Saving Seafood

Coast Guard tows Gloucester vessel 60 miles

October 23, 2020 — A Gloucester-ported fishing vessel suffered disabling mechanical problems on Wednesday and had to be towed 60 nautical miles over 19 hours by the Coast Guard before making it into Gloucester on Thursday under its own power.

The 77-foot Sea Farmer II, owned by Sandler Fisheries out of South Hamilton, contacted Coast Guard Sector Northern New England watchstanders at 1:45 p.m. and requested assistance after becoming disabled about 65 nautical miles off Kennebunk, Maine.

The Coast Guard dispatched the 110-foot cutter Sitkinak out of Portland, Maine, and a 47-foot life saving boat out of Station Gloucester on Harbor Loop.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford port nets $20 million to protect against natural disasters

October 21, 2020 — A $16 million grant is bound for the city of New Bedford to improve the city’s port, helping prepare it for future natural disasters.

According to a U.S. Economic Development Administration press release, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the grant funding on Tuesday.

The money, according to the press release, will “make port infrastructure improvements needed to protect commercial fishing businesses from floods and severe weather events.”

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant, to be located in a Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Opportunity Zone, will be matched with $4 million in local funds and is expected to create or retain more than 400 jobs and spur $4 million in private investment, the press release states.

According to a Tweet from New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, a majority of the matching funds will come from the state, with the New Bedford Port Authority chipping in $500,000.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Lands $16M Federal Port Infrastructure Grant

October 21, 2020 — New Bedford has landed a $16 million federal grant for port infrastructure improvements to protect commercial fishing businesses from floods and severe weather events.

The investment will be matched with $4 million in local funds, and is expected to create or retain 400 jobs and spur $4 million in private investment. The matching funds will come from from the state and the New Bedford Port Authority. The funding was made possible because the port is located in a federal tax cuts and opportunity zone.

The Economic Development Administration grant was announced by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on Tuesday.

“The Trump Administration is committed to helping disaster-impacted American communities obtain the modern infrastructure they need to build resilience against natural disasters,” said Ross in a media release. “These port infrastructure improvements will better protect New Bedford’s commercial fishing industry from flooding, and the project’s location in an Opportunity Zone will drive additional private investment to the community.”

The grant represents “another major step in our effort to modernize the Port of New Bedford and maintain its standing as America’s leading commercial fishing port and the economic hub of Southeastern Massachusetts,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell. “Enhancing the resilience of port infrastructure is central to both our economic development strategy and climate adaptation efforts.”

Read the full story at WBSM

Senators Markey and Warren, and Reps. Moulton and Keating Request USDA Continue Purchasing Atlantic Seafood for Food Banks

October 21, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.):

Today, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-06) and Rep. William Keating (MA-09) wrote to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to express appreciation for the inclusion of Atlantic seafood in Section 32 purchases, based on requests from the Massachusetts lawmakers during the coronavirus pandemic, and to ask that the USDA continue to dedicate funds to the purchase of Atlantic pollock, haddock, and redfish. On May 4, the USDA announced a $20 million solicitation for these fish, but thus far only a single $4.4 million contract has been made. The lawmakers encourage the USDA to continue to dedicate the remaining funds to the purchase of more Atlantic seafood and to build on these initial partnerships by including the New England seafood industry in other USDA procurement programs, like the National School Lunch Program.

“Steady demand from regular USDA purchases will further support the industry’s recovery from the pandemic, help businesses operate with additional certainty, and direct surplus products to supply healthy meals to American families,” write the lawmakers. “We ask that the USDA continue to dedicate those funds specifically to the purchase of Atlantic pollock, haddock, and redfish. Section 32 purchasing is a new type of market opportunity for Atlantic fishermen and processors and surplus stocks will remain accessible throughout next year.”

A copy of the letter can be found HERE.

Extended: Slow Speed Zone South of Nantucket to Protect Right Whales

October 20, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces an extension to the previously triggered voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area  or DMA) south of Nantucket.

This DMA was originally triggered by an August 31, 2020, sighting of an aggregation of right whales and previously extended until October 20, 2020. A Center for Coastal Studies aerial survey observed an aggregation of whales in this area on October 19. Since the current DMA is set to expire we are extending it through November 3.

Mariners, please go around this areas or go slow (10 knots or less) inside this area where groups of right whales have been sighted.

South of Nantucket DMA is in effect through November 3.

41 16 N
40 32 N
069 37 W
070 28 W

Read the full release here

Heat waves on Cape Cod may be tied to slowing ocean current

October 19, 2020 — We really baked this summer, with the Northeast and the East Coast experiencing intense heat waves.

In August alone, the Blue Hill Observatory in Milton recorded six days with temperatures over 90 degrees, four more than the average for the month. July had five days with temperatures over 90, two more than the monthly average.

While we often seek relief in the ocean, marine heat waves also occur, and those can adversely affect the creatures and plants that live there and have no refuge except deeper, colder water, if they can find it. Marine heat waves can be deadly: Researchers say “The Blob,” a large mass of warm water that extended down nearly 700 feet along 1,800 miles of North Pacific coastline, may have killed off over 62,000 common murre birds.

While most might expect that air temperatures may be driving those higher water temperatures, oceanic currents play a major role.

The Atlantic Ocean right off our doorstep is one of the fastest-warming ocean bodies on the planet, and some researchers say that may be due to a slowdown of what is known as the Atlantic conveyor belt, a massive offshore current that transports cold water from the Arctic south to the equator and returns warm water to the north and to Europe.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

BOEM needs staffing help with offshore wind permitting regardless of election results, experts say

October 16, 2020 — BOEM is reviewing the Construction and Operation Plans (COP) for a number of projects in the Atlantic, which are contingent on the agency issuing its first Environmental Impact Statement for a large-scale offshore wind project in federal waters.

“I think there is a recognition that BOEM doesn’t have all the resources to put out six or seven COPs at one time,” particularly in the same wind energy areas, Geri Edens, counsel for Vineyard Wind, said on the panel.

But while staggering the permitting of the rest of the projects might make sense for BOEM, it is “not necessarily ideal for the industry, because everyone’s been waiting for a while now to get these things forward,” she said.

BOEM had pushed back its review of Vineyard Wind’s Massachusetts construction plan for 1.5 years, deciding that permitting for offshore wind needed to be done in a more holistic capacity, including considerations for further expansion of the resource.

The delay has led other projects to revise their timelines, such as the 120 MW Skipjack Offshore Energy wind farm, which originally sought commercial operation as early as November 2022.

The bandwidth of BOEM will be stretched in January 2021 regardless of how the election turns out, experts say.

According to the Permitting Dashboard for Federal Infrastructure Projects produced by DOI and other agencies, federal permitting applications for Vineyard Wind and Deepwater Wind’s South Fork Wind Farm are both in progress. BOEM has received COPs for 10 offshore wind projects to date.

Read the full story at Utility Drive

MASSACHUSETTS: Shortage Of Oysters And Quahogs Expected In The Next Few Years

October 16, 2020 — The number of quahogs and oysters in Falmouth waters will drop precipitously in upcoming years as a result of the pandemic and a lack of manpower needed to manage the shellfish.

The normal 2020 shellfish growing efforts by the Falmouth Marine and Environmental Services department was canceled as the town took social distancing precautions. R. Charles Martinsen III, deputy director of Falmouth’s MES department, estimates there will be a loss of 750,000 to 1 million oysters and a couple million fewer quahogs in years to come.

“We will start to see the loss on recreational oysters in the fall of 2021,” Mr. Martinsen said, based on the animals’ growth cycle. Future recreational oyster propagation will continue as planned in the 2021 growing year.

“Quahogs take an extra year to grow, so that loss is expected for 2022 in both the commercial and recreational shellfishing area. The harvestable oysters were grown last year, and harvestable quahogs were propagated two to three years ago,” he said.

The legal minimum size for oysters is 3 inches in length. The legal minimum harvest size for quahogs is a 1-inch thickness at the hinge.

Read the full story at The Falmouth Enterprise

East Coast remains committed to Maine Fair Trade Lobster brand, despite sale of Gouldsboro facility

October 16, 2020 — East Coast Seafood Group told SeafoodSource on Friday, 16 October, it remains committed to its Maine Fair Trade Lobster brand despite the announcement it had sold its 100,000-square-foot facility in Gouldsboro, Maine, U.S.A. to salmon aquaculture start-up American Aquafarms.

The New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based company did not disclose the sale price, but said it will continue operations there until the transfer is finalized.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

MASSACHUSETTS: Dana Rebeiro hired as community liaison by Vineyard Wind

October 14, 2020 — Vineyard Wind announced the hiring of former New Bedford City Councilor Dana Rebeiro as Community Liaison with a particular focus on New Bedford, the South Coast and Cape, according to a news release from Vineyard Wind.

Her hiring comes at a time when the company is gearing up to bring both clean, renewable energy and job opportunities to the area, the release said.

“We’re pleased to bring Dana on board at this critical juncture for our first project,” said Chief Development Officer Rachel Pachter in the news release. “Vineyard Wind 1 is going to need a well-trained and diverse workforce to meet the needs of this growing industry as well as frequent opportunities to engage with the company. Dana’s experience will be a tremendous asset as we work to ensure that local communities receive the greatest possible benefit when it comes to jobs and other opportunities and are well informed as the project moves forward.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times