Saving Seafood

Final Rule Increases Annual Catch Limits for South Atlantic Blueline Tilefish

July 16, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

  • NOAA Fisheries announces a final rule for Abbreviated Framework Amendment 3 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, which increases the annual catch limits for South Atlantic blueline tilefish in response to the results of the latest population assessment.
  • The annual catch limits are based on acceptable biological catch recommendations from the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

The Rule will be effective on August 17, 2020 .

SUMMARY OF CHANGES:

  • The final rule will increase the total and sector annual catch limits for blueline tilefish in the South Atlantic, as follows (in pounds whole weight).

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NAME/NUMBER: 85 FR 43145, published July 16, 2020.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

Where can I find more information on Abbreviated Framework Amendment 3?

  • Contact NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

By Mail:

Mary Vara
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office
Sustainable Fisheries Division
263 13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505

By FAX: (727) 824-5308

By Phone: (727) 824-5305

NOAA Cancels Surveys on Sea Scallops, Clams, and the Ocean’s “Twilight Zone” in Northeast

July 15, 2020 — As the coronavirus pandemic continues, NOAA Fisheries “is continuing to assess the status of other surveys in the region” but have decided to cancel annual surveys for sea scallops and Atlantic surfclam/ocean quahog that would normally be underway now in the Northeast.

“These are difficult decisions for the agency as we strive to balance our need to maintain core mission responsibilities with the realities and impacts of the current health crisis,” the agency said in a press release dated July 10.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Fishermen and Scientists Pioneer Cooperative Rockfish Survey

July 15, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

When Gulf of Alaska rockfish fishermen approached NOAA Fisheries biologist Mark Zimmermann with an innovative proposal, he saw a potential solution to a rocky problem.

“They offered to collect scientific data in ‘untrawlable’ areas where standard NOAA Fisheries survey trawls can’t sample fish populations. I was impressed with the advanced technology that they use to fish in these rocky, steep habitats, like a live-feed video camera that helps them target their catch while minimizing gear and habitat damage,” Zimmermann said. “I was also impressed that they wanted to use these capabilities to improve rockfish assessments. This fishery is really important to them, and they want to invest in the resource by providing us scientific data to manage it. They want to help ensure that annual catch limits are sustainable.”

That conversation spawned a cooperative pilot study to explore the possibility of using industry catch and effort data to inform Gulf of Alaska rockfish assessments. The new project is called the Science-Industry Rockfish Research Collaboration in Alaska.

“Rockfish fishermen are taking a long-term stake in conservation,” said  John Gauvin, science projects director at Alaska Seafood Cooperative (offshore harvest cooperative). “The industry has made large investments to improve fishing practices. We hope some of those innovative fishing practices will provide data for this cooperative effort to improve rockfish stock assessments in the Gulf of Alaska. We expect this will take a strong partnership between industry and scientists, and we are fully on board with that. We are ready to make the necessary investment in time and resources to make it successful.”

Read the full release here

Emailing Approved Open Access Vessel & Dealer Permits

July 15, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective immediately and upon request, the NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Region Permit Office will email Permit Holders their approved Open Access vessel or dealer permit(s).  Permit Holders that have their Open Access vessel or dealer permit(s) emailed to them should keep a copy of this Fishery Bulletin on their vessel or at the dealer facility. 

How do I get my approved Open Access permit(s) emailed to me?

Permit Holders who currently have an application in our office and would like their approved Open Access vessel or dealer permit(s) emailed, can complete the email authorization form here.

What if I currently don’t have an application submitted to the permit office, but want my approved Open Access vessel or dealer permit(s) emailed to me when I submit an application?

  • Starting next month, the Permit Office will include the email authorization form in the permit renewal reminder packages sent out each month. When you submit your application online or on paper, you should include this authorization form with your submission.
  • You can also call the Permit Office at (877) 376-4877 and request the email authorization form once your application has been received.

What if I still want my approved Open Access vessel or dealer permit(s) mailed to me instead of emailed?

You don’t need to do anything.  Unless we received the email authorization form, we will continue to print and mail the permit(s) from the Southeast Region Permit Office.

Can my approved Limited Access vessel permit(s) be emailed?

No, at this point in time, we are only emailing Open Access permits.  We will continue to print and mail approved Limited Access permit(s) from the SERO Permit Office.

MORE INFORMATION:

If you have further questions regarding this matter, please contact the SERO Permit Office by telephone at (877) 376-4877, weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., excluding federal holidays and leave a message.

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments for an Application for an Exempted Fishing Permit to Test Experimental Retrieval Devices for Black Sea Bass Pots in South Atlantic Federal Waters

July 15, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries is accepting comments on an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from the University of Georgia Marine Extension, Georgia Sea Grant. The applicant proposes to deploy modified black sea bass pots with Acoustic Subsea Buoy Retrieval Systems in federal waters off Georgia. The project would examine the potential usefulness of the devices for use in the black sea bass pot component for the commercial sector of the snapper-grouper fishery while minimizing impacts to protected species.

HOW TO COMMENT ON THE APPLICATION:

The comment period is open now through August 14, 2020. You may submit comments by electronic submission or by postal mail. Comments sent by any other method (such as e-mail), to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered by NOAA Fisheries.

Application information:  https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/black-sea-bass-pot-pilot-project-exempted-fishing-permit-application/

Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.

  1. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NOAA-NMFS-2020-0090.
  2. Click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields.
  3. Enter or attach your comments.

Mail:  Submit written comments to Frank Helies, NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.

Program Concepts

  • Acoustic Subsea Buoy Retrieval Systems are an example of gear that store buoys and their retrieval devices at depth. These systems exist in the water column for minutes instead of hours or days as they are activated via acoustic releases only when fishers are present.  Currently, vertical end lines and buoys, such as those utilized for black sea bass pots, present an entanglement risk to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, a species that migrates and calves off the coast of Georgia in the winter months.
  • Adaptation of “ropeless” systems for this style of pot fishing could reduce risk to these whales and other marine animals that suffer entanglements. Up to six different designs would be tested during this study.
  • Black sea bass pots would be fished as singles with a traditional configuration and as experimental configurations of black sea bass pots (four regulation-sized pots connected together with wire connecting clips) without vertical buoy lines on live bottom during August and September 2020. Virtual gear marking (marking of gear deployment location with chartplotters, GPS, and manufacturer-provided software) would be utilized and evaluated, with analysis of the interoperability of systems being shared with fishery management partners.
  • Testing would occur in depths from 10-30 meters in federal waters 10 to 32 nautical miles off Townsend, Georgia. Deployments would be limited to 35 total pots, up to 300 gear hauls, with an average soak time of 90-120 minutes per configuration.  The applicant intends to collect data from 90 traditional gear deployments and 270 ASBRS gear deployments.

NOAA Fisheries finds this application warrants further consideration, and is seeking public comment on the application.  A final decision on issuance of the EFP will depend on NOAA Fisheries’ review of public comments received, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils’ recommendations, consultations with the affected states, and the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as a determination that it is consistent with all applicable laws.

Private Vessels Fishing for Tilefish in the Mid-Atlantic Must Now Get Permits and File Catch Reports

July 15, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries filed a rule today requiring private recreational tilefish vessels in the Mid-Atlantic to get permits and file catch reports. These changes were approved in Amendment 6 to the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan, and will be effective August 17, 2020. This action is being taken to better characterize and monitor the recreational fisheries for both blueline tilefish and golden tilefish.

Get your federal private recreational tilefish vessel permit through Fish Online.This new permit is required even if a vessel already holds a for-hire tilefish permit. Call our Permit Office at 978-282-8438 for questions about the permitting process.

Private recreational tilefish anglers must also fill out and submit an electronic vessel trip report within 24 hours of returning to port for trips where tilefish were targeted and/or retained. Reports can be submitted through any NOAA Fisheries approved electronic reporting system.

Read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register, and the permit holder bulletin on our website.

Kelly Denit Appointed New Director for NOAA’s Office of Sustainable Fisheries

July 14, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA announced the appointment of Ms. Kelly Denit as the new Director of NOAA’s Office of Sustainable Fisheries. As the new director, Ms. Denit will oversee a national office responsible for the implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the management of Atlantic highly migratory species, and promoting U.S. seafood safety while supporting seafood-related commerce and trade.

In this role, she will work closely with Fisheries’ regional offices and science centers in partnership with the regional fishery management councils, interstate marine fishery commissions, and states to establish effective fishery management measures, set catch limits, ensure compliance with fisheries regulations, and reduce bycatch. She will ensure office activities support agency priorities and work with key stakeholders—including the commercial and recreational fishing industries, tribes, academia, non-government organizations, and others—to advance those priorities around the country.

“U.S. fisheries are among the world’s largest, most valuable, and most sustainable as a result of the U.S. fishery management process. As our new lead for the implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, Ms. Denit has a tremendous responsibility and I have every confidence she will rise to the challenge based on her experience and her extraordinary leadership skills,” said Samuel Rauch III, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs at NOAA Fisheries.

Ms. Denit has held various positions within NOAA over the last 15 years after first joining the agency as a Knauss Sea Grant fellow in Fisheries’ Office of International Affairs. Most recently, she served as the Chief of the Domestic Fisheries Division in the Office of Sustainable Fisheries. In that role she provided national policy direction and performance oversight to ensure the continued sustainable management of our nation’s fisheries, primarily in federal waters. Prior to that, Ms. Denit’s work covered a range of activities from state/federal partnerships to recreational fisheries to strategic planning/budgeting to catch share programs. She has also worked at the NOAA Ocean Service’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science in Beaufort, North Carolina.

Read the full release here

Seafood Harvesters calls on NOAA Fisheries to apply observer waiver consistently for all regions

July 14, 2020 — Seafood Harvesters of America is calling on NOAA Fisheries to develop a more consistent policy in issuing waivers for observers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bob Dooley, the organization’s president, and Leigh Habegger, its executive director, signed a letter sent Monday, 13 July, calling for NOAA to rethink the agency’s current policy regarding at-sea observer coverage. The letter – which was sent to Dr. Neil Jacobs, the acting undersecretary for oceans and atmosphere in the U.S. Department of Commerce; Chris Oliver, NOAA Fisheries’ assistant administrator; and two other NOAA Fisheries officials – is calling for the federal agency to amend the “inconsistent and unequal” process of applying waivers by extending them to all regions where observers and at-sea monitors are mandatory.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Reminder: NOAA Fisheries needs completed surveys to enable scientists to assess COVID-19 impacts on commercial/for-hire fishing operations and seafood dealers/processors

July 14, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

If you received a survey from NOAA Fisheries and partner, the University of Florida, we request you take the time to complete it.  The survey takes less than 6 minutes and the information you provide is strictly confidential.  Survey participants were selected as part of a carefully designed random sample, so your response (if you received a letter) is very important to the success of this survey.

This multi-region survey will be used to inform NOAA Fisheries, the Department of Commerce, Congress, Fishery Management Councils, state fishery managers, and stakeholders about the economic and social impacts that the recent economic downturn has had on the fishing industry. NOAA Fisheries will draft reports for the public detailing the revenue losses and recovery of fishing-dependent businesses over the past few months.

The survey information would have arrived by mail in a University of Florida envelope directing you to a website and contains a login code that is unique to each individual. Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete the survey.

If you have further questions regarding the survey please contact:

NOAA taps new sustainable fisheries director

July 14, 2020 — On Monday the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries appointed Kelly Denit as its new director of its office of sustainable fisheries.

As the new director, Denit will oversee a national office responsible for the implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the management of Atlantic highly migratory species, and promoting US seafood safety while supporting seafood-related commerce and trade.

“One of the critical aspects of this new role will be supporting our fishing businesses and communities as they navigate through the challenges of COVID-19,” she said.

Read the full story at IntraFish