Saving Seafood

NEW JERSEY: As striper population drops, Jersey Shore anglers split over new rules

May 14, 2019 — On calm, sunny days, dozens of boats dock at Kammerman’s Marina in Atlantic City. Most set out to sea for one fish in particular: the Atlantic striped bass.

The popular recreational catch faced near extinction a few decades ago, leading to a temporary ban on capturing the species in the mid-1980s.

Now, striped bass are being overfished again amid a decades-long drop in their population, and new regulations are coming next year, leaving South Jersey fishermen divided.

The Atlantic States Marines Fisheries Commission, which manages fishing from Maine to North Carolina, wants to put more restrictions on the harvest. In an April memo, the commission said it was launching a study into how to reduce fish deaths by 17% by 2020.

“Striped bass are one of the most sought-after game on the East Coast,” said Max Appelman, fishing coordinator at the commission. “There are probably a number of other variables are play, but these (fishing and overfishing) are the only two we can put our fingers on.”

Read the full story at the Press of Atlantic City

Opponents of offshore drilling at New Jersey Shore are breathing sigh of relief

May 13, 2019 — The federal government has stopped pushing for offshore oil drilling off the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to Florida. And that’s good news for critics of the plan in South Jersey.

The Secretary of the Interior announced recently that plans to allow offshore drilling of oil and gas were postponed indefinitely. Opponents of seismic testing in South Jersey are relieved but say it’s not over yet.

“It’s very good news,” said Vicki Clark, president of the Cape May Chamber of Commerce. “But unless they say it is permanently abandoned, we still feel as though we have to continue to, continue on with our education about why this is not something we want to have anywhere along the Atlantic.”

Read the full story at KYW

US squid catchers turn to innovation, MSC in push to boost consumption

May 13, 2019 — The US’ two largest squid catchers and suppliers are taking a similar tack when it comes to plans to boost consumption of their species: product innovation at home targeted at millennials, and the recent Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification of their fisheries to open up new markets, particularly in Europe.

The companies –Narragansett, Rhode Island-based The Town Dock and Cape May, New Jersey-based Lund’s Fisheries — recently teamed up to receive MSC approval for the US Northwest northern shortfin squid (Illex Illecebrosus) fishery. This comes nearly a year after obtaining the MSC’s stamp for the US Northeast longfin inshore squid (Loligo pealeii) bottom trawl fishery last year, the world’s first MSC certification for a squid species. The two firms also catch California market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens) and harvest or procure a wide range of other squid and fish species.

Americans don’t consume a lot of squids — in 2015, the average US consumer ate around four ounces per year, roughly equivalent to a serving of fried calamari rings. That’s where the opportunity lies, Jeff Reichle, Lund’s president, told Undercurrent News.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Lund’s Fisheries Now Proud to Offer MSC-Certified Illex Squid

May 3, 2019 — The following was released by Lund’s Fisheries:

Lund’s Fisheries is pleased to announce that the U.S. Northeast Northern Shortfin Squid (illex) fishery has been certified as sustainable against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fisheries standard. Lund’s now offers the only two species of squid in the world to have obtained MSC certification: the company’s loligo squid fishery was certified as sustainable last year.

“Lund’s is at the forefront of providing consumers with fresh, sustainably harvested seafood,” said Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries. “MSC certification for illex squid is just the latest example of our commitment to ensuring that all of our products are responsibly harvested and sustainably sourced.”

With an MSC label, consumers can be sure that their seafood comes from a fishery that is managed effectively and sustainably, and from one that minimizes its environmental impact. MSC certification is widely considered one of the strictest certification labels in the world, the “gold standard” of sustainable seafood. Through its active pursuit of the MSC label for its squid and Atlantic sea scallop products, and its sustainable sourcing of the rest of its product line, Lund’s is a leader in bringing environmentally friendly products to the U.S. and European markets.

“Consumers can be confident that when they purchase squid, scallops, or any other seafood from Lund’s, it comes with a commitment to support the long-term health of our oceans and marine life,” Mr. Reichle said.

Illex squid are migratory and occupy a large range, from Newfoundland to Florida. Unlike many other species of fish, illex squid likely to not be significantly affected by climate change, and some studies indicate that the species may even benefit from warmer ocean temperatures. Fisheries managers are confident enough in the future health of the species that they are proposing to raise the quota this year from 22,915 mt to 24,825 mt, an 8 percent increase.

Lund’s will be showcasing its sustainable squid products at this year’s Seafood Expo Global, taking place in Brussels, Belgium from May 7-9. Stop by booth 6-1225 to meet with our U.S. and European sales staff, who are dedicated to providing sustainable squid and scallop options for you and your customers.

Read the full release here

Congressman Jeff Van Drew Advocates for South Jersey Fishermen

May 3, 2019 — The following was released by The Office of Congressmen Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ):

At the Natural Resources Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee hearing on the State of Fisheries Congressman Jeff Van Drew advocated for the fishermen in South Jersey and throughout the country.

The 2006 Magnuson Stevens Act Amendments dramatically changed the way domestic fishery resources are managed. Since the implementation of these policies, it has been widely acknowledged that the resulting requirements have been troublesome.

The National Marine Fisheries Service began revisiting these policies since 2012 after receiving concerns from managers and stakeholders. In addition, Oversight Hearings on this topic began in October of 2009 with hearings conducted periodically over the past ten years. The result of these lengthy deliberations highlighted the concept of flexibility, which is generally supported by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Council Coordinating Committee and was a reoccurring topic of the Managing Our Nations Fisheries 3 Conference.

“No one understands the impacts of shifting fish stocks more than commercial and recreational fishermen in my district. Summer flounder and Atlantic croaker were historically fished off the coast of North Carolina in the late ’90s and now are being fished 250 miles north, off the coast of New Jersey,” said Rep. Van Drew. “Perhaps it’s time that Congress makes “flexibility” a requirement of the Magnuson Stevens Act by enacting bipartisan reform that is science-based and achieves fishery management objectives.”

Highlight video of the “State of Fisheries” hearing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPsjLVPp-0o&feature=youtu.be

Read the full release here

Second squid species gains MSC certification

May 3, 2019 — A second squid fishery has been certified against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard, according to a release by the MSC.

The successful certification of the U.S. Northeast Northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus) makes it the second squid fishery in the world, and the region, to gain MSC certification. The assessment was executed by SCS Global Services, and was requested by Lund’s Fisheries, in Cape May, New Jersey; and The Town Dock, in Point Judith, Rhode Island. The two companies were also responsible for the first-ever MSC certification of a squid fishery, when they gained certification of the Northeast longfin inshore squid (Loligo pealeii) fishery.

“The certification of the North Atlantic Illex fishery is very exciting for us and for sustainability-minded consumers,” Ryan Clark, CEO of The Town Dock, said in the release. “It has always been important for us to sustainably manage our squid fisheries, so a second MSC certification is welcome news. And now, we can offer our customers around the globe two certified sustainable USA squid species in Loligo and Illex.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY: Abundant menhaden draw whales and endless dispute over its fishery

April 28, 2019 — Jeff Stewart, the longtime captain of the Cape May Whale Watcher, recalled last seeing whales in Delaware Bay off Cape May County in 1990. Now, as then, the whales follow and prey on bigger schools of menhaden — a footlong fish used for fish-oil supplements, aquaculture feed and bait.

Seeing whales closer to shore is one benefit of the renewed abundance of menhaden, also called mossbunker or just bunker for short. Another is jobs in the menhaden fishery, which used to have operations in Cape May and Monmouth counties. More menhaden theoretically also helps the whales, striped bass, ospreys, dolphins and such that eat them.

This success story began in 2013, when the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission set its first catch limits for menhaden in the waters from Maine to Florida. The fish has done so well since then that the quotas have been raised every year, to 216,000 metric tons.

In December, one of the leading certification bodies for the Marine Stewardship Council recommended that the Atlantic menhaden fishery be certified as sustainable. SAI Global said the fishery scored 83 for sustainability of the stock, 86 for minimizing environmental impacts, and 92 for effective fisheries management — each higher than the average score of 80 required for sustainability certification.

A sustainable and growing menhaden fishery, though, isn’t enough for some. Since at least 1888, when the Rod and Reel Association claimed commercial menhaden boats were taking fish better left as food for species they liked to catch and eat, people have fought over the best use for menhaden.

In the fall of 2017, a coalition of environmental and sport fishing interests, partly led by a unit of the Pew Charitable Trusts, successfully lobbied the fisheries commission to switch to a unique new management approach for a fishery, one based on estimates of how the menhaden population affects other fish and wildlife that prey upon it.

Read the full opinion piece at the Press of Atlantic City

NEW JERSEY: ‘We don’t put up with shad-haters.’ N.J. town throws oily fish its own festival and people are here for it

April 29, 2019 — Shad – Is it the tofu of the sea?

Not known as a delicious fish by itself, some people resort to mixing it with other ingredients to make it more palatable. In recent years at Shad Fest in Lambertville, Bell’s Tavern offered Shad & Shrimp Fritters. This year Caffe Galleria had Shad Tacos on their menu, but as of lunchtime on Saturday, had no takers.

We’re not trying to throw shade at shad, but let’s face it, who really hungers for the taste of this particular bony, oily fish?

Actually, we ran into some folks who do.

Read the full story at NJ.com

Seaweed matters: Eat your vegetables

April 26, 2019 — When I sat down at a Portland kombucha bar to attend a local Seaweed 101 session, I fully expected a love story about wild, vegan kelp and how we can change the world by eating more sea vegetables. What I didn’t expect was an in-depth exchange about federal fishery management and how it has decimated the industry’s communities in New England.

VitaminSea owner, and host of the session, Tom Roth was a commercial tilefish captain out of New Jersey a lifetime ago. He transitioned into New York Harbor tugboats as the industry declined, and started diving for kelp in his spare time from his home base in southern Maine about 15 years ago.

These days he goes out in a 40-foot boat that carries three other divers, two wooden skiffs and two Zodiacs. Each diver takes a small craft out on his own; they spread out, harvest, then meet back at the boat to help each other unload.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NEW JERSEY: Whales in the bay? It’s rare, but happening thanks to a surge in these fish off Cape May

April 9, 2019 — Jeff Stewart clearly remembers one of the last times humpback whales descended on the Delaware Bay.

It was 1990 and there was an abundance of bunker in the waters, a type of forage fish that whales eat that are also called menhaden, said Stewart, captain of the Cape May Whale Watcher.

Those same conditions are bringing the cetaceans to the bays from Town Bank to Cape May Point yet again, he said.

Marine biologists say a combination of warming waters and an increasing bunker population in the south is bringing more of the fish to New Jersey’s coast — and in turn luring whales to bay habitats they normally don’t swim in.

“There’s a ton of (bunker) right now. I’d definitely say it’s above average, to see it this early and in these quantities,” Stewart said.

Typically, the whales are found 20 miles offshore in the ocean, Stewart said, but last week, one of his captains spotted a humpback whale in the bay about 1½ miles off Cape May’s coast. Another was found in the bay Sunday morning about 100 yards out.

The tour agency, founded in 1993, started taking people out to sea again for the season last month. Stewart said more bottlenose dolphins are also in the waters as a result of increased bunker.

Read the full story at the Press of Atlantic City