Saving Seafood

Diversifying the catch seen as more important than ever for Maine’s fishery

February 23, 2022 — While lobster dominates Maine’s seafood economy, threats to the industry suggest that improving the diversity of the state’s seafood production is an important solution to consider.

The lobster catch in Maine broke a record last year at $725 million, up more than $312 million from 2020. But concerns about the future of the industry are looming with new regulations that have been imposed to protect right whales.

More concern surfaced when the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, based in California, said it is considering adding the North American lobster to its “red list,” which means Maine’s lobster fishery would lose its sustainability label.

The preliminary report on the American lobster, which questions the impact lobster traps have on right whales in the Gulf of Maine, remains under consideration and is open to public comment through the end of March.

Maine’s lobster fishery is currently rated “yellow,” meaning it’s OK to buy, but consumers should be aware of “concerns” regarding how the product is caught or managed.

Read the full story at the Portland Phoenix

Rep. Pingree, New England lawmakers urge Biden administration to study sustainable offshore wind development

February 22, 2022 — Rep. Chellie Pingree and other New England lawmakers are pressuring federal ocean regulators charged with siting offshore wind energy projects to pay close attention to the health of Gulf of Maine ecosystems and fishermen.

Pingree chairs a House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s budget, and she’s concerned that with the Biden administration’s push to open up new offshore leases as soon as 2024, the gulf’s ecosystems and economies might get overlooked.

Read the full story at Maine Public

NEFMC Initiates Action for HAPC in Southern New England; Discusses Great South Channel Habitat Management Area

February 18, 2022 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will be developing a Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) in Southern New England to place additional conservation focus on Council-managed species that rely on essential fish habitat (EFH) within this area, which is south of Cape Cod.

During its February 1-3, 2022 webinar meeting, the Council initiated a framework adjustment to pursue the new HAPC. It also:

  • Discussed the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area (HMA) and the clam industry’s request for additional access to the HMA beyond the current three exemption areas;
  • Received a summary of the white paper titled “Habitat Management Considerations for the Northern Edge of Georges Bank,” which will help inform future discussions if the Council decides to consider habitat management changes on the Northern Edge as a work priority down the road;
  • Received an update on offshore wind activities in the Greater Atlantic Region (see presentation);
  • Was informed that the Council was finalizing its comment letter on the Amitié Subsea Cable project, which runs between Massachusetts and France and the United Kingdom; and
  • Agreed to submit a comment letter on the Running Tide Technology project, which proposes to grow kelp on the northwestern portion of Fippennies Ledge in the Gulf of Maine.

Read the full release from the NEFMC

5-Year Reviews for the Gulf of Maine, New York Bight, and Chesapeake Bay Distinct Population Segments (DPS) of Atlantic Sturgeon

February 17, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries is releasing the 5-Year Reviews for the Gulf of Maine, New York Bight, and Chesapeake Bay Distinct Population Segments (DPS) of Atlantic sturgeon. These reviews summarize and evaluate new information on the status of each DPS and its major threats, using new data that has become available since the DPSs were listed in 2012.

Each DPS continues to be at a low level of abundance, and stressors including bycatch, vessel strikes, habitat loss and alteration, and global climate change lead us to recommend that the Gulf of Maine DPS remains listed as threatened, and the New York Bight and Chesapeake Bay DPSs remain listed as endangered. The reports further identify recommendations for future actions to promote the recovery of each of the Gulf of Maine, New York Bight, and Chesapeake Bay DPSs of Atlantic sturgeon. The 5-year reviews for the Carolina and South Atlantic DPSs of Atlantic sturgeon are on-going.

 

Webinar to outline changes to the Northern Gulf of Maine scallop fishery

February 16, 2022 — The Maine Fishermen’s Forum is hosting a webinar on Thursday, Feb. 17, which will outline changes to the scallop fishery of the Northern Gulf of Maine in which many Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts fisherman participate.

Many scallopers work out of Gloucester to be closer to the fishing grounds. The new measures start April 1, and the webinar will be an educational session to make scallopers aware of the changes.

The webinar, organized by the New England Fishery Management Council, is scheduled to run from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Panelists scheduled are Jonathan Peros, scallop lead for NEFMC; Travis Ford, scallop lead for the Greater Atlantic Fisheries Office of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS/NOAA Fisheries); and Jessica Blaylock, industry-funded scallop observer program lead at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center of NOAA Fisheries.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

NEFMC Recommends Recreational Measures for Gulf of Maine Cod, Haddock for 2022; Discusses Atlantic Cod Stock Structure

February 14, 2022 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council met February 1-3, 2022 by webinar and devoted the entire third day of the meeting to groundfish issues. In short, the Council:

  • Developed recommendations on recreational fishing measures for Gulf of Maine cod and Gulf of Maine haddock for the 2022 fishing year for consideration by the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) of NOAA Fisheries, which consults with the Council but is responsible for setting the measures;
  • Received a presentation on the 2021 Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Science/Assessment and Management Workshops, as well as the resulting draft final report;
  • Received a progress report from the Atlantic Cod Research Track Working Group; and
  • Engaged in an extensive discussion on potential management units for Atlantic cod based on the recent work on stock structure. The Council gave the Groundfish Committee a specific charge for considering next steps, which the full Council will review and discuss during the April 2022 meeting.

Read the full release from the NEFMC

Maine Forum to Host Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Webinar on February 17; Fisheries Leadership Session on March 23

February 10, 2022 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The Maine Fishermen’s Forum will be hosting two webinars of direct interest to the New England Fishery Management Council’s stakeholders. One will focus on the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) scallop fishery and the other will provide an opportunity for fishermen and other webinar participants to have an open dialogue with NOAA Fisheries leadership.

Due to COVID-19 concerns, the forum’s board of directors canceled the March 2022 in-person event but made way for educational virtual seminars with remote participation by those who tune in via Zoom. Here are the details for the webinar lineup.

NORTHERN GULF OF MAINE SCALLOP FISHERY: This webinar, which is titled “Upcoming Changes to the Management of the Federal Scallop Fishery in the Northern Gulf of Maine,” will take place on Wednesday, February 17, 2022 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

WHO ARE THE PANELISTS?

• Jonathon Peros, scallop lead for the New England Fishery Management Council and organizer of this webinar session;

• Travis Ford, scallop lead for the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS/NOAA Fisheries); and

• Jessica Blaylock, industry-funded scallop observer program lead at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center of NOAA Fisheries.

Read the full release from the NEFMC

Gulf of Maine waters spiked to record warm temperatures in fall 2021

February 3, 2022 — Anyone who enjoyed the ocean last fall may have noticed the water felt unseasonably warm. That’s because it was.

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute reported last month that between September and November 2021, the sea surface temperatures of water off the coast of Maine were the warmest ever recorded.

How much warmer are we talking about? Close to six degrees Fahrenheit warmer on any given day than the average, according to David Reidmiller, Climate Change Director at GMRI. The sea surface temperatures hovered around 60 degrees almost through the month of October.

Warming ocean waters are a global trend, but in 2010 scientists really started to notice an increase in the warming trend in the Gulf of Maine, which lies from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia and extends several miles into the open ocean.

Read the full story at News Center Maine

 

Fishing industry, regulators back lobster fishing fund plan

February 1, 2022 — Members of Maine’s fishing industry and state regulators testified Tuesday in favor of the creation of a new $30 million fund to help lobster fishermen cope with new rules meant to protect whales.

Federal rules make an approximately 950-square-mile (2,460-square-kilometer) area of the Gulf of Maine essentially off limits to lobster fishing from October to January. A proposal from Democratic Rep. Holly Stover would create the fund to provide grants to lobstermen and other fishermen affected by the rules.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

 

New England Fishery Management Council to meet for three days next week

January 28, 2022 — The New England Fishery Management Council will hold its February meeting over the course of three days next week with opportunities for the public to listen live and provide input.

The council will also devote the meeting’s third day meeting to groundfish issues, allowing for extensive discussion of the final report from the Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Workshops, and important issues related to the 2023 Atlantic Cod Research Track Assessment, according to a press release. The council will also make recommendations on recreational measures for Gulf of Maine cod and Gulf of Maine haddock for the 2022 fishing year.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times