May 1, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
On April 22, 2020, we published an inseason action that set fishing year 2020 common pool possession and trip limits, effective today, May 1, 2020.
You can find more information about the common pool possession and trip limits on the common pool summary page. You can also read the notice published in the Federal Register, and the permit holder bulletin.
April 30, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries reminds you that vessels that are issued the groundfish charter/party Letters of Authorization (LOA) may not participate in the commercial fishery for any species managed by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils during the enrollment period. These vessels may not sell, barter, or trade fish that are harvested or possessed by the vessel on any trip, even if the trip was taken outside the closure area. The enrollment periods are as follows:
If you have questions regarding your 2020 LOA or to make changes, please call the Greater Atlantic Region Permit Office, (978) 282-8438.
For more information about the requirements and regulations pertaining to Letters of Authorization, please contact the Sustainable Fisheries Division, (978) 281-9315.
April 29, 2020 — Alaska environmentalists, commercial fishermen, charter operators and recreational anglers have pushed back on an injunction filed by Washington-based Wild Fish Conservancy that would prevent Chinook salmon trolling in Southeast Alaska.
WFC sued NOAA Fisheries in March for mismanaging Chinook salmon, a prime prey for the critically endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. While that lawsuit is pending, WFC filed an injunction on April 17 to prevent Chinook salmon trolling in Southeast Alaska effective July 1, 2020.
April 29, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
As of May 1, the New England Aquarium will no longer respond to stranded marine mammals in order to focus their efforts on sea turtle response given the increasing number of sea turtle strandings in our region. Going forward, NOAA will receive calls about stranded seals, dolphins, and whales from Rockport through Plymouth, MA.
Because the Aquarium will no longer be responding to stranded marine mammals, we are seeking new partners to join our Regional Marine Mammal Stranding Network to serve communities in this area and aid in our response. Network participants are volunteer organizations trained and federally authorized to respond to sick or injured dolphins, seals, and whales that strand along our shorelines. For more information and to learn how to become an authorized response organization, please contact Mendy Garron, NOAA Regional Marine Mammal Response Program Coordinator at 978-282-8478 or mendy.garron@noaa.gov. To report a stranded marine mammal, please call the NOAA Regional Marine Animal Hotline at 866-755-6622. For more information about our Marine Mammal Stranding Network, visit our website.
April 27, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries is allocating annual catch entitlements (ACE) to sectors for fishing year 2020, based on catch limits set by Framework 57 and 58, which will allow previously approved sectors to operate in fishing year 2020. These allocations will be updated once Framework 59 is finalized. We are also announcing default allocations for Eastern Georges Bank cod and haddock to prevent impacts to industry resulting from delays in finalizing Framework 59, which will also update these allocations. We are also changing the Redfish Exemption Area and gear stowage requirements for vessels fishing under the redfish exemption.
Read the interim final rule as published in the Federal Register. You may also submit comments through the online portal. Copies of each sector’s operations plan and contract are available online.
The comment period is open through May 27, 2020.
April 27, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
As part of the 2020 Interim Final Sector Rule (published today), NOAA Fisheries is announcing changes to the Redfish Exemption Area and gear stowage requirements for sector vessels fishing under the redfish exemption in fishing year 2020.
Vessels were previously required to stow redfish codends below deck prior to fishing under the exemption. Vessels may now stow their redfish codends consistent with existing gear stowage regulations. Also, NMFS is changing the Redfish Exemption Area to minimize catch of non-redfish stocks under the exemption, while still allowing vessels to fish in areas where redfish are abundant and bycatch of other stocks is minimal. The coordinates and a map of the new Redfish Exemption Area are below. All changes will take effect beginning May 1, 2020.
April 24, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries announces an extension to a previously established voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area or DMA) east of Boston.
This DMA was originally triggered based on an April 9, 2020, sighting of an aggregation of right whales from a Boston-area beach by private citizens. On April 24, an aggregation of right whales was observed Northeast of Boston, MA.
Mariners, please go around this areas or go slow (10 knots or less) inside this area where groups of right whales have been sighted.
East of Boston DMA is in effect through May 9, 2020.
42 47 N
42 05 N
70 26W
71 23W
Active Seasonal Management Areas (SMAs)
A mandatory speed restriction of 10 knots or less (50 CFR 224.105) is in effect in the following areas:
Mid-Atlantic: November 1-April 30
Cape Cod Bay: January 1-May 15
Off Race Point: March 1-April 30
Great South Channel: April 1 – July 31
More info on Seasonal Management Areas
Right Whales Are Migrating
North Atlantic right whales are on the move along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. NOAA is cautioning boaters and fishermen to give these endangered whales plenty of room. We are also asking all fishermen to be vigilant when maneuvering to avoid accidental collisions with whales and remove unused gear from the ocean to help avoid entanglements. Commercial fishermen should use vertical lines with required markings, weak links, and breaking strengths.
Right Whales in Trouble
North Atlantic right whales are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Scientists estimate there are only about 400 remaining, making them one of the rarest marine mammals in the world.
North Atlantic right whales are NOAA Fisheries’ newest Species in the Spotlight. This initiative is a concerted, agency-wide effort to spotlight and save marine species that are among the most at risk of extinction in the near future.
In August 2017, NOAA Fisheries declared the increase in right whale mortalities an “Unusual Mortality Event,” which helps the agency direct additional scientific and financial resources to investigating, understanding, and reducing the mortalities in partnership with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and outside experts from the scientific research community.
More Information
Find out more about our right whale conservation efforts and the researchers behind those efforts.
Download the Whale Alert app for iPad and iPhone
Acoustic detections in Cape Cod Bay and the Boston TSS
Send a blank message to receive a return email listing all current U.S. DMAs and SMAs.
Details and graphics of all ship strike management zones currently in effect.
Reminder: Approaching a right whale closer than 500 yards is a violation of federal and state law.
April 24, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
We are implementing Framework Adjustment 8 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan. Framework 8 increases 2020-2021 skate fishery total allowable landings by 13 percent, and increases seasonal trip limits for the wing and bait fisheries to provide additional flexibility to fishermen. Specifically, this final rule will:
All other management measures and requirements, including incidental possession limits of 500 lb in the wing fishery and 8,000 lb in the bait fishery, remain unchanged. These measures will be effective for the start of the fishing year on May 1, 2020.
For more details, please read the rule as filed in the Federal Register, or the bulletin posted on our website.
April 23, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Recreational tilefish anglers may soon be subject to new permitting and reporting requirements. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a public webinar on Tuesday, April 28, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., to provide information on obtaining recreational tilefish permits and options available to recreational tilefish anglers for electronically submitting VTRs. During the webinar, staff from the Council and NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Office will cover the following topics, with opportunities for Q&A after each:
Overview of the proposed action.
Demonstration of how to obtain a permit.
Demonstration of the NOAA/GARFO Fish Online application for submitting reports.
The webinar will be recorded and made available on the Council’s website for later viewing.
For more in formation, including meeting materials, visit the event page on the Council’s website.
April 23, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Today we published a notice in the Federal Register correcting the list of industry-funded monitoring (IFM) service providers that we approved to provide IFM services for the Atlantic herring fishery during IFM years 2020 and 2021 (April 1, 2020 – March 31, 2022). When we first announced our approval of these providers, we accidentally left “industry-funded observer” off the list of services that East West Technical Services LLC was approved to provide. The notice corrects this error. The notice also contains contact information for each approved IFM service provider, as well as a complete list of the services that each company was approved to provide. For more information on IFM in the Northeast visit our website.
Exempted Fishing Permit Reminder
As an additional reminder, if you own a midwater trawl vessel issued a Category A or B herring permit and would like to be considered for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) to use electronic monitoring (EM) and portside sampling, instead of at-sea monitoring, to satisfy IFM requirements, please contact Maria Fenton at (978) 281-9196 no later than April 27, 2020.
Notifying NOAA Fisheries that you would like to participate in the EFP by April 27, 2020, will help us ensure we have sufficient information for you to participate, including ensuring that the Pre-Trip Notification System works properly for your vessel. Additionally, your notification will alert the EM service provider of your interest in the EFP, which will facilitate arranging system upgrades and your coverage in advance of IFM coverage beginning as early as June 2020. For more information about the proposed EFP, please read the Federal Register notice describing the project.