Saving Seafood

New England Council Program Review – take the survey; attend a port meeting

November 21, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council

The New England Fishery Management Council is reminding stakeholders of the opportunities available to provide input into the ongoing external review about how the Council conducts business.

The Council initiated this independent review to learn more about its strengths and weaknesses and, most importantly, to identify areas for improvement.  As such, the Council is encouraging people who interact with the Council to take advantage of the different avenues for providing feedback.

Stakeholder input is critical to the success of the review and is confidential.  Specific statements, ideas, and perspectives will not be attributed to individuals.  Instead, feedback and insights will be summarized in a report that will be presented to the review panel members and posted on the New England Council’s website.

Here are more details about how you can provide input.

ONLINE SURVEY:  The survey, which only takes 15-to-20 minutes to complete, is designed to solicit input about Council communications and the ability of stakeholders to participate in the Council process.  Take the Survey Now!

PORT MEETINGS:  Six of the Northern New England port meetings already have taken place.  Eight more are still to come following the Thanksgiving holiday:

  • Tuesday, November 28, Gloucester, MA – Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Annisquam River Station, 30 Emerson Ave., 5 p.m.
  • Wednesday, November 29, Scituate, MA – Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Office, 175 Edward Foster Road, 5 p.m.
  • Thursday, November 30, New Bedford, MA – UMass Dartmouth SMAST-East, Room 101, 836 South Rodney French Boulevard, 5 p.m.
  • Friday, December 1, Chatham, MA – Chatham Community Center, 702 Main Street, 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, December 2, Plymouth, MA – Hotel 1620 Plymouth Harbor Amphitheater, 180 Water Street, 3 p.m.
  • Monday, December 4, Stonington, CT – La Grua Center, 32 Water Street, 5 p.m.
  • Monday, January 8, Montauk, NY – Montauk Playhouse Community Center, 240 Edgemere Street, 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday, January 9, Cape May, NJ – Rutgers University, 1636 Delaware Ave., 5 p.m.

WEBINAR OPTION:  Anyone who cannot attend a port meeting in person or who simply wants to provide additional input is encouraged to take part in the webinar meeting, which will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, November 28.  Register at Council Program Review Webinar or call in at +1 (213) 929-4212 and supply the access code 839-533-461.

IMPORTANT REMINDER:  These meetings, as well as the online survey, are meant to focus on Council operations,not current management actions.

REVIEW PANEL:  The review itself will be conducted by an external panel of managers and scientists from other regions and/or international fisheries entities who have a strong understanding of U.S. federal fisheries management but no recent involvement or affiliation with the New England Council. The review panel will meet for one week in early 2018 to discuss Council operations and conduct its work. The meeting will be open to the public.  The Council has enlisted the help of two contractors to support this process.  One of the contractors, the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, is responsible for collecting stakeholder input for the review panel.  The New England Council is not involved in collecting this confidential input.

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS:  More information about the process that is being used to conduct the external review, as well as the terms of reference and other background documents, is available at Council Program Review.

QUESTIONS:  Contact Fisheries Forum Co-Director Kim Gordon at (831) 641-7906, kim.gordon@duke.edu or Council Public Affairs Officer Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817,  jplante@nefmc.org.

NEFMC seeking candidates for its Scientific and Statistical Committee

November 9, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council: 

The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking qualified candidates to serve on its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).  The three-year appointments begin January 1, 2018 and run through December 31, 2020.  Individuals may nominate themselves or be nominated by others.  All application materials must be received by 5 p.m. on December 15, 2017.

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA:  The Council is seeking to fill several upcoming vacancies on the committee.  In general, SSC nominees should have expertise in statistics, fisheries biology, marine ecology, economics, sociology, anthropology, or other social sciences as they apply to fisheries management.

SSC RESPONSIBILITIES:  SSC members are expected to provide independent, scientific advice to the Council.  The purpose of the SSC is to assist the Council in the development, collection, and evaluation of statistical, biological, economic, social, and other scientific information relevant to the development of fishery management plans.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  More information about SSC responsibilities, current committee composition, and upcoming/past meetings can be found at SSC activities.  The notice requesting nominations, which contains application details, is available on that page under “Related News” or at announcement.  Members with expiring terms who wish to continue serving on the SSC are encouraged to resubmit their curriculum vitae (CV) or resume with a letter expressing continued interest in remaining on the committee.

QUESTIONS:  For more information contact Council Deputy Director Chris Kellogg at (978) 465-0492, ext. 112; ckellogg@nefmc.org.

Learn more about the NEFMC by visiting their site here.

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed Rule for the New England Fishery Management Council’s Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment

November 6, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are seeking public comment on an action that would:

  • Revise the essential fish habitat designations for all New England Fishery Management Council-managed species and life stages;
  • Add Habitat Areas of Particular Concern to highlight especially important habitat areas, including 16 canyons and two seamounts;
  • Revise the spatial management system within the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and the southern New England area to better align with scientific advice on how and where to protect essential fish habitat while balancing the economic needs of the fishing industry;
  • Establish two Dedicated Habitat Research Areas;
  • Revise or implement seasonal spawning protection measures; and
  • Add a system for reviewing and updating the proposed measures.

Read the proposed rule and supplemental documents as published in the Federal Register, and submit your comments through the online portal. You may also submit comments through regular mail to: John Bullard, Regional Administrator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.

The comment period is open through December 5.

To learn more about NOAA visit their site here.

 

Aquatic limbo

November 5, 2017 — Fourteen years is a long time.

Consider, in 14 years children go from being unable to do much more than eat, sleep and relieve themselves to walking, talking, and giving serious consideration to driving a car.

Fourteen years is also the length of time of three-and-a-half presidential terms; more than long enough to change the direction of an entire country and the fates of hundreds of millions of people.

Fourteen years is also an interminably long time to wait if your livelihood is at stake. And yet, it took the New England Fisheries Management Council 14 years to develop regulations regarding the protection of fishing habitats. That, in and of itself, would not be so bad; after all, one would hope that those involved would take the time necessary to get the science right on an issue where so much is at stake.

But it has now been two years since those regulations were passed, and there is little indication that they are any closer to being implemented.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

 

Fisheries council to undertake independent review

November 3, 2017 — The New England Fishery Management Council is undertaking an independent review it hopes will provide a sense of what it does well and where it needs to improve in the administration and management of the region’s fisheries.

The council on Thursday announced it is forming an external panel of managers and scientists from other regions and fisheries to administer the council program review, stating those selected will have “a strong understanding of U.S. federal fisheries management but no recent involvement or affiliation” with the council.

“As with the case of many organizations, it’s good to have third-party individuals look at our processes and see if they can be improved upon,” council Chairman John Quinn said Thursday. “We want to hear from everybody, from members of the fishing industry, non-governmental organizations and even government entities with whom we frequently interact.”

Quinn said the council hopes to answer three elemental questions with the review: What it’s doing right, what it’s doing wrong and “How can we improve the way we serve the people who are involved in our fisheries and the public overall.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times 

 

NEMFC Undertakes Independent Review to Assess Past Performance and Solicit Suggestions for Improvement

November 2, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is launching an independent “program review” and is asking stakeholders who interact with the Council to participate in the undertaking.

“Like every organization, the Council can benefit from periodically reviewing how it does business,” said Council Chairman Dr. John Quinn, Director of Public Interest Law Programs at the University of Massachusetts School of Law. “That’s why we initiated an external review of our operations. We want to know three things: what we’re doing right; what we’re doing wrong; and how we can improve the way we serve the people who are involved in our fisheries and the public overall.”

Stakeholder input is being solicited through two primary avenues: (1) a short online survey; and (2) 14 port meetings from Maine to New Jersey, coupled with a webinar option for anyone who can’t attend an in person meeting or who wants to contribute additional comments. For a list of meeting times and locations click here.

The online survey, which shouldn’t take more than 15-to-20 minutes to complete, is designed to obtain feedback about Council communications and the ability to participate in the Council process. The survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NEFMC_Review_Stakeholder_Survey.

Council Chairman Quinn said, “I encourage everyone to take advantage of the two available options. Fill out the online survey and attend a port meeting. We need both forms of stakeholder input.”

Stakeholder input will be confidential. Specific statements, ideas, and perspectives will not be attributed to individuals. Comments and suggestions will be summarized based on themes, fishery, and/or geography as appropriate, and a report will be prepared for the review panel. The final report will be available to the public and posted on the Council’s program review webpage at https://www.nefmc.org/library/council-program-review.

WHO’S IN CHARGE OF THE EXTERNAL REVIEW

The Council Program Review will be conducted by an external panel of managers and scientists from other regions and/or international fisheries entities who have a strong understanding of U.S. federal fisheries management but no recent involvement or affiliation with the New England Council. The review panel will meet for one week in early 2018 to discuss Council operations and carry out the Terms of Reference for the review. The meeting will be open to the public. The Council has enlisted the help of two contractors to support this review process as follows:

Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum – The Fisheries Forum (http://www.fisheriesforum.org) will gather input from all stakeholders through the port meetings, webinar, and online survey and provide a summary to the review panel. Tidal Bay Consulting – Tidal Bay (https://www.tidalbayconsulting.com) will compile background documents for the review panel, provide support for the review meeting itself, and prepare the panel’s final report. Additional materials related to this external review, including a Stakeholder Frequently Asked Questions document and the Terms of Reference for the external review panel, are available at: https://www.nefmc.org/library/council-program-review

The New England Fishery Management Council’s members come from the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The Council manages 29 species under nine Fishery Management Plans and addresses habitat/coral protection across all plans. The Council also is working on ecosystem-based fishery management.

For more information visit their site here.

 

Little hope in latest evaluations of codfish

October 23, 2017 — GLOUCESTER, Mass. — The completed operational assessments to help determine 2018-2020 groundfish quotas do not appear to be any more optimistic about the state of Gulf of Maine cod than those that effectively shuttered the fishery in the fall of 2014.

The New England Fishery Management Council’s science and statistical committee is set to meet Monday and Tuesday in Boston to review the assessments for 19 groundfish species and finalize its catch recommendations to the full council.

According to committee documents, the operational assessments show the respective stocks of eight species — Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank haddock, redfish, white hake, windowpane flounder, pollock, Georges Bank winter flounder and American plaice — to be abundant and healthy.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

Fish council awaits NOAA action on Rafael permits

October 20, 2017 — Federal authorities physically seized Carlos Rafael’s four fishing vessels on Wednesday, one of the final steps in the criminal proceedings against the New Bedford fishing mogul before he reports to jail on Nov. 5.

While Rafael readies himself to begin serving his 46-month sentence in federal prison, the focus of the rest of the Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery and environmentalists remains on what civil penalties NOAA Fisheries may impose on Rafael and his fishing sector, and how it will dispose of the forfeited vessels and ultimately distribute their fishing permits.

The New England Fishery Management Council, in a vote at its September meeting in Gloucester, urged NOAA Fisheries to take disciplinary action against Northeast Fishing Sector IX for allowing years of rampant misreportings of Rafael’s landings that was at the heart of his scam.

But the council refrained from voting on any specific measures on permit redistribution, saying it was waiting for the conclusion of the criminal case and a sense from NOAA Fisheries as to what comes next.

The council, according to Chairman John Quinn, remains in limbo.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

 

NEFMC SSC Meeting, October 23-24, 2017, Live Streaming Information

October 18, 2017 — 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 Monday and Tuesday, October 23-24, 2017.  The public is invited to listen via webinar or telephone.  Here are the details.

MEETING LOCATION:  Hilton Garden Inn, Boston Logan Airport, 100 Boardman Street, Boston, MA.  Hotel information is available here.

START TIME:  10:00 a.m. on Monday, 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting will be available at: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2947008207018884867.

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

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8422.

The access code is 913-207-938.

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

AGENDA:  The SSC will (1) review recent stock assessment information from the 2017 Groundfish Operational Assessments, as well as information provided by the Council’s Groundfish Plan Development Team, and recommend overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) levels for all groundfish stocks managed under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan – except Georges Bank yellowtail flounder and Atlantic halibut – for fishing years 2018-2020; and (2) discuss other business as necessary.

MATERIALS:  Meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at SSC October 23-24, 2017 documents.

QUESTIONS:  Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492 ext. 106, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

Nominations Sought for Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee

October 17, 2017 — The following was released by the NOAA Fisheries 

Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee nominations accepted through November 27, 2017.

NOAA Fisheries is seeking nominations to fill current and pending vacancies on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) due to term limits. MAFAC advises the Secretary of Commerce on all living marine resource matters that are the responsibility of the Department of Commerce. The Committee draws on its members’ expertise and other sources to evaluate and make recommendations to the Secretary and NOAA on the development and implementation of agency regulations, policies, and programs critical to the mission and goals of NOAA Fisheries.

MAFAC members represent the wide spectrum of commercial, recreational, subsistence, and aquaculture fisheries interests; tribes; seafood industry; protected resources and habitat interests; environmental organizations; academic institutions; consumer groups; and other living marine resource interest groups.

Nominees should possess demonstrable expertise in one of these fields and be able to fulfill the time commitments required for two in-person annual meetings and between-meeting subcommittee work. Membership is balanced geographically across states and territories, ethnically, and on the basis of gender, in addition to the range of expertise and interests listed. Individuals serve for a term of three years. Members may serve a second consecutive term, if re-appointed.

A MAFAC member cannot be a federal employee, a member of a Regional Fishery Management Council, a registered federal lobbyist, or a state employee.  Membership is voluntary, and except for reimbursable travel and related expenses, service is without pay. The committee functions solely as an advisory body (complying fully with the Federal Advisory Committee Act) that reports to the Secretary.

Full nomination instructions and guidelines are described in this Federal Register notice.

For questions or more information, please contact Jennifer Lukens, Executive Director of MAFAC, jennifer.lukens@noaa.gov or Heidi Lovett, heidi.lovett@noaa.gov.