmon runs in the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers, harvest closures from the Bering Sea coast to Canada’s Yukon Territory and such dire conditions that they relied on emergency shipments of salmon from elsewhere in Alaska just to have food to eat.
Many of those suffering see one way to provide some quick relief: Large vessels trawling for pollock and other groundfish in the industrial-scale fisheries of the Bering Sea, they say, must stop intercepting so many salmon.
Advocates for tighter rules on those interceptions, known as bycatch, made their case over the past several days to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the organization that manages fish harvests in federal waters off Alaska.
‘Like fishing in the desert’
“The numbers are really low. There’s nothing out there. It’s like fishing in the desert,” Walter Morgan, of the Yup’ik village of Lower Kalskag, said in online testimony to the council, which met in Sitka.
Read the full story at the the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman
June 15, 2022 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:
Reminder! Groundfish Subcommittee of the SSC to hold online workshop June 21-23, 2022
The Groundfish Subcommittee of the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council’s) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold a workshop to develop methods for constructing abundance indices based on hook-and-line surveys. Additionally, the SSC Groundfish Subcommittee will review the Species Distribution Model in Template Model Builder. The workshop and methodology review meeting will be held Tuesday, June 21, 2022 through Thursday, June 23, 2022 beginning at 8 a.m. and continuing until 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time or until business for the day has been completed. Both the workshop and methodology review meeting sessions are open to the public.
For further information:
•Please see the meeting notice on the Pacific Council’s website.
•Questions? contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer John DeVore at 503-820-2413; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.
June 3, 2022 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee will meet by webinar to discuss the Council’s 2022-2026 Research Priorities and several other important issues. The public is invited to listen live. Here are the details.
WHEN: Tuesday, June 7, 2022
START TIME: 1:00 p.m.
WEBINAR REGISTRATION: Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live. There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar. The Remote Participation Guide is posted here.
CALL-IN OPTION: To listen by telephone, dial +1 (631) 992-3221. The access code is 827-025-783. Please be aware that if you dial in using this number without joining the webinar at the link above, you will be unable to speak during opportunities for public comment. Your regular phone charges will apply.
AGENDA: The SSC will meet to:
MATERIALS: All documents for this meeting are posted on the SSC June 7, 2022 meeting webpage.
QUESTIONS: Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492, ext. 101, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.