Saving Seafood

Reminder: Restricted Gear Area Turnover

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.

Read the full release here

The Rising Tide Of Seafood: Opportunities And Prospects

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.

Read the full story at Forbes

NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary seeks advisory council applicants

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.

Read the full release here

Saltonstall-Kennedy 2021 Grant Application Now Open

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:

  • Promotion, Development, and Marketing.
  • Science or Technology that Promotes Sustainable U.S. Seafood Production and Harvesting.

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.

Read the full release here

ROSA is Seeking Applications for Advisory Council Members

June 9, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA) is seeking applications from recreational and commercial fishermen to join its Advisory Council, which provides substantive direction and strategic guidance to the alliance.

ROSA is a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance regional research and monitoring of fisheries and offshore wind interactions through collaboration and cooperation. ROSA’s work currently concentrates on the waters from Maine to North Carolina.

The background information and applications are listed below and can be found online. The deadline for applications is July 15, 2020.

Read the full release here

Atlantic Herring Information Webinar

June 9, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

In response to significant interest and questions from a broad range of stakeholders regarding Atlantic herring, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center will hold an informational webinar regarding the current Atlantic herring stock assessment.

The webinar will be June 11, 2020, from 9:30 to 11:00. During this meeting, the lead assessment scientist for Atlantic herring, Dr. Jon Deroba, will give a short presentation on abundance and recruitment, and fisheries effort and catch, and answer questions about trends in the Atlantic herring data.

The full assessment will be presented and reviewed at a peer review meeting the week of June 22nd. The Atlantic herring stock assessment will be presented on Monday, June 22 starting at 10:00.  Several other assessments will be reviewed throughout the week.

Update on Implementing Industry-Funded Monitoring in the Atlantic Herring Fishery

June 5, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is delaying the start date to begin assigning industry-funded monitoring (IFM) coverage in the herring fishery until later this year.

The training class for new portside samplers in the herring fishery was delayed due to the health mandates and travel restrictions in place this spring. This training will be rescheduled for later this year. Until this training occurs, IFM portside sampling coverage will not be available for midwater trawl herring vessels that are enrolled in an electronic monitoring exempted fishing permit (EFP). We do not intend to select herring vessels for IFM at-sea monitoring coverage until IFM portside sampling coverage is also available for EFP vessels. For this reason, we will not be selecting any herring vessels for IFM coverage until after the portside sampling training has been completed. Vessels are still required to adhere to all Pre-Trip Notification System (PTNS) requirements for the herring fishery. However,  PTNS will continue to issue waivers for IFM coverage in the meantime, and herring vessels will not be responsible for paying sampling costs associated with IFM until later this year.

More Information

We will update industry participants as we know more about the timing of implementing IFM in the herring fishery. For more information on the herring IFM program, please see the following resources:

  • IFM in the herring fishery, see our January 29 bulletin.
  • Electronic monitoring EFP, see our March 30 email.
  • Notification, Reporting, and Monitoring Requirements for the Atlantic Herring Fishery, see our March 31 bulletin.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces Limited Openings of Recreational and Commercial Red Snapper Seasons in South Atlantic Federal Waters

June 5, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN:

Each year, NOAA Fisheries announces the season opening dates for red snapper in federal waters of the South Atlantic, in addition to the recreational season length.  For the 2020 season:

  • The recreational sector will open for harvest on weekends only on the following 4 days:
      • July 10, 11, and 12, 2020 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) – The recreational season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 10, 2020, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 13, 2020.
      • July 17, 2020 (Friday) – The recreational season opens again at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 17, 2020, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 18, 2020.
  • The commercial sector will open for harvest at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 13, 2020, and will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2021, unless the commercial annual catch limit is met or projected to be met before this date.
  • If the commercial sector needs to close before 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2021, NOAA Fisheries will announce it in the Federal Register and publish another Fishery Bulletin.

WHY THESE LIMITED OPENINGS ARE OCCURRING:

  • The limited openings are based on the final rule for Amendment 43 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (83 FR 35428).
  • The final rule specified recreational and commercial annual catch limits for red snapper beginning in 2018 and subsequent years.

DURING THE LIMITED OPEN SEASONS:

  • The total annual catch limit will be 42,510 fish.
  • The recreational annual catch limit will be 29,656 fish.
    • The recreational bag limit will be one red snapper per person per day.  This applies to private and charterboat/headboat vessels (the captain and crew on for-hire vessels may retain the recreational bag limit).
  • The commercial annual catch limit will be 124,815 pounds whole weight (12,854 fish).
    • The commercial trip limit will be 75 pounds gutted weight.
  • There will be no minimum or maximum size limits for the recreational or commercial sectors.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

How did NOAA Fisheries determine the season length for the recreational sector?

  • NOAA Fisheries used 2019 recreational catch rate estimates to predict the recreational landings in 2020.
  • Catch rate estimates were available from the following data sources: (1) red snapper specific surveys for private recreational and charter vessel anglers conducted by all South Atlantic states, (2) Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), and (3) the Southeast Region Headboat Survey.
  • NOAA Fisheries used catch rate estimates from state surveys conducted by South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida and MRIP data were used for North Carolina, because the North Carolina red snapper survey did not provide any catch rate and landings estimates.

Why is the recreational season shorter than last year?

  • Last year, the recreational season was open for 5 days.
  • In 2019, recreational landings exceeded the recreational annual catch limit.
  • Since NOAA Fisheries estimates the season length based upon catch rates from the previous year, this year is shorter by one day to reduce the likelihood that the recreational landings would exceed the recreational annual catch limit in 2020.

What are some Best Fishing Practices while fishing for red snapper?

  • The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council identified the following best practices to reduce release mortality and further protect the population as it rebuilds:
    • Avoid areas likely to have red snapper if you already have met your recreational bag limit.  If you are approaching your commercial vessel limit, move to a different area.
    • When red snapper are out of season, avoid areas where they are common.
    • Use single hook rigs since the recreational bag limit for red snapper during the proposed limited fishing seasons will be one per person per day.  This will potentially reduce the number of red snapper that are caught on one drop.
    • Use non-offset circle hooks while fishing in areas where red snapper are common.
    • Use a dehooking device to remove the hook.  Keep fish in the water if you plan to release them or return them to the water as quickly as possible.
    • Use descending devices when releasing fish with signs of barotrauma.

Where can I find more information on the red snapper limited openings?

  • Contact NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

By Mail: Frank Helies

NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division

263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505

By Phone: (727) 824-5305

By FAX: (727) 824-5308

  • Other contacts:

Media: Kim Amendola, 727-551-5707

Allison Garrett, 727-551-5750

Lobsters and Sea Scallops Moving Out of Southern N.E.

June 5, 2020 — Researchers have projected significant changes in the habitat of commercially important American lobster and sea scallops along the Northeast continental shelf. They used a suite of models to estimate how species will react as waters warm. The researchers suggest that American lobster will move further offshore and sea scallops will shift to the north in the coming decades.

The study’s findings were published recently in Diversity and Distributions. They pose fishery management challenges as the changes can move stocks into and out of fixed management areas. Habitats within current management areas will also experience changes — some will show species increases, others decreases, and others will experience no change.

“Changes in stock distribution affect where fish and shellfish can be caught and who has access to them over time,” said Vincent Saba, a fishery biologist in the Ecosystems Dynamics and Assessment Branch at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and a co-author of the study. “American lobster and sea scallop are two of the most economically valuable single-species fisheries in the entire United States. They are also important to the economic and cultural well-being of coastal communities in the Northeast. Any changes to their distribution and abundance will have major impacts.”

Saba and colleagues used a group of species distribution models and a high-resolution global climate model. They projected the possible impact of climate change on suitable habitat for the two species in the large Northeast continental shelf marine ecosystem. This ecosystem includes waters of the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, the Mid-Atlantic Bight, and southern New England.

Read the full story at EcoRI

MASSACHUSETTS: Kennedy: Coronavirus aid for fisheries ‘insufficient’

June 4, 2020 — The $28 million in COVID-related federal assistance to help the Massachusetts seafood industry is insufficient “and will not address the economic pain felt throughout the commonwealth,” U.S. Senate candidate Joseph P. Kennedy III stated in a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

Kennedy, who represents the state’s 4th congressional district, blamed the insufficiency on the lack of employment data in the funding methodology used by NOAA Fisheries to distribute the $300 million in federal fisheries assistance to individual states.

In May, NOAA Fisheries, which is part of the Commerce Department, announced Massachusetts will receive $28,004,176, or 9.3% of the $300 million contained for fisheries assistance in the Coronavirus Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times