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Council Approves Groundfish Framework 57 With Annual Catch Limits, Halibut/Southern Windowpane AMs, and More

December 7, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has approved Framework Adjustment 57 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. The framework contains fishery specifications and annual catch limits (ACLs) for the 2018-2020 fishing years, as well as: (a) U.S./Canada total allowable catches (TACs) for shared stocks on Georges Bank; (b) Atlantic halibut management measures; (c) modifications to the southern windowpane flounder accountability measures (AMs) for large-mesh non-groundfish trawl fisheries such as scup and summer flounder; (d) adjustments to how common pool trimester TACs are apportioned; and (e) a temporary change to the scallop fishery’s AM implementation policy to cover the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder stock. The Council also discussed actions related to recreational fisheries and approved a temporary administrative measure to give the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) regional administrator the authority to adjust recreational measures for Georges Bank cod.

2018-2020 Fishing Year Specifications

The new specifications in Framework 57 include substantial quota increases for several commercially important groundfish stocks, including Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Gulf of Maine haddock, and pollock, as well as smaller but important increases for a few “choke” stocks. These are stocks with low quotas that can make accessing healthy, high-quota stocks more difficult (see table). Catch limits for some stocks will decrease, and fishermen will continue to face challenges with non-allocated stocks such as windowpane flounder. Overall, however, the 2018 quotas are expected to provide a number of groundfish fishing opportunities on healthy resources.

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) made overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations – the starting point for calculating catch limits – for all groundfish stocks except Atlantic halibut. In order to prevent delays in the implementation of Framework 57, the Council agreed in advance to accept the halibut OFL and ABC recommendations that the SSC intends to make during a December 18 webinar meeting. The Council also approved sub-ACLs for: (a) Gulf of Maine cod and haddock for the recreational fishery; (b) four flatfish stocks for the scallop fishery; (c) Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for small-mesh fisheries; and (d) Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank haddock for the midwater trawl fishery as shown in the table below.

The Council also approved sub-ACLs for: (a) Gulf of Maine cod and haddock for the recreational fishery; (b) four flatfish stocks for the scallop fishery; (c) Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for small-mesh fisheries; and (d) Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank haddock for the midwater trawl fishery as shown in the table below.

During its September meeting in Gloucester, the Council approved 2018 fishing year TACs for three shared U.S./Canada groundfish stocks on Georges Bank, which also are part of Framework 57.

The U.S. share for Eastern Georges Bank cod increased 76% from 2017. Eastern Georges Bank haddock decreased 47.1%. Georges Bank yellowtail flounder went up 2.9%.

Revised Common Pool Vessel Trimester TAC Apportionments

The Council also voted to revise the common pool trimester TAC apportionments based on a request from industry. However, the Council limited these revisions to stocks that have experienced early closures in Trimester 1 or Trimester 2 since the implementation of Amendment 16. The qualifying stocks are: Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder, Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder, American plaice, and witch flounder. These stocks are shaded in grey in the table below showing the revised 2018 common pool trimester apportionments and TACs. In order to facilitate management of the common pool fishery, the Council voted to broaden the authority of the GARFO regional administrator to modify common pool trimester TACs and accountability measures. This way, the regional administrator will have more flexibility to make necessary changes without requiring further Council action.

Southern Windowpane Flounder Accountability Measures for Large-Mesh Non-Groundfish Trawl Fisheries

Also in Framework 57, the Council agreed to modify the southern windowpane flounder accountability measures for large-mesh non-groundfish trawl fisheries, which include scup, summer flounder, and other trawl fisheries. Staff from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council collaborated extensively with the New England Council staff to develop the measures and conduct the necessary analyses for this action.

The changes are two-fold. First, the Council extended the flexibility provisions already in place for the commercial groundfish fishery to the large mesh non-groundfish trawl fisheries. These provisions reduce the size and duration of the AMs under certain conditions depending on the status of the stock and fishery performance.

Second, the Council approved changes to the Gear Restricted Areas (GRAs) that apply to large-mesh nongroundfish trawl fisheries. The GRAs are shown in the map below.

If either a “small” or “large” accountability measure is triggered – the size depends on the magnitude of the quota overage – the following measures would apply: • The Small AM Area east of Montauk, NY (in red on map) would be implemented seasonally from September 1 through April 30 instead of year round; • The revised Large AM Area 1 east of Montauk (hatched area on map) would be implemented year round; and • The Large AM Area 2 off western Long Island would remain unchanged.

Atlantic Halibut Management Measures

The Council approved changes to the Atlantic halibut accountability measures for vessels possessing federal groundfish permits. If the AMs are triggered, the following would pertain to the halibut GRAs.

For the fixed gear AMs, the Council: (1) exempted longline gear; (2) removed Fixed Gear AM Area 1 on Stellwagen Bank; (3) retained the Fixed Gear AM Area 2 on Platts Bank for gillnet gear and added a provision to allow gillnet fishing from November through February in that area (see map).
For the Trawl Gear AM Area (see map), selective trawl gear approved by the regional administrator would be required within the entire Trawl Gear AM Area. The Council agreed to allow standard trawl gear in the portion of the area between 41⚬ 40’ N and 42⚬ seasonally from April 1 through July 31.

All other provisions of the gear restricted areas remain in place. The Council made the above modifications to continue protecting halibut while preserving fishing opportunities for vessels targeting other species.

Also related to halibut, the Council approved an accountability measure stipulating that if the halibut subACL is exceeded, a zero possession limit would apply to all federal permit holders, with an exemption for the following permits: party/charter; highly migratory species (HMS) angling; and HMS charter/headboat.

View the full release from the NEFMC here.

Zinke backs shrinking more national monuments and shifting management of 10

December 7, 2017 — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Tuesday called on President Trump to shrink a total of four national monuments and change the way six other land and marine sites are managed, a sweeping overhaul of how protected areas are maintained in the United States.

Zinke’s final report comes a day after Trump signed proclamations in Utah that downsized two massive national monuments there — Bears Ears by 85 percent and Grand Staircase-Escalante by nearly 46 percent. The president had directed Zinke in April to review 27 national monuments established since 1996 under the Antiquities Act, which gives the president broad authority to safeguard federal lands and waters under threat.

In addition to the Utah sites, Zinke supports cutting Nevada’s Gold Butte and Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou, though the exact reductions are still being determined. He also would revise the proclamations for those and the others to clarify that certain activities are allowed.

The additional monuments affected include Northeast Canyons and Seamounts in the Atlantic Ocean; both Rose Atoll and the Pacific Remote Islands in the Pacific Ocean; New Mexico’s Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Rio Grande Del Norte, and Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters.

Read the full story at the Washington Post

Marine resources commissioner opposes task force to study addiction in fishing industry

December 6, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — The head of the Maine Department of Marine Resources has come out against a proposed bill to study the high rate of addiction in commercial fishing.

Patrick Keliher said a task force bill that will be introduced by Rep. Mick Devin, a Newcastle marine biologist who sits on the committee that oversees Keliher’s agency, focuses too narrowly on one industry. Keliher acknowledges the commercial fishing industry has a drug addiction problem, but no more so than any other line of work. Addiction is an issue that transcends the fishing industry, he said.

“While I applaud any effort to address the issue of drug addiction in Maine, I believe this bill focuses too much on one industry, when many others are impacted,” Keliher said in a statement Tuesday to the Press Herald. “This is an issue of statewide significance. Addiction does not discriminate. It affects many different professions, and any effort to address addiction should acknowledge that.”

Read the full story at Portland Press Herald

NMFS finalizing new rules for New England fisheries

December 5, 2017 — Tuesday, 5 December is the final day for the public to submit comments on a series of proposed changes to essential fish habitats and areas within the New England Fishery Management Council’s jurisdiction.

The new regulations were designed to keep the council in compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which calls on the councils to review designated habitat areas and protect those areas as much as possible to allow fish to mature and spawn.

The proposed changes include opening the northern portion of Georges Bank, a shallow plateau located between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia, to scallop fishermen.

The council said the potential economic benefits outweigh the benefits of keeping the area closed. The scallop fishery have averaged nearly USD 500 million (EUR 421.2 million) in revenue over the past five years. By allowing fishermen in Georges Bank, it could increase their revenue by almost USD 190 million (EUR 160 million).

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Scientists: Maine coast could see more great white sharks

December 5, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — A great white shark detected in waters off Maine could be a sign that the big fish will become a more common sight in the years to come, say scientists who study sharks in New England.

White sharks are near the northern edge of their range along the Maine coast, though they are not commonly seen in the area. One of the sharks was spotted in the waters off Kennebunkport in the summer of 2016, sparking interest in finding out how many live off Maine.

University of New England marine scientist James Sulikowski has set out to answer that question, and he’s making his first findings public. Tracking devices discovered a different, 12-foot great white about 1.5 miles off of Old Orchard Beach in September of this year, he said.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Boston Herald

Bill calls for task force to stem the tide of addiction in Maine’s fishing industry

December 5, 2017 — Nine years ago, a young “wrinkler” drowned when he was swept away by the rising tide in Lubec Channel.

Kristopher Fergerson, 27, was picking periwinkles, a small edible snail, with a friend to make ends meet after losing his job as a carpenter. The medical examiner labeled his death an accident, but state Rep. Mick Devin, D-Newcastle, a shellfish commissioner, blamed it on drugs. Toxicology results found morphine, Diazepam and ethanol in Fergerson’s blood, records show. The harvester stayed out too long because he needed money to buy drugs, Devin said.

“That was almost 10 years ago, and you’d hope things would have changed, but it’s only gotten worse,” Devin said. “His death has always stuck with me, but I know that it’s still happening. Fishermen are still dying from drugs. Fishermen in my district are telling me that young guys are using drugs and going out to work on the water every day, and that’s dangerous – for them, for the people they fish with and for our local fishing economy.”

Devin wants the Maine Legislature to create a task force to investigate the high rate of addiction among Maine’s commercial fishermen. Last week, a bill that Devin wants to submit to create that task force got a green light from the Legislative Council, which must approve all bills for consideration during even-numbered years when Maine tries to limit legislative debate to emergency matters. The council voted 6-4 in favor of considering the task force bill.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

Maine: Shrimp stir up spat at commission meeting

December 5, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — For such tiny critters, northern shrimp can kick up quite a storm among fisheries regulators.

Meeting in Portland last week, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section voted to continue the moratorium on shrimp fishing in the Gulf of Maine for another year. First imposed in 2013, the moratorium will remain in force for at least one more year.

That means no shrimp fishing season in 2018, at least for Maine fishermen.

Commission members from Massachusetts and New Hampshire also voted to allow the harvest of 13.3 metric tons (about 30,000 pounds) of shrimp next year for research purposes. Details of the research program will be determined later this month.

In an email, Department of Marine Resources spokesman Jeff Nichols said Commissioner Patrick Keliher “was very disappointed” with the proposal and voted against the research set-aside.

The 13.3-metric ton research quota was considerably smaller than in the past. Between January and March of this year, eight trawlers from Maine and one each from Massachusetts and New Hampshire were allowed to fish for up to a total of 53 metric tons (about 117,000 pounds) for research purposes. The boats caught a total of 32.6 metric tons (71,871 pounds), or 62 percent of the research set-aside.

Read the full story at the Ellsworth American

Feds taking final comments on new ocean habitat plan

December 4, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — The federal government is closing the public comment period on a plan to change the way it manages ocean habitat off of New England.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is looking to change the way it manages the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and southern New England waters. The three areas are critical for commercial fishing operations and marine animals such as whales and dolphins.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Haven Register

Maine Scallopers Back On Water After Record Year In 2016

December 1, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — Maine fishermen are heading out on the water to participate in the state’s rebuilt scallop fishery, which targets one of the most lucrative seafood species in the country.

Scallop fishing begins Friday in Maine and lasts until mid-April. The specifications for the season are very similar to the previous year.

Fishermen in most of the state can harvest up to 15 gallons of shucked scallops per day, while those in the Cobscook Bay area are limited to 10 gallons. Cobscook Bay is the most fertile scallop fishing ground in the state.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at Maine Public

Maine objects, but regulators vote to keep shrimp fishery closed for 2018

November 30, 2017 — Regional fisheries managers voted Wednesday to keep Maine’s commercial shrimp fishery closed for another year amid assessments showing record-low numbers of shrimp in the Gulf of Maine.

The northern shrimp section of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission opted to extend for a fifth year, through 2018, the moratorium on shrimp fishing in northern New England to allow depleted stocks to rebuild. Fishermen and Maine’s representatives on the shrimp panel had been pushing for a modest commercial fishery – ranging from 500 to 2,000 tons – but failed to convince their counterparts from Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

“After 40 years in this business, I know that Mother Nature has a remarkable ability, if we leave the spawning stock in the water, to recover,” said Mike Armstrong, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries representative to the panel. “I’m not convinced that is going to happen … but I want to give this stock a chance to recover for a few more years.”

The decision frustrated Commissioner Patrick Keliher of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, who responded by saying Maine would not participate in the planned 13.3-ton “research set-aside” fishery for shrimp.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald