Saving Seafood

Industry tackles the role of fish monitors

October 12, 2020 — Commercial fishermen invest a great deal in their businesses, both in terms of money — boats, equipment and crew to name a few expenses – as well as time — marketing, selling and scouting, again to name just a few tasks.

They also invest in the industry’s future, weighing in on myriad edicts that make commercial fishing one of the most heavily regulated industries in the country.

So when Congressman Jared Huffman, D-California, took his Magnuson-Stevens Act listening tour to New England – albeit virtually on account of the pandemic – Captain Eric Hesse was there. Hesse, representing the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, was appreciative of the chance to share thoughts.

“We all have things we think about and we muse about as we spend our time on the water and certainly accountability in New England’s groundfishery is one of those big issues for me,” Hesse said, sitting at his computer late last month, pictures of his boats in the background.

Accountability – keeping strict tabs on the catch – has been talked about for decades. Hesse, who has monitoring cameras on his boat for every trip, believes that 100 percent coverage would drive better science and help bring back the iconic cod fishery. Others disagree on the need for full coverage either through human observers or cameras.

Read the full story at Wicked Local

New Bedford Port Director Proposes Reforms to Magnuson-Stevens Act in Latest Congressional Listening Session

October 2, 2020 — The following was released by the Port of New Bedford:

This week, Ed Anthes-Washburn, Director of the Port of New Bedford, proposed improvements to the Magnuson-Stevens Act during the latest fisheries listening session conducted by Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife. As part of his testimony, Director Washburn called for changes to the term “overfishing”; more collaboration between fishermen, regulators and scientists; greater flexibility in rebuilding periods and catch limits; a legislative fix for the conflict between fisheries management and national monuments; and maintaining and enhancing funding for fisheries research.

Representing the nation’s highest grossing fishing port, Director Washburn called for threatened fish stocks to be labeled as “depleted” instead of “overfished,” a charged term that may not accurately describe why a stock is diminished, and may innacurately imply that fishermen are to blame.

“There can be a number of reasons for the loss of biomass of a given fish stock that have nothing to do with fishing activity, including the effects of climate change, pollution, changes in migration patterns, or other reasons,” Director Washburn said.

Chairman Huffman agreed, saying, “I know that we have situations, salmon in California for example, where the overfish framework applies because the numbers are down, but it is not the fishermen’s fault.” Chairman Huffman cited drought impacts and diversions of water that have forced the closure of the salmon fishery, making the term “overfishing” “a completely inaccurate term that many fishermen feel like is highly disparaging.”

Chairman Huffman also asked Director Washburn specifically about the success of the Atlantic scallop fishery, which Director Washburn attributed to buy-in from industry, regulators, and scientists. Programs like NOAA’s Scallop Research Set-Aside, in which a portion of the industry’s scallop profits go to research projects, as well as collaborative research from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology have led to high confidence in the fishery’s management. Director Washburn called for a Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization that encourages a systematic approach to cooperative research.

In his testimony, Director Washburn expressed support for flexibility in rebuilding periods and annual catch limits. The current 10-year rebuilding requirement places unrealistic mandates on fishery managers since many stocks lack proper scientific data, leading to overly conservative catch limits. Greater flexibility for managers in setting catch limits would also help to achieve the Magnuson-Stevens Act’s goal of optimum yield on a continuing basis.

Director Washburn also called for a legislative fix to the conflicting goals of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the Antiquities Act. While President Trump recently allowed fishing to resume in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, Director Washburn reiterated the industry’s concerns with the process that led to the monument’s creation. “The process that led to the designation lacked the scientific rigor and industry input that ordinarily come with temporary ocean closures, much less a permanent closure,” Director Washburn said.

Director Washburn concluded his testimony by calling for maintaining and enhancing funding for fisheries research. He recommended using funds from offshore wind lease sales to ensure NOAA has the funding to adequately review offshore wind plans and conduct vital stock assessments.

Huffman hosts New England listening session to discuss federal fisheries policy

September 30, 2020 — U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California) held the latest in a series of listening sessions online on 28 September in order to gauge stakeholder’s thoughts on fisheries management, particularly the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Huffman, the chair of the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, has been hosting listening sessions featuring local stakeholder groups from various regions across the country. Originally intended to be in-person visits to parts of the U.S., all sessions have been taking place remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Huffman Resumes Nationwide Listening Tour

September 30, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

On Monday, Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02), Chair of the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, hosted the latest session on his nationwide fisheries listening tour for a discussion on federal fisheries policy in the context of the New England fishery management region. Huffman’s listening tour has previously visited Hawaii, the Gulf Coast, Florida, Seattle, Maryland, San Francisco, and Eureka, California.

“New England has a long and storied history of fishing, and communities in this region depend on healthy oceans and coasts,” said Rep. Huffman. “There are many challenges facing the fishing industry today; as we all know the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the entire country, but the fishing industry has been hit particularly hard. The New England region is also seeing some of the most drastic ocean warming on the planet. This was an important conversation about how we can support fisheries through science and sustainability as they meet these crises head-on.”

Representative Huffman heard from a range of stakeholders, including fishermen, advocates, scientists, and members of the public, who gave feedback on the current state of fisheries management under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and what they hope to see in future federal fisheries policy. Rep. Huffman was joined by Representatives Seth Moulton (MA-06), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Ed Case (HI-01), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Bill Keating (MA-09), and a video appearance by Senator Ed Markey (MA).

The ideas Huffman receives from this listening tour, and from other stakeholder outreach that is already underway, will inform his introduction of a reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the primary law governing fisheries management in U.S. federal waters.

More detail on Huffman’s listening tour, which was first announced in July 2019, can be found here.

Click the following links to watch a recording of Monday’s event on Facebook or Youtube.

Virtual ‘listening session’ with fishery stakeholders precedes bill reathorization

September 29, 2020 — Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and other members of Congress hosted a virtual listening session today with leaders from New England’s fisheries.

The event was a chance to assess the needs of individuals who have a stake in the management of federal ocean and fisheries resources. The main goal of the listening session was to help inform California Congressman Jared Huffman’s introduction of a reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

It’s the primary law governing fisheries management in U.S. federal waters.

Read the full story at WABI

Rep. Huffman Announces New England Session as part of Nationwide Congressional Fisheries Listening Tour

September 18, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

San Rafael, CA – Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02), Chair of the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, announced the next session on a nationwide fisheries listening tour will be Monday, September 28, 2020, at 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET. Rep. Huffman will be joined by Representatives Seth Moulton (MA-06), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), and additional Members of Congress in a discussion on federal fisheries policy in the context of the New England fishery management region. Huffman has previously visited Hawaii, the Gulf Coast, Florida, Seattle, Maryland, San Francisco, and Eureka, California on the tour.

In light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and public health guidance, this will be a virtual session livestreamed on Congressman Huffman’s Facebook page. The event is free and open to the public and press. Press interested in attending should submit their RSVP to Mary Hurrell at mary.hurrell@mail.house.gov.

  • WHO:
    • Congressman Jared Huffman, Congressman Seth Moulton, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, additional Members of Congress, fisheries and oceans experts
  • WHAT:
    • Discussion on federal fisheries management
  • WHEN:
    • Monday, September 28, 2020, at 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET
  • WHERE:

This panel discussion with experts and stakeholders will include a detailed, technical examination of current and future challenges in federal fisheries management and will explore potential solutions. Viewers are encouraged to ask questions and submit comments in the Facebook video comments section during the event for a chance to have these read aloud and answered live.

The ideas Huffman receives from this listening tour, and from other stakeholder outreach that is already underway, will inform his introduction of a reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the primary law governing fisheries management in U.S. federal waters.

More detail on Huffman’s listening tour, which was first announced in July 2019, can be found here.

32 members of US Congress call for veto of Alaska’s Pebble Mine permit application

September 8, 2020 — A group of 32 members of the U.S. Congress have asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to veto permits for Bristol Bay, Alaska’s Pebble Mine, a proposed open-pit copper and gold mine at headwaters that feed part of the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery.

U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California) and U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) led the letter to EPA Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler, whose agency holds the power veto the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers’ Final Draft Environmental Impact Statement, a document that has been criticized as rushed and incomplete.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Rep. Huffman Statement on Pebble Mine Permitting Decision

August 26, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

Today, Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) issued the following statement regarding the United States Army Corps of Engineers announcement to delay the permitting decision for the proposed Pebble Mine project in Bristol Bay, Alaska:

“Delaying the permit for the Pebble Mine is welcome news, but let’s be clear: the only reason this environmental atrocity came this close to happening is because the Trump administration is a favor factory for polluting industries,” said Rep. Huffman. “The previously rejected permit was revived and fast-tracked by this administration, and the only reason they finally hit the pause button is because – thankfully – some individuals close to President Trump made a personal appeal. We can welcome the outcome, but let’s not confuse any of this with environmental stewardship or good government.”

Representative Huffman led 53 of his colleagues last June in a letter to the United States Army Corps of Engineers urging them to deny the flawed permit for the proposed Pebble Mine project in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Rep. Huffman has continued to be a vocal opponent of the project, including leading amendments in both the FY2020 and FY2021 appropriations bills barring the federal government from moving forward with the flawed permit. Both amendments passed the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

NMFS Doubles Down on Observers; Rep. Huffman Takes Aim at NMFS on COVID-19 Impacts

July 20, 2020 — A California Congressman and National Marine Fisheries Service leaders released statements about pandemic-related issues and COVID-19’s effects on fisheries Thursday, but from opposite perspectives.

Following industry criticism about maintaining at-sea observers and shoreside catch monitors during a pandemic, the agency has allowed observer waivers in some areas but remained steadfast in keeping observer coverage in others. The risk of contagion is too great, fishermen and processors say, but NMFS has disagreed — at least, in some areas.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Chair Huffman Seeks Answers on NOAA’s Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

July 16, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

Today, Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), Chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requesting further information on NOAA’s plans to address COVID-19 impacts on fisheries management, NOAA staff, the fishing industry, and members of the public. The letter was addressed to Dr. Neil Jacobs, the Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.

“These unprecedented conditions will persist into next year and possibly later, and it is your responsibility to respond and react to the ongoing challenges appropriately,” Rep. Huffman states in the letter. “Now, more than ever, it is critical that our federal agencies are adaptive, transparent, and focused on keeping their workforce safe and addressing the real needs of the public that they serve.”
 
The letter outlines requests for further information on four specific items, including:
  1. Communications and Guidance: the agency has developed guidance to avoid using words related to the pandemic, such as COVID.
    • Who developed the internal guidance and what was the basis of these options, particularly the ‘preferred approach’? Was there input from public health experts and career staff?
    • Even if, as claimed, NOAA developed this guidance to ensure consistency in communications, what is the purpose of limiting references to the ongoing pandemic?
    • Does the agency plan to continue using this internal guidance document?
  2. Fisheries Surveys: due to health risks, several surveys have been cancelled this summer.
    • What was the decision-making process used to cancel these surveys? What public health information is the agency using to evaluate risks to NOAA employees?
    • What additional technologies, staffing models, or new cooperative research could be used to fill this gap in the near term, and if necessary, in future years? What tools does NOAA have at its disposal now, and what would require outyear planning?
    • Is there a way to involve fishermen to collect part of this missing survey data?
    • How will these cancelled surveys impact fisheries management?
  3. Waivers for Observer Requirements: waivers have been granted to regions on a case by case basis, which has required some to accept more health risks than others.
    • What is the justification for extending observer waivers in some regions but not others? Do waivers consider the recent significant increase in cases throughout the country?
    • Does the agency plan to continue using its current guidelines for observer waivers? If the guidelines are updated, will there be opportunities for stakeholder input?
    • Given that regions like the Pacific have a strong pattern of compliance and currently have an experimental electronic monitoring (EM) program, has the agency considered the use of EM when evaluating observer waivers?
    • How does the agency plan to advance the use of EM, which would be especially valuable in these types of circumstances, when human observers pose health risks and are putting themselves at risk due to the limited space onboard fishing vessels?
  4. Status of CARES Act Fisheries Relief Funding: the $300 million appropriated by Congress has yet to reach anyone who has been impacted.
    • What is the status of the relief funding?
    • How long does NOAA expect to take to review and approve state spend plans? How long does NOAA expect to take to distribute funds once plans are approved?
A copy of the full letter can be found here.