Saving Seafood

NEFMC Receives Updates on Offshore Wind, Atlantic Herring, EBFM; Approves 2021-2025 Research Priorities

July 9, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council met June 22-24, 2021 by webinar. In addition to the actions the Council took on scallops, groundfish, and skates, here are other important highlights.

Habitat/Offshore Wind – The Council received offshore wind presentations from three different agencies.

  • The Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) covered how NOAA Fisheries cooperates and coordinates with other agencies on wind issues, develops checklists to help guide analyses of socio-economic impacts on fishing communities, as well as Endangered Species Act biological assessments and other analyses, conducts essential fish habitat (EFH) consultations and EFH mapping, and more;
  • The Northeast Fisheries Science Center focused on offshore wind impacts on federal scientific surveys and the associated implications; and
  • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) provided a broad overview of offshore wind energy projects throughout the Atlantic region.

Read the full release here

MASSACHUSETTS: Meet the women of New Bedford’s Waterfront: Scientists analyze data to support fisheries

July 7, 2021 — Scientist Kevin Stokesbury pulled up a digital presentation in his New Bedford office at the School for Marine Science and Technology. Across from him sat fisheries consultant Cate O’Keefe with a notepad and pen in hand.

For about an hour, O’Keefe asked Stokesbury (her former doctoral advisor) a series of questions about scallop surveys, the potential impacts of offshore wind development on data collection, and the ways in which survey collaboration could improve.

She will meet with other researchers in the region in the coming weeks for a project with the New England Fishery Management Council — the organization that regulates fisheries in federal waters from Maine to Connecticut. The working group O’Keefe is involved with expects to issue a set of recommendations to improve scallop surveys by next summer, which will ultimately inform the future management of New Bedford’s most lucrative fishery

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

NEFMC Recommends NOAA Fisheries Rescind Control Dates for Skate Wing and Skate Bait Fisheries

July 7, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

After thoroughly debating the issue during its June 22-24, 2021 webinar meeting, the New England Fishery Management Council voted to recommend that NOAA Fisheries rescind the existing control dates for both the skate wing and skate bait fisheries. The current control dates are:

  • Skate Bait Fishery – July 30, 2009; and
  • Skate Wing Fishery – March 31, 2014.

The Council originally recommended control dates because it was concerned about potential increases in effort and speculative entry into the fishery while it explored limited access options for skates.

Read the full release here

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford mayor unhappy with Baker pick for fish panel

July 2, 2021 — New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell is once again expressing frustration with Beacon Hill leaders for a lack of focus on the Whaling City.

Last week, Plymouth resident Michael Pierdinock was named to a seat representing Massachusetts on the New England Fishery Management Council, a panel that sets rules for the fishing industry such as catch limits. It is one of eight such regional councils nationwide.

Pierdinock will replace former state Rep. John Quinn, a Dartmouth resident and longtime member who had years of expertise regarding commercial fishing issues in Greater New Bedford.

Pierdinock, a civil engineer who owns a charter boat, was Gov. Charlie Baker’s top choice for the seat and listed as a recreational fisherman. State campaign-finance records show he has made $2,500 in campaign donations to Baker since 2016.

A Baker administration official emphasized that Pierdinock docks his vessel in New Bedford, and said he is knowledgeable about issues “that impact recreational anglers and the for-hire industry.”

But that defense didn’t satisfy Mitchell.

Read the full story at WPRI

MASSACHUSETTS: Two locals bypassed for fish council seats

June 30, 2021 — The federal Department of Commerce has filled five vacancies on the New England Fishery Management Council, bypassing the candidacy of the Northeast Seafood Coalition Executive Director Jackie Odell for two of those seats.

Odell was a candidate for the obligatory Massachusetts seat that went to Mike Pierdinock, a Cape Cod recreational fishing stakeholder who will be serving his first three-year term on the council.

Odell was Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s second choice for the Bay State’s obligatory seat that will become vacant Aug. 10 when council Chairman John Quinn retires after reaching the mandatory limit of three consecutive three-year terms.

She also was Baker’s first choice for the at-large seat that will become available Aug. 10 with the pending retirement of Vincent M. Balzano of Maine from the council. Balzano also reached his term limit of nine years.

Peter Seminara, Gloucester’s shellfish warden and Baker’s third choice for the at-large seat, also was passed over in this year’s round of appointments.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo chose to appoint Kristin ‘Togue’ Brawn of Maine to her first three-year term on the council for the at-large seat. Brawn operates a wholesale seafood business that sources scallops from Maine’s scallop dayboat fleet.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

NOAA Fisheries Announces 2021 Regional Fishery Management Council Appointments

June 28, 2021 — NOAA Fisheries announced 2021 regional fishery management council appointments on June 28. The Administration broke down the appointments by region. Find the full list of appointments below.

New England Council

2021 appointees will fill four obligatory seats for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and one at-large seat:

Mark Alexander (Connecticut), Geoffrey Smith (Maine), Michael Pierdinock (Massachusetts) and Eric Reid (Rhode Island) *.

The At-large seat will belong to Kristin ‘Togue’ Brawn (Maine).

Read the full story at Seafood News

NEFMC Receives Cod Stock Structure and Groundfish ABC Control Rule Updates; Initiates Framework 63

June 28, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council covered three groundfish topics during its June 22-24, 2021 meeting that all addressed this year’s management priorities for Northeast multispecies. The Council:

  • Received an update on work being done to evaluate alternative acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rules for groundfish, also referred to as harvest control rules;
  • Initiated Framework Adjustment 63 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, which includes specifications and management measures for fishing years 2022 to 2024; and
  • Received a progress report on a two-part series of workshops related to Atlantic cod stock structure.

Read the full release here

US Atlantic scallop prices high as rotational closures reduce supply, boost production costs

June 24, 2021 — The Atlantic sea scallop fishery – predominantly centered around ports in New Bedford, Massachusetts; Point Judith, Rhode Island; Cape May, New Jersey; and Norfolk, Virginia – is the largest and most valuable wild scallop fishery in the world. Projected landings in the federal fishery are expected to be around 40 million pounds in 2021.

“The allocation was developed using survey data from 2020, and then projecting growth, harvest, natural mortality and recruitment,” Jonathon Peros, fishery analyst and scallop lead at New England Fishery Management Council, said.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NEFMC Approves 2022-2023 Scallop RSA Priorities; Initiates Framework 34; Responds to Letter on Leasing Petition

June 24, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

During its June 2021 webinar meeting, the New England Fishery Management Council adopted 2022-2023 research priorities to help steer the development of the next round of projects to be funded through the Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. Resource surveys were identified by the Council as the highest priority, as has been the case for several years running.

This year, the Council expanded the range of potential projects under its high priority category by:

  • Broadening the scope of research that can be proposed under the scallop biology priority; and
  • Expanding the turtle priority to cover gear research and ecological studies, which were identified as Reasonable and Prudent Measures in the new Biological Opinion for the scallop fishery

The Council also identified three categories of important general research projects, which are noted in the table below. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS/NOAA Fisheries) is expected to publish the Notice of Funding Opportunity for 2022-2023 awards this summer. NOAA Fisheries administers the RSA award competition and oversees selected projects, as well as set-aside harvest activities. The awards are based on the Council’s identified RSA priorities.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed Rule: Framework 61 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan

June 24, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are seeking public comment on an action developed by the New England Fishery Management Council that would set or adjust catch limits for groundfish stocks for the 2021 fishing year (May 1, 2021 – April 30, 2022), including the three stocks managed jointly with Canada. For 2021, Framework 61 would decrease six stock quotas, and increase four stock quotas compared to 2020. These revised catch limits are based upon the results of stock assessments conducted in 2020 and are intended to help prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks.

This action would also revise the status determination criteria for Georges Bank and Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic winter flounder, implement a revised rebuilding plan for white hake, and implement a universal exemption for sectors to target redfish.

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register, and submit your comments through the online portal.

The comment period is open through 07-09-2021.