Saving Seafood

Alaska’s Herring Seasons Winding Down in Sitka, Ketchikan, and Kodiak, Togiak Ahead

April 14, 2021 — Herring sac roe harvests have begun winding down in Southeast Alaska and Kodiak, leaving the remaining fishery in Togiak for what used to be an early shot in the arm for seiners before salmon season started. While herring returns have increased in recent years, the market has fallen in size and value.

This year in Sitka, the herring sac roe fishery began March 27 and closed April 9 at 6 p.m. Preliminary estimates from processors put the total harvest at approximately 16,000 tons of herring. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game continue to conduct surveys as part of their stock assessment research. On April 12, the the cumulative estimate of observed herring spawn in Sitka Sound was 83.2 nautical miles.

Read the full story at Seafood News

ALASKA: Commercial herring fishery winding down

April 12, 2021 — The Sitka Sound Sac Roe Herring Fishery is winding down, and state biologists expect to close the fishery soon.

In an interview on Thursday (4-8-21), Area Management Biologist Aaron Dupuis said the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is shifting out of “active management” mode.

“We’re still going out there. We’re flying, we’re monitoring the commercial fishery. We’re not leaving it alone to do its thing,” he said. “So we’re definitely on top of this, but it’s for sure winding down. I’d expect it to go another day or two tops.”

Dupuis said the bulk of the fishing fleet has left Sitka. Fewer than three processors and three permit-holders are still participating, but due to confidentiality rules, Dupuis could not disclose the exact number. As of April 6, the commercial fishing fleet had harvested around 15,700 tons of herring.

Read the full story at KCAW

Atlantic Herring Area 1A Days Out Meeting Scheduled for April 22, 2021

April 9, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Atlantic Herring Management Board members from the states of Maine, New Hampshire and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will meet via webinar on April 22, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., to discuss days out measures for the 2021 Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishing season. Days out measures can include specification of the number of consecutive landings days, weekly landings limits, and restrictions on at-sea transfers. The webinar and call information is included below:

Atlantic Herring Days Out Meeting
April 22, 2021
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

You can join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone at the following link:
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/916881365. If you are new to GoToMeeting, you can download the app ahead of time (click here) and be ready before the meeting starts. For audio, the meeting will be using the computer voice over internet (VoIP), but if you are joining the webinar from your phone only, you can dial in at +1 (224) 501-3412 and enter access code 916-881-365 when prompted. The webinar will start at 9:30 a.m., 30 minutes early, to troubleshoot audio as necessary.

Federally-permitted Herring Category A vessels must declare into the Area 1A fishery at least 45 days prior to the start of the fishing season. Small-mesh bottom trawl vessels with a federal Herring Category C or D permit must declare into the Area 1A fishery by June 1, 2021. States will send additional correspondence regarding the notification procedure.

The 2021 Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (sub-ACL) is 1,391 metric tons (mt). After adjusting for the 30 mt fixed gear set-aside and the 8% buffer (Area 1A closes at 92% of the sub-ACL), the Area 1A sub-ACL is 1,252 mt. There is no research-set-aside for 2021 because the participants in the RSA program will not continue their RSA project in 2021.

In October 2020, the Board established the following seasonal allocations for the 2021 Area 1A sub-ACL: 72.8% available from June 1 – September 30 and 27.2% available from October 1 – December 31. Fishermen are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per day harvested from Area 1A until June 1, 2021.

Please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0716 or efranke@asmfc.org for more information.

A copy of the meeting announcement can be found at: http://www.asmfc.org/files/AtlHerringApr2021DaysOutMeetingNotice.pdf

ALASKA: Commercial fishery hauls slow down as major spawning begins in Sitka Sound

April 8, 2021 — The Sitka Sound Sac Roe Herring fishery remained open for the 11th day in a row Tuesday (4-6-21)

Seiners hauled in around 900 tons of herring during Monday’s opening, according to a press release from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Estimates are not yet available for today’s/Tuesday’s opener. To date, the commercial fleet has harvested around 14,700-tons of herring, cumulatively.

Read the full story at KTOO

Alaska roe herring season opens with limited interest from Japanese buyers

April 6, 2021 — It’s a big year for Alaska roe herring fisheries – but lackluster interest by both harvesters and processors is an ongoing issue.

The fishery at Sitka Sound opened on 27 March after a stall last year and a limited fishery in 2019, resulting from small fish and a weak market. The seine fleet this year has a harvest of 33,304 metric tons (MT) – nearly 67 million pounds – but managers predict low participation and limited processing capacity.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Northeast herring: As catch limit screws tighten, bait dealers seek alternative sources

April 5, 2021 — New rules in the herring fishery aimed at improving sustainability for the important lobster bait fish are impacting fishermen, dealers and others.

The fishery, mostly centered in Massachusetts and Maine, grew in the 1960s but has been in decline since the 1980s. In 2018, 43,878 metric tons were landed. But by 2019, 12,998 mt (valued at $9.72 million) was landed. 2020 landings were 9,368.5 mt (valued at $6.77 million), according to NOAA economist Min-Yang Lee.

The 2021 fishing season started Jan. 1, with an annual catch limit of 11,571 mt, divided among four herring management areas. However, once Framework 8 to the herring management plan is implemented, the total ACL will be set to 4,128 mt. The 2020 stock assessment shows spawning stock biomass to be at its lowest value since the late 1980s.

Wayne Reichle, president of Lund’s Fisheries in Cape May N.J., calls the quota reductions “a disaster for the region’s herring fishery.” Reichle says fleet has stayed within quota the last few years, so the low biomass and poor recruitment is “attributable to the stress of a cold-water fish being challenged by a warming ocean.” Many say it is too early to predict to what extent herring supplies will impact prices, given the newest reductions. In mid-March, herring prices in Maine were about $250 per barrel at the docks.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NOAA Fisheries Announces Atlantic Herring Management Area 3 Sub-ACL Harvested

March 31, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective at 00:01 April 1

Under the New England Fishery Management Council’s Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, no person may fish for, possess, transfer, receive, land, sell, or purchase more than 2,000 lb of herring per trip or calendar day from Area 3 for the remainder of the fishing season when 98 percent of the sub-annual catch limit is harvested. As of April 1, 2021, we project 98 percent of the Area 3 Atlantic herring catch limit will be harvested, requiring a closure of the directed fishery.

At 00:01 hours on April 1, 2021, a 2,000-lb herring possession limit per trip or calendar day will become effective for Management Area 3 (Figure 1) and will be in effect until December 31, 2021. This reduced possession limit does not apply to a vessel that enters port before 00:01 local time on April 1, 2021.

Also at 00:01 hours on April 1, 2021, no federally permitted dealer may purchase, possess, have custody or control of, sell, barter, trade or transfer, or attempt to sell, barter, trade, or transfer more than 2,000 lb of herring per trip or calendar day from Management Area 3 through 24:00 hr local time, December 31, 2021, unless it is from a vessel that enters port before 00:01 local time on April 1, 2021.

For additional information, please see the rule as filed in the Federal Register and our bulletin.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Lou Forristall, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-282-8457

Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, 978-281-9175

CFRF March 2021 Newsletter

March 31, 2021 — The following was released by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation:

Project Update: South Fork Wind Farm Fisheries Monitoring — Beam Trawl Survey

The South Fork Wind Farm beam trawl survey is well underway with six months of data collected on the benthic communities of the South Fork windfarm development area and two nearby reference areas. The beam trawl is designed to primarily target scallops and groundfish, however it is outfitted with a 2.4 cm knotless nylon liner to document all sizes of the benthic species present. The catch from each monthly survey has been relatively consistent with the eastern reference area dominated by crabs and skate and a handful of flatfish; the western reference area was rocky with many small invertebrates with high catches of scallop and skate with a few summer and winter flounder; and finally, the wind farm proposed area was predominantly little skate, scup, sea robins and a few scallops. In the colder months, with a few big storms moving though the area, we have seen a slight downturn in catch, particularly in finfish through the winter. Stay tuned to see what the warmer waters bring this spring as well as the beginning of our gillnet, ventless trap, and fish pot surveys each designed to target slightly different fisheries species in this area Visit the project webpage at www.cfrfoundation.org/sfwf-beam-trawl-survey to stay up to date with the catch information from this survey.

Project Results: River Herring Bycatch Avoidance Program

After over a decade of collaboration the River Herring Bycatch Avoidance Program has come to an end. The program, representing the work of CFRF, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, the commercial fishing industry, and contributions from several other organizations, fundamentally improved the understanding of river herring bycatch and how to reduce it in the Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel fisheries. It increased portside sampling of relevant vessels in Massachusetts and Rhode Island by over 100% at times. The data collected though portside sampling supported scientific publications, management decisions, and was the primary information source for near-real time communications of river herring bycatch. These communications positively influenced fishing habits and played a role in the approximate 60% decrease in total bycatch and 20% decrease in the bycatch rate prior to the establishment of river herring catch limits. Once river herring catch limits were established, the program helped the industry stay under these limits more often than what was expected by managers. Through the course of the project 26 vessels contributed data. This included 8 fishing companies and their 13 mid-water trawl vessels, representing the majority of Atlantic herring and mackerel catch in U.S., that were cornerstones of the program. The program was started with funding from the National Fisheries Wildlife Foundation, strengthened with funding from The Nature Conservancy, and then sustained by the Atlantic Herring Research-Set Aside Program. Cuts to the Atlantic herring quota made funding through the Research-Set Aside Program untenable and, along with the closure of near shore areas, reduced the need for the program. Thank you to all who supported and contributed to this program. More information can be found at www.umassd.edu/smast/bycatch/.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces Atlantic Herring Framework 8 Interim Final Rule

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

NOAA Fisheries is implementing Framework 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, as recommended by the New England Fishery Management Council. This action sets the specifications for the 2021-2023 fishing years for Atlantic herring.

The specifications reduce catch limits by 40% for 2021, and include further reductions for 2022-2023 because the June 2020 management track assessment determined Atlantic herring is overfished. These 2021-2023 catch limits are also consistent with the Council’s harvest policy, which accounts for herring’s important role as a forage species.

To mitigate the impact of the reductions in Atlantic herring catch limits, this action also modifies herring management measures to support access to the Atlantic mackerel fishery by:

  • Creating a two-tiered possession limit adjustment in Herring Management Areas 2 and 3 once the directed fishery closes, and
  • Removing the seasonal closure of Area 1B from January to April

These measures will provide more access earlier in the year to target mackerel.

Read the interim final rule as published in the Federal Register and submit your comments through the online portal beginning on April 1, 2021 by searching for NOAA-NMFS-2021-0025.

The effective date for this rule is: 03-29-2021.

The comments due date is 05-03-2021.

Read the full release here

Industry-Funded Monitoring Coverage in the Atlantic Herring Fishery Will Begin on June 1, 2021

March 24, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries will begin selecting vessels with Category A or B herring permits fishing on declared herring trips for industry-funded monitoring (IFM) coverage of trips departing on or after June 1, 2021. Vessels issued a Category A or B Atlantic herring permit will be required to secure and pay for at-sea monitoring coverage on trips that are selected for IFM coverage. The IFM coverage target for the herring fishery is 50 percent of trips.

Notification, Reporting, and Monitoring Requirements

Vessels must follow all Pre-Trip Notification System (PTNS) requirements for the herring fishery. For more information on notification and reporting requirements, please see the Notification, Reporting, and Monitoring Requirements for the Atlantic Herring Fishery bulletin from March 31, 2020. For more information about PTNS, please contact the PTNS team at nefsc.ptns@noaa.gov or (855) 347-4371.

Approved IFM Providers

In April 2020, NOAA Fisheries approved four companies to provide IFM services to herring vessels in 2020 and 2021. Please see the IFM in the Northeast webpage for a list of approved providers, services provided, and contact information.

Vessels issued a Category A or B Atlantic herring permit must log into their PTNS web account to review the list of approved providers in PTNS and rank them in order of preference. Vessels should rank their providers in PTNS by May 20, 2021.

For more information about ranking preferred providers, please contact the PTNS team at nefsc.ptns@noaa.gov or (855) 347-4371.

Fishing in Groundfish Closed Areas

A vessel may fish with midwater trawl gear inside certain Groundfish Closed Areas on a herring trip if:

  1. The vessel is assigned Northeast Fisheries Observer Program (NEFOP) coverage on the trip in PTNS, and
  2. The vessel carries a NEFOP observer on the trip.

If the vessel is issued a coverage waiver for the trip for any reason, the vessel is not permitted to fish inside a Groundfish Closed Area during that trip.

Midwater trawl vessel owners may purchase observer coverage to satisfy the requirement of carrying an observer to access Groundfish Closed Areas. Vessels carrying an IFM at-sea monitor are not allowed to fish with midwater trawl gear inside the Groundfish Closed Areas. For more information about purchasing observer coverage, please contact the PTNS team at nefsc.ptns@noaa.gov or (855) 347-4371.

Midwater Trawl Electronic Monitoring (EM) Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP)

Some herring vessels chose to use EM and portside sampling instead of at-sea monitoring to satisfy IFM coverage requirements in 2021. EM coverage will be provided by Saltwater Inc. through a contract with NOAA Fisheries. Participating vessels will be required to secure portside sampling services from an approved provider on trips that are selected for IFM coverage. Participating vessels will also be required to land at a NOAA Fisheries-approved sampling station on trips that are selected for portside sampling. Consistent with the NOAA Fisheries COVID-19 protocols for deploying human observers and monitors, vessels participating in the midwater trawl herring EM EFP will temporarily not be assigned Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) coverage. For questions about the EFP, please contact Maria Fenton at maria.fenton@noaa.gov or (978) 281-9196.

Read the full release here