Saving Seafood

Request for Information: NOAA Fisheries Announces River Herring Status Review

August 15, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is initiating a new status review of alewife and blueback herring. In a status review, we evaluate the best scientific and commercial data available on the current status of the species. We use these reviews to determine whether listing under the Endangered Species Act is warranted.

Through this announcement, we are requesting submission of information on alewife and blueback herring rangewide, including any information on the status, threats, and recovery of the species that has become available since the previous listing determinations in 2013.

Please submit your information by October 16, 2017, either through the e-Rulemaking portal or by mail to:

Tara Trinko Lake

NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region

55 Great Republic Drive

Gloucester, MA 01930

NOAA Fisheries seeks info about about whale off Oregon coast

August 15, 2017 — The following was released by the West Coast Seafood Processors Association:

NOAA Fisheries is seeking more information about an entangled whale off Reedsport, Oregon.

If you see it, call 1 877 SOS-WHALE

Time: 9:20 am 8/11/2017

Description: The Reporting Party was 1/4 mile away at the time of the first sighting – no size or description of the species – just a blow and large orange poly ball following behind. Watched for 10 minutes and never saw the body of the whale, just blows and poly ball.

Heading: East at 4 knots.

Location: 13 miles west of Reedsport, OR – Winchester Bay

Lat: 43 38.5 N

Long: -124 30.68 W

Reminder: Cobia Scoping via Webinar Tomorrow; Advisory Panel Applications Due Wednesday

August 14, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Reminder!

Atlantic Cobia Scoping Meeting via Webinar

Tomorrow Beginning at 6 PM

Advisory Panel Application Deadline is Wednesday, August 16th

Atlantic Cobia

– Public Scoping via Webinar

Amendment 31 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery Management Plan

  • August 15th – Public Scoping via Webinar at 6:00 PM*
*A second presentation and comment opportunity will be repeated at 7:00 PM or later, depending on the end time of the first comment session.

The Council is soliciting public input on options for the management of Atlantic cobia (GA to NY). The recreational fishery for Atlantic cobia was closed in federal waters earlier this year after NOAA Fisheries determined the annual catch limit would be met. Options currently in the amendment include continuing efforts to develop a complementary plan with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) or the complete transfer of Atlantic cobia management to the ASMFC. The Council is considering options to allow additional flexibility for managing the fishery.

Note that webinar registration is required. Written comments are also be accepted. Additional information, including webinar registration, online public comment forms, comment deadlines, and scoping documents are available on the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearing-and-scoping-meeting-schedule/.

Advisory Panel Applications Due Wednesday, August 16th

Seats open on Snapper Grouper, Dolphin Wahoo, Mackerel Cobia and More

The Council is soliciting applicants for seats on several advisory panels. Advisory panel members include recreational, commercial, and for-hire fishermen as well as others knowledgeable about fisheries and fisheries management issues. Learn more about seats that are currently open and access the online application form. Apply Now! Read more

ASMFC & MAFMC Modify Scup Specifications for 2018 and 2019

August 11, 2017 — PHILADELPHIA — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) reviewed previously approved specifications for summer flounder, black sea bass and bluefish fisheries and modified 2018 and 2019 specifications for scup. The Commission’s actions are final and apply to state waters. The Council will forward its federal waters recommendations regarding scup specifications to NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Administrator for final approval.

The table below summarizes commercial quotas and recreational harvest limits (RHL) for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish (2017 values are provided for comparison purposes). Please note the 2019 scup specifications may be adjusted based on changes in the fishery or new scientific information.

Scup

The scup stock assessment update, which includes data through 2016, indicates the stock was not overfished and overfishing was not occurring in 2016. Spawning stock biomass was estimated to be 206% of the biomass target. Given the desire to maintain stable measures and take into account management uncertainty raised by the Monitoring Committee, the Commission and Council approved a commercial quota of 23.98 million pounds (a 30% increase from the 2017 quota) and a RHL of 7.37 million pounds (a 34% increase from the 2017 RHL) for the 2018 and 2019 fishing seasons. The difference between the increases in the commercial quota and RHL is due to projected discard estimates for the commercial and recreational fisheries.

Summer Flounder

For summer flounder, the Commission and Council received a data update, including catch, landings, and survey indices through 2016. The Council and Board maintained the previously approved 2018 specifications based on stock projections from the 2016 assessment update. A benchmark stock assessment is scheduled for peer review in late 2018. A working group is being formed to develop alternative modeling approaches to be considered in the assessment.

The Commission and Council were also presented a range of commercial alternatives for possible consideration in the Draft Summer Flounder Amendment. Based on feedback from both bodies, work will continue on the development of management alternatives for permits and latent effort, as well as commercial allocation. The Board and Council will decide which management alternatives to include in the document at a later meeting.

Black Sea Bass

The Commission and Council received a data update for black sea bass, including catch, landings, and survey indices through 2016. The update indicates black sea bass biomass continues to be high, and the 2015 year class appears to be above average. The Commission and Council maintained 2018 specifications, which were set in February 2017 based on stock projections from the 2016 assessment update. An assessment update is tentatively scheduled for 2018.

Bluefish

The Commission and Council also maintained 2018 specifications for bluefish. The 2018 commercial quota and recreational harvest limit are preliminary and will likely change following release of 2017 final Marine Recreational Information Program harvest estimates. These estimates can impact how much is transferred from the recreational sector to the commercial sector. An assessment update is scheduled for 2018.

For all four species, the Commission and Council actions are consistent with the recommendations of the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee based on the best available scientific information.  For more information about summer flounder, scup, or black sea bass, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior FMP Coordinator, at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org. For more information about bluefish, please contact Max Appelman, FMP Coordinator, atmappelman@asmfc.org.          

 

NOAA awards $5.8 million in grants to support endangered, threatened species recovery

Application period for 2018 grants now open

August 11, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA announces the award of $5.8 million in species recovery grants to states and tribes to promote the recovery of endangered and threatened marine species, ranging from large whales to tiny shellfish.

This year’s awards include almost $1.1 million for six new grants to four states and one federally recognized tribe. The remaining $4.7 million will support 22 continuing projects for 20 states and two tribes.

Species Recovery Grants provide funding to states and tribes to support management, research, and outreach efforts designed to recover vulnerable species to a point where Endangered Species Act protections are no longer necessary. Funding may also support monitoring of species under consideration for protection or species recently removed from the list of endangered and threatened species.

Both new and continuing projects focus on the recovery of extremely vulnerable species as part of NOAA’s Species in the Spotlight initiative, including Cook Inlet beluga whales, Atlantic salmon, white abalone, and Southern resident killer whales.

“Helping these species recover means bringing partners to the table to tackle critical conservation challenges at the local level,” said Donna Wieting, director of NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources. “These grants are an effective way for us to help states and tribes work with us to recover our most vulnerable marine species.”

In the Greater Atlantic Region, we awarded funds for one new grant:

  • Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries: Right Whale Surveillance and Habitat Monitoring in Cape Cod Bay and Adjacent Waters

And awarded continuing grants to:

  • Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control: Conservation andRecovery of Juvenile Sturgeons in the Delaware River
  • Maine Department of Marine Resources: Migratory characterizations of Atlantic salmon smolts and adults in the Penobscot River, Maine
  • Maryland Department of Natural Resources: Reproductive Habitat of Chesapeake Bay DPS Atlantic Sturgeon in the Nanticoke Estuary
  • New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish and Wildlife: New Jersey Atlantic and Shortnose Sturgeon Research and Management
  • Penobscot Indian Nation: Atlantic Salmon Management and Outreach Project
  • Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries: Assessment of critical habitats for recovering the Chesapeake Bay Atlantic sturgeon distinct population segments – Phase II: A collaborative approach in support of management

In addition, the 2018 call for proposals is now open, with a continued focus on recovering NOAA’s Species in the Spotlight. Tribal applications and state applications are due November 1, 2017. To apply, please visit www.grants.gov.

Reminder to Scallop Fishermen: Closed Area II Access Area Closes August 15

August 10, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Scallop Closed Area II Access Area will close at 12:01 am on August 15 and will remain closed through November 15. All vessels must be out of the area prior to the time of the closure.

Any unharvested Closed Area II pounds can be harvested once the area reopens on November 16.

For more information, see our new story map that describes the scallop fishery regulations for 2017, or see our large map of the scallop management areas (also below).

NEFSC 2017 Groundfish Assessment Port Meetings Scheduled

August 10, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Northeast Fisheries Science Center stock assessment and cooperative research staff will visit several groundfish ports between August 15 and September 7.

We’d like to talk to commercial and recreational fishermen.

Please join us for an informal explanation of the stock assessment process, the cooperative research program, and ways that your concerns can be addressed by the science center. We’re listening to what you have to say.

See the full schedule of confirmed meetings.

Find out more about the assessments and meeting schedules.

Reminder: Recreational Sector for Atlantic Cobia (Georgia Through New York) in Federal Waters Remains Closed Through 2017

August 10, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

KEY MESSAGE:

Recreational:

NOAA Fisheries reminds the public that the 2017 Atlantic cobia season for the recreational sector remains closed in federal waters as announced on January 25, 2017 (FB17-004). The recreational Atlantic cobia season is scheduled to re-open on January 1, 2018, at which time the new regulations outlined in the bulletin released on August 4, 2017 (FB17-044), will become effective. NOAA Fisheries will announce any changes to the 2018 season through a Fishery Bulletin.

Commercial:

In addition, the 2017 commercial Atlantic cobia season remains open in federal waters. The regulations for the commercial sector outlined in bulletin number FB17-044 are effective on September 5, 2017.

Where can I find more information on Atlantic cobia regulations?

  • Contact NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

By Mail: Karla Gore
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office
Sustainable Fisheries Division
263 13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505
By FAX: (727) 824-5308
By Phone: (727) 824-5305

Additional information on management of cobia in the South Atlantic may be found at: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/gulf_sa/cmp/index.html.

ALASKA: NOAA to Offer Fishermen Option for Electronic Monitoring in 2018

August 9, 2017 — Beginning in 2018, Alaska fishermen, some of whom may not have the space on their vessel or life raft capacity for a NOAA Fisheries observer, will have the option to use an electronic monitoring (EM) system instead.

NOAA Fisheries is integrating EM into the North Pacific Observer Program for the 2018 fishing year. An EM system uses cameras and associated sensors to passively record and monitor fishing activities-work traditionally accomplished by human observers placed onboard commercial fishing vessels to collect data.

Information collected by observers while aboard commercial fishing vessels is crucial to sustainable management of Alaska’s multi-billion dollar fishing industry. NOAA Fisheries restructured the North Pacific Observer Program in 2013 to-for the first time-place fisheries observers on small boats between 40 and 60 feet, and boats harvesting halibut in Alaska.

Some small boat owners and operators identified unique issues with carrying an observer.

They advocated for the choice to use an EM system instead of carrying an observer.

Read the full story at Alaska Native News

Tuna won’t be listed as endangered, Trump administration says

August 8, 2017 — Rejecting a petition from environmental groups, the Trump administration announced Monday that it will not list Pacific bluefin tuna — a torpedo-shaped fish that can grow to 1,000 pounds and which sells for $100,000 or more per fish in Japanese sushi markets — as endangered, despite that fact that the animal’s population has fallen 97 percent.

Even with heavy fishing pressure, the steely fish, which swim 6,000 miles between California and Asia, still number about 1.6 million, officials from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Monday.

“The Pacific bluefin tuna does not meet the definition of threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act; that is, it’s not likely to become extinct either now or in the foreseeable future,” said Chris Yates, assistant regional administrator for protected resources at the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region in Long Beach.

“The population has been at low levels before and has rebounded,” he added.

Environmental groups, however, were disappointed. They have compared bluefin tuna to elephant tusks or shark fins — products that come from an important, but vulnerable, species and command high prices for status value.

Read the full story at the Mercury News