Saving Seafood

Congress Should Remove Burdensome Seafood Provisions from America COMPETES Act, Write 55 Saving Seafood Coalition Members

February 2, 2022 — Today, 55 members of the Saving Seafood Coalition added their names in opposition to seafood import monitoring provisions in H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act, that would impose “a blizzard of paperwork and insurmountable compliance burdens on processors, distributors, restaurants, and grocery stores.”

Earlier this week, a diverse group of thirteen seafood organizations representing fisheries from across the nation wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asking that these provisions be removed from the bill.

The provisions, Sections 70101 to 70131, would expand the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) to include all seafood species regardless of risk of illegal fishing, and extend it down the entireS supply chain. These sections draw heavily from H.R. 3075, portions of which were opposed by nearly 120 commercial seafood industry stakeholders in a letter last September.

The letter points to testimony from Janet Coit, NOAA’s Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, in its opposition to SIMP expansion. In a hearing last July, Ms. Coit testified, “The current risk-based approach to SIMP allows NOAA to target our existing resources on those fish and fish products most likely to come from IUU [illegal, unreported, and unregulated] fishing.” Proposed changes to SIMP “would require NOAA to shift resources and reprioritize activities,” Ms. Coit said.

H.R. 3075 has not been considered by the numerous committees of jurisdiction in the House and is not ready for inclusion in a legislative package being prepared for a vote by the entire House of Representatives, the letter states.

“We strongly urge you to remove Sections 70101 to 70131 from H.R. 4521 and enable their consideration through regular order,” the Saving Seafood Coalition members wrote.

The letter was delivered to Speaker Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

NOAA Fisheries Denies Petition For Emergency Action on Bering Sea Salmon Bycatch

February 2, 2022 — Four days after the Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo approved eight fisheries in Alaska for official disaster determinations, including the 2020 Kuskokwim River salmon fishery and the 2020 and 2021 Yukon River salmon fisheries, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Janet Coit denied a petition for emergency action to lower the number of salmon caught incidentally in the Bering Sea.

The petitioners — the Association of Village Council Presidents, the Bering Sea Elders Group, Kawerak, Inc., the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, representing over 118 Alaska Tribes — saw significant salmon declines both years. The Yukon was particularly hard hit: the fishery had its lowest runs ever last summer. The commercial fishery remained closed. Yukon River families were not allowed to fish for subsistence salmon.

Th petition asked Raimondo for emergency action to eliminate Chinook salmon bycatch and set a cap on chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery in the 2022 season.

Coits letter of denial reached them a few days after news of the fishery disaster approvals was reported, opening the door for relief funds. Responding to the disaster declaration, which was requested by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, the state’s Congressional delegation issued a joint written statement that the federal funds could help compensate “crews, seafood processors, and research initiatives in the impacted regions.”

Read the full story at Seafood News

NOAA, groups back adding climate mandates to fishing law

November 18, 2021 — The following was released by the office of Rep. Jared Huffman:

NOAA’s top fisheries official yesterday endorsed a plan that would require the agency for the first time in its history to add climate change requirements to its management of the nation’s fish stocks.

“Fisheries management must continue to adapt as our ocean ecosystem faces unprecedented changes due to climate change,” Janet Coit, the head of NOAA Fisheries, told a House Natural Resources panel.

Testifying before the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife, Coit said NOAA appreciates “the overarching climate focus” of a proposed overhaul of the nation’s primary fishing law, the 1976 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Coit weighed in as the subcommittee heard testimony on a bill, H.R. 4690, sponsored by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), that would reauthorize the law and require NOAA to create plans for “climate ready fisheries.”

If approved, it would mark the first time that climate change received a mention in the federal fishing law, which Congress last reauthorized in 2006.

Read the full release from the office of Rep. Jared Huffman

Alaskan Fishermen Sue NMFS, Department of Commerce Over Cook Inlet Salmon Fishery Closure

November 15, 2021 — A trio of Alaskan fishermen has sued the National Marine Fisheries Service (NFMS)’s Assistant Administrator Janet Coit and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo for a recently announced rule change that will close commercial salmon fishing in the federal waters of Cook Inlet, as SeafoodNews covered on November 4.

The fishermen, Wes Humbyrd, Robert Wolfe and Dan Anderson, argue that the rule, which implemented Amendment 14 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska (Salmon FMP), was unconstitutional.

“This casually destructive rule must be vacated, however, because it violates the Constitution’s Appointments Clause and Take Care Clause. These “essential” structural provisions of the Constitution are accountability-preserving mechanisms,” the complaint from the fishermen wrote. “Their basic function is to ensure presidential control over the agents who exercise executive power on his behalf.

Read the full story at Seafood News

NOAA Fisheries Names Kim Damon-Randall to Lead the Office of Protected Resources

August 27, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries announced Ms. Kim Damon-Randall as the director of the Office of Protected Resources. She will assume her new duties on August 29. Ms. Damon-Randall began her career with NOAA in 2001, serving in a series of positions at the Greater Atlantic Regional Office. Her roles have included heading the Endangered Species Branch and Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources. Most recently, she has served as GARFO’s Deputy Regional Administrator. She succeeds Ms. Donna Wieting who retired in March.

“Kim is a great choice for this position,” said NOAA Fisheries’ Assistant Administrator Janet Coit. “She has the right skills and experience to drive us forward in the conservation, recovery, and management of protected marine species, one of our core mission areas at NOAA Fisheries.”

In her new role, Ms. Damon-Randall will head the agency’s Office of Protected Resources, which focuses on:

  • Endangered Species Conservation and Recovery—Responsible for the conservation, protection, and recovery of more than 150 endangered and threatened marine species under the Endangered Species Act
  • Marine Mammal Conservation and Management—Responsible for the conservation, management, and protection of whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and sea lions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act
  • Sea Turtle Conservation and Management—Leads the conservation and recovery of sea turtles in the marine environment for NOAA
  • Marine Life Health and Stranding Response—Responsible for coordinating networks of professional, authorized individuals and organizations to respond to reports of sick, injured, entangled, or dead marine animals
  • Permitting and Authorizations—Issues permits and authorizations for important activities that are compliant with the ESA and the MMPA
  • Consultations with Federal Agencies under the ESA—Conducts federal agency consultations on activities that may affect endangered and threatened species or their habitats are required under section 7 of the ESA
  • Funding and Grant Support—Manages several grant programs that fund projects that assist us with the agency’s mission, including Species Recovery Grants (to states and tribes) and the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program

Ms. Damon-Randall has extensive experience in the conservation, recovery, and management of protected species. She has worked on issues ranging from responding to petitions to list species under the Endangered Species Act to designating critical habitat. She has coordinated focused outreach efforts to raise awareness about threats to endangered species through initiatives such as the International Year of the Salmon and Species in the Spotlight campaigns.

“Kim has already helped us grapple with some of the most difficult species recovery issues the agency faces on a regional level, including North Atlantic right whale and Atlantic salmon. That experience will serve her well in her new job,” said NOAA Fisheries’ Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, Sam Rauch.

In her previous roles at the agency, she has managed budgets and worked to streamline the agency’s response to consultations under the Endangered Species Act. She is the Federal Commissioner and Head of the United States Delegation to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization. She is currently serving as the organization’s vice president.

“Serving as the Director of the Office of Protected Resources is my dream job. Protected species conservation and recovery has always been near and dear to my heart, and I am very much looking forward to working with the incredibly dedicated and talented staff in the office on the important issues and challenges facing species in the United States,” said Damon-Randall.

Before joining the agency in 2001, Ms. Damon-Randall worked on marine conservation and outreach at the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium and J.L. Scott Marine Education Center.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in biology and a Master’s degree in Marine Affairs, both from the University of Rhode Island.

Ms. Damon-Randall is originally from Deep River, Connecticut. As a child, she used to visit the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut, on a regular basis. She actually met her idol—the Shark Lady herself, Dr. Eugenie Clark—when she did a presentation on sharks at the Aquarium. Kim is married and has two children: her son is a U.S. Marine and her daughter is a freshman at Suffolk University in Boston.

Strelcheck to lead NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast region

August 13, 2021 — Andy Strelcheck will begin his new role Sunday as regional administrator for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, which oversees North Carolina and is based in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Strelcheck, who began his career with NOAA in 2004, succeeds retired Regional Administrator Dr. Roy Crabtree, who was in the position since 2003. Strelcheck has worked in marine fisheries research and management and managed protected resources and habitat conservation.

“I’m honored to make this announcement,” NOAA Fisheries’ Assistant Administrator Janet Coit said in a statement. “He’s done an incredible job acting in the position since the beginning of the year and we’re looking forward to him officially taking on this important role.”

The Southeast region, which has responsibility for marine ecosystems from Texas to North Carolina and the U.S. Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, works with three fishery management councils, state and federal partners, the fishing industry, and other stakeholders to manage and conserve federal commercial and recreational fisheries, marine mammals, endangered and threatened species, habitat and more, according to NOAA.

At the agency, Strelcheck previously oversaw data analyses and analytical work that supported fishery management council regulatory actions, led the development and operation of the commercial red snapper and grouper-tilefish individual fishing quota programs, valued at more than $50 million annually. He most recently served as deputy regional administrator. Before that, he served as a fishery plan coordinator and branch chief for the region’s commercial catch share programs in southeast regional office’s Sustainable Fisheries Division.

Read the full story at Coastal Review Online

NOAA Names Andy Strelcheck to Lead Fisheries’ Southeast Region

August 11, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries announced Mr. Andy Strelcheck as the new Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office in St. Petersburg, Florida. He will assume his new duties on August 15, 2021. Mr. Strelcheck began his career with NOAA in 2004, serving in a series of positions, including Southeast Deputy Regional Administrator since 2015. He succeeds retired Regional Administrator Dr. Roy Crabtree who was in the position since 2003.

“I’m honored to make this announcement,” said NOAA Fisheries’ Assistant Administrator Janet Coit. “He’s done an incredible job acting in the position since the beginning of the year and we’re looking forward to him officially taking on this important role.”

In his new role, Mr. Strelcheck will head the agency’s Southeast Regional Office. The region has responsibility for marine ecosystems from Texas to North Carolina and the U.S. Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The region works closely with three fishery management councils, state and federal partners, the fishing industry, and other stakeholders to manage and conserve federal commercial and recreational fisheries, marine mammals, endangered and threatened species, habitat, and much more.

Mr. Strelcheck has extensive experience in marine fisheries research and management, and management experience in protected resources and habitat conservation. His graduate studies and many peer review publications focused on commercial and recreationally important finfish species in the southeast United States, including snappers and groupers.

“Andy’s innovative strategies for fisheries management and strength in relationship building makes him the ideal candidate for this position,” said Sam Rauch, NOAA Fisheries’ Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs. “His expertise lends itself to the management complexities of the region which includes three different ecosystems with hundreds of marine species—the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean. In addition, the Southeast is home to some of the nation’s most threatened and endangered species, such as Rice’s whales, elkhorn corals, and smalltooth sawfish.”

In his previous roles at the agency, he oversaw data analyses and analytical work that supported fishery management council regulatory actions. He also led the development and operation of the commercial Red Snapper and Grouper-Tilefish Individual Fishing Quota programs, valued at more than $50 million annually. More recently, as Deputy Regional Administrator, he has provided leadership and operational guidance to 140 full time employees and contractors who he sees as the reason for the region’s success. He greatly values agency employees and the expertise they bring to the table.

“Andy is a dedicated, natural born leader who cares equally for our organization, marine natural resources, and the constituents we serve,” said Paul Doremus, NOAA Fisheries’ Deputy Assistant Administrator of Operations. “We are proud to see Andy advance his career with NOAA. He has a diverse skill set and he truly understands the importance of public service.”

Before joining the agency in 2004, Mr. Strelcheck worked for 3 years as a fishery biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He worked on Florida’s commercially and recreationally important fisheries.

He has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Florida State University and a Master’s of Science in Marine Science from the University of South Alabama. Prior to his time as Deputy Regional Administrator, he served as a fishery plan coordinator and branch chief for the region’s commercial catch share programs in Southeast Regional Office’s Sustainable Fisheries Division.

Mr. Strelcheck grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and spent many summers diving in Florida and the Caribbean. He currently lives in Safety Harbor, Florida, with his wife and two sons. In his free time he enjoys traveling with his family, coaching his sons’ baseball teams, and being on the water fishing, boating, or kayaking.

Janet Coit named to lead NOAA Fisheries; Rick Spinrad confirmed as NOAA administrator

June 22, 2021 — Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management head Janet Coit was named to lead the National Marine Fisheries Service, also known as NOAA Fisheries, on Monday, 21 June, a move met with wide approval from a variety of stakeholder groups.

Coit will oversee a governmental agency that employs 4,800 people in five regional offices, six science centers, and more than 20 laboratories in 15 states and U.S. territories. It is responsible for the management and conservation of recreational and commercial fisheries, including some aspects of marine aquaculture.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Meet the new NMFS director: Janet Coit

June 22, 2021 — Janet Coit has been appointed the assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. She will also serve as acting assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, and deputy NOAA administrator, according to a press release from NOAA.

Coit succeeds Paul Doremus, who has been acting NMFS administrator since January. The appointment is effective immediately.

“I have worked closely with Janet Coit for many years in Rhode Island, and I am thrilled to see her expertise and skillful leadership recognized by this administration,” said Chris Brown, a Rhode Island commercial fisherman and president of the Seafood Harvesters of America. “Janet will be a thoughtful and steady NMFS AA, carefully listening to stakeholders while keeping sound science, not politics, at the heart of the agency. She won the respect of commercial fishing industry in Rhode Island, and I expect her to do the same as NMFS AA.”

Coit directed the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for more than 10 years, where she focused on improving natural resource conservation, promoting locally grown and harvested food, including seafood. She worked to improve new infrastructure for commercial and recreational fisheries and promote sustainable management of fisheries, including a new shellfish initiative.

Read the full story at National Fisherman