Saving Seafood

NEFMC January 28-30, 2020 – Portsmouth, NH – Listen Live, View Documents

January 21, 2020 — 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, January 28 through Thursday, January 30, 2020.  The public is invited to listen live via webinar or telephone.  Here are the details.

MEETING LOCATION:  Portsmouth Harbor Events and Conference Center, 100 Deer Street at 22 Portwalk Place, Portsmouth, NH 03801; Portsmouth Harbor Events Center.
 
START TIME:  The webinar will be activated at 8:00 a.m. each day.  However, please note that the meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 28 and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, January 29 and 30.  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 Listen Live.  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 266-672-298.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.
 
AGENDA:  The agenda and meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at NEFMC January 28-30, 2020 Portsmouth, NH.  Additional documents will be posted as they become available.
 
COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 23, 2020.  Address comments to Council Chairman Dr. John Quinn or Executive Director Tom Nies and email them to comments@nefmc.org.  The address for mailing comments is:  New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill #2, Newburyport, MA 01950.
 
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.

New England Council Seeks Contractor to Prepare EBFM Public Outreach Materials

January 17, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking the services of an independent contractor to prepare visually rich and understandable materials for distribution and presentation during public information workshops about Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM).  Letters of interest and supporting materials must be received by February 14, 2020.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:  In addition to strong writing, presentation, and communication skills, applicants should have a general understanding of fisheries and fishery management in New England, including on Georges Bank, and in the Mid-Atlantic.  Applicants also should: (1) be familiar with the use of scientific information in the fishery management process and the concept of EBFM; and (2) have experience interacting with fishery managers, scientists, and stakeholders.
 
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING:  The Council has been working on an EBFM conceptual approach for several years, and it developed an example Fishery Ecosystem Plan (eFEP) that shows how EBFM might be carried out on Georges Bank.  The Council is now ready to take the next step and more fully engage the public in its work.  It intends to begin this process by conducting public information workshops and utilizing outreach materials that clearly explain EBFM on multiple levels.  The Council will be communicating with fishermen, conservation groups, the research community, and many other stakeholders through the workshops as it continues to advance EBFM. 
 
WHAT’S INVOLVED:  To assist the Council with this undertaking, the contractor will:
  • Research and prepare outreach materials and then work with Council staff to present the related products to the EBFM Plan Development Team (PDT), the EBFM Committee, and the Council.  The contractor is not expected to present the materials at future workshops or assist with the final design of materials published on paper and/or online;
  • Develop products that are suitable for a variety of stakeholders who have varying ranges of knowledge about EBFM and fishery management; and
  • Consider multiple formats for visually rich materials, which may include documents, pamphlets, videos, PowerPoint presentations, news releases, and other options.
The contractor will meet with the PDT and Committee (independently or jointly) for one or two meetings to understand the EBFM framework in the eFEP, ask questions, and receive feedback and guidance.  The contractor also will discuss progress on a weekly basis with Council staff.
 
TIMELINE:  The contractor’s role is a short-term, temporary position that will begin on or about February 15, 2020 and end when the Council approves outreach materials, which is expected to happen during the Council’s June 23-25, 2020 meeting in Freeport, ME.  Therefore, final draft materials are due by June 10, 2020.  Following the June Council meeting, the contractor may need to make necessary changes and provide final revised materials by July 25, 2020.
 
APPLICATION DETAILS:  Interested professionals are encouraged to submit a letter of interest, current resume or curriculum vitae, examples of similar work completed for other organizations or publications, and a budget with expected expenses no later than February 14, 2020.
  • A complete list of desired experience and demonstrated skills can be found in the solicitation announcement, along with application mailing/email addresses and other information.
  • NOTE:  Candidates employed by advocacy organizations or by organizations that are parties in fishery lawsuits will not be considered.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:  Interested candidates may want to review:
  • The Council’s Draft Example Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Georges Bank, which is available at eFEP;
QUESTIONS:  For more information, contact: (1) New England Fishery Management Council Senior Fishery Analyst Andrew Applegate at (978) 465-0492 ext. 114, aapplegate@nefmc.org for technical questions; and (2) Administrative Officer Margaret Bernier, (978) 465-0492 ext. 104,mbernier@nefmc.org regarding contract questions.

NOAA Fisheries Announces Expansion to the Great South Channel and Southern New England Scallop Dredge Exemption Areas

January 14, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries filed a final rule to expand the Great South Channel and Southern New England Scallop Dredge Exemption Area as requested by the New England Fishery Management Council. The final rule expands the boundaries of the current Great South Channel and Southern New England Scallop Dredge Exemption Areas creating a single area south of 42° 20’ N lat. and east of the Mid-Atlantic Exemption Area. All other regulatory requirements, such as possession limits and the requirement to use dredge gear 10.5 ft or less, remain unchanged.

In addition, the rule implements new prelanding reporting requirements for limited access vessels sailing on an open area days-at-sea.  Limited access vessels are now required to send in a prelanding vessel monitoring system report on all scallop trips.

For more details, please read the rule as filed in the Federal Register, and our permit holder bulletin.

Read the full release here

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – January 10, 2020 – Groundfish Related

January 6, 2020 — 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 Friday, January 10, 2020.  The public is invited to listen live via webinar or telephone.  Here are the details.

 
START TIME:  9:30 a.m. on Friday, January 10, 2020.
 
WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  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 279-391-516.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.
 
AGENDA:  The SSC will meet to:
  • Consider the New England Fishery Management Council’s remand of the SSC’s acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations for American plaice, Gulf of Maine haddock, Georges Bank haddock, and Atlantic pollock for fishing years 2020-2022;
  • Discuss any issues concerning ABC control rules for groundfish and the lack of fish stock status determination criteria; and
  • Discuss other business as necessary.
COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 8, 2020.  Address comments to Council Chairman Dr. John Quinn or Executive Director Tom Nies and email them to comments@nefmc.org.  The address for mailing comments is:  New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill #2, Newburyport, MA 01950.
 
MATERIALS:  Meeting materials will be posted on the Council’s website at SSC January 10, 2020 documents.
 
QUESTIONS:  Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492 ext. 101, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

New England Council’s January 2020 meeting lineup

January 2, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a number of committee meetings over the next few weeks before it gathers in Portsmouth, NH at the end of January for its first full session of the New Year.  Here’s the lineup, along with a couple of additional items of potential interest to stakeholders.  Agendas and documents will be posted on the Council’s website as meeting materials become available.

SCIENTIFIC AND STATISTICAL COMMITTEE (SSC):  The SSC will meet on Friday, January 10, 2020at the Hilton Garden Inn – Boston Logan Airport beginning at 9:30 a.m. to review acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations for four groundfish stocks that the Council remanded to the SSC for further consideration.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:  The Council’s Executive Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at the Four Points Sheraton in Wakefield, MA to discuss administrative matters related to Council business.

GROUNDFISH:  The Council has three groundfish-related meetings on its calendar.

  • Groundfish Recreational Advisory Panel (RAP) – The RAP will meet on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Four Points Sheraton in Wakefield, MA to: (1) develop recommendations for the Groundfish Committee on 2020 recreational measures for Gulf of Maine cod and Gulf of Maine haddock; and (2) receive an overview of the Council’s 2020 groundfish priorities.
  • Groundfish Advisory Panel (GAP) – The GAP also will meet on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 in the same location beginning at 12:30 p.m. to discuss the same agenda items as the RAP.
  • Groundfish Committee – The Groundfish Committee will meet on Thursday, January 23, 2020beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the Four Points Sheraton in Wakefield, MA to review and discuss the RAP and GAP recommendations and the Council’s groundfish priorities.

HABITAT:  The Habitat Committee and Habitat Advisory Panel will meet jointly on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at the Four Points Sheraton in Wakefield, MA beginning at 10:00 a.m.  Several items are on the agenda, including: (1) a review of the Council’s habitat-related research priorities; (2) potential development of comments on an Exempted Fishing Permit for the Great South Channel if the notice publishes prior to this January 22 meeting; (3) offshore wind updates; (4) updates on the development of habitat policies for aquaculture, submarine cables, and floating wind projects; and (5) a Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment update.

WHITING:  The Small-Mesh Multispecies (Whiting) Committee and the Whiting Advisory Panel will meet jointly on Monday, January 27, 2020 at the Portsmouth Harbor Events and Conference Center in Portsmouth, NH beginning at 1:00 p.m. to discuss issues and develop recommendations on a Council action to rebuild southern red hake.

  • 2020 Red Hake Stock Structure Working Group – On a related note, the Red Hake Stock Structure Working Group will meet January 6-8, 2020 at the UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology in New Bedford, MA to prepare the red hake assessment and ensure the terms of reference have been fully addressed in the reports and documents provided to the Stock Assessment Review Committee.

NEW ENGLAND FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL:  The full Council will meet January 28-30, 2020at the Portsmouth Harbor Events and Conference Center.

MREP ON THE HORIZON:  A Marine Resource Education Program (MREP) Fisheries Science Workshop will be held February 25-27, 2020 in Woods Hole, MA.  The workshop is being organized by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

SCALLOPS ON THE HORIZON:  Two scallop-related meetings are on the Council’s calendar for February.

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

QUESTIONS:  Contact Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

Cod could choke catch of other fish

December 19, 2019 — It’s been a long road to setting final groundfish catch limits for the next three years in the Northeast Multispecies groundfishery and the journey isn’t quite over yet.

The New England Fishery Management Council approved the management framework that sets Northeast multispecies groundfish catch limits for 2020-2022 earlier this month. And local groundfishermen are looking at significant increases in several flounder stocks, American plaice and haddock.

But the state of the cod fishery in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank remains a point of contention.

“Overall, it’s pretty rosy,” said Jackie Odell, executive director of the Northeast Seafood Coalition. “But the real issue is codfish, with catch limits that are going to be limiting and constricting when fishermen try to target other stocks.”

The council approved a 32% cut to Georges Bank cod to 1,073 metric tons per season and slashed the annual catch limit for Gulf of Maine cod by 24% to 275 metric tons per season.

Fishing stakeholders say those cuts reflect the continuing deep divide between what fishermen are seeing with cod on Georges Bank and in the Gulf of Maine and what NOAA Fisheries scientists include in their projections and assessments.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Fisherman’s Perspective: Electronic Reporting Saves Time, Needs to Be Standardized Across Fisheries

December 18, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries caught up with Rick Bellavance over the summer to ask about his experiences using electronic reporting and electronic monitoring. He’s a charter fisherman out of Point Judith, Rhode Island and a member of the New England Fishery Management Council. This is the first of a two-part interview focusing on electronic reporting.

How did you get started in fishing?

I got my first boat when I was 10 years old, and would run around Narragansett Bay fishing for winter flounder, quahogs, and hardshell clams. When I was 22, I was hired by the fire department, and one of the other firefighters was a charter boat captain. He offered me a crew position on his charter boat, and I ended up working for him for seven seasons, and really learned the business. In 1996, my father and I went in together on the Priority Too and I started working for myself.

Why did you start using electronic reporting to submit your catch reports?

One of my good friends calls me a “closet data geek”—I’ve always been interested in my own data, always kept a logbook. Even as a teenager digging hard shell clams in Narragansett Bay, I meticulously maintained a log of what I caught and when I caught it. So I’ve always had an interest in data. But the real catalyst was when I received a “nastygram” from the Regional Office. It said that if I didn’t complete my vessel trip reports, I wasn’t going to be eligible to reapply for annual permit. So, I sat down in front of my wood stove in December after fishing all year and filled out a hundred vessel trip reports.

After that, I decided I was taking the family out to dinner because I had lost the desire to cook. At the restaurant, I watched the staff tap things on a computer and hand me a bill, and I thought, “I want that for fishing! It would be so much easier.” That’s when I started looking into it. I love it now. We do electronic vessel trip reports all the time, and it really is so much easier.

Read the full release here

Groundfish: NEFMC Approves Framework 59; Receives Progress Report on Amendment 23

December 17, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

During its early December meeting in Newport, RI, the New England Fishery Management Council approved Framework Adjustment 59 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. Among other provisions, the framework includes 2020-2022 specifications for 15 groundfish stocks in the Northeast multispecies complex, as well as total allowable catches (TACs) for three groundfish resources on Georges Bank that the U.S. shares with Canada.

Also on the groundfish end, the Council received:

  • A presentation from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) on the recent operational assessments for 14 groundfish stocks – the report and presentation are available here;
  • A report from the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) on the SSC’s overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations for groundfish stocks and Atlantic sea scallops – the presentation and related documents can be found here;

Read the full release here

Customers might have to shell out for scallops in 2020

December 16, 2019 — The good times of heavy shellfish hauls for the American scallop fishing industry are likely to continue into next year, though prices could rise for seafood lovers.

The industry has been experiencing strong years recently thanks to high demand from consumers and heavy catches from the fleet. U.S. scallops were worth $532.9 million to fishermen at the docks in 2018, the third most profitable year in recorded history.

The New England Fishery Management Council predicted Wednesday that new rules for the 2020-21 fishing season will yield about 52 million pounds of scallops. That would be a reduction of more than 10 million pounds from the current season, but still a strong number compared to the middle part of the decade.

The shellfish typically cost $20 to $25 per pound to consumers, who have had easy access to them at stores and restaurants. Members of the industry “see the 17% reduction in supply putting upward pressure on scallop prices,” said Peter Handy, president and chief executive officer of Bristol Seafood in Portland, Maine.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Washington Post

Regional US council approves reducing Atlantic scallop harvest 17% in 2020

December 12, 2019 — The New England Fishery Management Council has approved changes that would allow US harvesters to land about 52.0 million pounds of Atlantic scallops in 2020, roughly 17% less than the 62.5m lbs projected in 2019, the NEFMC reports in a statement released Wednesday.

The projected ex-vessel value of the harvest is expected to be close to $487m.

Regardless, the changes, included in the NEFMC-approved Framework 32, continue to support a scallop harvest that will be “well above the historical average,” the NEFMC states adding:

“The resource, which is not overfished or subject to overfishing, is considered healthy.”

Read the full story at Undercurrent News