Saving Seafood

Track Whale Detections With This Interactive Map

June 25, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Scientists at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center have created a new data mapping tool to help people understand when and where large whales occur off the East Coast.

The underlying data include detections made by underwater listening devices — called hydrophones — operated from stationary platforms, such as bottom-mounted moorings and surface buoys. They were also made by mobile platforms like Slocum gliders and towed hydrophone arrays. The map includes sounds made by sei, fin, blue, humpback and North Atlantic right whales from 2004 to the present.

“Our goal was to provide all the archived data we have, plus data from collaborators, in one place and make it easy for managers, stakeholders and scientists to access it themselves and explore the data in a format that would be helpful,” said Sofie Van Parijs, one of the creators and lead of the center’s passive acoustics research group. “We hope to add in data collected by the wind industry, and invite other researchers and sources of this type of data to share what they have with us to make this dataset as comprehensive as possible.”

Those interested in contributing to the data can contact the developers at nmfs.pacmdata@noaa.gov.

Recent additions to the dataset include all beaked whales, sperm whales, and dwarf and pygmy sperm whales (Kogia species) detected from 2013 to the present. Current recording locations range from the waters of the western North Atlantic, off Greenland, to the Caribbean Sea.

Data about each detection is incorporated into the mapping tool, including:

  • Location
  • Season
  • Number of deployments of that recording gear
  • Number of recorded days and detections
  • Type of detection: definite, possible, no detection, or data collected but not yet analyzed.

Read the full release here

Commercial Harvest of King Mackerel in Federal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico Northern Zone Will Close on June 28, 2021

June 25, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

What/When:

  • Commercial harvest of king mackerel in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) Northern Zone (depicted in map below) will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 28, 2021.
  • Commercial harvest will reopen at 12:01 a.m., local time, on October 1, 2021.

Why This Closure Is Happening:

  • The 2020/2021 commercial quota for the Gulf Northern Zone is 493,200 pounds.
  • Updated landings data indicate that commercial harvest of king mackerel in this zone has exceeded its quota.
  • In accordance with the regulations NOAA Fisheries is required to close harvest for a species when the quota has been met or is projected to be met.

During The Closure:

  • No commercial fisherman may keep for sale king mackerel in or from the closed Northern Zone after 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 28, 2021.
  • The prohibition on sale or purchase does not apply to trade in king mackerel that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold before 12:01 a.m., local time, June 28, 2021, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
  • Persons aboard commercial vessels with a federal king mackerel permit may fish for and retain the recreational bag and possession limit of king mackerel during the open recreational season, even if commercial fishing for this species is closed in this zone or others.

Read the full release here

New Atlantic Salmon Animation Released

June 25, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries and Maine-based animation team, Puckerbrush Animation, recently partnered to create a new digital animation that talks about Atlantic salmon and the threats that have led to their endangered listing.

Atlantic salmon are part of our Species in the Spotlight initiative, which highlights our most imperiled species to focus attention and resources towards actions that we and our partners can take to bring them back from the brink of extinction.

Learn about the various threats facing Atlantic salmon, including climate change, and about what you can do to help protect and restore Atlantic salmon, and their ecosystems in this animated video.

Read the full release here

Commercial Closure in Federal Waters for Atlantic Migratory Group Spanish Mackerel Northern Zone on June 28, 2021

June 24, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

What/When:

The commercial harvest of Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel (Atlantic Spanish mackerel) northern zone will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 28, 2021 and will re-open on March 1, 2022.  The northern zone for Atlantic Spanish mackerel includes federal waters from North Carolina through New York.  During the commercial closure, harvest or possession of Atlantic Spanish mackerel in or from the northern zone is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open, but those fish may not be sold.

Why This Closure Is Happening:

  • The commercial quota for Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the northern zone for the March 2021 through February 2022 fishing year is 662,670 lbs.
  • Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial quota for Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the northern zone. According to the accountability measure, harvest must close to prevent the quota from being exceeded.

During the Closure:

  • The prohibition on sale or purchase during a commercial closure for Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the northern zone does not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, June 28, 2021, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
  • During the closure, a person on board a vessel that has been issued a valid federal commercial permit for coastal migratory pelagic fish may continue to retain Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the northern zone under the recreational bag and possession limits, as long as the recreational sector for Atlantic Spanish mackerel is open.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations.  Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=38b00fbc079181f330b3d8428a1d8fea&mc=true&n=pt50.12.622&r=PART&ty=HTML#sp50.12.622.q.

2021 Northeast Spring Ecosystem Monitoring Cruise Completed

June 24, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

During May, researchers returned to sea for the ecosystem monitoring cruise. This was the first ecosystem monitoring cruise since operations were stopped in 2020 to reduce risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This one-year hiatus is the longest gap in sampling in the nearly 45-year record of oceanographic observations made on this recurring cruise.

Scientists and crew aboard the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter sampled at 106 stations. They achieved near-complete coverage of the survey area from Delaware through Southern New England.

Fewer days were available for the cruise than originally planned, so the scientific crew dropped all stations south of Delaware Bay to accommodate the time available. Coverage was also reduced on the Scotian Shelf, in the northern Gulf of Maine, and on Georges Bank, when a fast-moving storm front passed through, making sampling impossible. Instead, the team moved into the western Gulf of Maine to keep working, and collected more mackerel eggs and larvae.

Samples of zooplankton—tiny animals and very young stages of some larger ones—provide information about the food chain supporting fisheries and marine mammals. Scientists use larval fish and egg samples to learn more about fish stock spawning and help estimate stock abundance. Measurements of physical and chemical conditions like temperature and salinity help us describe ecosystem productivity, spawning, larval recruitment, fish condition, and species distributions.

Together, the core measurements conducted by our ecosystem monitoring (EcoMon) cruises help researchers understand and predict changes in the Northeast shelf ecosystem and its fisheries. Researchers are scheduled to sail on the next EcoMon survey in August aboard NOAA Ship Pisces.

Read the full release here

Gulf Shrimp Landings in 2021 Slightly Up, But SSA Notes Anomalies in Data Collection

June 24, 2021 — The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) reports that 19.1 million pounds of shrimp were landed across the Gulf of Mexico through the first five months of 2021, up from 17.0 million pounds over the same time period in the last two years. However, landings of shrimp in the Gulf this year have been 23 percent below the nineteen-year historical average of 24.9 million pounds, SSA notes.

Landings data are reported monthly from the Fishery Monitoring Branch of NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Fisheries Science Center. The Alliance provides context and historical perspective on the numbers for their members, the domestic shrimp industry in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.

Read the full story at Seafood News

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed Rule: Framework 61 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan

June 24, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are seeking public comment on an action developed by the New England Fishery Management Council that would set or adjust catch limits for groundfish stocks for the 2021 fishing year (May 1, 2021 – April 30, 2022), including the three stocks managed jointly with Canada. For 2021, Framework 61 would decrease six stock quotas, and increase four stock quotas compared to 2020. These revised catch limits are based upon the results of stock assessments conducted in 2020 and are intended to help prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks.

This action would also revise the status determination criteria for Georges Bank and Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic winter flounder, implement a revised rebuilding plan for white hake, and implement a universal exemption for sectors to target redfish.

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register, and submit your comments through the online portal.

The comment period is open through 07-09-2021.

Retired Biologist Leaves Legacy of Gains for Salmon Across Central Washington

June 23, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Dale Bambrick jokes he has seen the world, or at least as much as you can see between Issaquah and Ellensburg. He retired in May after 20 years leading NOAA Fisheries’ Ellensburg Office, and delivering critical gains for salmon and steelhead across Central Washington.

“I have never seen someone so committed to the resource, who was willing to say what was important and work so hard to make things happen,” said Barry Thom, Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region. “I have always appreciated Dale’s commitment and his humor to get us through some pretty tough issues.”

Dale Bambrick spent 37 years protecting and improving habitat and more to recover salmon in central Washington. Dale grew up in Issaquah and then crossed the mountains to attend Central Washington University in Ellensburg. He started as an art major, but with the encouragement of a professor he switched to biology.

In 1983 Dale’s advisor encouraged him to pursue a doctorate at Oregon State University. Instead, he accepted an offer from Grant County Public Utility District to join its environmental division. There he studied strategies to improve the survival of fish passing through dams, such as guidance nets that funnel fish toward safer passage routes. He also pondered the future: Should he be a teacher, a fish biologist, or go to graduate school?

In 1988 Dale left Grant County to work for the Yakama Nation’s fisheries division, starting as a habitat biologist. Three years later he became Environmental Director, building a strong team. He helped lay the foundations for habitat conservation plans in the upper Columbia, assuring improvements for salmon. He developed the fisheries portion of the Yakama Nation’s Forest Management Plan. He also helped shape state water policy, returning more water to streams for fish.

Read the full release here

As Marine Fish Shift With Climate Change, Scientists Work Across Borders to Ensure Sustainability

June 23, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The cold waters of the eastern Bering Sea support some of the world’s largest and best-managed commercial fisheries. Sustainable management of these fisheries is founded on scientific information provided by Alaska Fisheries Science Center groundfish surveys. New collaborative research is providing information to ensure accurate local estimates of fish abundance in a changing Bering Sea.

Recent rapid, large-scale movements of fish driven by unprecedented warming in the Bering Sea have created a challenge for survey scientists. As fish populations track their preferred conditions, they are shifting northward and westward, likely beyond historical survey boundaries.

“To maintain sustainable fisheries, managers need to understand how climate is influencing how many fish there are and where they are. As fish populations shift in response to changing ocean conditions, we need to adapt and expand our surveys to provide accurate information that represents the entire population,” said Cecilia O’Leary, NOAA Fisheries biologist, Alaska Fisheries Science Center.

Read the full release here

FY22 S-K Grant Competition—Notice of Funding Opportunity

June 23, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The goal of the Saltonstall-Kennedy program is to fund projects that address the needs of fishing communities, optimize economic benefits by building and maintaining sustainable fisheries, and increase other opportunities to keep working waterfronts viable. The FY22 solicitation seeks applications that fall into one of two priorities:

  • Promotion, Development, and Marketing.
  • Science or Technology that Promotes Sustainable U.S. Seafood Production and Harvesting.

This year’s solicitation consists of two separate submission processes. All interested applicants must submit a 2 page pre-proposal through the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) posted at www.Grants.gov. Pre-proposals must be received at Grants.gov, postmarked, or provided to a delivery service by 11:59 pm, Eastern Time, August 16, 2021. Use of Grants.gov is preferred.

It is important to note that under this one NOFO there are two competition links. Please be sure to submit pre-proposals to the “Pre-Proposals FY22 Saltonstall-Kennedy” link within the dates specified in this NOFO. Full proposals will be submitted under the “Full Proposals FY22 Saltonstall-Kennedy” link prior to the closing date of November 29,2021. Be sure to read the NOFO and follow the directions and formatting requirements closely.

Learn more about the Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program and how to apply for the FY22 Competition.

Read the full release here