Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Proposes to Approve 16 Groundfish Sectors for Fishing Years 2021 and 2022 and Allocate Annual Catch Entitlements for Fishing Year 2021

March 31, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries received sector operations plans and contracts from 16 groundfish sectors for the 2021 and 2022 fishing years. We are proposing to approve these 16 operations plans and grant 19 regulatory exemptions to improve the efficiency and flexibility of sector vessels. We are also proposing to allocate annual catch entitlements for fishing year 2021 based on Framework 59 and default specifications. Annual catch entitlements may be modified based on the New England Fishery Management Council’s recommendations in Framework 61, if approved, at a later date.

This proposed rule announces our determination that the electronic monitoring audit model is sufficient for use in place of at-sea monitors for catch accounting. Sector vessels may choose to use either at-sea monitoring or electronic monitoring to meet monitoring requirements, provided that the vessel’s sector has a corresponding monitoring program approved as part of its fishing years 2021-22 sector operations plan.

The proposed rule is published in the Federal Register. Submit your comments through the online portal. The comment period is open through April 15, 2021.

Copies of each sector’s draft operations plan and contract are available online.

Questions?

Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, 978-281-9175

Fishermen: Contact Claire Fitz-Gerald, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 978-281-9255

NOAA Fisheries Announces Atlantic Herring Framework 8 Interim Final Rule

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

NOAA Fisheries is implementing Framework 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, as recommended by the New England Fishery Management Council. This action sets the specifications for the 2021-2023 fishing years for Atlantic herring.

The specifications reduce catch limits by 40% for 2021, and include further reductions for 2022-2023 because the June 2020 management track assessment determined Atlantic herring is overfished. These 2021-2023 catch limits are also consistent with the Council’s harvest policy, which accounts for herring’s important role as a forage species.

To mitigate the impact of the reductions in Atlantic herring catch limits, this action also modifies herring management measures to support access to the Atlantic mackerel fishery by:

  • Creating a two-tiered possession limit adjustment in Herring Management Areas 2 and 3 once the directed fishery closes, and
  • Removing the seasonal closure of Area 1B from January to April

These measures will provide more access earlier in the year to target mackerel.

Read the interim final rule as published in the Federal Register and submit your comments through the online portal beginning on April 1, 2021 by searching for NOAA-NMFS-2021-0025.

The effective date for this rule is: 03-29-2021.

The comments due date is 05-03-2021.

Read the full release here

NOAA Implements Default Management Measures for Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishing on April 1

March 26, 2021 — Starting on April 1, 2021, NOAA Fisheries announced it will implement default management measures for the scallop fishery until it can implement final specifications in Framework Adjustment 33 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan.

NOAA said the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) voted on final 2021 allocations in Framework Adjustment 33 on January 27. If approved, scallop allocations will be adjusted according to Framework 33.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishing Year 2021 Default Management Measures Begin April 1

March 24, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective April 1

Beginning April 1, 2021, we are implementing default management measures for the scallop fishery until we can implement final specifications in Framework Adjustment 33 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (if approved).

The New England Fishery Management Council voted on final 2021 allocations in Framework Adjustment 33 on January 27, 2021, and, if we approve the action, we will adjust scallop allocations according to Framework 33. We have noted these Framework 33 allocations and the default measures in our recent bulletin so you can consider these adjustments when planning your fishing activity between April 1 and the implementation of Framework 33.

Questions?

Industry: Contact Travis Ford, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9233

Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, 978-281-9175

Cod fishing season to reopen in Gulf of Maine

March 24, 2021 — Federal fishing regulators are reopening the recreational fishery for cod in the Gulf of Maine for two weeks while they consider the future of the industry.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday that recreational anglers and for-hire vessel operators can harvest cod from the Gulf of Maine from April 1 to April 14. They’re limited to one cod per day.

Cod fishing was once the backbone of the New England economy, but the fishery collapsed after years of overfishing and is vulnerable to environmental changes. The New England Fishery Management Council has recommended status quo measures for recreational Gulf of Maine cod fishing for the 2021 fishing year, which starts May 1.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – Friday, March 26, 2021 – Atlantic Herring, Ecosystem Issues

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

The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet via webinar on Friday, March 26, 2021 to discuss issues related to Atlantic herring and the state of the ecosystem.  The public is invited to listen live.

START TIME:  8:30 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.

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8321.  The access code is 658-624-262.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  The SSC will meet to:

  • Review initial information from the Atlantic Herring Plan Development Team (PDT) and provide PDT guidance on developing rebuilding plan alternatives for Atlantic herring;
  • Receive a presentation on the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s State of the Ecosystem 2021 Report for New England and provide the Science Center with any SSC recommendations about revisions; and
  • Discuss other business as needed.

COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.  Address comments to Council Chairman Dr. John Quinn 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 March 26, 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.

NMFS selects 13 Northeast scallop research projects worth $12.5 million

March 16, 2021 — Sea scallop surveys, bycatch reduction and sea turtle interactions are on a list for the 2021-22 Northeast research set-aside program for scallop science.

Set up by the New England Fishery Management Council in 1999, the cooperative science effort between researchers and fishermen was one  outcome of the scallop fishery crisis when abundance declined in the mid-1990s. Two decades later, scallops are the richest East Coast fishery, with a system of rotating area management and close collaboration between NMFS, academic researchers and the industry.

The set-aside program is a wish list of research needs from the council and carves out a small part of the fishery’s landings – valued around $570 million in 2019 – allocating it to boats carrying out the projects. For the 2021-2022 program that will be about $12.5 million in scallops brought to the docks, with $3 million from those paying for the science work and $9.5 million for the fishermen, according to a summary from NMFS.

“The RSA program improves our scientific understanding of sea scallops and monkfish, which directly contributes to their sustainable management,” Jon Hare, director of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, said in a statement outlining the plan.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Scallop Research Set-Aside Program Supports 13 Projects for 2021-2022; Focus on Surveys, Bycatch Reduction, Turtles

March 15, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program will support 13 new projects under the 2021- 2022 award cycle. The awards are expected to generate approximately $12.5 million, including $3 million to fund the research and $9.5 million to compensate industry partners who harvest the set-aside scallops. The selected projects address scallop research priorities identified by the New England Fishery Management Council during its June 2020 meeting. The projects focus on resource surveys, bycatch reduction, seed scallop habitat, loggerhead turtles, and data collection by fishermen.

The awards were announced on March 15, 2021 by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, which both are part of NOAA Fisheries. The Council and NOAA Fisheries work together to support the research set-aside program. The Council sets priorities, and NOAA Fisheries manages the RSA competition and administers the program.

RSA-funded scallop surveys have become increasingly important in:

  • Providing information that directly helps scientists determine the status and distribution of the resource; and
  • Guiding the Council in management decision-making.

Read the full release here

2021-2022 Sea Scallop RSA Projects Selected

March 15, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has selected 13 projects for 2021-2022 awards through the Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. The selected projects focus on research priorities identified by the New England Fishery Management Council, which established the Sea Scallop RSA Program in 1999. The council sets priorities, and NOAA Fisheries manages the RSA competition and administers the program.

NOAA Fisheries expects to make final awards later this month. A list of selected projects and more can be accessed here.

Questions?

Contact Cheryl Corbett, Northeast Fisheries Science Center Cooperative Projects Coordinator

NOAA Fisheries Approves Monkfish Quotas for 2021

March 11, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective May 1

NOAA Fisheries is implementing monkfish quotas for the 2021 fishing year based on specifications approved by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. There were no overages in 2020, and there is no new biological information, so we are now finalizing the 2021 quotas that were previously announced in September 2020. The quotas are the same as the 2020 quotas and are in place until April 30, 2022.

Table 1.  Monkfish Specifications for Fishing Year 2021

All other requirements remain the same.

For more details, read the rule as filed in the Federal Register and the permit holder bulletin.

Questions?

Industry: Contact Allison Murphy, Regional Office, 978-281-9122

Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, 978-281-9175