Saving Seafood

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – Monday, August 24, 2020 – Groundfish Issues

August 17, 2020 — 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 via webinar on Monday, August 24, 2020 to discuss two groundfish-related issues.  The public is invited to listen live.  Here are the details.

START TIME:  9:30 a.m.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (415) 930-5321.  The access code is 792-543-455.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  The SSC will meet to:

  • Review recent stock assessment information from the U.S/Canada Transboundary Resources Assessment Committee (TRAC), review information provided by the Council’s Groundfish Plan Development Team (PDT), and recommend the overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for the 2021 and 2022 fishing years;
  • Review information provided by the Groundfish PDT on possible rebuilding approaches for white hake and review the basis for the range of alternative rebuilding strategies developed by the PDT; and
  • Discuss other business as necessary.

COMMENTS:  Written comments must be received by 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 20, 2020 for consideration at this meeting.  Address comments to Council Chairman Dr. John Quinn 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 August 24, 2020 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.

REMINDER – SSC SUB-PANEL PEER REVIEW:  A sub-panel of the SSC will meet via webinar on Friday, August 21, 2020 to conduct a peer review of the report titled Evaluating the Impact of Inaccurate Catch Information on New England Groundfish Management.  The Gulf of Maine Research Institute and collaborators prepared the report specifically for the Council under a Council-issued contract.  Webinar information and all related documents can be found at peer review.

Praise for Reduction in Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishing Capacity Reduction Buyback Loan

August 14, 2020 — Politicians are praising the recent news that NOAA Fisheries has reduced the outstanding principal balance on the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishing Capacity Reduction Buyback Loan. The loan has been reduced by nearly $6 million.

In 2000 the West Coast groundfish fishery was declared an economic disaster. In response, Congress authorized a $46 million buyout to reduce overcapacity. $36 million in funds was provided in the form of a loan that the remaining fishing vessels agreed to repay based on a 3.5%-5% fee on ex-vessel revenue over 30 years. Interest started accruing in March 2004, but NMFS did not implement a repayment system until September 2005. Vessels could not make any loan repayments during this time, which added $3.8 million in interest. And now, because of that error, those remaining vessels now owe over $13 million more than they would have if NMFS had immediately implemented a repayment system. The Pacific Coast groundfish industry has made payments of  more than $34 million towards the loan, but as of December 2019 still owed $22.4 million.

Read the full story at Seafood News

NEFMC Plans Outdoor In-Person Hearing for Groundfish Monitoring Amendment 23

August 13, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

Barring severe weather or changes in outdoor gathering restrictions issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the New England Fishery Management Council will hold an outdoor, in-person public hearing for Amendment 23 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan.

The hearing will be held on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 beginning at 3:00 p.m. It will take place under a large tent on the grounds of the Sheraton Four Points in Wakefield, MA.

NOW’S THE TIME: This is the last public hearing the Council will hold on Amendment 23 before taking final action during its September meeting. If extenuating circumstances prevent the Council from holding the hearing in person, the hearing will be conducted by webinar on the same day at the same time.

Read the full release here

September 8-11 and 14-18, 2020 PFMC Meeting Notice (Online) and Agenda Now Available

August 11, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC or Council) and its advisory bodies will meet September 8-11 and 14-18, 2020 online only, to address issues related to groundfish, Pacific Halibut, salmon, highly migratory species, coastal pelagic species, ecosystem, and administrative matters

Please see the September 8-11 and 14-18, 2020 Council meeting notice on the Council’s website for further updates and details regarding webinar participation; schedule of advisory body meetings, our E-Portal for submitting public comments, and public comment deadlines. There will be no meetings schedule during the weekend of September 12‐13, however, the meeting will continue daily on Monday, September 14 at 8 a.m. through Friday, September 18, 2020. Meetings of advisory bodies will also be conducted by online meetings based on the schedules in the agenda. There will be one opportunity for public comment daily in each of the online meetings.

Instructions for how to connect to the online meetings will be posted on the Council’s September 2020 Meeting webpage prior to the first day of the meeting.

Please note that the evolving public health situation regarding COVID‐19 may further affect the conduct of the September Council and advisory body meetings. Pacific Council staff will monitor COVID‐19 developments and will determine if there is a need for additional measures. If such measures are deemed necessary, Council staff will post notice of them prominently on our website (www.pcouncil.org). Potential meeting participants are encouraged to check the Pacific Council’s website frequently for such information and updates.

For further information

NOAA cancels surveys, angering fishermen

August 10, 2020 — A week after announcing the Aug. 14 redeployment of at-sea monitors aboard Northeast groundfish vessels, NOAA Fisheries said it is canceling four fisheries and ecosystem surveys over COVID-19 safety concerns for its staff.

“After much deliberation, we determined we will not be able to move forward with these surveys while effectively minimizing risk and meeting core survey objectives,” NOAA Fisheries said in a statement.

The cancellation of the surveys further angered fishing stakeholders already incensed by what they regard as NOAA Fisheries’s insensitivity toward health concerns of commercial fishermen in the push to redeploy at-sea monitors while the pandemic continues.

“NOAA doesn’t have anybody working in its offices and has canceled much of its on-the-water field work out of safety concerns for its staff,” Jackie Odell, executive director of the Gloucester-based Northeast Seafood Coalition, said Thursday. “Data is very important. Monitoring is very important. But at some point, NOAA has to understand that the lives of fishermen and their families don’t come second. That has to be a top priority.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

SSC Groundfish SubCommittee online meeting September 2, 2020

August 7, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Groundfish Subcommittee of the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold an online meeting to plan a later methodology review of elasmobranch harvest control rules and management reference points.  This online meeting is open to the public, and will be held Wednesday, September 2, 2020, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Pacific Time, or until business for the day has been completed.

Please see the SSC Groundfish Subcommittee meeting notice on the Council’s website for additional details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer John DeVore at 503-820-2413; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

Fishing council plans in-person meeting on monitoring

August 6, 2020 — The New England Fishery Management Council is exploring the possibility of hosting an in-person meeting for the last public hearing before it takes final action on the Northeast groundfish monitoring amendment in September.

The council has set three more public hearings before public comment closes Aug. 31 on Amendment 23, which will set at-sea monitoring levels throughout the fishery. The first two — this Thursday and Aug. 10 — will be via webinar, as were the first four.

The final public hearing on Aug. 26 could be switched to an in-person, outdoor session under a tent at a greater Boston location — but only if it can conform with current Massachusetts COVID-19 safety restrictions for public gatherings. If not, the final public hearing will proceed as a webinar.

“The decision whether to hold the meeting in-person and outdoors primarily will depend on the guidance of Gov. (Charlie) Baker of Massachusetts and whether Massachusetts changes its restrictions on public gatherings,” Janice Plante, council spokeswoman, said Tuesday. “We don’t want to put anybody in a compromised position.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Northeast Groundfish Retail sales recovering, but prices stay down

August 5, 2020 — “Well, we’ve had an interesting first part of the fishing year,” says Bert Jongerden, general manager of the Portland Fish Exchange on Maine’s waterfront. “Prices have been very weak — I’m surprised by how much the lack of restaurant markets is impacting the pricing of groundfish.”

Generally, Jongerden notes, “a groundfish trawler averages around $2 a pound. But, right now, trawlers are getting around $1.25 to 1.30 a pound. It’s about 65 percent off this year, compared to last year.” Amid the continuing covid-19 closures, supermarket retail has been steadier, but it hasn’t made up for restaurant demand.

As New York City markets are beginning to open back up, “pollock, haddock and hake are moving along pretty well, but at reduced prices while flatfish like dabs, grey sole and monk tails are weak,” says Jongerden.

It’s been challenging to find markets for flatfish, which are typically popular in restaurants as full-plate fish. Jongerden says challenges for flatfish markets are compounded by the fact that processors along the northeast coast are having difficulty getting flatfish cut and processed.

“Finding cutters was challenging before covid-19 hit, but the pandemic has exacerbated things,” he says. “Processors have to be careful now, using screens and adjusting so workers aren’t close to one another. It all has a trickle-down effect.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NEFMC August-September 2020 Meeting Lineup – Skates, Scallops, Groundfish, Herring, and More

August 3, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled numerous public hearings, advisory panel meetings, and committee meetings throughout August and September to address actions related to Atlantic sea scallops, groundfish, Atlantic herring, skates, habitat, ecosystem-based fishery management, and more. Webinar registration links and related documents are – or soon will be – posted on each of the respective hearing/meeting webpages. Here’s the lineup.

SKATES – Thursday, August 6: The Council’s Skate Committee will meet by webinar at 9:00 a.m. to continue developing and clarifying the problem statement, goals, and objectives for Amendment 5 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This action is considering whether to limit access to the skate wing and bait fisheries. Meeting materials and the webinar registration link are at Skates August 6.

Read the full release here

PFMC: Groundfish Management Team to hold online meeting August 25, 2020

July 29, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Groundfish Management Team (GMT) will hold an online meeting to discuss items on the Pacific Council’s September 2020 meeting agenda. The meeting is open to the public. The meeting will be held Tuesday, August 25, 2020, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, or until business for the day has been completed.

Please see the GMT online meeting notice on the Council’s website for purpose and participation details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Todd Phillips at 503-820-2426; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.