Saving Seafood

New England Fishery Management Council Holds Meeting

April 18, 2017 — Fishing regulators are getting ready to discuss ways to better manage the east coast scallop fishery to avoid more conflicts between small and big boat fishermen.

The New England Fishery Management Council is holding a meeting on the subject today.

Some fishermen in the small boat fishery say the rules allow bigger boats to over exploit the scallops, which are the subject of one of the most valuable fisheries in America.

Federal regulators have shut down the northern Gulf of Maine last month amid the conflict.

Read the full story at WABI

NEFMC April 18-20, 2017 meeting, live streaming information

April 11, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

Dear Interested Parties,

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting from Tuesday, April 18 through Thursday, April 20, 2017.  The public is invited to listen-in via webinar or telephone.  Here are the details.

MEETING LOCATION:  Hilton Mystic, 20 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, CT 06355   

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://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4690805057496684291

There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8321.  

The access code is 443-302-304.  

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/april-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.

Stonington fishermen, first selectman: Camera proposal violates Fourth Amendment rights

April 7, 2017 — STONINGTON, Conn. — A proposal from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration could potentially require fishermen to purchase a camera monitoring system to ensure that they are adhering to regulations — a requirement that local fishermen and First Selectman Rob Simmons see as a violation of their Fourth Amendment rights.

Based on a study done by the NOAA Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, electronic monitoring would potentially cost the fishermen around $500 per day per boat and require them to pay $60,000 for startup costs and annual maintenance of the equipment. While it’s less costly on a daily basis than the $700 per day cost of having a person doing at-sea monitoring on board a vessel, critics say the startup costs alone have the potential to put local fishermen out of business.

Aside from the costs of the proposed mandate, many see it as a violation of privacy.

Simmons, who’s been in touch with New Hampshire attorney Jason Crance, who has written legal papers on concerns with at-sea monitoring, said he feels this proposed mandate could potentially infringe on the Fourth Amendment rights of fishermen.

“I’m trying to see if there’s any sound legal argument into the intrusion of someone’s workplace because I believe this is a means of spying on Stonington’s fishermen,” he said. “They want to make sure the fishermen are complying with catch limit regulations but it seems like the government is assuming they aren’t complying. It’s like the state police putting a mini camera in my car next to a speedometer that monitors and notifies police when they go past 65.”

Read the full story at The Westerly Sun

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell Submits Additional Testimony on Marine Monuments to Congress

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) – March 30, 2017 – On March 15, Mayor Jon Mitchell of New Bedford, Massachusetts delivered written testimony to the House Natural Resources Committee expressing serious concerns about the impact of marine monuments on fishermen and coastal communities, as well as the process by which president’s designate monuments using the Antiquities Act.

Yesterday, Mayor Mitchell submitted additional answers to questions from Rep. Doug Lamborn, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Water, Power, and Oceans. In his follow-up answers, Mayor Mitchell supported fisheries management under the Council process created by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

“I would argue that the Council has both the resources and the approach necessary to achieve ecosystem protection (while balancing economic productivity) commensurate with any protections that could be pursued in conjunction with a monument designation under the Antiquities Act,” Mayor Mitchell wrote. “I have witnessed firsthand the strengths of the of the Fishery Council’s deliberative- and decision-making processes.”

Mayor Mitchell went on to cite two recent examples of the Council process effectively being used to protect important marine resources. In the Mid-Atlantic, the Frank R. Lautenberg Deep-Sea Coral Protection Area, designated by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in 2015, brought together a broad range of stakeholders to protect over 38,000 square miles of federal waters. The resulting protected area was applauded by conservation groups and fishermen alike.

In New England, the Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2, passed last year by the New England Fishery Management Council after more than a decade of work, used the most up-to-date science to protect essential and vulnerable New England habitats, while opening up areas no longer considered important for successfully conserving fish stocks. The development of this amendment was deliberative and collaborative, with input from federal and state regulators, environmental groups, scientists and academics, and members of the fishing industry, Mayor Mitchell wrote.

Read Mayor Mitchell’s letter here

Fish reps to Trump: Marine monuments make it harder to manage industry, fish reps say

March 28, 2017 — The issue of whether presidents should use the Antiquities Act to independently designate new marine national monuments is not going away any time soon.

The chairmen of the eight regional fishery management councils have weighed in, co-authoring a letter to President Donald J. Trump decrying the use of the Antiquities Act to create new marine national monuments and characterizing it as a disruptive end-run around traditional fishery management practices.

The letter and accompanying resolution from the Council Coordinating Committee are the most recent drumbeats in an escalating campaign to reverse marine national monuments designated by former President Barack Obama and dissuade future presidents from using the same procedural mechanism to create the protected areas.

The letter, which includes Chairman John F. Quinn of the New England Fishery Management Council as a signatory, flatly states the use of the Antiquities Act impedes the councils from performing their statutory duties as set out in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA).

“Designation of marine national monuments that prohibit fishing have disrupted the ability of the councils to manage fisheries throughout their range, as required by MSA and in an eco-system manner,” the letter stated. “Our experience with marine monument designations to date is that they are counter-productive to domestic fishery goals, as they have displaced and concentrated U.S. fishing effort into less productive fishing grounds and increased dependency on foreign fisheries that are not as sustainably managed as United States fisheries.”

The designations, they wrote, not only curtail potential harvesting areas for commercial fishermen but also diminish the nation’s ability to watch over its waters.

Read the full story at The Gloucester Times 

Fisheries Councils Express Concern Over Marine Monuments in Letter to President Trump

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — March 24, 2017 — The Council Coordination Committee (CCC), comprised of representatives from the eight regional fisheries management councils, wrote to President Trump this month expressing its concern with the designation of marine national monuments under the Antiquities Act, and explaining how monuments have already adversely impacted commercial fishing activity.

“Designations of marine national monuments that prohibit fishing have disrupted the ability of the Councils to manage fisheries throughout their range as required by [the Magnuson-Stevens Act] and in an ecosystem-based manner,” the Committee wrote. “Our experience with marine monument designations to date is that they are counterproductive to domestic fishery goals, as they have displaced and concentrated U.S. fishing effort into less productive fishing grounds and increased dependency on foreign fisheries that are not as sustainably managed as United States fisheries.”

The Committee also reiterated its support for regional fisheries management, noting that through the Council process over 1,000 individual spatial habitat and fisheries conservation measures have been implemented, protecting more than 72 percent of U.S. ocean waters.

“The Councils use a public process, in a transparent and inclusive manner, and rely on the best scientific information available as required by the MSA,” the Committee wrote.

Read the full letter here

Groundfisherman fear more federal regulations

March 23, 2017 — STONINGTON, Conn. — Groundfishermen at the Fishing Fleet in Stonington, those who catch flounder and a dozen other bottom feeding fish, fear federal regulators are trying to sink their livelihood by mandating more regulations.

“We don’t need somebody on our back every day to watch what we do. Now they want to put cameras on the boat,” said Bob Guzzo, of Southern New England Fisherman & Lobsterman’s Association.

Guzzo has been fishing the region for nearly four decades.

He said the New England Fishery Management Council wants to increase at-sea monitoring of groundfish, in order to verify what they catch and release.

Guzzo said the added cost of paying someone to monitor what happens on the boat, or even watch remotely by camera, doesn’t help them or the industry but only increases the cost of doing business.

Read the full story WFSB

Fisheries Survival Fund Corrects the Record on Gulf of Maine Scallops

WASHINGTON — March 22, 2017 — The following was released by the Fisheries Survival Fund:

Atlantic sea scallops remain one of the most sustainably harvested stocks in the United States. With recent media attention on scallops in the northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM), the Fisheries Survival Fund, which represents the majority of the full-time Limited Access scallop fleet, has produced a fact sheet clarifying the true status of scallops in the region.

Recent data from the New England Fishery Management Council, which is responsible for sustainably managing the region’s scallop population, shows that Atlantic sea scallops in the NGOM are not overfished, nor are they experiencing overfishing. The Limited Access fleet is operating within its allocated federal quota, and the Atlantic sea scallop fishery remains certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. It also shows that most fishing in the area does not actually take place in the geographical NGOM, but rather in southwestern Stellwagen Bank, off the coast of Massachusetts. There are currently 36 active NGOM scallop fishing vessels in the NGOM, only 18 of which are home-ported in Maine.

We have provided a fact sheet below using the official documents in order to clarify these claims.

Fact Sheet on Scallops in the Northern Gulf of Maine

  • There is no overfishing of the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) scallop stock, nor is it rebuilding, as scallops in the NGOM are not considered a separate, unique stock. There are not separate reference points for NGOM scallops, nor are there separate Annual Catch Limits. For all management and scientific purposes, NGOM scallops are part of the overall scallop stock, and are included in the full scallop assessment. According to that assessment, scallops are not overfished and are not experiencing overfishing.
  • The catch limit for the general category scallop boats in NGOM, currently set at 70,000 pounds, is based upon historical catch. The NGOM scallopers were given these allocations because they did not qualify for the limited access scallop fleet. More information can be found in Amendment 11 to the scallop Fishery Management Plan on the NEFMC website: http://www.nefmc.org/library/amendment-11
  • There are 81 NGOM permits and only 36 active NGOM scallop vessels fishing in NGOM. Out of those, only 18 are home-ported in Maine. This can be verified in Table 4 below, which was obtained from the New England Fishery Management Council website, from the March 1 meeting of the Scallop Plan Development Team. The table can also be found in section 3.2.1 of Draft Discussions Document on NGOM management.
  • Most of the scallop fishing activity in the NGOM does not occur near Maine, but offshore Massachusetts, in the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank. Some of this activity is outside the actual NGOM management area. A table illustrating this can be found below, and can also be found in the Draft Discussions Document on NGOM management in section 3.1.
  • The fishing activity of the limited access scallop fleet in the NGOM does not count towards the quota of the NGOM. The limited access fleet operates on a federal quota, in federal waters, under an entirely separate management system. This is not new: the limited access scallop fleet has been fishing in this area under this management program for many years.
  • The Atlantic Sea Scallop fishery is certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. The scallop fishery’s commitment to sustainability is also reflected in their participation in the Research Set Aside program. Every year, a portion of revenue from the scallop catch is redirected towards research, which allows the scallop fishery to be managed by the most up-to-date science.
  • All points made have been confirmed with the most up to date NEFMC findings. These links are provided below:
  • http://www.nefmc.org/calendar/mar-1-2017-scallop-plan-development-team-meeting
  • http://www.nefmc.org/library/amendment-11
  • http://s3.amazonaws.com/nefmc.org/Doc4-170224_NGOM-Discussion-Draftv.2.pdf
  • http://s3.amazonaws.com/nefmc.org/Doc4a-NGOM-PDT_DataRequest_Feb2017_V2.pdf

 

 

Read the release here 

University scientists receive $1m grant for fisheries research

March 20, 2017 — Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST) have been awarded $1,049,044 in research funds through the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) and the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program.

Projects will address sea scallop research priorities established by the NEFMC for 2017 and 2018. Among these are resource surveys to estimate scallop biomass, projects addressing bycatch reduction, and work to improve understanding of scallop biology and recruitment.

SMAST received three awards to conduct surveys using its drop-camera array. High resolution surveys of Closed Area I, Closed II, and the Elephant Trunk will be completed, as well as a broad-scale survey in the Mid-Atlantic Bight and Georges Bank. The scallop survey research is led by Dr. Kevin Stokesbury.

Expanding on previous sea scallop gray-meat research, SMAST will attempt to delineate the southern range of gray-meat occurrences and assess the growth, meat weights, and reproductive potential of animals found with gray meat in scallop populations. This project, led by Dr. Daniel Georgiana, will complement ongoing lab-based research funded last year, university officials said.

Read the full story at Dartmouth Week

NEFMC and NEFSC Announce 2017-2018 Recommended Scallop RSA Awards

March 17, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center:

The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) are pleased to announce 17 projects that are recommended for funding through the Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program.

AWARDS:  The 2017-2018 awards are expected to generate more than $15 million — $3.5 million to fund the research itself and $11.5 million to compensate industry partners who will harvest the 1.25-million-pound scallop set-aside quota.  More than 30 researchers from 15 organizations will be conducting the projects.

VIEW THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND LIST OF PROJECTS:  2017-2018 Recommended Scallop RSA Awards

RSA PRIORITIES:  The projects address 2017 and 2018 research priorities established by the New England Council, which include:  intensive and broad-scale surveys to estimate scallop abundance; bycatch reduction initiatives; and work to improve understanding of scallop biology, scallop meat quality, and area management.

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

NEFMC CHAIRMAN DR. JOHN QUINN:  ”The Scallop RSA Program continues to be integral to the successful management of this fishery.  We genuinely appreciate everyone’s long-standing engagement with this program.  We have many industry members, managers, institutions, and researchers who help us set our research priorities, and this collaboration has fostered a constructive feedback loop between science and management.”

NEFSC DIRECTOR DR. JON HARE:  “The Research Set-Aside Program funds science projects that are directly applicable to the management of Atlantic sea scallop — a highly valuable resource.  The selected projects complement research and monitoring that is ongoing at the NEFSC and this collaborative approach — enabled by the RSA program — is a real strength for scallop science and management.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT RSA PROGRAMS:  RSA and everything you ever wanted to know

QUESTIONS:  For more information about the the 2017-2018 awards and the Scallop RSA Program in general, contact Ryan Silva, (978) 281-9326, ryan.silva@noaa.gov; or Cheryl Corbett, (508) 495-2070, cheryl.corbett@noaa.gov.