Saving Seafood

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – Wednesday and Thursday, October 26-27, 2022 – Groundfish and Monkfish Issues

October 18, 2022 — 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 to discuss issues related to monkfish and groundfish.  The public is invited to listen live.  Here are the details.

 
 
START TIME:  9:00 a.m. both days
 
 
WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to join the meeting through this webinar.  The Remote Participation Guide is posted here.
 
CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (415) 930-5321.  The access code is 557-716-863.  Your regular phone charges will apply.
 
AGENDA:  The SSC will meet to:
 
  • Review information provided by the Council’s Groundfish Plan Development Team, as well as results from the recent peer-reviewed management track stock assessments for several groundfish stocks;
 
  • Using the Council’s acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule, recommend the overfishing limits (OFLs) and acceptable biological catches (ABCs) for fishing years 2023, 2024, and 2025 for Georges Bank haddock, Gulf of Maine haddock, Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder, Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder, Georges Bank winter flounder, Gulf of Maine winter flounder, American plaice, white hake, pollock, and Atlantic halibut;
 
  • Receive an update on the development of ABC control rule alternatives under consideration for the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan;
 
  • Review information provided by the Council’s Monkfish Plan Development Team, as well as results from the recent Monkfish Management Track Stock Assessment and peer review;
 
  • Recommend the OFLs and ABCs for the Northern and Southern Monkfish Fishery Management Areas for fishing years 2023, 2024, and 2025;
 
  • Recommend an approach for determining the discard deduction from the annual catch target for setting specifications for the monkfish fishery for fishing years 2023-2025; and
 
  • Discuss other business if necessary.
 
COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Monday, October 24, 2022.  Address comments to Council Chair Eric Reid or Executive Director Tom Nies and email them to comments@nefmc.org.  Additional information is available in the meeting notice.
 
MATERIALS:  All documents for this meeting will be posted on the SSC October 26-27, 2022 meeting webpage.
 
QUESTIONS:  Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492, ext. 101, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org. 
 

NEFMC Seeks Scientific and Statistical Committee Nominees to Serve for 2023-2025

October 13, 2022 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is seeking qualified candidates to serve on its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).  Individuals may nominate themselves or be nominated by other individuals or organizations.  Appointments are for three years with the term beginning in January 2023 and ending December 2025.  All relevant materials should be sent to the Council office and must be received by 8:00 a.m. on December 23, 2022.

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 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.  Responsibilities are outlined in the solicitation announcement and in the Council’s Operations Handbook.

SSC members are reimbursed for travel expenses up to specified limits for attending official meetings at the Council’s request and receive a daily stipend subject to funding.

The duties and responsibilities of this position require nominees to file the Statement of Financial Interests to fulfill the requirements of the Magnuson‐Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.  The purpose of this report is to assist potential candidates and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in avoiding conflicts between official duties and private financial interests or affiliations.  Please complete the form and include it with your application.

Nominations and supporting materials may be submitted by regular mail to the Council office or by email to Joan O’Leary at joleary@nefmc.org.  All nominations must be received by 8:00 a.m. on December 23, 2022.

If you have questions or need further information about this process, please contact Council Deputy Director Chris Kellogg at (978) 465-0492 ext. 112; ckellogg@nefmc.org.

Fishing regulators fear wind turbines could threaten spawning area for Atlantic cod

October 11, 2022 — Scientists identified spawning cod in a large area currently leased for offshore wind development, prompting fisheries regulators to declare the habitat a “high priority” and raising concerns that some projects could derail the decade-long effort to rebuild the struggling commercial fishery.

The designation by the New England Fishery Management Council was submitted to the federal NOAA Fisheries in August and is now pending final approval. Those involved say it is the most declarative action taken by the regional council in its approach to the emerging wind energy industry, highlighting its “concern over potential adverse impacts from offshore wind development.”

“We want to make it very clear that there are important fishery resources in this area,” said council spokesperson Janice Plante. “We hope that it creates an extra layer of consideration as these projects go forward.”

The boundaries of the designation, which is called a Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC), is roughly 3,000 square miles and spans all nine wind-energy lease areas in federal waters off Southern New England. It includes a buffer zone beyond the lease areas, “recognizing that some types of development activities can generate impacts at scales of tens of kilometers beyond the site of construction and operations.”

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

Council to Hold Seven In-Person Public Information Workshops on Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management

October 11, 2022 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled seven in-person public information workshops to help fishermen and other stakeholders learn more about ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM).

The workshops will run for three hours each and cover: (1) how EBFM can be used as a tool to assess and manage fisheries in general; and (2) more specifically, how EBFM potentially could be used to regulate fisheries on Georges Bank. The Council has developed a Draft Example Fishery Ecosystem Plan (eFEP) for Georges Bank in preparation for further discussion.

Read the full release here

Council Receives Final Monkfish Fishery Performance Report and Framework 13 Update; Hears Skate Monitoring Report Recap

October 4, 2022 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council discussed several items related to monkfish and skates during its September 26-29, 2022 hybrid meeting in Gloucester, MA.

• The Council received the final 2022 Monkfish Fishery Performance Report, which was developed to help the Council better understand present conditions in the fishery.

• The Council also received an update on Framework Adjustment 13 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which includes specifications for the 2023-2025 fishing years and other management measures. This portion of the discussion covered very preliminary outcomes from the latest monkfish stock assessment, which was peer reviewed the week before the Council meeting. And,

• The Council received an overview of the 2022 Skate Annual Monitoring Report, which covered the fishery and data through the 2021 fishing year and incorporated improvements recommended by the Skate Plan Development Team (PDT).

Read the full release here

Scallop and Groundfish Issues

October 4, 2022 — 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 by webinar to discuss issues related to scallops and groundfish.  The public is invited to listen live.  Here are the details.

 
 
START TIME:  9:00 a.m.
 
WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.  The Remote Participation Guide is posted here.
 
CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (213) 929-4212.  The access code is 387-509-610.  Your regular phone charges will apply.
 
AGENDA:  The SSC will meet to:
 
  • Review information provided by the Council’s Scallop Plan Development Team and recommend the overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) for Atlantic sea scallops for fishing year 2023 and a default OFL and ABC for fishing year 2024;
 
  • Review information provided by the Council’s Groundfish Plan Development Team and the results of the Level 1 management track stock assessments for witch flounder, ocean pout, and Atlantic wolffish.  Using the Council’s ABC control rules, recommend the overfishing limits and acceptable biological catches for each stock for fishing years 2023, 2024, and 2025; and
 
  • Consider other business as necessary.
 
COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Friday, October 7, 2022.  Address comments to Council Chair Eric Reid or Executive Director Tom Nies and email them to comments@nefmc.org.  Additional information is available in the meeting notice.
 
MATERIALS:  All documents for this meeting will be posted on the SSC October 12, 2022 meeting webpage.
 
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 Fishery Management Council hears proposals to protect right whales

October 3, 2022 — During its four-day meeting at the Beauport Hotel last week, the Newburyport-based New England Fishery Management Council heard from NOAA Fisheries officials about ways to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale with a proposed 10-knot speed limit for vessels 35 to 65 feet long, expanded seasonal speed zones, and ropeless fishing gear to prevent whales getting entangled in lobster trap lines.

Speed rules

Caroline Good, a large whale ecologist with NOAA Fisheries, presented the proposed rules aimed at reducing right whales from being struck by vessels and killed or injured.

However, the council could not come to a consensus to comment on the proposed changes.

Good said the right whale population continues to decline and is approaching extinction due to death and serious injury from entanglement with fishing gear and vessel strikes. Fewer than 350 individuals remain.

Since 2017, scientists have documented 54 right whales killed or seriously injured in U.S. and Canadian waters. Of those, according to Good’s presentation, 11 were killed due to vessel strikes and nine from entanglements.

Right whales are present in U.S. waters year-round, but in greater numbers during the late fall through early summer, Good said. They are highly vulnerable to vessel strikes due to dense vessel traffic along the East Coast.

Read the full article at Gloucester Times

Atlantic Herring: Council Signs Off on 2023-2025 Specifications; Receives Stock Assessment Overview

September 30, 2022 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council voted on a 2023-2025 specifications package that will determine catch limits for the Atlantic herring fishery for the next three fishing years.

The Council took this step during its September 2022 hybrid meeting in Gloucester and based the decision on:

• The most recent stock assessment information available;

• The Scientific and Statistical Committee’s overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations for the resource; and

• The herring rebuilding plan in Framework Adjustment 9.

Read the full release here

New England council votes down scallop leasing

September 30, 2022 — Capping six months of intense debate among fishermen, the New England Fishery Management Council voted this week against considering changes to allow scallop leasing within the fleet.

Fishermen crowded the council’s Sept. 27 meeting at Gloucester, Mass., for a debate on whether to develop an amendment to the scallop plant that would allow limited access scallop leasing for both access area trips and days-at-sea allocations.

Proponents of leasing, organized as the Scallopers Campaign, contended it would increase efficiency, cut costs and help operators when they face a major problem that takes a vessel out of action.

Opponents saw leasing as another avenue for consolidation of the fishery under fewer owners – as has happened in the Northeast groundfish fleet – with crew members and smaller independent operators at a disadvantage compared to fleet owners.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Scallop leasing proponents consider appealing regulators’ decision

September 29, 2022 — Fisheries regulators denied a controversial proposal to develop a leasing program in New England’s scallop industry this week, but backers of the plan suggested they might appeal the decision to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

In a letter submitted to the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) before its vote on Tuesday, Jeffrey Pike, previously a registered lobbyist with the Scallopers Campaign, wrote that should the council not approve a leasing or internal transfer program, “we will be left with no recourse but to appeal to the Secretary of Commerce to use her authority to develop a secretarial amendment.”

Pete Janhunen, a representative with the campaign, said Wednesday that whether they will proceed with an appeal is not decided. He said those involved with the campaign will gather next week to consider next steps, but that he could not speak to what those will be at this time.

During last week’s scallop committee meeting, Pike had said they would look for “other options” should leasing not move forward.

Supporters of leasing, some with ownership interest in larger fleets, have said leasing of fishing allocations will improve efficiency, cut operational costs, minimize emissions amid climate change, ameliorate port congestion and increase flexibility in the event a vessel fails. Opponents have said it’s a means of furthering consolidation, with crew and independent shoreside businesses likely to bear the cost.

Pike’s letter was addressed to NEFMC Executive Director Thomas Nies two days before the council ultimately failed to pass three motions — ranging from narrow to broad — that would have initiated a process to develop a leasing program in the limited access fishery.

Nies, who was attending ongoing council meetings Wednesday, provided a written statement to The Light, saying the council “thoroughly” debated the leasing issue before voting not to proceed.

Read the full article at The New Bedford Light