Saving Seafood

‘Our killer whales aren’t doing well:’ Lawsuit aims to protect struggling orcas

August 20, 2018 — Southern Resident Killer Whales are endangered and in decline.

Thursday a national environmental group filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration. According to the suit, the National Marine Fisheries Service has failed to protect the winter habit of the Orcas.

“Our killer whales aren’t doing well,” said Sarah Yhlemann, a senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity who filed the lawsuit.

For 17 days a grieving mother Orca carried her dead calf more than 1,000 miles through the waters of the Salish Sea. An act of grief that environmentalist claim highlights the need to help the troubled Orcas.

“We know that protecting the whales themselves is absolutely important, but protecting their habit is really important too,” said Yhlemann.

The suit says NOAA has failed to act on a 2014 petition that includes expanding habitat protections to the Orcas’ winter foraging and migration areas off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California.

“Right now their full habitat is not protected for the winter and travel down the coast, they don’t have habit protections,” said Yhlemann.

The lawsuit is asking for what the law requires for endangered species: to protect the entire habit of the Southern Resident killers whales.

The animals were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2005, after the center sued to get the status. The following year, the fisheries service designated the inland waters of Washington state as critical habitat. The designation means federal agencies must ensure that activities they pay for, permit or carry out do not harm the habitat.

Read the full story at KOMO News

NOAA Fisheries Call on Tribes to Apply for Species Recovery Grants

August 20, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — For the ninth year in a row, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is soliciting applications for funds that will conserve and protect species listed under the Endangered Species Act and are recognized as important resources for the tribes.

The assistance is granted as the agency recognizes the “unique importance of many protected species to tribes and values ongoing efforts by tribal nations to conserve and protect species” listed under the ESA as endangered or threatened, and includes candidate or proposed species, as well as post-delisting monitoring of recovered species.

Proposals that address the recovery of one of the following critically endangered species are also encouraged as part of the agency’s Species in the Spotlight initiative:

Gulf of Maine distinct population segment (DPS) of Atlantic salmon and white abalone,
Cook Inlet DPS of beluga whales,
Hawaiian monk seal,
Pacific leatherback sea turtle, and
southern resident DPS of killer whales.

Funded activities may include development and implementation of management plans, scientific research, and public education and outreach.

Only federally recognized tribes and organizations of federally recognized tribes, that have delegated authority to represent a federally recognized tribe on matters relating to ESA listed, candidate, or proposed species, are eligible to apply.

Proposals on listed, candidate, or proposed species of Pacific salmon or steelhead may be supported through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, but not the Species Recovery Grants.

Tribes can submit more than one proposal a year and more than one species can be included in one proposal.

In the past the program has awarded $56,000 to the Knik Tribe in 2017 to fill data gaps needed for recovery of endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales; $283,000 to the Makah Tribe last year for research and monitoring of Steller sea lions and assessment of their diet overlap with  Southern Resident killer whales, and $270,000 to the Penobscot Tribe for Atlantic salmon management and outreach project.

For an application and information about the grant program, visit this web page.

This story originally appeared at SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Group sues to expand protected orca habitat along West Coast

August 17, 2018 — An environmental group sued President Donald Trump’s administration Thursday to make officials move more quickly to protect the Pacific Northwest’s endangered orcas.

The recent grieving of one whale for her dead calf and scientists’ extraordinary attempts to save another from starvation highlight the urgency of their plight, the Tucson, Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity said as it filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

There are just 75 orcas remaining in the Pacific Northwest population, the lowest number in 34 years. They’re struggling with a dearth of chinook salmon, their preferred prey, as well as toxic contamination and vessel noise.

The lawsuit says the National Marine Fisheries Service has failed to act on the center’s 2014 petition to expand habitat protections to the orcas’ foraging and migration areas off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California — even though the agency agreed in 2015 that such a move was necessary.

The center says the protections would help reduce water pollution and restrict vessel traffic that can interfere with the animals.

“Time is running out fast for these magnificent, intelligent orcas,” Catherine Kilduff, an attorney with the organization, said in an emailed statement. “It’s heartbreaking to watch them starving to death and mourning their dead calves. Every day that Trump’s people delay action is a step toward extinction for these whales.”

Read the full story from the Associated Press

NCFC Members Urge BOEM to Include Commercial Fishermen in Windmill Siting Decisions in the New York Bight

August 17, 2018 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities:

Late last month, members of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities (NCFC) submitted two letters asking Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to consider the economic importance of the commercial fishing industry before deciding where to site windmills in the New York Bight.

367 individuals signed a national letter calling on Secretary Zinke not to rush offshore energy development and to ensure projects are “sited, constructed, and operated using the best scientific information available.”

“The Interior Department should provide for intelligent and deliberate offshore renewable energy development, rather than fall prey to the gold rush mentality promoted by BOEM and financially-interested wind developers, most of which are foreign-owned,” the NCFC members wrote.

The signers also invoked President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to support working class Americans.

“When President Trump campaigned and was elected, he promised to look after America’s working middle class, of which we are all a part,” the letter stated. “You will not be honoring the President’s commitment if you allow BOEM to lease ocean areas first, and ask and answer the necessary questions later.”

Another 103 individuals and 32 vessels and businesses from Massachusetts signed a separate letter asking BOEM to reconsider its plan to develop four offshore wind farms in the New York Bight. They specifically cited the damage such development would cause to important Northeast fisheries such as the scallop fishery.

“This is an ill-conceived idea that will cause irreparable economic harm within the fishing communities along the entire East Coast,” the signers wrote. “The harm to Massachusetts will be especially significant, given that it is the center of the Atlantic sea scallop fishery and contains major surf clam and ocean quahog operations.”

The letter pointed out that, on average, nearly $54 million is generated by scallop landings annually from the areas under consideration in the New York Bight, according to data from the National Marine Fisheries Service. An additional $8 million is generated by surf clam and ocean quahog.

 

NEFMC Seeks Input on RSA Programs; Take the Online Survey!

August 15, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is asking fishermen and their cooperative research partners who participate in the Atlantic Sea Scallop, Atlantic Herring, and/or Monkfish Research Set Aside (RSA) Programs to take an online survey and provide feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of these programs and pass along any suggestions for improvement. Other stakeholders who have an interest or role in RSA programs also are encouraged to take the survey.

The survey is part of the Council’s comprehensive review of RSA programs, which is being conducted by a six member review panel that includes two representatives each from: the New England Council; the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, NOAA Fisheries) Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO); and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC). A representative from the Mid-Atlantic Council staff also sits on the review panel as an observer.

Take the online survey here

Read the full release here

US buyers paying more for seafood in 2018

August 9, 2018 — The value of U.S. seafood imports increased significantly for the first six months of the year, while volume dropped slightly, according to new data from NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.

The overall value of seafood purchased by U.S. buyers spiked from around USD 10.4 billion (EUR 8.95 billion) for the first six months of 2017 to around USD 10.9 billion (EUR 9.4 billion) during the same timeframe in 2018, NMFS found. Meanwhile, the overall volume of imported seafood declined from 1.374 kilos last year to 1.371 kilos during the first six months of 2018.

Fresh Atlantic salmon, along with shelf-stable, fresh, and frozen tuna, were among the biggest gainers in dollar value.

The value of fresh farmed Atlantic salmon fillets spiked from around USD 486 million (EUR 418 million) for the first six months of 2017 to around USD 527 million (EUR 454 million) in 2018.

Imports of fresh farmed Atlantic salmon from Chile more than doubled it figures, rising from around USD 15 million (EUR 13 million) in 2017 to USD 32 million (EUR 28 million) this year.

The value of frozen NSPF tuna fillets skyrocketed from around USD 157 million (EUR 135 million) in the first six month of 2017 to USD 180.8 million (EUR 156 million) from January to June this year. The value of fresh yellowfin tuna fillets rose from USD 79.6 million (EUR 68 million) last year to 83.3 million (EUR 72 million) in 2018.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NMFS Notifies Regional Councils of Nine Species Listed as Overfished or Subject to Overfishing

August 8, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The National Marine Fisheries Service notified regional Councils recently than nine stocks around the country are overfished or subject to overfishing. Of those, five are salmon stocks on the West Coast.

The Klamath River fall Chinook, Queets coho, Juan de Fuca coho, Snohomish coho and Sacramento River fall Chinook have been listed as overfished. Upper Columbia River summer Chinook is listed as being subject to overfishing. In other regions, thorny skate and the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico stock of sandbar shark remain overfished. The Gulf of Maine/Cape Hatteras Atlantic mackerel stock is listed is overfished and also subject to overfishing.

The listing of the salmon stocks is no surprise. Unusually warm ocean waters in recent years — thank The Blob — had detrimental effects on many salmon stocks, particularly coho runs. In-river environmental changes and ongoing draught also affected stocks, especially the commercially valuable Sacramento and Klamath rivers fall Chinook runs.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council has already directed its Salmon Technical Team to develop rebuilding plans for each of the overfished stocks for the Council’s consideration. However, only two, the Klamath and Sacramento Chinook stocks, are completely under the Council’s purview. The other four are also managed via international agreements, so there is Council has limited ability to control ocean fisheries in waters outside its jurisdiction, NMFS said in a notice.

The thorny skate determination was made based on a 2017 stock assessment that used data through 2016. NMFS continues to work with the New England Fishery Management Council to implement conservation and management measures to rebuild thorny skate. Thorny skate is the only one of seven managed in the Northeast skate complex that is still overfished. The New England Council, NMFS and industry have successfully rebuilt three other species in the complex during the last 15 years.

The sandbar shark listing is based on a 2018 stock assessment that used data through 2015. It is managed under the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan.

NMFS said the data on which the Gulf of Maine/Cape Hatteras Atlantic mackerel overfished/subject to overfishing status was made using a 2018 benchmark assessment that included data through 2016. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council must now adopt measures to end overfishing and approve a rebuilding plan, the NMFS notice said. The MAFMC has already been working on the issue and intends to address rebuilding the stock through a framework action to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan, including modifications to the 2019-21 harvest specifications. The Council in June received an update on proposals to rebuilding Atlantic mackerel in 3, 5, or 7 years and is scheduled to take final action on a rebuilding plan when it meets in Virginia Beach, Virginia, next week.

This story originally appeared on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Florida Congressman’s Billfish Legislation Would Take a Toll on Western Pacific Commercial Industry

August 6, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — A freshman Florida Congressman’s bill is expected to have dire repercussions thousands of miles away in the Western Pacific — and to American consumers.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council said consumers may soon be deprived of sustainably harvested domestic marlin products if President Trump sign legislation to prohibit interstate commerce of billfish (not including swordfish) landed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The bill, introduced by Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., passed the House on June 26 and the Senate on July 30 and is now headed to the president.

“It is upsetting, in this era of tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and the $12 billion U.S. seafood trade deficit, that highly monitored U.S. Pacific Island fishing and seafood communities may suffer hardship should this legislation become law,” Council Executive Director Kitty M. Simonds said in a press release.

Under current law, billfish caught by U.S. vessels that are landed in Hawaii or other U.S. Pacific Islands may be sold to markets on the U.S. mainland. More than 550,000 pounds of American-caught billfish landed in the Pacific Islands are annually marketed in the continental U.S. The billfish was worth approximately $830,000 in 2017 dockside value. When the dockside value is expanded through wholesale and retail markets, the estimated annual value is approximately $2.5 million.

The commercial harvest of Atlantic billfish has been prohibited in the United Sates since 1988 because several Atlantic billfish species are overfished and/or subject to overfishing (e.g., blue marlin, white marlin and East Atlantic sailfish). By contrast, Pacific and Western Pacific billfish populations are not overfished nor subject to overfishing, with the exception of striped marlin, due to international fishing, the Council said in the statement. A Billfish Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is required to accompany billfish to any dealer or processor who subsequently receives or possesses the billfish. The COE documents the vessel, homeport, port of offloading and date of offloading and ensures the fish is not from the Atlantic or foreign fisheries.

NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Chris Oliver said in December 2017 he has “full confidence in these existing management processes to sustainably manage billfish populations.”

Congresswomen Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii; Madeleine Z. Bordallo, D-Guam; and Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, R-American Samoa, in an Additional Views statement on H.R. 4528, said the legislation “will negatively impact the livelihoods of fishermen in Hawaii, Guam and the Pacific Insular Areas by closing off the only off-island market for U.S.-caught billfish.” Acknowledging that several Atlantic billfish species are subject to overfishing, the Congresswomen said, “We support needed-conservation efforts in the Atlantic, but do not believe that Pacific fisheries need to be targeted in order to achieve these goals.”

The Council and Pacific Island lawmakers also have the support of Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

In a June 5 letter to the Council, Ross said, “We believe the legislation would not advance the conservation of billfish significantly, and would block a small amount of sustainably harvested domestic product from entering commerce on the U.S. mainland.”

However, Soto’s bill demonstrates the sportfishing industry’s influence in the Southeastern U.S. and furthers the divide between sport and commercial fishermen that has become prevalent in some regions of the country. The bill, titled the Billfish Conservation Act, was supported by primarily sportfishing interests including the American Sportfishing Association, Coastal Conservation Association, Center for Sportfishing Policy, and more.

“We’re grateful to have received overwhelming congressional and external support for our legislation to help protect sharks and billfish,” Soto said in a statement. “These creatures are fundamental to recreational fishing in parts of Florida, but they are often exploited by commercial fishing, that’s why we must do our part to protect them.”

NMFS estimates the United States imports more than 80 percent of the seafood consumed in the nation (www.fishwatch.gov/sustainable-seafood/the-global-picture), the Council said. According to NMFS data, the United States imported more than 6 billion pounds of seafood valued at more than $21.5 billion in 2017, which is more imported seafood than at any point in the nation’s history.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Whose Fish Is It? Who’s in Charge Here?

August 6, 2018 — Restaurant owners may know that open-faced sandwiches are regulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), part of the Department of Health and Human Services. But if a second piece of bread is added on top, it is regulated by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). That’s because the USDA has a very specific definition of a sandwich: two slices of bread with the meat in the middle. So, is a hot dog a sandwich? The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council says no, but the State of California says yes. How about a burrito? Massachusetts ruled that a burrito is not a sandwich, but New York says it is. A cheese pizza is regulated by the FDA, but add pepperoni and it becomes a USDA matter. When you make an omelet, FDA regulates the eggs you crack, but if you pour liquid eggs from a carton, it’s USDA.

Regulations can be confusing, sometimes because of vague wording, but often because of overlapping jurisdictions. It is not always obvious who is in charge. Clean water rules are under the jurisdiction of the EPA, but projects that might affect stream water require permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A salmon or sturgeon swimming in the ocean is under the jurisdiction of the National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce. But if the same fish swims upstream into a river, it becomes province of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the Interior Department.

Pundits have made fun of such regulatory silliness for years. Hillary Clinton joked about the sandwich rules when running for the Senate 18 years ago. At least two presidents have cited the weird pizza rules, yet nobody did anything about the regulatory mess.

Read the full story at The American Spectator

With fewer types of fish to catch, Maine fishermen may be losing their knowledge of the sea

August 3, 2018 –Maine fishermen have a long history of being involved in fisheries management. Communication between harvesters and policymakers has been instrumental in the development of rules and regulations that have helped to sustain the region’s coastal fisheries—from clams to alewives to lobsters.

In part, this success results from the deep understanding of the natural environment held by . “Local ecological ” is a term used to describe the collective perceptions held by a particular group about their environment, resulting from the transmission of cultural knowledge from one generation to the next, combined with regular and persistent interactions between people and the environment.

Fishermen’s experience-derived “local ecological knowledge” can be equally valuable as data gained through modern scientific methods for informing resource management and building community resilience. Yet the very experience that forms the basis for fishermen’s knowledge is being eroded by increasing specialization in Maine’s fisheries, with more harvesters focusing on one or two target species. As fishermen focus on fewer types of fish, they have less access to the environment. Does this mean they are losing environmental knowledge, too?

Joshua Stoll, University of Maine assistant research professor of marine policy and cooperating scientist at the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, worked with Emily Farr, a recent graduate of Yale University, and assistant professor Christine Beitl of the Department of Anthropology to study how fishermen’s changing access to fish species over time (which Stoll documented in earlier research) has affected their knowledge of the . Marina Cucuzza, a student in the UMaine marine science and marine policy dual degree graduate program, assisted with some of the interviews.

Read the full story at PHYS.org