Saving Seafood

NOAA extends marine mammal exemptions for seafood imports

November 30, 2023 — NOAA Fisheries has delayed implementing rules designed to bring seafood imports into compliance with U.S. marine mammal bycatch once again, extending the exemption for another two years.

NOAA Fisheries issued a final rule in 2016 that would require U.S. trade partners to secure a “comparability finding” showing that their wild-caught commercial fishing operations align with U.S. conservation standards for marine mammals. Nations that do not have a comparability finding would be banned from exporting those seafood products to the U.S.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA Establishes Marine Mammal Bycatch Criteria for U.S. Imports

August 16, 2016 — WASHINGTON – Nations that export fish and fish products into the U.S. will now have to meet the same standards for protecting marine mammals that American fishermen follow.

NOAA Fisheries published its final ruling last week which forces trade partners to show that killing or injuring marine mammals incidental to fishing or bycatch in their export fisheries do not exceed U.S. standards.

“Fishing gear entanglements or accidental catch is a global threat to marine mammal populations,” said Eileen Sobeck, the assistant NOAA administrator for fisheries. “Establishing these bycatch criteria mark a significant step forward in the global conservation of marine mammals.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

NOAA Awards $2.75 Million for Marine Mammal Rescue Efforts

September 10, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA:

Today, NOAA Fisheries announced the award of $2.75 million in grant funding to partner organizations in 16 states to respond to and rehabilitate stranded marine mammals and collect data on their health. The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program provides funding to non-profit and for-profit organizations, academic institutions, and state agencies that are members of the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

“Prescott grants help our national marine stranding response teams continue to improve their techniques, and supports our efforts to establish links between the health of marine mammals, coastal communities and our coastal ecosystems,” said Dr. Teri Rowles, NOAA Fisheries lead marine mammal veterinarian and coordinator of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program. “The money supports vital information needed to protect and conserve whales, dolphins, seals, and sea lions.”

“Prescott grants tie directly to NOAA Fisheries’ core mission, which includes the conservation, protection and recovery of protected marine resources, including whales, dolphins, seals and sea lions,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for fisheries. “Helping our stranding partners do their jobs on the front lines of response and rehabilitation fits in perfectly with our goals.”

The Stranding Network is comprised of trained professionals and volunteers from more than 100 organizations that partner with NOAA Fisheries to investigate marine mammal strandings, rehabilitate animals, and assist with research on marine mammal health issues. NOAA Fisheries relies on its long-standing partnership with stranding network members to obtain the vital research about marine mammal health needed to develop effective conservation programs for marine mammal populations in the wild.

Since the Prescott Grant Program’s inception in 2001, NOAA Fisheries has awarded 518 Prescott grants to members of the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network, totaling more than $45.5 million. Over the years, Prescott grants have enabled members to improve operations, such as expanding response coverage, enhancing response capabilities and data collection, and improving rehabilitation of marine mammals.

Prescott Grants are made under Title IV of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which authorizes NOAA Fisheries to fund eligible members of the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network through grants and cooperative agreements.

Find more information about the Prescott Grant Program, details on each 2015 grant, eligibility requirements, and funding opportunities on our website.

 

Public comment period opens for NOAA’s proposed rule to protect marine mammals in international fisheries

August 10, 2015 –NOAA today issued a proposed rule to protect marine mammals in international fisheries which would require U.S. trading partners to take measures to limit the incidental killing or serious injury of marine mammals due to fishing activities if they want to export seafood to the United States.

The rule, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), aims to level the playing field for American fishermen who comply with U.S. marine mammal conservation standards, and is intended to help foreign fisheries support a healthy and diverse marine ecosystem.

Under the proposed rule, nations exporting fish and fish products to the U.S. would be required to demonstrate that killing or serious injury of marine mammals incidental to their fishing activities do not occur in excess of U.S. standards.

“This rule proposes a system that would lead many foreign nations to improve their fishing practices to protect marine mammals,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “Those changes to current practice across the world will mark one of the most significant steps in the global conservation of marine mammals in decades, and could save substantial numbers of these vulnerable animals from injury and death, while at the same time leveling the playing field for U.S. fishermen.”

To comply, nations could adopt a marine mammal conservation program consistent with the United States’ program, or develop an alternative regulatory program with results comparable in effectiveness to U.S. regulatory programs for reducing marine mammal bycatch. NOAA would then evaluate each nation’s program to determine whether a nation has taken sufficient action and may export seafood to the United States.

NOAA, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State, will consult with the harvesting nations and, to the extent possible, engage in a capacity building program to assist with monitoring and assessing marine mammals stocks and bycatch and reduce unsustainable bycatch.

“The United States is a global leader in marine mammal conservation and sustainable fisheries practices. However, successful management and conservation of our global ocean can only be achieved through international cooperation and collaboration,” said John Henderschedt, director of NOAA Fisheries Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection. “Building on our success domestically, this proposed rule will serve as another venue for the U.S. to work with other countries and international partners to reduce marine mammal death and injury associated with fishing operations.”

The proposed rule provides a 5-year grace period during which foreign nations will be able to gather information about the impacts of their fisheries on marine mammals and work to ensure that these impacts do not exceed U.S. standards. NOAA will consult with the harvesting nation and, to the extent possible, work with nations to build their capacity to meet the rule’s standards.

NOAA is accepting public comment on the proposed rule until November 9, 2015. More information on the submission process can be found in the Federal Register notice.

Read the story from NOAA

 

NMFS Moves to Add Marine Mammal Rules Similar to Turtle Excluder Laws; May Ban Some Seafood Imports

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by John Sackton — August 11, 2015 — NOAA Fisheries has published a notice in the Federal Register today about rules for foreign seafood exporters regarding marine mammals.

Although there is a five year window for implementation, the new rules would require certification for any export fishery that interacts with marine mammals. Unless the foreign country had a program certified as effective by NMFS for reducing marine mammal bycatch mortality, exports from that fishery would be prohibited into the US.

The operation of the program appears similar to the Turtle Excluder Laws, which require tropical shrimp producing countries to certify the use of turtle excluders for wild shrimp, if they intend to export such shrimp to the US.

Over the years, exports have been suspended from some countries for failure to comply, with the most recent being Mexico whose wild shrimp exports were suspended for a year.

Fisheries that interact with marine mammals include yellowfin tuna in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, where dolphins are at risk, many longline fisheries that have marine mammal bycatch; large scale driftnet fisheries, and even potentially pot fisheries like lobster.

In the US, lobster gear has been modified to reduce whale interactions, and entanglement is recognized as the leading cause for marine mammal bycatch globally.

In order to export to the US, once the rule is fully in effect, a foreign country would have to meet the following qualifying conditions before a fishery that interacts with marine mammals could export to the US:

1. Marine mammal stock assessments that estimate population abundance for marine mammal stocks in waters under its jurisdiction that are incidentally killed or seriously injured in the export fishery;

2. An export fishery register containing a list of all vessels participating in an export fishery under the jurisdiction of the harvesting nation, including the number of vessels participating, information on gear type, target species, fishing season, and fishing area for each export fishery;

3. Regulatory requirements (e. g., including copies of relevant laws, decrees, and implementing regulations or measures) that include:

(a) A requirement for the owner or operator of vessels participating in the fishery to report all intentional and incidental mortality and injury of marine mammals in the course of commercial fishing operations; and

(b) A requirement to implement measures in export fisheries designed to reduce the total incidental mortality and serious injury of a marine mammal stock below the bycatch limit. Such measures may include: Bycatch reduction devices; incidental mortality and serious injury limits; careful release and safe-handling of marine mammals and gear removal; gear marking; bycatch avoidance gear (e. g., pingers) ; gear modifications or restrictions; or time- area closures.

4. Implementation of monitoring procedures in export fisheries designed to estimate incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals in each export fishery under its jurisdiction, as well as estimates of cumulative incidental mortality and serious injury for marine mammal stocks in waters under its jurisdiction that are incidentally killed or seriously injured in the export fishery and other export fisheries with the same marine mammal stock, including an indication of the statistical reliability of those estimates;

5. Calculation of bycatch limits for marine mammal stocks in waters under its jurisdiction that are incidentally killed or seriously injured in an export fishery;

6. Comparison of the incidental mortality and serious injury of each marine mammal stock or stocks that interact with the export fishery in relation to the bycatch limit for each stock; and comparison of the cumulative incidental mortality and serious injury of each marine mammal stock or stocks that interact with the export fishery and any other export fisheries of the harvesting nation showing that these export fisheries: (a) Does not exceed the bycatch limit for that stock or stocks; or

(b) Exceeds the bycatch limit for that stock or stocks, but the portion of incidental marine mammal mortality or serious injury for which the exporting fishery is responsible is at a level that, if the other export fisheries interacting with the same marine mammal stock or stocks were at the same level, would not result in cumulative incidental mortality and serious injury in excess of the bycatch limit for that stock or stocks.

The next step will be a formal comment period, after which NOAA will issue the final rule.

This story originally appeared on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It has been reprinted with permission.