NEFMC Archives - Page 19 of 100

NEFMC Approves Small-Mesh Multispecies Specifications for Fishing Years 2021-2023

February 11, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

During its late-January meeting, the New England Fishery Management Council approved new specifications for the small-mesh multispecies fishery for fishing years 2021-2023. These limits apply to whiting and red hake stocks and are based on recent stock assessment information and other data. The package contains:

Annual catch specifications for small-mesh stocks that follow overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations from the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) – except for southern red hake, where the Council went with a more conservative approach and selected an ABC that is 75% of the SSC’s recommendation in order to enhance stock rebuilding;
A provision to reset the total allowable landing (TAL) trigger for northern red hake from the current 38% to the original value of 90% so that in-season accountability measures don’t unnecessarily restrict the fishery at a very low level of landings; and
An adjustment to the whiting possession limit on trips using less than 3-inch mesh codend trawls so that fishermen can land up to 15,000 pounds of northern silver hake and southern whiting.

Read the full release here

NEFMC Seeks Contractor to Support Scallop Survey Working Group

February 9, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is looking for an independent contractor to support and document the work of the Council’s new Scallop Survey Working Group (SSWG). Letters of interest and supporting materials must be received no later than 8:00 a.m. on March 1, 2021.

WHAT IS THE SSWG: The Council currently is in the process of forming the Scallop Survey Working Group. The group will be composed of government and non-government experts with experience in Atlantic sea scallop surveys and related fields. These experts will be tasked with addressing terms of reference (TORs) set for the group and providing recommendations in response to the TORs. The SSWG will report directly to the Council, and the group’s recommendations will be forwarded by the Council to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

WHY IS THE COUNCIL DOING THIS: The Atlantic sea scallop fishery is one of the most valuable fisheries in the United States. A central component of scallop management has been reliance on scallop surveys. Previous survey reviews and stock assessments included recommendations for improving scallop surveys. The Council agreed to form the Scallop Survey Working Group to address issues related to those recommendations.

WHAT ARE THE CONTRACTOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES: The selected contractor will work with a representative of the Council and the Scallop Survey Working Group co-chairs on an array of issues from on or about March 22, 2021 through July 1, 2022. A few of the contractor’s responsibilities include:

Supporting the development of draft TORs in advance of the working group’s first meeting;
Supporting working group meetings by developing detailed agendas, providing experienced meeting facilitators, and preparing written meeting summaries;
Creating a work plan to guide and assist the group in addressing the TORs; and
Preparing a final written report summarizing the working group’s recommendations.

MORE INFORMATION: Complete details about the contractor’s full range of responsibilities, desired experience, and application submission instructions can be found in the request for proposals.

QUESTIONS: Contact New England Council Executive Director Tom Nies at tnies@nefmc.org.

NEFMC Votes to Submit Groundfish Framework 61 with Universal Sector Exemption for Redfish

February 5, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council voted on January 26, 2021 to include a universal sector exemption for redfish in Framework Adjustment 61 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. If approved by NOAA Fisheries, the exemption would allow groundfish sector vessels to target redfish with 5.5-inch codend mesh within a larger Redfish Exemption Area in the future than was available in the 2020 fishing year.

Following this decision, the Council voted to submit Framework 61 to NOAA’s Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) for review and implementation. The target implementation date is May 1, 2021, the start of the new fishing year.

The Council signed off on all other Framework 61 measures, including 2021-2023 specifications for groundfish stocks based on updated assessment information, during its December 2020 meeting. A recap is available here.

Read the full release here

Gathering data will help manage our coastal resources

February 4, 2021 — Resource management is a tricky thing. That’s especially true in the marine environment where things are so interconnected. Nutrients literally float from one area to the next and the larvae of spawning sea creatures similarly drift from place to place. Marine species do not abide by borders but are instead are a part of a larger ecosystem where things literally flow from one location to another.

For this reason, there are few marine species that are managed at a municipal level. Some, like lobster, are managed by the state – by Maine’s Department of Marine Resources. The DMR has jurisdiction over subtidal waters (those below mean low water) throughout the state. Others, like stripers, are managed by interstate groups like the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council. And others, like cod and haddock, are managed regionally by bodies like the New England Fisheries Management Council. They have jurisdiction over waters beyond three miles from shore classified as federal water.

So, what does that leave for the municipalities? That’s a seemingly tiny sliver of intertidal coast. But, this sliver often isn’t tiny at all. It is shallow and broad and supports a valuable array of shellfish species like soft shell, hard shell, and razor clams. While these species do move around as larvae, they are more likely to stay put than other more mobile creatures. For that reason, these are the resources that each town is in charge of managing under a system called co-management. This means that towns work with the DMR who helps to classify areas that are safe for harvesting in terms of water quality and also helps with enforcing statewide regulations.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

NEFMC Seeks Candidates for Scallop Survey Working Group

February 3, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is looking for qualified candidates to serve on its new Scallop Survey Working Group (SSWG). The application deadline is Monday, February 22, 2021 at 8:00 a.m.

The Council manages the Atlantic sea scallop fishery. It relies on scallop surveys to detect and monitor recruitment events and track resource trends to support its rotational area management program.

Previous stock assessments and survey reviews identified issues that could help improve both the federal scallop survey and surveys supported through the Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. As part of its 2021 scallop priorities, the Council agreed to establish a working group to develop recommendations to address these issues. The Scallop Survey Working Group will first provide input on clear terms of reference (TORs) before the TORs are approved by the Council’s executive director in consultation with the director of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (Science Center).

Read the full release here

New England Fishery Management Council Issues Update On Start of 2021 Scallop Fishing Year

January 29, 2021 — On Wednesday the New England Fishery Management Council signed off on Framework 33 , which includes specifications for the 2021 scallop fishing year and default specifications for the 2022 fishing year; among other measures.

Currently the scallop industry is operating under the 2020 fishing year, with the 2021 fishing year set to begin on April 1. Framework adjustment 33 will not be implemented by April 1 due to complications related to COVID-19 and the cancellation of the federal scallop survey. The Council is warning fishermen that they will be working under default 2021 measures that were established in Framework 32 as a backup.

Read the full story at Seafood News

NOAA wants monitors on 40% of groundfish trips

January 28, 2021 — NOAA Fisheries has established a monitoring coverage target that would deploy at-sea monitors aboard 40% of all groundfish sector trips in the Northeast in the upcoming 2021 fishing year, the agency announced Tuesday.

The 2021 ASM coverage target represents a 25% increase from the 32% monitoring coverage target in the 2020 fishing year for the Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery.

“Consistent with the requirement to monitor sector operations and to reliably estimate overall catch to the extent practical, the coverage target level will be 40%,” NOAA Fisheries stated in its bulletin announcing the coverage target.

At-sea monitoring coverage levels for Northeast sector groundfish vessels was one of the more tumultuous issues of the 2020 fishing season because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the monitoring program and the New England Fishery Management Council’s approval of Amendment 23 that set future at-sea monitoring coverage target rates for the fishery.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

NEFMC Signs Off on Scallop Framework 33 with Fishing Year 2021 Allocations and Defaults

January 27, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has selected final measures for Framework Adjustment 33 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan and voted to send the framework to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS/NOAA Fisheries) for review and implementation.

The framework includes: (1) specifications for the 2021 scallop fishing year; (2) default specifications for the 2022 fishing year; and (3) measures to minimize impacts on Georges Bank yellowtail flounder and northern windowpane flounder.

For 2021, full-time limited access vessels will be allocated:

1 trip to the Mid-Atlantic Access Area;
1.5 trips to Nantucket Lightship South;
1.5 trips to Closed Area II (Southwest and Extension) with a seasonal closure from August 15 through November 30 to reduce flatfish impacts;
and 24 open area days-at-sea.

Read the full release here

Biden plans review of national monuments, including Northeast Canyons and Seamounts

January 22, 2021 — Recently inaugurated U.S. President Joe Biden announced – just hours after he was sworn in – that he plans to perform a review of the Trump administration’s actions regarding a number of national monuments, including the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts monument.

The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument is the first national monument in the Atlantic Ocean, and one of just five marine monuments in the U.S. Located off the east coast, the monument was created in 2016 by U.S. President Barack Obama and encompasses 4,913 square miles of ocean.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NEFMC January 26-28, 2021 – By Webinar – Listen Live, View Documents

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

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting by webinar from Tuesday, January 26 through Thursday, January 28, 2021. The public is invited to listen live and provide input during designated opportunities for public comment. The Council still cannot hold a large, in-person meeting due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

GROUNDFISH FIRST: The Council’s Groundfish Committee will meet in advance of the full Council on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 beginning at 9:00 a.m. Once the committee concludes its business and adjourns, the full Council will convene its January 2021 meeting. Agenda items are listed in the detailed agenda.

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 Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 8:00 a.m.
TALK TO THE COUNCIL: You’ll be able to address the Council directly through two different avenues – one by commenting on motions at the discretion of the Council chair (raise your hand on the webinar and unmute yourself when called upon) and, second, you can speak during the open period for public comment. Here are the Guidelines for Providing Public Comment.
OPEN PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: On Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 10:45 a.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.

START TIME: 9:00 a.m. on all three days. The webinar will end shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

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. We’ll get right back to you.

WEBINAR CALL-IN OPTION: To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8321. The access code is 188-250-972. Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA: All meeting materials and the agenda are available on the Council’s website at NEFMC January 26-28, 2021 Webinar 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 availableHERE.

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