December 10, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries has closed the U.S. Atlantic mackerel fishery for the rest of 2024 after determining that 100 percent of the allowable annual harvest has already been caught.
The closure comes amid concern over the sustainability of the Atlantic mackerel stock, which is listed as overfished by NOAA Fisheries and has been managed under a rebuilding program since November 2019.
December 9, 2024 — Overfishing of sharks and rays has depleted many populations, causing widespread erosion of ecological function and exceptionally high extinction risk. NOAA Fisheries coauthored a study in the journal Science that quantifies the extinction risk for the world’s 1,199 sharks and ray species over 50 years. They found that while sharks and rays are at high risk of extinction and biodiversity loss globally, this risk differs by habitat and region. There are some “bright spots” that could help species survive.
Sharks Are In Rough Shape Globally
We found that sharks and rays globally are in a worse conservation state than all other vertebrate groups, apart from amphibians. We also demonstrated the “fishing down” of shark and ray biodiversity and ecosystem function. This shows that the largest species declined first and most rapidly.
Most sharks and rays have slow population growth rates, which makes them highly vulnerable to overfishing and subsequently takes populations longer to rebuild. Around the world, sharks and rays are targeted for their fins, meat, gill plates, and liver oil. They are also caught incidentally—as bycatch—in other fisheries.
December 9, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries has agreed to determine whether tope sharks deserve protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by August 2025 following a lawsuit from conservation legal groups Defend Them All and the Center for Biological Diversity.
“We’re optimistic that long-overdue protections for the tope shark are finally on the horizon,” Defend Them All attorney Lindsey Zehel said in a statement. “As compounding threats to the species continue to intensify, immediate action is necessary to halt the tope shark’s decline and preserve the integrity of our coastal ecosystems.”
December 5, 2024 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council took final action on Framework Adjustment 39 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan when it met December 3-5, 2024 in Newport, Rhode Island. The framework contains specifications and measures to guide the 2025 scallop fishing year, which begins on April 1. The action also includes default measures for fishing year 2026.
The framework must be reviewed, approved, and implemented by NOAA Fisheries before taking effect. Here are the Council’s recommended measures.
FULL-TIME LIMITED ACCESS VESSELS: The Council supported allocating full-time permit holders two access area trips in 2025 – one trip to Scallop Access Area I and the other trip to Scallop Access Area II. The Council endorsed a 12,000-pound trip limit, equating to 24,000 pounds total per vessel, as well as 24 open-area days-at-sea for this component of the scallop fishery.
PART-TIME LIMITED ACCESS VESSELS: Part-time permit holders would be allocated one access area trip into either Scallop Access Area I or Scallop Access Area II with a 9,600- pound trip limit, as well as 9.6 open-area days-at-sea.
Read the full release from the New England Fishery Management Council
December 4, 2024 — Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA Fisheries announced up to $99 million in funding through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) for conservation and recovery projects focusing on Pacific salmon and steelhead. This funding — which includes $34.4 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) — will advance state and tribal efforts to restore salmon populations and habitats, and bolster climate and economic resilience in surrounding communities.
“Since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has been committed to salmon recovery along the West Coast and this new funding will help NOAA boost efforts to aid Pacific salmon survival and recovery,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This investment, made possible thanks to President Biden’s commitment to investing in America, will help get Pacific salmon populations closer to the healthy and abundant levels our West Coast ecosystems and communities need, and help create new jobs that enhance climate resilience along our coasts.”
December 3, 2024 — The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has dedicated USD 148 million (EUR 141 million) to improving NOAA’s data collection and analysis to support “climate-ready fisheries.”
The money will be used to modernize the agency’s science enterprise, providing the tools and information necessary to help the nation’s fisheries adapt to rapidly changing marine ecosystems.
Read the full story at SeafoodSource
October 16, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration and NOAA announced they will award approximately $2 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds to collect data and improve modeling through partnerships with the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies at the University of Miami. These partnerships are critical to NOAA Fisheries’ work to improve scientific data and management decisions for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico.
Collecting more fisheries data will enable NOAA Fisheries and state partners to better understand and adapt to the impacts of climate change, increase data reliability and adjust management decisions that will support red snapper populations.
“This $2 million investment, made possible thanks to President Biden’s historic Inflation Reduction Act, will boost NOAA’s ability to support red snapper populations by expanding scientific partnerships that improve data collection and help us understand and mitigate the impacts of climate change on fisheries in coastal regions nationwide,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
Approximately $1 million of this funding will go to the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission to expand the for-hire at-sea program into the western Gulf of Mexico. NOAA Fisheries and the Commission will deploy at-sea samplers in the Louisiana and Texas for-hire fishery, extending the coverage of at-sea data collection programs. This effort will enhance recreational discard data, a key priority for NOAA Fisheries, and for the first time in history all five Gulf states will have active at-sea data collection programs for for-hire fisheries in federal waters.
Additionally, approximately $1 million will be distributed to NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies at the University of Miami to develop next-generation surveys using acoustic technology to improve red snapper detection. This research will focus on leveraging advanced technology and artificial intelligence to enhance red snapper surveys and abundance estimates in the Gulf of Mexico. Harnessing the power of advanced technology and artificial intelligence is pivotal to improving the clarity and credibility of fisheries data.
“NOAA Fisheries’ collaborations with state and academic organizations are a critical part of strengthening scientific rigor and improving data collection for recreational fisheries, leading to more timely and accurate information for managing red snapper and other reef fish,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “Greater data certainty will enable NOAA Fisheries and state partners to better address the effects of climate change on fisheries and fishing communities.”
This funding is part of NOAA Fisheries’ red snapper recovery efforts first announced in October 2023. These investments are part of the historic $3.3 billion in Inflation Reduction Act investments first announced in June 2023, which are focused on ensuring America’s communities and economies are ready for and resilient to climate change.
Visit the Inflation Reduction Act website to learn about current and future funding opportunities.
August 27, 2024 –NOAA Fisheries has recommended USD 45 million (EUR 40 million) in funding for 27 projects dedicated to climate resilience and habitat restoration, including salmon recovery and other fisheries-related initiatives.
Nearly half of the spending will go to federally recognized tribes, while the remaining money will go to underserved communities.
Read the full story at SeafoodSource
August 27, 2024 — The federal government issued a new “biological opinion” on the offshore wind power project off Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, finding that pile-driving noise associated with Vineyard Wind 1 is likely to adversely affect, but not likely to jeopardize, the continued existence of whales, fish or sea turtles listed under the Endangered Species Act.
“It will have no effect on any designated critical habitat,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries said in a statement. “NOAA Fisheries does not anticipate serious injuries to or mortalities of any ESA listed whale including the North Atlantic right whale.” The agency said that with mitigation measures, “all effects to North Atlantic right whales will be limited to temporary behavioral disturbance.”
NOAA Fisheries said Friday it was issuing its new opinion to the “federal action agencies” including Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which approved the Vineyard Wind 1 Project in 2021 and oversees offshore wind power development in federal lease areas.
August 3, 2024 — The impacts of climate change are already being felt in fishing communities across the U.S. – to sometimes devastating results.
In January 2024, two massive storms in the northeastern U.S. region of New England sunk vessels, damaged docks, and flooded coastal communities. Janet Mills, the governor of the U.S. state of Maine, claimed in a request for federal aid in the wake of the storms that the weather caused USD 70.3 million (EUR 64.3 million) in public infrastructure damage in the state of Maine alone.
Read the full story at SeafoodSource