Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Announces Proposed 2019-2021 Spiny Dogfish Specifications

March 29, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are proposing 2019-2021 quota specifications for the spiny dogfish fishery, based on a 2018 stock assessment update, and consistent with the recommendations of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee, the Spiny Dogfish Monitoring Committee, the New England Fishery Management Council, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

The proposed specifications for the 2019 spiny dogfish fishery are a 46-percent reduction from fishing year 2018 to ensure overfishing does not occur. However, these quotas are proposed to increase in 2020 and 2021 as the spiny dogfish biomass is expected to increase and the risk of overfishing declines. Table 1 (below) provides a summary of the proposed specifications. All other fishery management measures, including the 6,000-lb federal trip limit, will remain unchanged for fishing years 2019-2021.

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register, and submit your comments through the online portal. You may also submit comments through regular mail to:

Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
55 Great Republic Drive
Gloucester, MA 01930

The comment period is open through 4/15/2019.

NEFMC Seeks Contractor for Atlantic Herring Offshore Spawning Discussion

March 27, 2019 — 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 prepare a Discussion Document that summarizes all scientific research and other relevant information about offshore spawning of Atlantic herring, Clupeidae clupea. Letters of interest and supporting materials must be received by April 22, 2019.

WHAT’S INVOLVED: The successful candidate’s role will be to serve as the primary author of the Discussion Document and then present the document to pertinent Council committees. The contractor will work under the supervision of Council staff. More specifically, the contractor will:

  • Summarize the status of Atlantic herring, including historical and updated research about spawning activity;
  • Provide maps showing historical and current spawning locations and herring egg beds to the extent that information is available;
  • Summarize all fishery data – both direct and incidental – that could have relevant information about the location, season, condition, or trends in Atlantic herring spawning activity;
  • Review the draft Discussion Document with the Council’s Herring Plan Development Team and incorporate input during the summer of 2019;
  • Subsequently present the Discussion Document to the Council’s Herring Committee, likely in September 2019; and
  • Finalize the Discussion Document in October 2019 following the full Council’s review in late September.

FOCUS OF REVIEW: At a minimum, the Discussion Document should contain the following updated information:

  • Results from recent stock assessments prepared by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and other indicators of spawning trends and activity;
  • A review of historical and current research collected on spawning of Atlantic herring;
  • A description of potential impacts of fishing on spawning of Atlantic herring, which may include a summary of data from observers and other sources such as portside sampling;
  • A review of measures in place in other fisheries for spawning protection of herring;
  • A summary of other sources of mortality and risks for successful spawning of Atlantic herring; and
  • Recent management actions by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that may have impacts on spawning of Georges Bank Atlantic herring.

TIMELINE: The contractor’s role is a short-term, temporary position that will begin on or about May 1, 2019 and end when the Council reviews the Discussion Document, tentatively in September 2019, followed by completion of a finalized document in October 2019.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING: The Council intends to use this document to support future deliberations about potential management measures that may be considered to minimize impacts on spawning of Atlantic herring on Georges Bank and Nantucket Shoals.

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 April 22, 2019.

  • A list of desired experience and demonstrated skills can be found in the solicitation notice.
  • Additional information and application mailing/email addresses are contained in the full solicitation notice, which can be accessed at the link above and here.
  • NOTE: Candidates employed by advocacy organizations or by organizations that are parties in fishery lawsuits will not be considered.

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – Friday, March 29, 2019, Research Priorities

March 22, 2019 — 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 via webinar on Friday, March 29, 2019, to discuss the Council’s research priorities.  The public is invited to listen live via webinar or telephone.  Here are the details.

START TIME:  10:00 a.m.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting will be 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 121-407-301.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.
 
AGENDA:  The SSC will:
  • Review research priority updates suggested by the Council’s committees and Plan Development Teams and provide the Council with recommendations about revisions to the Council’s research priorities that were developed in 2018;
  • Receive an informational briefing on the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s latest Ecosystem Status Report on the Northeast Continental Shelf ecosystem; and
  • Conduct other business as needed.
COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.  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 via the U.S. Postal Service 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 March 29, 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 – March 20, 2019

March 20, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

Here’s a roundup of upcoming meetings and new developments that are relevant to the New England Fishery Management Council’s stakeholders.

SCALLOPS:  New Bedford and Chatham, MA are the next two stops on the scoping meeting circuit for Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan.  The New Bedford meeting is today, Wednesday, March 20, and Chatham is up tomorrow, Thursday, March 21.  Both meetings begin at 6 p.m.  Also, a webinar is scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m., and more scoping meetings will be held next week in Virginia and New Jersey.  The series caps off in Gloucester on April 3.  Visit the Amendment 21 webpage to see the complete lineup and download the scoping document, press release, and staff presentation.

COMMERCIAL eVTRs:  The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is developing an Omnibus Framework to considerrequiring commercial vessels that carry federal permits for Mid-Atlantic Council-managed species to submit Vessel Trip Reports electronically (eVTRs).  This action, if approved, will apply to New England fishermen who obtain Mid-Atlantic permits for summer flounder/scup/black sea bass, bluefish, mackerel/squid/butterfish, and other species.  The Mid-Atlantic Council has scheduled a webinar for Monday, March 25 beginning at 9 a.m. to collect input from its Advisory Panels.  Details are available at AP webinar about commercial eVTRs.

ATLANTIC HERRING:  The New England Council’s Herring Advisory Panel (AP) will meet for a half-day on Wednesday, March 27 at the Holiday Inn in Mansfield, MA.  The Herring Committee will meet in the same location the following day, Thursday, March 28.  The AP and Committee both will discuss upcoming herring actions, work priorities, 2019-2021 specifications, and more.  The agenda and meeting materials are available at Herring AP and Herring Committee.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:  The Council’s Executive Committee will meet Wednesday, March 27 in Wakefield, MA.  More information will be available soon at Executive Committee meeting.

SCIENTIFIC AND STATISTICAL COMMITTEE (SSC):  The Council’s SSC will meet via webinar on Friday, March 29, 2019 to discuss and comment on the Council’s research priorities.  Learn more at SSC webinar.

GROUNDFISH:  The Council’s Groundfish Advisory Panel (AP) will meet on Monday, April 1 at the Hilton Garden Inn at Logan Airport.  The Groundfish Committee will meet in the same location the following day, Tuesday, April 2.  Both will discuss Groundfish Monitoring Amendment 23, the Council’s Gear Standards Policy, and 2019 groundfish priorities.  More information will be available soon at Groundfish AP and Groundfish Committee.

ECOSYSTEM-BASED FISHERY MANAGEMENT (EBFM):  The Council’s EBFM Committee will meet on Thursday, April 4 and again on Monday, April 15.  Both meetings will be held at the Radisson Airport Hotel in Warwick, RI beginning at 9:30 a.m.  The committee will discuss issues related to the development of a draft example Fishery Ecosystem Plan (eFEP) for Georges Bank.   More information and related documents will be posted as they become available at EBFM April 4, 2019 and EBFM April 15, 2019.

RECREATIONAL GROUNDFISH:  The Council has scheduled a series of listening sessions to solicit comments and gauge public interest on whether it should develop a limited access program for the recreational groundfish party/charter fishery under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan.  The sessions, which include a webinar, will run from April 4 through May 10 from Maine to New Jersey.  For more information and complete details about the times and locations of the listening sessions, read the press release, public notice, and download the background document.

MID-ATLANTIC COUNCIL:  The Mid-Atlantic Council will be discussing several issues relevant to New England stakeholders during its April 8-11 meeting in Avalon, NJ.  The Commercial eVTR Omnibus Framework described above is on the agenda, and the New England Council will be holding one of its Recreational Groundfish Party/Charter Fishery listening sessions in the same location on Monday, April 8.  Take a look at the agenda at MAFMC Avalon, NJ.

NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL:  The full New England Fishery Management Council will meet April 16-18, 2019 at the Hilton Hotel in Mystic, CT.  The agenda and meeting materials will be available soon at NEFMC Mystic, CT.

MONKFISH:  The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, NOAA Fisheries) announced that it is implementing 2019 monkfish specifications as recommended by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils in Framework Adjustment 10 to the federal Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP).  The Monkfish FMP is a joint plan between the two Councils with New England having the administrative lead.  The framework contains specifications for fishing years 2017-2019.  At the time the framework was implemented, NMFS approved 2017 specifications, along with “projected specifications” for 2018 and 2019.  This week, NMFS said it does not expect 2018 catch limits to be exceeded, so 2019 specifications will go into place on May 1 as initially developed by the Councils.  These include a total allowable landing limit of 6,338 metric tons (mt) in the Northern Fishery Management Area and 9,011 mt in the southern area.  Find out more in the Federal Register notice and permit holder bulletin.

NEFMC eyes limiting for-hire boats

March 13, 2019 — Over the past few years, the New England Fisheries Management Council has nibbled around the edges of whether a limited-access program would make sense for the Northeast recreational groundfish party and charter boat fishery.

Now the council is looking to take a far bigger bite out of the issue.

The council, acknowledging that the prospect of limiting access to the fishery has split both recreational anglers and for-hire boat operators, is taking its act out on the road to solicit public opinion on whether the council should effectively condense the for-hire fishery.

“This issue has come from industry,” Janice Plante, council spokeswoman, said Tuesday. “Recreational fishermen have been talking about it for quite a while. It keeps surfacing in council discussions, but it’s been put on a little bit of a back burner. The council’s recreational advisory panel supports taking this step now to thoroughly air all the issues and settle it once and for all.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Groundfish Party/Charter Fishery: NEFMC to hold listening sessions on limited access

March 11, 2019 — The following was published by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled eight listening sessions to solicit public comment on whether it should develop a limited access program for the recreational party/charter boat fishery under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, better known as the groundfish plan.

Seven in-person sessions will be held April 4 through May 9 from Maine to New Jersey, and a final webinar will be held on May 10 for anyone who could not attend an in-person session or who has additional comments to offer.

Council Executive Director Tom Nies said, “We’re going out on the road to listen to what people have to say. The Council has not made a decision yet about whether or not it will pursue limited access. We know the recreational fishery has many differing opinions about this issue, so before we begin to sketch out the details of a limited access program in an amendment to the groundfish plan, we first want to hear from impacted fishermen about whether or not they want us to embark down this road.”

Read the full press release from the New England Fishery Management Council here.

 

New measures proposed for Gulf of Maine scallops

February 13, 2019 — Federal fishery regulators are considering new measures for the Atlantic sea scallop management plan and have scheduled a series of public hearings from Maine to Virginia to collect public comment.

The public hearings, which include an April 3 session at the state Division of Marine Fisheries’s Annisquam River Station on Emerson Avenue in Gloucester, will touch upon three primary issues contained in Amendment 21 currently being developed by the New England Fishery Management Council:

* Measures to support a growing scallop fishery in the federal waters of the northern Gulf of Maine.

* Increasing the individual fishing quota possession limit of 600 pounds for those fishing with a limited access general permit.

* Measures that would allow limited access vessels to transfer quota to vessels fishing on a limited access general permit.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

 

New England council to hold meetings on scallop plan

February 13, 2019 — The New England Fishery Management Council (NEMFC) is considering making recommendations to develop Amendment 21 of the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan and is seeking public input.

The council will hold 10 scoping meetings in cities and towns across the US East Coast from Maine to Virginia over the next three months, it said. The amendment will touch on three issues, the council said in a press release.

These include:

  • Measures that will “support a growing directed scallop fishery” in Maine’s Northern Gulf. The council is considering “measures that prevent unrestrained removals” from the area and mechanisms to set and monitor catch levels and bycatch.
  • Measures to increase the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota (LAGC IFQ) possession limit up form 600 pounds. The council is seeking public input to determine where the upper limit should be.
  • An option that would allow Limited Access vessels to transfer IFQ to LAGC IFQ vessels

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

Cut in herring quota bodes ill for lobster

February 13, 2019 — Imagine running a trucking business and having your supply of diesel fuel cut by 70 percent.

For all practical purposes, that’s what happened to the Maine lobster industry last week.

On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries arm announced that it was cutting the 2019 herring quota by about 70 percent. That’s bad news for lobstermen.

While diesel oil is the fuel that powers most lobster boats, herring is the fuel that powers the Maine lobster industry.

Herring is the most popular bait used in the Maine lobster fishery and with the cut in the herring quota from about 110 million pounds last year to about 33 million pounds this year, bait is going to be scarce, and expensive.

The reduction wasn’t unexpected.

Last August, at the request of the New England Fishery Management Council, NOAA reduced the 2018 annual catch limit (ACL) for herring from about 231 million pounds to about 107 million pounds to reduce the risk of overfishing.

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander

 

NEFMC to Hold 10 Scoping Meetings on NGOM, LAGC Amendment

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

The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled 10 scoping meetings from Maine to Virginia to gather public input on the development of Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. This amendment is being developed to address three primary issues:

  • Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) Management Area measures;
  • Limited Access General Category (LAGC) individual fishing quota (IFQ) possession limits; and
  • The ability for Limited Access vessels with LAGC IFQ to transfer their quota to vessels that only hold LAGC IFQ permits.

Read the full release here