Saving Seafood

Maine Delegation Urges Commerce Secretary to Protect Lobster Fishery

August 24, 2021 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Susan Collins (R-ME):

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden have sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, urging her to ensure that the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Rule does not include last minute changes that would significantly harm the livelihoods of communities that depend on fishing and lobstering without meaningfully protecting whales. In their letter, the Maine Delegation emphasize that many measures have been crafted after years of negotiation and careful consultation with Maine’s Department of Marine Resources (DMR) to protect the coastal Maine communities that rely on the lobster fishery. The Delegation specifically cites potential changes to regulations on gear marking, closures of valuable fishing areas, and enforcing dangerous one-size-fits-all approaches on gear configurations as risks that could endanger livelihoods and safety for Maine’s lobstering communities.

“We are getting in touch with you once again about the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS’s) Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Rule (RIN: 0648-BJ09), the finalization of which we understand to be imminent,” wrote the Delegation. “We are grateful for your previous engagement with us over our concerns about this new regulation’s ability to meaningfully protect whales and its impact on those who depend on fishing, especially lobstering, for their livelihoods. We are now asking for your assistance to avoid hasty, late-breaking changes by NMFS to measures that have been extensively negotiated and carefully designed in consultation with Maine’s Department of Marine Resources (DMR) and broad outreach to stakeholders. These changes, as indicated by the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), add significant costs to the industry without corresponding gains in conservation and seriously undermine conservation partnerships at state and local levels.

“As you know, this rule builds on over two decades of collaborative whale conservation efforts and is the specific product of massive stakeholder input and data analysis in recent months and years,” the Delegation continued. “Despite this long timeline and vast effort, we and many of our constituents are deeply concerned about three specific elements of the rule, which we have outlined below. We have also shared these views with Shalanda Young, Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and we urge you to direct NMFS staff to engage with their counterparts at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to ensure this opportunity for good public policy making and consideration of informed public comment is not squandered in the midnight hour.”

The Maine Delegation has been steadfastly opposed to undue burdens that would threaten the lobster fishery – an important economic driver for Maine – without meaningfully protecting whales. The Delegation has urged President Joe Biden to act on his pledge to protect lobstermen’s livelihoods, citing the lack of data to support claims that the lobster fishery presents an extreme risk to whales compared to other marine activities such as ship strikes.

The Maine Delegation’s full letter can be downloaded HERE.

NMFS planning new whale protections for Atlantic gillnet and trap fisheries

August 20, 2021 — NMFS officials are beginning a second phase in their drive to reduce fishing gear entanglement risks to endangered Atlantic right whales, fin whales and humpback whales, focusing next on East Coast pot and gillnet fisheries.

The first phase, focused on the Northeast lobster and Jonah crab trap fisheries, is under review is currently at the NOAA Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and agency officials say it will be finalized soon. That part of the plan will bring new requirements for weak links, gear marking, seasonal area closures and minimum number of traps per trawl.

Similar measures would be developed for the other fixed gear fisheries, and NMFS is opening a scoping period Sept. 9 through Oct. 21 to solicit input and information from fishermen and other stakeholders. A schedule released this week sets dates for 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. online webinars.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Louisiana sues feds over ‘devastating’ rule for its shrimpers

August 13, 2021 — Louisiana’s attorney general has sued the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in New Orleans federal court to stop it from implementing a regulation that obliges certain shrimp fishermen to install devices that keep endangered sea turtles out of their catch.

In a Wednesday complaint, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said the rule that took effect on Aug. 1, about a week before the beginning of the state’s shrimping season, will have “devastating consequences” on the fishermen’s already thin profit margins, and has sowed confusion with fishermen unable to find enough suppliers of so-called turtle-excluder devices for their fishing nets because the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the supply chain.

Landry makes claims that the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act’s requirements for reasoned decision-making.

NMFS spokesperson Kate Brogan said the agency is reviewing the complaint.

Read the full story at Reuters

Florida fishermen work with NMFS to track red tide

August 13, 2021 — Another eruption of red tide on the southwest Florida coast has brought fish kills and public health advisories to beaches, and commercial fishermen are pitching in the help scientists map out the effects.

Fishermen who work offshore of the Tampa Bay region are providing oceanographic data to NMFS’ Southeast Fisheries Science Center, as part of the center’s ongoing collaboration with the Florida Commercial Watermen’s Conservation.

The non-profit group is dedicated to science-based water quality testing and marine stewardship, founded and operated by commercial fishermen in response to devastating red tide blooms of the last five years.

The group trains and outfit fishermen with water monitoring kits, for its mission ‘to quantify the environmental and oceanographic conditions before, during, and after red tide blooms to better understand their dynamics and provide timely decision-support to increase the resilience of fishermen and fishing communities on the west coast of Florida to red tide events.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

WPRFMC, NMFS Modernize Catch Reporting for Hawaii, American Samoa Longliners

August 12, 2021 — Technological progress is coming to the island: Longliners from Hawaii and American Samoa will be required to electronically report their catches beginning next month.

The National Marine Fisheries Service said the regulation is intended to reduce human error, improve data accuracy, save time for fishermen and NMFS, and provide more rigorous monitoring and forecasting of catch limits. The rule goes into effect on Sept. 7.

Read the full story at Seafood News

CARES Act draft spend plan for Oregon available for review

August 11, 2021 — The following was released by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife:

ODFW has posted a draft of the proposed spend plan for the second round of Oregon distribution of federal CARES Act fisheries relief funding at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/CARES/index.asp.

Marine and coastal fishery businesses who have experienced economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged to review the draft and provide input.

About $13 million is available for Oregon’s marine and coastal fishery sectors experiencing significant economic impacts from the global COVID-19 pandemic. The relief aid slated for Oregon is part of $255 million in fisheries assistance funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). ODFW is the lead State agency working with fishery participants to coordinate aid.

The spend plan details how the distribution of these relief funds will be conducted in Oregon.  The plan builds upon successful aspects of round one funding completed in January 2021, with adjustments to address identified gaps.

The plan must be approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Once approved, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission will manage the application process and distribute funds.

Comments on the plan should be sent to ODFW.CARESACT@odfw.oregon.gov. Comments received by Sunday, Aug. 22 will be reviewed and considered during finalization of the spend plan.

“We want to provide one more opportunity for Oregon businesses to comment on the draft plan before we submit a final version, and also realize that some may have missed our June public meeting,” said Chris Kern, ODFW Deputy Fish Division Administrator.

A recording and materials from the June 2021 online meeting are available one the ODFW CARES Act web page.

Modernizing Catch Reporting in Hawaii and American Samoa Longline Fisheries

August 11, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced last week that the requirement for the Hawai‘i and American Samoa pelagic longline fisheries to electronically report their catch will be effective Sept. 7, 2021. This regulation is intended to reduce human error, improve data accuracy, save time for fishermen and NMFS, and provide more rigorous monitoring and forecasting of catch limits.

Development of the electronic reporting (ER) system for the Hawai‘i and American Samoa longline fisheries ramped up about 2014. After several years of development, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) began rolling out the tablets in 2019 for Hawai‘i longline vessels to use on a voluntary basis. At its September 2020 meeting, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council took final action recommending mandatory implementation.

To support PIFSC’s ER outreach to Vietnamese-American fishermen, the Council hired a Vietnamese-speaking staff. The outreach team introduces the tablet, conducts training and follows up with them after their initial trips to help resolve any issues.

Approximately 115 of the 150 Hawai‘i longline vessels have been trained and are now voluntarily using the tablets ahead of mandatory implementation. PIFSC is also coordinating with local NMFS staff in American Samoa to roll out training for the longline vessels based in Pago Pago. PIFSC will continue to provide training support to bring all vessels into compliance.

After Sept. 7, 2021, Hawai‘i longline vessels and Class C and D American Samoa longline vessels will be required to use electronic logbooks once the following criteria are met:

  1. NMFS notifies the permit holder of the requirement.
  2. Permit holders have received the ER tablet (at no cost).
  3. The vessel operator has obtained an individually assigned user account from NMFS.

Fishermen will be allowed to use paper logbooks as a backup if vessels experience any electronic logbook or transmission problems.

In the past, longline captains filled out one logbook sheet for every day of fishing during their trip. Then they submitted their full trip’s log sheets to PIFSC when they returned to port. The data were verified and manually entered into a database by PIFSC staff.

There was often a several week delay between when the paper logbook was filled out by the captain and when it became available to fishery managers to compare the latest catch information with catch quotas. The delay creates a significant challenge to predict when the fleet will reach annual catch limits, such as for bigeye tuna.

Electronic logbooks automate and streamline many of these steps, allowing near-real-time catch reports. Each vessel is equipped with a tablet loaded with ER software. The tablet is connected to a vessel monitoring system, which transmits the daily logbook data via satellite to NMFS. Daily catch data submission will be required under the new rule while operating in U.S. waters around Hawai‘i, American Samoa and adjacent high seas.

The Federal Register notice is available at: www.wpcouncil.org/fr-notice-electronic-logbooks-for-hawaii-and-american-samoa-pelagic-longline-fisheries-august-5-2021.

Critical habitat for killer whales extended south along California coast

August 6, 2021 — The Biden administration extended critical habitat designations for the highly endangered Southern Resident orca population, to cover nearly 16,000 square miles of Pacific waters from Washington south to Point Sur, Calif.

The whales currently have had critical habitat protected in the inland waters of Washington state, where the Southern orca population of just 75 animals is highly dependent on chinook salmon – stocks that themselves are in danger from habitat loss and pollution in the region.

A final order from NMFS, published in the Aug. 2 Federal Register and taking effect Sept.1, maintains the Puget Sound protected region and extends the critical habitat designation out to the 200-meter (656-foot) sea floor contour.

“This revision is based on over a decade of research that improved our knowledge of Southern Resident killer whales’ geographic range, diet, and habitat needs, including their movements up and down the West Coast,” according to a NMFS announcement.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

EDF building bridges between US, Japanese fisheries managers

August 4, 2021 — A virtual climate and fisheries workshop hosted in July by the Environmental Defense Fund had the goal of building bridges between fisheries managers in Japan and the United States.

The seminar organized by the New York City, U.S.A.-based NGO brought together scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Service and Japan’s Fisheries Research and Education Agency to discuss current and future climate-related changes in fisheries, data gaps impeding optimal management practices, and opportunities for collaboration.

Read the full story at Seafood Source