Saving Seafood

Alaska: Sea otter resolution gets first hearing in Senate committee

March 16, 2018 — A Senate committee heard Monday from supporters and opponents of state involvement in the management of sea otters in Southeast Alaska.

The Senate Resources Committee held its first hearing on Senate Joint Resolution 13, which calls on the federal government to allow the state or a Native organization to co-manage the rebounding marine mammals and seek ways to increase harvest of otters.

“We’re urging the federal agencies to work with state, Native and local leaders to establish a sea otter management plan to protect the shellfish resources and subsistence availability,” said Sitka Republican committee member Bert Stedman, who sponsored the resolution.

Once nearly hunted to extinction in the region, otters are protected under federal law.

Only coastal Alaska Natives are allowed to hunt them and sell products made from pelts.

The resolution calls on Congress to change the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow expanded use of those pelts.

The measure also urges the transfer of otter management to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game or National Marine Fisheries Service.

Commercial fishing organizations and municipalities have called for the changes to slow the increase in Southeast’s otters because of their impact on shellfish and other sea food.

Commercial sea cucumber diver Stephanie Jurries of Craig told of a rapid loss of fishing areas on the western shore of Prince of Wales Island.

Read the full story at KTOO

 

Alaska: Halibut fishery poised to open as NMFS works on 2018 catch limits

March 15, 2018 — Alaska’s halibut fishery is set to open this month, but the final quota was still not completely set as of March 14, even as fishermen began to receive permits in the mail.

Indications, however, are that the quota will decrease this year compared to last.

Under regulations published by the National Marine Fisheries Service this month, the fishery will open March 24 and run through Nov. 7. But the total catch limits remain unknown.

That’s because this year, for just the second time in the commission’s history that dates to its creation by a 1923 treaty, the International Pacific Halibut Commission could not come to an agreement about the 2018 catch limits at its annual meeting. That leaves it up to regulatory bodies in each country to determine the limits instead.

Halibut Coalition Executive Director Tom Gemmell said he expects the quota to decrease by about 15 percent overall compared to 2017, when Alaskan fishermen had their total statewide quota set at about 22.62 million pounds. In 2017, and for a few years prior, the quota had increased slightly after nearly a decade of annual cuts totaling more than 70 percent from mid-2000 highs.

The halibut commission is the six-member body (three each from the U.S. and Canada) charged with regulating the halibut fishery from Northern California to the Bering Sea under the international Pacific halibut treaty, including setting the catch limit each year. The IPHC meets each January and decides on the coastwide halibut catch limits, based on input from staff scientists. But this past January, at its annual meeting in Portland, the commission was not able to come to an agreement on the 2018 limits.

Read the full story at the Alaska Journal of Commerce

 

Environmental groups sue U.S. Army Corps over Willamette dams, say salmon and steelhead at risk of extinction

March 14, 2018 — Three environmental groups followed through on a threat to sue the federal government Tuesday over the decline in wild salmon and steelhead in the Upper Willamette watershed.

The groups say the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Marine Fisheries Service have failed to take required steps to improve conditions for the threatened fish.

The lawsuit targets the Willamette watershed’s system of dams and its negative impact on fish habitat.

“Federal dam operators in the Willamette River basin must act now to protect our native fish,” said Mark Sherwood, executive director of the Native Fish Society.

The lawsuit is derived from a legal agreement, called the Biological Opinion, issued in 2008, that essentially requires the Corps to modify dams to improve fish habitat.

Read the full story at the Statesman Journal

A big drop in the pacific sardine population

March 9, 2018 — A small fish is taking a big hit on the west coast.

This is according to a recent study by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Pacific Fishery Management Council.

They say that since 2006 there has been a 97% decrease in the pacific sardine population spanning from Mexico to British Columbia. A big change from the early 1900’s when the canning business was booming in Monterey. Because of this there are now only short seasons for fisherman to catch them… Which aren’t open every year.

Read and watch the full story at KION

 

West Coast sardine fishing closed for 4th year; ‘alarming’ 97% population decline

March 8, 2018 — Sardine fishing nets will remain empty for a fourth straight year along the West Coast, where biologists are comparing the dramatic decline of the schooling fish to the infamous collapse that led to the downfall of Monterey’s once-thriving Cannery Row.

The northern Pacific sardine population, stretching from Mexico to British Columbia, has plummeted 97 percent since 2006, according to an assessment released this week by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Pacific Fishery Management Council.

The perilously low numbers give regulators no choice but to close fishing, which had been scheduled to start July 1, from Mexico to the Canadian border.

The 14 voting members of the fishery council, which makes policy along the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington, will meet April 8 in Portland, Ore., to discuss the results, but everyone agrees a fishing ban is inevitable. The council is required by federal law to close ocean fishing when the numbers fall this far below conservation objectives.

Read the full story at the San Francisco Chronicle

 

Maine: 2017 commercial fishing landings are fourth highest ever

March 2, 2018 — AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine commercial fishermen once again landed more than a half-billion dollars worth of marine resources in 2017.

At $569,173,089, the total value stands as the fourth highest ever and marks only the sixth time that Maine harvesters have surpassed $500 million.

“Maine’s commercial harvesters have again established our state as a leader in the sustainable, responsible management of marine resources,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “Not only do they contribute greatly to our state’s economy, they consistently deliver the best seafood in the world.”

Lobster landings in 2017 were the sixth highest on record at 110,819,760 pounds, despite declining by 16 percent from 2016. Value also dropped from $4.08 a pound in 2016 to $3.91 a pound for an overall value of $433,789,855, which still represented the fourth highest landed value for Maine’s iconic fishery. When accounting for bonuses paid to harvesters by 15 of 20 co-ops, the overall landed value of lobster was $450,799,283.

According to National Marine Fisheries Service data, American lobster was the species of highest landed value in the United States in 2015 and 2016, and Maine’s landings accounted for approximately 80 percent of that landed value in 2016.

Herring, the primary bait source for the lobster industry, again represented the second most valuable commercial fishery at $17,993,786 on the strength of a record per-pound price of 27 cents. Harvesters landed 66,453,073 pounds, most of which was harvested from the in-shore Gulf of Maine area known as Area 1A.

Despite a drop of nearly 4 million pounds landed and a dip of $3.8 million in value, Maine’s softshell clam industry remained the third most valuable commercial fishery at $12,363,328.

Read the full story at the Ellsworth American 

 

New England Council adopts coral protection plan

February 28, 2018 — ELLSWORTH, Maine — After years of debate, the New England Fishery Management Council last month took final action on new rules aimed at protecting deep-sea coral from damage by fishing gear.

Meeting in Portsmouth, N.H., the council adopted its Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment and voted to submit the document to the National Marine Fisheries Service for review and approval.

Last June, the council adopted three coral protection zones in the Gulf of Maine. They are the area around Outer Schoodic Ridge southeast of the Schoodic Peninsula, the area around Mount Desert Rock, and the Jordan Basic Dedicated Habitat Research Area. This zone is roughly 40 square miles and located 50 miles offshore where the sea floor rises in a “bump” to a depth of about 208 meters or about 682 feet.

At its January meeting, the council approved a 600-meter (1,969-foot) minimum depth “broad zone” for the continental slope and canyons south of Georges Bank. Once the NMFS accepts the amendment, this entire zone — with one exception — will be closed to all fishing with any kind of bottom-tending gear, including both mobile equipment such as trawls or dredges dragged behind a boat and fixed gear such as traps, pots and gillnets. The council exempted gear used in the small but growing the Atlantic deep-sea red crab fishery.

The 600-meter minimum depth broad zone was one of several options considered by the council during its deliberations, Known as “Option 6” in the Coral Amendment, it was the council’s preferred alternative for protecting the continental slope and canyons prior to extensive public hearings last year. The council postponed taking final action last June so it could consider a proposal put forward by a coalition of environmental groups.

Known as “Option 7,” that proposal covered more of the ocean bottom, including shallower areas with depths ranging between 300 meters (984 feet) and 550 meters (1,804 feet). It, too, would have banned mobile gear but not fixed gear.

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander

 

NMFS Weighing Privately Funded Assessment of Summer Flounder Stock

February 23, 2018 — For the first time, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will consider privately funded science in formulating regulations for summer flounder.

Funded by the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF) and its contributing partners, a groundbreaking sex-structured model created by Dr. Patrick Sullivan of Cornell University was presented in January to the NMFS’ Stock Assessment Workshop in the hope of obtaining a clearer picture of the summer flounder population.

The ultimate goal is to improve the accuracy of the next stock assessment and consequent management advice.

The summer flounder fishery is of vital importance to the recreational and commercial fishing sectors along the Atlantic Seaboard and its continued health is a key concern among stakeholders.

Dr. Sullivan, who developed the model with renowned fisheries researcher Dr. Mark Maunder, presented the findings to NMFS staff at the Summer Flounder Stock Assessment Workgroup at Woods Hole, Mass.

During the past 10 years, Dr. Maunder has been working on fluke population research for SSFFF and his work has been highly successful in developing important findings that have helped stave off significant quota reductions.

Based on 10 years of research conducted by the SSFFF team of scientists, the group now believes that the present stock assessment does not represent the best available science. A new and comprehensive stock assessment model which incorporates the latest findings is considered critically important in guaranteeing the survival of this vital fishery.

Read the full story at OnTheWater

 

NEFMC: Atlantic Herring, NGOM Scallops, Electronic Monitoring Seminars at Maine Fishermen’s Forum

February 23, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council: 

The New England Fishery Management Council is participating in three seminars at the March 1-3, 2018 Maine Fishermen’s Forum at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, ME. Come join us!

  • Meet some of our staff members.
  • Ask us questions.
  • Learn more about the Council’s work.

The forum provides a casual setting where stakeholders – fishermen, scientists, fishery managers, environmentalists, and legislators alike – can engage in meaningful conversation.

On Friday, March 2, we’ll be talking about Atlantic herring, electronic monitoring, and the Northern Gulf of Maine scallop fishery.  Here are the details.

                         Atlantic Herring Amendment 8 Informational Update

WHEN:  9 a.m. in the Rockland Room

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT:  The New England Council is developing Amendment 8 to the federal Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan to consider:

(1) Potential changes to how target catches are set in the herring fishery, starting with a new acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule; and

(2) Alternatives to address potential localized depletion and user conflicts in the fishery.

The amendment will be going out to public hearing in April or May. This forum session provides an ideal opportunity for fishermen and other stakeholders to ask questions and become more familiar with the alternatives in advance of the formal hearings.

FORMAT:  The session will open with a short overview of the Council process, followed by the Amendment 8 discussion, and conclude with a presentation by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on the federal Omnibus Industry-Funded Monitoring Amendment, which includes proposed measures for the Atlantic herring fishery.

WHO’S ON THE PANEL:  Mary Beth Tooley of the O’Hara Corporation is the forum board member who is hosting this session.  She also is the moderator. The panel members are:

  • Deirdre Boelke, New England Fishery Management Council, Atlantic Herring Plan Coordinator
  • Carrie Nordeen, National Marine Fisheries Service, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO)

                                 Electronic Monitoring (EM) on the Water

WHEN:  1 p.m. in the Rockland Room

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT:  The New England Council and NMFS are taking steps to improve monitoring in the groundfish fishery. These ongoing efforts have prompted increased interest in using camera systems as an alternative to human at-sea monitors. The question is: Can cameras, coupled with dockside monitoring, provide the necessary level of coverage to meet catch monitoring requirements? In an effort to find out, fishermen are participating in several groundfish pilot programs to explore the feasibility of using this electronic monitoring (EM) technology on their boats. The seminar will spotlight the pilot programs, and groundfish captains who are experimenting with EM will share their perspectives on how EM actually works on the water.

FORMAT:  Following a brief overview of the ongoing projects, panelists will give quick synopses of the EM projects they’re involved with and explain why they were willing to participate. Then, EM footage from several of their boats will be shown, and the affiliated captains on the panel will help guide the audience through what’s going on. They also will discuss fishing operations and catch handling while using EM. Plenty of time will be available for questions. Exchanges between fishermen in the audience and panel members are encouraged.

WHO’S ON THE PANEL:  Gerry Cushman of the F/V Bug Catcha is the forum board member who is hosting this session. Janice Plante of the New England Fishery Management Council is the moderator. The panel members are:

  • Randy Cushman, F/V Ella Christine, Port Clyde, ME, trawl fishery
  • Mike Russo, F/V Gulf Venture, Provincetown, MA, gillnet fishery
  • Tyler Bond, F/V Safe Haven (crew), F/V Savage Joe (owner), Harpswell, ME, jig fishery
  • Mike Monteforte, F/V Second Wind, Point Judith, RI, trawl fishery
  • Bob Dooley, owner/operator of West Coast and Alaska-based vessels for over 40 years, Half Moon Bay, CA, trawl/crab fisheries
  • Claire Fitz-Gerald, NMFS/GARFO Fishery Management Specialist, introductory/overview speaker

                                Northern Gulf of Maine Federal Scallop Fishery

WHEN:  2:45 p.m. in the Rockport Room

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT:  The New England Council recently completed Framework Adjustment 29 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. The framework contains specifications and measures for the 2018 federal scallop fishing year, which begins on April 1. The National Marine Fisheries Service has published a proposed rule containing just the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) Management Area provisions within the framework and is collecting public comment through March 7. The agency broke out the NGOM measures from the rest of the scallop actions to ensure they are in place by April 1. The intent is to prevent excessive fishing in the Northern Gulf of Maine area. This seminar will provide an overview of the Northern Gulf of Maine management measures and cover how and why they were developed. Information about scallop surveys and research priorities also will be discussed.

FORMAT:  The session will begin with an explanation of federal scallop fishery management in the Northern Gulf of Maine. Panelists then will provide information about 2018 scallop work priorities, changes to the Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program, scallop surveys, and research initiatives for the Northern Gulf of Maine Management Area. Fishermen are encouraged to ask questions about any of these scallop-related activities.

WHO’S ON THE PANEL:  Kristan Porter of the F/V Whitney & Ashley is a member of the New England Council’s Scallop Advisory Panel. He is the forum board member who is hosting this session, and he also is the moderator. The panel members are:

  • Jonathon Peros, New England Fishery Management Council, Scallop Plan Coordinator
  • Travis Ford, NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
  • Vincent Balzano, New England Fishery Management Council, Scallop Committee Chairman; commercial fisherman

MAINE FISHERMEN’S FORUM INFORMATION:  Many other seminars are lined up. General information about the 2018 forum, including hotel details, directions, and background, is available at Maine Fishermen’s Forum. The seminar descriptions and schedule can be downloaded at forum lineup.

View the event in more detail at the NEFMC site here.

 

Jim Lovgren: A hard look at NOAA’s observer program

February 21, 2018 — With the Trump administration looking to reduce burdensome regulations and slash unnecessary bureaucratic jobs, it’s time for them to take a hard look at NOAA’s fishery observer program. This program has grown from a handful of employees just two decades ago, now to hundreds of them who swarm fishing docks each day looking for a ride. And if you dare refuse, you face possible fines, or NMFS enforcement will not allow you to go fishing.

I’m the owner of a 75-foot fishing vessel out of Point Pleasant, N.J. And in the last two years, I have seen my observer coverage double, despite my best efforts to avoid them. The coverage in the Mid-Atlantic has substantially increased because NMFS has put most New England fishermen out of business, so instead of reducing the workforce, they in true bureaucratic tradition increase coverage on those left — this despite the fact that the Mid-Atlantic fisheries have already had extensive coverage for more than 20 years. There is no new data to be gathered. It is simply an effort to enrich the observer provider companies and increase the workforce in the Northeast Fishery Science Center, which has to collate and analyze the data.

Since we have had such extensive fishery coverage over the years, why do we need to increase it? What exactly do they expect to find? In the summer flounder fishery in New Jersey, thousands of observed trips have been taken over the years. Do they expect to find something different?

The data will be the same. The coverage is redundant and a waste of taxpayer dollars. And soon it will be the death knell of the independent fisherman, as NMFS expects them to pay the $750 a day to the observer companies, which in many cases is more than the boat makes on a trip. Also the more data that gets gathered, the more employees at the science center need to analyze it. The pathetic performance of the science center in regard to stock assessments is legendary and documented by the National Academy of Sciences study of fishery management plans. More data will not help them until they fire the incompetent people who still are doing the same stock assessments.

Recently the newest boat at our dock, totally refurbished less than a year ago, was informed that an observer had gotten bed bugs from it. The problem here is that it was an observer who brought the bedbugs onto the boat in the first place. The boat in question had new mattresses and bedding, with the same crew since its arrival. What they also had was an army of observers rotating on their boat, observing scallop and other fisheries. These observers hop from boat to boat, carrying their bags and bedding with them. Many of them are stationed in a group home near large fishing ports, where they live with up to nine other observers in the same small rental, sharing beds and furniture. They have become modern-day Typhoid Marys with the ability to contaminate multiple boats and houses with bedbugs, lice, crabs and fleas, among other unsanitary conditions. Observers and their belongings and group homes should be required to undergo weekly health examinations, just as fishermen are required to have their safety equipment checked.

Read the full story at National Fisherman