Saving Seafood

Seafood Harvesters calls on NOAA Fisheries to apply observer waiver consistently for all regions

July 14, 2020 — Seafood Harvesters of America is calling on NOAA Fisheries to develop a more consistent policy in issuing waivers for observers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bob Dooley, the organization’s president, and Leigh Habegger, its executive director, signed a letter sent Monday, 13 July, calling for NOAA to rethink the agency’s current policy regarding at-sea observer coverage. The letter – which was sent to Dr. Neil Jacobs, the acting undersecretary for oceans and atmosphere in the U.S. Department of Commerce; Chris Oliver, NOAA Fisheries’ assistant administrator; and two other NOAA Fisheries officials – is calling for the federal agency to amend the “inconsistent and unequal” process of applying waivers by extending them to all regions where observers and at-sea monitors are mandatory.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Reminder: NOAA Fisheries needs completed surveys to enable scientists to assess COVID-19 impacts on commercial/for-hire fishing operations and seafood dealers/processors

July 14, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

If you received a survey from NOAA Fisheries and partner, the University of Florida, we request you take the time to complete it.  The survey takes less than 6 minutes and the information you provide is strictly confidential.  Survey participants were selected as part of a carefully designed random sample, so your response (if you received a letter) is very important to the success of this survey.

This multi-region survey will be used to inform NOAA Fisheries, the Department of Commerce, Congress, Fishery Management Councils, state fishery managers, and stakeholders about the economic and social impacts that the recent economic downturn has had on the fishing industry. NOAA Fisheries will draft reports for the public detailing the revenue losses and recovery of fishing-dependent businesses over the past few months.

The survey information would have arrived by mail in a University of Florida envelope directing you to a website and contains a login code that is unique to each individual. Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete the survey.

If you have further questions regarding the survey please contact:

John K. Bullard Diversity Award to be Presented Virtually July 23

July 13, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Woods Hole Diversity Initiative has named Larry Alade as the 2020 recipient of the John K. Bullard Diversity Award. Alade is a research scientist at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Woods Hole Laboratory. He is being honored for his contributions to making Woods Hole a more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse community.

The presentation will follow the annual Ambrose Jearld Jr. Lecture on Diversity and Inclusion. This year’s lecture will be given by Nigel Golden,  a doctoral candidate in environmental conservation and graduate fellow in the Northeast Climate Science Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Golden will discuss “Reducing Harm: A Politic to Address Institutional and Cultural Practices that Reduce Participation and Retention in STEM.”

The lecture and award presentation will be offered on July 23 at 2:00 p.m. EDT via Zoom.  Registration is required.

Alade was chosen to receive the award for his:

  • Commitment to diversity in Woods Hole through his work on the Partnership Education Program
  • Leadership on the Black History Month Planning Committee
  • Participation in the Woods Hole Diversity Advisory Committee.

He is also a member of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s diversity and inclusion team. He participates on various other committees and programs that promote diversity and inclusion.

Read the full release here

MARCUS FERRO: Kennedy Has and Will Deliver for the SouthCoast

July 13, 2020 — On Friday at New Bedford’s Pier 3 – located off of JFK Boulevard – with a backdrop of the harbor and fishing boats that are the foundation of our local economy, Congressman Joe Kennedy III delivered his vision for a stronger New Bedford and SouthCoast region.

Gathered in attendance were community residents, city officials, and some of our elected leaders, virtually all of whom have endorsed Kennedy’s run for Senate. Among them is Hugh Dunn, New Bedford City Councilor and lead on the visionary Blue Economy project in Southeastern Massachusetts. 

“Congressman Kennedy has been a strong advocate for Southeastern Massachusetts for years,” Dunn said. “His work on the Blue Economy demonstrates that he understands the power of convening government, academia, and industry to make our region more globally competitive. He supports us, and I’m glad to support him.”

Kennedy, whose congressional district includes a large chunk of the SouthCoast, remarked that before the Blue Economy, each subregion of Southeastern New England was working separately, and thus inefficiently, on blue economic development. The goal was to bring the region together for a cohesive shoreline economy that maximizes its enormous resources and natural assets.

Read the full story at WBSM

MASSACHUSETTS: Joe Kennedy: NOAA Fisheries Should Move to New Bedford From Woods Hole

July 13, 2020 — Massachusetts congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Joseph P. Kennedy III said Friday that government scientists working for NOAA Fisheries should be headquartered in New Bedford instead of in Woods Hole, the scenic community on Cape Cod that hosts a half-dozen leading scientific institutions.

“We have the most important fishing port in the country here. And we have the scientists that have enormous influence about that port decide to be over there instead. Why would you do that?” Kennedy said during a campaign visit to New Bedford’s working waterfront.

The Democrat, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Senator Ed Markey in the Sept. 1 primary, said the concept would move 200 jobs to the city, provide an important investment in an anchor institution, and say to commercial fishermen “that we want your opinion, we need your opinion, and we want to get this right.”

The now-obsolete Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole was completed in 1961, and plans have been afoot to replace it. “It’s going to get rebuilt. The question is where,” said New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell.

Read the full story at WBSM

2020 Ambrose Jearld Lecture to Focus on Practices that Reduce Participation in STEM Fields

July 10, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Nigel Golden will present the 2020 Ambrose Jearld Jr. Lecture on Diversity and Inclusion. Golden is a doctoral candidate in environmental conservation and graduate fellow in the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The event is sponsored by the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative and the Woods Hole Diversity Advisory Committee. Golden’s lecture, “Reducing Harm: A Politic to Address Institutional and Cultural Practices that Reduce Participation and Retention in STEM,” will take place online on July 23 at 2:00 p.m.(EDT) via Zoom. Registration is required.

A native of Milwaukee, Golden received his bachelor of science in wildlife ecology and biology from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. At the university, he cultivated his passion for conducting research in environmental conservation, and the importance of doing this work in conjunction with social justice issues.

Read the full release here

The International Union for Conservation of Nature Updates Classification of the North Atlantic Right Whales from Endangered to Critically Endangered

July 10, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The International Union for Conservation of Nature recently changed its Red List Category for North Atlantic right whales from Endangered to Critically Endangered. The criteria used to evaluate this change are outlined in the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, Section V. Within the United States, North Atlantic right whales are already in the highest risk category possible under both the Marine Mammal Protection Act (Strategic and Depleted) and Endangered Species Act (Endangered).

In 2019, NOAA Fisheries also added North Atlantic right whales to our Species in the Spotlight initiative, which focuses resources on the most imperiled endangered species under NOAA Fisheries’ jurisdiction. While IUCN Red List categories have no direct relationship to categorizations under the MMPA or ESA, NOAA Fisheries shares the IUCN’s concern for North Atlantic right whales. We continue to use our authority under the MMPA and ESA to protect and recover the species.

Read the full release here

Gulf Shrimp Fishery to Re-Open Off Texas on July 15, 2020

July 10, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

WHAT/WHEN:

NOAA Fisheries announces federal waters from 9 to 200 nautical miles off Texas will open to shrimp trawling beginning 30 minutes after official sunset, local time, on July 15, 2020, corresponding to the time Texas opens its waters to shrimp trawling.

WHY THIS IS HAPPENING:

  • The waters off Texas are closed to shrimp fishing annually to allow brown shrimp to reach a larger and more valuable size prior to harvest, and to prevent waste of brown shrimp that might otherwise be discarded because of their small size.
  • The fishery closed May 15, 2020.
  • The re-opening date for Texas waters is based on the results of biological sampling by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
  • In addition, Texas regulations only allow a 60-day closure; the 60 day period expires July 15, 2020.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Cancels Three Research Surveys

July 10, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the unique challenges those are creating for NOAA Fisheries, we are cancelling three research surveys off the Northeast United States. The cancelled surveys include those for sea scallop, Atlantic surfclam/ocean quahog, and an advanced technology survey investigating the ocean’s mesopelagic layer—the “twilight zone.”

These are difficult decisions for the agency as we strive to balance our need to maintain core mission responsibilities with the realities and impacts of the current health crisis.

Since March, we have been rigorously analyzing various options for conducting cruises this year and are taking a survey-by-survey, risk-based approach. After much deliberation, we determined that there was no way to move forward with these surveys while effectively minimizing risk and meeting core survey objectives.

Read the full release here

Near-Infrared Technology Identifies Fish Species from Otoliths

July 7, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Aim a beam of near-infrared light at an otolith, and it reflects a literal spectrum of information on the biological and environmental history of a fish.

NOAA Fisheries scientists are developing ways to use near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis of otoliths (fish ear stones) to provide accurate information for sustainable fisheries management faster. NIRS has already proven its value as a time- and cost-effective method to determine the age of fish.

Now, for the first time, scientists have used NIRS analysis of otoliths to identify fish species and populations. The new technique successfully differentiated 13 marine fish species from four large marine ecosystems around the country.

“Our study shows the potential of NIRS as a fast and reliable method of identifying fish species and populations,” said Irina Benson, Alaska Fisheries Science Center biologist. She led the study with Age and Growth Program colleague Thomas Helser and Beverly Barnett of the Southeast Fisheries Science Center. “This technology could provide information for stock assessment and management faster than traditional methods. It expands the possibilities for collecting data to support ecological studies. It is a big step forward for NOAA Fisheries’ strategic initiative to develop NIRS technology for fisheries science.” 

Read the full release here