Saving Seafood

Secretary of Commerce Approves Disaster Declarations in Four U.S. Commercial Fisheries

June 29, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA:

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced today her determination that fishery disasters occurred in four fisheries in 2018, 2019, and 2020 — for two states, Alaska and New York, and for two Tribes, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis, in Washington.

“Fisheries are essential to our communities and economy and we want to ensure America is in a position to remain competitive on the global stage,” Secretary Raimondo said. “These determinations allow us to lend a helping hand to the fishing families and communities that have experienced very real and difficult setbacks in the last few years.”

The Secretary, working with NOAA Fisheries, evaluates each fishery disaster request based primarily on data submitted by the requesting state or tribe. A declared fishery disaster must meet specific requirements under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and/or the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act. For example, there must be commercial fishery economic impacts and declines in fishery access or biomass resulting from specific allowable causes due to the fishery disaster event.

The Secretary found that the following fisheries met the requirements for a fishery disaster determination:

  • 2019 Norton Sound Red King Crab in Alaska
  • 2019/2020 Peconic Bay Scallop in New York
  • 2018 Port Gamble S’Klallam Puget Sound Coho Salmon in Washington
  • 2019 Chehalis and Black River Spring Chinook Salmon in Washington

Positive determinations make these fisheries eligible for disaster assistance from NOAA.They may also qualify for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration. The Department of Commerce has balances remaining from previously appropriated fishery disaster assistance and will determine the appropriate allocation for these disasters.

The Secretary also determined, working with NOAA Fisheries, that red tides in Florida did not cause a fishery disaster for Florida fisheries between 2018 and 2019.

Learn more about fishery disaster assistance.

Final Rule Increases Gray Triggerfish Catch Limits in the Gulf of Mexico

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

Key Message:

NOAA Fisheries announces a final rule for gray triggerfish in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf). This rule increases the gray triggerfish catch limits for the commercial and recreational sectors.

When Rule Will Take Effect:

  • Regulations will be effective July 29, 2021.

What This Means:

  • The gray triggerfish total catch limit will be 456,900 pounds (lbs) whole weight (ww).
  • The gray triggerfish sector allocation of 79% recreational and 21% commercial is retained.
  • The recreational annual catch limit will be 360,951 lbs ww and the commercial annual catch limit will be 95,949 lbs ww.
  • The recreational annual catch target will be 274,323 lbs ww and the commercial annual catch target will be 88,273 lbs ww.

Formal Federal Register Name/Number:  86 FR 34159, published June 29, 2021

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

Department of Commerce Announces 2021 Appointments to the Regional Fishery Management Councils

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

The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced the appointment of 31 members to the regional fishery management councils that partner with NOAA Fisheries to manage marine fishery resources.

Established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, councils are responsible for developing region-specific fishery management plans that safeguard and enhance the nation’s fisheries resources. Council members represent diverse groups, including commercial and recreational fishing industries, environmental organizations, and academia. They are vital to fulfilling the act’s requirements to end overfishing, rebuild fish stocks, and manage them sustainably.

NOAA Fisheries works closely with the councils through the process of developing fishery management plans. We also review, approve, and implement the plans.

Each year, the Secretary of Commerce appoints approximately one-third of the total 72 appointed members to the eight regional councils. The Secretary selects members from nominations submitted by the governors of fishing states, territories, and tribal governments.

Council members are appointed to both state-specific and regional seats—also known as obligatory and at-large seats, respectively.  Council members serve a three-year term and may be reappointed to serve three consecutive terms.

Read the full release here

New Protected Species Handling and Reporting Information for the Shrimp Trawl Fisheries

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

Key Message:

In an effort to strengthen sea turtle conservation efforts, NOAA Fisheries has produced new outreach materials for the safe handling, release, and reporting for protected species incidentally captured by shrimp trawlers. The outreach placards for sea turtles, smalltooth sawfish, and giant manta ray are attached to this bulletin, and are also available on our website.

Any captured sea turtle in a comatose or lethargic state must be retained on board, handled, resuscitated, and released according to our established procedures, as deemed practicable and in consideration of best practices for safe vessel and fishing operations. Fishers are legally required to follow these procedures per regulations at 50 CFR 223.206(d)(1). The continued use of turtle excluder devices, in addition to the proper handling, resuscitation, and release of incidentally-captured sea turtles in the shrimp fisheries, are key reasons for the ongoing recovery of threatened and endangered sea turtle species.

Likewise, smalltooth sawfish and giant manta ray must be released in a manner that avoids further injury, to the maximum extent practicable.  Proper handling of any protected species incidentally caught during fishery operations is essential to increase the likelihood of its survival.

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

Read the full release here

In fight over right whales and lobster fishery, all sides want to know more about the whales’ activities off Maine

June 28, 2021 — The historic migration patterns of endangered North Atlantic right whales have been changing over the past decade, possibly due to climate change. Federal regulators, meanwhile, are considering drastic measures to protect the whales against deadly entanglement in fishing gear and rope.

So, the question of where and when the whales are swimming in relation to Maine’s lobster fishery is gaining urgency. Now, new efforts are underway to pinpoint their travel habits.

Last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration created a new website that maps almost two decades of work to detect whales off the east coast, via “passive acoustic” recorders set on buoys, on submerged platforms, and on underwater gliders that can zig and zag around the Gulf of Maine for months at a time.

“We’re seeing that you are getting whales. They are calling,” said Genevieve Davis, a research biologist at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

NOAA sets sail to study endangered smalltooth sawfish

June 28, 2021 — Federal researchers are back in the waters near Southwest Florida to tag and study endangered smalltooth sawfish.

Scientist Andrea Kroetz, with the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, and Research Biologist John Carlson, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, returned to the Everglades and 10,000 Islands area to monitor the population and habitat use of juvenile smalltooth sawfish.

Carlson said the research is two-fold. Since sawfish are listed under the Endangered Species act, the team has been monitoring the population since 2008 to get an idea if the species is recovering.

“The other aspect is habitat use,” Carlson said. “We’re trying to gather more information to better define what features sawfish use when they’re juveniles.”

Smalltooth sawfish can grow up to 17 feet long and were historically common off Florida’s coastline, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s website says. Populations declined, however, because of overfishing.

Read the full story at the Naples Daily News

NOAA Releases Animated Video to Shine Spotlight on Endangered Atlantic Salmon

June 28, 2021 — NOAA Fisheries has partnered with Puckerbrush Animation to create a new animated video about Atlantic salmon and the threats that have led to their endangered listing.

The video is part of NOAA’s “Species in the Spotlight” series, which highlights nine species that are considered the most at risk of extinction in the near future. Besides Atlantic salmon, NOAA’s “Species in the Spotlight” series also includes Central California Coast coho, Cook Inlet beluga, Hawaiian Monk Seal, Pacific Leatherback, North Atlantic Right Whale, Sacramento River Winter-Run Chinook Salmon, Southern Resident Killer Whale, and White Abalone.

Read the full story at Seafood News

US maritime economy grew at a pace double the entire national GDP in 2019

June 28, 2021 — The nation’s maritime economy grew at pace that nearly doubled the growth of the entire U.S. GDP in 2019.

GDP stands for gross domestic product and reflects the total market value of all finished goods and services in a specific time frame. It is used to estimate the size of an economy and its growth rate – a sort of comprehensive scorecard of a country’s economic health.

A first-ever report released this month by the U.S. Department of Commerce showed that the so-called “blue economy” grew by 4.2% and generated nearly $400 billion to the GDP.

Along with the oceans, the report includes the Great Lakes and looks at the contributions from shoreside businesses. Those businesses generated almost $666 billion in sales in 2019 and supported 2.4 million jobs.

Commercial fishing, including aquaculture, contributed $27 billion making it the sixth-largest segment of the blue economy.

The top marine economic activity in 2019 was tourism and recreation, including coastal trips and travel, and offshore boating and fishing. That accounted for 35.3% of gross output totaling $235 billion.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

NOAA Fisheries Announces 2021 Regional Fishery Management Council Appointments

June 28, 2021 — NOAA Fisheries announced 2021 regional fishery management council appointments on June 28. The Administration broke down the appointments by region. Find the full list of appointments below.

New England Council

2021 appointees will fill four obligatory seats for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and one at-large seat:

Mark Alexander (Connecticut), Geoffrey Smith (Maine), Michael Pierdinock (Massachusetts) and Eric Reid (Rhode Island) *.

The At-large seat will belong to Kristin ‘Togue’ Brawn (Maine).

Read the full story at Seafood News

Reminder: NOAA Fisheries Offers Webinars to Assist Skimmer Trawl Fishermen with Turtle Excluder Device (TEDs) Installation

June 28, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Key Message:

Fishing gear specialists with NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fishery Science Center’s Gear Monitoring Team will host question and answer webinar sessions and a virtual workshop summarizing upcoming skimmer trawl Turtle Excluder Device (TED) requirements and assist participants with program information and compliance.  To date NOAA Fisheries has offered three TED Tuesday webinars and two Friday virtual workshops, but there are several more opportunities to join us for more information on the Turtle Excluder Device rule and to see how to install a TED.

When:

  • The webinars are scheduled twice a month on Tuesday mornings starting at 9:00 AM through 10:30 AM CST. Webinars are scheduled for July 13, and July 27, 2021.
  • In addition, virtual workshops will be held one Friday a month starting at 9:00 AM through 10:30 AM CST. The last virtual workshop is scheduled for July 30, 2021. The full schedule and registration information are listed below.

TED Tuesday Webinars:

Friday Virtual Workshop

Additional Information:

  • NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center’s Harvesting and Engineering Branch staff will host the webinars and virtual workshops to summarize upcoming TED requirements scheduled to take effect on August 1, 2021 for skimmer trawl vessels 40 ft or greater in length.
  • Tuesday webinars will provide a comprehensive summary of the new regulations, gear requirements, and research results. Question and answer sessions will be conducted at the end of each webinar.
  • Virtual workshops will also summarize regulations and gear requirements, but will have longer question and answer sessions focused on technical aspects of TED construction, installation, and handling. During these workshops, model TEDs will be available to aid gear specialists in answering questions and illustrating technical details of TED construction and measurements.
  • These webinars and workshops are for anyone with an interest in the new TED requirements for skimmer trawls and specifically for any Southeast captains, owners, or crew of skimmer trawl vessels that are 40 ft or greater in length that will be impacted by the regulation.
  • This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

Read the full release here