Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: Right whales extending their stays in Cape Cod Bay

May 21, 2019 — With the count of North Atlantic right whale sightings in Cape Cod Bay down to zero Thursday, the end-of-season findings by the Center for Coastal Studies indicate what could be new realities: More animals are showing up each year, and the length of time they’re staying in the bay is longer.

“There are two trajectories,” said Charles “Stormy” Mayo, the center’s right whale ecology program director. “Our trajectory is going up while the total number of right whales is going down, fairly steeply.”

The center has studied the right whales in the bay for several decades, currently with airplane surveys for population counts and boat surveys to identify food densities in the water. The data collected is used, in part, to help the state Division of Marine Fisheries place and lift restrictions in the bay on trap gear fishing and vessel speeds.

The right whales — now considered at risk of extinction in the coming decades along the Atlantic coast due to deaths and injuries from being caught in fishing rope and hit by ships — have a current population of around 411. They typically arrive to feed in Cape Cod Bay in late winter and leave by the end of April, along an annual migratory path that stretches from Florida to Canada.

So far, the center has confirmed 267 individual right whales seen by either plane or boat for the current season, making that roughly 65 percent of the estimated total population. Considering the complete range of the whales’ migration along the East Coast, the concentration in the relatively small area known as Cape Cod Bay is “remarkable,” Mayo said.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Vineyard Wind: May 22 Notice to Mariners and Fishermen

May 22, 2019 — The following was released by Vineyard Wind:

We wanted to let you know that Vineyard Wind will begin geological surveys on or about May 22. The estimated duration is approximately 77 days, ending on August 7, 2019. Surveys will take place in Vineyard Wind Lease Areas 501 and 522. Please see the full notice to fishermen and mariners here.

We encourage fishermen who may be working in the survey area to contact the fishery liaison.

This survey will gather data on seabed and subfloor conditions that will assist in identifying potential locations for future siting of offshore wind turbines and refine inter-array cable routes between each turbine.

Vineyard Wind is committed to communicating and working with the local fishermen in the region during all stages of development of the proposed offshore farm.

If you have any questions, please contact Crista Bank, Fishery Liaison via email at cbank@vineyardwind.com or via cell phone at 508-525-0421.

MASSACHUSETTS: Jon Mitchell gives Markey credit for $15 million upgrade to Port

May 20, 2019 — Sen. Edward Markey and others talked about the things he’s done for New Bedford Friday and local leaders talked about other things they’d like Markey to do.

It was classic “bring home the bacon” at a SouthCoast Legislative Luncheon at White’s of Wesport, sponsored jointly by the SouthCoast and Bristol County chambers of commerce.

Mayor Jon Mitchell introduced Markey to the gathering, attended by some members of the SouthCoast legislative delegation but not by indicted Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia. Mitchell told of Markey’s role in obtaining a $15.4 million federal transportation grant to improve the Port of New Bedford. The money will be used to extend the bulkhead and remove contaminated materials.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Commercial fishermen gain skills for sea survival at annual training

May 17, 2019 — Fishing is one of the world’s most dangerous jobs.

To help save lives and prevent injuries, a group from Massachusetts is on a mission to travel around New England and train commercial fisherman on what to do in emergencies.

They were in Tenants Harbor Thursday.

“Anything you can do to make it better and that much safer for anybody by being out here is totally worth it.”

Read the full story at WABI

Vineyard Wind: Notice to Mariners and Fishermen

May 16, 2019 — The following was released by Vineyard Wind:

Please be advised that Fugro USA Marine, Inc will perform met-ocean monitoring for the Vineyard Wind project site located at approximately 43 nm from the port of New Bedford and approx. 17nm off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. The Vineyard Wind Lighted Research Buoy (VWM-01) with a water level recorder will be deployed at the above coordinates on May 16, 2019 and is expected to remain on site though 2019. Fishermen and mariners are requested to note the buoy location and to maintain a safe distance during fishing and marine activities. The buoy is moored using open link chain, with a heavy chain anchor.

The currently deployed buoy and mooring will be removed and a replacement buoy will be deployed nearby at the coordinates below. Download notice here.

Correction to the Proposed Rule for 2019 Groundfish Recreational Regulations in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank

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

NOAA Fisheries has published a minor correction to the proposed rule for 2019 groundfish recreational measures. In the published version of the proposed rule, the Federal Register made a transcription error in Table 2. The table stated incorrectly that the Groundfish Committee recommended a 15-inch minimum fish size for Gulf of Maine haddock. The Committee’s recommendation and our proposed minimum size for Gulf of Maine haddock is 17 inches.

Read the correction as published in the Federal Register. The proposed rule as published in the Federal Register will still display the incorrect value in Table 2.

How to Comment

You may submit comments online through the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal or by mail to: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Please mark the envelope: “Comments on the Fishing Year 2019 Groundfish Recreational Measures.”

The comment period closes May 28, 2019.

Recreational Cod Fishing Could Restart, Barely, In Gulf Of Maine

May 16, 2019 — In a story May 16 about recreational cod fishing, The Associated Press erroneously reported the proposed catch limit. It would be one Gulf of Maine cod per day during two seasons in September and April that last 15 days each, not one per year during those limited seasons.

A corrected version of the story is below:

The recreational fishery for a species of fish that has experienced population collapse in recent history could reopen.

Recreational fishing for Atlantic cod has not been allowed in the Gulf of Maine recently due to concerns about the decline in the fish’s population. But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the fish could withstand a very limited fishery at the moment.

Federal regulators are considering a proposal to allow recreational fishermen to catch one Gulf of Maine cod per day during two limited seasons that last 15 days each in September and April. The Gulf of Maine is a body of water off Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire that once teemed with cod, which is the namesake of Cape Cod.

Read the full story from the Associated Press

The Shark Attack That Changed Cape Cod Forever

May 15, 2019 — Last summer, Arthur Medici went surfing off the coast of Cape Cod. He never made it back alive. As the region’s shores increasingly become a hotbed for great white sharks, is it finally time to be afraid to go in the water, for real?

Isaac Rocha sat in class trying to concentrate on his schoolwork, but his mind was somewhere else. It was a Friday afternoon in mid-September 2018, and although the academic year had just begun, the 16-year-old Everett High School junior and novice bodyboard surfer was already longing for the weekend. Suddenly, his cell phone buzzed, and he quietly slid it out of his pocket, careful not to alert his teacher. The text screen lit up.

“Yo, what’s up?” it read. “What are you doing?”

Rocha smiled and quickly typed a reply: “I’m in school.”

Seconds later, his phone vibrated again.

“Yo, let’s go to Cape Cod. We’re gonna grab a hotel and go surfing. Go home and grab your stuff and be ready because I’m coming to your house.”

The message came from Arthur Medici, a 26-year-old college student from Brazil who attended Rocha’s church and had known him for years. When the final school bell rang, releasing students like a pack of greyhounds at the track, Rocha hopped onto his motorcycle and raced home. Just as he was gathering his board, wetsuit, and a fresh set of clothes, he heard a knock on the front door.

“Come on out!” Medici shouted excitedly.

Moments later, the two friends climbed into Medici’s black Nissan Altima and began the long trek to the outer edge of Cape Cod. Stuck in bumper-to-bumper Friday-afternoon traffic, they searched for Jack Johnson songs on the radio and caught up on the week, chatting about work, school, and life. Medici had recently asked Rocha’s sister, Emily, to marry him, and Rocha was thrilled his friend would soon become family.

Read the full story at Boston Magazine

Vineyard Wind project receives key approval in Massachusetts

May 15, 2019 — Vineyard Wind got the approval of Massachusetts authorities to build and operate electric transmission facilities that will deliver 800 megawatts (MW) of wind energy to the regional power grid.

The approval by the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) represents a key milestone in the development of the first commercial-scale offshore wind generation facility in the United States.

“Approval by the Massachusetts EFSB is another affirmation of the collaborative, community-focused approach that Vineyard Wind has taken in designing and developing the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project,” Erich Stephens, chief development officer of Vineyard Wind, said. “We want to thank the residents and officials of the Town of Barnstable who took the time to explore opportunities to address local concerns while simultaneously delivering enough cost-competitive, carbon-free energy to serve six percent of the Commonwealth’s electricity demand, making the project a real win-win-win.”

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities approved long-term power purchase contracts between Vineyard Wind and Massachusetts’ electric distribution companies in April for the delivery of wind energy.

“Today’s decision is another critical step forward as Vineyard Wind moves toward beginning on-shore construction later this year,” said Laura Beane, president and CEO of Avangrid Renewables, a partner in the Vineyard Wind joint venture. “The future of the American offshore wind energy industry is rising in Massachusetts thanks to the commitment of many stakeholders to deliver competitive solutions to climate change, and we remain committed to delivering environmental benefits and economic opportunity through our investment.”

The project moves forward as the owners seek more than 25 federal, state, and local approval processes. Reviews are still pending from the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Army Corps of Engineers, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the Cape Cod Commission, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, and local conservation commissions.

Read the full story at Daily Energy Insider

MASSACHUSETTS: Right Whales Seen in High Numbers in Cape Cod Bay

May 19, 2019 — Whale researchers at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center are observing large numbers of North Atlantic right whales and other whale species in Northeast waters.

An aerial team flying for the Center out of the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station at Joint Base Cape Cod and from Hyannis, are continuing their long-term survey for right whales.

The effort supports a range of research and is part of an annual seasonal distribution and abundance survey of protected marine animals along the East Coast.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com