June 17, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
We are finalizing “conservation equivalency” for the summer flounder fishery. We have waived the federal recreational bag limit, minimum fish size, and fishing season for summer flounder. Fishermen are subject to regulations in the state where they land. Please contact your state for information on summer flounder recreational rules.
Read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register today.
June 15, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
This is the time of year when boats multiply on the inland waters of Washington as more people get outdoors for the summer. It is also the time when many long for a precious chance to see the endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
Boats generate noise, though, which—combined with the boat traffic itself—is considered one of the main threats to the Southern Residents. It can interfere with the whales’ use of echolocation, a form of sonar they use to find the Chinook salmon they favor as prey. Regardless of how many salmon might be available, noise can make it harder for the whales to find them.
That can be particularly costly for the Southern Residents because salmon do not gather in schools as some fish do. The whales must find each one individually—painstakingly hunting one fish at a time.
June 12, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
KEY MESSAGE:
NOAA Fisheries announces the final rule for Regulatory Amendment 29 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Regulatory Amendment 29). This final rule modifies gear requirements for the fishery and encourages best fishing practices.
WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:
Regulations will be effective July 15, 2020.
SUMMARY OF CHANGES FOR SNAPPER-GROUPER:
The final rule:
Please see the complete Fishery Bulletin issued from NOAA Fisheries for additional information and details including a list of Frequently Asked Questions.
June 12, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries monitors commercial fishery catch to understand how much fish is removed from the ocean and how discarding of unwanted catch varies among species groups and fleets. This information helps us understand the condition of fishery stocks, and helps us develop management actions to reduce discarding.
Today, we have posted four new reports related to required federal fishery discard monitoring for April 2020-March 2021 in Northeast commercial fisheries. Together these documents show how many sea days must be monitored by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Fisheries Sampling Branch in order to obtain data needed to estimate discard for 15 federally managed species groups and sea turtles in 62 fleets across the region, how the days are determined, and how they are allocated to each of the three trip selection systems used for Northeast federal fisheries.
We are also releasing the sea-day schedule for trips selected for coverage through Northeast Fisheries Observer providers. NOAA Fisheries will reimburse 100 percent of industry sea-day costs for the Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery in FY2020 using the funds Congress has specifically appropriated for this purpose.
A temporary waiver of this monitoring requirement has been in effect since March 20. We intend to begin redeploying observers and at-sea monitors on vessels fishing in northeast fisheries on July 1. This month, we continue to work with regional observer and at-sea monitoring service providers to finalize their observer redeployment plans, conduct outreach with industry, and finalize internal programs and policies that will support the safe and effective redeployment of observers and at-sea monitors in the region.
June 11, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries has released a National Report on Large Whale Entanglements Confirmed in the United States in 2018. Many large whale populations are increasing in the United States, but entanglements in fishing gear or marine debris are a growing threat to the continued welfare and recovery of these species. Severe entanglements can kill or seriously injure large whales. Entanglements involving threatened or endangered species can have significant negative impacts to the population as a whole.
NOAA Fisheries coordinates the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, which includes partners in the Large Whale Entanglement Response Network. They help us track and document as many of these incidents as possible. Entanglements represent a serious human-caused threat to large whales at the individual and population levels. Scientists and managers analyze entanglement data to determine:
Managers use that information to evaluate existing conservation measures and implement new ones as warranted to reduce the threat of entanglements in the future.
There were 105 confirmed entanglement cases nationally in 2018. This was above the 11-year average (70.8 + 21.8) and more than 25 percent higher than the number of cases in 2017. Some of the entanglements involved North Atlantic right whales on the East Coast, which could impede recovery of that critically endangered species. The National Large Whale Entanglement Response Network responded to 37 of 92 cases involving entangled live whales and successfully removed entangling gear from 16 whales. This increased their chances of survival as well as collected important documentation.
June 11, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Providing seafood to the country remains an essential function even in these extraordinary times. Adequately monitoring United States fisheries remains an essential part of that process. However, in recognition of numerous travel or social distancing restrictions or guidance, NOAA Fisheries recently issued an emergency action to provide the authority to waive observer coverage, some training, and other program requirements while meeting conservation needs and providing an ongoing supply of fish to markets. Under this emergency action, NOAA Fisheries regional administrators, office directors, or science center directors have the ability to waive observer requirements in three specific circumstances, after consulting with observer providers.
Over the past several weeks, NOAA Fisheries has continued to monitor and evaluate this situation. Throughout the country, we have actively worked with the observer service providers to understand their local restrictions and implement adjustments to the logistics of deploying observers, ensuring qualified observers or at-sea monitors are available as soon as safely possible. In several regions, providers’ social control guidance has been in place and we now anticipate having sufficient observers/catch monitors to achieve the appropriate level of observer coverage in most fleets and return these employees back to work. Individual waivers for trips and vessels in lower priority fleets may be issued on a case-by-case basis to ensure qualified observers/catch monitors are available for higher priority fleets (i.e., fleets with 100 percent coverage requirements or bycatch of Endangered Species Act-listed species).
Observers and at-sea monitors are an essential component of commercial fishing operations and provide critical information that is necessary to keep fisheries open and to provide sustainable seafood to our nation during this time. We will continue to monitor all local public health notifications, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for updates. We are committed to protecting the public health and ensuring the safety of fishermen, observers, and others, while fulfilling our mission to maintain our nation’s seafood supply and conserving marine life.
June 11, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
There are four restricted areas (RGA) that are alternately closed to either trap or mobile gear on a seasonal basis. These areas were agreed upon by the mobile gear and trap fishermen to reduce gear conflicts. These areas run west to east along the 50 fathom contours, south of New England.
Please refer to the table below that outlines which areas will be closed to mobile gear and fixed lobster gear. Fixed lobster gear must be removed from RGAs 1 and 2 and mobile gear vessels may not fish in RGAs 3 and 4 beginning June 16, 2020. For a map of these areas please visit the lobster species page under the Resources tab.
June 11, 2020 — In the past few decades, particularly since the start of the 21st century, global seafood consumption has seen a steady uptick, fueled by an international boom in hatcheries and improved techniques in fish farming and aquaculture. An improvement in preservation and processing methods has also allowed for longer storage of raw fish and shellfish, boosting international trade of the same. Mounting recognition of the health benefits of seafood as compared to other forms of meat has led to a notable spike in seafood consumption in many countries, and the United States is following the same pattern, albeit a little slowly. These are some of the reasons our trade financing company keeps a close eye on the industry.
So what is the outlook for U.S.-based importers, and how have recent developments impacted the industry?
The U.S.’s Growing Love For Seafood
According to a report released by the National Maritime Fisheries Services (NOAA Fisheries) in February of this year, Americans ate an average of 16.1 pounds of seafood per capita in 2018. This number is a very slight increase from the 16 pounds per capita consumed in 2017, but is important for the United States, given the country’s traditional preference for other meats like chicken and/or beef. As more consumers include it in their diets, the demand for fresh as well as frozen seafood is going to increase. The U.S., for the most part, continues to meet this demand from overseas markets.
The NOAA Fisheries report noted that approximately 85%-95% of seafood consumed in the United States is imported from other countries, as per NOAA Fisheries chief scientist Cisco Werner. Although a study from May 2019 noted that this figure may be significantly inflated because not all of these imports are of foreign origin, there is no denying the strong contribution of imports to the United States’ seafood consumption.
June 10, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for six primary and five alternate seats on its advisory council. The council ensures public participation in sanctuary management and provides advice to the sanctuary superintendent.
The sanctuary is accepting applications for the following seats: at large (two primary and one alternate), business industry (one primary and one alternate), conservation (one primary and one alternate), education (one alternate), marine transportation (alternate), mobile gear commercial fishing (primary), and research (one primary).
The application period opened on June 1. Completed applications are due by June 30, 2020. Applications received or postmarked after June 30 will not be considered. To receive an application or for further information, please contact Elizabeth Stokes at 781-546-6004 or by mail at 175 Edward Foster Road, Scituate, MA 02066. Applications can also be downloaded from the Sanctuary’s website.
Applicants accepted as members should expect to serve a three-year term. The advisory council consists of 36 primary and alternate members representing a variety of public interest groups. It also includes seven seats representing other federal and state government agencies.
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary’s Advisory Council actively recruits for new members and alternates when positions are available. Check their website frequently for updates on how you can help manage New England’s only national marine sanctuary.
June 9, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries is pleased to announce the 2021 Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant competition is currently open.
The goal of the Saltonstall-Kennedy program is to fund projects that address the needs of fishing communities, optimize economic benefits by building and maintaining sustainable fisheries, and increase other opportunities to keep working waterfronts viable. The FY21 solicitation seeks applications that fall into one of two priorities:
Application Process
This year’s solicitation consists of two steps:
1. All interested applicants must submit a two-page pre-proposal to the Notice of Funding Opportunity posted on Grants.gov by August 07, 2020. Please be sure to submit your pre-proposal to the “Pre-proposals FY21 Saltonstall-Kennedy” link.
2. Applicants submitting a full application after the pre-proposal review process must submit it to the “Full Proposals FY21 Saltonstall-Kennedy” link on Grants.gov by November 20, 2020.
Be sure to read the Notice of Funding Opportunity and follow the directions closely, and take advantage of our FAQs.