Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Releases Final “Batched” Biological Opinion & North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation Framework

May 27, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries released its Endangered Species Act (ESA) section 7 Biological Opinion on the authorization of eight federal fisheries management plans under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, two interstate fishery management plans under the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act, and the implementation of the New England Fishery Management Council’s Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2. We also released the North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation Framework for Federal Fisheries in the Greater Atlantic Region (Conservation Framework). NOAA Fisheries has evaluated the effects of the authorization of the fisheries, as modified by the Conservation Framework, on endangered and threatened species.

The 10 fisheries included in the Opinion are: (1) American Lobster, (2) Atlantic Bluefish, (3) Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab, (4) Mackerel/Squid/Butterfish, (5) Monkfish, (6) Northeast Multispecies, (7) Northeast Skate Complex, (8) Spiny Dogfish, (9) Summer Flounder/Scup/Black Sea Bass, and (10) Jonah Crab fisheries.

We released a draft Opinion on January 15, 2021 to the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils and shared it with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. We accepted feedback from the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils/Commission and other interested parties through February 19, 2021. This feedback was considered in developing the final Opinion.

In developing the Opinion, NOAA Fisheries identified that, to meet the mandates of the ESA, mortality and serious injury of North Atlantic right whales due to federal fisheries managed by the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office needs to be further reduced. Therefore, NOAA Fisheries developed and is committed to implementing a Conservation Framework to further reduce mortality and serious injury of North Atlantic right whales resulting from entanglements by the federal fisheries. The reduction in entanglements is also expected to reduce sublethal effects that may affect the health and reproductive output of right whales. This Conservation Framework outlines NOAA Fisheries’ commitment to implement measures that are necessary for the recovery of right whales, while providing a phased approach and flexibility to the fishing industry.

Through the ESA section 7 consultation, we have evaluated the effects of these fisheries, as modified by the Conservation Framework, on endangered and threatened species. The Opinion concludes that impacts from the authorization of the fisheries, as modified by the Conservation Framework, are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any ESA-listed species in the action area, including sea turtles, listed marine mammals, and listed fish. We also determined that the fisheries, as modified, are not likely to result in the destruction or adverse modification of any designated critical habitat.

NOAA Fisheries, through the Greater Atlantic Region’s Sustainable Fisheries and Protected Resources Divisions, is committed to implementing the Conservation Framework and other measures identified in the consultation to ensure that impacts to NOAA Fisheries’ trust resources are minimized. For more information and to read the Biological Opinion and  Conservation Framework please visit our website.

Read the full release here

2021 Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Workshops

May 25, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The New Hampshire Sea Grant, New England Fishery Management Council, and NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center will be hosting a series of workshops on Atlantic cod from June 1-July 1.

This four-part series will focus on the science driving the decision to split Atlantic cod stocks into five distinct biological stocks, instead of the two that are currently managed. Stemming from the 2020 report by the Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Working Group, this series will focus on the current science and management approaches to this fishery.

Presentations by technical experts will be followed by an open public discussion ensuring information is available to best inform the cod stock assessment process. There will be a follow-up series on the management implications of this split.

Registration is required to participate.

Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Workshops Scheduled for June, July 2021

May 21, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The biological stock structure of Atlantic cod and its implications for science and management will be discussed during two different rounds of public workshops. The first series, which begins on June 1, 2021, will cover the science aspects, while a second series, to be held later this year, will cover the management side.

An Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Working Group was formed in early 2018 to inventory and summarize all relevant peer-reviewed information about the stock structure of Atlantic cod in U.S. and adjacent waters.

Atlantic cod currently is managed as two stocks – Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. However, the working group concluded in its 2020 report that the population of Atlantic cod in New England waters consists of five distinct biological stocks as follows:

  1. Georges Bank;
  2. Southern New England;
  3. Western Gulf of Maine and Cape Cod winter spawners;
  4. Western Gulf of Maine spring spawners that overlap spatially with the Western Gulf of Maine and Cape Cod winter spawner stock; and
  5. Eastern Gulf of Maine

Read the full release here

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – Tuesday, May 11, 2021 – Groundfish Issues – ABC Control Rules

May 4, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee will meet by webinar to discuss issues related to groundfish.  The public is invited to listen live.  Here are the details.

WHEN:  Tuesday, May 11, 2021

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.

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8422.  The access code is 444-006-386.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  The SSC will meet to review the “Evaluation of Alternative Management Procedures for New England Groundfish,” which was conducted by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and may develop recommendations for modifying acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rules for groundfish for consideration by the New England Fishery Management Council.

COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Friday, May 7, 2021.  Address comments to Council Chairman Dr. John Quinn 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 May 11, 2021 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 Contractor for Habitat Climate Vulnerability Assessment Matrix and Species Narratives Development

May 3, 2021 — 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 develop informational products for fishery managers that integrate the results of three assessments:

  • The Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment (NHRA);
  • The Northeast Fish and Shellfish Climate Vulnerability Assessment (FSCVA); and
  • The Northeast Habitat Climate Vulnerability Assessment (HCVA).

This is a temporary contractor role, commencing on or about July 1, 2021, with expected completion by December 31, 2022.  The contractor will work closely with the Council’s Habitat Plan Coordinator, as well as other NHRA and HCVA investigators.  The application deadline is May 31, 2021.

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT: This project provides the New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils, which lead the Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment, with an opportunity to integrate the outputs from all three of the identified assessments for use in fisheries management.  The major objectives for this project are to:

  • Refine and advance a preliminary habitat-species vulnerability matrix; and
  • Develop species narratives for prioritized managed and forage species in the region.

The matrix will summarize which species use which habitat types, by life stage, and identify habitat and species climate vulnerabilities.  The species narratives will describe how the vulnerability of habitats to climate change may impact the vulnerability of those species, with a focus on species that are highly dependent on highly vulnerable habitats.

HOW MANY SPECIES ARE INVOLVED: The objective is to complete narratives for 50 species as part of this contract, with the remaining 20 species completed if possible, as resources permit.  A table containing the full list of species is available in the solicitation announcement.

TIMELINE: The timeline for this effort is July 2021 through December 2022, though most work is expected to be completed by July 2022 to align with the end date of the Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS: The Council is looking for candidates who have: (1) background in marine fisheries biology, ecology, habitat science, climate science, and/or habitat modeling, including knowledge of Greater Atlantic Region managed and forage species; (2) familiarity with the federal fisheries management in the Greater Atlantic Region, including a basic understanding of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and regulatory guidance; (3) strong writing skills and a demonstrated ability to summarize complex issues in clear, easily read documents; (4) a demonstrated ability to work well as part of a team but with considerable independence and initiative and strong interpersonal skills; and (5) the ability to research and compile fisheries habitat and scientific research with minimal supervision.

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 May 31, 2021.

QUESTIONS: For more information, contact Executive Director Tom Nies at (978) 465-0492 ext. 113, tnies@nefmc.org, or Habitat Plan Coordinator Michelle Bachman at (978) 465-0492 ext. 120, mbachman@nefmc.org.

NOAA Fisheries Approves 16 Groundfish Sectors for Fishing Years 2021 and 2022 and Allocates Annual Catch Entitlements for Fishing Year 2021

April 29, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective May 1

NOAA Fisheries is approving fishing years 2021 and 2022 sector operations plans and contracts from 16 groundfish sectors, and granting 19 regulatory exemptions to improve the efficiency and flexibility of sector vessels. We are also allocating annual catch entitlements for fishing year 2021 based on Framework Adjustment 59 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. Annual catch entitlements may be modified based on the New England Fishery Management Council’s recommendations in Framework Adjustment 61, if approved, at a later date.

This action also amends the groundfish monitoring regulations to allow the use of electronic monitoring to meet sector monitoring requirements. NOAA Fisheries has determined that the electronic monitoring audit model is sufficient for use in place of at-sea monitors for catch accounting. Sector vessels may now choose to use either at-sea monitoring or electronic monitoring to meet monitoring requirements, provided that the vessels’ sector has a corresponding monitoring program approved as part of its fishing years 2021-22 sector operations plan.

For more information read the rule as filed in the Federal Register and our bulletin.

Scallop Research Share Days Scheduled for Thursday, May 6 and Wednesday, May 12, 2021 – Tune In

April 29, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will be hosting two Scallop Research Share Days on Thursday, May 6, 2021 and Wednesday, May 12, 2021. Both sessions will be held by webinar and are scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m.

Share Days provide an opportunity for award recipients of the Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program to “share” their findings with fishery managers and the public. This year, other scallop researchers who are conducting studies on topics that have been identified by the Council as research priorities also will have the chance to share their work.

Council Chairman Dr. John Quinn said, “Scallop Research Share Days are a great opportunity for fishery managers and stakeholders to learn more about ongoing scallop research in our region. Expanding the scope of this event to include researchers outside of the Scallop RSA Program will help the Council determine where to focus future RSA priorities. I encourage anyone who’s interested in the scallop fishery to join both of the webinar sessions for this event and listen to the short overviews of the important scallop research that’s being conducted in our region.”

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces Revised 2021 and Projected 2022 Spiny Dogfish Specifications

April 29, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective May 1

NOAA Fisheries is implementing revised catch specifications for the 2021 and 2022 spiny dogfish fishery, as recommended by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils. These catch limits are revised from what was originally projected for fishing year 2021 to reflect the Mid-Atlantic Council’s updated risk policy to prevent overfishing, and the same specifications are projected for fishing year 2022. Because the new risk policy accepts a higher level of risk for stocks at or above biomass targets, the proposed revisions increase all catch limits nearly 10 percent, as shown in the table below.

All other spiny dogfish management measures and requirements, including the 6,000-lb federal trip limit, remain unchanged.

For more details, please read the rule as filed in the Federal Register, and/or the bulletin posted on our website.

Read the full release here

NEFMC Drops Limited Access from Skate Amendment 5 Toolbox for Both Wing and Bait Fisheries

April 26, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will continue to work on Amendment 5 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP). However, the Council will not be developing alternatives that involve limited access for either the skate wing or skate bait fisheries as part of this amendment. The Council made this decision during its April 13-15, 2021 webinar meeting.

The Council conducted two rounds of scoping for Amendment 5. The first was in 2017 when the amendment was largely focused on limited access and qualification criteria. The second was in January and February of 2021 after the Council agreed to expand the scope of the amendment to consider ways other than limited access to:

  • Prevent triggering incidental skate possession limits;
  • Improve the precision and accuracy of fishery data; and
  • Better define fishery participants.

Read the full release here

NEFMC Provides Guidance on Actions to Rebuild Herring Stock, Consider Spawning Protection on Georges Bank

April 23, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council received a progress report during its April 13-15, 2021 webinar meeting on two evolving framework adjustments to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. The Council discussed both actions and provided feedback to guide the Herring Plan Development Team (PDT), Herring Committee, and Herring Advisory Panel (AP) on the work these groups will continue to conduct in the months ahead.

FRAMEWORK ADJUSTMENT 9 – This framework includes two components:

  • Measures to rebuild the Atlantic herring resource; and
  • Measures to potentially adjust accountability measures (AMs) in the fishery.

Read the full release here