Saving Seafood

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

DeFazio Urges NOAA to Reinstate Observer Waiver for West Coast Seafood Industry

July 7, 2020 — Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., last week sent a letter to NOAA Fisheries, blasting its decision to reinstate the waiver for observer and catch monitor requirements for the Greater Atlantic Region without reinstating it for the West Coast Region.

“I am appalled that NOAA Fisheries seems to believe that those in the Pacific Coast fishing industry deserve less protection from COVID-19 than their New England counterparts,” DeFazio said in a press release. “The pandemic is far from over, and the economic and health risk of having additional personnel on board fishing vessels during this public health crisis outweighs the limited and temporary loss of data from waiving the observer requirements. I urge NOAA to reverse this wrong-headed decision and work to put proper preventative measures in place in the West Coast region to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

Read the full story at Seafood News

FB20-040: Request for Comments: Proposed Rule to Revise the Annual Catch Limit for Gray Snapper in the Gulf of Mexico

July 6, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries requests your comments on a proposed rule implementing regulations from Amendment 51 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 51). The proposed rule would reduce the annual catch limit for Gulf of Mexico gray snapper. This rule would not change any existing gray snapper bag limits or size limits. Amendment 51 established or revised overfished and overfishing thresholds. Overfishing is when too many fish are being caught and overfished is when the number of fish in a population is too low.

Comments are due by August 5, 2020.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES:

The proposed rule would reduce the annual catch limit from 2.42 million pounds whole weight (mp ww) to 2.24 mp ww for the 2020 fishing year, and 2.23 mp ww for 2021 and subsequent fishing years.

HOW TO COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED RULE:

The comment period is open now through August 5, 2020. You may submit comments by electronic submission or by postal mail. Comments sent by any other method (such as e-mail), to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered by NOAA Fisheries.

Read the full release here