Saving Seafood

Analysis: New England Marine Monument Proposals Overlook Existing Protections, Overstep Democratic Management

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) – September 1, 2015 — Fishermen, fisheries managers, and environmentalists agree that the Cashes Ledge region of the Gulf of Maine is home to some of the most important marine environments in New England. These include lush kelp forests and the diverse ecosystem of Ammen Rock. Since the early 2000s, federal fisheries managers have recognized the value of these areas and have taken proactive steps to protect their unique habitats, preventing commercial fishermen from entering the areas and allowing them to develop mostly undisturbed from human activity.

But according to several environmental groups, including the Conservation Law Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, the National Geographic Society, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, such long-standing and effective protections are suddenly insufficient. A public relations, media and lobbying campaign has launched to have Cashes Ledge and the New England Canyons and Seamounts designated a National Monument. While such an effort may seem consistent with the current record of environmental stewardship on Cashes Ledge, such a designation would actually undermine the current management system by removing local and expert input from the process.

The current closures on Cashes Ledge are the result of an open, democratic and collaborative process. Managed by the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), the protections are the result of extensive consultation with scientists, fishermen, regulators, and other valuable stakeholders in New England. Through this process, the Council built a durable consensus in the region on the need to protect and preserve Cashes Ledge. As a result, no federally managed fisheries are allowed to operate in the area. Only the state-managed lobster fishery is permitted in the region, which is subject to the equally open and public management process of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).

This process has been successful in making Cashes Ledge the hotspot for marine life that it is today. In fact, it has done everything that we usually ask of successful habitat management. The area has been closed for over a decade, and there are no plans to open it in the future. The bottom-tending gear that is likely to disturb habitats is already prohibited in this area. In the recently passed Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2 (OHA2), the Cashes Ledge closures remain untouched, and the current levels of protection are extended into the foreseeable future.

Since 2012, the NEFMC has been working on extending similar protections to the corals and other habitat features of the New England Canyons and Seamounts. Combined with efforts such as NOAA’s Deep-Sea Coral Data Portal, the Council is collaborating with a variety of stakeholders to fashion the best possible protections for the area. On September 23, the Council’s Habitat Committee will be discussing the Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment. Much like with the habitat protections on Cashes Ledge, this is being conducted through an open and public process that includes scientists, fishermen, regulators, and other interested parties.

So while CLF press secretary Josh Block has been recently quoted as saying a National Monument designation would ensure that the area “remains permanently protected from harmful commercial extraction, such as oil and gas drilling, commercial fishing and other resource exploration activities,” there are no actual attempts to remove the current protections, or to allow any of these activities on Cashes Ledge. Monica Medina of the National Geographic Society, who served in the Obama Administration as Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere at NOAA, acknowledges that the areas “are currently closed to industrial fishing,” but goes on to say “there have been calls to open them to fishing at some point in the future.” From who is a mystery, because during the OHA2 process, the only suggested openings were for scientific analysis.

National Geographic’s Monica Medina wrote, “scientists have recently uncovered some offshore treasures [in New England]: an area called Cashes Ledge, plus five canyons and sea mounts.” In fact, Cashes Ledge was mapped by R. Rathbun and J. W. Collins in 1887. National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Sylvia Earle herself acknowledged this after a recent dive, stating, “I saw for myself what scientists have been raving about for years.” And in what turned out to be a harbinger of the National Monument effort, Dr. Earle stated, “Cashes Ledge is the Yellowstone of the North Atlantic.”

In addition to being superfluous to the effective management of Cashes Ledge, a National Monument designation would undermine the management system already in place. A designation of a National Monument necessitates unilateral action by the President under the 1906 Antiquities Act. Such action circumvents and strips away valuable democratic processes that protect these regions and sustain their important commercial fisheries. The council system by which areas like Cashes Ledge are managed – and through which such areas are already off limits to most fishermen – would diminish in importance, as would the expert input from all relevant stakeholders, including scientists, fishermen, and conservationists.

The current management structures and systems now in place under federal guidelines, including the management of the NEMFC and ASMFC, and other regulatory procedures – including proposals to change protections – are fundamentally democratic. They allow ample time for stakeholder input from all perspectives. If organizations such as CLF and the Pew Charitable Trusts want to alter current habitat protections, there is a decades-old, established public process to accommodate them.

These procedures have led to remarkable recent success stories. In fact, just two months ago, both CLF and Pew Charitable Trusts praised the very procedures they now seek to circumvent. In June, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council voted to protect 38,000 square miles of marine habitat to preserve deep-sea corals. The same council process that produced such laudable results in the Mid-Atlantic is the same one that is in place New England. A unilateral marine monument designation, in contrast, would nullify existing management.

Recent history also demonstrates the risks and pitfalls of unilateral attempts to designate marine National Monuments of the exact sort as that being proposed for Cashes Ledge. The expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument by President Obama in 2014, for example, came under intense public scrutiny from native Pacific Islanders, commercial fishermen, and scientists alike, all of whom criticized the Administration for failing to consider crucial stakeholder input.

The current proposal for a National Monument on Cashes Ledge is a solution in search of a problem. It fixes a process that isn’t broken. It seeks an outcome that is already in effect. And it removes the public from the management of public resources.

June 2015 Cashes Ledge final

 

 

Saving Seafood Analysis: Campaign for New England Marine Monument a “Solution in Search of a Problem”

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — September 1, 2015 — An analysis released today by Saving Seafood examines a proposal from several environmental organizations to extend “permanent” protections to the Cashes Ledge region of the Gulf of Maine and the New England Canyons and Seamounts, by asking President Obama to declare the area a National Monument. The analysis notes that these efforts are largely duplicative of area closures already in place in this region, none of which are poised for opening. Saving Seafood further concludes that such a unilateral move would undermine the democratic and collaborative processes that to date have been highly effective in preserving and protecting the area.

Read the analysis from Saving Seafood here

The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) and partners including the National Geographic Society, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Natural Resources Defense Council intend to ask that these areas be declared the eastern seaboard’s first Marine National Monument, according to emails sent by CLF to State House News Service. A sold out event scheduled for Wednesday, September 2 at the New England Aquarium, featuring National Geographic and the CLF, is expected to discuss this proposal. Last Friday, Maine Governor Paul LePage wrote to President Obama opposing the designation of areas within the Gulf of Maine as a national maritime monument, as reported by the Portland Press Herald.

Such a designation would be both duplicative of, and possibly damaging to, the current management of Cashes Ledge, according to the Saving Seafood analysis. Closures already in place, developed through an open, democratic and collaborative process under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, already prohibit fishing of federally managed species in the area. These prohibitions have been in place for over a decade, the analysis notes, and have been extended into the foreseeable future with the recent passage of Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2. The Council is actively working on extending similar protections to the New England Canyons through the Deep-Sea Coral Amendment.

A petition being circulated by CLF and promoted by National Geographic notes that a “trawl could strip clear the kelp forest on Ammen Rock,” but as noted in the Saving Seafood analysis, current protections for these areas – including regulations passed as recently as June of this year – already protect areas such as Ammen Rock and the kelp forests. Saving Seafood notes that none of these areas are being considered for opening to fishing.

The Saving Seafood report also cautions against proposals to create “permanent” protections for these areas that would circumvent the process already in place to manage New England’s marine habitats. It notes that the New England Fishery Management Council has responsibility for managing Cashes Ledge and other habitat areas. Through a deliberative, consultative effort involving input from scientists, public officials, regulators, and other stakeholders, the Council has consistently protected the unique habitats on both Cashes Ledge and other areas in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank.

According to the analysis, efforts to circumvent these procedures in pursuit of ostensibly “permanent” protections, such as a National Monument designation via the Antiquities Act, would undermine the open and democratic management process that has already resulted in the long-term protection of Cashes Ledge. Upending the regulatory process that has worked so well for so long is likely to do more harm than good, the report concludes.

June 2015 Cashes Ledge final

 

Read the analysis from Saving Seafood here

 

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update: 8/17/15

August 17, 2015 — The following was released by the North Carolina Fisheries Association:

JERRY’S UPDATE

Last week I attended the joint meeting of the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in New York City. The primary issue was the quota setting for the next three years for summer flounder. There were about 40 council and commission members with staff sitting around the table and about twice that many in the audience, mostly commercial and recreational fishermen plus some reps of environmental groups. There was quite a bit of public comment on Tuesday and one of those rare times when commercial and recreational fishermen were on the same page. The original proposal was for a 43 percent quota reduction in 2016. Although what they agreed on was a 29 percent reduction for next year’s summer flounder quota, it will have tremendous impacts on both commercial and recreational fishermen. In addition, a motion passed by the council will take a look at the landings regulations which could have other very serious consequences for North Carolina.

At the state level, we have a very important Marine Fisheries Commission meeting coming up this week in Raleigh, with the commission addressing the southern flounder regulations. (For those not familiar with these terms, it can be confusing. Summer flounder is regulated jointly by the feds and states with southern flounder regulated by the state.)

See the schedule elsewhere in this update. We are strongly encouraging fishermen and their families to attend at least part of this very important meeting!

NCFA’s position from the start has been that the MFC should consider further management of southern flounder through the amendment process rather than the supplement course they’re on. We will continue to make that point this week in Raleigh. Based on previous actions by the MFC, it seems like it’s impossible to change their course. But should we roll over and give up? A couple of points here:

1.) At the time I write this, we have 2 new commissioners: Janet Rose of Currituck in a commercial seat and Keith Rhodes of Wilmington in an at-large seat. There is one more recreational fisherman yet to be named, but the point here is that we need to show up to talk to these new commissioners and make public comment as they can make all the difference in the decisions coming out of the MFC.

2.) Even if we know that the deck is stacked on this issue with the current commission, what kind of message are we sending if we don’t show up the way we usually do? That it’s over? That we’ve given up? I sincerely hope that isn’t the message we want to convey to the MFC, to the public and the media!

THE WORLD IS RUN BY THOSE WHO SHOW UP! SO LET’S SHOW UP!

Jerry

ANNUAL SPECS FOR SUMMER FLOUNDER, SCUP, BLACK SEA BASS AND BLUEFISH APPROVED BY MAFMC AND ASMFC

NMFS ANNOUNCES PROPOSED RULE TO SET QUOTAS AND OPENING DATES FOR 2016 ATLANTIC SHARK COMMERCIAL FISHING SEASON

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces a proposed rule that would establish quota levels and opening dates for the 2016 Atlantic commercial shark fisheries.

The proposed 2016 quotas, adjusted as appropriate to account for over- and underharvests, are summarized in Table 1 by management group.  Adjustments based on over- and underharvests depend on stock status.  The proposed rule uses landings data received as of June 19, 2015.  The final rule will be based on updated data received in dealer reports as of October or November 2015 based on the timing of the final rule.  Thus, the quotas in the proposed rule are subject to change in the final rule.  All dealer reports that are received after the date of the final rule will be used to adjust the 2017 quotas, as appropriate.

Specifically, NMFS proposes to:

* Open all shark management groups on the effective date for this action (i.e., on or about January 1, 2016).

* Start the 2016 commercial shark fishing season with a retention limit of 45 large coastal sharks (LCS) other than sandbar sharks per    vessel per trip.

* Adjust the commercial shark retention limit inseason to allow more equitable fishing opportunities across the fishery.

* Increase the Gulf of Mexico blacktip shark management group sub-regional quotas based on underharvests in 2014 and 2015.

* Decrease the Gulf of Mexico non-blacknose small coastal shark management group quota based on an overharvest in 2014.

* Decrease the Atlantic blacknose shark management group quota over a five-year timeframe based on an overharvest in 2012 and further decrease the quota over a three-year timeframe based on an additional overharvest in 2015.

Public hearings are currently not scheduled.  If you are interested in public hearings for the proposed rule, please contact Karyl Brewster-Geisz or Guý DuBeck by phone 301-427-8503 Written comments will be accepted until Sept. 17.  For more information and how to submit comments see the news release.

RECREATIONAL SECTOR EXCEEDS 2015 ACL FOR HOGFISH IN SOUTH ATLANTIC, FISHERY TO CLOSE AUG. 24

Recreational harvest of hogfish in South Atlantic federal waters will close, at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on Aug. 24, 2015. Federal waters will reopen to recreational harvest at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on Jan. 1, 2016. The recreational annual catch limit for hogfish is 85,355 pounds whole weight. Reports indicate that landings have exceeded the 2015 recreational annual catch limit for hogfish.

REGULATION AND RULE CHANGES:

–Coral Amendment 8 in the South Atlantic Effective Aug. 17

–Amendment 6 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Sharks Effective Aug. 18

–Snowy Grouper Season Re-opens Aug. 20

-South Atlantic Gag and Wreckfish Catch Limits Change Effective Sept. 11

-Atlantic Mackerel Slippage Consequences Measures Effective Sept. 11

-USCG Mandatory Dockside Inspections Required Effective Oct. 15

DEADLINES:

Aug. 21 at 5 p.m. – Snapper-Grouper Regulatory Amendment 16  Comments

Aug. 26 – Green Sea Turtles ESA Uplisting Comments

Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. – Snapper-Grouper Regulatory Amendment 36 Comments

Sept. 1 – SAFMC Snapper-Grouper Draft Vision Blueprint Comments

Sept. 4 – Cape Fear River Restoration Scoping Document Comments

Sept. 10 – NMFS Updated Draft Acoustic Guidelines Comments

Sept. 14 – NMFS Generic Amendment to Snapper-Grouper, Golden Crab and Dolphin-Wahoo FMPs Comments

Sept. 17 – 2016 Commercial Atlantic Shark Season Comments

Sept 21 at 5 p.m. – 2016-2018 Atlantic Herring Research Set Aside Applications

Oct. 2 – MFC Proposed Rules Comments

MEETINGS:

If you are aware of ANY meetings that should be of interest to commercial fishing that is not on this list, please contact us so we can include it here.     

Aug. 18  at 6 p.m.– Cape Fear River Restoration Public Meeting, Navassa Community Center, 338 Main St., Navassa

Aug. 19 at 1:30 p.m. – MAFMC Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel Meeting via webinar

Aug. 19-21 – Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting, Brownstone Hotel, Raleigh

Aug. 31-Sept.1 – ASMFC Menhaden Ecosystem Management Workshop

Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. – MFC Rules Public Hearing, DMF Central District Office, 5285 Hwy 70 W, Morehead City

PROCLAMATIONS: 

CRAB TRAWLING AND TAKING SHRIMP WITH NETS (OPENING: Outer Shallowbag Bay)

CRAB TRAWLING AND TAKING SHRIMP WITH NETS

SNAPPER-GROUPER COMPLEX – COMMERCIAL PURPOSES (SNOWY GROUPER)

SNAPPER-GROUPER COMPLEX – RECREATIONAL PURPOSES (SNOWY GROUPER)

 

Reef protections aim to grow fish stocks

July 28, 2015 — Fishing practices that disturb the sea floor will soon be banned in a 38,000-square mile swath of the Atlantic Ocean in an effort to protect fragile East Coast coral reefs.

While the new rules will mean fishermen are catching less in coral zones, officials say the effort could grow fish populations, keeping customers from having to pay more for seafood.

In mid-June, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council voted to establish “deep sea coral zones” from waters off the northern North Carolina border through New York. Trawls, dredges, bottom long lines and traps would be prohibited in the protected area, which starts at about the 450-feet depth point and extends 200 miles out to sea.

The rule still needs to be approved by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, but it would complement protections passed in 2010 by sister organization the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to safeguard coral zones from Southeastern North Carolina through Florida.

Read the full story at Star News Online

NEW JERSEY: Legislators call for less restrictive fluke quota

July 24, 2015 — As the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Science and Statistical Committee met this week to ponder quota cuts for the 2016 summer flounder season, three of New Jersey’s lawmakers called on the SSC not to make those cuts too steep.

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., D-NJ, submitted a letter to the Council on Wednesday requesting less restrictive quota limits than the 25 percent recommended in a recent Council staff memo. Such a reduction wrote Pallone, “would significantly impact the recreational and commercial fisherman whose livelihoods depend on a fair summer flounder quota.”

U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker ( D-NJ) both signed the letter.

Read the full story at Asbury Park Press 

 

MAFMC: August Council Meeting Agenda

July 20, 2015 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC):

The public is invited to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s August 2015 meeting on August 10 – 13, 2015 in New York, NY. The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Midtown, 440 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019: telephone 212-581-8100.  Additional details and briefing materials will be posted on the August 2015 Council Meeting page.

For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/august2015/

Agenda

PDF Agenda

Monday, August 10th

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee

  • Review input from Advisory Panel on draft habitat policy documents
  • Provide comment/revisions to draft documents
  • Other general Committee updates

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee (continued)

Tuesday, August 11th

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Executive Committee

  • Discuss possible framework related to Council risk policy and harvest control rules.

10:00 a.m. Council Convenes

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Swearing in of New Council Members and Election of Officers

10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Industry Observer Amendment

  • Review Amendment development and analyses
  • Approve alternative range for completion of draft Environmental Assessment

11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Special Award

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Blueline Tilefish Action

  • Review scoping comments and approve plan of action

2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Electronic For-Hire Vessel Trip Report Contract – Andy Loftus

  • Review findings and consider next steps

2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Council Meeting with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Bluefish Board

2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Bluefish Specifications

  • Review SSC, Bluefish Monitoring Committee, and Advisory Panel recommendations regarding 2016, 2017, and 2018 harvest levels and associated management measures
  • Adopt recommendations for 2016, 2017, and 2018 harvest levels and associated management measures

Wednesday, August 12th

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Council Meeting with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. Summer Flounder Specifications

  • Review SSC, Summer Flounder Monitoring Committee, and Advisory Panel recommendations for 2016, 2017, and 2018
  • Adopt recommendations for 2016, 2017, and 2018 commercial and recreational harvest levels and commercial management measures
  • Update on ASMFC activities regarding summer flounder

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Summer Flounder Amendment

  • Update on amendment progress and action plan
  • Discussion of FMP Goals and Objectives (with Fisheries Forum staff)

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Black Sea Bass Specifications

  • Review SSC, Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee, and Advisory Panel recommendations for 2016 and 2017
  • Adopt recommendations for 2016 and 2017 commercial and recreational harvest levels and commercial management measures

3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Scup Specifications

  • Review SSC, Scup Monitoring Committee, and Advisory Panel recommendations for 2016, 2017 and 2018
  • Adopt recommendations for 2016, 2017, and 2018 commercial and recreational harvest levels and commercial management measures

4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Scup Amendment

  • Discuss development and scoping

Thursday, August 13th

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes

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

  • Organization Reports
    • NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Office
    • NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center
    • NOAA Office of General Counsel
    • NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
    • U.S. Coast Guard
    • Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
  • Liaison Reports
    • New England Council
    • South Atlantic Council
  • Executive Director’s Report
  • Science Report
  • Committee Reports
    • Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee
    • SSC
  • Continuing and New Business

NEW YORK: Decrease in fluke limit likely in 2016

July 16, 2015 — Just when it seemed fluke regulations were finally fair, balanced and generally tolerable, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) announced last week that summer flatties have suffered several consecutive years of lower than average reproductive success.

Although this is a spawning issue and not related to overfishing by New York or its neighboring states, the result will likely be a tightening of fluke regulations in 2016. The harvest reductions needed could top 40 percent and, by law, must be effective at the start of the 2016 season.

“Such swift and steep reductions would be a devastating blow to our fluke fishery,” said Capt. Tony DiLernia, one of New York’s representatives to the MAFMC, in a telephone interview Thursday. “But there is hope for relief. Governor Cuomo is exploring ways to spread any significant reductions over a three-year span. That was recently done with sea bass regulation, so there is precedent.”

According to DiLernia, stocks of any fish are likely to fluctuate slightly from year to year based on environmental factors. Trying to immediately account for those changes can result in painfully stringent regulations.

Read the full story at Newsday

 

Mid-Atlantic Council Seeks Applicants for Trawl Survey Advisory Panel

July 16, 2015 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) is soliciting applications from qualified individuals to serve on the Northeast Trawl Survey Advisory Panel. The objectives for the panel are to understand existing NEFSC trawl survey gear performance and methodology, evaluate the potential to complement or supplement current NEFSC surveys, and to improve understanding and acceptance of NEFSC survey data quality and results.

The panel will identify concerns about regional research survey performance and data, identify methods to address or mitigate these concerns and promote mutual understanding and acceptance of results. The panel will consist of 16 members including members of the Councils and the Atlantic States Fishery Commission, industry experts, non-federal scientists and Northeast Fisheries Science Center scientists. Panel members are expected to serve for three years.

The Council is seeking applications to fill five positions:

  • Three fishery stakeholder representatives
  • Two academic or non-academic scientists

Anyone interested in serving on this advisory panel may apply online or download an application at www.mafmc.org/forms/advisory-panel-application. Applications can also be obtained by calling the Council office at (877) 446-2362 or by emailing jsaunders@mafmc.org. Completed applications should be submitted using one of the following methods:

Please include “TRAWL SURVEY ADVISORY PANEL” in the subject of your fax or email.

Completed applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4, 2015. 

All nominees are subject to an additional level of review by NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement and may be declined membership because of a marine resource violation.

 

New York’s Marine Constituencies Make Nice

July 6, 2015 — I get something of this same nightmare feeling of unease when I witness the conversations between representatives of industry and conservation here in New York. It seems to me that both parties fundamentally want the same thing: An ecologically healthy ocean that supports an economically vibrant city. But neither of them can hear the other or trust in their intent.

Too often these exchanges devolve into finger pointing, defensive posturing and cynicism, even though an objective analysis of their positions indicates that they are not mutually exclusive.

That’s why I found the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Council’s recent announcement of an amendment to protect deep sea coral so refreshing. Instead of talking past each other, representatives of the commercial and recreational fishing industry, scientists, researchers, and conservationists looked for collaboration and trust.

Together they found compromises to protect the livelihoods of fishermen and the habitats of deep sea coral. This includes the astounding Hudson Canyon – the largest submarine canyon on the East coast, located just off our own shores. When the regulations are finalized, the deep sea coral protection zone (nearly the size of Virginia) will comprise the largest fishery protected area on the Atlantic seaboard.

Read the full story at the Huffington Post

 

2015 Appointments to the Regional Fishery Management Councils

June 22, 2015 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The U.S. Commerce Department today announced the appointment of 30 new and returning members to the eight regional fishery management councils that partner with NOAA Fisheries to manage ocean fish stocks. The new and reappointed council members begin their three-year terms on August 11.

The councils were established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to prepare fishery management plans for marine fish stocks in their regions. NOAA Fisheries works closely with the councils as plans are developed, and then reviews, approves and implements the fishery management plans. Council members represent diverse groups, including commercial and recreational fishing industries, environmental organizations and academia. They are vital to fulfilling the act’s requirements to end overfishing, rebuild fish stocks and manage them sustainably.

“U.S. fisheries are among the most sustainable in the world, and NOAA Fisheries is grateful for the efforts these individuals devote to our nation’s fisheries management and to the resiliency of our oceans. We look forward to working with both new and returning council members,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “Each council faces unique challenges, and their partnerships with us at NOAA Fisheries are integral to the sustainability of the fisheries in their respective regions, as well as to the communities that rely on those fisheries.”

Each year, the Secretary of Commerce appoints approximately one-third of the total 72 appointed members to the eight regional councils. The Secretary selects members from nominations submitted by the governors of fishing states, territories and tribal governments.

Council members are appointed to both obligatory (state-specific) and at-large (regional) seats. Council members serve a three-year term and can be reappointed to serve three consecutive terms. Asterisks preceding a member’s name indicate a reappointment. 

New England Council 

The New England Council includes members from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The appointees for 2015 will fill obligatory seats for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and one at-large seat.

Obligatory seats: 

*Matthew G. McKenzie (Connecticut)

*Terry A. Alexander (Maine)

*John F. Quinn (Massachusetts)

Eric E. Reid (Rhode Island)

At-large seat:

*Vincent M. Balzano (Maine)

Mid-Atlantic Council 

The Mid-Atlantic Council includes members from the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The appointees for 2015 will fill obligatory seats for New Jersey and Virginia and two at-large seats.

Obligatory seats: 

Adam C. Nowalsky (New Jersey)

Peter L. deFur (Virginia)

At-large seats: 

Sara E. Winslow (North Carolina)

*Anthony D. Dilernia (New York)

South Atlantic Council 

The South Atlantic Council includes members from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The appointees for 2015 will fill obligatory seats from Florida and Georgia and two at-large seats.

Obligatory seats: 

*Benjamin C. Hartig, III (Florida)

*Edward “Zack” Bowen (Georgia)

At-large seats: 

*Charles M. Phillips (Georgia)

*Anna B. Beckwith (North Carolina)

Caribbean Council 

The Caribbean Council includes members from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The appointees for 2015 will fill an obligatory seat for the U.S. Virgin Islands and one at-large seat.

Obligatory seat: 

*Carlos F. Farchette (U.S. Virgin Islands)

At-large seat: 

Carlos J. Velazquez (Puerto Rico)

Gulf Council 

The Gulf Council includes members from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The appointees for 2015 will fill obligatory seats for Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and two at-large seats.

Obligatory seats: 

*Johnny R. Greene, Jr. (Alabama)

*Juan M. Sanchez (Florida)

*Campo E. Matens (Louisiana)

At-large seats: 

Edward W. Swindell, Jr. (Louisiana)

Dale A. Diaz (Mississippi)

Pacific Council 

The Pacific Council includes members from California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The Pacific Council also includes one Tribal seat. The appointees for 2015 will fill obligatory seats for California, Oregon and the Tribal seat. Two at-large seats will also be filled.

Obligatory seats: 

*David M. Crabbe (California)

*Dorothy M. Lowman (Oregon)

Joseph Y. Oatman (Tribal)

At-large seats: 

*William “Buzz” Brizendine, II (California)

Philip M. Anderson (Washington)

North Pacific Council 

The North Pacific Council includes members from Alaska and Washington. The appointees for 2015 will fill two obligatory seats for Alaska and an obligatory seat for Washington.

Obligatory seats: 

*Howard “Dan” Hull (Alaska)

Andrew D. Mezirow (Alaska)

*Craig A. Cross (Washington)

Western Pacific Council 

The Western Pacific Council includes members from American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The appointees for 2015 will fill obligatory seats for Guam and Hawaii.

Obligatory seats: 

*Michael P. Duenas (Guam)

*Michael K. Goto (Hawaii)

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