Saving Seafood

New Hampshire trawler to collect samples of dwindling shrimp

December 7th, 2016 — A New Hampshire shrimp trawler will be selected to help study New England’s dwindling Northern shrimp fishery.

The interstate Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department say they intend to hire one shrimp trawling vessel to collect samples of the species. The fishermen will also be allowed to bring 1,200 pounds of shrimp per week to shore and sell them.

The project will begin on Jan. 15, 2017 and last for eight weeks.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources has also announced plans to hire eight shrimp trawlers and five shrimp trappers to collect samples.

Scientists say warming oceans have hurt the shrimp’s ability to thrive off of the New England coast, and regulators shut the fishery down in 2013.

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

Winter 2017 Northern Shrimp Cooperative Sampling Program

December 6th, 2016 — The following was released by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department: 

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and the NH Fish and Game Department are seeking one shrimp trawling vessel and captain to collect northern shrimp samples in the MA/NH area (Northern Massachusetts to Boon Island), beginning in mid- January, 2017, fishing once a week for eight weeks until mid- March.  The participant will be required to have an observer, and will be allowed to land and sell up to 1,200 pounds of northern shrimp per trip.  There will be no further compensation.  Selection preference will be given to applicants using a size-sorting grate (designed to release small shrimp).  Highest selection preference will go to applicants who will participate in a compound grate study.

The purpose of the project is to collect northern shrimp samples during the winter period when the shrimp are in inshore waters, to collect data on the timing of the egg hatch, and the size, gender, and developmental stage of the shrimp.  We also hope to collect data on the performance of the compound size-sorting grate.

Please see the attached announcements for details on the project, how to apply, the application deadline (Dec. 19, 2016), and the selection process. 

Robert Eckert

Marine Fisheries Division

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

225 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824

603-868-1095, Robert.Eckert@wildlife.nh.gov

Herring management plan to be considered

December 6th, 2016 — If you were planning to attend the New England Fishery Management Council’s herring workshop this week in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and have not registered, you might want to save yourself the trip.

The two-day workshop, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday to provide continued public input into the establishment of a “long-term control rule for specifying Acceptable Biological Catch for the Atlantic herring fishery,” is fully booked at the Portsmouth venue where the event is taking place.

To accommodate the overflow interest in the herring workshop, the NEFMC will make the proceedings available live to the public on a free online webinar and a corresponding dial-in option that requires an access code.

The website for the webinar and the phone number and access code for the dial-in option are available on the NEFMC website.

The two-day workshop at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel in Portsmouth continues the process begun in January, when the NEFMC voted to conduct a management strategy evaluation “to support the development of alternatives regarding the ABC control rule.”

The council currently is working to develop Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan.

Read the full story at The Gloucester Times 

Atlantic Herring MSE Workshop – Dec. 7-8

December 5th, 2016 — The following was released by The New England Fishery Management Council: 

Dear Interested Parties,

Please note that registration for the The New England Fishery Management Council’s Dec. 7-8 Atlantic Herring Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) Control Rule Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) Workshop is closed.  We are at room capacity at the meeting venue.

However, the Council is inviting anyone who wants to listen to the general workshop presentations to participate via webinar or telephone.  Small-group break-out discussions will not be broadcasted through the webinar.  Here are the details.  

MEETING LOCATION:  Sheraton Harborside Hotel, 250 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03810.  Hotel information is available here.

START TIME:  9:00 a.m.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting will be available at  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9126766025519717123

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

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8422.  

The access code is 257-927-141.  

Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply, and please be sure to mute your telephone or microphone upon joining the meeting.

MATERIALS:  The agenda, a workshop overview, and all meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at Atlantic Herring MSE Workshop.

QUESTIONS:  Call Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492 ext. 106 or email her at joleary@nefmc.org.  Or contact Janice Plante using the information below.

Janice M. Plante

Public Affairs Officer

New England Fishery Management Council

(607) 592-4817

Email:  jplante@nefmc.org

Web:  www.nefmc.org

MAINE: Scallop season opens with high hopes

November 29, 2016 — ELLSWORTH, Maine — After an eight-month hiatus when, like summer tourists, the only scallops in local stores are “from away,” the Maine scallop fishing season is finally opening, at least for a handful of harvesters.

All along the coastline, licensed scallop divers are allowed to start fishing for the succulent bivalves today, Thursday, Dec. 1. Dragger fishermen will have to wait to wet their gear until next Monday, Dec. 5.

The season opens on an optimistic note. Over the past five years, scallop landings have increased steadily, from just over 175,000 pounds of scallop meats (about 1.5 million pounds in the shell) during 2011 to almost 453,000 pounds in 2015.

As in the past several years, fishermen will have a 60-day season in state waters between the Maine-New Hampshire border and western Penobscot Bay (Zone 1), a 70 day season in the waters between eastern Penobscot Bay and the Lubec Narrows bridge (Zone 2) and a 50-day season in Cobscook Bay—the state’s most productive scallop fishing grounds.

Fishermen are subject to a daily possession limit of 15 gallons (about 135 pounds) of scallop meats in all state waters except Cobscook Bay where the daily limit is 10 gallons.

Because commercial fisheries landings are generally reported on an annual basis, it is can be difficult to tease out how well the fishery did during a single season which incorporates parts of two calendar years. Dealers can also be slow in reporting landings information.

That said, during the 2014-2015 fishing season Maine harvesters landed about 525,000 pounds of scallops worth some $6.5 million. Virtually all of those scallops came from state waters—inside the three-mile limit.

The number of active scallopers has increased steadily over the past seven years.

Read the full story at the Ellsworth American

Shrimp may be plentiful in Gulf of Mexico, but not Maine

November 18, 2016 — ELLSWORTH, Maine — State and federal fisheries regulators have imposed a moratorium on shrimp fishing in the Gulf of Maine for the fourth consecutive season because of “the depleted condition of the resource.”

Meeting in Portsmouth, N.H., last Thursday, Northern Shrimp Section of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission extended the current moratorium on commercial fishing for the 2017 fishing season that would, if fishing were allowed, begin Dec. 1.

The Section also approved a 116,845 pound (53 metric ton) “research set aside” to scientists to continue to collect important biological data about the size of the shrimp population and where the shrimp are located. As a practical matter, that means 15 fishermen chosen by lottery from among those who apply will have a chance to harvest, and sell, a few shrimp. Preference will be given to individuals in the lottery using specific gear designed to limit the catch of small shrimp and who were active in the shrimp fishery June 7, 2011.

According to the scientific evidence, the news for Northern shrimp, and the fishermen who made a living chasing them in winter, is grim.

In 1969, Maine fishermen landed more than 24 million pounds of shrimp. Total landings, including those in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, totaled more than 28 million pounds.

After a steady decline, landings surged to 17.9 million pounds in Maine (21 million pounds overall) during the 1996 season that ran from December 1995 through April 1996.

During the truncated 2013 season, the last before the moratorium, Maine shrimp landings were just over 639,000 pounds.

According to the ASMFC, the latest stock status report for Gulf of Maine northern shrimp indicates that measures of both abundance and biomass volume over the past four years “are the lowest on record” for the 33 years during which the surveys have been done.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

New Hampshire Public Hearing on Management of Jonah Crab, Atlantic Menhaden

November 16, 2016 — DURHAM, NH — New Hampshire joins other Atlantic coastal states in scheduling its local hearing on two marine management actions being developed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will hold the hearing beginning at 7:00 p.m. on December 6, 2016, at the Urban Forestry Center, 45 Elwyn Road, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  The meeting is to gather:

  • 7:00 p.m.: Public comment on Draft Addendum II to the Jonah Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP)
  • 7:20 p.m.:  Public comment on the Public Information Document (PID) for Draft Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden.

Jonah Crab Fishery:  The Draft Addendum considers establishing a coastwide standard for claw harvest to address concerns regarding the equity of the current claw provision. Specific options include establishing a whole crab fishery or allowing for the harvest of claws coastwide. The Draft Addendum also considers establishing a definition of bycatch, based on a percent composition of catch, in order to minimize the expansion of a small-scale fishery under the bycatch allowance.

Read the full release at the New Hampshire Department of Fish & Game

Moratorium on Northern Shrimp Commercial Fishing Maintained for 2017 Season

November 11th, 2016 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: 

In response to the depleted condition of the northern shrimp resource, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section extended the moratorium on commercial fishing for the 2017 fishing season. The Section also approved a 53 metric ton (mt) research set aside (RSA) to allow for the continued collection of much needed biological data.

The 2016 Stock Status Report for Gulf of Maine (GOM) Northern Shrimp indicates abundance and biomass indices for 2012–2016 are the lowest on record of the thirty-three year time series. Recruitment indices for the 2010–2015 year classes are also poor and include the three smallest year classes on record. As a result, the 2012–2016 indices of harvestable biomass are the lowest on record. Current harvestable biomass is almost entirely composed of the 2013 year class. 

“By increasing the 2017 RSA, which is above last year’s 22 mt quota and that recommended by the Technical Committee for 2017 (13.6 mt), the Section sought to strike a balance between providing limited fishing opportunities to the industry while collecting valuable data to allow for the continued monitoring of the northern shrimp resource,” stated Section Chair Dennis Abbott of New Hampshire. 

Recruitment of northern shrimp is related to both spawning biomass and ocean temperatures, with higher spawning biomass and colder temperatures producing stronger recruitment. Ocean temperatures in western GOM shrimp habitat have increased over the past decade and reached unprecedented highs within the past several years. This suggests an increasingly inhospitable environment for northern shrimp and the need for strong conservation efforts to help restore and maintain a fishable stock. The Northern Shrimp Technical Committee considers the stock to be in poor condition with limited prospects for the near future. The 2016 Stock Status Report is available at http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/5823782c2016NorthernShrimpAssessment.pdf. 

To maintain the time series of data collected from northern shrimp commercial fishery catches, a cooperative winter sampling program was approved with a 53 mt RSA quota. This program allows for the continued collection of biological data (e.g. size composition, egg hatch timing) from GOM northern shrimp fishery catches in the absence of a directed fishery.  The RSA will include the participation of 10 trawlers (8 Maine trawlers, 1 Massachusetts trawler, and 1 New Hampshire trawler) and 5 trap fishermen, fishing for 8 weeks from mid-January to mid-March. The trawlers will have a maximum trip limit of 1,200 pounds per trip, with 1 trip per week, while the trappers will have a maximum possession limit of 500 pounds per week, with a 40 trap limit per vessel. Preference will be given to individuals in the lottery with double Nordmore grates and having history prior to the June 7, 2011 control date.

For more information, please contact Max Appelman, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mappelman@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.             

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Tina Berger

Director of Communications

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

1050 N. Highland Street, Suite 200A-N

Arlington, VA 22201

Where do female lobsters release their eggs?

November 10th, 2016 — The decline of the American lobster population from the southern edge of its range in Long Island Sound stands in stark contrast to to the explosion in the number of landed lobsters in the colder Gulf of Maine waters the past few years.

Scientists are wondering what is going on with the important fishery, particularly as greenhouse gas emissions are blamed for a warming of ocean water. Are lobsters heading to colder water to hatch their young?

A study just funded by the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire will look at the issue off the Isles of Shoals, next summer. Starting next June, eight to 14 egg-bearing lobsters will receive hydroaccoustic tags and be tracked as they carry eggs and hatch them. The study will be off the Isles of Shoals.

Joshua Carloni, biologist in the marine division of New Hampshire Fish and Game, said it has been traditionally thought that female lobsters move to warmer water with their eggs in spring and release them there. But a 2012 study suggested they are moving to deeper water to hatch their eggs.

“Why that is we don’t know,”said Carloni. “We believe, historically this is what they have done, but it have not documented. The implications with warming water are known.” This study could possibly provide “concrete evidence that lobsters are moving to deep water once their eggs begin to hatch.”

Read the full story at WMUR 9 

Lobstermen, scientists concerned about sea level, temperature rise

November 10, 2016 — PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Lobstermen and scientists are concerned about rising sea temperatures and sea level rise in the state’s Seacoast region.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, went out on a lobster boat out of Portsmouth harbor Aug. 30 to talk to fisherman about concerns they have for the potential for temperature rise in the waters and how it could impact the state’s prized, $23 million a year fishery.

Waiting for her on the dock as she returned were officials from the Rockingham County Planning Commission to discuss a related issue: sea level rise and its impacts on the seacoast.

The two go hand in hand because they are both linked to climate change.

The largest high tide of the year, the King Tide, is expected on New Hampshire’s seacoast Nov. 15.

It will give residents a glimpse into the future, where high water could be the norm. Hopefully, there will not be a weather event late that morning which would possibly impact low-lying structures.

Scientists predict that the average high tide in New Hampshire could rise by two feet in the next 35 years and be six feet higher by the year 2100 due to climate change.

These tides could damage homes, infrastructure and the tourist economy of the state.

Both Shaheen and her Republican counterpart, U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-New Hampshire, together worked successfully last month to fight off an effort by Sweeden to ban the import of the American lobster. The European Union rejected Sweden’s request on Oct. 14.

Read the full story at WMUR