Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Implements Squid and Butterfish Quotas for the 2019 Fishing Year

August 1, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Based on updated information, we increased the commercial Illex squid quota by 8-percent for 2019. We also maintained the previously approved 2019 annual quotas for longfin squid and butterfish by continuing the existing longfin squid quota, and increasing the butterfish commercial quota by 66 percent.

The increased 2019 Illex quota is based on an evaluation that similar historic catch has not harmed the stock. As new information becomes available, we may revise the proposed quotas for future fishing years.

Read the final rule that filed today in the Federal Register and the bulletin posted on our website. Supporting documents for this rule are available on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s website.

Delay From Environmental Regulators Blows Vineyard Wind Off Course

July 31, 2019 — Construction of the $2.8 billion Vineyard Wind, the nation’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm, is on hold as developers wait for an environmental impact statement from federal regulators.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management does not technically have to submit the impact statement until early next year, but it was expected in mid-July, and regulators gave no reason for the delay.

An investigation by Reuters found that two other federal agencies — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service — refused to sign off on the project’s design, citing concerns over its impact on commercial fishing.

On Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker met with Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt in Washington, D.C., to urge movement on the project.

Read the full story at WBUR

NOAA Hollings Scholar Takes a Bite out of White Shark Research

July 31, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Sharks are among the oceans’ top predators and play an important role in the health of marine ecosystems. One of the most recognizable shark species is the white shark. Despite its notorious reputation, little is known about the Northwest Atlantic population of white sharks in comparison to other white shark populations around the world. This summer, NOAA Fisheries’ Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office hosted Rebekah James, a NOAA Hollings Scholar, where she got the opportunity to learn more about these iconic animals.

Rebekah is from Matthews, North Carolina and attends the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She is a rising senior studying Marine Biology and Environmental Science. Rebekah loves to SCUBA dive and is working towards her professional level certifications. This summer, she worked with Dr. Tobey Curtis at our Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division. Her summer project focused on the movements and habitat use of young-of-the-year white sharks during their first winter.

During the summers of 2016-2017, in collaboration with OCEARCH, Dr. Curtis and a team of scientists from several institutions tagged 20 young-of-the-year white sharks off Long Island, New York. This area is considered a summer nursery area for white sharks, but little was known about where these young sharks spend the winter months. Rebekah built on this work by looking  at the sharks’ tag locations during the months of December to April. Her findings confirmed that these sharks migrated south and remained in coastal waters off North and South Carolina throughout the winter.

Read the full release here

Public Scoping Meetings for Modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan

July 31, 2019 — The following was released by the NOAA Fisheries:

We will be conducting eight scoping meetings this month in anticipation of preparing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan.

We are requesting comments on management options particularly including information about operational challenges, time, and costs required to modify gear by changing configurations such as traps per trawl to reduce endline numbers, installing new line or sleeves and by expanding gear marking requirements.

Read the full release here

Lobster Trap Transfer Program for Fishing Year 2020

July 31, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces the continuation of the Lobster Trap Transfer Program for Fishing Year 2020. The Lobster Trap Transfer Program allows permit holders the flexibility to buy and sell trap allocation for Lobster Conservation Management Areas 2, 3, and the Outer Cape.

We are considering future changes to the federal lobster regulations as recommended by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. These changes include the use of a control date to limit the number of traps or lobster permits a federal permit holder can have in Areas 2 and 3.  Any new measures could impact your trap allocations as early as fishing year 2021. We are also discussing potential measures that would minimize threats to North Atlantic right whales. You should stay informed of potential changes, and know that you transfer traps at your own risk and subject to these new potential regulations.

We will accept trap transfer applications for the 2020 fishing year beginning on August 1, 2019, through September 30, 2019. Applications must be postmarked, provided to a delivery service, or received by our office by September 30, 2019. We will process all transfer requests after the trap transfer period has closed and will notify applicants of our decisions by December 31, 2019. Approved trap transfers will become effective on May 1, 2020.

A detailed guide about the transfer program, applications, and individual trap allocations is available under the “Trap Transfer Program” tab on our website.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces Proposed 2020-2021 Summer Flounder Specifications and Interim 2020 Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish Specifications

July 30, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are proposing the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended 2020-2021 summer flounder specifications and initial 2020 specifications for the scup, black sea bass, and bluefish fisheries.  The initial 2020 specifications for scup, black sea bass, and bluefish will be re-evaluated in early 2020 following the results of an operational assessment for all three species.  The proposed specifications for all four species is identical to what is in place for the 2019 fishing year.

How Do I Comment?

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register, and submit your comments through the online portal. You may also submit comments through regular mail to:

Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
55 Great Republic Drive
Gloucester, MA 01930

The comment period is open through August 26.

Read the full release here

Scientists say Vineyard Wind project poses little risk to endangered whales

July 30, 2019 — Marine scientists say concerns expressed by opponents of a Massachusetts offshore wind project overstate the potential risk to endangered North Atlantic right whales.

“There are so many other things that we cumulatively are doing that are having a much more profound and direct impact on the population,” said Chris Clark, a scientist in the bioacoustics research program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York.

The Vineyard Wind project is a planned 84-turbine wind farm to be sited about 15 miles southwest of Nantucket. It is expected to be the first major offshore wind installation in the United States. The state of Massachusetts has chosen the project to provide up to 800 megawatts of power.

The project needs more than 25 local, state, and federal permits to begin construction. Among these is an Incidental Harassment Authorization from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries division, which would establish limits on the numbers of marine mammals that could be injured or whose activities could be disturbed by the construction.

Read the full story at Energy News Network

Below Average Season Predicted for 2019 Gulf of Mexico Brown Shrimp Harvest

July 29, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Scientists at the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center’s Galveston Laboratory have prepared the following information on prospects for the 2019 brown shrimp season (July 2019–June 2020) in the western Gulf of Mexico.

According to NOAA fisheries, although local environmental factors (temperature, rainfall amounts, and tidal heights) should have contributed to favorable conditions for brown shrimp recruitment and growth in Texas, freshwater inflow into Galveston Bay (on which the forecast model is based) from the Trinity River watershed resulted in salinities near zero in much of the bay. Subsequently, the availability of suitable nursery habitat was limited to West and Lower Galveston Bay. Likewise, growth may have been affected by the lower salinities.

They add, similarly, early spring temperatures in Louisiana would have suggested favorable conditions for an average production. However, Louisiana was inundated with freshwater runoff due to unprecedented Mississippi River flows this spring. These freshwater events have offset the early spring favorable conditions to a much less favorable environment for brown shrimp production.

Overall, the western Gulf of Mexico could expect an annual brown shrimp production of approximately 40.6 million pounds during the 2019–2020 season.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Nineteen Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Projects Recommended for 2019 NOAA Funding

July 29, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

To restore habitat for coastal and marine species, NOAA’s Restoration Center is recommending $10.4 million in funding to 19 partners through our Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Grants. These investments will restore habitat in 11 states and territories, leading to lasting results for communities, the economy, and the environment.

By reopening rivers to fish passage, reconnecting rivers to their floodplains, and reducing coastal runoff, these projects will support oysters, corals, and several fish species, as well as three NOAA Species in the Spotlight—Atlantic salmon, Central California Coast coho salmon, and the Southern Resident killer whale. One of the projects recommended for support is also in a NOAA Habitat Focus Area.

In addition to supporting underwater species, investing in habitat restoration leads to tangible, measurable differences for communities by reducing flooding, providing commercial and recreational opportunities, and improving water quality.

NOAA’s Restoration Center, housed within the Office of Habitat Conservation, invests in restoration work that helps recover threatened and endangered species, support sustainably managed fisheries, and strengthen the resilience of coastal communities. Since 1996, our Community-based Restoration Program has partnered with more than 2,900 organizations to take on more than 2,150 projects. These efforts have restored more than 90,000 acres of habitat and opened up 4,070 miles of streams and rivers to fish migration.

Read the full release here

Shark Week: Celebrating U.S. Science and Sustainability

July 29, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

If you love sharks like we do, join us in celebrating Shark Week 2019! Did you know that sharks are one of the top ocean predators? They play an important role in the food web, helping to ensure balance in the ocean’s ecosystem.

We manage commercial and recreational shark fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean and we work with three regional fishery management councils to conserve and sustainably manage sharks in the Pacific Ocean. By conducting research, assessing stocks, working with U.S. fishermen, and implementing restrictions on shark harvests, we have made significant progress toward ending overfishing and rebuilding overfished stocks for long-term sustainability.

Explore the sharktastic features below to glean something new about these amazing creatures. And while you’re at it, get a closer look at how we study sharks and manage their populations.

Read the full release here