Saving Seafood

Mid-Atlantic Council Approves Revised Stock Rebuilding Plan for Atlantic Mackerel

June 15, 2022 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has approved a revised rebuilding plan and 2023 specifications for Atlantic mackerel. The first rebuilding plan for the stock was implemented in November 2019. However, an updated 2021 stock assessment found that, although the stock size almost tripled between 2014 and 2019, the stock was only 24% rebuilt in 2019 and unlikely to complete rebuilding as anticipated.

The revised rebuilding plan approved by the Council has a 61% probability of rebuilding the stock by 2032. Of the five rebuilding options considered, the Council selected this approach because it has a high probability of successfully rebuilding the stock while avoiding the severe economic impacts that would likely occur with some of the other alternatives. Compared to the original rebuilding plan, the revised plan uses lower predicted recruitment in projections to reduce the chance of underperforming stock growth predictions again.

The Council also voted to implement a first-ever federal waters recreational possession limit for Atlantic mackerel for 2023. Recreational catches of Atlantic mackerel have been relatively low historically, but recreational restrictions were deemed appropriate to achieve the total catch reduction required under the rebuilding plan. The Council had initially considered possession limits in the range of 10 to 15 fish per person, but they ultimately recommended a 20-fish per person limit based on the limited historical recreational catch and the importance of mackerel for recreational fishermen (including as bait). This limit is expected to reduce recreational catch by about 17%. Coordination with states that have substantial recreational mackerel catches (MA, NH, and ME) occurred during development of the plan, and it is hoped that these states will mirror the federal rules for their state waters in 2023.

Under the selected rebuilding plan, the acceptable biological catch (ABC) will be 8,094 metric tons (MT) for 2023. After accounting for expected Canadian catch, recreational catch, and commercial discards, the Council recommended setting the 2023 commercial quota at 3,639 MT. This quota is 79% lower than the initial 2021 rebuilding quota. A new Management Track Assessment will be available next year to inform 2024-2025 specifications.

The Council also discussed potentially scaling down the river herring and shad cap, currently set at 129 MT, in response to the reduced commercial quota. However, given the challenges associated with monitoring a very small cap, including potential closures based on a few observed trips, the Council voted to maintain the cap at 129 MT for 2023.

Finally, the Council agreed to request that NOAA Fisheries provide additional outreach and compliance assistance regarding the appropriate permitting and catch reporting for both commercial and for-hire vessels. Additional outreach should address any ambiguity regarding the need to have a permit and submit electronic vessel trip reports (eVTRs) by these vessels.

The Council will submit this amendment to the Secretary of Commerce for approval and implementation. Updates will be posted on the Atlantic Mackerel Rebuilding 2.0 page. For additional information about this action, contact Jason Didden at jdidden@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5254.

 

Atlantic scup from Lund’s Fisheries becomes the fourth MSC-certified product offered by the family-owned New Jersey company

May 10, 2022 — The following was released by Lund’s Fisheries:

Lund’s Fisheries, Inc., operating in Cape May, New Jersey since 1954, is pleased to announce that the company’s Atlantic scup fishery has been certified as sustainable according to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standards. MSC certification is one of the most rigorous and sought-after sustainability certifications in the world, and our scup trawl fishery now meets those high standards.

Scup is Lund’s fourth MSC-certified fishery, following the company’s certifications for Atlantic sea scallops, Loligo squid, and Illex squid. Lund’s has been a seafood industry leader on the Atlantic coast in certifying its fisheries as sustainable for U.S. and international markets and will continue to look for new opportunities to add products to the MSC certification process.

The company owns and operates 20 fishing vessels delivering seafood to its freezing and processing facility year-round. Other independent vessels, from North Carolina through Maine, land scup at the company’s plant, utilizing its 500 metric ton daily freezing capacity.

“Lund’s Fisheries is proud of our long-standing commitment to harvesting and processing some of the most sustainable seafood in the world, and the MSC certification of our scup fishery is just the latest example of that commitment,” said Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries. “In partnership with the MSC, consumers can continue to trust that our products meet the highest standards of responsible sourcing. This new certification will help us to present another locally harvested, sustainable fish to the public that they may not have heard of, seen, or eaten before.”

The certification comes after a year-long, comprehensive evaluation by independent third-party assessor SCS Global Services. The assessment ensures that the Atlantic scup trawl fishery meets the three MSC Principles, focusing on the status of the scup resource and the harvest strategy in place; the fisheries ecosystem impacts, including efforts to avoid interactions with endangered and protected species; and the governance and management system employed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. MSC certification also ensures that Atlantic scup products can be traced back to where they were caught through required recordkeeping, from harvest to product sale.

The fishery’s strengths include a well-defined and proven governance system of national and state laws; a suite of strategic policy frameworks that are supportive of the MSC’s Principles; effective leadership within federal and state management and scientific organizations; a transparent and engaging consultation and decision-making process; and a proven federal-state record of effective collaboration and cooperation at all levels.

Atlantic scup, which is mainly fished in New England and Mid-Atlantic waters, is considered to be an “underutilized” species, meaning that the population is healthy, and that fishing levels are well below the sustainable limits set for the fishery.

“Demand for sustainable U.S. seafood is only growing, and we are pleased to receive this certification from the MSC, which has become the international leader in seafood sustainability,” said Jeff Kaelin, Lund’s Director of Sustainability and Government Relations.  “This certification reflects the hard work done by our fishermen and our production team at our Cape May plant to successfully sell sustainably harvested products to our customers. It also represents tremendous support from our management partners at the Council and Commission in helping us to accumulate the technical information used in this process over the past year.”

Black Sea Bass Assessment Stakeholder Session: May 16, 2022, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

May 9, 2022 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Black Sea Bass Working Group will hold a virtual stakeholder meeting on Monday, May 16 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., using the WebEx online meeting platform. The meeting will provide an overview of the black seas bass assessment and highlight stakeholder input before opening up for a discussion on, but not limited to the following topics:

•Changes over time in availability, distribution, landings, and discards
•Ecosystem drivers
•Selectivity by gear type
•Socioeconomic impacts on fishing operations

Please register using this RSVP link before May 13, 2022. If you are unable to attend but would like to add a question or comment you can submit one via the RSVP link. The WebEx meeting link will be sent to the email you provide and can also be found on the Black Sea Bass Working Group webpage.

This stakeholder session will be hosted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Please direct any questions to Michele Traver, Assessment Process Lead.

 

Survey conflicts test relations between wind, fishing industries

April 27, 2022 — The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and offshore wind energy developers are pledging to do better by commercial fishermen – with fisheries studies, scout boats to head off survey conflicts with fishing gear, and bringing on highly experienced and respected fishermen as industry liaisons.

Incidents of survey boats towing through fixed gear in Mid-Atlantic waters are putting those processes to the test. Conch and black sea bass trap fishermen who have had gear damaged off the Delmarva coast and New Jersey brought their complaints to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

At an April 5 briefing Amanda Lefton, director of the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and wind developers Ørsted and Atlantic Shores updated the regional fishery management council on plans for two adjacent turbine projects off Atlantic City and Long Beach Island, N.J. – and BOEM’s recent $4.37 billion sale of New York Bight wind leases that could become even bigger arrays farther out on the continental shelf.

Then they heard from fishermen who have seen their conch and black sea bass gear dragged and damaged by survey vessels working on wind leases off New Jersey and the Delmarva peninsula.

New Jersey captain Joe Wagner Jr. told the council how he lost 157 bass traps in 2021 during a survey around the Ørsted Ocean Wind project area.

“The only reason I got somewhat of a payment (compensation) is because I caught their vessel at 3 o’clock in the morning pulling three of my high flyers behind their boat,” said Wagner.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Mid-Atlantic Council to Hold Public Hearings on Atlantic Mackerel Rebuilding Amendment

April 13, 2022 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking public input on a proposed amendment to rebuild the Atlantic mackerel stock. Comments may be submitted at any of five public hearings to be held between April 25 and May 2, 2022 or via written comment through May 9, 2022.

A 2021 stock assessment found that Atlantic mackerel was overfished and that overfishing was occurring. Although a rebuilding plan was implemented in November 2019, the 2021 assessment found that the stock was unlikely to rebuild as anticipated. The stock size increased 180% between 2014 and 2019 but was still less than a quarter rebuilt. In response to this updated information, the Council is developing a new rebuilding plan.

The Atlantic Mackerel Rebuilding 2.0 Amendment contains five rebuilding alternatives projected to rebuild the stock within 10 years. Potential management measures include commercial quotas, recreational bag/possession limits, a 3-inch commercial minimum mesh requirement, and permitting clarifications. The action would also set specifications and a river herring and shad cap for 2023. Please see the Overview of Rebuilding Alternatives and Public Hearing Document for additional information about the alternatives considered in this amendment. A video presentation will be available on the amendment page by Monday, April 18.

Public Hearing Schedule

1.New Bedford, MA – Monday April 25, 2022, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., Fairfield Inn and Suites – 185 MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA 02740, (774) 634-2000

2.Plymouth, MA – Tuesday April 26, 2022, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn – 4 Home Depot Drive, Plymouth, MA 02360, (508) 830-0200

3.Portsmouth, NH – Wednesday April 27, 2022, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Urban Forestry Center – 45 Elwyn Rd, Portsmouth, NH 03801, (603) 431-6774

4.Brunswick, ME – Thursday April 28, 2022, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m., Curtis Memorial Library (Morrell Meeting Room) – 23 Pleasant Street, Brunswick, ME 04011, (207) 725-5242

5.Webinar – Monday, May 2, 2022, 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should be directed to Shelley Spedden, (302) 526-5251, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Written Comments

Written comments may be submitted through May 9, 2022 by any of the following methods:

•Online: https://www.mafmc.org/comments/mackerel-rebuilding

•Email: jdidden@mafmc.org (use subject “Mackerel Rebuilding”)

•Mail to: Chris Moore, Ph.D., Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901. Mark the outside of the envelope “Mackerel Rebuilding.”

Documents

•Public Hearing Document

•Overview of Rebuilding Alternatives

For more information, contact Jason Didden at jdidden@mafmc.org (also 302-526-5254) or visit the Atlantic Mackerel Rebuilding Amendment page.

Changing Oceanographic Conditions And Environmental Justice Concerns In The Northeast Shelf

April 6, 2022 — Two new reports show the Northeast continental shelf marine ecosystems are experiencing notable ocean warming and changes in oceanography. The reports include new indicators that evaluate environmental justice concerns.

The Northeast shelf extends from North Carolina to Maine and is one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the United States. The annual New England and Mid-Atlantic State of the Ecosystem reports capture the big picture of the biology, climate, physical, and social conditions of the marine ecosystem. The assessments inform fisheries management by showing how the ecosystem is connected and changing. This ecosystem change, in turn, affects the distribution and abundance of marine species from phytoplankton to whales.

“We develop these reports along with the regional fishery management councils to provide information on current social, economic, and environmental conditions and address priority questions on factors affecting their management objectives. Every year, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council uses these reports to update their ecosystem level risk assessment. This gives managers a quick overview of conditions that may affect fisheries,” said Sarah Gaichas, co-editor at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

Read the full story at NOAA Fisheries

East Coast fisheries ‘climate scenario’ workshop planned

April 5, 2022 — East Coast fisheries managers will host a June 21-23 workshop with fishermen and other stakeholders to develop possible scenarios for how management could adapt to shifting fishing stocks and biological and economic changes coming with climate change.

Since late 2020 the East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Initiative, fishery scientists and managers have been “working collaboratively and engaging diverse fishery stakeholders to explore jurisdictional and governance issues related to climate change and shifting fishery stocks,” according to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

The initiative is a joint project of the Mid-Atlantic, New England and South Atlantic fishery management councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and NMFS.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

MAFMC April 2022 Hybrid Council Meeting

March 17, 2022 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a hybrid in-person/virtual Council meeting April 5-7, 2022. Council members, other meeting participants, and members of the public will have the option to attend the meeting in person or participate online via Webex webinar. The meeting will also be live streamed to the Council’s YouTube channel. All attendees, regardless of whether they choose to attend in-person or virtually, will have opportunities to provide comments.

Please see the April 2022 Council Meeting Page for webinar connection instructions, public comment deadlines, briefing materials (as they become available), and other updates.

A detailed agenda is available here. Below is an overview of the primary topics to be covered each day. 

Tuesday, April 5

  • 2022 Mid-Atlantic State of the Ecosystem & EAFM Risk Assessment Update
  • Climate Change Scenario Planning
  • Surfclam Species Diagnostics and Population Connectivity Estimates to Inform Management
  • Offshore Wind Energy Updates

Wednesday, April 6

  • 2023 Golden Tilefish Specifications
  • 2023 Blueline Tilefish Specifications
  • Sea Turtle Bycatch in MAFMC Trawl Fisheries
  • 2022 Illex Specifications 
  • Atlantic Mackerel Rebuilding 2.0 Amendment: Approve Alternatives for Public Hearing Document

Thursday, April 7

  • Business Session

Spiny Dogfish Assessment Stakeholder Session: Feb 15, 2022, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

February 11, 2022 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

As part of the Research Track Assessment for Atlantic spiny dogfish, a virtual stakeholder session will be held on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. This meeting will provide an overview of the fisheries stock assessment process before opening up for public questions and input.

Topics to be covered include:

•An introduction to the Research Track and Terms of Reference

•Current Research Track Assessment focus areas

•The assessment model

•Ecosystem drivers

•Life history updates

•Survey and catch information

To join this meeting, please register using this RSVP link no later than February 14th. If you are unable to attend but would like to add a question or comment you can submit one in the RSVP link. A WebEx meeting link will be sent to the email you provide in the RSVP. This WebEx meeting link is also available on the Spiny Dogfish Working Group webpage along with the Terms of Reference.

This stakeholder session will be hosted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Please direct any questions to Michele Traver, Assessment Process Lead.

 

Public Comment for Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board and Joint Meeting of the ISFMP Policy Board and MAFMC; Policy Board/MAFMC Meeting to Begin at 2:30 PM

February 7, 2022 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet next week, Tuesday, February 8 and Wednesday, February 9, 2022. Due to concerns about the continued spread of COVID-19, this meeting will be conducted entirely by webinar. A portion of the meeting will be conducted jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s ISFMP Policy Board.

Agenda and Briefing Materials: A detailed agenda is available here. Briefing documents are available on the February 2022 Meeting Page as they become available.

Public Comments: Oral public testimony will be accepted on all major agenda items. Written comments may be submitted using the online comment form.

Webinar: This meeting will be conducted by webinar on the Webex meeting platform. No pre-registration is required.

•Click here to join the webinar (if prompted, enter meeting number: 2339 572 6933; Meeting password: MpbNr3ZTD72)

•Join by phone: For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, dial 1-415-655-0001 and enter access code: 2339 572 6933#). When asked for your attendee ID, enter #. Participants connected by phone only will need to enter *6 on their keypad to unmute/mute themselves and *3 to raise/lower their hands.

•Need Help? If you need technical assistance, please check theWebex Participant Guide. For further assistance, contact Mary Sabo at msabo@mafmc.org.

Live Stream: For those who wish to listen only, we will also be streaming the meeting live on our YouTube channel.

Questions? Contact Mary Sabo, msabo@mafmc.org, (302) 526-5261.