Saving Seafood

ASMFC 2017 Spring Meeting Supplemental Materials Now Available

May 3, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2017 Spring Meeting are available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2017-spring-meeting for the following Boards/Sections (click on “Supplemental” following each relevant committee header to access the information). For ease of access, supplemental materials for all Boards/Section, with the exception of the South Atlantic Board, have been combined into one PDF.

Atlantic Herring Section – Revised Agenda and Meeting Overview; FMP Review; Correspondence Regarding VMS; NEFMNC Comment on Draft Amendment 1; Spawning Closure Protocol; Public Comment

 Tautog Management Board – Summary of Management Options; Draft Amendment 1; MA/RI Proposed Regional Options; Public Comment

 Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board –  Draft Addendum V and Technical Comments on Proposed Options

 Atlantic Menhaden Management Board –  Update on Draft Amendment 3 Development; Allocation Work Group Recommendations on Management Alternatives to include in Draft Amendment 3; Draft Amendment 3; NY menhaden landings Recalibration; Lenfest Correspondence; Public Comment

 Executive Committee – Memo on Advisory Panel Members Serving as Board Proxies and Chair Term Limits

 Coastal Sharks Management Board – NOAA Fisheries HMS Presentation on Amendment 5b

 Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board and MAFMC – Revised Agenda and Meeting Overview; Correspondence from CT Charter and Party Boat Association & RI Party and Charter Board Association; Summer Flounder Recreational Management White paper; Technical Committee Report on Black Sea Bass Recreational Data; Public Comment

 ISFMP Policy Board – Revised Agenda and Meeting Overview

 Business Session – Revised Agenda

 South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board – Atlantic Croaker Benchmark Stock Assessment & Peer Review Reports and Spot Benchmark Stock Assessment & Peer Review Reports

New management could be coming to East Coast herring fishery

April 27, 2017 — Federal fishing regulators are considering a host of alternatives about new ways to manage the herring fishery.

Atlantic herring is a major industrial fishery on the East Coast, including in Gloucester, with fishermen frequently bringing more than 200 million pounds of the little fish to shore every year.

Herring are used as human food and bait for other fisheries, such as lobsters. The catch of herring off of New England has been inconsistent in recent years, leading to volatility in the lobster bait market.

The New England Fishery Management Council is considering nine alternatives about how to manage the fishery. The options would allow for measures such as area closures and restrictions on types of gear.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

NEFMC Approves Atlantic Herring Alternatives for Analysis

April 24, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

During its April 18-20 meeting in Mystic, CT, the New England Fishery Management Council reviewed Draft Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and subsequently approved a wide range of alternatives for further analysis. The alternatives fall into two categories: (1) proposals to address potential localized depletion and user conflicts in the fishery; and (2) options to establish an acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule that would be used when setting specifications and catch limits. The Council advanced nine primary localized depletion/user conflicts alternatives for additional development:

  • Alternative 1 – No action, meaning no new measures would be implemented;
  • Alternative 2 – A June 1-August 31 closure to all vessels and gear types fishing for Atlantic herring within 6 nautical miles (nm) from shore in Area 114 (solid green area off the back of Cape Cod in map at right);
  • Alternative 3 – A year-round prohibition on using midwater trawl gear in Atlantic Herring Management Area 1A (red hatching in map);
  • Alternatives 4, 5, and 6 – Three “buffer zone” proposals that would prohibit midwater trawl gear inside of 12 nm, 25 nm, and 50 nm respectively in Herring Management Areas 1B, 2, and 3 year-round from Cape Cod to the North/South Carolina border (see map next page);
  • Alternative 7 – A prohibition on midwater trawl gear year-round within five different thirty minute squares – 99, 100, 114, 115, and 123 (green outlined blocks in map at right);
  • Alternative 8 – Revert to original boundary line between Area 1B and 3 (see map page 3);
  • Alternative 9 – Modify the Area 1B seasonal closure to open January 1 instead of May 1.

Read the full release here

MASSACHUSETTS: Herring plan gets Gloucester airing this evening

April 6, 2017 — Fishing regulators are hosting a public hearing tonight, April 5, in Gloucester on a plan to make the Atlantic herring fishery run more smoothly.

The hearing is at 6 p.m. at the  Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries’ Annisquam River Station, 30 Emerson Ave., and is on the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring Draft Addendum I to Amendment 3 

Herring are a key fish on the East Coast because they are important bait for lucrative species, especially lobster. Last year’s lobster season was hindered for several weeks by a herring shortage.

Gloucester reigns as the state’s most prolific lobster port, both in terms of landings by weight and number of permitted lobstermen fishing here, followed by Plymouth and Rockport, according to the state Division of Marine Fisheries.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

Sonar revealing more river herring in Choptank River than expected

March 31, 2017 — Scientists have a powerful new tool to help them “see” fish in the Chesapeake Bay’s murky tributaries, and it’s yielding some surprisingly good news about two of the estuary’s most troubled species. “Imaging sonar” uses sound to help them view, and count, passing fish in dark or cloudy water. For the past few years, scientists with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center have been deploying one of these underwater sound cameras in some of the Bay’s rivers to monitor spawning runs of alewife and blueback herring, collectively known as river herring.

No one knows for sure how many river herring are in the Bay, as fisheries managers lack the staff and resources to do a comprehensive assessment. But a SERC-led team of scientists deployed an imaging sonar device in the Choptank River in 2014 that captured images of the fish as they swam by. Based on the rate at which scientists saw the shadowy blips cross their computer screens, they estimated that as many as 1.3 million river herring swam upriver that spring to spawn. That’s more than expected, and way more than state biologists had figured were there in the early 1970s, the last time anyone looked intensively at the Choptank’s herring runs.

Read the full story at The Bay Journal 

Federal agency must revisit listing for blueback herring

March 27, 2017 — WASHINGTON — A federal judge has ordered the National Marine Fisheries Service to revisit a decision not to list the blueback herring as a threatened species.

In a ruling Saturday, a District of Columbia judge said officials failed to offer a rational connection between the facts and two essential conclusions, and also failed to consider other aspects of the issue.

Blueback herring live along the Atlantic coast. They are born in inland rivers, spend most of their adult lives at sea, then return to rivers each spring to spawn.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at Maine Public Radio

April 2017 Council Meeting in Avalon, NJ

March 21, 2017 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Meeting Materials: Briefing documents will be posted at http://ww.mafmc.org/briefing/april-2017 as they become available.

Public Comments: Written comments must be received by Wednesday, March 29, 2017 to be included in the Council meeting briefing book. Comments received after this deadline but before close of business on Thursday, April 6, 2017 will be posted as “supplemental materials” on the Council meeting web page. After that date, all comments must be submitted using an online comment form. Comments submitted via the online form will be automatically posted to the website and available for Council consideration. A link to this form will be available at http://www.mafmc.org/public-comment.

Webinar: For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/april2017.

Tuesday, April 11th

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. River Herring & Shad Committee

  • Review draft metrics for river herring and shad conservation

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Council Convenes

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. State of the Ecosystem and EAFM

  • Report on the state of the Mid-Atlantic portion of the Northeast Large Marine Ecosystem, Dr. Sarah Gaichas – Ecosystem Dynamic and Assessment Branch, NEFSC
  • Continue discussion and development of EAFM Risk Matrix
  • Discuss next steps in EAFM development/implementation

3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Law Enforcement Reports

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Chub Mackerel Amendment

  • Review amendment development and scoping plans

Wednesday, April 12th

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes

9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Ricks E Savage Award

9:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Golden Tilefish Specifications

  • Review SSC, Monitoring Committee, Advisory Panel, and staff recommendations regarding 2018 – 2020 specifications
  • Adopt recommendations for 2018 – 2020

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Blueline Tilefish Specifications

  • Review SSC, Monitoring Committee, Advisory Panel, and staff recommendations regarding 2018 – 2019 specifications
  • Adopt recommendations for 2018 – 2019

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. A Review of Potential Approaches for Managing Marine Fisheries in a Changing Climate – Presentation, NMFS SF representative

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Hudson Canyon Sanctuary Proposal

  • Presentation, discussion and comment

3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Update on Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology, Jon Hare – NEFSC

  • Challenges faced in 2016-2017 and plans for 2017-2018

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Industry Funded Monitoring (IFM) Amendment

  • Consider previous action on IFM Amendment
  • Possible adoption of IFM Amendment

Thursday, April 13th

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Business Session

  • Committee Reports
    • River Herring & Shad
    • Ecosystem & Ocean Planning
    • Highly Migratory Species/Law Enforcement
      • Adopt recommendations for HMS permit/reporting issues
  • Executive Director’s Report, Chris Moore
  • Science Report, Rich Seagraves
  • Organization Reports
    • NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Office
    • NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center
    • NOAA Office of General Counsel
    • Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
  • Liaison Reports
    • New England Council
    • South Atlantic Council
    • Regional Planning Body
  • Continuing and New Business

The Stubborn Staying Power of the Alewife Herring

March 16, 2017 — Among the rich natural resources that attracted humans to New York’s harbor was a small migratory fish the colonists called the alewife or sawbelly. As these river herring crowded into spawning creeks every spring, they were noted by the earliest French Jesuits, Dutch trappers and English settlers, and were caught and consumed with abandon by Native Americans and colonists alike.

Alewives are bony, tasty, nutritious and relatively easy to preserve; and, in colonial times, they were abundant. The fish could be eaten by humans or fed to pigs or other livestock. It is highly likely that the famous agricultural mentoring between Squanto, a Patuxet native to what is now Massachusetts, and the pilgrims memorializes yet another less obvious use of herring: as fertilizer for the colonists’ inaugural crops.

Middens and hearths excavated throughout the Northeast are filled with the bones and scales of herring dinners past. But as human settlements grew, both the value and limits of this communal resource became obvious. Alewives were protected by the first known fishery regulations in North America, which date to 1623 in Plymouth Colony. Over time, net sizes, harvest schedules and set locations, as well as catch limits, were all strictly regulated in order to protect these valuable fish.

Read the full story at the New York Times

NEFMC: Weather Update for Coral Workshops, Herring MSE Peer Review

March 13, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

As a result of the winter storm that’s forecasted for our region on Tuesday, the New England Fishery Management Council is: (1) modifying the schedule for its two Coral Workshops; and (2) reminding members of the public who are interested in the Atlantic Herring MSE Peer Review that a webinar option is available.  Here are the details.

CORAL WORKSHOP #1, NEW BEDFORD, MA:  This workshop will begin as planned at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 13 and extend into the early evening to accommodate as much of the original two-day agenda as possible.  The second day of the workshop — Tuesday, March 14 — has been cancelled to avoid unnecessary travel.  The workshop will be held at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, 185 MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA 02740.

CORAL WORKSHOP #2, PORTSMOUTH, NH:  This workshop will take place on Wednesday, March 15 as originally scheduled, but the start-time has been advanced by two hours — from 9:00 a.m. to 11 a.m. — to allow additional travel time.  The workshop will be held at the Sheraton Harborside, 250 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801.

CORAL INFORMATION:  Visit the Council’s Coral Workshops webpage to access all meeting materials, including the agendas for both workshops, maps, and presentations.

QUESTIONS:  Email Michelle Bachman at mbachman@nefmc.org.

 

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ATLANTIC HERRING MSE PEER REVIEW:  The March 13-15 MSE peer review will proceed as planned on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at the Embassy Suites near Boston Logan Airport.  Technical experts involved in the peer review will be traveling to and from the meeting outside of the forecasted storm window. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. each day.

ALTERNATIVES TO TRAVELING:  Members of the public who are concerned about traveling may listen to the discussion via webinar or telephone.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at:

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/473795069

There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (312) 757-3121.

The access code is 473-795-068.

Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.  Also, please be sure to mute your telephone or computer microphone upon joining the meeting so there will be no interference.

MATERIALS:  Meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at MSE documents.

QUESTIONS:  Email Deirdre Boelke at dboelke@nefmc.org.

Drop in herring a mystery in Maine as bait price booms

March 13, 2017 — ROCKLAND, Maine — Maine’s booming lobster industry has a big problem involving a little fish.

The state’s iconic lobster fishery is healthy, having set records for volume and value in 2016. But the fishery for herring, a small schooling fish that lobsters love to eat, is another story.

Herring is suddenly the second-most valuable fishery in the state, and Maine’s most valuable species of fish, bringing in $19 million at the docks in 2016. It’s also the most popular bait used in lobster traps, and the climb in value corresponds with demand from the hungry lobster fishery and a drop in catch of herring off of New England.

Scientists and fishermen are trying to figure out why Maine’s Atlantic herring catch — the largest in the nation — has fallen from 103.5 million pounds in 2014 to 77.2 million last year. The per-pound price of the fish at the dock has gone up 56 percent since 2014, and that price is eventually borne by people who buy lobsters.

“The whole dynamic of the fishery has changed,” said Jeff Kaelin, who works in government relations for Lund’s Fisheries, which lands herring in Maine.

Kaelin, and others who work in and study the fishery, thinks climate and the way the government manages herring may have played a role in the decline of catch. Atlantic herring are managed via a quota system, and regulators have slashed the quota by more than 40 percent since the early 2000s.

Read the full story at the Associated Press