Saving Seafood

June 2021 PFMC (online) meeting notice and agenda now available

May 24, 2021 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC or Council) and its advisory bodies will meet June 21‐26 and 28‐30, 2021 by webinar only, to address issues related to groundfish, coastal pelagic species, highly migratory species, salmon, and administrative matters.

Please see the June 2021 Council meeting webpage 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 scheduled Sunday June 27th, however, the meeting will continue daily on Monday, June 28 at 8 a.m. through Wednesday June 30, 2021. Meetings of advisory bodies will also be conducted by online meetings based on the schedules in the agenda.

Instructions for how to connect to the online meetings will be posted on the Council’s June 2021 meeting webpage prior to the first day of the meeting.

For further information:

Attention Current and Future “Slinky Pot” Users: Update to Frequently Asked Questions to Promote Compliance with Biodegradable Panel Regulation

May 12, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has updated its FAQs regarding longline pot gear and the placement of biodegradable panels on “slinky pots.” The applicable regulation, 50 CFR 679.2 (definition of “authorized fishing gear” at (15)(i)), defines these as:

Biodegradable panel. Each pot used to fish for groundfish must be equipped with a biodegradable panel at least 18 inches (45.72 cm) in length that is parallel to, and within 6 inches (15.24 cm) of, the bottom of the pot, and that is sewn up with untreated cotton thread of no larger size than No. 30.

While round, tunnel-shaped “slinky pots” do not have a distinct top or bottom, NMFS has concluded that it is possible to configure them to comply with the regulation. Each pot used to harvest federally managed groundfish must be equipped with a biodegradable panel at least 18 inches (45.72 cm) in length that is sewn up with untreated cotton thread of no larger size than No. 30. Each 18” panel must be sewn into the mesh covering the frame of a tunnel-shaped pot on the curved surface of the pot (not on a tunnel end).

Under the existing regulation, wrapping the door closure of a pot with untreated cotton thread DOES NOT meet the regulatory definition of a biodegradable panel for any type of pot.

We encourage you to read the updated Frequently Asked Questions for the Longline Pot Gear GOA IFQ Sablefish Fishery. Question #8 contains example photographs of biodegradable panels on “slinky pots” that NMFS has found to be compliant.

PFMC Groundfish Management Team to hold online meeting June 10, 2021

May 7, 2021 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a webinar meeting of its Groundfish Management Team (GMT) to discuss items on the Pacific Council’s June 2021 meeting agenda.  This meeting is open to the public. The online meeting will be held on Thursday, June 10, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.  The scheduled ending time for this GMT meeting is an estimate, the meeting will adjourn when business for the day is completed.

Please see the meeting notice on the Council’s website for details.

For further information:

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

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – Tuesday, May 11, 2021 – Groundfish Issues – ABC Control Rules

May 4, 2021 — 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 issues related to groundfish.  The public is invited to listen live.  Here are the details.

WHEN:  Tuesday, May 11, 2021

START TIME:  9:00 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 (562) 247-8422.  The access code is 444-006-386.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  The SSC will meet to review the “Evaluation of Alternative Management Procedures for New England Groundfish,” which was conducted by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and may develop recommendations for modifying acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rules for groundfish for consideration by the New England Fishery Management Council.

COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Friday, May 7, 2021.  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 May 11, 2021 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.

NOAA Fisheries releases new video looking at environmental conditions in the Gulf of Alaska in 2020

May 4, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

More than 90 researchers and local community members contributed knowledge and information to help NOAA Fisheries scientists generate an ecosystem status report for the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem last year. This new video captures some of the high points of that report.

“We are excited to offer another way of sharing what we learned about ecosystem conditions in the Gulf of Alaska last year,” said Bridget Ferriss, Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem Status Report editor. “This video is a nice complement to our other communications products.”

For decades, scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center have been pulling together data for numerous indicators of ecosystem health including water temperature, plankton abundance, and seabird reproductive success. NOAA Fisheries and other scientists from other organizations monitor these indicators for the four marine ecosystems that surround Alaska–the Aleutian Islands, the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Arctic.

Every fall, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council sets catch limits for groundfish and crab in federal waters off Alaska for the upcoming fishing year. They base these decisions on scientific research and analysis including fish stock assessments, economic information on the commercial fishery, and these annual ecosystem assessments.

“Ecosystem assessments help us understand the context by explaining, among other things, how changes in the ecosystem might affect present and future abundance of commercially important fish and crab stocks,” said Ferriss.

For each of the Alaska Ecosystem Status Reports, a variety of indicators are evaluated annually. All of this information helps fisheries managers to determine what steps to take to ensure sustainable fish and crab fisheries while preserving the health of the overall ecosystem.

The goal of this video is to communicate our updated summary of ecosystem information beyond the Council, to the broader community.

Read the full release here

NEFMC Seeks Contractor for Habitat Climate Vulnerability Assessment Matrix and Species Narratives Development

May 3, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking the services of an independent contractor to develop informational products for fishery managers that integrate the results of three assessments:

  • The Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment (NHRA);
  • The Northeast Fish and Shellfish Climate Vulnerability Assessment (FSCVA); and
  • The Northeast Habitat Climate Vulnerability Assessment (HCVA).

This is a temporary contractor role, commencing on or about July 1, 2021, with expected completion by December 31, 2022.  The contractor will work closely with the Council’s Habitat Plan Coordinator, as well as other NHRA and HCVA investigators.  The application deadline is May 31, 2021.

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT: This project provides the New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils, which lead the Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment, with an opportunity to integrate the outputs from all three of the identified assessments for use in fisheries management.  The major objectives for this project are to:

  • Refine and advance a preliminary habitat-species vulnerability matrix; and
  • Develop species narratives for prioritized managed and forage species in the region.

The matrix will summarize which species use which habitat types, by life stage, and identify habitat and species climate vulnerabilities.  The species narratives will describe how the vulnerability of habitats to climate change may impact the vulnerability of those species, with a focus on species that are highly dependent on highly vulnerable habitats.

HOW MANY SPECIES ARE INVOLVED: The objective is to complete narratives for 50 species as part of this contract, with the remaining 20 species completed if possible, as resources permit.  A table containing the full list of species is available in the solicitation announcement.

TIMELINE: The timeline for this effort is July 2021 through December 2022, though most work is expected to be completed by July 2022 to align with the end date of the Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS: The Council is looking for candidates who have: (1) background in marine fisheries biology, ecology, habitat science, climate science, and/or habitat modeling, including knowledge of Greater Atlantic Region managed and forage species; (2) familiarity with the federal fisheries management in the Greater Atlantic Region, including a basic understanding of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and regulatory guidance; (3) strong writing skills and a demonstrated ability to summarize complex issues in clear, easily read documents; (4) a demonstrated ability to work well as part of a team but with considerable independence and initiative and strong interpersonal skills; and (5) the ability to research and compile fisheries habitat and scientific research with minimal supervision.

APPLICATION DETAILS: Interested professionals are encouraged to submit a letter of interest, current resume or curriculum vitae, examples of similar work completed for other organizations or publications, and a budget with expected expenses no later than May 31, 2021.

QUESTIONS: For more information, contact Executive Director Tom Nies at (978) 465-0492 ext. 113, tnies@nefmc.org, or Habitat Plan Coordinator Michelle Bachman at (978) 465-0492 ext. 120, mbachman@nefmc.org.

NOAA Fisheries Approves 16 Groundfish Sectors for Fishing Years 2021 and 2022 and Allocates Annual Catch Entitlements for Fishing Year 2021

April 29, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective May 1

NOAA Fisheries is approving fishing years 2021 and 2022 sector operations plans and contracts from 16 groundfish sectors, and granting 19 regulatory exemptions to improve the efficiency and flexibility of sector vessels. We are also allocating annual catch entitlements for fishing year 2021 based on Framework Adjustment 59 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. Annual catch entitlements may be modified based on the New England Fishery Management Council’s recommendations in Framework Adjustment 61, if approved, at a later date.

This action also amends the groundfish monitoring regulations to allow the use of electronic monitoring to meet sector monitoring requirements. NOAA Fisheries has determined that the electronic monitoring audit model is sufficient for use in place of at-sea monitors for catch accounting. Sector vessels may now choose to use either at-sea monitoring or electronic monitoring to meet monitoring requirements, provided that the vessels’ sector has a corresponding monitoring program approved as part of its fishing years 2021-22 sector operations plan.

For more information read the rule as filed in the Federal Register and our bulletin.

SSC’s Economics and Groundfish Subcommittees to hold online meeting May 26, 2021

April 28, 2021 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee’s (SSC) Economics and Groundfish Subcommittees will hold a meeting to review a new Quota Share Owners’ Cost Survey to inform decisions on the west coast limited entry trawl catch shares program and to do some initial planning on an upcoming review of the limited entry fixed gear sablefish program. The online meeting will be held Wednesday, May 26, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, and it will be open to the public.

Please see the meeting notice on the Pacific 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.

NEFMC Decides Against Limited Entry for Party/Charter Component of Recreational Groundfish Fishery

April 23, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will not be developing a limited entry program for party/charter vessels that participate in the recreational groundfish fishery. The decision was made during the Council’s April 13-15, 2021 webinar meeting.

The Council debated a motion to move ahead with limited entry and thoroughly discussed the advantages and potential drawbacks of using limited entry to manage the for-hire groundfish fleet. The final vote was 7-to-7 with two abstentions. Therefore, the motion failed for lack of a majority and, as such, the Council will not pursue work on a limited entry amendment. Here is a recap of how the Council got to this point.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Sets Fishing Year 2021 Management Measures for the Common Pool Groundfish Fishery

April 21, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective May 1

We are setting common pool possession and trip limits to ensure that the common pool groundfish fishery is able to fully utilize its available quotas. Effective on May 1, these possession and trip limits were developed based on the common pool sub-Annual Catch Limits set by Framework Adjustment 59 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. We also considered preliminary 2021 sector rosters, expected common pool participation, common pool fishing activity in previous fishing years, and that Framework 61 is still being considered for approval. During the fishing year, we will monitor common pool catches, and will adjust common pool management measures, as necessary.

Additionally, Northeast multispecies vessels may not target yellowtail flounder within the Closed Area II Yellowtail Flounder/Haddock Special Access Program (SAP) in fishing year 2021. Northeast multispecies vessels are not allowed to fish in this SAP using flounder trawl nets, but may fish in this SAP to target haddock with a haddock separator trawl, a Ruhle trawl, or hook gear. This SAP is open from August 1, 2021, through January 31, 2022.

Lastly, the Regular B Days-at-Sea (DAS) program is closed for fishing year 2021. During this closure, Northeast multispecies vessels may not declare or use regular B DAS.

For more details, read the notice as filed in the Federal Register and the permit holder bulletin.

Read the full release here