Saving Seafood

MARYLAND: Turbine hearing set for Ocean City Convention Center

January 6, 2020 — Roughly three weeks ago, Maryland Public Service Commission granted a request from Ocean City, Md. officials to hold a hearing, set Saturday, Jan. 18, on the impact of a proposal to install taller turbines than originally planned as part of two proposed offshore wind farms including  Skipjack LLC wind farm, a project of the Danish company Ørsted, due east of the Delaware coast.

The commission has scheduled the hearing in rooms 215, 216 and 217 of the Ocean City Convention Center, 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, Md.

In a Dec. 13 order, commission Executive Secretary Andrew Johnston said the issue of viewshed was a significant focus during the approval process for U.S. Wind and Skipjack LLC, the two companies awarded Maryland’s offshore wind renewable energy certificates in 2017. While the commission will accept comment on the size of the turbines, it denied a request to reopen the case or reconsider the granting of offshore wind renewable energy certificates.

Discovery at the hearing will be limited to this topic, said Johnson.

Read the full story at the Cape Gazette

NOAA Science Supports Atlantic Sturgeon Recovery Effort in the Chesapeake Bay

December 31, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Atlantic sturgeon were once a highly valued fishery along the U.S. East Coast. Their populations declined dramatically in the late 1800s when they were overfished for their eggs for high-quality caviar. Four of the five distinct population segments—those in the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, New York Bight, and South Atlantic—are now listed as an endangered species. These fish can be impressively large—up to 14 feet long and 800 pounds—but they are still vulnerable.

Habitat loss poses challenges for the recovery of the sturgeon population. Many places they need to live and reproduce are affected by degraded water quality or lack of the hard-bottom areas they need for spawning. Sturgeon can be injured or killed when hit by commercial and recreational boats. Virginia’s James River—occupied during the fall migration by a group of sturgeon—is frequently transited by shipping.

Scientists from the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office use sonar technology to map areas that could include sturgeon habitat. This helps them better understand the habitat features those places may offer. Sonar data can describe what the bottom is like in great detail—not just how deep it is, but whether it is sandy, muddy, rocky, or some other bottom type. After scientists gather the data, they create maps to identify areas that have hard, rough bottoms where sturgeon could spawn.

Read the full release here

MAFMC Approves Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares Amendment

December 19, 2019 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved the Excessive Shares Amendment to the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan (FMP) during its meeting last week in Annapolis, Maryland. The Excessive Shares Amendment was developed to address the “excessive share” provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). The amendment also considered revisions to the multi-year specification setting process and modifications to the FMP goals and objectives. Below are summaries of the issues addressed and the Council’s preferred alternatives.

Excessive Shares Cap and Review Timeframe

National Standard 4 (NS4) of the MSA mandates that allocations of fishing privileges must be “carried out in such manner that no particular individual, corporation, or other entity acquires an excessive share of such privileges.” To be consistent with NS4, the Council was required to develop measures which specifically define what constitutes an excessive share in the surfclam and ocean quahog individual transferable quota (ITQ) program.

The Council considered a wide range of excessive shares cap alternatives, including options that would place limits on quota share ownership and options that would limit annual allocations based on both owned quota share and possession of cage tags. The Council ultimately selected an alternative which would implement a quota share ownership cap of 35% for surfclams and 40% for quahogs and an annual allocation cap (based on the possession of cage tags) of 65% for surfclams and 70% for ocean quahogs. The Council’s preferred alternative represents a compromise on the part of the fishing industry and will allow for some additional efficiencies in the fisheries (through further consolidation). This option will allow a reasonable number of entities to exist if fully consolidated and will bring the FMP in to compliance with NS4. The Council specified that the excessive shares measures should be reviewed at least every 10 years or as needed.

Multi-Year Management Measures

Currently, surfclam and ocean quahog management specifications are set for up to 3 years. Through this amendment, the Council voted to allow specifications to be set for the maximum number of years consistent with the stock assessment schedule. As a result, based on the current stock assessment schedule, surfclam specifications would be set for four years and ocean quahog for six years.

FMP Goals and Objectives

Finally, the Council adopted a suite of revised goals and objectives recommended by the Fishery Management Action Team that better reflect the Council’s long-term intent for these fisheries. These goals and objectives focus on sustainability, a simple and efficient management regime, managing for stability, management that is flexible and adaptive to changes, and the promotion of science and research.

Additional information and background documents related to this amendment are available at http://www.mafmc.org/actions/scoq-excessive-shares-amendment.

Cuts Coming to Bluefish Recreational Fishing Limits

December 18, 2019 — According to federal fishery managers, one of the most popular sport fish in the Chesapeake and the Atlantic Ocean is overfished. Consequently, recreational anglers will see significant cuts to help rebuild the stock.

Under new rules approved last week, anglers fishing in state and federal waters will be limited to three bluefish per day while people fishing from charter boats may take home five.

The decision came at a joint meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which oversees migratory species in state waters along the coast, and the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Council (MFC), which manages fish three to 200 miles off the Mid-Atlantic coast.

Maryland’s current minimum size limit is eight inches with a 10-fish daily limit. Delaware and Virginia have no size limits and a 10-fish per-day per angler possession limit. It’s a 365-day season all around, and the current rules are the same for charter boats and individual anglers.

The current limit in federal waters from three to 200 miles offshore is 15 fish per person with no minimum size restriction. For 2020, no restrictions were made to minimum fish size or seasons. This amounts to a predicted 18 percent reduction in the recreational harvest. The commercial fishery will see a 64 percent reduction in quota.

Read the full story at the Chesapeake Bay Magazine

December 2019 MAFMC Meeting Report

December 18, 2019 — The following was released by Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met December 9-12, 2019 in Annapolis, Maryland. During this meeting, the Council:

  • Approved the use of regional conservation equivalency for the recreational summer flounder fishery in 2020*
  • Approved status quo recreational scup and black sea bass management measures in state and federal waters in 2020*
  • Approved recreational bluefish measures for 2020 consisting of a 3-fish bag limit for the shore and private mode and a 5-fish bag limit for the for-hire modes*
  • Approved a scoping document for the joint Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/ Recreational Allocation Amendment*
  • Agreed to develop the Black Sea Bass Commercial Allocation Addendum/Amendment as a joint action with the ASMFC*
  • Approved a supplemental scoping document for the Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment*
  • Approved the Commercial eVTR Omnibus Framework with a 48-hour reporting deadline
  • Selected a preferred alternative and approved the Omnibus Risk Policy Framework
  • Selected preferred alternatives and approved the Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares Amendment
  • Approved the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan
  • Approved the Comprehensive Five Year (2020-2024) Research Priorities document
  • Finalized the EAFM summer flounder conceptual model and agreed to move forward with development of a summer flounder recreational discards management strategy evaluation
  • Identified four areas of expertise needed on the Scientific and Statistical Committee
  • Reviewed and approved a list of actions and deliverables for the 2020 Implementation Plan
  • Received an update on habitat activities

Read the full December 2019 Council Meeting Report for details on these discussions and decisions. Briefing materials, presentations, motions, and webinar recordings are available here.

* Items denoted with an asterisk (*) were undertaken during joint meetings with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board and Bluefish Management Board.

REVISED: States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Croaker and Spot Draft Addenda (Public Hearing Webinar Moved to January 18th)

December 4, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board (Board) releases two documents for public comment: Draft Addendum III to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Croaker and Draft Addendum III to the Omnibus Amendment to the Interstate FMPs for Spanish Mackerel, Spot, and Spotted Seatrout. The states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on the Draft Addenda. The details of those hearings, as well as an ASMFC Public Hearing webinar, follow.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

December 3, 2019 at 6 PM

  • Tawes State Office Building
  • C1 (Lobby) Conference Room
  • 580 Taylor Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland 21401
  • Contact: Lynn Fegley at 410.260.8285

December 16, 2019 at 6 PM*

  • Wor-Wic Community College
  • 32000 Campus Drive, Hazel Center Room 302, Salisbury, MD 21804
  • Contacts: Lynn Fegley at 410.260.8285 and John Clark at 302.739.9914
    • * Held jointly with the DE Division of Fish & Wildlife

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

  • January 7, 2020 at 6:30 PM
  • 380 Fenwick Road, Ft. Monroe, VA 23651
  • Contact: Adam Kenyon and Somers Smott at 757.247.2200

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

  • December 5, 2019 at 6 PM
  • N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Southern Regional Office
  • 127 Cardinal Drive Extension, Wilmington, NC 28405
  • Contact: Chris Batsavage at 252.808.8009

REVISED: ASMFC Public Hearing Webinar

The Board initiated the development of the Draft Addenda for Atlantic croaker and spot to incorporate updates on the annual traffic light approach (TLA) and propose changes to the management program. In the absence of an approved stock assessment, which is the case for both species, the TLA is conducted each year to evaluate fishery trends and develop management actions (e.g. bag limits, size restrictions, time and area closures, and gear restrictions) when harvest and abundance thresholds are exceeded. The TLA assigns a color (red, yellow, or green) to categorize relative levels of indicators on the condition of the fish population or fishery. For example, as harvest or abundance increases relative to its long-term average, the proportion of green in a given year will increase and as harvest or abundance decreases, the amount of red in that year will increase. The Board annually evaluates the proportion of red against threshold levels to determine if management action is required. In recent years, fisheries for both Atlantic croaker and spot have experienced declines in harvest, but not declines in abundance as indicated by fishery-independent surveys used in the TLA. Therefore, management action has not been triggered. The lack of triggering management action with these harvest declines has raised concerns, leading to re-evaluation of TLA methods and the proposal of changes to management.

Both Draft Addenda present updates to resolve issues with the TLA analyses in order to better reflect stock characteristics, based on recommendations from the Atlantic Croaker Technical Committee and Spot Plan Review Team. Each Draft Addendum also presents options for four issues that address the TLA management triggering mechanism, triggered management responses for the recreational and commercial fisheries, and evaluation of the population’s response to triggered management actions.

The Draft Addenda are available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AtlCroakerDraftAddIII_PublicComment_Oct2019.pdf and http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/SpotDraftAddIII_PublicComment_Oct2019.pdf or via the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. Fishermen and other stakeholders are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addenda either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on January 10, 2020 and should be sent to Dr. Michael Schmidtke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org(Subject line: Croaker and Spot Draft Addenda III).

The Board will meet at the Commission’s Winter Meeting in February to review public comment and consider final approval of the Addenda.

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Croaker and Spot Draft Addenda

November 27, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board (Board) releases two documents for public comment: Draft Addendum III to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Croaker and Draft Addendum III to the Omnibus Amendment to the Interstate FMPs for Spanish Mackerel, Spot, and Spotted Seatrout. The states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on the Draft Addenda. The details of those hearings follow.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources
December 3, 2019 at 6 PM
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Tawes State Office Building
C1 (Lobby) Conference Room
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Contact: Lynn Fegley at 410.260.8285
 
December 16, 2019 at 6 PM*
Wor-Wic Community College
32000 Campus Drive
Hazel Center Room 302
Salisbury, MD 21804
Contacts: Lynn Fegley at 410.260.8285 and
John Clark at 302.739.9914
* Held jointly with the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
 
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
January 7, 2020 at 6:30 PM
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
380 Fenwick Road
Ft. Monroe, VA 23651
Contact: Adam Kenyon and Somers Smott at
757.247.2200

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

December 5, 2019 at 6 PM
N.C. Department of Environmental Quality
Southern Regional Office
127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington, NC 28405
Contact: Chris Batsavage 252.808.8009
 
The Board initiated the development of the Draft Addenda for Atlantic croaker and spot to incorporate updates on the annual traffic light approach (TLA) and propose changes to the management program. In the absence of an approved stock assessment, which is the case for both species, the TLA is conducted each year to evaluate fishery trends and develop management actions (e.g. bag limits, size restrictions, time and area closures, and gear restrictions) when harvest and abundance thresholds are exceeded. The TLA assigns a color (red, yellow, or green) to categorize relative levels of indicators on the condition of the fish population or fishery. For example, as harvest or abundance increases relative to its long-term average, the proportion of green in a given year will increase and as harvest or abundance decreases, the amount of red in that year will increase. The Board annually evaluates the proportion of red against threshold levels to determine if management action is required. In recent years, fisheries for both Atlantic croaker and spot have experienced declines in harvest, but not declines in abundance as indicated by fishery-independent surveys used in the TLA. Therefore, management action has not been triggered. The lack of triggering management action with these harvest declines has raised concerns, leading to re-evaluation of TLA methods and the proposal of changes to management.
 
Both Draft Addenda present updates to resolve issues with the TLA analyses in order to better reflect stock characteristics, based on recommendations from the Atlantic Croaker Technical Committee and Spot Plan Review Team. Each Draft Addendum also presents options for four issues that address the TLA management triggering mechanism, triggered management responses for the recreational and commercial fisheries, and evaluation of the population’s response to triggered management actions.
 
The Draft Addenda are available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AtlCroakerDraftAddIII_PublicComment_Oct2019.pdf andhttp://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/SpotDraftAddIII_PublicComment_Oct2019.pdf or via the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. Fishermen and other stakeholders are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addenda either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment.Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on January 10, 2020 and should be sent to Dr. Michael Schmidtke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Croaker and Spot Draft Addenda III). 
 
The Board will meet at the Commission’s Winter Meeting in February to review public comment and consider final approval of the Addenda.

MARYLAND: Taller, more distant turbines put Ocean City offshore wind projects back under state review

November 20, 2019 — Two wind farms proposed off the coast of Ocean City, Md., are getting a second look from the state of Maryland.

The Skipjack Wind Farm, led by Danish company Ørsted, and the MarWin Wind Farm by Baltimore-based U.S. Wind, a subsidiary of the Italian renewable energy company Renexia, are being reviewed in response to concerns raised by Ocean City officials about the farms’ impact on tourism to the famous vacation spot.

Both projects submitted updates to the state this fall detailing plans to install taller, more powerful turbines in their respective leasing areas.

The Maryland Public Service Commission, which has final approval on whether the projects receive key ratepayer-funded subsidies, will review public comments on the updated plans and may choose to hold a public hearing. It represents the projects’ first review since the MPSC conditionally approved them in 2017.

Read the full story at Delmarva Now

MARYLAND: Wind turbines off Ocean City would be 200 feet taller than planned, prompting regulators to reopen debate

November 15, 2019 — Developers of two wind farms off Maryland’s Atlantic coast say they will build turbines more than 200 feet taller than those initially proposed, intensifying fears of spoiled views from Ocean City and prompting state regulators to reopen discussion about the projects two years after blessing them.

The Maryland Public Service Commission is seeking new input on the potential impact of the windmills, roughly 20 miles from shore but several hundred feet higher than Baltimore’s tallest buildings. Potential impacts could include harm to birds or commercial fishing, though the strongest opposition has focused on an expectation that wind farms visible from shore would send tourists fleeing to beaches with pristine views in other states.

The state regulatory panel, which in 2017 authorized millions of dollars in ratepayer subsidies for the wind farms, issued its call days after Gov. Larry Hogan’s administration urged the five members to consider “additional review” of the projects. The Maryland Energy Administration, which leads state efforts to reduce reliance on foreign fuel and improve the environment, said a closer look is needed given concerns from Ocean City that offshore wind plans “have drastically changed since they were first approved.”

Officials declined to speculate on what action the commission could take once it reviews public comments, which are due Friday. But a spokeswoman said the panel has the authority to rescind or amend its order granting the wind farms ratepayer subsidies — money that is key to financing projects that together will cost more than $2 billion.

Read the full story at The Baltimore Sun

NOAA Appoints Alexa Cole as Director for International Affairs and Seafood Inspection

November 15, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA announced the appointment of Ms. Alexa Cole as the new Director for NOAA Fisheries’ Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection. She will officially assume this role in the coming weeks and will work out of agency headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.

As the Director for the Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, Ms. Cole will lead the office’s work to ensure sound management of global marine resources. She will promote international engagement and cooperation to achieve effective, responsible marine stewardship and ensure sustainable fisheries management on a global scale. She will also oversee the office’s seafood inspection services, which support seafood safety.

“We are incredibly pleased to announce Alexa as our new director for the Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection,” said Dr. Paul Doremus, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations at NOAA Fisheries. “She is a skilled negotiator and has ably represented the agency at high stakes international fisheries science and management meetings and treaty negotiations. Her unique experience as an attorney and a negotiator gives her the perfect skill set to take on this new role and lead this office into the future.”

Ms. Cole has held various positions within NOAA for more than 15 years, winning multiple awards over the years for her leadership and exceptional performance. She has served as Acting Director of the Office since May 2019. Prior to this role, Ms. Cole held leadership positions as Acting Chief and Deputy Chief in the Enforcement Section in the NOAA Office of General Counsel. In these positions, she supervised the Section’s unified and consistent enforcement of NOAA’s marine resource statutes through international, legislative, legal, and regulatory work. She also served as Senior Enforcement Attorney in the agency’s Pacific Islands Region. In this position, she prosecuted civil and criminal cases involving international and domestic fisheries and protected resources.

Read the full release here