Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: Mayor Mitchell pushing NOAA to open new center in New Bedford

August 14, 2023 — New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell is re-upping a pitch for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to open a site in the Whaling City.

The mayor recently co-signed a letter with more than 50 others, including business owners and local and state officials, to urge NOAA to consolidate its Northeast facilities in New Bedford.

In the letter addressed to NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad, the mayor and others want the agency to consider opening sites in New Bedford “when facilities owned or operated in the Northeast by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service are scheduled to be rebuilt or re-leased.”

Read the full article at WPRI

Why are we seeing more black sea bass in Rhode Island and Massachusetts?

August 12, 2023 — Charlie Borden, a commercial fisherman from the Rhode Island town of Little Compton, got his start targeting lobster when he was just a kid. His dad taught him to fish.

“We used to fish together out of a skiff,” Borden said.

Now 44, Borden still targets lobster, but has since added black sea bass to his repertoire. He was one of the first to target black sea bass in the region. And, as their populations have grown, so has the size of his boat and his crew. He has graduated to his own 47-foot fishing vessel “Drake.”

One of his workers, Providence resident Rob Sherman, was beginning to mix up giant vats of clams —bait for black sea bass — at about 5:30 am one morning in late July.

“These are big surf clams. I’d say a little over 400 pounds,” he said.

The sun is hazy red with Canadian wildfire smoke and it’s just finished blooming over the eastern horizon. The still half-frozen clams smell sweet — for now.

“When it’s sitting in the sun gasses build up and it can be pretty damn nasty,” Sherman said.

Read the full article at wbur

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford said to be best place for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

August 10, 2023 — Is there a better place to site the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast operations than New Bedford?

Mayor Jon Mitchell doesn’t think so.

And he’s joined in that opinion by a “very broad coalition of business and civic leadership.”

Mitchell sent a letter co-signed by more than 50 business and civic leaders to NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad this month making a pitch to consolidate its Northeast facilities in New Bedford.

A similar letter was sent to NOAA in 2016, but recent developments warranted another entreaty.

Read the full article at the Standard-Times

Another Lawsuit Against Vineyard Wind Dismissed

August 9, 2023 — Another attempt to stop the Vineyard Wind project southwest of Nantucket has failed.

Federal Court Judge Indira Talwani last Friday dismissed a lawsuit filed by Thomas Melone in July of 2021 that attempted to block the Vineyard Wind and its 62 turbines now under construction. It was the second lawsuit challenging the project to be dismissed, with the first one being rejected back in May.

Melone, the president of various solar energy companies, owns a home in Edgartown and accused the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) of violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) when issuing an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to Vineyard Wind for its offshore wind energy project.

“Plaintiff’s argument regarding “old data” relies entirely on information that emerged after the IHA was issued,” Talwani says in the memorandum and order filed on August 4. “Plaintiff has not, and cannot, demonstrate that NMFS was unreasonable in failing to consider reports and studies that did not exist at the time the IHA. To the extent Plaintiff complains that NMFS also failed to consider current population data at the time of issuance, that argument is contradicted by the Record. As such, Plaintiff’s argument that NMFS relied on ‘old data’ and that such reliance was arbitrary and capricious fails.”

“Plaintiff has not shown that NMFS acted arbitrarily, capriciously, or otherwise unlawfully,” Talwani continued. “Accordingly, NMFS and Vineyard Wind’s motions for summary judgment are granted and Plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment is denied.”

Read the full article at the Nantucket Current

SouthCoast Wind appeal highlights project’s risk

August 8, 2023 — SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC petitioned the Rhode Island Supreme Court on July 28. SouthCoast said that the unanimous decision of the Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board to suspend the review of the project’s permit application for its offshore power cable traversing the state “is contrary to law and should be vacated.”

SouthCoast Wind’s 149-turbine, 1,200-megawatt offshore wind farm project planned for federal waters over 30 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and 20 miles south of Nantucket is in limbo. Power was to be delivered to several Massachusetts utilities until the company determined its power purchase agreements generated inadequate revenues to finance the project, so it moved to terminate the agreements.

Read the full article at WorkBoat

Oregon crabbers feeling pressures akin to Massachusetts lobstermen

August 7, 2023 — Oregon crab fishermen are feeling a similar pinch to their Massachusetts lobstermen counterparts as state lawmakers there weigh increased regulations to protect whales.

Humpbacks, which migrate off Oregon’s coast, and other whales can get caught in the vertical ropes connected to the heavy traps and drag them around for months, leaving the mammals injured, starved or so exhausted that they can drown.

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission was expected Friday evening to vote on whether to permanently set stricter rules and pot limits put in place in 2020 to protect whales. The restrictions, which were originally supposed to end after this season, would reduce the number of traps, known as pots, and how deep they can drop in the spring and summer months when humpbacks are more likely to encounter them. The commission did not take up the measure that night.

The move comes during a turbulent period as Oregon’s Dungeness crab fishery contends with warming oceans, smaller crabs and shortened or canceled seasons due to high levels of an acid that makes the crabs inedible.

Read the full article at the Boston Herald

Vineyard Wind wind plans to deliver power in mid-October

August 3, 2023 — The first clean wind power generated by the Vineyard Wind 1 project is expected to flow onto the regional grid by mid-October and the first-in-the-nation offshore wind project should be fully operational by this time next year, project officials said Wednesday during a boat tour of the construction.

Project developers have maintained for years that the $4 billion project they are building about 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard would start to generate cleaner energy by the end of 2023, but they told a group of state lawmakers, clean energy advocates, organized labor representatives and others that the target is now mid-October, or just over two months from now.

At first, the project will send power generated by a string of six turbines onto the grid, totaling about 78 megawatts, with plans to ramp the project up to between 200 and 300 MW by the end of the year and full commercial operations of 806 MW expected by mid-2024, according to Sy Oytan, Avangrid’s chief operating officer for offshore wind.

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, began offshore construction activities in June by setting the foundations for the 62 turbines that will make up the project that has been years in the making.

On Wednesday, about 15 representatives and two senators were among those who got to see the progress of that construction from aboard the Captain John and Son II, which was chartered for the tour by Avangrid, the Environmental League of Massachusetts and the New England for Offshore Wind Coalition.

When they are fully assembled, each of Vineyard Wind 1’s 62 turbines will stretch about 850 feet above the Atlantic Ocean — taller than any building in New England. There was not much to see in the way of towers or turbines Wednesday — those on the boat tour saw a series of foundations with “transition pieces” sticking up out of the water, each arranged one nautical mile away from others in a grid pattern.

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

MASSACHUSETTS: Senator Warren speaks on port infrastructure in New Bedford

August 3, 2023 — On a visit to the city’s storied waterfront, Senator Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday praised New Bedford’s use of federal funds to prepare for natural disasters and develop new infrastructure to protect against climate change.

“I love seeing the activity over on the port now — you guys should be so proud,” Warren told New Bedford Mayor Jonathan Mitchell at the New Bedford Port Authority. “This is government at its best, because this is about partnership.”

Mitchell thanked Warren for helping pass federal legislation including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which included funds to invest in the nation’s ports, and the American Rescue Plan Act, through which New Bedford has scored grants to sustain and build out its economy.

Read the full article at the Boston Globe

MASSACHUSETTS: Massachusetts Dam Removals to Allow Return of River Herring After 200 Years

August 3, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Below the Armstrong Dam in Braintree, Massachusetts, a desperate scene has played out for decades. “Currently, thousands of river herring are massed below the dam trying to come upriver to spawn,” says Eric Hutchins, a NOAA Fisheries restoration biologist. “But, after beating their heads against the dam for weeks, most females will just drop their eggs or reabsorb them.” Exhausted from this effort, they are unlikely to reproduce elsewhere.

But change is finally coming, with the injection of $2 million in funding from NOAA under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. The Town of Braintree began moving equipment to remove the obsolete Armstrong and Ames Pond Dams (PDF, 111 pages) in July. Soon, river herring and other migratory fish will have access to 36 miles of high-quality spawning habitat along Monatiquot River for the first time in nearly 200 years.

Connecting rivers and streams to the sea is critical for the survival of both river herring and coastal species popular on dinner menus. “River herring are the potato chips of the ocean,” says Hutchins, “everything eats them.” Commercially and recreationally important fish like bluefish, cod, and striped bass rely on river herring as a key food source. “It is especially important to build the river herring population now as other forage species like Atlantic herring and mackerels are crashing,” Hutchins adds. Birds such as herons and osprey and mammals like otters and whales also eat river herring.

A Big Dam Problem

More than 3,000 dams block nearly every river in Massachusetts. Most serve no purpose. Remnants of the Industrial Revolution, the Bay State’s decrepit dams block migratory fish from reaching upstream habitat. They also collect layers of contaminated sludge in stagnant ponds, pose flood risks, and prevent local people from enjoying the river.

That’s certainly the case for the 12-foot-high, 92-foot-long Armstrong Dam. The surrounding area is densely populated, with a significant number of minority residents. In the event of a major storm, the Armstrong Dam contributes to upstream flooding; if the dam fails, the community would experience serious damage. Spray-painted and crumbling, the ugly industrial site sprawls across both sides of the river. “For at least the past 100 years, the public has been unable to access the Monatiquot River,” says Hutchins. “It’s all fenced off.”

Restoring the Monatiquot River for Fish and People

Taking down dams and restoring rivers to conditions where fish—and people—can thrive is a high priority for NOAA. But it isn’t easy. NOAA, the Town of Braintree, and its partners have been working on plans to eliminate the Armstrong and Ames Pond Dams for the last 15 years. In 2017, NOAA provided an initial investment of $100,000 to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Restoration. It supported design and permitting work that was crucial for early project planning. This followed many years of feasibility studies and field work that were led by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Hutchins, who has worked on more than 50 dam removals, lends his experience to partners like the Town of Braintree to ensure success. “Most local proponents of a project may only work on one dam removal in their careers,” says Hutchins. “So, I help them through the entire complicated process including project design, community engagement, permitting, and implementation.”

This summer and fall, construction crews will demolish both dams, remove 6,800 cubic yards of contaminated sediment, and restore the river channel. River herring will once again be able to reach the calm inland ponds where juveniles have a better shot at survival. American eel, which are born in the ocean but spend most of their lives in freshwater, will also be able to return.

“I love seeing dams come down,” says Hutchins. “The most exciting part is standing in the water and watching the reformation of the river. I’ve been standing in the water right after a dam comes down and witnessed American eel swim past my feet.” Despite the passage of centuries, the instinct to return remains.

The community will also be invited back to the river. The Town of Braintree will restore wetlands around the dam site and build a boardwalk trail with wildlife viewing points and interpretive signs. “There is strong community support for this project,” says Kelly Phelan, Braintree’s Conservation Planner. “People are excited to see the fish return and to reconnect with the river.”

Project Partners

  • Fore River Watershed Association
  • Hollingsworth Pond, LLC
  • Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
  • Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Costs of using ropeless fishing gear could sink MA lobster fishery: new report

August 1, 2023 — PATRICK FLANARY: Experts often say the lobster fishery will have to move to innovative “ropeless” fishing gear to protect North Atlantic right whales from entanglement. There fewer than 340 of the critically endangered whales left. But a new report says Massachusetts lobstermen may be headed for troubled economic waters if they make the switch.  Eve Zuckoff has the details and she joins us now. Hi Eve. 

EVE ZUCKOFF: Hi Patrick!

PATRICK FLANARY: Eve, remind us how “ropeless” or “on-demand” fishing gear is different from traditional trap/pots.

EVE ZUCKOFF: Well, let’s start with the way traditional gear works. At its most basic, lobstermen connect 5, 10, even 50 traps and toss them onto the sea floor. And then then at the surface they’ve got their buoy, which is connected with a long rope down to those traps. The problem is that those static lines will sit in the ocean as whales swim by and they’ve been connected to entanglements. These critically endangered right whales are really struggling with this: some 80% appear to have been wrapped in rope at least once in their lives.

Now, the idea is that “on-demand” or “ropeless” gear gets rid of the rope that runs from sea surface to seafloor. Instead, fishermen put their line of traps on the sea floor, and then when they head out to collect the lobsters some days later and haul up the traps, they push a button and a balloon gets inflated or a buoy in coiled rope gets released, and these pop up at the surface. So that’s why it’s called “on-demand” gear, which is a more accurate term than “ropeless,” so I’ll keep calling it that from here out.

PATRICK FLANARY: These balloons really intrigue me. I’m trying to envision how this will actually look. The gear, Eve, is undergoing testing but it has been controversial. Lobstermen have raised concerns about cost, how safe it’s going to be. So the state wanted to understand: what would it take to fully convert roughly 800  Massachusetts lobstermen to fully on-demand gear. What did they just find? 

EVE ZUCKOFF: Well the state did a really interesting thing, which was to basically operate from this place that says time is money for a lobsterman. Because the modern lobster fishing business is about hauling up gear quickly to bring in large volumes of lobster. So the question becomes: how long would take to do everything you need to with on-demand gear to catch lobsters versus traditional gear?

Read the full article at NHPR