May 9, 2023 — The following was released New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council met April 18-20, 2023 in Mystic, Connecticut and covered a dozen different topics ranging from monkfish to skates, scallops to habitat, groundfish to Atlantic sturgeon, Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management, and more. Here are the highlights.

MONKFISH: One of the Council’s 2023 priorities is to consider recommendations from the Research SetAside (RSA) Program Review and develop measures to improve the Monkfish RSA Program’s effectiveness. The charge is two-fold: (1) revisit the use of RSA days-at-sea and the ability to flip to an RSA day while at sea; and (2) form a workgroup of fishermen, NOAA Fisheries and Council staff members, Monkfish Committee members, and others as needed to “discuss the Monkfish RSA Program and identify potential improvements.” The Monkfish RSA Program has seen limited use for many years now, which prompted the Council’s request to undertake the review as a 2023 Council Priority

THE RESULT: The Council viewed this presentation and approved the proposal for establishing a workgroup to improve the Monkfish RSA Program. The workgroup will meet June 5, 2023.

PROTECTED RESOURCES – ATLANTIC STURGEON: The Council received an update on efforts underway to reduce bycatch of Atlantic sturgeon in the large-mesh monkfish and spiny dogfish fisheries. The New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils jointly manage the two fisheries. New England has the administrative lead for monkfish and the Mid-Atlantic Council has the lead for dogfish. The two Councils are collaborating on a joint sturgeon action as outlined in this draft 2023 work plan.

THE RESULT: For its part, the New England Council initiated Framework Adjustment 15 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan. The measures in the framework will be based on recommendations from NOAA’s Action Plan to Reduce Atlantic Sturgeon Bycatch in Federal Large-Mesh Gillnet Fisheries. Large mesh is defined as “greater than or equal to 7 inches” in this action.

May 7, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking the services of an independent contractor to prepare an analysis of recruitment assumptions used in stock projections for white hake. The application deadline is May 15, 2023.

This is a short-term, temporary contractor role, commencing on or about May 20, 2023. The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will review the analysis in the summer of 2023 (tentative date August 10, 2023). The analysis may be used to modify the white hake rebuilding plan and could be used to update Overfishing Limits (OFL) and Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) recommendations for future years. All work under this request for proposals (RFP) is expected to be completed by October 1, 2023.

White hake is a key component of the Northeast Multispecies fishery, commonly caught in gillnet and trawl gear. Revenues from white hake during the period 2017-2021 averaged $4.8 million per year, about nine percent of total groundfish revenues.

The stock underwent a Level 3 management track assessment in 2022. The Peer Review Panel concluded the stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. The same determination was made by NOAA Fisheries. Stock projections from this assessment were used to develop catch advice for future years.

The role of this project is to examine the recruitment time series used to establish white hake reference points and catch advice. The examination should focus on whether there is information in the time series that supports using a different assumption.

The response to this RFP should describe in detail the analytic approach that will be used to examine this issue. Analyses should be based on the existing assessment model and data stream for white hake. It should not explore different assessment models.

Desired experience, demonstrated skills, expected responsibilities, deliverables, and application submission details are outlined in the request for proposals.

May 7, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has charged its Atlantic Herring Committee with further developing two focused items related to 2023 herring work priorities. Both requests were the result of considerable discussion during the Council’s April 18-20, 2023 meeting in Mystic, Connecticut.

The Herring Committee’s recommendations will come back to the Council in June for further consideration and may involve a change in priorities for herring. A change would require a two-thirds majority vote by the Council. The topics at hand were related to the Council’s 2023 work plan to:

Revisit the Inshore Midwater Trawl Restricted Area, also known as a buffer zone or exclusion zone, that was: (1) developed by the Council in Atlantic Herring Amendment 8; (2) implemented by NOAA Fisheries; and (3) vacated by a U.S. District Court judge on March 29, 2022, meaning it is no longer in place (see map below); and

Conduct an analysis to investigate what combination of factors may have led to the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office’s (GARFO) low 2020 to The inshore area shaded in dark gray above was implemented in Herring Amendment 8 as a zone where midwater trawlers were prohibited from fishing year-round. A court vacated the measure. • 2022 river herring and shad by catch estimates in the Atlantic herring fishery.

April 20, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is asking NOAA Fisheries to take emergency action under the Secretary of Commerce’s authority to address a critical Gulf of Maine haddock situation that is expected to result in significant fishery impacts during the 2023 groundfish fishing year. The new fishing year begins on May 1, less than two weeks after the Council gathered in Mystic, CT for its April 18-20, 2023 meeting.

The crux of the problem is this. Fishermen have been encountering Gulf of Maine haddock at very high catch rates. The proposed 2023 annual catch limit (ACL), however, is extremely low. The Council recently learned of one industry member who, in a single trip, harvested an amount of Gulf of Maine haddock equivalent to what will become his entire allocation for 2023. Several fishermen expressed concern that an early shutdown of the fishery was highly likely and would have wide-ranging impacts. Even without targeting haddock, fishermen need haddock quota to account for bycatch while harvesting other species.

The proposed low catch limit is part of Framework Adjustment 65 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which the Council developed to establish catch limits and management measures for 2023-2025. This action is now under review by NOAA Fisheries

Framework 65 contains an acceptable biological catch (ABC) of 1,936 metric tons (mt) as recommended by Haddock landed in Gloucester, Massachusetts. – NEFMC photo by the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). The ABC was largely based on results from the 2022 Gulf of Maine Haddock Management Track Stock Assessment, as well as other relevant information.

The 1,936-mt ABC led to an annual catch limit that was then divided into several components or sub-ACLs to cover catches from state waters, the recreational fishery, and other categories. The sub-ACL for the groundfish sector and common pool fisheries settled out at 1,149 mt, representing an 84% reduction from the fishing year 2022 sub-ACL (see slide 49 for 2023 sub-ACL breakdown).

 

April 20, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has finalized a framework adjustment to the Atlantic Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that will make it possible for industry members who obtain a letter of authorization from NOAA Fisheries to possess farm-raised Atlantic salmon in federal waters.

The Council’s original FMP prohibits directed fishing and possession of Atlantic salmon in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). However, the FMP also gives the Council the ability to develop a framework action to authorize salmon aquaculture in federal waters – if it chooses to do so.

The possible need for action arose after a private business, Blue Water Fisheries, proposed a commercialscale marine finfish aquaculture facility in federal waters roughly 7.5 miles east-northeast of Newburyport Harbor, MA. This prompted the Council to initiate Framework Adjustment 1 to the Atlantic Salmon FMP in September 2022 to establish a clear path forward for offshore aquaculture projects in general.

 

April 11, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting from Tuesday, April 18 through Thursday, April 20, 2023.  This will be an in-person meeting coupled with a webinar option for individuals who cannot or prefer not to attend in person.

COVID PROTOCOLS:  The Council continues to follow all public safety measures related to COVID-19 and intends to do so for this meeting.  Please participate remotely if you are experiencing COVID symptoms or do not feel well.  Updates will be posted on the meeting webpage as needed.

START TIME:  9:00 a.m. each day.  The first day will begin with a closed session in which Council members will discuss the ongoing search for a new executive director.  The webinar will end shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

Here are a few items of special note.

OFFSHORE WIND INFORMATION SHARING:  Fisheries liaisons from multiple wind developers will be sharing information with Council meeting attendees on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Clipper Room at the Hilton Mystic.  This event is focused on the Massachusetts/Rhode Island and New York Bight wind development areas.  All are welcome to attend.

EMERGENCY ACTION:  The Council will discuss Gulf of Maine haddock under the Groundfish Committee report on Wednesday morning and potentially consider requesting emergency action.

PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES:  The Council wants to hear from you.  Here’s how you can let the Council know what you think.

• WRITE A LETTER:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Please note that written comments must address items listed on the agenda for this meeting.
• TALK TO THE COUNCIL:  You’ll be able to address the Council directly through two different avenues:

1. By commenting on motions at the discretion of the Council chair (if commenting remotely, raise your hand on the webinar and unmute yourself when called upon); and
2. By speaking during the open period for public comment.  Here are theGuidelines for Providing Public Comment.

• OPEN PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT:  On Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 1:45 p.m., the Council will offer the public an opportunity to provide comments on issues relevant to Council business but not listed on this agenda.  Given the Council’s busy meeting schedule, we ask that you limit remarks to 3-5 minutes.
• • SIGN UP:  Interested in speaking?  If attending in person, fill out the sign-up sheet on the table at the entrance to the Council meeting room.  To speak remotely, email Janice Plante at jplante@nefmc.org to get on the list.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

• Here are instructions in the Remote Participation Guide for successfully joining and participating in the webinar.
• THIS IS KEY!  If you want to speak during opportunities for public comment, you need to: (1) register for the webinar; and (2) actually “join” the webinar.  People who call in by telephone without joining the webinar will be in listen-only mode.  Those who take both steps – register and then join the webinar – will see the meeting screen and be able to click on a “raise hand” button, which will let the meeting organizer know you want to be unmuted to speak.
• We have a Help Desk in case you get stuck joining the webinar or have trouble along the way.  Just email helpdesk@nefmc.org and we’ll get right back to you.

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone without joining the webinar, dial +1 (415) 655-0052.  The access code is 155-027-577.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.  Remember, you will not be able to speak if you do not first join the webinar as described above.  This phone number provides a “listen-only” option without the webinar component.

AGENDA:  All meeting materials and the agenda are available on the Council’s website atNEFMC April 18-20, 2023 meeting webpage.  Additional documents will be posted as they become available.

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

COUNCIL MEETING QUESTIONS:  Anyone with questions prior to or during the Council meeting should contact Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

April 7, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is looking for members of the mobile gear, gillnet, trap/pot, and recreational fishing communities, as well as other members of the public, to serve on its On-Demand Fishing Gear Conflict Working Group. The application deadline is Monday, April 24, 2023.

The working group’s goal is to identify strategies for reducing gear interactions between on-demand gear, which is often referred to as ropeless gear, and fisheries that use other gear types, such as the groundfish, monkfish, and scallop mobile gear fisheries and the recreational party/charter rod-and-reel fishery.

In addition, the working group will identify strategies for reducing gear interactions that may result from future measures adopted for sink gillnet fisheries and trap/pot fisheries. These would be measures other than those already implemented for the Northeast lobster and Jonah crab fisheries to protect North Atlantic right whales, humpback whales, fin whales, and other protected resources.