Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Offers Additional TED Tuesday Webinars to Assist Skimmer Trawl Fishermen with Turtle Excluder Device (TEDs) Installation

August 24, 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 additional question and answer webinar sessions summarizing skimmer trawl Turtle Excluder Device (TED) requirements and assist participants with program information and compliance. In a continued effort to reach as many fishermen as possible, these additional webinars were added, following previous events hosted in May, June, and July.

Due to questions coming into our gear monitoring team, below the webinar information you will find a list of skimmer trawl TED manufacturers. These have been identified, but are not endorsed by NOAA Fisheries.

When:

Additional Information:

  • NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center’s Harvesting and Engineering Branch staff will host the webinars to summarize TED requirements that went into effect on August 1, 2021, for skimmer trawl vessels 40 ft or greater in length. These 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.
  • These webinars are for anyone with an interest in the new TED requirements for skimmer trawls, and specifically for any 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.

What you need to know before registering:

  • Each webinar will be recorded. See below for the NOAA Privacy Act Statement.
  • Trouble joining the webinar? Please call our Service Desk (Available from 7:00AM to 11PM EDT): 1-888-219-9228

Turtle Excluder Device Manufacturers (updated 8-13-21)

  • Due to questions coming into our Southeast Fishery Science Center’s Gear Monitoring Team, we also want to provide a list of skimmer trawl TED manufacturers. NOAA Fisheries is not recommending any specific manufacturer. The list below is intended to inform the industry and public of existing skimmer trawl TED manufacturers. The list is not exhaustive and will be updated if additional manufacturers are identified.

Read the full release here

ASMFC & NOAA Fisheries Select Coonamessett Farm Foundation to Conduct Components of the At-Sea Monitoring Training Program

August 24, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, in cooperation with NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), has selected the Coonamessett Farm Foundation to conduct components of the At-Sea Monitoring (ASM) Training Program for NEFSC. Training will include identifying target and bycatch species in Atlantic groundfish fisheries, collecting and reporting fisheries-dependent data following federal guidelines, and instruction in offshore safety and survival.

At-sea monitors collect data aboard commercial fishing vessels that are used to manage and monitor annual catch limits in the Northeast groundfish sectors. A sharp increase in the required ASM coverage rate (up to 100%) and observer attrition during the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in the need for approximately 140 new at-sea monitors. Coonamessett Farm Foundation will take on the majority of the training with support from NEFSC. ASM training by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation will start this year and extend at least through 2022.

To learn more about becoming an at-sea monitor, contact one of the companies that provides at-sea monitors to the NEFSC’s Northeast Fisheries Observer Program. A list is posted here:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-england-mid-atlantic/fisheries-observers/sea-monitoring-northeast

For more information on Coonamessett Farm Foundation ASM training award, please contact Tania Lewandowski (Tania.Lewandowski@noaa.gov), Tasha O’Hara (tohara@cfarm.org), or Quinn McWatters (qmcwatters@cfarm.org).

Analysis of New West Coast Swordfish Fishery Weighs Benefits of Increased Domestic Catch

August 23, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is proposing to approve a new means of catching West Coast swordfish that could increase the domestic supply of the species often featured in upscale restaurants.

The fishery is based on their unique behavior. Swordfish are one of the few fish that spends long periods at great depths in the ocean. Increased swordfish landings would also help offset imports that now make up about 84 percent of the swordfish supply on the West Coast. They are often imported from countries with less protection for sea turtles and marine mammals.

NOAA Fisheries is evaluating the proposal to authorize fishing for swordfish in federal waters using deep-set buoy gear. This gear lowers baited hooks hundreds of feet beneath the surface, where they catch swordfish and little else. The selective gear poses little risk to protected species such as whales and sea turtles, which are not usually found at such depths.

The West Coast swordfish fishery has long relied on drift gillnets that, in their earlier years, entangled protected species. The drift gillnet fleet has since dramatically reduced its impact on marine mammals and turtles to meet strict U.S. environmental standards. However, restrictions on where and when they can fish has reduced the drift gillnet fishery from more than 100 vessels to fewer than 20 participating vessels.

Read the full release here

NMFS announces draft EIS available for deep-set buoy gear authorization, Amendment 6 to the HMS FMP

August 23, 2021 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

NOAA Fisheries announces the release of a draft environmental impact statement (EIS), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, which includes an analysis of the potential short- and long-term impacts of the proposed action to authorize fishing with deep-set buoy gear (DSBG) in federal waters off the U.S. West Coast, on the human (biological, physical, social, and economic) environment.

Please see the public notice on the Council’s website for a link to the Draft EIS and additional details.

For further information, please contact:

  • NOAA Fisheries:  Amber Rhodes at (562) 477-8342, Amber.Rhodes@noaa.gov
  • Pacific Council staff officer Dr. Kit Dahl at 503-820-2422; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

Save the date, agenda & register: Sept 1-2, 2021, NOAA HSRP virtual public meeting

August 23, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA:

The NOAA HSRP Federal Advisory Committee will have a virtual public meeting via webinar to focus on NOAA’s navigation, observations, and positioning services, data and products. A draft agenda is attached – updates to the agenda and meeting materials will be posted at: https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsrp/hsrp.html

PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Public comments directed to the HSRP members and NOAA on the HSRP related topics are encouraged. All comments on the topics of the meeting will become part of the public meeting record. Due to the condensed nature and time limit of the meeting, comments can be submitted in advance via letter or email, should be approximately 2 minutes, and should not repeat other comments. As time allows, public comments will be read into the public record during the meeting. Advance comments will be collated and posted to the meeting website.

Please submit advance comments to: hydroservices.panel@noaa.gov , Lynne.Mersfelder@noaa.gov and Virginia.Dentler@noaa.gov

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5627376790601178124

Receive HSRP email notices and additional information:
You can sign up for the email list for HSRP meetings and we’ll provide infrequent HSRP updates including the final meeting agenda. The meeting is public and all are welcome. Email your request to: Virginia.Dentler@noaa.gov and Lynne.Mersfelder@noaa.gov.

NOAA HSRP TOPICS and BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The HSRP is a Federal Advisory Committee that provides NOAA with independent advice on improving the quality, efficiency, and usefulness of NOAA’s navigation-related products, data, and services. The HSRP advises the NOAA Administrator about its navigation (i.e. nautical charts and ENCs), physical oceanographic (i.e. tides & water levels), geospatial, positioning, and shoreline programs, products, and services. There are two public meetings each year in different port regions at which NOAA seeks public comments from stakeholders and partners.

AGENDA and MEETING DOCUMENTS:
Attached is a draft agenda. The times and speakers are subject to change. The meeting agenda is updated and additional information is available at: https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsrp/hsrp.html

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
HSRP WEB: https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsrp/hsrp.html
HSRP Meetings: https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsrp/meetings.html
HSRP Recommendations: https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsrp/recommendations.html
HSRP Panel member bios: https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsrp/panel.html

Hope to “see you” on September 1-2. 2021.

NOAA Fisheries Cancels 2021 Belugas Count!

August 23, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

After careful consideration regarding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, NOAA Fisheries and partners have decided to cancel the 2021 Belugas Count! event.

Belugas Count! is a citizen science opportunity and festival event usually held in September, when viewing of endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales near Anchorage and Kenai is optimal.

“Belugas Count! is a family-focused event that brings together people of all ages,” said Jon Kurland, director of NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region’s Protected Resources Division. “Regrettably, due to the status of the pandemic, NOAA Fisheries and our partners decided to cancel the 2021 Belugas Count! event, as we did in 2020, out of an abundance of caution.”

Read more.

US lawmakers want information on chemical toxic to salmon

August 20, 2021 — More than a dozen members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to the heads of NOAA and U.S. Fish and Wildlife on Thursday, 19 August, asking them to investigate the effect a toxic chemical has on salmon species.

Led by U.S. Reps. Jared Huffman and Katie Porter, both Califiornia Democrats, a total of 14 lawmakers are seeking answers from NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad and FWS Principal Deputy Director Martha Williams about their agencies’ efforts to examine the deleterious effects of 6PPD-quinone on wild salmon mortality.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

COVID Relief Application Period Open to Hawaii Seafood Industry

August 20, 2021 — Hawaii fishermen and seafood businesses should be ready to apply for more COVID-19 relief funds.

Through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Congress and NOAA allocated an additional $3.6 million to eligible Hawai‘i fishery participants affected by the novel coronavirus. Applications for Round 2 CARES Act assistance were available this week through the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission website, the Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources reported on its website on Aug. 13.

Read the full story at Seafood News

See a Stranded or Entangled Turtle? Call the NOAA Hotline!

August 20, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Report stranded or entangled sea turtles so that network responders can help

Although summer is coming to an end, leatherback, loggerhead, green, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are still in our area for another few months.

Beached Turtles

Report any sea turtles you see on the beach. In most of the states in our region, healthy sea turtles should not be out of the water.

Report Distressed Turtles in the Water

When you are boating, report any distressed, entangled, or dead sea turtles in the water. Live turtles in need of medical assistance or wrapped up in rope or other debris need the help of the dedicated, trained responders in our stranding and disentanglement network. Your call will start a potentially life-saving response. Network members have training and experience to assess turtle health, provide medical care if necessary, and safely disentangle turtles. Turtles that are released with line still wrapped around their bodies may later die due to this entanglement. Well-meaning attempts to disentangle turtles without training and experience can put both the people and the turtle at risk.

Make the Call!

  • Call our stranding and entanglement hotline: 866-755-6622 (NOAA Hotline).
  • If out of cell phone range, call the Coast Guard on Channel 16.

Stand By Your Turtle!

After you report a turtle in distress, we need you to keep the animal in sight from a safe distance and wait for responders to arrive. Like any first responders, we need time to get on scene, so please keep an eye on the animal from a safe distance; responders will have a much easier time relocating the turtle with you at its side. Sea turtles are very strong, and a stressed animal can act unpredictably, so give them space.

The Sea Turtle Stranding and Disentanglement Network team includes animal care specialists, researchers, and veterinarians with years of experience disentangling and treating injuries to sea turtles. They will evaluate the animal and determine the best course of action.

Our network of dedicated, trained responders have years of experience in responding to sea turtles in distress. They need your help to stand by turtles without taking action. Just like waiting for an ambulance, please wait for the experienced responders to arrive to assess the turtle’s health and provide the care it needs. Standing by and guiding the responder to the turtle’s location are the two best things you can do to help the animal.

Find out more: Sea Turtle Disentanglement Network

Read the full release here

NMFS planning new whale protections for Atlantic gillnet and trap fisheries

August 20, 2021 — NMFS officials are beginning a second phase in their drive to reduce fishing gear entanglement risks to endangered Atlantic right whales, fin whales and humpback whales, focusing next on East Coast pot and gillnet fisheries.

The first phase, focused on the Northeast lobster and Jonah crab trap fisheries, is under review is currently at the NOAA Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and agency officials say it will be finalized soon. That part of the plan will bring new requirements for weak links, gear marking, seasonal area closures and minimum number of traps per trawl.

Similar measures would be developed for the other fixed gear fisheries, and NMFS is opening a scoping period Sept. 9 through Oct. 21 to solicit input and information from fishermen and other stakeholders. A schedule released this week sets dates for 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. online webinars.

Read the full story at National Fisherman