Saving Seafood

Women’s History Month: Talking with Jui-Han Chang

March 26, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Can you tell us about your science journey, your career in science?

My journey to science was not the shortest, but it was the luckiest. I grew up in Taiwan, a small but beautiful island country about 100 miles off the coast of southeastern China. It’s surrounded by spectacular oceans and full of rugged mountains. My dad is an amateur ecologist and my mom is an environmental advocate. It seemed all the cards were lined up for a career in the natural sciences, but nothing particularly inspired me until later.

When I was young, I was lost. I struggled in schools because I couldn’t find anything interesting enough to make me want to study hard, but I went to college anyway. I was a business major at Aletheia University in Taiwan. It was not my choice, but was the only option based on my scores on the test Taiwanese students take to get selected for colleges and majors. During college I went scuba diving, which was part of a swimming coach training. It was love at first sight, my first glimpse into the mystery of the ocean. At the time, I didn’t know what I was looking at, but I knew I loved this different but beautiful world. That’s when I knew I should change my career path.

After barely finishing with a business degree, I decided to go to graduate school. I wasn’t sure if this was the right thing to do because of my poor grades, but it was the best decision I ever made. I applied to the National Taiwan Ocean University’s Institute of Marine Resource Management and was accepted. I lucked out because they were looking for students with a multidisciplinary background.

Read the full release here

Highlighting Women in Electronic Technologies: Part 1

March 25, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Electronic monitoring and electronic reporting technologies are being developed to support science-based management decisions in commercial and recreational fisheries. NOAA Fisheries is working with fishermen and industry organizations, fishery management councils, and many other partners. We will improve the timeliness, quality, cost effectiveness, and accessibility of fishery-dependent data by integrating technology into fishery reporting and monitoring programs. Learn about nine women from around the country that are helping shape the future of electronic technologies in U.S fisheries.

Julie Bonney

Owner and Executive Director
Alaska Groundfish Data Bank, Inc.
Kodiak, Alaska

Julie Bonney was born and raised in Colville, Washington, a small logging and farming community in eastern Washington. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from University of Puget Sound and her master’s in environmental science from Drexel University. In 1984, Julie moved with her husband to Kodiak, Alaska. In the early 1990s, Julie reached out to the then-owner of Alaska Groundfish Data Bank (AGDB), Chris Blackburn, for advice about joining the observer program. As a mother of three young children, Julie soon realized that being an at-sea observer was not feasible. Instead, Chris offered Julie a job as an analyst. She continued to work there and eventually bought the business. 

Julie and her company have been involved in three electronic monitoring projects since 2007.  First, AGDB tested at sea electronic monitoring for vessels that participated in the Central Gulf of Alaska (CGOA) Rockfish Limited Access Privilege program in 2007 and 2008. The results of this project showed that observer coverage was similar in cost to monitoring with cameras. Currently, AGDB is involved in two projects:

  • The Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) for pelagic trawl pollock fishing using electronic monitoring (EM) for compliance monitoring in both the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea pollock fisheries.
  • EM as an audit tool so that fish ticket counts of salmon reported by processors can be used in the catch accounting system to inform the hard Chinook salmon cap for the rockfish fishery in the CGOA (1,200 fish).

Within her current role, Julie enjoys problem solving and working with fishermen and processors. She also enjoys improving fishery management in collaboration with the trawl sector and NOAA Fisheries personnel.

“As a woman in fisheries, you must demonstrate your capacity and be one of the smartest people in the room. Have the confidence and be strong-willed enough to step outside traditional roles. Women have the ability to think more globally and be more multidimensional which is essential to solve our fishery problems since the fishing industry is so complicated and multilayered.  As a mother and a woman, I tend to mother my membership (some of the people I work for actually call me ‘mom’).”

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Issues Emergency Action to Waive Observer Coverage on a Case-by-Case Basis

March 25, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, in response to the spread of COVID-19, NOAA Fisheries issued an emergency action to provide the authority, on a case-by-case basis, to waive observer coverage, some training, and other program requirements while meeting conservation needs and providing an ongoing supply of fish to markets. We are taking this emergency action to protect public health and to ensure the safety of fishermen, observers, and others.

Under this emergency action, a NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator, Office Director, or Science Center Director has the ability to waive observer requirements in three specific circumstances, after consulting with observer providers. The three circumstances are:

  • The providers do not have sufficient observers to staff a fleet or a port or a vessel (i.e., the observers are under quarantine).
  • The providers cannot physically get observers to fishing vessel departure points – perhaps because of travel restrictions, or shelter in place guidance, etc.
  • The providers do not have enough trained observers because we could not offer training due to building access restrictions, meeting guidance, etc.

If observer requirements are waived, the agency will monitor fishing effort and catch data and other relevant information to ensure that there are no significant adverse environmental consequences and consider alternative fishery management measures should such consequences arise.

We will continue to fulfill our mission, maintaining our nation’s seafood supply and protecting marine life, while ensuring the health and safety of our employees, partners, and broader fishing community during this crisis.

Read the full release here

Slow Speed Zone East of Boston Extended to Protect Right Whales

March 25, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

In Effect Through April 7

NOAA Fisheries announces the extension of the voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area or DMA) east of Boston.

This extension is based on a March 23, 2020, sighting of an aggregation of right whales from a Boston-area beach by private citizens.

There are currently three voluntary slow speed zones in place to protect right whales.

Mariners, please go around these areas or go slow (10 knots or less) inside these areas where groups of right whales have been sighted.

The East of Boston DMA is in effect through April 7, 2020.  

42 45 N
42 04 N
070 11 W
071 10W

The DMAs off Nantucket are in effect through March 27, 2020. 

Southeast of Nantucket 

41 02 N
40 15 N
068 58 W
070 01 W

South of Nantucket DMA 

41 11 N
40 22 N
069 32 W
070 37 W

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

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

Recent right whale sightings

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.

Read the full release here

Understanding Ocean Changes and Climate Just Got Harder

March 24, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

A new study shows that two important indicators for understanding and predicting the effects of climate variability on eastern North Pacific marine ecosystems are less reliable than they were historically. This finding has important implications for fisheries and ecosystem management from Alaska to California.

Until recently, oceanographers and fishery biologists summarized and understood complex and
long-term relationships between regional fish stock productivity and ocean climate patterns using the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index (PDO) and the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO).

The PDO accurately described the climate pattern north of 38 degrees N, and the NPGO described the pattern S of 38 degrees N. These two indices captured climate patterns that dominated North Pacific ecosystems for much of the 20th century.

“We were able use these indices to describe changes in collective environmental features including sea surface temperature, sea surface height, sea level pressure, salinity, chlorophyll-a, and ocean nutrients. They also helped us understand and predict changes in the productivity of species like plankton and fish that are sensitive to long-term weather patterns without having to understand specific relationships between individual species and their environment,” said Mike Litzow, NOAA fisheries oceanographer and study lead. “We could count on these indices as reliable tools to summarize this broad suite of climate-biology-relationships.”

Read the full release here

Update: New Deadline and Submission Details for the 2020 Marine Endangered Species Art Contest

March 23, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Due to the recent developments of the COVID-19 virus pandemic, we understand that several of the schools across the nation are currently closed. Our office in Gloucester, Massachusetts also has restricted access to the general public and we have been encouraged to work from home.

Because we are not in the building, and we do not know when we will return, we can no longer accept any physical art entries this year. However, to keep the contest going and to encourage students to learn about marine endangered species while they are home, we will gladly accept any electronic pictures or scans of the students’ artwork for this year’s contest!

All students have to do is take a picture or scan their artwork and email it to edith.carson-supino@noaa.gov by no later than April 24. The revised art contest rules are located on our 2020 Marine Endangered Species Art Contest  webpage.

Artwork should highlight one or more marine endangered or threatened species from the New England/Mid-Atlantic region. Text highlighting why the animals are important and what people can do to protect them may also be included. Younger students, in grades K-2, who may not understand the threats to endangered species (i.e., pollution, fishing, etc.) are encouraged to portray the animals in their natural habitat instead.

Read the full release here

NOAA waives some observer requirements as COVID-19 concerns mount

March 23, 2020 — NOAA Fisheries announced on 20 March that it is waiving observer requirements for vessels with Northeast fishing permits until 4 April, with the new waiver being evaluated weekly as the COVID-19 outbreak continues.

The announcement comes as multiple fisheries in the Northeast U.S. are grappling with the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, which range from the aforementioned switch to no longer requiring observers to a the delay of fishing seasons.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NOAA Fisheries Announces Adjustments to the Inseason Possession and Trip Limit Increases for the Common Pool Groundfish Fishery

March 23, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective today, the common pool possession and trip limits for Georges Bank (GB) cod, Gulf of Maine (GOM) cod, GOM haddock, Cape Cod(CC)/GOM yellowtail flounder, American plaice, and witch flounder are increased, as summarized in the table below. These increases are in effect through the end of the fishing year on April 30, 2020.

For more details, please read the rule as filed in the Federal Register, and our permit holder bulletin.

Read the full release here

Women’s History Month: Talking with Jennifer Goebel

March 20, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

What do you do as the Public Affairs Officer for NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region?

My primary job is to get the message out about what we are doing and why we are doing it. We do a number of different things here, from regulating fisheries to protecting vulnerable fish, sea turtles, and marine mammals, to restoring important habitat. I tell the stories of what we do here at NOAA Fisheries, and why it matters. I use a variety of tools, including emails, our website, traditional press, and social media.

What do you like best about your job?

My days are incredibly varied and often take unexpected turns. I might be helping to pull together a response to congressional staff on summer flounder. Or, I could be answering questions about Atlantic sturgeon critical habitat for a reporter. I might be editing a web story on dam removals, sending out emails about new fisheries regulations, or tweeting about right whale sightings. Sometimes I get calls from fishermen wanting to know what the latest regulations are or telling me why they don’t like them. No two days are the same. Keeps life interesting!

What’s the hardest part of your job?

I am the quintessential jack-of-all-trades and master of none. I rely on our wonderful staff here at GARFO to answer or help me answer the questions I get. Probably the hardest part of my job is actually tracking down the busy staff person I need to answer the question. It’s even harder if it comes in later in the day. You’ll see me roaming the halls to see who’s still here who might be able to fill me in.

Read the full release here

Temporary Waivers for Northeast Fisheries Observer Requirements

March 20, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

As part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NOAA Fisheries is temporarily waiving the requirement for vessels with Northeast fishing permits to carry a fishery observer or at-sea monitor. The waiver will be in effect through April 4, and future extensions of this waiver will be evaluated weekly. For details, please read the letter from the Regional Administrator (pdf, 1 page).

Text of the letter below:

Dear Partners and Stakeholders:

As part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NOAA Fisheries is temporarily waiving the requirement for vessels with Northeast fishing permits to carry a fishery observer or at-sea monitor. The waiver will be in effect through April 4, and future extensions of this waiver will be evaluated weekly.

This action is consistent with agency authority to grant waivers for observer and at-sea monitoring requirements under certain circumstances. The availability and deployment of observers is becoming increasingly challenging. The action is also consistent with current federal and state health guidance. The health and well-being of fishermen, observers, and supporting staff is not only a human health concern, but also essential to securing our nation’s seafood production.

Through April 4, 2020, NOAA Fisheries will issue waivers for declared and incoming Northeast fishing trips. During this period:

  • All reporting and pre-trip notification call-in requirements remain in place.
  • Waivers will be issued for all current and newly selected fishing trips.
  • Port intercepts (i.e., observers selecting trips for coverage in the ports) will be temporarily suspended.
  • Trips that are currently at sea with an observer onboard are unaffected.
  • Vessels using Electronic Monitoring are unaffected, as this waiver applies to human observers only.

The Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center will evaluate the impacts of waivers on our fisheries and observer programs throughout this period:

  • We will monitor fishing activity in comparison to when observers have been deployed, to track continued compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
  • We will evaluate weekly observer availability, ability to travel, and level of fishing effort and landings.
  • We will monitor for changes in current health and safety guidelines that we expect would increase observer availability.
  • We will also monitor fishing effort and landings, which could be indicators that the temporary waiver of observer requirements could be ended.

Sincerely,

Michael Pentony