Saving Seafood

FISHING GROUPS, TOWNS SUE TO BLOCK OFFSHORE WINDFARM

February 10, 2017 — Commercial fishing companies, trade groups, and seaport communities in four states are fighting against the development of a massive offshore windfarm planned to be built in the Atlantic Ocean.

The group is requesting courts block the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) from auctioning the rights to develop the project. The coalition, which includes the cities of Narragansett, Rhode Island and New Bedford, Massachusetts, filed a petition to block the lease in federal court in Washington, DC in early December 2016, arguing BOEM offered the lease without adequately considering the harm to the fishermen who have traditionally worked the area for scallops and squid.

On December 16, the court provisionally allowed the auction to proceed. Norwegian state-owned oil company Statoil won, paying approximately $42.5 million for the right to build a wind farm with as many as 194 turbines across nearly 80,000 acres in the ocean off the coasts of New Jersey and New York.

The group amended its lawsuit, asking the court to provide a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to prevent BOEM taking the necessary next step with the provisional lease. The court agreed to consider the motion, setting February 8, 2017, as the date to hear the plaintiffs’ arguments.

Read the full story at The Heartland Institute  

Hope After Tragedy: New Stranded Marine Mammal Plan Coming After Humpback Whale Euthanized

February 7, 2017 — Hope was born from tragedy at a community meeting to discuss the stranding, and eventual euthanization of a humpback whale in Moriches Bay that left hearts broken and fueled residents to ignite a fire for change.

More than 100 residents turned out Tuesday at a community meeting organized to present information related to the November 2016 stranding of a humpback whale in Moriches Bay, which took place at Brookhaven Town Hall in Farmingville.

“We were really pleased to see such a strong turnout and to hear from so many people. We look forward to working with the passionate Long Island community and our local stranding partners to develop new resources and new capacity for marine mammal stranding response,” said Jennifer Goebel, media relations, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.

Read the full story at the Westhampton Patch

NEW YORK’S OCEAN ACTION PLAN

February 7, 2017 — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos recently announced the release of the State’s final Ocean Action Plan, the first-ever comprehensive 10-year blueprint to guide the protection and conservation of New York’s ocean resources from environmental threats such as ocean acidification due to climate change. The plan was developed with input from a variety of state agencies, as well as ocean-related advocacy and industry organizations.

“New York’s Ocean Action Plan acknowledges the need to better understand how current and future uses of the ocean may impact the ocean ecosystem,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “New York’s ocean region is a critical resource for 13 million people, nearly 60 percent of the state’s population, who live along the coast. From carbon sequestration to storm resiliency, a healthy coastal environment is a necessity for coastal communities.”

Read the full story at The Fisherman

NEW YORK: Community Meeting On Stranded Humpback Whale Takes Place Tuesday

February 6, 2017 — An agenda has been released for Tuesday’s community meeting organized to present information related to the November 2016 stranding of a humpback whale in Moriches Bay.

According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region division, a community meeting will take place on Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Brookhaven Town Hall, located at 1 Independence Hill in Farmingville.

The meeting is free and open to the public. The goal, organizers say, is to “provide an overview of the incident, lessons learned, and plans for future responses in New York for community members. Panelists will also receive comments and questions from the community.”

The agenda will include a welcome from Congressman Lee Zeldin’s staff, presentations, an event timeline, history and challenges of large whale response, a discussion of humpback whale biology and an overview of current research initiatives, lessons learned and an overview of planning initiatives and new collaborations, and comments, questions and answers with panel members.

Read the full story at the Westhampton Patch 

Commercial fishing representative discusses new South Fork Wind Farm with Richard Rose on CBS New York

January 31st, 2016 — On January 25th, the Long Island Power Authority approved the South Fork Wind Farm, a new wind development off the coast of Long Island. On January 30th, Bonnie Brady, the executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, sat down with Richard Rose on CBS New York to discuss the adverse impact the new project would have on local fish and fishermen.

Located 30 miles southeast of Montauk, New York, the South Fork Wind Farm will cost $740 million to construct the wind farm that will stretch over a 15 square mile area. In the interview Ms. Brady noted that the project would come at the expense of the many nearby fisheries, including the “most healthy stock of cod in the Northeast,” fluke, scallops, monkfish, and over 30 other different species of fish.  

Specifically, Ms. Brady cited the threat to local fish stocks from a construction process known as “pile driving,” which emits a loud sound that injures, and can kill, nearby fish and marine mammals. In addition, the process plows six feet beneath the ocean floor, dispersing sediment and killing larvae as a result of a large increase in pressure.

“Pile driving kills anything with a swim bladder within three-quarters of a mile. When you puncture a swim bladder, you don’t float, you sink,” Ms. Brady said. “If you’re at the bottom of the ocean because you’re a ground fish to begin with you’re not going to be coming up.”

Ms. Brady continued that these fishing areas would be very difficult for local fishermen to replace.

“Fishermen go to the areas where fish are, specifically based on temperature and bait. And as a result, during certain times of the year they move offshore and onshore,” Ms. Brady clarified in the interview.

Ms. Brady also took issue with the lack of consultation with the commercial fishing industry before approval of the wind farm. She explained that wind farm proponents failed to reach out to the commercial fishing industry to assess areas of economic importance or high environmental sensitivity that should be excluded from the wind farm area.

As fishing vessels often have difficulty navigating the wind turbine array, a return to the area can be problematic.

“The reality is we as fishermen depend upon the fish, not only for this generation but for generations in the future,” Brady said. “We, more than anyone else, know what goes on underneath the waterline because we are the ones who follow the fish and catch them in providing food for the nation.”

Watch the full interview at CBS New York

Atlantic Cobia (Georgia to New York) Recreational Fishing Season is Closed in Federal Waters

January 26, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN:

Recreational harvest of Atlantic migratory group cobia (from Georgia to New York) closed at 12:01 a.m. on January 24, 2017. Recreational harvest of cobia will remain closed until January 1, 2018.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

  • In 2016, the recreational and total annual catch limits of Atlantic migratory group cobia were exceeded. Therefore, the 2017 recreational season must account for this overage.
  • When landings of Atlantic migratory group cobia exceed annual catch limits, accountability measures are in place to ensure overfishing (rate of removal is too high) does not occur. If total landings (commercial and recreational) for the Atlantic migratory group cobia exceed the total annual catch, NOAA Fisheries is required to reduce the length of the recreational fishing season in the following fishing year.
  • With the understanding that recreational harvest of cobia will remain open in some state waters during the federal closure, NOAA Fisheries has determined that the annual catch limit in 2017 will likely be exceeded as the majority of cobia landings come from state waters.
  • NOAA Fisheries will reevaluate the federal closure if state regulations change in 2017.

DURING THE CLOSURE:

  • During the closure, recreational harvest of cobia is prohibited in federal waters from Georgia through New York. Cobia off the east coast of Florida are part of the Gulf of Mexico migratory group.
  • This closure only applies to the recreational sector. The possession limit of two cobia per day remains in effect for Atlantic cobia that are sold in state or federal waters.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or here.

Read the complete Fishery Bulletin, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions available from the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office website.

Warming Signs: Climate Change Means A Sea Change for Fishermen and Scientists

January 23, 2017 — Lobsters used to lurk in the waters of Long Island. But these days, New York fisherman have trouble finding any—while their peers 500 miles away in Maine are seeing bumper crops. Instead, the lobstermen of Long Island now catch more crabs and other shellfish—which, in turn, leaves crabbers further down the East Coast worried about the future of their own livelihoods.

Last week I wrote about how climate change is prompting a fish migration that will directly affect what’s served—or not served—for dinner. But these rapid marine changes won’t just affect our appetites; they also represent a sea change for the fisherman and communities that depend on the sea for jobs and income.

Fishing Regulations Struggle to Catch Up

Of course, catching new fish in your usual fishing haunt is trickier than just changing your bait. Regulations guide what you may catch and how much of it, usually state by state—and they aren’t changing as fast as the environment is. John A. Manderson, a research biologist at the NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), noted that sea creatures are moving north 10 times faster than their land-based animals.

“Our ideas of property rights and laws are purely land-based,” Manderson told The New York Times. “But the ocean is all about flux and turbulence and movement.”

To get around these increasingly obsolete laws, some fishermen are catching fish further north and then traveling to areas where it is legal to bring large quantities to shore. Such slippery adherence to regulations sparked mackerel wars in the North Sea back in 2010, and the dispute wasn’t settled for four years.

Furthermore, such an expensive round-about the law is not an option for everyone, especially those with smaller fishing operations.

Read the full story at Paste Magazine

NEW YORK: It’s Now Safe to Eat (Some) Fish From This Famously Polluted Brooklyn Canal

January 18, 2017 — Attention, New York City tourists: There’s a new water attraction in town.

That is, if you’re brave enough to risk the historically polluted waterway of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal. A new public health assessment from the New York State Department of Health suggests that the famously inhospitable canal—which runs for 1.8 miles through parts of the hip tree-lined neighborhoods of Park Slope, Cobble Hill, and Carroll Gardens—is now safe for leisure activities like kayaking and even a spot of recreational fishing.

“Because of many years of discharges, storm water runoff, sewer outflows and industrial pollutants, the Gowanus Canal is one of the nation’s most extensively contaminated water bodies,” the report admits, referencing its history as a channel for barges starting in 1853 and an outlet for sewage and industrial wastes.

That said, things seem to be cautiously looking up for the Canal. While the report noted the presence of hazards like fecal coliform bacteria and chemicals like benzopyrene, which is related to increased cancer risks, ultimately the Department of Health concluded that “recreational boating” and “catch and release fishing” shouldn’t be harmful to people’s health. They still don’t recommend taking a full-body dip or dunking your head any time soon, though.

Further, if you do plan to consume the local marine species that inhabit the waterway, there are some definitive guidelines: stay away from the eels and white perch, and only feast on needlefish, bass, and perch once a month, max. (And women under the age of 50 should stay away from the seafood altogether.)

But come hot city summers, it’s likely residents and visitors will start taking advantage of the canal, thanks to this report’s (admittedly tepid) assurances of improving health and a plan to invest up to $500 million in its restoration in future.

Read the full story at Travel & Leisure

Skate Update: NEFMC Reschedules Montauk, Cape May Scoping Hearings

January 17, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has RESCHEDULED its Montauk, NY and Cape May, NJ scoping hearings on Amendment 5 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan.  The new dates are as follows:

  • Cape May — Tuesday, Feb. 21, Grand Hotel of Cape May
  • Montauk — Wednesday, Feb. 22, Montauk Playhouse Community Center Foundation

Both hearings were initially scheduled to take place the previous week.  However, in order to avoid potential conflicts for stakeholders who are planning to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Feb. 14-16 meeting in Kitty Hawk, NC, the New England Council has decided to hold its Mid-Atlantic region skate scoping hearings the following week.

See the full release at the NEFMC

New York governor calls for approving 90-MW offshore wind farm

January 13, 2017 — New York’s Long Island Power Authority should approve the 90-megawatt South Fork Wind Farm energy project as an early step toward developing up to 2.4 gigawatts of offshore power for the state by 2030, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in his annual address to state lawmakers.

It would be the single biggest commitment by a coastal state, and the South Forks project 30 miles off Long Island’s East End proposed by Deepwater Wind LLC faces stiff opposition from commercial fishermen and other critics. But contract negotiations that dragged out last summer are now close to final the LIPA board could vote on it this month.

Cuomo said the authority can “ensure it is developed responsibly and cost-effectively for all stakeholders.”

“New York’s unparalleled commitment to offshore wind power will create new, high-paying jobs, reduce our carbon footprint, establish a new, reliable source of energy for millions of New Yorkers, and solidify New York’s status as a national clean energy leader,” Cuomo said. The state’s Offshore Wind Master Plan will be ready in 2017, and pave the way for the 2.4 billion-GW target, or enough electricity to power 1.25 million homes.

In that same time frame, the Cuomo administration has an ambitious target to a full 50% of New York state’s energy from renewable sources by 2030. Meanwhile, the potential closing of the aging Indian Point nuclear plant on the Hudson River in the early 2020s means the state’s biggest metro center will need power from other sources.

Read the full story at Work Boat