Saving Seafood

Reopening Comment Period for Coonamessett Farm Foundation Exempted Fishing Permit

March 6, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

At the request of the public, we are reopening the comment period for an Exempted Fishing Permit application from the Coonamesset Farm Foundation. The Exempted Fishing Permit would allow commercial fishing vessels to use dredge fishing gear with a forward facing camera within the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area to characterize habitat substrate types where dredge fishing occurs, and conduct compensation fishing that would support research conducted by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.

You may submit written comments by any of the following methods:

Email: nmfs.gar.efp@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line “CFF Great South Channel HMA Clam EFP.”

Mail: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope “Comments on CFF Great South Channel HMA EFP.”

Comments are due by March 23. Please see the notice as published in the Federal Register for more information.

US Commerce Department allocates $35 million for Alaska fisheries disasters

March 2, 2020 — Fishermen affected by the 2018 Pacific cod and Chignik sockeye disasters will soon have access to about $35 million in relief funding.

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross allocated about $65 million to fisheries disaster relief, about $35 million of which is for Alaska, according to a Feb. 27 announcement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Within Alaska, about $24.4 million will go to the Pacific cod fishery disaster and about $10.3 million to the Chignik sockeye fishery. The funding was appropriated when Congress passed the 2019 Consolidated and Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Fisheries disasters can be declared under the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Management and Conservation Act when natural disasters or management actions significantly negatively impact stakeholders’ ability to participate in a fishery.

In the case of the Pacific cod fishery in the Gulf of Alaska, scientists are linking the decline in stock abundance to environmental causes; in Chignik, the salmon decline seemed to be linked to poor environmental conditions for sockeye that summer.

Both disaster requests had already been granted, but the amount of funding that the fisheries would have allocated to them was yet to be determined. The National Marine Fisheries Service determines how much funding to allocate to fisheries based on commercial revenue loss information.

Affected fishermen will be able to apply for funding to help with infrastructure projects, habitat restoration, state-run vessel and fishing permit buybacks, and job retraining, according to the announcement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

FLORIDA: 10 years ago, local fishermen marched on D.C. for change

March 2, 2020 — Ten years ago, more than 35 local fishermen boarded a charter bus at Capt. Anderson’s Marina on Panama City Beach for a marathon ride to Washington D.C. for the United We Fish march on the Capitol.

When the captains and deckhands from Destin, Panama City and Mexico Beach boarded the bus for the 18-hour trek, they had high hopes of getting more flexibility in fishing regulations and longer fishing seasons.

″(I’m) not sure that trip made a difference in and of itself,” said Ken Creel, a Destin recreational fisherman who made the bus ride. “However I’m sure it played a part in the overall outcome.

″(It was) one of the first times the private and for-hire sectors came together,” he added. ”(It) proved that there is strength in cooperation. It was a tough three-day trip on a bus, but I would definitely do it again.”

Read the full story at The Destin Log

Rep. Huffman Hears From Diverse Groups on Federal Fisheries Management

February 24, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

In the span of one week, Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), Chair of the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee, received feedback on federal fisheries management policy from stakeholders in both the South Atlantic and Western Pacific regions during the latest stops on his nationwide listening tour.

During the listening sessions in Miami and Honolulu Representative Huffman heard from industry stakeholders, 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. Representative Ed Case (HI-01), member of the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee, moderated the Hawai’i discussion, with Chairman Huffman joining remotely.
 
“Throughout my listening tour, one thing has been clear: protecting the ocean’s resources and maintaining solid fisheries management is vital to coastal communities and economies. And what I’m hearing is that the Magnuson Stevens Act has been successful  Having the chance to hear from stakeholders across the country has proved invaluable in ensuring that any updates we make to the law are as strong as possible and grounded in addressing the challenges that stakeholders around the country are facing now and in the future,” said Rep. Huffman. 
 
Rep. Huffman’s goal for this listening tour is to assess whether improvements to the Magnuson-Stevens Act are needed and if so, what they should be. More information, a public comment page, and the full press release for this tour can be found on our website here.
 
Videos from the listening sessions can be accessed through Representative Huffman’s Facebook page here.

Reps. Huffman, Case Announce Honolulu as Next Stop on Congressional Fisheries Listening Tour

February 20, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) Chair of the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, and Congressman Ed Case (D-Honolulu) will be hosting the next stop on a nationwide fisheries listening tour TOMORROW, Friday, February 21, at 10:00 a.m. HST in Honolulu, Hawaii. Congressman Case will moderate this discussion on federal fisheries policy in the context of the Western Pacific fishery management region, with Chairman Huffman joining remotely.

Members of the press interested in attending should submit their RSVP to Nestor Garcia with Congressman Case’s office at nestor.garcia@mail.house.gov.

WHO:            Congressman Ed Case, Congressman Jared Huffman (will appear via video conference), fisheries and oceans experts

WHAT:          Discussion on federal fisheries management

WHEN:          Friday, February 21, 2020 @ 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. HST

WHERE:       The Atherton Hālau in the Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI, 96817

The forum will be live-streamed via ‘Ōlelo Community Television Channel 53 and on their web sitewww.olelo.org/tune-in.  The direct link to share can be found here: https://olelo.granicus.com/player/camera/11?publish_id=89. It will be viewable to anyone with an internet connection. Please credit ‘Ōlelo Community Media for use of the video.

Congressional Fisheries Listening Tour: 2/11 LIVE Honolulu

  • 2/21/2020    10:00 AM    OLELO 53 LIVE
  • 3/11/2020     7:30 PM      OLELO 49
  • 3/15/2020   10:00 PM      OLELO 49
  • 3/16/2020     8:00 AM     OLELO 49
  • 3/17/2020     1:30 PM      OLELO 49

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. Guests will be able to ask questions during the roundtable and provide public comments at its conclusion.

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, can be found here.

Shark Fin Sale Bans Would Hurt U.S. Fishermen Without Improving Shark Conservation, Management

February 19, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The United States has some of the best managed shark fisheries in the world. Our laws and regulations prevent overfishing while maximizing commercial fishing opportunities and the economic value of our shark fisheries. Part of our science-based management is allowing fishermen to sell both the meat and fins of sustainably harvested sharks.

For decades, U.S. fishermen have been barred from removing shark fins and discarding the body at sea, a practice known as shark finning. With a limited exception for smooth dogfish, sharks must be brought to shore with their fins naturally attached. Under current federal law, fishermen and dealers can then remove and sell the fins along with other parts of the shark.

Preventing shark fishermen from selling these fins would not improve domestic conservation and management. We are required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act to prevent overfishing in our shark fisheries regardless of whether fins are allowed to be sold or not. A ban on the sale of shark fins would only regulate which parts of a sustainably harvested shark can be used.

U.S. federal or state bans would also have little impact on the global fin market.The United States exports approximately 1 percent of all globally traded shark fins, and we import an even smaller percentage.

The largest impact of a national shark fin sale ban would fall on our fishermen. Because they have a higher economic value than shark meat, fins are key to any commercial shark operation. If fishermen were required to discard sharks fins that were harvested sustainably under strict federal management, they would have less income.

Domestic bans on harvesting fins would also undermine our efforts to promote international dialogue and negotiations on sustainable shark management. Responsibly participating in the global fin trade allows the United States to showcase our strong conservation and management practices overseas. Dive deeper into misperceptions surrounding the shark fin trade in a new feature story.

NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to preventing overfishing of our shark fisheries. As a global leader in conservation, we are also committed to advancing sustainable shark management practices around the globe. Both of these priorities are possible thanks to our transparent, rigorous, and science-based management process.

ALLEN SUSSER: Strong fisheries management will keep seafood on Florida’s dinner tables

February 11, 2020 — The options for eating seafood are plentiful in Miami, from beach shacks to fine-dining establishments and everything in between. Equally plentiful is the seafood caught by U.S. fishermen that I and other Florida chefs are proud to serve and promote.

The United States boasts some of the best managed fisheries in the world, making American seafood a preferred choice for sustainability advocates like myself and, increasingly, for consumers.

But this wasn’t always the case. Until the mid-1990s, many U.S. fish stocks were being caught at an unsustainable rate — depleting the ocean of many of the species we love to eat.

Fortunately, a wide range of stakeholders committed to sustaining U.S. fisheries and fishermen worked with Congress to make key changes to a federal law known as the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA). As a result of those changes, more than 45 of our country’s fish populations have recovered from perilously low levels, and the law ensures that they are now fished sustainably. For chefs in Florida, with more than 8,000 miles of coastline along the Atlantic and the Gulf, that means we have access to sustainable seafood on a regular basis.

Read the full story at the Miami Herald

Rep. Huffman Completes First Stop of 2020 on Fisheries Listening Tour, Announces Miami Session

February 6, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

On Thursday, January 30, Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), Chair of the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee, traveled to the Gulf Coast region as part of his nationwide listening tour on federal fisheries policy. This was the first listening session of 2020 and the fifth session overall. The Gulf of Mexico fishery management region includes the federal waters off of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and the west coast of Florida.

Rep. Huffman also announced today that he will be hosting the next stop on his listening tour on Friday, February 14, 2020, in Miami, Florida, to discuss federal fisheries policy in the context of the South Atlantic fishery management region, which includes the federal waters off of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and east Florida to Key West.
 
These events are designed to engage diverse perspectives, interests, and needs of individuals who have a stake in the management of ocean and fisheries resources. During the listening session in New Orleans, Chairman Huffman heard from industry stakeholders, 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. 
 
“Like the other places I’ve visited on this listening tour, fish and fishing are a way of life throughout the Gulf,” said Rep. Huffman. “The commercial and recreational fishing industries support tens of thousands of jobs and billions in sales annually. Communities all around the Gulf are deeply connected to healthy oceans and coasts, and it was extremely valuable to continue the conversation on fisheries management with these passionate local experts and stakeholders, including my colleague Rep. Garret Graves, who is an active and spirited participant in our debates on these issues in Washington, D.C. I heard a lot about the significant impacts of fishery disasters, data needs and successes, and how climate change is impacting the region in a very unique way.”
 
Miami Listening Session
WHO:             Congressman Jared Huffman, fisheries and oceans experts
WHAT:          Discussion on federal fisheries management focused on the South Atlantic region
WHEN:          Friday, February 14, 2020 @ 8:30-10:30 a.m. EST
WHERE:       Southeast Fisheries Science Center*
                        Seminar Room
                        75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, Florida, 33149
RSVP:            Please click here to RSVP
 
Rep. Huffman’s goal for this listening tour is to assess whether improvements to the Magnuson-Stevens Act are needed and if so, what they should be. More information, a public comment page, and the full press release for this tour can be found here.
 
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (also referred to as the Magnuson-Stevens Act or MSA) is the primary law governing the management and conservation of commercial fisheries in federal waters. 
 
The MSA was last reauthorized and extensively amended in 2006 (P.L. 109-479). Although the authorization of appropriations expired at the end of Fiscal Year 2013, the law’s requirements remain in effect and Congress has continued to appropriate funds to administer the act.
 
Videos from the listening sessions can be accessed through Representative Huffman’s Facebook page here. Didn’t have a chance to provide feedback during the session? You can visit his website to submit a comment at any time.
 
*The Fisheries Science Center is a federal building. Foreign nationals must RSVP in advance to obtain clearance.

NOAA Fisheries Closes Nantucket Lightship and Closed Area I Closure Areas to Gillnet Gear

December 16, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

In compliance with a recent Federal District Court Order, NOAA Fisheries is implementing a closure of the Nantucket Lightship and Closed Area I Groundfish Closure Areas for gillnet gear only.

This rule is effective tomorrow. All gillnetters must remove their gillnet gear from these areas as soon as possible, consistent with safe vessel operations.

Background

The October 28, 2019, Court Order prohibits NOAA Fisheries from allowing gillnet fishing in the former Nantucket Lightship Groundfish Closure Area and the Closed Area I Groundfish Closure Areas (see map below) until NOAA Fisheries has fully complied with requirements of the Endangered Species Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, consistent with the Opinion.

After the Order was issued, we notified gillnetters in these areas on November 1 that all gillnet gear needed to be removed from these two areas and that we would be issuing a formal rule closing these areas. That formal rule has now been issued.

Read the full release here

Marin Voice: Huffman’s interest in fisheries act is commendable

November 26, 2019 — A once-in-a-decade opportunity for everyone to weigh in on the management of our fisheries has been put into motion.

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act is the primary federal law that governs all management of marine fisheries in federal waters of the United States. The act governs both commercial and recreational fishing sectors. First enacted by bi-partisan legislation in 1976, it has been reauthorized and amended by Congress in 1996 and 2006. The intent was to update and reauthorize the MSA every 10 years. Obviously, a reauthorization in 2016 did not occur and the MSA has remained essentially unchanged since 2006.

U.S. Representative Jared Huffman has set a goal to have the MSA reauthorized in the spring of 2020. To that end, he is holding a series of roundtable meetings throughout the country to gather input from all stakeholders as to how they feel the MSA can be updated and improved. I attended, as an audience member, the roundtable that was held in San Francisco on Oct. 7.

Congressman Huffman presided over a panel of 11 people who represented organizations concerned with commercial and recreational fishing. Congressman Huffman set the tone by stating that he was there to listen and gather information and opinions from all parties. He also stressed that he will try to garner bi-partisan support for the reauthorization process. He took extensive notes and asked questions for clarification. No conclusions or rebuttals were offered. It was truly an information-gathering atmosphere.

Read the full story at The Marin Independent Journal