New England Fishery Management Council Archives - Page 95 of 101

New England Fishery Management Council Approves Skate Limited Access Scoping Document; Hears Progress Report on Whiting Amendment 22 Analyses

November 15, 2016 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

During discussions that addressed two of the last remaining open access fisheries in the region, the New England Fishery Management Council today:

Approved a scoping document for Amendment 5 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to consider limited access in both the skate bait and non-bait fisheries; and
Received a progress report on Amendment 22 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP, which will include alternatives to limit access to small-mesh multispecies.

The skate complex is made up of seven species: barndoor, clearnose, little, rosette, smooth, thorny, and winter skates. The bait fishery primarily targets little skate, along with a small percentage of juvenile winter skate, while the non-bait fishery primarily targets adult winter skate for the wing market.
Control dates already are in place for both fisheries – July 30, 2009 for the bait fishery and March 31, 2014 for the non-bait fishery. The Council asked the National Marine Fisheries Service to publish the control dates after skate fishermen expressed concern that unrestrained increases in fishing effort by new entrants

Advancing to the next step of the process, the Council is now preparing to conduct scoping hearings early in the new year to give the public an opportunity to raise concerns or make suggestions about the range of alternatives for Skate Amendment 5. The purpose of the amendment is to consider developing a limited access program for the skate bait and non-bait fisheries, potentially with qualification criteria, permit conditions and categories, and other related measures.

Whiting Limited Access Under Consideration in Amendment 22

The Council also received a progress report on Amendment 22, which contains alternatives to potentially limit access to the small-mesh multispecies fishery. Participants in this fishery target red hake, silver hake, and offshore hake. Silver and offshore hake typically are referred to as “whiting.”

The Council held five scoping hearings in December 2015 to solicit initial input on the amendment and now is developing qualification criteria alternatives using a preliminary analysis of fleet history. The Whiting Plan Development Team (PDT), Whiting Advisory Panel, and Whiting Committee still have a considerable amount of work to do before the Council can select alternatives for the draft amendment that will be taken to public hearing. However, the Council took an early look at three alternatives that the PDT will begin to analyze. Two use a five-year, 2008-2012 qualification period – up to the Nov. 28 cutoff for the control date – and one uses a 1996-2012 qualification period. Each alternative has a high- and low-level permit status, potentially having different possession limits. As a first cut, the Whiting Committee identified three sets of qualification criteria representing the cumulative poundage (all five years combined) needed to qualify under the proposals:

First Alternative – 500,000 pounds for the high level permit and 100,000 pounds for the low level permit under the 2008-2012 qualification period;
Second Alternative – 1,000,000 pounds for the high level permit and 20,000 pounds for the low level permit under the 2008-2012 qualification period; and
Third Alternative – 1,000,000 pounds for the high level permit and 200,000 pounds for the low level permit using the 1996-2012 period.

NEFMC Nov. 15-17 Meeting, Live Streaming Information

November 9th, 2016 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting that begins Tuesday, Nov. 15 and runs through Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. The public is invited to listen-in via webinar or telephone. Here are the details.

MEETING LOCATION: Hotel Viking, 1 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840

START TIME: The webinar will be activated at 8 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 p.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/5076443364503342594

CALL-IN OPTION: To listen by telephone, dial +1 (631) 992-3221.

The access code is 752-565-833.

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/november-2016-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.

Janice M. Plante

Public Affairs Officer

New England Fishery Management Council

(607) 592-4817

Email: jplante@nefmc.org

Web: www.nefmc.org

Council Votes to Continue Collaborative Efforts on River Herring and Shad

October 12th, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Based on a comprehensive review of existing and planned conservation and management efforts, last week the Council determined that management of river herring and shad (RH/S) through a Council fishery management plan (FMP) is not warranted. However, the Council reaffirmed its commitment to participating with partners in the conservation and management of RH/S, noting that it will continue to protect RH/S stocks by proactively using the tools provided in the recently-approved Ecosystem Approaches to Fisheries Management (EAFM) Guidance Document. The Council will also continue to use catch caps to incentivize harvesters to reduce river herring and shad bycatch.

The four species under consideration included two species of river herrings (blueback herring and alewife) and two species of shads (American shad and hickory shad). These stocks are currently managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).

In the late 2000s concerns were brought to the Council that bycatch in high-volume fisheries such as Atlantic mackerel may be negatively impacting RH/S populations. These concerns led the Council to implement a limit on the catch of RH/S in the Atlantic mackerel fishery. The Council has also worked to improve data by increasing vessel and dealer reporting requirements and collaborating with NOAA Fisheries on an amendment to increase observer coverage in the Atlantic mackerel fishery. The New England Fishery Management Council has taken similar steps to address RH/S catch in the Atlantic herring fishery.

The Council has also worked to address RH/S conservation through participation on an interdisciplinary River Herring Technical Expert Working Group (TEWG). The TEWG has provided and compiled information used by NOAA Fisheries and the ASMFC in the development and execution of a proactive conservation plan focused on river herring. The TEWG has funded several important projects to enhance our understanding of RH/S bycatch and the species’ overall population health.

Prior to the meeting the Council received a large number of public comments on the issue, all of which supported the development of a Council FMP for RH/S. The Council considered these comments thoroughly but ultimately determined that the management of RH/S under a Council FMP is not appropriate at this time.

The Council’s decision not to add these stocks to the fishery management plan for Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish was largely based on the fact that RH/S are already managed by the ASMFC and that the catch caps set by the Council have kept incidental catch very low compared to historic levels. There is no evidence that RH/S are targeted in Federal fisheries, and the Council concluded that an FMP would not substantially improve the condition of RH/S stocks.

Additional background information and documents about river herring and shad can be found at http://www.mafmc.org/rhs/.

New England Fishery Management Council Reviews Sea Scallop Survey Findings and FW 28 Status

September 23, 2016 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

Council Reviews Sea Scallop Survey Findings and FW 28 Status

In preparation for developing new specifications for the Atlantic sea scallop fishery, the New England Fishery Management Council today received a broad overview of 2016 scallop survey results. These results will guide the Council, Scallop Committee, Scallop Plan Development Team (PDT), and industry in formulating 2017 fishing year days-at-sea and access area trip allocations for limited access vessels, as well as individual fishing quotas for limited access general category boats. Default specifications for 2018 also will be developed.

In short, here are some of the key survey findings:

Total biomass is at a very high level and expected to increase as a result of growth from previous large year classes.
Survey results did not show signs of good incoming recruitment on Georges Bank or in the Mid-Atlantic.
The vast majority of the current high biomass is located either in closed areas or scallop access areas.

The surveys also came across an unprecedented number of densely concentrated, “slow growing” scallops in the southern portion of the Nantucket Lightship area in deep water. Many of these age-four scallops had only reached a size normally achieved by age two. The PDT said that “growth potential” for these animals may be limited given their depth.

In another development, large concentrations of starfish, a known predator of scallops, were observed in the shallow portion of the Habitat Area of Particular Concern on the Northern Edge. Surveys also found Didemnum, an invasive tunicate, covering the gravel in this shallow area. These tunicates may be interfering with scallop seed settlement.

The following institutions contributed to the 2016 scallop survey:

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) conducted dredge surveys in the Mid-Atlantic, Nantucket Lightship, and Closed Area II and surrounding bottom;
The School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) at the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth conducted intensive Closed Area I and Nantucket Lightship drop camera surveys;
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) with Lund’s Fisheries conducted a HabCam Version 4 survey on the Northern Edge of Georges Bank;
Arnie’s Fisheries conducted an intensive Elephant Trunk survey with HabCam 3;
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) conducted the federal Georges Bank dredge survey plus Mid-Atlantic and Georges Bank HabCam 4 surveys; and
The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) and University of Maine conducted a Northern Gulf of Maine dredge survey (map at right).

The 2017 specifications and 2018 default measures will be part of Framework Adjustment 28 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan, which is still under development and scheduled for final action at the Council’s Nov. 15-17 meeting in Newport, Rhode Island. The full range of specifications will include: (a) acceptable biological catches (ABCs), annual catch limits (ACLs), days-at-sea, and access area allocations for both limited access (LA) and limited access general category (LAGC) vessels; (b) a hard total allowable catch (TAC) for the Northern Gulf of Maine Management Area; (c) a target TAC for the LAGC incidental catch; and (d) set-aside amounts for the scallop observer and research set-aside programs.

The framework also contains: (1) a measure to potentially restrict the possession of shell stock inshore of the days-at-sea demarcation line north of 42° 20’ N; (2) measures to apply spatial management to fisheries specifications (ACL flowchart); and (3) measures to modify the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area boundary to be consistent with potential changes to habitat and groundfish mortality closed areas as outlined in the Omnibus Habitat Amendment, which is under review by the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Greater Atlantic Region Fisheries Office.

See the full release at the NEFMC

New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee to Continue Working on Three-Year Monkfish Specs

September 22, 2016 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council today initiated a framework adjustment to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan to develop 2017-2019 fishing year specifications for both the Northern and Southern Fishery Management Areas. The Monkfish Committee will continue to work this fall on specifications and any other needed measures for the fishery. The Monkfish Plan Development Team (PDT) will conduct the necessary days-at-sea and trip limit analyses. The Council is scheduled to approve the framework with final specifications during its Nov. 15-17 meeting in Newport, Rhode Island.

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) has recommended “status quo” area-specific acceptable biological catches (ABCs) and overfishing limits (OFLs) for 2017-2019 as follows in metric tons (mt):

Northern Area ABC – 7,592 mt
Northern Area OFL – 17,805 mt
Southern Area ABC – 12,316 mt
Southern Area OFL – 23,204 mt

The SSC reviewed the new 2016 index- based operational stock assessment for monkfish before making these recommendations, which followed PDT advice.

The full range of specifications will include area-based caps on total allowable landings (TALs), days-at-sea allocations, and trip limits.

Under current monkfish regulations, the northern and southern ABCs are reduced by 13.5% and 6.5% respectively to account for “management uncertainty.” The PDT will analyze a lower deduction of 3% in both areas since TALs have not been reached in recent years. The Council is striving to maximize fishing opportunities in both areas while simultaneously providing adequate stock protection.

On a related note, Northeast Fisheries Science Center surveys – namely the scallop survey and fall bottom trawl survey – signaled “an above average recruitment event” in 2015 for monkfish. While the news is welcoming, the SSC cautioned that it was “unclear as to whether this large recruitment event would transfer into the fishable population.”

The Monkfish PDT will closely monitor the progress of the 2015 recruitment event and report back to the Monkfish Committee and Council when additional information is available.

The Council’s Monkfish Advisory Panel will meet Oct. 12 and the Monkfish Committee will meet Oct. 18 to continue discussing the framework. Meeting details will be announced in the near future.

See the full release here

NOAA hosting hearings on funding fish monitors

September 21, 2016 — NOAA Fisheries has scheduled a number of public hearings in October and November, including one in Gloucester, to elicit public comment on the proposals for industry-funded monitoring programs for a variety of fisheries.

The schedule includes a public hearing at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office at 55 Great Republic Drive in Gloucester on Oct. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The other locations for the public hearings are Portland, Maine, on Oct. 20; Cape May, New Jersey, on Oct. 27; and Narragansett, Rhode Island, on Nov. 1. There also will be an online webinar Oct. 17.

The period for written public comments on the amendments being considered by the New England Fishery Management Council and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will stretch from Sept. 23 until Nov. 7.

“The Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils are developing an omnibus amendment to allow for industry-funded monitoring,” said the notice published Tuesday in the Federal Registry. “This amendment includes omnibus alternatives that would modify all of the fishery management plans managed by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils to allow for standardized and streamlined development of future industry-funded monitoring programs.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

Fishing managers considering changes to herring trawling

September 21, 2016 — Fishing managers who regulate New England’s waters are considering new ways to manage the herring fishery, which is a key source of bait and food.

The New England Fishery Management Council is looking at ways to address “localized depletion” in the herring fishery.

The council says localized depletion occurs when harvesters take more fish than can be naturally replaced in a given time period.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Washington Times

Dartmouth attorney, former legislator voted chair of New England Fishery Management Council

September 21, 2016 — A member for four years, John F. Quinn of Dartmouth has been elected chairman of the New England Fishery Management Council, a quasi-government group that develops rules for fisheries operating in federal waters.

Attorney Quinn, 53, ran his first council meeting as chairman in Danvers on Tuesday after the vote. He had been vice chairman for the last three years and switched positions with former chairman E.F. “Terry” Stockwell III of Maine. The two have led the council since 2014, according to a news release.

“I am honored that my colleagues from across New England elevated me to this position,” Quinn said. “It’s a great opportunity.”

The director of public interest law programs at the UMass Dartmouth law school, Quinn said he signed up for the council because of his experience as a lawyer and litigator on SouthCoast. Having worked with fishing issues in the region, it seemed fitting to be on the regulation side, he said.

“I understand the waterfront and some of the challenges the industry is facing,” said Quinn, who married into a fishing family.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

NEFMC Receives Atlantic Herring Amendment 8 Update

September 20, 2016 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

During the first day of its Sept. 20-22 meeting in Danvers, Massachusetts, the New England Fishery Management Council received a progress report on Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. The amendment contains two key components that involve:

Development of a long-term acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule for the Atlantic herring fishery; and

Measures to address potential localized depletion of Atlantic herring.

The ABC control rule may: (1) explicitly account for herring’s role in the ecosystem as a forage species; and (2) address the biological and ecological requirements of the resource itself. It is being developed through a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) approach.

MSE incorporates more public input and technical analyses upfront before alternatives are selected.

The Council held its first MSE public workshop in mid-May to begin gathering recommendations on a potential range of objectives for an ABC control rule, as well as feedback on how the objectives should be evaluated. A second workshop likely will be held Dec. 7-8 in Massachusetts.

The Council also received a briefing on the Atlantic Herring Committee’s late-August discussion about potential alternatives to address localized depletion. Most of the committee’s early proposals focus on variations of “inshore buffer zones” where midwater trawl gear – or in one case all herring gear types – would be restricted or prohibited year-round or seasonally. The Council made two motions to modify the Committee’s initial range of buffer zones, which now span from a discrete six-mile closure in an area off the backside of Cape Cod, up to a 50-mile buffer zone throughout the range of the fishery south of Herring Management Area 1A, covering the inshore portions of Areas 1B, 2, and 3 (see map). The committee will meet again on Oct. 20 and Nov. 9 to further debate and reevaluate the alternatives.

To recap how this all began:

The Council went through a public scoping process for Amendment 8 from Feb. 26 to April 30, 2015 to consider long-term harvest strategies for herring through an ABC control rule.
After reviewing the scoping comments, the Council in June 2015 expanded the reach of Amendment 8 to “include consideration of the spatial and temporal availability of Atlantic herring” in order to address public concern about localized depletion.
The Council is aiming to approve the range of alternatives on localized depletion and ABC control rule measures in January.

Fishermen upset over creation of Atlantic’s first monument

September 19th, 2016 — Fishermen in New England say President Obama needlessly dealt a big blow to their industry when he created the Atlantic Ocean’s first marine national monument and circumvented the existing process for protecting fisheries.

The new Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument consists of nearly 5,000 square miles of underwater canyons and mountains off the New England coast. The designation will close the area to commercial fishermen, who go there primarily for lobster, red crab, squid, whiting, butterfish, swordfish and tuna.

After Thursday’s announcement, fishermen pondered their next move: sue, lobby Congress to change the plan or relocate. It’s hard to move, they said, because other fishermen would likely already be fishing where they would want to go.

They said the designation process wasn’t transparent and the administration should have let the New England Fishery Management Council, which is charged with regulating the region’s fisheries, finish working on the coral protection measures it’s considering.

“There seems to be a huge misconception that there are limitless areas where displaced fishermen can go,” said Grant Moore, president of the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association. “Basically with the stroke of a pen, President Obama put fishermen and their crews out of work and harmed all the shore-side businesses that support the fishing industry.”

Read the full story from The Concord Monitor