Saving Seafood

2nd Round of 2017 Groundfish Assessment Port Meetings Scheduled

August 25, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center is coming to a port near you! Join us for the second set of port meetings between August 28 and September 7 to discuss the upcoming groundfish operational stock assessments.

These meetings will include 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’d like to talk to commercial and recreational fishermen. 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.

Fishermen See ‘Science in Action’ Aboard NOAA Survey Ship

August 18, 2017 — Each spring and early summer, scientists set out along the West Coast aboard NOAA vessel Reuben Lasker to survey coastal pelagic species, or CPS, which includes small schooling fish such as northern anchovy, Pacific sardine, and jack and Pacific mackerels.

This year, with the help of West Coast fishermen, the scientists tested a new approach to extend their reach into nearshore waters to improve the accuracy of the survey results. The collaboration involved the fishing vessel Lisa Marie, of Gig Harbor, Washington, and brought two commercial fishermen aboard Lasker for an inside look at NOAA Fisheries surveys that inform stock assessments and guide decisions on how many fish can be caught by West Coast fishermen.

The idea emerged years before when the then-Director of NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California,  Cisco Werner, along with Deputy Director Kristen Koch and Fisheries Resources Division Director Gerard DiNardo, discussed the potential collaboration with Mike Okoniewski of Pacific Seafood and Diane Pleschner-Steele of the California Wetfish Producers Association.

Werner has since been named Chief Scientist of NOAA Fisheries.

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires NOAA Fisheries to use the best available science to help managers set catch limits and prevent overfishing. Annual surveys, using echosounders to detect and measure the abundances of CPS populations off the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, and Canada’s Vancouver Island help fulfill this mandate. NOAA Fisheries also uses trawl catches, and fish-egg samples to help gauge fish reproduction and population trends.

“Acoustic-trawl surveys are our principal tool for monitoring the various species and determining how their abundances, distributions, and sizes are changing,” said David Demer, the Chief Scientist of the survey and leader of the Advanced Survey Technologies Group at Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla. “The surveys are very rigorous because they’re very important to our mission.”

Read the full story from NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center

NOAA Fisheries Approves Modifications to a Regulatory Exemption for Northeast Groundfish Sectors

August 18, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has approved a modification to the sector small-mesh exemption area. This action was proposed in an interim final rule published on April 28, 2017.

Through this action, we are expanding the area of the existing small-mesh exemption for groundfish sectors to increase sectors’ opportunities to use the exemption and to better match the footprint of the exemption to the fishery.

The larger area should create new opportunities for sector vessels to use this exemption, which will increase the efficiency of sector vessels participating in both the groundfish fishery and small-mesh exempted fisheries in southern New England.

All reporting and gear requirements for the exemption remain the same.

We are excluding the southern windowpane accountability measure areas from the sector small-mesh exemption area to limit impacts to groundfish stocks.

For more information, please see the notice as filed in the Federal Register.

NOAA Endorses Eating Small Haddock — But What About Cod?

August 17, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are giving their stamp of approval to eat small haddock.

In the July issue of the NOAA Fisheries Navigator, the government agency reports that smaller haddock does not necessarily mean an unhealthy stock. Looking at stats dating back to 1995, the size of the fish has been decreasing — but the population has been growing.

This trend is something that the organization has seen in the past. “A decline in the average size of Georges Bank haddock also happened in the mid-1960s when a larger number of haddock were born in 1963 and grew into the population,” the report reads. And according to their research, the size of the stock is large simply because the fish are “generally able to spawn before being harvested.” Data collected from Georges Bank haddock in 2015 revealed that 90% of the fish mature at age three. Commercial minimum size is 16 inches, which is generally a two to five year old fish. That means that most fish are able to spawn once or twice before being caught.

But the endorsement from NOAA still comes as a surprise to some. As Navigator magazine editor Kerry Hann notes in the September 2017 issue, the thumbs up to eat small haddock is a “somewhat peculiar statement from the U.S.-based organization tasked with providing science-based conservation and management for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, marine mammals, endangered species and their habitats.”

For Hann, it all goes back to 1992 when the cod industry was faced with a similar situation.

“Fewer larger, spawning-aged fish were being caught, leaving the dwindling cod populations made up of primarily small, juvenile fish,” Hann writes. “Many at the time concluded that a healthy cod population could not be made up of only small fish.”

So, what about cod today? That’s an upcoming discussion for “Cod — Building the Fishery of the Future,” a conference being held by the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation in November.

This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Sturgeon get a double boost in the Chesapeake Bay

August 17, 2017 — The endangered Atlantic sturgeon just got a double boost in Virginia as NOAA awarded federal funds to continue restoration efforts here and also designated the Chesapeake Bay “critical habitat” for the species.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is giving the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries $378,666 for fiscal year 2018 to locate and characterize key sturgeon habitat within the bay’s river systems.

The award follows nearly $357,000 in FY2016 and more than $365,000 in FY2017 in what’s known as species recovery grants for Atlantic sturgeon.

And it’s part of $5.8 million in grants just awarded for endangered or threatened species in the greater Atlantic, from shellfish to 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 the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources, in a statement.

Read the full story at the Daily Press

NOAA Fisheries Designates Critical Habitat for Atlantic Sturgeon

August 16, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries today designated critical habitat for Atlantic sturgeon–an important step to ensuring their recovery.

The critical habitat designation will require federal agencies to consult NOAA Fisheries if they operate or fund activities that may affect designated critical habitat in more than 3,968 miles of important coastal river habitat from Maine to Florida. Atlantic sturgeon was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 2012 and is comprised of the threatened Gulf of Maine distinct population segment and the endangered New York Bight, Chesapeake Bay, Carolina, and South Atlantic distinct population segments.

The ESA requires that NOAA Fisheries designate critical habitat when a species is listed as threatened or endangered. Under the ESA, critical habitat is defined as specific areas within the geographical areas that are occupied by the species, that contain physical or biological features essential to the conservation of that species, and that may require special management considerations.

The designation of critical habitat does not include any new restrictions or management measures for recreational or commercial fishing operations, nor does it create any preserves or refuges. Instead, when a federal agency funds, authorizes, or carries out activities that may affect critical habitat, it must work with NOAA Fisheries to avoid or minimize potential impacts to critical habitat. The activity of the federal agency may need to be modified to avoid destroying or adversely modifying the critical habitat.

“We look forward to working with our federal partners to reduce potential impacts to Atlantic sturgeon critical habitat,” said Samuel D. Rauch III, deputy assistant administrator for regulatory programs at NOAA Fisheries. “Our focus now will be on providing guidance to federal agencies to help them carry out their actions efficiently and effectively while minimizing impacts to habitat that is critical to these endangered and threatened populations of sturgeon.”

Atlantic sturgeon are anadromous and use coastal and estuarine waters throughout their lives, and travel to rivers to spawn or lay their eggs. Unlike some anadromous fish, sturgeon do not die after spawning and will return to spawn multiple times. They can grow up to 14 feet long, weigh up to 800 pounds, and live up to 60 years.

Historically, Atlantic sturgeon inhabited approximately 38 rivers in the United States spanning from Maine to Florida. Scientists identified 35 of those as spawning rivers. Atlantic sturgeon can now be found in approximately 32 of these rivers, and spawn in at least 20 of them. Critical habitat areas in coastal rivers were identified based on physical and biological features, such as soil type in the river bed, water temperature and salinity, and underwater vegetation, that are essential to the conservation of Atlantic sturgeon, particularly for spawning and development.

Atlantic sturgeon were harvested heavily in the twentieth century, particularly for their eggs (or roe) used for caviar. Overfishing led to a decline in abundance of Atlantic sturgeon, and in 1998 the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission issued a coast-wide moratorium on the harvest of Atlantic sturgeon, and NOAA Fisheries followed with a similar moratorium in federal waters.

More information on the critical habitat designation is available in the Federal Register notice and on our website.

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.