Saving Seafood

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – August 21, 2019 – Monkfish, Skates, Red Crab, GB Yellowtail OFLs, ABCs

August 14, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet on Wednesday, August 21, 2019.  The public is invited to attend in person or listen live via webinar or telephone.  Here are the details.

LOCATION:  The meeting will be held at the Hotel Providence in Providence, RI.

START TIME:  9:00 a.m

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting will be available at Listen Live.  There will be 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 927-194-100.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  The SSC will develop overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations for:
  • Monkfish fishing years 2020 through 2022;
  • Deep-sea red crab fishing years 2020 through 2022;
  • The Northeast skate complex for fishing years 2020 and 2021; and
  • Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for fishing years 2020 and 2021 as managed under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan.
The SSC also may discuss internal organization issues and other business.
 
COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8 a.m. on Monday, August 19.  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 August 21, 2019 documents.
 
QUESTIONS:  Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492 ext. 106, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

New England Council Update – August 12, 2019

August 12, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

ADVISORY PANEL APPLICANTS WANTED: The New England Fishery Management Council is encouraging all interested stakeholders to consider serving on an advisory panel (AP). Executive Director Tom Nies said, “Our advisory panels are extremely important to our process. They help Council members make more informed decisions. We’re looking for applicants who understand their fisheries and are ready to commit to an active role on an AP.”

Read the full release here

Monkfish RSA Competition Underway for 2020-2021 Funding Opportunity

August 2, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The federal competition for 2020-2021 awards through the Monkfish Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program is now open. The deadline for submitting full proposals is Sunday, September 29, 2019 at 5 p.m.

The New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, which jointly manage monkfish, established the Monkfish RSA Program through Amendment 2 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan. The Councils set research priorities for this program, while NOAA Fisheries administers the RSA competition, oversees award projects, and monitors set-aside harvest activities through the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO).

Read the full release here

DAVID GOETHEL: The hidden cost of fishery monitoring

August 2, 2019 — Recently my crewman came into the wheelhouse with a complaint. I am a commercial fisherman and we were on our third consecutive day of carrying at-sea monitors, which we are required to do in 2019 on at least 31% of trips. This is like having your own state policeman ride with you to work to make sure you do not exceed the speed limit. They watch you to make sure you do not throw over any fish that are part of your quota. Because the government wants their monies worth, they have them weigh everything you bring on board.

My crewman’s complaint was about the number of fish and shellfish being killed that would have been returned alive to the ocean on unobserved trips.

My crewman did not come from a fishing background. He was a restaurant chef. In restaurants you do not waste anything. Unsold fresh catch becomes tomorrow’s fish chowder. In fisheries we waste lots of fish, and after a while become hardened to government regulations that require the practice.

Read the full story at Fosters.com

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Scallop Research Proposals

July 26, 2019 — NOAA Fisheries, in coordination with the New England Fishery Management Council, is soliciting research proposals under the Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Program.

Successful applicants are awarded pounds of scallops that have been “Set aside” to pay for research expenses.

Researchers and fishermen partner to harvest awarded scallops, and the proceeds are used to fund the research and compensate fishing industry partners.

The New England Fishery Management Council sets the research priorities and NOAA Fisheries administers the competition, oversees awarded projects, and oversees set-aside harvest activities.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

2020-2021 Scallop RSA Competition Underway; September 20 Deadline for Project Proposals

July 25, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The federal competition for 2020-2021 awards through the Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program is now open. The deadline for submitting full proposals is Friday, September 20, 2019 at 5 p.m.

The New England Fishery Management Council established the Scallop RSA Program under the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. The Council sets research priorities for this program, while the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS/NOAA Fisheries) administers the RSA competition, oversees award projects, and monitors set-aside harvest activities through the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO).

Read the full release here

Pollock scarce — and expensive — as Northeast groundfish prices fluctuate

July 25, 2019 — The Northeast groundfish fishery kicked off May 1. The federal shutdown last winter meant some management changes, like Framework 58 which changes catch limits on several stocks, faced delays.

Groundfish prices seem to be fluctuating. Bert Jongerden, general manager of the Portland Fish Exchange, a wholesale auction in Maine says fleets are  “mostly bringing in Gulf of Maine haddock, dabs, and white hake, it’s balanced among those.”

Gulf of Maine haddock appears steady, with average price for large around $2.78 per pound. Demand for dabs for restaurant markets is high, with $4.50-5.00 for large dabs.

Fleets are hauling high volumes of redfish, with low prices. Another low point is monkfish.

“Tails are very soft, sometimes less than $1 per pound on auction,” adds Jongerden. It is a pattern that has been seen a few years – likely a result of robust supply but cold European markets, which set the price.

“A lot of gillnetters are targeting monks to avoid cod, because there is a terrible cod problem. The fish are there,” said Jongerden. Average prices for cod were $3.24 to $3.81 per pound as of late June.

All eyes are on Atlantic pollock. “Gillnetters are just not seeing them, no large or mediums,” adds Jongerden. Pollock (aka Boston bluefish) is popular in NY markets.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

New England council joins Mid-Atlantic in push to require electronic trip reporting

July 19, 2019 — The New England Fishery Management Council has decided to join with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in requiring all vessels to use electronic vessel trip reports (eVTR), replacing physical reports.

The action was initiated after the Mid-Atlantic council started investigating the possibility of switching all trip reporting in December 2018. The move, under an omnibus framework action, would require that all vessels use eVTR, a method that has been available since 2013.

“The Mid-Atlantic Council has been interested in eVTR for the past several years,” Karson Coutre, of the Mid-Atlantic council, told SeafoodSource in May. “Many stakeholders have voiced the desire to move in the direction of electronic reporting with technological advances and eVTR being an established means to submit VTRs since 2013.”

Electronic reporting would eliminate the need to individually scan thousands of reports: In 2018, the Mid-Atlantic council had to process over 70,000 reports. Every single one needs to be entered into a database, and sometimes clarity issues caused by handwriting or other problems makes information less accurate than it would be in an electronic report.

As a result of the Mid-Atlantic council’s investigation into using eVTR, the New England council had to initiate its own investigations. Many permit-holders in the region hold permits belonging to both councils, estimates by the New England council places at least 2,514 vessels holding permits in both regions, or nearly 90 percent.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Sea Scallop Camera-Based Survey Expanded on Georges Bank

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

The University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, School for Marine Science and Technology will add the Northern Flank and Closed Area II North to this year’s planned survey work around Georges Bank to track sea scallop aggregations.

The survey, which uses a drop-camera array, is also covering the Great South Channel, Nantucket Lightship, and the Closed Area I Access Area.

“Taking on this additional work while in the middle of a busy survey season exemplifies the School for Marine Science and Technology’s dedication to supporting the scallop fishery,” said Jon Hare, director of NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center. “It’s also a great example of the importance of our strong partnerships in the region that provide science to support management of this valuable resource.”

The University’s survey is funded by the sale of sea scallops that are set aside from the annual catch limit through the Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Program. The New England Fishery Management Council established this unique program to address research questions that support management of the sea scallop resource.

Awards are made in pounds, not dollars, and no federal funding is provided. Instead, proceeds generated from the sale of set-aside scallops are used to fund research activities and compensate participating vessels.

Read the full release here

CORRECTED: Regional fishery council moves toward mandatory e-reporting

July 17, 2019 — The digital age of vessel reporting is on the line and the New England Fishery Management Council is trying to make sure fishermen under its purview answer the call.

The council has embarked on a management strategy that ultimately will require all commercial fishermen holding federal permits for New England council-managed species to file their vessel trip reports electronically rather than by the traditional paper reports.

“The goal is to go to a mandatory electronic reporting system,” said Janice Plante, spokeswoman for the council. “But we also know that this is going to present a challenge for some fishermen used to filing paper reports. We’re going to need an extended implementation period. NOAA Fisheries and both the Mid-Atlantic council and our council agree on that.”

The New England council is joining the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in working toward a fully digital format — known as eVTRs — for filing the vessel trip reports that provide regulators with catch data on every fishing trip, including each chart area, gear type and/or mesh size fished.

The current vessel reporting regulations require fishermen to complete their paper VTR prior to landing. Plante said that will continue under electronic filing. However, she said, the timeline for submitting the reports remains under consideration and will be finalized before the new regulations take effect.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times