Saving Seafood

Advancing fishing rule aims to protect deep-sea coral in New England waters

May 31, 2017 — Fishing trawlers bring in an average of $6.4 million annually to Bay State ports from fish scooped off seabeds 600 meters or more below the surface of New England waters.

In an effort to save coral on the ocean floor, the New England Fisheries Management Council is advancing a proposed restriction on draggers and trawlers fishing at those depths.

The waters off New England do not get that deep until beyond George’s Bank and lobstermen that fish on the bank do not set traps at that depth, according to council staff. The proposed rule would exempt the relatively small red crab fishery.

The council’s Habitat Committee signed off Tuesday on the proposal, which affect fishing operations in a roughly 25,000 square mile area. If it is passed by the full council it would need to go through the National Marine Fisheries Service, also known as NOAA Fisheries, before it would go into effect.

Environmental groups Wild Oceans, Earthjustice, Pew Charitable Trusts and Conservation Law Foundation urged the council’s scientists to study an alternative proposal, which they said would protect more coral than the plan the council advanced. The council agreed to study the conservation groups’ proposal.

“There could be changes at any point in time. Ultimately when the full council votes on this June 22, we’ve got this preferred alternative going in. That hasn’t changed. But other things may be brought up,” said Habitat Committee Chairman John Quinn, a Dartmouth resident and former state rep.

Read the full story at the Boston Business Journal

At Meeting, Maine Lobstermen Say They Aren’t Harming Threatened Coral Beds

May 30, 2017 — The fragile deep-sea corals that populate the canyon walls and basins in the Gulf of Maine provide habitat for many species of fish as well as baby lobster, crabs and squid. But the New England Fisheries Management Council has concluded that the northeast coral beds are threatened when they are disturbed by commercial fishing operations and is weighing new restrictions that could affect Maine.

The council held a public hearing in Ellsworth Thursday night, where lobstermen spoke in support of a plan that protects coral colonies while still allowing them to haul their traps.

Most of the lobstermen who spoke agree that the coral beds in the Gulf of Maine play an important role in the overall health of the marine ecosystem. And most, such as Cranberry Isles fisherman Jack Merrill, think that Maine lobstermen and the coral beds have been getting along well for decades.

“It is evident to me that the marine corals in these zones appear to be thriving, which means that they are successfully coexisting with the trap fishery that has been there for many years,” he says.

The major coral beds are located off the Georges Banks. There are two areas about 25 miles off the Maine coast that have been identified as coral protection zones: the Outer Schoodic Ridge off the southeast Hancock County coast and Mount Desert Rock off Mount Desert Island.

The area is regularly fished, and Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Pat Keliher says he supports an alternative plan that would prohibit trawlers from working the ocean bottom in the two targeted regions, but would also allow lobster trap fishing in the regions.

“Lobster fishing is the economic backbone of the Down East coastal communities, and each of these proposed coral protection areas represents an important fishing ground for over 50 vessels from approximately 15 communities, and many of these vessels fish these areas throughout the majority of the year,” he says.

Read the full story at Maine Public

MAINE: Fishermen support alternative coral protection plan

May 26, 2017 — ELLSWORTH, Maine — A plan to protect deep sea coral from damage caused by fishing drew strong support from Maine’s lobstermen Thursday but mostly because planned fishing restrictions won’t affect them.

The New England Fishery Management Council has spent much of the past two years developing an “Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment” aimed at reducing the potential impacts of fishing on corals found in extremely deep water along the Northeast coast. As part of the process, the council proposed several alternatives that would prohibit all fishing in the affected areas. One plan would bar fishing in water depths ranging between 300 and 600 meters (about 985 to 1,970 feet). Another would ban fishing in 20 separate submarine canyons off the southern boundary of Georges Bank.

Some of those canyons lie within the boundaries of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument established by President Barack Obama last September.

While most of the areas that could be protected lie far offshore, two areas are situated within the Gulf of Maine. One is near Mount Desert Rock. The other is on Outer Schoodic Ridge.

Mount Desert Rock lies about 20 miles south of Mount Desert Island in Lobster Management Zone B. The council considered two alternative protection zones, primarily southwest of the rock, one of about 18 square miles and the other about 8 square miles, with water depths of 100 to 200 meters (330 to 660 feet).

The Outer Schoodic Ridge area lies about 25 miles southeast of MDI in Lobster Management Zone A. The protected area would be about 31 square miles in size.

Both areas are important lobster fishing grounds.

Read the full story at the Ellsworth American

Lobstering ban near coral gardens could cost industry almost $9 million a year, fishermen say

May 26, 2017 — The financial toll of a lobster fishing ban near deep-sea coral gardens in the Gulf of Maine could top $8 million a year, almost double what was originally projected by the regional regulatory group that is considering the ban, a Maine fishing representative said Thursday.

The 50 Maine lobster boats that fish Outer Schoodic Ridge and Mount Desert Rock – the areas where fragile coral colonies have been found – drop more traps there for more months of the year than originally estimated, said Pat Keliher, Maine’s top fisheries official.

The New England Fisheries Management Council originally had estimated that Maine fishermen likely landed about $4.2 million worth of lobster from the 49 square miles under consideration for coral protection. Dave Cousens, head of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, estimates the total is closer to $9 million.

“Lobster fishing is the economic backbone of Down East coastal Maine,” Keliher said. “Each of these proposed coral protection areas represents an important fishing ground for over 50 vessels from approximately 15 communities.”

About 75 lobstermen attended a meeting in Ellsworth on Thursday, the only Maine public hearing on the council’s proposed coral protections. Only a handful spoke out, but all raised their hands when a council member asked how many supported lobster fishing in the areas.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

New England fisheries group considers banning lobster boats from a portion of Gulf of Maine

May 25, 2017 — A New England fisheries management group is considering changes to regulations regarding lobstering in an area of the Gulf of Maine.

The New England Fishery Management Council is considering whether lobster traps should be kept off of coral within a 18-square-mile portion of the Gulf in order to protect habitat for other marketable fish stock.

According to a report in the Portland Press Herald, the move could jeapardize a $4 million dollar portion of the state’s lobster fishery, an amount taken by more than 100 lobster boats.

The council held a series of public meetings, including one in Portsmouth Wednesday night, seeking input according to the council’s calendar.

Read the full story at NH1

Maine lobstermen worry about possible closure to protect coral

May 25, 2017 — Charles Kelley began fishing for lobster on Outer Schoodic Ridge about 20 years ago, preferring the solitude of deep waters to the crowded inshore fishery.

The Steuben resident and preacher was willing to sail two hours for the freedom to drop his 30-trap trawls anywhere he wanted along that ridge, which sits about 25 nautical miles southeast of Mount Desert Island. The area is more crowded now, and Kelley’s trawls are shorter, but in the winter the 54-year-old is still dropping most of his traps in these waters. He says he earns about 40 percent of his yearly profits here, too.

“It’s my bread and butter,” Kelley said of the ridge. “I really don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t fish there. Have to move someplace else, I guess, but that would just be taking bread off someone else’s table, from those I’ve known and worked beside all my life. It would cause untold hardship not just for me, but for all the fishermen up and down this stretch of coast, from Winter Harbor all the way to Jonesport.”

Kelley is worried that he could lose his winter fishing territory if interstate regulators decide to ban all fishing in a 31-square-mile area at the ridge and an 18-square-mile area southwest of Mount Desert Rock to protect deep-water coral gardens found in those waters. The rare, slow-growing gardens of sea whips, fans and pens provide essential habitat for cod, silver hake, pollock and larval redfish.

The New England Fishery Management Council voted last month to exempt lobstering from the coral fishing ban it is considering, but the proposal won’t be finalized until June. Until then, the council is holding a series of public hearings on the proposal, including one Thursday in Ellsworth. State officials hope lobstermen show up in large numbers to lobby the council to keep the lobster exemption in its final plan.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

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.