Gulf of Maine Archives - Page 65 of 99

Maine: Big changes in store for herring fishery

December 20, 2017 — ELLSWORTH, Maine — For such a small fish, herring play a critical role in the ecosystem of the Gulf of Maine. Only a few inches long, the plankton-eating fish are an important prey species, providing food for top marine predators, and are an important source of bait for Maine’s $547 million lobster industry.

In the Gulf of Maine, besides feeding whales, seals, harbor porpoises and dolphins, herring, particularly juvenile herring, provide a principal source of food for sea birds such as Atlantic puffins, razorbills, common terns and Arctic terns. Much of their catch is fed to young birds still in the nest.

In the water itself, top predators such as bluefin tuna, bluefish and striped bass, as well as cod, hake, pollock, dogfish and many species of shark, feed on herring.

Man is another top predator that relies on herring. In 2016, fishermen landed more than 77 million pounds of herring in Maine, most of it to be used as lobster bait, and most of it caught by trawlers fishing far offshore. That number is down from 103.5 million pounds just three years ago.

Not surprisingly, the price of lobster bait has climbed significantly. According to the Department of Marine Resources, the price of herring increased 57 percent between 2014 and 2016, and lobstermen saw the price of herring increase by a third or more, according to Maine Lobstermen’s Association President David Cousens.

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander

Boat noise silencing cod, haddock love songs

December 19, 2017 — Communication among cod comes in the form of vocalized grunts. And for haddock, it’s knocks.

Now it appears that increasing traffic noise from large vessels in the Gulf of Maine may be reducing the range of communication for the two species of Atlantic groundfish, according to research by NOAA Fisheries scientists.

The study, undertaken by scientists from NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center and published in Scientific Reports, said the decline in the ability to communicate may generate widespread changes in the species’ “daily behavior, feeding, mating, and socializing during critical biological periods for these commercially and ecologically important fish.”

Cod, for instance, vocalize to attract mates and listen for predators and “not hearing those signals could potentially reduce reproductive success and survival,” according to the study.

Using bottom-mounted instruments to record the cod grunts and haddock knocks, scientists spent three months monitoring the sounds made by the two species at three separate spawning sites within the Gulf of Maine — two inside Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and one inshore south of Cape Ann.

“We looked at the hourly variation in ambient sound pressure levels and then estimated effective vocalization ranges at all three sites known to support spawning activity in the Gulf of Maine cod and haddock stocks,” said Jenni Stanley, a marine research scientist and lead author of the study. “Both fluctuated dramatically during the study.”

The variations of the sound levels, she said, appear to be driven by the activities of large vessels.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

Boston Globe: What’s fair in breaking up Carlos Rafael’s empire?

December 18, 2017 — Randy Cushman, a fourth generation fisherman in Maine, knows what the crimes of Carlos Rafael cost him.

Cushman fishes out of the bucolic village of Port Clyde, population 307, the sort of place many New Englanders might still associate with the region’s storied, struggling fishing industry. Last season, he had to pay $49,000 for fishing quota, most of it for American plaice, a species of groundfish commonly known as dabs. Cushman’s own allowance on the fish ran out after only four days on the water, forcing him to bargain with other fishermen for more.

Up the coast, Rafael had been catching dabs in the Gulf of Maine too. But in an elaborate criminal scheme, the New Bedford fishing tycoon, owner of about 40 vessels, was directing his captains to report dabs as other kinds of fish, often haddock, which is subject to much higher limits. Breaking the rules let Rafael evade the kind of payments that Cushman made. It also depressed prices by flooding the market with black-market fish. Worst of all, the scheme also meant fishing regulators were getting inaccurate information about how many fish Rafael’s empire was scooping out of the Atlantic, bad data that fishermen suspect distorted how scientists analyzed ocean trends, and Cushman believes skewed the way regulators set the amount each fishermen can catch before having to start paying.

“He definitely hurt my business,” Cushman said. Bottom line: “I should have ended up with more allocation on dabs,” he said.

Rafael, whose downfall came after he boasted of his scheme to undercover IRS agents posing as Russian mobsters, is now serving a 46-month sentence in federal prison. The made-for-TV story, complete with an illicit cash buyer in New York, bank accounts in Portugal, allegations of corrupt sheriff deputies, and broad hints that other players on the waterfront must have been in the know, has transfixed New England’s close-knit fishery. Rafael’s arrest has thrust arcane fisheries policies into the spotlight, touched off a political battle between Massachusetts and Maine about the future of his businesses, and raised questions about how fishing regulators can provide justice for his victims and prevent a scheme like his from infecting the fishery again. The feds have already seized some of his permits and four of his boats, but more punishments are widely expected. A spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Jennifer Goebel, said the regulatory agency was considering further sanctions against Rafael but that “it’s longstanding NOAA policy not to discuss pending enforcement matters.”

Read the full editorial at the Boston Globe

Big changes likely for national monument just outside Gulf of Maine

December 14, 2017 — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke may have decided Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument in northern Maine should be left as it is, but he’s proposing major changes to another monument established just last year in the Atlantic ocean, on the far side of the Gulf of Maine.

Zinke has recommended that commercial fishing activity resume in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument and two other marine monuments in the Pacific.

The marine monument, which encompasses nearly 5,000 square miles, lies outside the Gulf of Maine, roughly 100 to 200 nautical miles southeast of Cape Cod along the edge of the continental shelf. It was created by then-President Barack Obama in September 2016.

Since President Donald Trump ordered a review this past spring, Zinke has been reviewing the status of 27 monuments, five of them marine monuments, that were created by prior presidents.

Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument in northern Maine, also created last year by Obama, was among those under review. Last week, Zinke recommended that no changes be made to the northern Maine monument.

As part of the same report, which was released Dec. 5, Zinke recommended that fisheries in the three marine monuments should be subject to the same federal laws that apply to fisheries nationwide.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

Fisheries council boosts Gulf of Maine quotas for cod, haddock, pollock

December 11, 2017 — The New England Fishery Management Council voted to increase cod and pollock quotas for 2018, a move that is expected to benefit New England’s fishing industry.

The council passed a rule Thursday that sets new quotas and has a number of other groundfish adjustments.

The species with substantial quota increases are Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Gulf of Maine haddock and pollock.

The biggest percentage increases all were in the Gulf of Maine, where haddock has been nearly tripled to 8,738 tons, and pollock doubled to 37,400 tons.

Cod was increased 156 percent on Georges Bank and 39 percent in the Gulf of Maine, both signs of improving health of the cod stock.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

Cod quotas rise, flounder sinks

December 8, 2017 — Northeast commercial groundfishermen will face a mixed sampler of annual catch limits when the 2018 fishing season opens, with significant increases to some Gulf of Maine stocks but continued declines in many of the flounder quotas.

The New England Fishery Management Council, at its meeting Wednesday in Newport, Rhode Island, approved its groundfish Framework 57, which sets the annual catch limits for 2018-2020 fishing years.

Groundfishing stakeholders applauded the 2018 increases for such stocks as Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Gulf of Maine haddock and pollock in 2018, but said the gains still don’t come close to closing the credibility gap they believe exists between NOAA Fisheries’ science and what fishermen are seeing on the water.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

Council Approves Groundfish Framework 57 With Annual Catch Limits, Halibut/Southern Windowpane AMs, and More

December 7, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has approved Framework Adjustment 57 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. The framework contains fishery specifications and annual catch limits (ACLs) for the 2018-2020 fishing years, as well as: (a) U.S./Canada total allowable catches (TACs) for shared stocks on Georges Bank; (b) Atlantic halibut management measures; (c) modifications to the southern windowpane flounder accountability measures (AMs) for large-mesh non-groundfish trawl fisheries such as scup and summer flounder; (d) adjustments to how common pool trimester TACs are apportioned; and (e) a temporary change to the scallop fishery’s AM implementation policy to cover the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder stock. The Council also discussed actions related to recreational fisheries and approved a temporary administrative measure to give the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) regional administrator the authority to adjust recreational measures for Georges Bank cod.

2018-2020 Fishing Year Specifications

The new specifications in Framework 57 include substantial quota increases for several commercially important groundfish stocks, including Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Gulf of Maine haddock, and pollock, as well as smaller but important increases for a few “choke” stocks. These are stocks with low quotas that can make accessing healthy, high-quota stocks more difficult (see table). Catch limits for some stocks will decrease, and fishermen will continue to face challenges with non-allocated stocks such as windowpane flounder. Overall, however, the 2018 quotas are expected to provide a number of groundfish fishing opportunities on healthy resources.

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) made overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations – the starting point for calculating catch limits – for all groundfish stocks except Atlantic halibut. In order to prevent delays in the implementation of Framework 57, the Council agreed in advance to accept the halibut OFL and ABC recommendations that the SSC intends to make during a December 18 webinar meeting. The Council also approved sub-ACLs for: (a) Gulf of Maine cod and haddock for the recreational fishery; (b) four flatfish stocks for the scallop fishery; (c) Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for small-mesh fisheries; and (d) Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank haddock for the midwater trawl fishery as shown in the table below.

The Council also approved sub-ACLs for: (a) Gulf of Maine cod and haddock for the recreational fishery; (b) four flatfish stocks for the scallop fishery; (c) Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for small-mesh fisheries; and (d) Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank haddock for the midwater trawl fishery as shown in the table below.

During its September meeting in Gloucester, the Council approved 2018 fishing year TACs for three shared U.S./Canada groundfish stocks on Georges Bank, which also are part of Framework 57.

The U.S. share for Eastern Georges Bank cod increased 76% from 2017. Eastern Georges Bank haddock decreased 47.1%. Georges Bank yellowtail flounder went up 2.9%.

Revised Common Pool Vessel Trimester TAC Apportionments

The Council also voted to revise the common pool trimester TAC apportionments based on a request from industry. However, the Council limited these revisions to stocks that have experienced early closures in Trimester 1 or Trimester 2 since the implementation of Amendment 16. The qualifying stocks are: Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder, Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder, American plaice, and witch flounder. These stocks are shaded in grey in the table below showing the revised 2018 common pool trimester apportionments and TACs. In order to facilitate management of the common pool fishery, the Council voted to broaden the authority of the GARFO regional administrator to modify common pool trimester TACs and accountability measures. This way, the regional administrator will have more flexibility to make necessary changes without requiring further Council action.

Southern Windowpane Flounder Accountability Measures for Large-Mesh Non-Groundfish Trawl Fisheries

Also in Framework 57, the Council agreed to modify the southern windowpane flounder accountability measures for large-mesh non-groundfish trawl fisheries, which include scup, summer flounder, and other trawl fisheries. Staff from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council collaborated extensively with the New England Council staff to develop the measures and conduct the necessary analyses for this action.

The changes are two-fold. First, the Council extended the flexibility provisions already in place for the commercial groundfish fishery to the large mesh non-groundfish trawl fisheries. These provisions reduce the size and duration of the AMs under certain conditions depending on the status of the stock and fishery performance.

Second, the Council approved changes to the Gear Restricted Areas (GRAs) that apply to large-mesh nongroundfish trawl fisheries. The GRAs are shown in the map below.

If either a “small” or “large” accountability measure is triggered – the size depends on the magnitude of the quota overage – the following measures would apply: • The Small AM Area east of Montauk, NY (in red on map) would be implemented seasonally from September 1 through April 30 instead of year round; • The revised Large AM Area 1 east of Montauk (hatched area on map) would be implemented year round; and • The Large AM Area 2 off western Long Island would remain unchanged.

Atlantic Halibut Management Measures

The Council approved changes to the Atlantic halibut accountability measures for vessels possessing federal groundfish permits. If the AMs are triggered, the following would pertain to the halibut GRAs.

For the fixed gear AMs, the Council: (1) exempted longline gear; (2) removed Fixed Gear AM Area 1 on Stellwagen Bank; (3) retained the Fixed Gear AM Area 2 on Platts Bank for gillnet gear and added a provision to allow gillnet fishing from November through February in that area (see map).
For the Trawl Gear AM Area (see map), selective trawl gear approved by the regional administrator would be required within the entire Trawl Gear AM Area. The Council agreed to allow standard trawl gear in the portion of the area between 41⚬ 40’ N and 42⚬ seasonally from April 1 through July 31.

All other provisions of the gear restricted areas remain in place. The Council made the above modifications to continue protecting halibut while preserving fishing opportunities for vessels targeting other species.

Also related to halibut, the Council approved an accountability measure stipulating that if the halibut subACL is exceeded, a zero possession limit would apply to all federal permit holders, with an exemption for the following permits: party/charter; highly migratory species (HMS) angling; and HMS charter/headboat.

View the full release from the NEFMC here.

Scientists: Maine coast could see more great white sharks

December 5, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — A great white shark detected in waters off Maine could be a sign that the big fish will become a more common sight in the years to come, say scientists who study sharks in New England.

White sharks are near the northern edge of their range along the Maine coast, though they are not commonly seen in the area. One of the sharks was spotted in the waters off Kennebunkport in the summer of 2016, sparking interest in finding out how many live off Maine.

University of New England marine scientist James Sulikowski has set out to answer that question, and he’s making his first findings public. Tracking devices discovered a different, 12-foot great white about 1.5 miles off of Old Orchard Beach in September of this year, he said.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Boston Herald

Maine: Shrimp stir up spat at commission meeting

December 5, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — For such tiny critters, northern shrimp can kick up quite a storm among fisheries regulators.

Meeting in Portland last week, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section voted to continue the moratorium on shrimp fishing in the Gulf of Maine for another year. First imposed in 2013, the moratorium will remain in force for at least one more year.

That means no shrimp fishing season in 2018, at least for Maine fishermen.

Commission members from Massachusetts and New Hampshire also voted to allow the harvest of 13.3 metric tons (about 30,000 pounds) of shrimp next year for research purposes. Details of the research program will be determined later this month.

In an email, Department of Marine Resources spokesman Jeff Nichols said Commissioner Patrick Keliher “was very disappointed” with the proposal and voted against the research set-aside.

The 13.3-metric ton research quota was considerably smaller than in the past. Between January and March of this year, eight trawlers from Maine and one each from Massachusetts and New Hampshire were allowed to fish for up to a total of 53 metric tons (about 117,000 pounds) for research purposes. The boats caught a total of 32.6 metric tons (71,871 pounds), or 62 percent of the research set-aside.

Read the full story at the Ellsworth American

Feds taking final comments on new ocean habitat plan

December 4, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — The federal government is closing the public comment period on a plan to change the way it manages ocean habitat off of New England.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is looking to change the way it manages the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and southern New England waters. The three areas are critical for commercial fishing operations and marine animals such as whales and dolphins.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Haven Register