Saving Seafood

Rick Robins Receives MAFMC Award of Excellence

August 17, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Last week the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council presented its outgoing chairman, Richard B. Robins, Jr., with the first MAFMC Award of Excellence. The award was presented to Robins for his distinguished service to the Council and outstanding contribution to the conservation and management of our nation’s marine fisheries resources.

Robins was appointed to the Council in 2007 and was elected as Chairman the following year. During his 8-year tenure as chairman, Robins led the Council in the development of more than 25 amendments, 17 frameworks, numerous specifications for the Council’s managed species, and a number of other major projects. He also served on the Council Coordination Committee and the Northeast Region Coordinating Council, represented the Council at New England Council meetings, attended and participated in numerous workshops and committees, and served as the Council representative at various meetings around the world.

“Rick Robins has demonstrated exemplary leadership as chairman of the Council,” said Chris Moore, Executive Director of the Council. “His chairmanship has been defined by an unwavering commitment to the sustainability of Mid-Atlantic fisheries and his tireless efforts to develop innovative approaches to the complex challenges of marine fisheries management.”

One of Robins’ most notable accomplishments was leading the Council through a visioning and strategic planning process. He advocated for the development of a “stakeholder-driven” plan, which was achieved through a large-scale outreach effort in which more than 1,500 stakeholders provided input on the future of Mid-Atlantic fisheries. This process culminated in 2014 with the implementation of the Council’s first-ever strategic plan.

Under his leadership, the Mid-Atlantic Council became the first of the eight regional fishery management councils to utilize the discretionary provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to designate areas of protection for deep sea corals. The Council’s Deep Sea Corals Amendment established a nearly 38,000 square-mile area in which deep sea coral will be protected from the impacts of fishing gear.

Robins also demonstrated particular leadership in the Council’s effort to transition to a more ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management. At his final meeting as chairman, the Council approved a guidance document to facilitate the transition to an ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM). This document lays out a framework for the Council to coordinate ecosystem considerations across Mid-Atlantic fishery management plans (FMPs). During the same meeting, the Council approved an amendment to protect more than 50 species of unmanaged forage fish in the Mid-Atlantic.

Mid-Atlantic Council and ASMFC Maintain Multi-Year Specifications for Black Sea Bass, Bluefish, and Scup and Modify Summer Flounder Specifications

August 15, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

Virginia Beach, VA – Last week the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) reviewed previously implemented specifications for scup, black sea bass and bluefish fisheries and modified specifications for summer flounder. The Commission’s actions are final and apply to state waters. The Council will forward its federal waters recommendations regarding summer flounder specifications to NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Administrator for final approval.

The table below summarizes commercial quotas and recreational harvest limits for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish (2016 values are provided for comparison purposes). Please note specifications for years 2017 and beyond may be adjusted based on changes in the fishery or new scientific information.

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For summer flounder, both groups approved a commercial quota of 5.66 million pounds and a recreational harvest limit of 3.77 million pounds for 2017, an approximate 30% decrease from 2016. This decrease in catch and landings limits responds to the findings of the 2016 stock assessment update, which indicates summer flounder has been experiencing overfishing since 2008. In 2015, fishing mortality exceeded its threshold by 26% (i.e., the level beyond which overfishing is occurring). The 2015 estimate of spawning stock biomass (SSB) is at 58% of the biomass target, and only 16% above the threshold. If the stock were to fall below the threshold, it would be considered overfished, requiring the development of a rebuilding plan to reduce fishing mortality and rebuild stock biomass. These results appear to be driven largely by below-average recruitment, an underestimation of the fishing mortality level in the last years of the assessment, and declining biomass indices. The assessment update indicates the stock experienced six below-average year classes from 2010 to 2015. Additionally, indices of abundance from state and federal surveys have indicated declines in abundance ranging from 9 to 97% from their most recent peaks (generally 2009 to 2012). The 2016 assessment update estimated biomass has been trending down since 2010. Summer flounder harvest limits for 2018 may be adjusted in the future based on changes in the fishery or new scientific information.

Scup and Black Sea Bass

For scup and black sea bass, the Commission and Council maintained the previously implemented multi-year specifications set in August and October 2015, respectively. The decline in harvest limits for scup since 2016 is due to a decrease in SSB as projected by the 2015 benchmark stock assessment.

For black sea bass, 2017 harvest limits remain unchanged relative to 2016 levels (in 2016, there was a reduction in the commercial quota due to overages in the previous year). Both the commercial quota and recreational harvest limit may be changed pending the results of next benchmark stock assessment, scheduled for peer review through the Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop/Stock Assessment Review Committee in late 2016. The Commission and Council will consider the results of the benchmark stock assessment in early 2017.

Bluefish

For the bluefish fishery, the final 2016 commercial quota is 4.88 million pounds and the recreational harvest limit is 11.58 million pounds. The final 2016 harvest limits include a 1.58 million pound transfer from the recreational sector to the commercial sector. The Commission and Council did not make any changes to the 2017 and 2018 specifications. The 2017 and 2018 commercial quotas and recreational harvest limits are preliminary and will likely change following release of 2016 and 2017 final Marine Recreational Information Program harvest estimates. These estimates can impact how much is transferred from the recreational sector to the commercial sector.

MARCO Encourages Public Review of the Draft Regional Ocean Action Plan

August 11, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean:

WASHINGTON, DC ― The Draft Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Action Plan (Draft Plan) was recently released for public review by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body (MidA RPB), a group made up of representatives from six states, federal and tribal entities and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

The plan, which is open for public comment through September 6, 2016, aims to ensure healthy, productive, and resilient marine ecosystems and sustainable ocean uses from New York through Virginia.  Developed by the MidA RPB, it is the culmination of collaborative discussions since 2013 and outlines a suite of actions for improving collaboration on decision making for ocean waters of the Mid-Atlantic.

The Draft Plan is available online and the public may formally submit comments via the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management (BOEM) website at http://www.boem.gov/Ocean-Action-Plan. In addition, the public is encouraged to share their reactions to the Draft Plan on social media using the hashtags #MidAOceanPlan and #OceanPlanning.

Working collaboratively to advance regional ocean planning as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO), the states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia play an instrumental role in supporting the region’s process for gathering and reviewing data on ocean resources and uses, as well as engaging ocean users, tribes and the general public in an ocean planning process.

“The planning process has given the states a seat at the table regarding the use of offshore ocean resources,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Director of Ocean and Coastal Management and MidA RPB State Co-Lead Gwynne Schultz. “The Draft Plan provides an exciting opportunity to raise public awareness and to influence proposed projects and actions in federal waters, streamlining how government agencies work with each other and stakeholders.”

The five MARCO member states began identifying common interests in 2009, after a Governors’ Agreement formed the MARCO partnership to enhance the vitality of the region’s ocean ecosystem and economy.  The states jointly recognize ocean planning as a potential tool for moving common regional priorities forward and, as MARCO, have played an instrumental role in the regional planning process. MARCO’s contributions to the Draft Plan have included:

  • Convening entities and stakeholders throughout the region to help inform the ocean planning process.
  • Facilitating the compilation and synthesis of data and information on marine resources, habitats and human uses.
  • Developing the MARCO Ocean Data Portal (http//:portal.midatlanticocean.org), an interactive ocean mapping and information website focused on the Mid-Atlantic coast.
  • Hosting a series of five regional Open House Public Listening Sessions in July 2016 to share information about and to receive informal public input on the Draft Plan.

“The MARCO Ocean Data Portal provides a public resource that puts maps and data from a variety of federal agencies and other vetted sources in one easy to use website location,” said Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program Manager Laura McKay, who also serves as Chair of the MARCO Management Board and as a member of the MidA RPB. “Never before have we been able to explore from a regional perspective, the transboundary spatial relationships between species, habitats and human activities,” McKay stated.

This process also helped establish a new two-way dialogue between those who use the ocean and the agencies and entities that make decisions about long-term sustainable management.

“The Mid-Atlantic states will benefit in the long-term from the improved relationships with ocean stakeholders who have been given a new opportunity to provide data and feedback to the regional ocean planning process, bringing a louder voice to key issues of concern from coastal communities and ensuring that decision-makers have an improved understanding of the opportunities and limitations of currently available data sets,” said Greg Capobianco, New York Department of State and MidA RPB member.

Following the public comment period, the Plan will be submitted to the National Ocean Council for concurrence.  Upon finalization, the region expects to benefit from the Ocean Action Plan through improved coordination, data availability and outreach opportunities.

Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partners Initiate Black Sea Bass Habitat Research Project in the Mid-Atlantic

August 4, 2016 — The following was released by the ASMFC:

The Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) has established a new collaborative project with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), and National Fish Habitat Fund (Fund) to study black sea bass habitat characteristics, fish abundance, and fish diets in the Mid-Atlantic. The project, led by Dr. Brad Stevens of UMES, is titled ‘Hab in the MAB: Characterizing black sea bass habitat in the Mid-Atlantic Bight.’ The new study will combine SCUBA, photography, videography, controlled angling, and stable isotope analysis techniques to better understand the importance of habitat and prey community structure on black sea bass feeding ecology.

“ACFHP and our collaborative partners are excited about the unique opportunity to work together over the next few years to collect data that will inform both science and management, and support healthy fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic region,” stated Kent Smith, ACFHP Steering Committee Chair.

In the summer of 2015, ACFHP applied for and received funding from the Council to manage a short-term research project focusing on Mid-Atlantic habitat (natural and/or artificial reef) and fisheries productivity. Black sea bass was chosen as a focal species because it is managed by both the Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), and because the species is structure oriented. ACFHP formed a subcommittee of representatives from the ACFHP Steering Committee, Council, and ASMFC Artificial Reef Committee to develop a request for proposals dedicated to black sea bass habitat research and/or restoration in the Mid-Atlantic region.

After careful review of several strong proposals, the ACFHP subcommittee chose to provide a $216,000 award to Dr. Stevens and his PhD student, Cara Schweitzer. Their study will determine if there are differences resulting in the use of artificial vs. natural habitats.

In particular, study objectives include:

1. Determining the preference of black sea bass for particular habitats by assessing their abundance, size structure, and feeding ecology within natural and artificial reefs;

2. Improving the understanding of benthic habitat structure by quantitatively assessing biodiversity, rugosity (e.g., surface roughness measurements routinely used by reef biologists), and other habitat characteristics of natural and artificial reefs; and

3. Determining if increased connectivity of habitat type increases fish recruitment, by experimentally manipulating connecting areas between isolated habitat patches.

“I’m glad that the Mid-Atlantic Council was able to work with the NFHP Board to support this important research,” said Chris Moore, Executive Director of the Council. “The outcomes of this project will significantly improve our understanding of black sea bass habitat and productivity.”

ACFHP is the first of the 19 Fish Habitat Partnerships (FHPs) throughout the U.S. to support a habitat research project using the NFHP Beyond the Pond Fund. The Fund is a 501(c)3 entity created in 2015 to provide the FHPs an opportunity to connect with the private sector and maximize funding and collaboration opportunities. It supports the leveraging of resources and grassroots actions to achieve maximum impact in protecting and restoring fish habitat from the local to national levels.

South Atlantic Fishery Managment Council Solicits Public Input on Proposed Measures for Atlantic Cobia and Mutton Snapper Plus Options for Allocation of Dolphin and Yellowtail Snapper

July 21, 2016 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Federal fishery managers are currently soliciting public input on proposed measures that may affect fishermen fishing in federal waters ranging from 3 to 200 miles offshore along the Atlantic coast. A series of public hearings and scoping meetings are scheduled for August including in-person hearings from Virginia Beach to Key West and online webinars. Written comments are also being accepted until August 19, 2016.

Regulation changes are proposed for Atlantic cobia, a species commonly targeted by recreational fishermen as it migrates northward in the late spring and early summer. The Atlantic cobia stock is managed by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council from Georgia to New York in federal waters. The recreational fishery for Atlantic cobia was closed in federal waters on June 20, 2016. Recreational landings in 2015 exceeded the annual catch limit and accountability measures currently in place were implemented for the following year, resulting in a shorter season. Management measures are being considered to lengthen the recreational season beginning in 2017 and help ensure consistent and stable fishing opportunities.

Changes are also proposed for mutton snapper regulations in South Atlantic federal waters following a recent stock assessment and concerns about fishing pressure during the spring spawning season. The harvest of mutton snapper occurs primarily off the coast of southern Florida. The fish gather in large numbers to spawn during the full moon each spring, making them highly susceptible to fishing efforts. Proposed management measures would reduce fishing pressure during the spawning season and provide further protection to the stock. The Council is coordinating with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to develop compatible regulations.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is also considering options for modifying allocations between commercial and recreational sectors for dolphin (mahi mahi) and yellowtail snapper. The options are being considered based on public input for the need to ensure the longest fishing season for both sectors.

Read the full release at the SAFMC

Public invited to Open Houses on Draft Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Action Plan

July 5, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean:

WHAT: The Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body (RPB) invites ocean stakeholders and the interested public to attend a series of Open Houses to be held across the region on the Draft Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Action Plan. The Draft Plan outlines a series of actions on how federal and state agencies, tribes and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council may better collaborate to ensure healthy, productive, and resilient marine ecosystems and sustainable ocean uses in the Mid-Atlantic, including state and federal waters off Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. An opportunity to provide public comment on the Draft Plan will be provided.

Prior to the Open Houses, the draft Plan will be available at:

http://www.boem.gov/Ocean-Action-Plan/

WHO: The Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body (MidA RPB) is made up of representatives from Federal, State, and Tribal entities and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. It was established in 2013 to implement and advance ocean planning through improved inter- governmental coordination and stronger engagement of stakeholders, the general public, and scientific, business and technical experts to identify and address issues of importance to the region. The Open Houses will be hosted by MARCO1 on behalf of the MidA RPB.

LEARN MORE: www.MidAtlanticOcean.org/YourOceanPlan\

WHEN and WHERE:

Virginia Open House

Tuesday, July 12, 2016. 6-8pm

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
717 General Booth Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23451

New Jersey Open House

Thursday, July 14, 2016. 6-8pm

See the full advisory here

MAFMC Meets in Delaware June 13

May 31, 2016 — The Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council will be meeting from Monday, June 13 through Thursday, June 16 at the University of Delaware in Clayton Hall, 100 David Hollowell Drive, Newark, DE 19716 (302-831-2998).

One of the key items of interest to many offshore anglers will be a 3 p.m. discussion on Wednesday regarding 2017 blueline tilefish specifications and potential alternatives to what was discussed at the last meeting (see the June edition of The Fisherman Magazine’s New Jersey, Delaware Bay edition for more.)

Monday, June 13th
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee
• Fishing activities that impact habitat – draft policy document
• Review input from Advisory Panel
• Provide comments/revisions to draft document
• Other Committee updates

Read the full story at The Fisherman

Connecticut & Massachusetts Congressional Delegations Advocate for Changes in Fisheries Management to Level the Playing Field for New England Fishermen

May 24, 2016 — The following was released by the office of Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT):

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), along with Representatives Joe Courtney (CT-02), John B. Larson (CT-1) Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Jim Himes (CT-4), and Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) sent a letter along with nine Massachusetts delegation members to the U.S. Department of Commerce asking for changes to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), which sets fishing quotas for many fish species caught by New England fishermen. Specifically, the letter asks that MAFMC to work in coordination with the New England Fisheries Management Council (NEFMC)on a joint management plan for black sea bass, summer flounder, and scup fisheries. Under current laws, mid-Atlantic fishermen harvesting fish off the coast of New England can at times legally take more than ten times that of New England vessels.

“As Members of Congress from states with rich fishing heritage and storied maritime industries, we write today to voice our concerns about the current fishery management structure for the black sea bass, summer flounder, and scup fish stocks,” wrote the delegation members.  “As fluctuations in ocean temperatures shift fish populations northward, New England fishermen are unfairly shortchanged when bountiful stocks managed by a Fishery Management Council outside of their region allocates local states low catch quotas.

“Looking at the current trend of northward movement of fish stocks, we urge the Department of Commerce to direct the MAFMC to work in coordination with the NEFMC on a joint management plan for the black sea bass, summer flounder, and scup fisheries. Until NEFMC member states’ interests are officially considered when negotiating fishery management plans through joint management, our fishing communities will continue to suffer from the existing out-of-date allocation formula.”

Warming ocean temperatures are causing some fish stocks that had formerly been more prevalent in the mid-Atlantic to migrate further north than they had before, including popular targets for fishermen such as summer flounder, black seabass and scup. The changing migration patterns of fish stocks mean that many fishermen from mid-Atlantic states, such as North Carolina, are now regularly venturing further north from their traditional fishing grounds, bringing them into direct competition with New England vessels operating off the coasts of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Fishing regulations for different fish stocks in U.S. waters are managed by a series of Regional Fishery Management Councils. Among the specific items that these councils regulate are the fishing quotas, or amount of a specific fish species that a fishing boat may catch. The mid-Atlantic fishermen, under the jurisdiction of MAFMC, are allowed to harvest substantially more summer flounder, black seabass, and scup than the northeast fisherman who are a part of NEFMC. While New England fishermen are catching more and more of these species in their nets, they are forced to continually throw many of these fish back into the water. The mid-Atlantic fishermen operating in the same area can at times legally take more than ten times the catch of the New England vessels.

Full letter below

May 23, 2016

The Honorable Penny Pritzker
Secretary
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20230
Dear Secretary Pritzker:

As Members of Congress from states with rich fishing heritage and storied maritime industries, we write today to voice our concerns about the current fishery management structure for the black sea bass, summer flounder, and scup fish stocks. As fluctuations in ocean temperatures shift fish populations northward, New England fishermen are unfairly shortchanged when bountiful stocks managed by a Fishery Management Council outside of their region allocates local states low catch quotas.

It has long been acknowledged that changes in our oceans’ ecosystems would require greater coordination among Regional Fishery Management Councils established through the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA). In fact, in a 2007 report to Congress on council management coordination required by the 2006 MSA reauthorization, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) stated that “issues arise when overlapping species are managed exclusively by one Council.” However, there are several overlapping species that we believe would be most prudently managed jointly by the MAFMC and the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) rather than exclusively through the MAFMC.

Since the aforementioned 2007 report, New England fishermen have consistently voiced their concerns regarding black sea bass, summer flounder, and scup quotas set by the MAFMC. New England states are noticing these fish stocks moving northward into traditional New England fishing grounds, yet state-by-state commercial allocations remain so low that our fishermen continue to throw catch overboard as fishermen coming from as far away as North Carolina can legally take sometimes more than ten times that of New England vessels in the same waters. Using summer flounder as an example, the MAFMC June 2015 summer flounder assessment state-by-state allocations provided New England states a combined quota of less than 25 percent share, while North Carolina had a share of over 27 percent. Furthermore, that same assessment noted that 24 percent of all commercial summer flounder caught in 2014 were in Statistical Area 537—a zone just to the east of Long Island Sound and south of Cape Cod.

Looking at the current trend of northward movement of fish stocks, we urge the Department of Commerce to direct the MAFMC to work in coordination with the NEFMC on a joint management plan for the black sea bass, summer flounder, and scup fisheries. Until NEFMC member states’ interests are officially considered when negotiating fishery management plans through joint management, our fishing communities will continue to suffer from the existing out-of-date allocation formula. We sincerely request that you take these considerations into account look forward to greater coordination among the coastal Atlantic states. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

REP. JOE COURTNEY
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL
SEN. CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY
SEN. EDWARD J. MARKEY
REP. ROSA L. DeLAURO
REP. JOHN B. LARSON
REP. RICHARD E. NEAL
REP. WILLIAM R. KEATING
REP. MICHAEL E. CAPUANO
REP. STEPHEN F. LYNCH
REP. NIKI TSONGAS
REP. JAMES A. HIMES
REP. ELIZABETH H. ESTY
REP. KATHERINE M. CLARK
REP. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, III
REP. SETH MOULTON

Unmanaged Forage Amendment Public Hearings: May 17 – June 8

May 13, 2016 — The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold seven public hearings in May and June 2016 to solicit public input on the Unmanaged Forage Omnibus Amendment. The Council is also soliciting written comments on the amendment through 11:59 pm on Friday June 17, 2016. The goal of this amendment is to prohibit the development of new and expansion of existing directed commercial fisheries on unmanaged forage species in Mid-Atlantic Federal waters until the Council has had an adequate opportunity to both assess the scientific information relating to any new or expanded directed fisheries and consider potential impacts to existing fisheries, fishing communities, and the marine ecosystem.

Read the full story at CNB News 

Public Hearings on Forage Species

May 11, 2016 — The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) is soliciting public input on a draft amendment to address management and conservation of Unmanaged Forage Species in the Mid-Atlantic.

The goal of the amendment is to prohibit the development of new, and expansion of existing directed commercial fisheries on unmanaged forage species in Mid-Atlantic Federal waters until Council has had an adequate opportunity to assess the related scientific information and consider potential impacts to existing fisheries, fishing communities, and the marine ecosystem.

According to the executive summary of the Unmanaged Forage Omnibus Amendment released by the Council, forage species are defined as small, low to mid trophic (position occupied in a food chain) level species which are subject to extensive predation throughout their lifespan and which serve as important conduits of energy from low to high trophic levels. Forage species play an important role in sustaining the productivity and structure of marine ecosystems by linking low trophic level species such as phytoplankton and zooplankton to higher trophic level species, including predatory species sought after by many commercial and recreational fisheries.

Read the full story at The Fisherman