Saving Seafood

Independent coastal bait and tackle retailers contribute $2.3 billion to U.S. economy

July 27, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA:

In 2014, NOAA Fisheries conducted our first-ever survey of independent retailers that sell saltwater bait and tackle in coastal communities. We found that bait and tackle shops generated an estimated $854 million in sales of saltwater bait, tackle, and other fishing-related equipment. Collectively, these sales support $2.3 billion in total sales output, nearly $800 million in income, and support over 16,000 full and part-time jobs.

Before this study, we lacked baseline data to help describe the role independent bait and tackle retailers play in local economies. These results will inform decision-making on how proposed fishing regulations changes might affect our society and economy Please take a moment to review the full results and share the findings with others who may be interested.

Please contact the report’s lead author, Cliff Hutt (cliff.hutt@noaa.gov), if you have questions or need additional information about the study.

Lobstering: Monitors more likely on boats with state, federal permits

July 16, 2015 — Federal plans to expand observer coverage on lobster boats from Maine to Maryland may have a hit a lull, but they are not going away, especially for lobstermen who hold both state lobster and federal access permits, according to the NOAA Fisheries official that oversees the program.

Amy Martins, manager of the Northeast Fisheries Observer Program, said Wednesday the number of calls to lobstermen to schedule observer trips have declined substantially in the past month primarily because of concerns lobstermen expressed at a contentious June 4 meeting at NOAA Fisheries’ regional headquarters in Gloucester.

“We heard concerns from the lobstermen that our observer program was calling too frequently and that we were perhaps overly aggressive,” Martins said. “We’ve also done quite a bit of work since that meeting that has allowed us to zone in a little more clearly on the specific parts of the fishery we want to monitor, the fleet-within-the-fleet, so to speak.”

Read the full story from the Gloucester Daily Times