Saving Seafood

New England council hears from Canastra, ship captains, emotional crew

December 7, 2017 — Twenty vessels have been pulled from the water at the Port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, effecting the livelihoods of about 80 fishermen, as a result of the recent decision by John Bullard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s region chief, to stop the groundfishing season five months early for New England’s Sector IX.

Canastra, one of two brothers who own the New Bedford seafood auction and also have a deal to buy Carlos Rafael’s large fishing fleet there, was among many to travel to the NEFMC meeting in Newport, Rhode Island, and use a public comment period to detail the impact of Bullard’s Nov. 20 move, which the council earlier supported.

Raymond Canastra, Richard’s brother, is a member of Sector IX’s revised board of directors, which has formally asked Bullard to reconsider his action.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

Council Approves Groundfish Framework 57 With Annual Catch Limits, Halibut/Southern Windowpane AMs, and More

December 7, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council: 

The New England Fishery Management Council has approved Framework Adjustment 57 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. The framework contains fishery specifications and annual catch limits (ACLs) for the 2018-2020 fishing years, as well as: (a) U.S./Canada total allowable catches (TACs) for shared stocks on Georges Bank; (b) Atlantic halibut management measures; (c) modifications to the southern windowpane flounder accountability measures (AMs) for large-mesh non-groundfish trawl fisheries such as scup and summer flounder; (d) adjustments to how common pool trimester TACs are apportioned; and (e) a temporary change to the scallop fishery’s AM implementation policy to cover the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder stock. The Council also discussed actions related to recreational fisheries and approved a temporary administrative measure to give the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) regional administrator the authority to adjust recreational measures for Georges Bank cod.

2018-2020 Fishing Year Specifications

The new specifications in Framework 57 include substantial quota increases for several commercially important groundfish stocks, including Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Gulf of Maine haddock, and pollock, as well as smaller but important increases for a few “choke” stocks. These are stocks with low quotas that can make accessing healthy, high-quota stocks more difficult (see table). Catch limits for some stocks will decrease, and fishermen will continue to face challenges with non-allocated stocks such as windowpane flounder. Overall, however, the 2018 quotas are expected to provide a number of groundfish fishing opportunities on healthy resources.

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) made overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations – the starting point for calculating catch limits – for all groundfish stocks except Atlantic halibut. In order to prevent delays in the implementation of Framework 57, the Council agreed in advance to accept the halibut OFL and ABC recommendations that the SSC intends to make during a December 18 webinar meeting. The Council also approved sub-ACLs for: (a) Gulf of Maine cod and haddock for the recreational fishery; (b) four flatfish stocks for the scallop fishery; (c) Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for small-mesh fisheries; and (d) Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank haddock for the midwater trawl fishery as shown in the table below.

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) made overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations – the starting point for calculating catch limits – for all groundfish stocks except Atlantic halibut. In order to prevent delays in the implementation of Framework 57, the Council agreed in advance to accept the halibut OFL and ABC recommendations that the SSC intends to make during a December 18 webinar meeting.

The Council also approved sub-ACLs for: (a) Gulf of Maine cod and haddock for the recreational fishery; (b) four flatfish stocks for the scallop fishery; (c) Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for small-mesh fisheries; and (d) Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank haddock for the midwater trawl fishery as shown in the table below.

During its September meeting in Gloucester, the Council approved 2018 fishing year TACs for three shared U.S./Canada groundfish stocks on Georges Bank, which also are part of Framework 57.

The U.S. share for Eastern Georges Bank cod increased 76% from 2017. Eastern Georges Bank haddock decreased 47.1%. Georges Bank yellowtail flounder went up 2.9%.

Revised Common Pool Vessel Trimester TAC Apportionments

The Council also voted to revise the common pool trimester TAC apportionments based on a request from industry. However, the Council limited these revisions to stocks that have experienced early closures in Trimester 1 or Trimester 2 since the implementation of Amendment 16. The qualifying stocks are: Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder, Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder, American plaice, and witch flounder. These stocks are shaded in grey in the table below showing the revised 2018 common pool trimester apportionments and TACs. In order to facilitate management of the common pool fishery, the Council voted to broaden the authority of the GARFO regional administrator to modify common pool trimester TACs and accountability measures. This way, the regional administrator will have more flexibility to make necessary changes without requiring further Council action.

Southern Windowpane Flounder Accountability Measures for Large-Mesh Non-Groundfish Trawl Fisheries

Also in Framework 57, the Council agreed to modify the southern windowpane flounder accountability measures for large-mesh non-groundfish trawl fisheries, which include scup, summer flounder, and other trawl fisheries. Staff from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council collaborated extensively with the New England Council staff to develop the measures and conduct the necessary analyses for this action.

The changes are two-fold. First, the Council extended the flexibility provisions already in place for the commercial groundfish fishery to the large mesh non-groundfish trawl fisheries. These provisions reduce the size and duration of the AMs under certain conditions depending on the status of the stock and fishery performance.

Second, the Council approved changes to the Gear Restricted Areas (GRAs) that apply to large-mesh nongroundfish trawl fisheries. The GRAs are shown in the map below.

If either a “small” or “large” accountability measure is triggered – the size depends on the magnitude of the quota overage – the following measures would apply: • The Small AM Area east of Montauk, NY (in red on map) would be implemented seasonally from September 1 through April 30 instead of year round; • The revised Large AM Area 1 east of Montauk (hatched area on map) would be implemented year round; and • The Large AM Area 2 off western Long Island would remain unchanged.

Atlantic Halibut Management Measures

The Council approved changes to the Atlantic halibut accountability measures for vessels possessing federal groundfish permits. If the AMs are triggered, the following would pertain to the halibut GRAs.

  • For the fixed gear AMs, the Council: (1) exempted longline gear; (2) removed Fixed Gear AM Area 1 on Stellwagen Bank; (3) retained the Fixed Gear AM Area 2 on Platts Bank for gillnet gear and added a provision to allow gillnet fishing from November through February in that area (see map).
  • For the Trawl Gear AM Area (see map), selective trawl gear approved by the regional administrator would be required within the entire Trawl Gear AM Area. The Council agreed to allow standard trawl gear in the portion of the area between 41⚬ 40’ N and 42⚬ seasonally from April 1 through July 31.

All other provisions of the gear restricted areas remain in place. The Council made the above modifications to continue protecting halibut while preserving fishing opportunities for vessels targeting other species.

Also related to halibut, the Council approved an accountability measure stipulating that if the halibut subACL is exceeded, a zero possession limit would apply to all federal permit holders, with an exemption for the following permits: party/charter; highly migratory species (HMS) angling; and HMS charter/headboat.

View the full release from the NEFMC here.

 

Fishermen voice concerns over fallout from Rafael’s crimes

December 7, 2017 — NEWPORT, R.I. — More than century’s worth of fishing industry experience traveled from New Bedford to the Viking Hotel on Wednesday to describe the impact of NOAA’s groundfish ban on Carlos Rafael’s vessels.

Richie Canastra, an owner of the New Bedford fish auction BASE, sat in front of the New England Fishery Management Council during a public comment portion of its meeting and warned of “many layoffs” that will occur because of the ban.

Adrian Guillette, a crew member on one of Rafael’s vessels, told the council he’s uncertain how he’ll provide a Christmas with the ban in place.

Captain Brian Jannelle referred to the ban as an abuse of power. Another captain, Cesar Verde, asked the council to strongly reconsider the ban.

NOAA implemented the ban on groundfishing within Sector IX, one of 19 fishing divisions in the Northeast which is made up of Rafael’s vessels, on Nov. 20. The decision came from Regional Administrator John Bullard, who believed the division still hadn’t addressed issues resulting from Rafael’s illegal behavior.

Canastra estimated about 80 fishermen have been affected by the ban. Twenty-two vessels have been pulled off the water. Jannelle, Verde and Guillette have yet to return to the seas.

“I feel let down,” Jannelle said. “I feel let down because they’re supposed to manage our fishery and protect the fishermen. They’re not protecting the fishermen. They’re hurting the fishermen.”

The council voted in September that the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office should “immediately enforce sector regulations” and supported NOAA’s actions to enforce regulations.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times

 

Big changes could be coming to East Coast herring fishery

December 9, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — Federal fishing regulators are considering changing the way they manage one of the largest fisheries on the East Coast to better account for its impact on the environment and other industries.

The regulatory New England Fishery Management Council has released a group of alternatives for how it could change management of Atlantic herring. The small, schooling fish are harvested from Maine to Florida and are used for fish oil, food for humans and bait for fishermen and lobstermen.

The proposed rules are focused in part on the issue of potential “localized depletion,” which is a controversial subject in the fishery. Some environmentalists, members of other fisheries and ecotourism businesses claim that intense concentrations of herring boats can negatively impact the marine environment by reducing availability of other species.

Read the full story by the Associated Press on The Washington Post

New England Fishery Management Council Sends Atlantic Herring Amendment 8 to Public Hearing

December 6, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — On Tuesday the New England Fishery Management Council voted to send “Draft Amendment 8” to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan public hearing. The Council has no preferred alternatives and will be receiving feedback on the controversy about localized depletion and use of herring as forage fish.

The amendment features two major components: Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) control rule and potential localized depletion and user conflicts. The ABC Control Rule is supposed to be used to set specifications and annual catch limits. The Council has 10 options and did not select a preferred one at their September meeting in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Similarly, the Council also has a list of alternatives to address potential localized depletion and user conflict. Alternative options range from “no action” to a year-round prohibition on using midwater trawl gear in specific Atlantic Herring management areas.

The Council will make a final decision in 2018 after receiving feedback at the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management plan public hearing. Attendees will be presented with a fill list of likely costs and benefits associated with each option.

This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

 

Atlantic Herring: Council Votes to Send Amendment 8 Out to Public Hearing With No Preferred Alternatives

December 6, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council today voted to send Draft Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan out to public hearing without selecting any “preferred” alternatives. Given the wide range of opinions expressed by many stakeholders about this action, the Council is expecting a large degree of public engagement during the hearings, which will be held in early 2018. The Council will make final decisions later in the year after considering all public comments. The amendment is divided into two major components.

  • ABC Control Rule: This portion of the amendment contains 10 alternatives – the standard “no action” plus nine new proposals – each to establish a long-term acceptable  biological  catch  (ABC)  control rule that “may explicitly account for herring’s role in the ecosystem and address the biological and ecological requirements of the ”   ABC control rules are used to help set specifications and annual catch limits. The Council signed off on the ABC control rule alternatives at its September 26-28 meeting in Gloucester, MA without selecting a preferred one.
  • Potential Localized Depletion and User Conflicts: On the first day of its December meeting here in Newport, RI, the Council approved the list of alternatives to address potential localized depletion and user conflicts. The list includes nine primary alternatives and several spatial and seasonal sub-options designed to address the issue while minimizing biological and socioeconomic.

Potential Localized Depletion and User Conflict Alternatives in Amendment 8

  • Alternative 1 – No action, meaning no new measures would be
  • Alternative 2 – A closure to all vessels and gear types fishing for Atlantic herring within 6 nautical miles (nm) from shore in Area 114 (solid green area off the back of Cape Cod on the map at right) with a two-year sunset clause and two seasonal sub-options:
    • A June 1-August 31 closure; and
    • A June 1-October 31
  • Alternative 3 – A year-round prohibition on using midwater trawl gear in Atlantic Herring Management Area 1A (red hatching in map);
  • Alternatives 4, 5, and 6 – Three “buffer zone” proposals that would prohibit midwater trawl gear inside of 12 nm, 25 nm, and 50 nm respectively with the following spatial and seasonal sub-options:
    • Areas 1B, 2, and 3 restricted;
    • Areas 1B and 3 restricted;
    • Year round;
    • June 1 through September
  • Alternative 7 – A prohibition on midwater trawl gear within five different thirty minute squares – 99, 100, 114, 115, and 123 (green outlined blocks on map at right) with the following spatial and seasonal sub-options:
    • Areas 1B, 2, and 3 restricted;
    • Areas 1B and 3 restricted;
    • Year round;
    • June 1 through September
  • Alternative 8 – Revert to the original boundary line between Area 1B and 3, meaning to the pre-Amendment 1 coordinates, but maintain the current Area 2/3 boundary (see map next page).
  • Alternative 9 – Remove the seasonal closure in Area 1B so that the area opens on January 1 instead of May 1, as is currently the

Social, Economic, and Community Impacts Analyses

The Amendment 8 alternatives have substantially different social, economic, and community impacts. Many analyses have been conducted by the Atlantic Herring Plan Development and others, and more are underway.

The Council intends to present the public with a thorough overview of the likely costs and benefits of each alternative and sub-option in advance of the public hearings.

In short, the information will cover:

  • Impacts to the Atlantic herring fishery;
  • Impacts to the Atlantic mackerel fishery managed by the Mid-Atlantic Council;
  • Impacts to the American lobster fishery, which relies heavily on herring as bait;
  • Impacts to non-target or bycatch species such as haddock and river herring/shad;
  • Impacts to predator species, including bluefin tuna, marine mammals, sea birds, and turtles;
  • Impacts to essential fish habitat;
  • Impacts to human communities, including social and economic benefits and consequences to the people directly and indirectly involved in the herring, mackerel, lobster, tuna, and groundfish fisheries;
  • Impacts to the ecotourism industry, which offers opportunities for the public to go whale watching and sea bird viewing;
  • Literature reviews to summarize past studies related to localized depletion and user conflicts and better define the extent of these

Atlantic Herring Research Set-Aside (RSA) Priorities

In a separate action on December 5, the Council adopted five 2019-2021 research priorities for the Atlantic Herring RSA Program.  These – in no particular order of priority – cover the following scope:

  • Portside sampling and bycatch avoidance projects primarily related to haddock and river herring/shad;
  • Stock structure and spatial management projects –  in particular, continued work on:
    • distinguishing among sub-components of the herring resource – Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and Southern New England – and identifying stocks of origin from mixed catches,
    • identifying the relative size of stock components, movements, and mixing rates,
    • ascertaining the degree of homing, and
    • investigating potential effects of climate change;
  • Research spawning dynamics, including projects related to life history, gear interactions, and spatial patterns, including studies to evaluate whether gear interactions disrupt spawning and negatively affect recruitment due to egg disposition and survival;
  • Localized depletion studies to evaluate the influence of potential localized depletion of herring on predators; and
  • Projects designed to evaluate discard rates and mortality of released fish in the purse seine

The Herring RSA Program was established in 2007 under Amendment 1 to the federal herring plan.  Under  the program, the Council sets aside 0% to 3% of the annual catch limit (ACL) from each management area to support research.

During the 2016-2018 specification-setting process, the Council elected to set aside the maximum level of 3% for RSA compensation. Next year, the Council again will need to specify the amount allocated to the  RSA Program when it sets 2019-2021 specifications.

RSA compensation fishing is exempt from: (1) the Area 1A January-May seasonal closure and the Area 1B January-April seasonal closure; and (2) area closures that occur when an ACL has been reached.

View the full release from the NEFMC here.

 

NMFS finalizing new rules for New England fisheries

December 5, 2017 — Tuesday, 5 December is the final day for the public to submit comments on a series of proposed changes to essential fish habitats and areas within the New England Fishery Management Council’s jurisdiction.

The new regulations were designed to keep the council in compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which calls on the councils to review designated habitat areas and protect those areas as much as possible to allow fish to mature and spawn.

The proposed changes include opening the northern portion of Georges Bank, a shallow plateau located between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia, to scallop fishermen.

The council said the potential economic benefits outweigh the benefits of keeping the area closed. The scallop fishery have averaged nearly USD 500 million (EUR 421.2 million) in revenue over the past five years. By allowing fishermen in Georges Bank, it could increase their revenue by almost USD 190 million (EUR 160 million).

Read the full story at Seafood Source

 

Fishermen to managers: Our voices are ignored

November 30, 2017 — The New England Fishery Management Council sent its program review roadshow to Gloucester on Tuesday night to gather opinions on the council’s performance and the fishery managers were not spared the lash.

The comments delivered Tuesday night at the sparsely attended meeting at the state Division of Marine Fisheries Annisquam Station facility certainly were not new, at least not to anyone who has spent any time speaking with local fishermen about life under the regulatory gaze of the council.

They revolved around a strong belief among local fishermen that management decisions affecting the fishery are made well before the council convenes its public meetings and the scientific data and on-the-water-expertise of local fishermen are ignored or demeaned when it comes to forming policy.

“We have no faith (in the council),” said retired longtime Gloucester fisherman Sam Novello. “I don’t anyway. Our comments go in one ear and out the other.”

Others decried what they called a lack of transparency throughout the process that sets sector allocations and annual quotas, describing a system that keeps the fishermen outside the sphere of influence when it comes to managing the fishery.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times 

 

Martha’s Vineyard herring stocks show alarming decline

November 30, 2017 — Herring Creek is a small stream that plays a mighty role in the Martha’s Vineyard ecosystem. It’s the one waterway that connects Menemsha Pond and Squibnocket Pond, and the one place on the Island where blueback herring and alewives — also known as river herring — come home to reproduce.

River herring are anadromous fish and live most of their lives, three to five years, in the ocean. When it’s time to breed, they return to the exact river or pond where they were born.

Twenty years ago, the herring run at Herring Creek was described as “one of the largest on the East Coast, with up to 1.5 million fish making their way through the creek,” according to David H. Killoy, then chief of permits and enforcement for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Read the full story at the Martha’s Vineyard Times

 

NEFMC December 5-7, 2017 meeting, Newport, RI, live streaming information

November 28, 2017 — 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 5 through Thursday, December 7, 2017.  The public is invited to listen-in via webinar or telephone.  Here are the details.

MEETING LOCATION:  Hotel Viking, 1 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840; Hotel Viking website.

START TIME:  The webinar will be activated at 8:00 a.m. each day.  The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and 8:30 a.m. on Thursday.  The webinar will end at approximately 6:00 p.m. EST or shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at:

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2377136829113858817.

There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (914) 614-3221.

The access code is 946-542-697.

Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  The agenda and all meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at:

https://www.nefmc.org/calendar/december-2017-council-meeting.

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

QUESTIONS:  If you have questions prior to or during the meeting, call or email Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.