Saving Seafood

New England Council Endorses 2018 U.S./Canada TACs; Receives Progress Report on Groundfish Framework 57, Monitoring Amendment

September 28, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council today accepted 2018 total allowable catches (TACs) for three groundfish stocks on Georges Bank (GB) that the U.S. shares with Canada – Eastern GB cod, Eastern GB haddock, and GB yellowtail flounder. The TACs were recommended by the U.S./Canada Transboundary Management Guidance Committee (TMGC) based on advice from the U.S./Canada Transboundary Resources Assessment Committee (TRAC). The U.S. has members on both the TMGC and the TRAC.

The TACs will be included in Framework Adjustment 57 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, which is still under development. The National Marine Fisheries Service must approve the TACs before they are implemented.

Proposed Fishing Year 2018 U.S./Canada TACs in Metric Tons (mt)

Eastern GB Cod

Eastern GB Haddock

GB Yellowtail Flounder

Total Shared TAC

951

40,000

300

U.S. TAC

257

15,600

213

Canada TAC

694

24,400

87

The allocation shares for 2018 are based on the following formula: historical catches weighted 10%; and resource distribution based on trawl surveys weighted 90%.

The TACs reflect the following changes from 2017 levels for U.S. quotas:

  • Eastern Georges Bank Cod: 111 mt increase
  • Eastern Georges Bank Haddock: 13,900 mt decrease
  • Eastern Georges Bank Yellowtail Flounder: 6 mt increase

Read the full release at the New England Fishery Management Council

New England fishing council frozen until NOAA, judge done with Rafael

September 27, 2017 — GLOUCESTER, Mass. — There is no shortage of changes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration could make to the way catch limits are regulated and enforced in the Gulf of Maine in the wake of the Carlos Rafael’s sentencing on Monday. But first it will take recommendations from the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), and the 17-member panel this week put off staking out a position.

There is not yet a consensus in the group, which will wait to see how US District Court Judge William Young handles an argument over how much of Rafael’s fishing fleet will be seized by the federal government and what, if any, civil money penalties come from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration before addressing the issue, said  John Quinn, NEFMC’s chairman.

“We’ve got a regulation in place and we’ve first got to see what and how that regulation is applied,” Quinn told Undercurrent News on Tuesday, during a break in the first day of the group’s three-day regular meeting at a hotel on the water here.

Young gave Rafael a 46-month prison sentence and ordered him to pay more than $300,000 in fines and penalties in a Boston federal court for misreporting nearly 783,000 pounds of fish between 2012 and early 2016, but he said he needed more time to consider the arguments made by prosecutors and Rafael’s defense team regarding an effort to seize his assets.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Atlantic Herring: Council Discusses Amendment 8 ABC Control Rules; Passes on Picking “Preferred Alternative”

September 27, 2017 — The New England Fishery Management Council yesterday discussed the list of potential acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rules outlined in Draft Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. The document contains nine new control rule alternatives plus the standard “no action.” After considerable debate and a review of the varying impacts of each option, the Council declined to pick a “preferred alternative.” Instead, the Council intends to wait to hear the full range of public comments during future public hearings before indicating any preferences. ABC control rules define how catch or fishing mortality changes with stock size. They are used in setting annual catch limits.

Amendment 8 is divided into two major components:

  • Alternatives to establish a long-term ABC control rule that “may explicitly account for herring’s role in the ecosystem and address the biological and ecological requirements of the stock”; and
  • Alternatives to address potential localized depletion and user conflicts in the fishery.

The Council focused on the ABC control rule aspect of the amendment during this ongoing meeting in Gloucester, MA. The localized depletion/user conflict alternatives will be discussed in detail during the Council’s December 5-7 meeting in Newport, RI. The Council is expected to approve the package of Draft Amendment 8 proposals during the December meeting if all of the necessary analyses are completed. While it’s still too early to tell, the Council tentatively is planning to schedule hearings in the spring of 2018.

Read the full release at the New England Fishery Management Council 

NEFMC to Review Carlos Rafael Sentence, Tuesday, September 26

September 26, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

As many of you are aware, Carlos Rafael was sentenced today, September 25, 2017, in U.S. District Court in Boston.  The case reference is “United States of America v. Carlos Rafael No. 16-CR-10124-WGY.”  A press release describing the sentence was issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.  It is available at Rafael Sentencing.

The New England Fishery Management Council will review the sentence tomorrow morning, Tuesday, September 26, shortly after opening up its three-day meeting in Gloucester, MA at the Beauport Hotel.  Reappointed Council members will be sworn in, and the annual election of officers will be conducted before the Rafael case is discussed.

WEBINAR INFORMATION:  A webinar is available for this meeting.  Registration details can be found at webinar.  The agenda and meeting materials are at NEFMC.

THE SENTENCE:  The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated, “Carlos Rafael, 65, of Dartmouth, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release, during which time he is banned from working in the fishing industry.  The Court also ordered Rafael to pay a fine of $200,000 and restitution to the U.S. Treasury of $108,929.  Rafael may also be subject to forfeiture of a portion of his fishing fleet, but the Court held that issue for further consideration.”

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S COMMENT:  Immediately following the sentencing, New England Fishery Management Council Executive Director Tom Nies said, “Carlos Rafael is a criminal who stole from his fellow fishermen and the public by intentionally misreporting his catch.  His conduct was reprehensible and the criminal penalties he received are well-deserved.  We once again thank our government enforcement agencies for bringing him to justice.”

WHAT RAFAEL DID:  “From 2012 to January 2016, Rafael routinely lied to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) about the quantity and species of fish his boats caught in order to evade federal quotas designed to guarantee the sustainability of certain fish species,” stated the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  “During that period, Rafael misreported to NOAA approximately 782,812 pounds of fish, telling NOAA that the fish was haddock, or some other abundant species subject to high quotas, when in fact the fish was cod, sole, or other species subject to strict quotas.  After submitting false records to federal regulators, Rafael sold much of the fish to a wholesale business in New York City in exchange for duffle bags of cash.  During meetings with the undercover agents, Rafael said that in his most recent dealings with the New York buyer he received $668,000 in cash.  Rafael smuggled at least some of that cash out of the United States to his native Portugal, hiding it there to evade federal taxation on that revenue.”

GUILTY PLEA:  The U.S Attorney’s Office stated, “In March 2017, Rafael pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit offenses against the United States, 23 counts of false labeling and fish identification, two counts of falsifying federal records, one count of bulk cash smuggling, and one count of tax evasion.  He was initially arrested and charged in February 2016.  Rafael, the owner of Carlos Seafood Inc., based in New Bedford, Mass., owned 32 fishing vessels through independent corporate shells and 44 permits, which amounted to one of the largest commercial fishing businesses in the United States.”

The Threats Facing Deep-Sea Corals Off New England’s Coast

September 26, 2017 — About one hundred miles off the coast of Massachusetts, there are dramatic mountains and canyons, some larger than the Grand Canyon. Of course, they’re hidden under hundreds to thousands of feet of water. And they’re home to fragile and slow-growing deep-sea corals, and entire ecosystems that live on and around them.

Last September, President Obama declared nearly 5,000 square miles, encompassing three canyons and four seamounts, a marine national monument – the first on the Atlantic seaboard. The designation prohibited all commercial activity, including fishing and oil exploration.

Now, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has recommended that President Trump amend the designation to lift the ban on commercial fishing. If the president takes the advice, it doesn’t mean anything goes in that area. Instead, it returns oversight and regulation of fishing to the New England Fishery Management Council and federal officials.

Read and listen to the full story at WCAI

New Bedford Standard-Times: Fishing industry may get a win from Washington

September 25, 2017 — The unexpected re-examination of the status of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument under President Trump is a welcome development for New Bedford’s commercial fisherman.

The nearly 5,000 square miles of protected waters that lie about 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod was closed off to commercial fishing last year when President Obama designated the area the first Atlantic marine national monument. The decision came despite fishing industry outcries about both the lack of public input during the process and the harm to the fishing way of life.

Several industry organizations, including the New England Fishery Management Council, rightly pointed out, at the time, that fisheries have worked with government, scientific, and environmental communities for years to create regulations and oversight procedures to protect marine resources. And that important regional stakeholders were working on an ocean management plan to preserve resources.

Most notably, fisheries have been managed for more than 40 years under the federal Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, put in place to protect marine environments, prevent overfishing, and promote biological sustainability of marine life.

Read the full editorial at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Groundfish and whiting on fish managers’ agenda

September 21, 2017 — The New England Fishery Management Council, which has not convened a full council meeting in Gloucester since November 2006, will address a proposed amendment to limit access to the whiting fishery when it convenes here next week.

The council, set to meet Sept. 26 to 28 at the Beauport Hotel Gloucester, also is expected to spend significant time on groundfish issues, including the groundfish monitoring amendment.

The whiting amendment, according to the council’s agenda, will be one of the first issues facing the council when the three days of meetings open Tuesday at the harborside hotel in The Fort neighborhood.

The council’s whiting committee will present its report centered around Amendment 22, which deals with limiting access, permitting and possession limits within the whiting fishery actively fished by many Gloucester boats.

Whiting, popular in areas of New York City and Philadelphia, also is at the center of local efforts to promote under-utilized species of fish from local waters to retailers, restaurants and the consuming public.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

NEFMC September 26-28, 2017 meeting, Gloucester, live streaming information

September 19, 2017 — 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 26 through Thursday, September 28, 2017.  The public is invited to listen-in via webinar or telephone.  Here are the details.

MEETING LOCATION:  Beauport Hotel, 55 Commercial Street, Gloucester, MA 01930

START TIME:  The webinar will be activated at 8:00 a.m. each day.  The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and 8:30 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:

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8707697070391527425.

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 346-899-117.

Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  The agenda and all meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at:

http://www.nefmc.org/calendar/september-2017-council-meeting.

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

QUESTIONS:  If you have questions prior to or during the meeting, call or email Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org

 

Sea Scallop Research Funding Now Available for 2018-19

September 14, 2017 — WOODS HOLE, Mass. — Fishing regulators are now accepting proposals for the upcoming 2018-2019 sea scallop research program.

Projects funded under the program need to enhance information on the scallop resource or contribute to fishery management decisions.

NOAA Fisheries and the New England Fishery Management Council use proceeds from the sale of set-aside scallops to fund the research and compensate vessels that take part in research activities.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

Scallop RSA Program: 2018-2019 research proposals wanted

September 12, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The National Marine Fisheries Service, in coordination with the New England Fishery Management Council, is soliciting proposals for the 2018-2019 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program.  The application deadline is November 6, 2017.

HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK:  The Scallop RSA Program was established through the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan to address scallop research priorities identified by the New England Council.  The Council adopted 2018-2019 research priorities at its June meeting in Portland, ME.

HOW IS THE RSA PROGRAM FUNDED:  Each year, 1.25 million pounds of scallops are “set aside” during the specification-setting process to carry out the program.  Awards are made in pounds, not dollars, and no federal funding is provided to conduct the research.  Proceeds generated from the sale of set-aside scallops are used to fund research activities and compensate vessels that participate in research activities and/or harvest set-aside quota.

2018-2019 PRIORITIES:  Projects funded under the Scallop RSA Program must: (a) enhance understanding of the scallop resource; or (b) contribute to scallop fishery management decisions.  For the current federal funding opportunity, priority will be given to proposals that address the New England Council’s list of 2018 and 2019 research priorities.  The complete list is spelled out in detail in the 2018-2019 Atlantic Sea Scallop Federal Funding Opportunity  notice, which also contains instructions for how to submit proposals.  In very general terms, the research priority categories include:

  • HIGHEST: (#1) Survey-related research
  • HIGH: (#2) Scallop meat quality research; and (#3) bycatch research
  • MEDIUM: (#4) Turtle behavior investigations and potential impact on the Mid-Atlantic/Georges Bank scallop fishery; (#5) scallop biology projects
  • OTHER: (#6) Dredge efficiency investigations; (#7) habitat characterization research; (#8a) projects related to water quality and environmental stressors; (#8b) spat collection and seeding projects; (#9) research to identify sources of management uncertainty and potential effects on projected landings; (#10) expanded survey coverage into new or minimally sampled areas; (#11) social and economic impacts and consequences of area rotation; and (#12) investigations of non-harvest scallop mortality.

REVIEW PROCESS:  All submitted proposals will be evaluated by: (1) technical reviewers for technical merit; and (2) a management panel comprised of scallop fishermen, fishery managers, fishing industry representatives, and others closely involved with scallop fishery management issues.

RSA BACKGROUNDERS:  Learn more at RSA and everything you ever wanted to know.

QUESTIONS:  For more information about the 2018-2019 solicitation and the Scallop RSA Program in general, contact Cheryl Corbett at (508) 495-2070, cheryl.corbett@noaa.gov.