Saving Seafood

Fishery Managers Begin Unsnarling Mess Left by Shutdown

January 29, 2019 — Federal fishing managers are beginning the process of determining how the nation’s harvest of wild fish has been impacted by the government shutdown.

The New England Fishery Management Council is meeting this week in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The council is one of several charged by the feds with crafting fishing regulations and managing fisheries.

Members of the council said Tuesday their meeting this week will primarily be about determining how the 35-day federal shutdown has affected fishery management plans. The shutdown left the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mostly shuttered, and that halted the scientific work that managers rely on to write regulations.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at U.S. News

Shutdown pushes Maine fishing community to the brink of crisis

January 29, 2019 — Terry Alexander has fished for 40 of his 57 years, catching groundfish in the winter and squid during the summer months, off New York and Rhode Island.

Throughout the 35-day federal shutdown that ended — perhaps temporarily — on Friday, the Cundy’s Harbor man and his four employees continued to head out on the “Jocka” to haul in groundfish such as cod, haddock, flounders and pollock. Alexander said the shutdown may have long-term consequences for him and for other Mainers who make their living fishing for groundfish.

“If they have another shutdown, it could be catastrophic for New England groundfishing,” he said by phone from a meeting of the New England Fishery Management Council in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Alexander said a memo Monday from the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region regional administrator Michael Pentony about the backlog of work for federal regulators only added to that worry.

Pentony wrote that staff would focus on a significant backlog of time-critical work accumulated during the 35-day shutdown.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

MAFMC and NEFMC Seek Applicants for Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP)

January 24, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council & Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP) is seeking qualified candidates to serve on the panel. Current members and all interested parties are encouraged to apply. The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, February 22, 2019 by 5:00 p.m.

The NTAP is a joint advisory panel of the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. It is comprised of Council members, as well as fishing industry, academic, and government and non-government fisheries experts who provide advice and direction on the conduct of trawl research. It is supported by NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC). Additional information about the NTAP is available at www.mafmc.org/ntap.

The panel consists of 20 members as follows:

  • Two members each from the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils (4 total)
  • Up to three fishery stakeholder representatives appointed by each Council (6 total)
  • Two academic and non-academic scientists appointed by each Council (4 total)
  • Two members from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (2 total)
  • Four staff members from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (4 total)

NTAP was established in 2015 to: (1) bring commercial fishing, fisheries science, and fishery management professionals in the northeastern U.S. together to identify concerns about regional research survey performance and data; (2) identify methods to address or mitigate these concerns; (3) and promote mutual understanding and acceptance of the results of this work among peers and in the broader community.

The panel is co-chaired by representatives of the New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils who are jointly responsible for conducting meetings and coordinating with the NEFSC to ensure that meeting summaries and other products are produced and distributed.

The NTAP charter requires a regular review of its membership. NTAP currently is seeking applications for membership. Key areas of expertise that will be important in the selection of successful applicants include: Gear design and construction, trawl gear efficiency, trawl mensuration, fish behavior, fishery acoustics, and survey statistics and stock assessments.

How to Apply
Anyone interested in applying for the NTAP may download an application at www.mafmc.org/ntap. Applications can also be obtained by calling the Mid-Atlantic Council office at (877) 446-2362. Completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Friday, February 22, 2019.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Matt Seeley, Mid-Atlantic Council staff, at mseeley@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5262.

Shutdown hampers planning for management of fisheries

January 23, 2019 — The New England Fishery Management Council will meet as scheduled next week, but the agenda for the three-day meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, will be colored by the ongoing shutdown of much of the federal government.

While the council is not scheduled to vote on any final actions, the shutdown has precluded a legion of scientific and fisheries management staff at the Gloucester-based Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office and NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center from contributing analysis and participating as they normally would in the management process.

“It’s really affected the plan development teams,” said Janice Plante, council spokeswoman. “Without their participation, the plan development teams just can’t get the analyses done. We knew this would be one implication of the shutdown. But the longer and longer it goes on, the more and more we miss their participation.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

The shutdown: How the furloughs affect federal fisheries

January 23, 2019 — When the staff of the New England Fishery Management Council returned to their offices following the winter holiday break to a partial shutdown of the federal government, there was cause for concern, but no alarms were set off.

“We were OK at first,” said Janice Plante, the council’s public affairs officer. “We were plugging along post-holidays, doing what we could without being in touch with our federal partners. There’s always plenty to do to start a new year.”

Then the calendar alerts began popping up, signifying that the days ahead were about to become a lot more difficult for the staff.

“The deeper we’ve gone into [the shutdown],” said Plante, “the more challenging it has become for all of us.”

President Donald Trump refuses to sign any fiscal 2019 appropriations bills that do not include $5.6 billion for the construction of his campaign-promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, and Democratic leaders refuse to sign off on any new bill that includes funds for the wall.

The stalemate has led to an estimated 800,000 federal workers furloughed or forced to work without pay. NOAA employees, working under the Department of Commerce, involved in the regulation of commercial fisheries and stationed in the regional fishery science centers fall under the furloughed category.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NEFMC Meeting January 29-31, 2019, Portsmouth, NH, Listen Live, View Documents

January 22, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting from Tuesday, January 29 through Thursday, January 31, 2019. The public is invited to listen-in via webinar or telephone. Here are the details.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: This meeting will proceed on schedule, regardless of the status of the partial government shutdown. Please note the revised agenda.

MEETING LOCATION: Portsmouth Harbor Events & Conference Center, 100 Deer Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801; Portsmouth Harbor Events Center.

START TIME: The webinar will be activated at 8:00 a.m. each day. However, please note that the meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday. The webinar will end at approximately 6:00 p.m. EST or shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

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 (415) 930-5321. The access code is 145-763-000. Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA: In addition to the revised agenda, all meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at January 29-31, 2019 NEFMC Portsmouth, NH.

THREE MEETING OUTLOOK: A copy of the New England Council’s Three Meeting Outlook is available HERE.

COUNCIL MEETING QUESTIONS: Anyone with questions prior to or during the Council meeting should contact Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

Environmental groups raise concerns over state of New England groundfish fishery

January 17, 2019 — Two environmental organizations have requested a meeting with federal officials this month over the concerns they have about groundfish stocks in New England.

Representatives from the Conservation Law Foundation and the Environmental Defense Fund sent a letter last month to Timothy Gallaudet, the assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere in the U.S. Commerce Department, and Chris Oliver, NOAA Fisheries’ assistant administrator. The groups called for the meeting to take place before the next full meeting of the New England Fishery Management Council, which starts on 29 January in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

While the groups claim NOAA Fisheries is rebuilding domestic fish stocks across the country, they criticize the government for failing to properly monitor Atlantic cod, flounders, and other groundfish in the northeastern United States.

“NOAA Fisheries and the Council have consistently failed to prevent overfishing on some of these stocks since ‘overfishing’ metrics were first approved in 1989,” the letter states. “If there isn’t a radical change in management direction, the prospect of these stocks ever rebuilding remains tenuous at best.”

The groups also take federal officials to task for not having good data available. They claim the Atlantic cod stock is overfished to the point of a potential collapse, and they also say, citing government reports, that fishermen also discard tons of cod without it being officially reported by onboard observers.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

New England clammers seek to reverse council decision to close parts of Nantucket Shoals

January 14, 2019 — Clammers in New England are taking action in an attempt to reverse a fishery management council decision to close parts of Nantucket Shoals they say is crucial to their business.

When their boats go out to harvest clams, they’re also taking high resolution video and images of the surface below to show their fishing areas are not key habitats. They’re hopeful the pictures will help them in their effort to continue fishing in an area that accounts for between 50 to 80 percent of their business, according to Scott Lang, an attorney representing them.

“We intend to work very closely with the government over the next several months to provide as much data as possible so they can review the decision that they made,” Lang told SeafoodSource. “Because they made a decision in the dark. Now, we’re going to shine some light on it to see if we can get it resolved.”

Last April, the New England Fishery Management Council implemented new boundaries within the Nantucket Shoals that would allow surfclam fishermen to continue fishing within specific areas of the region. In addition, the use of bottom-tending gear was banned within boundaries, but clammers received a year extension.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

MASSACHUSETTS: Ripple effect of shutdown felt across Cape Cod

January 14, 2019 — Brewster Natural Resources Director Chris Miller was in Washington, D.C., this week at an environmental conference where half the speakers he had hoped to hear — all federal environmental and science agency employees — were absent.

While many stories have focused on the shutdown’s financial effects on employees, it is also hurting those who depend on the federal government for funding and expertise.

The New England Fishery Management Council, which formulates management plans for the billion-dollar Northeast commercial fishing industry, depends on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists and fishery management personnel for analysis and input. But NOAA headquarters in Gloucester and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole are closed, and the council has had to postpone any decisions at their upcoming meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and postpone most advisory committee meetings until the shutdown is resolved.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

New England Council Update – January 8, 2019

January 11, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

This is an important update regarding New England Fishery Management Council meetings during the partial government shutdown.

IS THE COUNCIL IMPACTED BY THE SHUTDOWN: The Council staff is at work and conducting business as usual. However, most of our federal partners at the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) are on furlough during the shutdown.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS: Since many GARFO and NEFSC scientists and fishery management specialists are key contributors to the Council’s Plan Development Teams (PDTs) and provide critical input and analyses during Committee meetings, the Council is rescheduling or modifying the agendas of several meetings where NOAA Fisheries representatives were expected to provide pivotal presentations, reports, and/or analyses.

WHAT ABOUT THE COUNCIL’S JANUARY 2019 MEETING: The Council’s January 29-31, 2019 meeting in Portsmouth, NH will proceed on schedule. The Council will not be taking final action on any agenda items during this meeting. If the partial government shutdown remains in place, the Council will conduct as much business as possible given the federal furlough. The agenda and additional information can be found at NEFMC January 2019 meeting.

GROUNDFISH: Groundfish PDT meetings have been revised or postposed. The Recreational Advisory Panel (RAP) meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday, January 15, 2019 has been postponed. The Groundfish Committee will meet on January 15 at the Doubletree by Hilton in Danvers, MA beginning at 10:00 a.m. under a revised agenda. All groundfish-related meetings and agenda updates will be posted on the Council’s groundfish webpage. Check back frequently during the shutdown.

RECREATIONAL WORKSHOPS: GARFO and Tidal Bay Consulting were scheduled to host three workshops to collaboratively brainstorm short- and long-term approaches for possible future recreational fisheries management strategies that could be shared with the Council, Groundfish Committee, and RAP. The January 8 Recreational Fishing Workshop in Portsmouth, NH has been postponed. The January 10 workshop in Narragansett, RI and the January 12workshop in Plymouth, MA also may be postponed. Interested parties are encouraged to continue checking the workshop registration page at the dates above for more developments.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The Council’s Executive Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at the Four Points by Sheraton in Wakefield, MA. Meeting details will be available shortly at Executive Committee.

SCALLOPS: The Council’s Scallop Advisory Panel (AP) will meet on Thursday, January 17, 2019 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Boston beginning at 9 a.m. Learn more at Scallop AP. The Scallop Committee will meet the following day, Friday, January 18, 2019, at the same hotel. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Meeting materials will be posted in the near future at Scallop Committee.

EBFM: The Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) PDT meeting that initially was scheduled for January 9, 2019 has been rescheduled for January 18. The revised meeting notice and agenda are available at EBFM PDT. The EBFM Committee will meet for two days, Wednesday and Thursday, January 23-24, 2019, at the Boston Marriott Quincy in Quincy, MA. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. both days. Visit the EBFM meeting webpage for more information.

NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL UPDATES: Any further updates to the Council’s January PDT and Committee meetings will be posted on the Council website. Visit the homepage at www.nefmc.org and click on the fishery management plan or Committee you are interested in.

COUNCIL PRIORITIES: During its December 2018 meeting, the New England Council adopted 2019 priorities for each of its fishery management plans, committees, and other responsibilities with partner agencies. View the list at NEFMC 2019 Priorities.

BOEM: Also of interest to New England Council stakeholders, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has postponed a January 8 meeting in New Bedford and a January 9 meeting in Narragansett, RI that were intended to gather public comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Vineyard Wind. Check the Vineyard Wind Website for updates on these two meetings, as well as the January 15 and 16 meetings currently scheduled for Hyannis and Nantucket, MA respectively.