NEFMC Archives - Page 10 of 100

Fishery groups question cod limits

December 8, 2021 — Two fishing industry trade associations are asking the New England Fishery Management Council to reevaluate its drastically reduced catch limit recommendations on Georges Bank cod.

The groups, the Gloucester-based Northeast Seafood Coalition and the Associated Fisheries of Maine, say the New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee lacked “relevant information” to make its determination on an Acceptable Biological Catch for Georges Bank cod. They are asking for a remand.

The New England Fishery Management Council is meeting through Thursday, Dec. 9. It plans to discuss its Scientific and Statistical Committee’s recommendations on overfishing limits and acceptable biological catches for several species — including Georges Bank cod and Gulf of Maine cod — for 2022-2024 on Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 10:45 a.m.

You can find a link to join the webinar for the council’s meeting here: https://www.nefmc.org/calendar/december-2021-council-meeting.

The Newburyport-based New England Fishery Management Council is charged under federal legislation with conserving and managing fishery resources off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

“Why are these assessments not reflecting what fishermen are seeing on the water?” said Jackie Odell, executive director of the nonprofit Northeast Seafood Coalition, which represents commercial fishing interests in the northeastern United States. She said the council will be discussing two critical stocks in Georges Bank cod and Gulf of Maine cod. She said there is uncertainty about the assessment of both stocks.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

NEFMC December 7-9, 2021 Webinar Meeting – Listen Live, View Documents

November 30, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting from Tuesday, December 7 through Thursday, December 9, 2021. The public is invited to listen live and provide input during designated opportunities for public comment. Due to ongoing public safety considerations related to COVID-19, this meeting will be conducted entirely by webinar.

START TIME: 9:30 a.m. on Day 1 and 9:00 a.m. on Day 2 and 3. The webinar will end shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES: The Council wants to hear from you. Here’s how you can let the Council know what you think.

•WRITE A LETTER: The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 2, 2021.

•TALK TO THE COUNCIL: You’ll be able to address the Council directly through two different avenues:

1.By commenting on motions at the discretion of the Council chair (raise your hand on the webinar and unmute yourself when called upon); and

2.By speaking during the open period for public comment. Here are the Guidelines for Providing Public Comment.

•OPEN PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: On Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 12:00 p.m., the Council will offer the public an opportunity to provide comments on issues relevant to Council business but not listed on this agenda. Given the Council’s busy meeting schedule, we ask that you limit remarks to 3-5 minutes.

◦ SIGN UP NOW: Interested in speaking? Email Janice Plante at jplante@nefmc.org to get on the list.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION: Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live. There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

•Here are instructions in the Remote Participation Guide for successfully joining and participating in the webinar.

•THIS IS KEY! If you want to speak during opportunities for public comment, you need to: (1) register for the webinar; and (2) actually “join” the webinar. People who call in by telephone without joining the webinar will be in listen-only mode. Those who take both steps – register and then join the webinar – will see the meeting screen and be able to click on a “raise hand” button, which will let the meeting organizer know you want to be unmuted to speak.

•We have a Help Desk in case you get stuck joining the webinar or have trouble along the way. Phone numbers are listed on the Help Desk Poster, or just email helpdesk@nefmc.org and we’ll get right back to you.

CALL-IN OPTION: To listen by telephone without joining the webinar, dial +1 (914) 614-3221. The access code is 731-472-552. Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply. Remember, you will not be able to speak if you do not first join the webinar as described above. This phone number provides a “listen-only” option without the webinar component.

AGENDA: All meeting materials and the agenda are available on the Council’s website at NEFMC December 7-9, 2021 meeting. Additional documents will be posted as they become available.

THREE MEETING OUTLOOK: A copy of the New England Council’s Three Meeting Outlook is available HERE.

COUNCIL MEETING QUESTIONS: Anyone with questions prior to or during the Council meeting should contact Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

David Goethel: A grievous assault on the lobster resource

November 4, 2021 — In recent years, the federal government in the form of the National Marine Fisheries Service has been expanding restrictions on fin fishermen throughout the U.S. In the Northeast every aspect of a fishing vessel is controlled by regulation, from the size of the mesh in a net, to where and when and what you can fish for, to who is on your vessel and when you can leave the dock.

This has caused the fishing industry to shrink and the fin fishermen in New Hampshire have dwindled down to a handful. During my lifetime, the fishermen in New Hampshire have had one commercial fishing organization. We all meet together and work out our differences. Compliance in all the New Hampshire fisheries is high and conflicts are few. After all, we are a community out on the ocean and need to work together.

Read the full opinion piece at the Portsmouth Herald

Request for Nominations: Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP)

November 3, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP) is seeking qualified candidates to serve on the panel. Current members and all interested parties are encouraged to apply. The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, November 19, 2021 by 5:00 p.m.

The NTAP is a joint advisory panel of the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. It is composed of Council members, as well as fishing industry, academic, and government and non-government fisheries experts who provide advice and direction on the conduct of trawl research. NTAP is supported by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

How To Apply

Anyone interested in applying for the NTAP may download an application by clicking here or visiting www.mafmc.org/ntap. Completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Friday, November 19, 2021.

Questions?

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Jason Didden, Mid-Atlantic Council staff, at jdidden@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5254.

One Week Left! As of November 10, VTRs Will Be Required To Be Reported Electronically and Paper VTRs Will No Longer Be Accepted

October 3, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Beginning November 10, 2021, GARFO-permitted commercial fishing vessels will be required to have an electronic device onboard the vessel at the time of the trip and submit with that device a completed report electronically within 48 hours of the end of a trip. This also applies to vessels holding a NEFMC for-hire permit. This does not apply to vessels holding only an American lobster permit.

•Paper vessel trip reports packages will no longer be distributed by GARFO.

•We will only accept electronic VTRs for trips beginning on or after Nov 10.

•For a limited period of time after Nov 10, trips beginning prior to Nov 10 that are submitted on paper VTRs will be accepted.

•Vessel owners who submit paper VTRs for trips beginning prior to Nov 10 will be individually notified when we no longer will accept paper VTRs.

See our webpage for more information on the requirements, and use this decision tree to help you decide if you need to use eVTR.

How to Report

•GARFO, our partners, and several companies have developed applications that meet our eVTR reporting requirements. There are software apps for virtually all smart phones, tablets and computers.

•An up-to-date listing can be found on our Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting Software Options web page along with instructions on how to use GARFO’s apps and links to partner apps.

More Information and Resources

Port Agents:

•Based in offices from Maine through Virginia, Port Agents are available to provide remote and in-person eVTR app assistance to individuals or small groups throughout the region.

•You may contact a Port Agent directly, or through our Vessel Reporting Help Desk at (978) 281-9188 or nmfs.gar.reporting@noaa.gov. Contact information for Port Agents and their areas of coverage can be found here.

Webinars:

•We have held a series of instructional webinars for vessel operators.

•Recordings of these can be found on our events webpage.

Other Resources:

To keep in touch on the latest information regarding eVTR implementation and other vessel reporting topics you can sign up for our bulletins. To sign up or to update your existing subscriptions, go to our sign up page. Once you are on the sign up page follow these directions:

•Bulletins are listed under the Regional Updates subscription topic.

•Under the New England/Mid-Atlantic Updates sub-topic.

•Click the + sign to expand the list, and select eVTR and VMS updates.

•Then click submit at the bottom.

Questions?

Contact your local Port Agent.

Request for Nominations: Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP)

November 1, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council & the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The NTAP is a joint advisory panel of the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. It is comprised of Council members, as well as fishing industry, academic, and government and non- government fisheries experts who provide advice and direction on the conduct of trawl research. It is supported by NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC). Additional information about the NTAP is available at http://www.mafmc.org/ntap.

The panel consists of 20 members as follows:

Two members each from the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils (4 total)
Up to three fishery stakeholder representatives appointed by each Council (6 total)
Two academic and non-academic scientists appointed by each Council (4 total)
Two members from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (2 total)
Four staff members from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (4 total)

Read the full release from the NEFMC

Attention! Vessel Owners and Operators: VTRs Will Be Required To Be Reported Electronically Starting November 10 and We Will No Longer Be Accepting Paper VTRs

October 26, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

See our webpage for more information on the requirements, and use this decision tree to help you decide if you need to use eVTR.Paper vessel trip reports packages will no longer be distributed by GARFO.
After November 10, we will only accept electronic VTRs.
If you have any delinquent VTRs, please mail them as soon as possible for processing before the deadline.

How to Report

GARFO, our partners, and several companies have developed applications that meet our eVTR reporting requirements. There are software apps for virtually all smart phones, tablets and computers.
An up-to-date listing can be found on our Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting Software Options web page along with instructions on how to use GARFO’s apps and links to partner apps.

More Information and Resources

Port Agents:

Based in offices from Maine through Virginia, Port Agents are available to provide remote and in-person eVTR app assistance to individuals or small groups throughout the region.
You may contact a Port Agent directly, or through our Vessel Reporting Help Desk at (978) 281-9188 or nmfs.gar.reporting@noaa.gov. Contact information for Port Agents and their areas of coverage can be found here.

Webinars:

We have held a series of instructional webinars for vessel operators.
Recordings of these can be found on our events webpage.

Other Resources:

Bulletins are listed under the Regional Updates subscription topic.
Under the New England/Mid-Atlantic Updates sub-topic.
Click the + sign to expand the list, and select eVTR and VMS updates.
Then click submit at the bottom.

Questions?

Contact your local Port Agent.

Council Endorses 2022 U.S./Canada TACs; Discusses Groundfish Framework 63, Focuses Options to Promote Stock Rebuilding

October 20, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

During its late-September 2021 meeting, the New England Fishery Management Council agreed by consensus to accept the U.S./Canada Transboundary Management Guidance Committee’s (TMGC) total allowable catch (TAC) recommendations for three shared groundfish resources on Georges Bank. These involve Eastern Georges Bank cod, Eastern Georges Bank haddock, and Georges Bank yellowtail flounder. The TMGC recommended the TACs based on advice from the U.S./Canada Transboundary Resources Assessment Committee (TRAC). The U.S. has members on both the TMGC and the TRAC. The TRAC deals with the science and assessment end of the process, while the TMGC focuses on management.

The TACs will be included in Framework Adjustment 63 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, which is under development. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, NOAA Fisheries) must approve the TACs before they are implemented.

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Read the full release from the NEFMC

Directed herring fishery closed for rest of the year, incidental catch still allowed 

October 19, 2021 — The directed herring fishery has been closed for the rest of the year for the inshore Gulf of Maine, according to officials.  

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board voted late last month to set the number of landing days at zero for the second half of the herring season, meaning a vessel can’t go out fishing directly for herring.  

Fishermen are allowed to fish for other species and may land up to 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip as incidental catch only, said Emilie Franke, the fishery management plan coordinator at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.  

Herring is a prized bait fish for lobstermen in Maine, though many have resorted to other species, such as  pogies,  as  herring numbers have  declined  and quotas have tightened. Herring is considered overfished, but overfishing  by fishermen  is  not  currently happening, leaving officials searching for an answer on how to help the species  rebound. 

The New England Fishery Management Council met late last month to talk about how to move forward with the conservation of the species across New England. The council decided to go forward with an acceptable biological catch strategy that allows for sustainable harvest of the fish while accounting for the species role as a forage species  and baitfish. The rule works by allowing fishing mortality rate to fluctuate with the highs and lows of the species’ biomass, allowing flexibility depending on how the fish is doing. It also adds accountability measures.  

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – Wednesday, October 25, 2021 – Groundfish Issues

October 18, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee will meet by webinar to discuss issues related to groundfish. The public is invited to listen live. Here are the details.

WHEN: Monday, October 25, 2021

START TIME: 9:00 a.m.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION: Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live. There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar. The Remote Participation Guide is posted here.

CALL-IN OPTION: To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8422. The access code is 206-777-773. Please be aware that if you dial in using this number without joining the webinar at the link above, you will be unable to speak during opportunities for public comment. This is a listen-only telephone option. Your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA: The SSC will meet to:

Review recent stock assessment information from the 2021 Groundfish Management Track Assessments and information provided by the Council’s Groundfish Plan Development Team (PDT);

Recommend overfishing limits (OFLs) and acceptable biological catches (ABCs) for Georges Bank cod and Gulf of Maine cod for fishing years 2022-2024;

Review information presented by the Groundfish PDT and consider recommending revised OFLs and ABCs for Georges Bank haddock and Gulf of Maine haddock for fishing year 2022;

Review information presented by the Groundfish PDT and consider recommending revised OFLs and ABCs for white hake under the recently implemented rebuilding plan for this stock; and

Consider other business as necessary.

COMMENTS: The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 21, 2021. Address comments to Council Chairman Eric Reid or Executive Director Tom Nies and email them to comments@nefmc.org. Additional information is available in the meeting notice.

MATERIALS: All documents for this meeting will be posted on the SSC October 25, 2021 meeting webpage.

QUESTIONS: Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492, ext. 101, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.