Saving Seafood

Right Whale Use of Southern New England Wind Energy Areas Increasing

July 30, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Right whales are increasing their use of southern New England waters, including regions slated for offshore wind energy development, according to aerial survey data collected during the last decade. Offshore wind energy installations are proposed in waters off the south coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Understanding and minimizing the potential impacts from construction noise, increased vessel traffic, and habitat alteration will be crucial to protecting and conserving this endangered species. This research supports the Administration’s goal of deploying offshore wind while protecting biodiversity and promoting ocean co-use.

The study was published July 29 in Endangered Species Research. Marine mammal researchers from NOAA Fisheries and colleagues at the New England Aquarium and the Center for Coastal Studies examined aerial survey data collected between 2011–2015 and 2017–2019. The data was collected in offshore waters including the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Wind Energy Area. The data from these two time periods were used to quantify right whale distribution, residency, demographics, and movements in the region.

“We found that right whale use of the region increased during the last decade, and since 2017 whales have been sighted there nearly every month, with large aggregations occurring during the winter and spring,” said Tim Cole, lead of the whale aerial survey team at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and a co-author of the study.

Read the full release here

2021 Atlantic Cod Stock Management Workshops

July 30, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The New Hampshire Sea Grant, New England Fishery Management Council, and NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center will be hosting a workshop series focusing on the management implications of restructuring Atlantic cod stocks from August 12 – September 20.

This five-part series will focus on the management implications of a potential split in Atlantic cod stocks into five distinct biological stocks, instead of the two that are currently managed. These workshops follow up on the previous series that focused on the science behind the decision and draws from the 2020 report by the Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Working Group.

Presentations by technical experts will be followed by an open public discussion ensuring information is available to best inform the cod stock assessment process.

Registration is required to participate.

‘We want our fish to be wild’: Alaska congressman floats new bill to block offshore aquaculture

July 30, 2021 — Alaska’s longtime Republican Congressman Don Young has yet again introduced the Keep Fin Fish Free Act, legislation prohibiting the Secretary of Interior and the Secretary of Commerce from authorizing commercial finfish aquaculture operations in the Federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) unless specifically authorized by Congress.

Young said the state’s residents are opposed to what he described as “hatchery fisheries” in the state.

“We don’t want that. We want our fish to be wild,” he said Thursday during a hearing held by the US House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.

Young said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) should be focusing on issues with Alaska’s ocean, and why fishermen are seeing fewer kings and other salmon during summer fishing seasons.

Read the full story at IntraFish

California Current Fish Surveys Resume with 3-Month Assessment of Sardine, Anchovy, and Mackerel

July 30, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has begun an ambitious assessment of small pelagic fish reaching from the Canadian border to the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, in cooperation with Mexico, which will help determine how many fish can be caught off the West Coast.

The COVID-19 pandemic had idled surveys for sardine, anchovy, and other species of small coastal pelagic species (CPS) off the West Coast since 2019. Small pelagic species are important ecologically and provide food for larger fish, such as tunas. The new assessment resumes regular CPS  surveys by collecting data from NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker, commercial fishing vessels equipped with acoustic technology, and autonomous Saildrones.

The Lasker left San Diego on July 6, becoming the centerpiece of the 3-month survey. It will cover thousands of miles in U.S., and Mexican waters. NOAA Fisheries scientists are coordinating efforts with federal fisheries agencies in Mexico and Canada, providing a science foundation for future decisions on fishing levels and seasons.

“Organizing and coordinating this survey was a tremendous feat of collaboration,” said Kristen Koch, Director of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, which is leading the survey. “Collecting data across all three countries will provide a valuable foundation for management of these important transboundary species.”

The Lasker will survey coastal pelagic fish along transects in the California Current, quantifying the fish with echosounders. These instruments include an advanced new model that can for the first time also measure the velocities of fish as they swim relative to the ship. The measurements will help to understand whether and how fish respond to survey vessels and if those reactions affect the quality of data on the numbers and distributions of fish.

Read the full release here

Reminder: The Gulf of Mexico Gray Triggerfish Recreational Season Reopens August 1, 2021

July 30, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Key Message:

NOAA Fisheries reminds anglers that the Gulf of Mexico gray triggerfish recreational season reopens August 1, 2021.  The gray triggerfish fishing year is from January 1 – December 31 with two recreational seasonal closures of January 1 – end of February and June 1 – July 31.  NOAA Fisheries will monitor recreational landings.  If landings reach or are projected to reach the annual catch target, NOAA Fisheries will close recreational fishing for gray triggerfish for the remainder of the fishing year.

Read the full release here

The Effects of Climate Change on Sharks

July 29, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Climate Solutions Start with Research

Understanding the effects of climate change on sharks and other fish populations is an emerging area of study and a priority for NOAA Fisheries. Climate change is causing warming seas, acidification, rising sea level, and other long-term shifts in the environment. It is already affecting numerous marine species in complex ways. Sharks are no exception. The impacts of climate change on marine life are expected to continue into the future, potentially resulting in:

  • Shifts in the distribution of fish populations
  • Changes in migratory patterns
  • Changes in the availability of suitable habitat
  • Shifts in population sizes
  • Changes in the availability of prey

We are conducting research on many species and across fisheries to find ways to characterize such ecological shifts and address climate vulnerability and resilience.

The Range of Change

A climate vulnerability assessment for 82 fish species, including some sharks, off the northeastern United States found that impacts are likely to vary by species. In general, sharks may have lower overall vulnerability than other marine organisms (e.g., shellfish, salmon, or eels). They are less likely to experience changes in abundance. However, because of their extensive range, sharks have a high likelihood of shifting their distributions or expanding into new habitats to follow preferable ocean conditions.

In Atlantic and Pacific U.S. waters, many fish species are shifting northward as the oceans continue to warm. For example, species like the thresher shark, which are common off southern California, are expected to become more common off Alaska along the Pacific coast. Along the northeastern United States, smooth dogfish may actually gain suitable habitat, whereas thorny skate (a shark relative) may lose habitat as the region warms. Some species are also shifting to deeper, cooler waters as shallow coastal environments warm.

Read the full release here

NOAA’s Exploration and Research Efforts Inform Management Decisions for Deep-Sea Coral Communities

July 29, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA’s Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program is participating virtually in NOAA Ocean Exploration’s current expedition to map and explore the New England and Corner Rise seamounts in the high seas (or international waters) of the North Atlantic. Equipped with a remotely operated vehicle and telepresence technology, the team aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer transmits video data in real time to shore-based scientists who help to guide the exploration and contribute their expertise during dives.

The data collected from NOAA’s deep-sea exploration and research efforts improve our scientific understanding of the diversity and distribution of deep-sea coral communities. This information will guide future exploration activities in the region. It will also aid resource managers in developing and evaluating management options for these valuable habitats—on which U.S. fisheries and communities depend.

Seamounts Are Habitat for Deep-Sea Corals

The New England and Corner Rise seamounts form chains of rocky underwater islands. During the expedition, researchers have found an abundance of corals and sponges on the slopes of most seamounts. While diving on the Rockaway Seamount at a depth of approximately 2.6 miles (4,200 meters)—one of the deepest dives ever conducted in the region—the team observed a greater abundance of corals and sponge life than expected. These particular seamount chains may be hot spots of biological diversity for deep-sea corals and sponges.

Deep-sea corals and sponges create structurally complex habitats that support rich and vibrant communities of other species. Most deep-sea corals grow extremely slowly, and if damaged, they may take centuries to recover, if they recover at all. Deep-sea coral communities are vulnerable to damage from certain fishing gear, some energy exploration and development, cable deployment, and other activities that disturb the seafloor. Of the human activities that threaten deep-sea coral habitat, seafloor trawling is widely considered to have the greatest potential for damage. The Northwest Atlantic Fishery Organization has recognized the New England and Corner Rise seamounts as vulnerable marine ecosystems and closed them to bottom fishing.

Read the full release here

Reduced Fishing Season Length for the Harvest of Spiny Lobster in Federal Waters off Puerto Rico for the 2021 Fishing Year

July 29, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

What/When:

Harvest of spiny lobster (commercial and recreational) in federal waters off Puerto Rico will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on August 22, 2021, and will re-open at 12:01 a.m., local time, on October 1, 2021.

Why This Closure Is Happening:

  • The annual catch limit for spiny lobster in Puerto Rico is 327,920 pounds.  Based on the average of the three most recent years of available landings, from the 2017-2019 fishing years, NOAA Fisheries determined that the annual catch limit for spiny lobster was exceeded.
  • As a result, an accountability measure is applied, reducing the length of the 2021 fishing season for spiny lobster in federal waters of Puerto Rico.  Harvest of this species will close at the date and time specified above.
  • This closure is necessary to protect the spiny lobster resource in federal waters off Puerto Rico.

During The Closure:

During the closure, spiny lobster in or from federal waters off Puerto Rico may not be harvested, possessed, purchased, or sold, and the recreational bag and possession limit for spiny lobster in or from federal waters off Puerto Rico is zero.

Funding Recommendations for Atlantic Salmon Habitat Restoration in Maine

July 29, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries is pleased to announce the recommendation of nearly $900,000 in funding for four partners to implement projects that restore habitat for Atlantic salmon in Maine.

The Gulf of Maine distinct population segment (DPS) of Atlantic salmon is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and is one of nine NOAA Species in the Spotlight.

Proposed projects funded under these partnerships will improve fish passage by removing or modifying dams, culverts, and other barriers blocking Atlantic salmon from reaching their habitats.

Degraded habitat is one of the largest obstacles to recovering protected species like Atlantic salmon, which is an iconic species of the Northeast. Proposed projects funded under these partnerships will target priority habitat restoration actions needed for Atlantic salmon recovery. These projects will also benefit other native species that contribute to the health of the Gulf of Maine, such as river herring, sea lamprey, American shad, and American eel.

Read our web story to learn more about this recommended funding.

Read the full release here

White House nominates Jainey Bavishi, climate adaptation expert, to key NOAA post

July 29, 2021 — The White House has picked Jainey Bavishi, a leading expert on responding to the challenges of climate change, to a top leadership position at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Bavishi will serve as one of the two top deputies to NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, an ocean scientist, who was confirmed by the Senate last month after being nominated by President Biden in April.

The Biden administration has made confronting climate change one of its top priorities, and the appointment of Bavishi is fitting at an agency responsible for environmental prediction and monitoring and protecting the nation’s coasts, oceans and fisheries.

Bavishi most recently served as the director of the New York Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency, where she led a team that prepares the city for impacts of climate change. The office is working on several initiatives to protect the city’s structures and inhabitants, including installing a 2.4-mile flood protection system consisting of flood walls and floodgates and improving underground interior drainage systems in Manhattan.

“The Biden administration has picked a tremendous climate champion to serve the American people,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said in an emailed statement. “Jainey’s leadership and vision has transformed New York City’s coastline and has helped to protect New Yorkers from destructive flooding and deadly heat waves.”

Read the full story at The Washington Post