November 18, 2020 — The federal government has extended measures meant to protect an endangered species of whale off New England through the end of the month.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it is asking mariners to go slowly through an area south of Nantucket or avoid it completely. Similar protections have been in place throughout the fall.
November 17, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Conventional observations show that spiny dogfish in the western North Atlantic rarely eat Atlantic cod. However, some believe the rebuilding dogfish populations are limiting depleted cod numbers by competition or predation. To find out what is going on, NOAA Fisheries scientists looked to genetic testing to confirm cod presence in dogfish stomachs.
To get the samples they needed, scientists at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center asked local fishermen for help. Commercial fishing boats from New Bedford, Gloucester, Plymouth and Newburyport in Massachusetts stepped up. All participate in the Study Fleet, a program in the center’s Cooperative Research Branch. Spiny dogfish were collected on 15 fishing trips during normal trawling operations between May 2014 and May 2015 in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank.
“This was an excellent example of how cooperating fishing partners supplied fish for a pilot study of interest, and have helped advance this field of study,” said Richard McBride, chief of the center’s Population Biology Branch and a co-author of the study. “We were able to demonstrate that identifying cod in predator stomachs with environmental DNA works. It let us show fishermen that these innovative laboratory techniques can work on samples collected in the open ocean.”
November 17, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
KEY MESSAGE:
NOAA Fisheries announces a final rule for gray snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. This rule reduces the annual catch limit for Gulf of Mexico gray snapper.
WHEN WILL THE RULE TAKE EFFECT:
WHAT THIS MEANS:
FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NAME/NUMBER: 85 FR 73238, published November 17, 2020.
This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996
November 17, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
We are proposing the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended 2021 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass specifications. The Council is proposing increases to the previously approved 2021 catch limits based on its new risk policy, which defines the acceptable risk of overfishing. The proposed catch limits still minimize the chance of overfishing, while providing more opportunities for fishermen. No other changes to the federal commercial management measures are proposed.
The final summer flounder commercial state quotas will be published in the final rule, including any necessary adjustments for overages. The state quotas will also depend on the status of the final rule implementing Amendment 21 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. Amendment 21 was approved on October 19, 2020, and we are currently working on a final rule to implement the revised state-by-state allocations. This proposed rule includes initial state quotas based on the current allocation formula, and what they would be when Amendment 21 is implemented.
Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register, and submit your comments through the online portal.
The comment period is open through December 2, 2020.
November 16, 2020 — The following was released by the At-Sea Processors Association:
Ahead of tomorrow’s House Natural Resources Committee hearing on legislation entitled the “Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act,” a coalition of more than 800 members of the seafood community say Title II of the proposed bill is not backed by science and is a direct threat to an iconic American industry.
“United States fisheries management is the envy of the world,” said Matt Tinning, Director of Sustainability and Public Affairs at the At-sea Processors Association. “Science-based management under the Magnuson-Stevens Act is a remarkable example of bipartisan policy success. It is achieving exceptional environmental outcomes, preserving vital cultural traditions, creating jobs in communities across the United States, and delivering food with one of the lowest carbon footprints of any protein on Earth. Title II of the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act will jeopardize that remarkable record of success.”
“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is among the world’s very best fishery managers,” said NFI President John Connelly. “This bill appears to ignore that expertise and process and just walls off parts of the ocean to fishing. It disregards generations of science-based work and community consensus. Drawing arbitrary lines on a map is not science, it’s politics. Lines on a map don’t actually promote sustainability but they can harm livelihoods that depend on real sustainability work.”
The proposal calls for massive Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that would prohibit all commercial fishing activity across at least 30 percent of the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by 2030.
“The 831 signatories of this letter hail from different regions and participate in different parts of the seafood supply chain,” said Robert B. Vanasse, Executive Director of Saving Seafood. “However, we are all united in our commitment to using defensible, quality science to ensure that our nation’s fisheries are harvested sustainably for the benefit of this and future generations. ‘30 by 30’ is a campaign slogan, not a scientific proposal. The legislation would undermine the Magnuson-Stevens Act and its fundamental principle of using the best available scientific information to inform our fisheries management decisions.”
“High-value benthic habitat, such as deep-sea corals, are important parts of the marine ecosystem and worthy of science-based protection,” said Leigh Habegger, Executive Director of Seafood Harvesters of America. The current system is working to deliver exactly those protections to hundreds of thousands of square miles of sensitive habitat through the Regional Fishery Management Council process. We should build on what is working, not create a new, parallel process.”
The coalition letter can be viewed here. The Committee hearing is Tuesday, November 17, at 12:00PM Eastern and will be live-streamed here.
November 16, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:
Ahead of tomorrow’s House Natural Resources Committee hearing on legislation entitled “Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act,” a coalition of more than 800 members of the seafood community say the proposed bill is not backed by science and has the potential to do more harm than good.
“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is among the world’s best fishery managers,” said NFI President John Connelly. “This bill appears to ignore that expertise and process and just walls off parts of the ocean to fishing. It disregards generations of science-based work and community consensus. Drawing arbitrary lines on a map is not science, it’s politics. Lines on a map don’t actually promote sustainability but they can harm livelihoods that depend on real sustainability work.”
The proposal calls for massive Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that would prohibit all commercial fishing activity across at least 30 percent of the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by 2030.
“The seafood community is committed to the conversation about marine conservation and fisheries management. Cute slogans like ‘30 by 30’ are not part of a reasonable or responsible dialogue,” said Connelly.
The effort ignores the Magnuson-Stevens Act’s success in providing rigorous, science-based framework for area-based closures designed to help rebuild specific stocks. Instead, it relies on total, indefinite closures to commercial fishing in an indiscriminately chosen percentage of the ocean, with no stakeholder input.
“Fisheries management must be science-based and account for the communities that provide us our food. The coalition signers want to know; when will proponents of this idea address the concerns of the more than 700,000 men and women who depend on domestic commercial harvesting to provide for their families? ” asked Connelly.
The Committee hearing is Tuesday, November 17, at 12:00 PM Eastern.
November 16, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
KEY MESSAGE:
NOAA Fisheries requests your comments on the proposed rule for Regulatory Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region. Comments on the proposed rule are due by December 16, 2020.
The proposed rule would create 34 special management zones around artificial reefs off North Carolina and South Carolina as requested by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. There would be additional gear and harvest restrictions within the proposed special management zones.
The purpose of the framework amendment is to restrict use of fishing gear that could result in high exploitation rates to reduce adverse effects to federally managed snapper-grouper species at these sites.
Maps and coordinates of the proposed special management zones found here: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/regulatory-amendment-34-special-management-zones-smz.
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES:
In the proposed SMZs off South Carolina, harvest of snapper-grouper species with all gear types would be limited to the applicable recreational bag limit.
HOW TO COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED RULE:
You may submit comments by electronic submission or by postal mail. Comments sent by any other method (such as e-mail), to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered by NOAA Fisheries. Comments on the proposed rule are due by December 16, 2020.
FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NUMBER: 85 FR 73013, November 16, 2020
Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.
Mail: Submit written comments to Rick DeVictor, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
Where can I find more information on Regulatory Amendment 34?
November 16, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries is triggering a voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area or DMA) south of Nantucket.
This DMA was triggered by a November 15, 2020, sighting of an aggregation of right whales.
Mariners, please go around this areas or go slow (10 knots or less) inside this area where groups of right whales have been sighted.
South of Nantucket DMA is in effect through November 30.
40 59 N
40 23 N
069 05 W
069 52 W
Active Seasonal Management Areas November 1- April 30
Mandatory speed restrictions of 10 knots or less (50 CFR 224.105) are in effect in the following areas:
Find out more and get the coordinates for each mandatory slow speed zone.
November 16, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
The first meeting of the working group focused on improving the butterfish stock assessment is set for November 18. The meeting will be held via Google meet.
For a list of working group members, the agenda, access to documents, and information on how to participate, visit the event website.
Research track assessments evaluate new datasets that can either inform or be used in new or existing stock assessment models.
Questions?
Contact Michele Traver, NEFSC Assessment Coordinator
November 13, 2020 — Eating fish can provide powerful advantages for the heart and brain, yet Americans eat less than half of the 26 pounds per year that experts recommend. By contrast, Americans buy seven times more chicken and beef annually than fish.
Why Americans don’t eat more fish has been pondered for a long time by health experts, fish farmers and fishermen themselves. One way to consider this question is production. Consumers can buy a product only if it’s available. The more they buy, theoretically, the more that item will be produced. In this case, a greater demand for fish would be stimulated if more fish were offered for sale.
More seafood could be made available for American consumers from global ocean sources given that at least 60% of seafood in the U.S. is imported. U.S. aquaculture has the capacity to significantly increase. Research conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries also indicates slightly more domestic wild-caught fish can be harvested.