Saving Seafood

NEFMC September 24-26, 2024 Meeting – Gloucester, MA – Listen Live, View Documents

September 16, 2024 — 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, September 24 through Thursday, September 26, 2024.  This will be an in-person meeting coupled with a webinar option for individuals who cannot or prefer not to attend in person.  Please participate remotely if you do not feel well.

 

LOCATION:  Beauport Hotel, Gloucester, Massachusetts.

 

START TIME:  9:00 a.m. all three days.  The webinar will end shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

 

COUNCIL PUBLIC OUTREACH:  Join the Council on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. for an informational exchange to foster open lines of communication among Council members, staff, industry, and meeting attendees.  The event will be held at the Beauport Hotel.  All are welcome.

 

PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES:  The Council wants to hear from you.  Here’s how you can let the Council know what you think.

 

  • WRITE A LETTER:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 19, 2024. Please note that written comments must address items listed on the agenda for this meeting.

 

  • TALK TO THE COUNCIL:  You’ll be able to address the Council directly through two different avenues:

 

  1. By commenting on motions at the discretion of the Council chair (if commenting remotely, raise your hand on the webinar and unmute yourself when called upon); and

 

  1. By speaking during the open period for public comment.  Here are the Guidelines for Providing Public Comment.

 

  • OPEN PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT:  On Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 2:00 p.m., the Council will offer the public an opportunity to provide comments on issues relevant to Council business but not listed on this agenda.  Given the Council’s busy meeting schedule, we ask that you limit remarks to 3-5 minutes.

 

    • SIGN UP:  Interested in speaking?  If attending in person, fill out the sign-up sheet on the table at the entrance to the Council meeting room.  To speak remotely, email Janice Plante at jplante@nefmc.org to get on the list.

 

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

 

 

  • We have a Help Desk in case you get stuck joining the webinar or have trouble along the way.  Just email helpdesk@nefmc.org and we’ll get right back to you.

 

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone without joining the webinar, dial +1 (562) 247-8422.  The access code is 530-706-239.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.  This phone number provides a “listen-only” option without the webinar component.  You will not be able to speak if you do not first join the webinar.

 

AGENDA:  All meeting materials and the agenda are available on the Council’s website at NEFMC September 24-26, 2024 meeting webpage.  Additional documents will be posted as they become available.

 

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.

Fishermen voice concerns about ocean alkalinity experiments

August 20, 2024 — New England waters may soon be the location for a first-of-its-kind field trial to test a technique called ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) that could someday become a pivotal tool in the fight against climate change. However, fishermen are concerned that the experiment could further disrupt an ecosystem, and the fishing industry is already contending with the effects of offshore wind energy development and climate change.

“I first heard about it at the June [New England Fishery Management] Council meeting,” said Jerry Leeman, a former Maine fisherman who now heads the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association. “Everybody in that room, all forty of us, our jaws dropped. It caught a lot of people off guard. My phone started blowing up with every fisherman you could imagine, from Cutler, Maine, all the way down the mid-Atlantic, asking questions.”

The planned LOC-NESS project (short for “Locking Ocean Carbon in the Northeast Shelf and Slope”) is led by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Its purpose is to monitor dispersal patterns and environmental impacts of a controlled release of sodium hydroxide (a strong base) into surface waters. As one of seventeen projects supported by a $23.4-million investment by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, LOC-NESS is part of a new wave of research designed to help identify ocean-based carbon removal or “negative emissions” techniques that are safe, effective, and affordable.

An illustration of the planned LOC-NESS field research project, illustrating the plume of 50% sodium hydroxide mixed with tracer dye that the team will release in a vessel’s wake, the predicted uptake of carbon dioxide resulting from the increase in local ocean alkalinity resulting from this release, and several methods (aerial drone imagery and satellite data, autonomous underwater gliders, water column sediment traps, and drifting buoys with GPS trackers and strobes) by which the research team will monitor effects of the release. Source: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, https://locness.whoi.edu

In addition to OAE, other proposed ocean-based carbon removal techniques include cultivating and sinking kelp biomass and fertilizing nutrient-poor areas of the ocean to boost phytoplankton growth. In theory, all of these techniques could enhance the ocean’s natural ability to draw carbon dioxide molecules out of the atmosphere and store them in the ocean for decades or centuries. If implemented at scale, they could hypothetically slow the rise of global temperatures.

However, these techniques are beset by significant data gaps related to the measurability of carbon removal, the durability of carbon storage, and possible side effects on local ecosystems and communities. Laboratory studies and modeling have only been able to provide partial answers to these questions so far, prompting leaders in the field to call for the initiation of in-situ pilot projects like the LOC-NESS project.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

2025 Scallop RSA Program Funding Opportunity Open Through September 30, 2024; Join August 8th Informational Webinar

August 6, 2024 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

NOAA Fisheries is soliciting proposals for the 2025 Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program funding opportunity, which opened August 1, 2024 and will close September 30, 2024. The solicitation and administrative aspects of the funding opportunity are being handled by the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO). All project proposals should support the New England Fishery Management Council’s scallop research priorities as shown in the table below.

Successful applicants are awarded pounds of scallops that have been “set aside” to pay for research expenses. No federal funds are provided. Researchers and fishermen partner to harvest awarded scallops, and the proceeds are used to fund the research and compensate fishing industry partners.

NEW THIS YEAR: During its June 2024 meeting, the Council approved several changes to the Scallop RSA Program, including a request to NOAA Fisheries to allow scallop enhancement research to be funded for up to three years with an option for a one-year extension. Regional scallop surveys used for stock assessments and specification-setting already can be funded for up to four years – with an option for a one-year extension for completing grant reports and data analysis. All other projects can be funded for up to two years.

 

Scallopers assail continued closure of Northern Edge

July 29, 2024 — Fisheries regulators voted this month to “discontinue” development of a plan to reopen the Northern Edge of Georges Bank — a lucrative scallop ground that has long been closed to commercial fishing.

In April, the New England Fishery Management Council agreed to consider requests to reopen the fishing grounds at the urging of both the scallop industry and Mayor Jon Mitchell. He and industry representatives cited significant headwinds for the region’s top fishery, including a slump in prices and fewer days at sea for fishermen. They added that opening the Northern Edge would benefit the whole port economy and surrounding businesses.

But in the midst of a four-day meeting in Freeport, Maine, the Council voted not to continue discussing plans to reopen the area in order to focus on the “long-term productivity of the Georges Bank scallop resource.” For regulators, it’s a balancing act to weigh sustainability and the economic pressures on fishermen to sustain their livelihoods.

“We know there is a high density of scallops there. But you need those dense aggregations to have spawning success in the future,” said Jonathon Peros, who is the Council’s lead fishery analyst for sea scallops. He explained that scallops spawning in the region act as a seed source to other active scalloping grounds.

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – July 30-31, 2024 – Atlantic Herring and Groundfish Issues

July 24, 2024 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

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

 
 
WHERE:  Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  This is an in-person meeting, coupled with a webinar option.  Please do not attend this meeting in person if you do not feel well.
 
START TIME:  9:00 a.m. both days
 
WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to join the meeting through this webinar.
 
  • IMPORTANT:  The Council is now using Zoom to broadcast meetings.  Zoom requires users to be on the latest version of the application.  You must update your Zoom app to the latest version at least five minutes before joining the webinar to avoid glitches and be able to view presentations.
 
AGENDA:  The SSC will meet to:
 
  • Review information provided by the Council’s Groundfish and Herring Plan Development Teams, as well as stock assessment information where appropriate, and recommend overfishing limits (OFLs) and acceptable biological catches (ABCs) for:
 
    • Atlantic herring for fishing years 2025-2027;
 
    • Four Atlantic cod stock units for fishing years 2025-2027; and
 
    • Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for fishing years 2025-2026;
 
  • Review a method developed by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center for apportioning the biomass of Georges Bank cod and haddock into the Eastern Georges Bank management area; and
 
  • Discuss other business as necessary.
 
COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is8:00 a.m. on Friday, July 26, 2024.  Address comments to Council Chair Eric Reid or Executive Director Cate O’Keefe and email them to comments@nefmc.org.
 
MATERIALS:  All documents for this meeting will be posted on the SSC July 30-31, 2024 meeting webpage.
 
QUESTIONS:  Contact Dr. Rachel Feeney at (978) 465-0492, ext. 110, rfeeney@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

Groundfish: Council Continues Work on Atlantic Cod Transition Planning; SSC to Consider OFLs & ABCs for New Cod Stock Units

July 23, 2024 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will be working throughout the summer on several groundfish actions that will guide the next few fishing years and set the course for Atlantic cod management based on a new understanding of cod stock structure and results from recent assessments. Here’s a snapshot of what’s under development.

• AMENDMENT 25: Amendment 25 to the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) is being developed to incorporate four new Atlantic cod stock units into the FMP. The Council is expected to take final action on Amendment 25 during its September 24-26, 2024 meeting in Gloucester. If approved by NOAA Fisheries, this amendment will add the four new cod stock units to the groundfish complex as defined for stock assessment purposes:

• Eastern Gulf of Maine cod;

• Western Gulf of Maine cod;

• Georges Bank cod as a revised stock unit; and

• Southern New England cod.

An outline of the Amendment 25 draft alternatives is posted here.

• FRAMEWORK ADJUSTMENT 69: The Council initiated Framework 69 during its June 2024 meeting. The list of draft framework measures is outlined in the box on page 2 and in this outline. Fishing year 2025-2027 specifications for the four new cod stock units will be established through this framework. The Council also will consider options for prorating commercial and recreational catch limits from the four cod stock units to the two current management units – Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. The management units will not change under Framework 69, just the stock units.

 

Council Approves Scallop RSA Program Changes and 2025-2027 RSA Priorities; Initiates Framework 39; Discusses Wind, Surveys

July 11, 2024 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council approved several changes to the Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program when it met June 24-27, 2024 in Freeport, Maine. It also initiated Framework 39 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan and discussed survey and offshore wind activities.

SCALLOP RSA PROGRAM: The Scallop RSA Program, which began in 1999, supports 10-15 projects each year using 1.275 million pounds of scallops that are “set aside” during the specifications process to support research. The Council sets research priorities, while the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) of NOAA Fisheries administers the competitive grant process. Up to now, the Council has been approving RSA priorities on an annual basis. At the June meeting, building on a recommendation from its Scallop Committee and Scallop Advisory Panel, the Council agreed to set RSA priorities for two years at a time going forward. GARFO will continue to announce annual funding opportunities.

RSA priorities cover a wide scope and have changed little in recent years. Resource surveys routinely top the list as the highest priority. As action items, the Council:

• Approved RSA priorities for the next two grant cycles covering 2025-2026 and 2026- 2027 as listed in the table at right (GARFO’s Notice of Funding Opportunity for the 2025-2026 cycle is expected to come out in mid-July 2024);

• Approved updates to the Scallop RSA Program Policy outlined in the Council’s Operations Handbook; and

• Voted to ask NOAA Fisheries to allow scallop enhancement research to be funded for up to three years with an option for a one-year extension.

Additionally, based on action the Council and GARFO took in 2023, regional scallop surveys used for stock assessments and specification-setting can be funded for up to four years – with an option for a one-year extension for completing grant reports and data analysis. A breakdown of the RSA categories funded for the 2024-2025 cycle is shown in the table below.

The Council also received preliminary highlights from the 2024 RSA survey season, which showed some signs of recruitment on Stellwagen Bank in the Gulf of Maine, portions of Georges Bank, and selected areas of the Mid-Atlantic. Early 2024 fishery performance has been mixed, with catch rates on open bottom being the lowest in five years. More information can be found in this presentation

Council to Establish Steering Committee to Guide Work on Projects to Prepare Fisheries for Ecosystem, Climate Change

July 8, 2024 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has agreed to establish a new Ecosystem and Climate Action Steering Committee to help prioritize and organize its work on ecosystem approaches to fishery management in conjunction with preparing fisheries to be more resilient to climate change.

During its June 2024 meeting in Freeport, Maine, the Council covered a wide range of topics that collectively will guide its ecosystem/climate work down the road, including:

• Initiatives and projects being funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA);

• Work being conducted by the East Coast Climate Coordination Group (E3CG) and its Core Team;

• NOAA’s Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative (CEFI);

• The 2024 State of the Ecosystem Report for New England (SOE New England);

• The Council’s Risk Policy, which is undergoing extensive revisions; and

• Options for more wholistically addressing ecosystem approaches to fishery management (EAFM).

Here is a brief rundown of each topic, culminating with the Council’s decision to form an overarching Ecosystem and Climate Action Steering Committee.

IRA-FUNDED PROJECTS:

The Council will be working on six projects under IRA funding. The project titles are shown at right. Descriptions of all six initiatives are outlined in this document, which is posted on a new webpage called Council-Related IRA Projects.

The Commerce Department is distributing a total of $20 million to the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils to “support the councils’ development and advancement of climate-related fisheries management and implementation.” The New England Council is receiving approximately $2.37 million from that pool to carry out its six initiatives. Work will be conducted under various timelines, with some projects running through 2027.

MASSACHUSETTS: Mayor Jon Mitchell responds to work being halted on Northern Edge scalloping grounds

July 3, 2024 — The New England Fishery Management Council has decided to halt work on opening the Northern Edge scalloping grounds to commercial fishermen.

Back in April, Mayor Jon Mitchell before the board in Mystic, Conn. and said that making these areas available would benefit the industry greatly, to create a “key new source of scallops.”

“While there are multiple species that are harvested by New Bedford fishing vessels, scallops are the prime drivers of economic activity within the Port of New Bedford,” he said.

“The fishermen of New Bedford know this, and they take great care in maintaining the resource and recognize the strategic long-term importance of managing the biomass,” he continued.

Read the full article at ABC 6

MASSACHUSETTS: Statement from New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell on NEFMC decision on Northern Edge

July 3, 2024 — The following statement was released by New Bedford, Massachusetts Mayor Jon Mitchell:

“I am disappointed by the New England Fishery Management Council’s decision last week after scant public notice to reverse itself and halt further discussion of the opening of the Northern Edge scallop access area. The decision comes less than three months after the Council voted to advance the opening of the Northern Edge, which was grounded in more than a decade of research showing that scallops are abundant in the area. Halting work on the Northern Edge so abruptly is an affront to scallop fishermen who were given every reason to believe that the council was working toward a fair, long-term solution.”