National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Archives - Page 128 of 260

New right whale protection measures announced by Canadian government

March 6, 2020 — Canada has announced new protection measures for North Atlantic right whales, which face severe threats to their survival due to human activities off the Atlantic Coast of North America.

With just around 400 individuals believed to be left in the world, the North Atlantic right whale is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Right whales were once common on both sides of the North Atlantic, but have been effectively wiped out in the eastern North Atlantic. Members of the western population of North Atlantic right whales migrate between calving grounds off the coasts of Florida and Georgia in the United States to their summering grounds in the Gulf of Maine, Bay of Fundy, Scotian Shelf, and Gulf of Saint Lawrence. This migration is proving especially dangerous, as the most serious threat to the whales is death or injury from entanglements in fishing gear and collisions with ships off the east coast of North America, according to the IUCN.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared an “unusual mortality event” in 2017, a particularly bad year for North Atlantic right whales in North America that saw 17 deaths as the result of entanglement or ship strike. 12 of those deaths occurred in Canadian waters.

Read the full story at Mongabay

Wideye iFleetONE Vessel Monitoring System Approved for Use

March 6, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

On February 28, 2020, AddValue Innovation’s “Wideye iFleetONE” vessel monitoring system (VMS) was approved for use by commercial fishing vessels with federal permits requiring the use of VMS in the Greater Atlantic Region.

The Wideye iFleetONE is a broadband VMS unit which meets all NOAA VMS requirements, and supports other data, voice and text services. The unit operates on the Inmarsat satellite network. For more information, refer to the AddValue Innovation brochure.

A complete list of approved VMS units in the Greater Atlantic Region, is available online.

Read the full release here

Reopening Comment Period for Coonamessett Farm Foundation Exempted Fishing Permit

March 6, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

At the request of the public, we are reopening the comment period for an Exempted Fishing Permit application from the Coonamesset Farm Foundation. The Exempted Fishing Permit would allow commercial fishing vessels to use dredge fishing gear with a forward facing camera within the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area to characterize habitat substrate types where dredge fishing occurs, and conduct compensation fishing that would support research conducted by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.

You may submit written comments by any of the following methods:

Email: nmfs.gar.efp@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line “CFF Great South Channel HMA Clam EFP.”

Mail: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope “Comments on CFF Great South Channel HMA EFP.”

Comments are due by March 23. Please see the notice as published in the Federal Register for more information.

Scientists Set Acceptable Biological Catches for Mariana Archipelago Bottomfish, Recommend New Stock Assessment for Mariana and American Samoa Bottomfish

March 6, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council concluded its three-day 135th meeting today in Honolulu. Key outcomes addressed the Mariana and American Samoa Archipelago bottomfish fisheries. The Council will consider and may take action on the SSC outcomes and other issues when it meets March 10 to 12 at the YWCA Atherton Hall, 1040 Richards St., Honolulu. For more information on these meetings, including a Fishers Forum on Hawai’i fisheries the evening of March 10, go to http://www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars/ or contact the Council at info@wpcouncil.org or (808) 522-8220.

Mariana Archipelago Bottomfish Fisheries: The SSC set annual acceptable biological catches of bottomfish at 27,000 pounds in Guam and 84,000 pounds in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) for fishing years 2020-2023. The specifications are based on a 2019 stock assessment by the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), which found bottomfish to be overfished on Guam but not in the CNMI and the fisheries in both areas to be operating at sustainable levels of catch and effort. Previous stock assessments had determined that the stocks in both areas were healthy. The acceptable biological catches reflect what can be removed while allowing the stock to reproduce at levels of maximum sustainable yield. Based on creel survey estimates, Guam’s commercial and noncommercial bottomfish fisheries landed 27,781 pounds in 2016; 22,962 pounds in 2017; and 32,751 pounds in 2018; and CNMI landed 49,570 pounds in 2016; 46,290 pounds in 2017; and 858 pounds in 2018. Next week, the Council will develop annual catch limits for the fisheries based on the acceptable biological catch levels and management uncertainties. Catch limits may be equal to or less than the acceptable biological catch specifications.

American Samoa and Mariana Archipelago Managed Bottomfish Species: The SSC considered potential alternative groupings for managed bottomfish species caught in federal waters (i.e., seaward of state waters, which are 0 to 3 miles from shore) based on available biological and fishery data and the feasibility of conducting stock assessments. Currently, the bottomfish species in each island area are grouped together as a single bottomfish complex. During discussions, it was noted that the American Samoa stock assessment focused on the heavily exploited area around Tutuila and less around the more lightly exploited areas around the offshore seamounts and the Manu’a islands due to the way the data was collected. It was also noted that careful attention should be given to the definition of a bottomfishing trip, which currently is having bottomfishing gear onboard, because hand crank and electric reels are used for bottomfishing and for trolling. The SSC recommended that the Council request PIFSC to initiate a new benchmark stock assessment and to explore other modeling approaches and data sets aside from the creel surveys and commercial receipt books. An SSC member designee will work with PIFSC and Council staff to explore the deep and shallow species groupings, trip and gear definitions, and available data sources.

West Coast Dungeness Crab Stable or Increasing Even With Intensive Harvest, Research Shows

March 5, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The West Coast Dungeness crab fishery doesn’t just support the most valuable annual harvest of seafood on the West Coast. It’s a fishery that just keeps on giving.

Fishermen from California to Washington caught almost all the available legal-size male Dungeness crab each year in the last few decades. However, the crab population has either remained stable or continued to increase, according to the first thorough population estimate of the West Coast Dungeness stocks.

“The catches and abundance in Central California especially are increasing, which is pretty remarkable to see year after year,” said Kate Richerson, a research scientist at NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. Richerson is the lead author of the new study published in the journal Fisheries Research. “There’s reason to be optimistic that this fishery will continue to be one of the most productive and on the West Coast.”

Other recent research has suggested that the West Coast’s signature shellfish could suffer in the future from ocean acidification and other effects related to climate change. That remains a concern, Richerson said, but the study did not detect obvious signs of population-level impacts yet.

Read the full release here

NOAA’s Drone Use Makes a Huge Splash at Recent Demo in Hawai‘i

March 5, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

At an unmanned aerial system (UAS) workshop held on December 11, 2019, NOAA demonstrastrated how it uses UAS technology in coral-related marine applications. The workshop brought together various agencies and NGOs who conduct geographical surveys for a technology show-and-tell. The gathering may lead to new collaborative projects between NOAA and partners.

“Everybody was super excited about our demonstration,” said Robert O’Conner, fishery information specialist with the NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office. “The workshop was a really nice way to build collaboration between groups,” added Dr. Matthew Parry, a fishery biologist with the NOAA Restoration Center and the Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program.

The workshop was organized by the Hawai‘i Geographic Information Coordinating Council, a nonprofit that brings together members of Hawai‘i’s geospatial community. Members include, among others:

NOAA
U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Forest Service
University of Hawai‘i
Hawai‘i Statewide GIS Program
Women in Technology

The event was held at the Kawainui R/C Air Model Field in Kailua, O‘ahu. There were UAS demonstrations from NOAA, the environmental consulting agency Dudek, and the surveying company Frontier Precision.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Approves Atlantic Spiny Dogfish Specifications for 2020

March 5, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is finalizing and implementing the Atlantic spiny dogfish commercial quota for the 2020 fishing year, which was originally announced on May 14, 2019. These specifications are unchanged from what was projected in the multi-year specifications for 2019-2021, and represent a 13-percent increase in coastwide commercial quota. These limits will be in place until April 30, 2021.

All other management measures and requirements, including the 6,000-lb Federal trip limit, remain unchanged.

For more details read the rule as filed in the Federal Register or the bulletin posted on our website.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Approves New Gear Under Small-Mesh Fisheries Accountability Measures

March 5, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today we filed the final rule approving a new selective gear, the large mesh belly panel. This rule adds the large-mesh belly panel to the list of selective gears approved for use in the Georges Bank yellowtail accountability measure area. Gears currently approved for use in this area are the haddock separator trawl, Ruhle trawl, and rope separator trawl.

Use of the large-mesh belly panel is already allowed during normal fishing operations.

Approval of the large mesh belly panel, for the Georges Bank yellowtail area, as an additional selective trawl gear will provide the fishing industry with more flexibility in the use of trawl gear under the accountability measure, while minimizing bycatch of stocks of concern.

We denied the request to approve this gear for use in the southern windowpane accountability measure area because it did not meet the required standards for this area, and fisheries. To be approved selective gear must reduce bycatch of all species of concern, compared to the standard gear, by at least 50 percent. In the large-mesh fishery, within the windowpane accountability measure areas, the gear did not sufficiently reduce bycatch of two species of concern.

For more details please read the rule as filed in the Federal Register, and the bulletin.

Notice Regarding Loss of Vessel Monitoring Service

March 5, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The McMurdo (formerly Boatracs) Omnitracs Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) operated by vessels with Greater Atlantic Region (GAR) permits will not be supported by its satellite provider after March 31, 2020. All current owners of the Omnitracs unit were notified via a letter from McMurdo dated December 19, 2019 about this issue.

What should you know if you own an Omnitracs unit?

This VMS unit must be replaced by April 1, 2020 or risk being out of compliance with VMS requirement regulations. The unit will not function with any other satellite provider.
A list of current Type-Approved VMS Units is available online.
Within the GAR, current Type-Approved units include:
- Addvalue iFleetONE (***Newly Type-Approved)
- SkyMate I1500 VMS
- SkyMate m1600 VMS
- Woods Hole Group – Triton Advanced
While McMurdo has a replacement unit called Omnicom that functions with the Iridium satellite network, this VMS unit is not yet approved for use in the GAR.
Vessel owner/operators with questions about their current service or the new Omnicom unit should contact McMurdo directly at 800-262-8722 or by email.

What is the status of Type-Approval of the replacement McMurdo unit?

We are working with McMurdo to test their new Omnicom VMS so that we can recommend it for approval. However, we cannot say how long this process will take, but have made review of this unit a priority.

VMS Reimbursement Guidance

Reimbursement is available for the purchasing of a new VMS unit if a vessel owner has never been reimbursed by NOAA for the purchase of a VMS unit. If a vessel owner has previously been reimbursed for the cost of a unit for that vessel, reimbursement is not available.

Vessel owner/operators with questions on NOAA’s VMS reimbursement program or their eligibility for VMS reimbursement should contact the OLE Helpdesk at 888-219-9228 or by email.

VMS Power Down Guidance

Vessels that will not be actively fishing in the near future may request an exemption to have the VMS powered off until they are ready to replace the VMS. Vessels should not operate with a non-compliant VMS. Vessels that operate without an approved VMS could face enforcement action.

All vessels that hold VMS required permits cannot power the unit off unless they are on an authorized power down. Owners may request from the Northeast VMS Team to have the VMS powered off. Once a request is received, the Northeast VMS Team will issue a Letter of Exemption (LOE) that will authorize the VMS to be powered off.

Regulations implementing the requirements for the vessel monitoring system (VMS) within the Greater Atlantic Region allow for vessels to be exempt from the requirement to transmit the vessel’s location at all times if one or more of the following conditions are met:

The vessel will be continuously out of the water for more than 72 consecutive hours; or
A vessel with a valid multispecies limited access, scallop limited access, mackerel limited access, surfclam/ocean quahog, herring, longfin squid/butterfish moratorium or illex squid moratorium permit (only) remains at the dock/mooring and does not engage in any fisheries for a minimum period of 30 consecutive days.

Vessels that only hold an LAGC scallop permit for their VMS requirement may submit the Power Down declaration directly with their VMS unit and do not require an LOE.

One New and One Extended Vessel Speed Restriction Zone to Protect Right Whales Through March 18

March 5, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces one new and one extended voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area or DMA) south and southeast of Nantucket.

On March 3, 2020, the NOAA aerial survey team observed two separate aggregations of right whales, one 31 nautical miles south of Nantucket and the second 47 nautical miles southeast of Nantucket.

The DMAs are in effect immediately, through March 18, 2020.

These DMAs both cover areas in shipping lanes. Mariners are requested to route around both areas or transit through it at 10 knots or less.

New! Southeast of Nantucket effective through March 18

41 02 N
40 15 N
068 58 W
070 01 W

South of Nantucket DMA effective through March 18

41 11 N
40 22 N
069 32 W
070 37 W

Read the full release here