Saving Seafood

New England Fisheries Council to Consider Deep Sea Coral-Protection Rules

May 19, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The New England Fishery Management Council wants to hear from the public about proposed rules for new management areas to protect deep-sea corals in the Gulf of Maine and in the slope/canyon region south of Georges Bank.

At issue are several alternatives under consideration in the Draft Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment. The Council wants feedback from the public on which alternatives should be selected and why.

The public comment period will end on June 5, and the Council will take final action on the amendment during its June 20-22, 2017, meeting in Portland.

The Council is using its discretionary authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act to identify and implement measures to reduce effects of fishing gear on deep sea corals in New England. One proposed amendment attempts to identify and protect concentrations of corals in select areas and restrict the expansion of fishing effort into areas where corals are likely to be present.

“Deep sea corals are fragile, slow-growing organisms that play an important role in the marine ecosystem and are vulnerable to various types of disturbance of the seafloor,” the Council wrote in a public hearing notice on May 18. “At the same time, the importance and value of commercial fisheries that operate in or near areas of deep sea coral habitat is recognized by the Council. As such, measures in this amendment will be considered in light of their benefit to corals as well as their costs to commercial fisheries.”

The Council’s preferred alternative for the inshore Gulf of Maine would prohibit mobile bottom-tending gear (trawls and dredges) within both the Schoodic Ridge and Mt. Desert Rock areas.

While an option to prohibit all bottom-tending gear, including lobster traps/pots, is still in the amendment, it is not the Council’s preferred alternative.

“The Council recognized the economic impact associated with preventing the lobster fishery from working within the inshore areas and acknowledged that shifts in effort to other locations could be problematic,” it wrote. “Preferred alternatives are an indication of which way the Council is leaning, but the Council is not obligated to select them for final action, so it is critically important that Maine fishermen who fish in these areas attend the public hearing or submit comments to let the Council know their views!”

Seven public hearings will be held from May 22 to 26:

Wednesday, May 24
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Sheraton Harborside
250 Market Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801

Thursday, May 25
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Ellsworth High School
299 State Street
Ellsworth, ME 04605

Friday, May 26, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
Webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/98257139389273345

Written comments can be submitted via mail, email, or fax:

Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director
New England Fishery Management Council
50 Water Street, Mill 2
Newburyport, MA 01950

Email: comments@nefmc.org Fax: (978) 465–3116

Please note on your correspondence “Comments on Deep-Sea Coral Amendment”

Written comments must be submitted before 5:00 pm EST on Monday, June 5, 2017.

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

NEFMC SSC Meeting, May 25, 2017, Live Streaming Information

May 22, 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 on Thursday, May 25, 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.  Hotel information is available here.

START TIME:  10:00 a.m.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting will be available at:

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7961649841048531714.  

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

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (213) 929-4232.  

The access code is 192-378-860.  

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

AGENDA:  The SSC will: (1) develop comments for Council consideration on NMFS’s Stock Assessment Improvement Plan and Best Scientific Information Available Guidance; (2) review the Council’s draft five-year research priorities and data needs recommendations; (3) discuss the definition of “substantial change” with respect to stock status when developing ABC recommendations; (4) receive a presentation on NMFS’s Ecosystem Status Report and discuss how the SSC might use the information in making catch advice recommendations; (5) depending on progress, receive an update on the development of terms of reference for operational stock assessments when models are not feasible; (6) review the study “Determining the post-release mortality rate and best capture and handling methods for haddock discarded in Gulf of Maine recreational fisheries” and recommend whether the research should be considered in the upcoming stock assessment for Gulf of Maine haddock; (7) receive a presentation about the Council’s management strategy evaluation (MSE) of herring ABC control rules; and (8) other business as necessary.

MATERIALS:  Meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at SSC May 25, 2017 meeting.

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

NEFMC Coral Amendment Hearings Begin May 22

May 16, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

This is a reminder that the New England Fishery Management Council will be holding seven public hearings on its Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment the week of May 22.  Here are the dates, times, and locations:

  • MONDAY, MAY 22 — MONTAUK, NY:  Montauk Playhouse Community Center, 240 Edgemere Street, Montauk, NY 11954, 6 p.m. 
  • TUESDAY, MAY 23 — NARRAGANSETT, RI:  University of Rhode Island Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium, 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI 02882, 1 p.m.
  • TUESDAY, MAY 23 — NEW BEDFORD, MA:  Fairfield Inn and Suites, 185 MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA 02740, 5:30 p.m.
  • WEDNESDAY, MAY 24 — GLOUCESTER, MA:  Mass. DMF Annisquam River Marine Fisheries Field Station, 30 Emerson Ave., Gloucester, MA 01930, 1 p.m. (NOTE:  This is a revised meeting location.)
  • WEDNESDAY, MAY 24 — PORTSMOUTH, NH:  Sheraton Harborside, 250 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801, 5:30 p.m.
  • THURSDAY, MAY 25 — ELLSWORTH, ME:  Ellsworth High School, 299 State Street, Ellsworth, ME 04605, 5 p.m.
  • FRIDAY, MAY 26 — WEBINAR:  Details below, 1 p.m.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting will be available at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/98257139389273345.  

There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.  Advance registration is encouraged.  Additional webinar details are available in the meeting notice.

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

The access code is 204-076-626.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

COMMENT DEADLINE:  The Council is accepting written comments through 5 p.m. EST, Monday, June 5, 2017.  Mail, fax, or email written comments to:  Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950, Fax (978) 465–3116, Email: comments@nefmc.org.  Please label written correspondence as “Comments on Deep-Sea Coral Amendment.”

WRITTEN COMMENTS NOTE:  Early submission of written comments is encouraged.  The Council’s Habitat Committee will meet May 30 to consider public hearing testimony and written comments received as of May 24.  The Habitat Committee will formulate recommendations for consideration by the full Council during its June 20-22 meeting in Portsmouth, NH.  The Council is scheduled to take final action on the Coral Amendment at the June meeting. 

MATERIALS:  The public hearing document and other Coral Amendment materials are available on the Council’s website at Coral Amendment hearings.

QUESTIONS:  Email Michelle Bachman at mbachman@nefmc.org.

NEFMC Seeks Contractor for Atlantic Herring MSE Work

May 15, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is soliciting the services of an independent contractor to assist in developing and communicating the results of a recent Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) of Atlantic herring acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rules.  This is a temporary, three-month position, expected to begin on or around June 1, 2017.

The solicitation notice states, “Effectively communicating MSE output is a recognized challenge.  The New England Council is seeking a contractor to help synthesize data and translate MSE results to different audiences.”

The Council is developing a new Atlantic herring ABC control rule for Amendment 8 to the federal Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. The independent contractor is expected to:

  • Draft guidance narrative to help stakeholders and the Council understand how MSE results should be interpreted in general;
  • Develop infographics for the Amendment 8 document and meeting materials;
  • Draft detailed narrative describing MSE results, as well as key summery points and findings with captions and text boxes, either independently or with other MSE analysts;
  • Prepare presentation slides that can be used to summarize results at meetings;
  • Prepare detailed appendices of all results to be included in Amendment 8; and
  • Summarize MSE methods and results for general audiences.

POTENTIAL CANDIDATES:  Interested professionals are encouraged to submit a cover letter, current resume or CV, examples of similar work completed for other organizations or publications, and a budget with expected expenses no later than May 30, 2017.  Letters of interest and supporting materials should be addressed or emailed to:  Deirdre Boelke, New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; dboelke@nefmc.org.

MORE INFORMATION:  Further details about the work statement, desired experience and skills, and expected deliverables are outlined in the solicitation notice, which is available at NEFMC Seeks Atlantic Herring MSE Contractor.

Public invited to meetings of fishing regulators

May 12, 2017 — Gloucester, Massachusetts will sit at the epicenter of the national fishery management universe next week when top regulators from around the country gather here for three days of overviews of the nation’s individual fisheries.

The Council Coordination Committee, which includes chairmen and directors of the eight regional fishery management councils, is set to discuss issues such as national monuments and sanctuaries, habitat, recreational fisheries, enforcement and legislation.

The meetings at the Beauport Hotel Gloucester are being hosted by the New England Fishery Management Council, which was determined to hold them in a working commercial fishing port, according to NEFMC Executive Director Tom Nies.

Nies said the meetings give the geographically diverse regulators — who hale from Alaska to the Caribbean — the chance to discuss issues that cut across all of their councils. It also affords NOAA Fisheries the opportunity speak to the collective councils as a single group.

“We meet twice a year and it’s really the only time all eight council have the chance to discuss national-level policy issues and issues that other councils are facing that we may face ourselves in the future,” Nies said.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Nation’s fish leaders meeting in Gloucester next week

May 10, 2017 — Leadership teams from the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils will convene in Gloucester next week to discuss national marine monuments, habitat and other fishery management issues.

The meeting of the Council Coordination Committee, which includes the chairmen, vice chairmen and executive directors of the eight regional fishery councils, is set for the Beauport Hotel on Commercial Street, May 15 to 18.

The first day is set aside for internal organizational meetings, with the principal agenda items scheduled for the following three days, according to Janice Plante, spokeswoman for the New England Fishery Management Council.

Plante also said the NEFMC plans to have its September meeting at the Beauport Hotel.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

Fishermen, Conservationists Go Head To Head Over East Coast Underwater National Monument

May 9, 2017 — New England fishermen are hoping President Donald Trump will reverse an undersea monument designation they say has cut them off from nearly 5,000 square miles of valuable fishing grounds off the coast of Cape Cod.

Trump last month directed the Department of the Interior to conduct a sweeping review of national monument designations over the last two decades, including the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts, which President Barack Obama declared the first undersea national monument in the Atlantic Ocean in September.

The area is a “spectacular landscape” home to a “whole diversity of otherwordly creatures that most people are not familiar with,” said Peter Auster, a senior research scientist at Mystic Aquarium who helped secure the designation and has conducted research in the area. There are undersea canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon and extinct underwater volcanoes “taller than anything east of the Rockies” with a variety of species of fragile coral, he said.

But Joseph Gilbert, owner of Stonington-based Empire Fisheries, said since the designation, “we’ve been pushed to other areas” creating unnecessary competition and pressure as more boats are fishing in a smaller area. Fishermen, who have been using the area for 200 years, Gilbert said, were given just two months to get out.

Obama used the Antiquities Act of 1906 to declare the area a national monument, and that’s what’s at the heart of Gilbert’s objections, he said. Using the Antiquities Act circumvented the New England Fishery Management Council, the normal process for fishery management, and allowed for less input from the industry, Gilbert said.

Read the full story at the Hartford Courant

Other New England Groundfish Sectors Demand Equitable Distribution of Rafael Permits

May 8, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The Sustainable Harvest Sector, one of the fishery cooperatives authorized by the New England Fishery Management Council, has called again for NMFS to redistribute Carlos Rafael’s fishing permits to the entire industry, by returning the catch history to the entire region.  Below is a statement from the Board of this Sector, making the case as to why NMFS should act in this manner. [Saving Seafood Editor’s Note: The Board of this Sector consists of Frank Patania, Anthony Fernandes, Phil Ruhle, Jr., Maggie Raymond, James Odlin, Marshall Alexander]

They also rightly state that any geographic preference, such as permanently awarding a portion of quota to New Bedford, requires an extensive public consultation and rulemaking, as such geographic allocations are outlawed under Magnuson except in very special and specific cases.

Fair and Just Compensation in the Case of Carlos Rafael

As Carlos Rafael’s criminal case of money laundering and fishery fraud winds toward closure, the National Marine Fisheries Service must confirm how to re-allocate Rafael’s fish harvesting privileges.  The government plans to seize thirteen vessels and fishing permits. That still leaves Rafael with dozens more boats and permits to continue operating, and many fishermen believe he should be expelled from the fishery entirely.  But whether it’s thirteen permits seized or the three dozen he owns, each one has some amount of fishing rights ‘attached’ to it which must be re-allocated.

The New England Fishery Management Council is the primary federal body which controls quota allocation, and it already has a re-allocation mechanism in place.  Several years ago, the Council voted that the harvesting rights attached to any permit surrendered to the government would be proportionally redistributed to all remaining permits in the fishery.

Though the Council perhaps did not envision a seizure of this magnitude, the mechanism actually works quite well here.  Carlos Rafael has a long history of breaking a myriad of fishing rules, including quota-busting, violations of fishing time limits, closed area incursions, and false catch reporting to the government.  The nearly twenty publicly available settlement agreements with the government follow a timeworn, repeat pattern: A violation, followed by a negotiated fine which is just the cost of doing business in a criminal enterprise.

Rafael stole from every other fisherman in New England.   Over the last five years, his boats poached fish from waters off Downeast Maine to the Rhode Island coast.  While everyone else was suffering under severe cuts to their allowable catch of cod and flounder, Rafael simply decided those cuts didn’t apply to him, and smuggled the fish ashore anyway.

So the Council’s re-allocation mechanism rewards those who play by the rules.  If offers some relief to fishermen working under stringent catch limits which might be a bit higher if not for Rafael and his complicit captains.   It buttresses the logic that as the crimes were committed throughout the region, relief should be distributed throughout the region as well.

The City of New Bedford believes Rafael’s thirteen permits should be confiscated, then locked to that port in perpetuity.  This is an understandable position but is morally bereft.   Locking the quota to that port denies redress to the vast majority of Rafael’s victims.  The City of New Bedford has only benefitted from Rafael’s continuous criminal acts.  It is unseemly to enjoy those benefits for twenty years then, once the scam is exposed, seize them for all time.

New Bedford is by far the nation’s richest fishing port and has been for at least a decade, landing $300-$400 million of seafood annually. In contrast, the entire New England groundfishery is presently worth $60 million.  It is a vibrant and diverse waterfront which will not, by the Mayor’s own admission, succumb to Rafael’s misdeeds.  And New Bedford will benefit from the Council’s mechanism, via quota re-allocation to other boats already based in that port.  Everybody gains.

Neither the governing Council, nor the National Marine Fisheries Service which implements the Council’s policy directives, has ever contemplated restricting quota even to the New England states, never mind individual cities.  Changes of that magnitude take years to develop and mountains of public input – which the Council already conducted, as part of its fishery management plan.  The redistribution mechanism is already in place, it has passed legal muster, and – particularly in this case – it is just.

Board of Directors

The Sustainable Harvest Sector

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

Fishing and offshore wind can co-exist, leaders say

May 3, 2017 — New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell and about 20 civic, business, and academic representatives spent the first full day of their wind-focused trade visit to England Tuesday in Grimbsy, the largest fishing port in the world in the 1950s — which gives the New Bedford group food for thought.

New Bedford has landed the highest dollar-value catch in the United States for 16 years running. But in Grimsby and England at large, the fishing industry declined sharply in the 20th century following a period known as the “Cod Wars,” when Iceland asserted territorial authority over waters where English vessels were fishing.

Thus, as SouthCoast leaders learn from Grimsby about its success in offshore wind, they also have their minds on fishing, and how the two industries can coexist.

Around 5:45 a.m., some of the New Bedford group left their hotel for the Grimsby Fish Auction. Grimsby still handles about 70 percent of all the fish processed in the United Kingdom, according to Neil Mello, Mitchell’s chief of staff.

Among the auction visitors was John F. Quinn, a former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives who now chairs the New England Fisheries Management Council. Asked if he could see evidence that offshore wind is compatible with the fishing industry, he said, “most certainly.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford-Standard Times

Fishery Management Councils to Meet May 15-18 in Gloucester

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

Leadership teams from the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils will be gathering in Gloucester, MA for the spring 2017 Council Coordination Committee (CCC) meeting.

The CCC is comprised of the chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors of the New England, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, Western Pacific, and North Pacific Fishery Management Councils. CCC chairmanship rotates annually among the eight Councils.

The committee meets twice each year to discuss issues relevant to all fishery management councils. The National Marine Fisheries Service – often called NOAA Fisheries – annually hosts the first meeting, which for 2017 was held Feb. 28-March 1 in Arlington, VA. The New England Council is serving as this year’s CCC chair and will be hosting the May 15-18 spring meeting at the Beauport Hotel on the Gloucester Harbor waterfront. The public is welcome to attend.

Principal agenda items will be discussed Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, May 16-18, beginning at 8:30 a.m. each day. The eight Councils will take part in a Round Robin on Tuesday morning. Council deputy directors will meet concurrently and report to the full CCC on Thursday, May 18. Copies of the agenda will be available shortly. Hotel information can be found at http://www.beauporthotel.com.

Read the full release here