Saving Seafood

Peter Kuriyama, Research Mathematical Statistician

May 4, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Meet Peter Kuriyama, a research mathematical statistician with the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center.

What is your key responsibility?  

I do stock assessments for coastal pelagic species. The results of these assessments inform fisheries management on the west coast of the United States.

Where did you grow up?

Solana Beach, California.

What is your educational background?  

I did my undergraduate degree at UC Santa Barbara and Ph.D. at University of Washington. My dissertation mainly looked at the impact of catch share implementation on the U.S. West Coast groundfish fishery.

What are your hobbies?    

I like surfing, cooking, reading, and basketball.

Is there a book, quote, or person that influenced you to be the person that you are today?  

My parents and grandparents are strong influences. A couple recent books, The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama and Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, have been impactful. The Color of Air tells a story of a Japanese immigrant family working on sugarcane plantations in Hawai’i. Japanese immigrants came to Hawai’i thinking that they would work on plantations for a couple of years, but plantation owners prevented them from returning home and forced them to continue working. My ancestors worked on these plantations in Hawai’i and likely had similar experiences. Interior Chinatown excavates Asian-American stereotypes in pop culture. I regularly listen to the podcast Time to Say Goodbye, which discusses Asian America among many other topics.

What does Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Month mean to you? What does being a career civil servant mean to you?

To be honest, I didn’t even know that May was Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Unfortunately, I think this year it will be featured more prominently than in previous years. I think months of awareness are good, and hopefully they motivate people to keep learning and acting year-round.

While there are often challenges to the work, I feel fortunate to be able to do science that helps to sustainably manage fisheries.

Slow Zone East of Cape Cod to Protect Right Whales

May 4, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces a new voluntary right whale Slow Zone.  On May 3, 2021, the Center for Coastal Studies observed right whales east of Cape Cod, MA.  This Slow Zone is in effect through May 18, 2021.

Mariners are requested to route around this or transit through it at 10 knots or less.

Slow Zone Coordinates:

East of Cape Cod, MA, May 3, 2021- May 18, 2021

42 16 N
41 35 N
069 30 W
070 22 W

See the coordinates for all the slow zones currently in effect.

Active Seasonal Management Areas 

Mandatory speed restrictions of 10 knots or less (50 CFR 224.105) are in effect in the following areas:

Cape Cod Bay, January 1 – May 15

Great South Channel, April 1 – July 31

Find out more and get the coordinates for each mandatory slow speed zone.

Give Right Whales Room

North Atlantic right whales are on the move along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. NOAA is cautioning boaters and fishermen to give these endangered whales plenty of room. We are also asking all fishermen to be vigilant when maneuvering to avoid accidental collisions with whales and remove unused gear from the ocean to help avoid entanglements. Commercial fishermen should use vertical lines with required markings, weak links, and breaking strengths.

Right Whales in Trouble

North Atlantic right whales are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Scientists estimate there are only about 400 remaining, making them one of the rarest marine mammals in the world.

North Atlantic right whales are NOAA Fisheries’ newest Species in the Spotlight. This initiative is a concerted, agency-wide effort to spotlight and save marine species that are among the most at risk of extinction in the near future. 

In August 2017, NOAA Fisheries declared the increase in right whale mortalities an “Unusual Mortality Event,” which helps the agency direct additional scientific and financial resources to investigating, understanding, and reducing the mortalities in partnership with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and outside experts from the scientific research community.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries releases new video looking at environmental conditions in the Gulf of Alaska in 2020

May 4, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

More than 90 researchers and local community members contributed knowledge and information to help NOAA Fisheries scientists generate an ecosystem status report for the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem last year. This new video captures some of the high points of that report.

“We are excited to offer another way of sharing what we learned about ecosystem conditions in the Gulf of Alaska last year,” said Bridget Ferriss, Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem Status Report editor. “This video is a nice complement to our other communications products.”

For decades, scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center have been pulling together data for numerous indicators of ecosystem health including water temperature, plankton abundance, and seabird reproductive success. NOAA Fisheries and other scientists from other organizations monitor these indicators for the four marine ecosystems that surround Alaska–the Aleutian Islands, the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Arctic.

Every fall, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council sets catch limits for groundfish and crab in federal waters off Alaska for the upcoming fishing year. They base these decisions on scientific research and analysis including fish stock assessments, economic information on the commercial fishery, and these annual ecosystem assessments.

“Ecosystem assessments help us understand the context by explaining, among other things, how changes in the ecosystem might affect present and future abundance of commercially important fish and crab stocks,” said Ferriss.

For each of the Alaska Ecosystem Status Reports, a variety of indicators are evaluated annually. All of this information helps fisheries managers to determine what steps to take to ensure sustainable fish and crab fisheries while preserving the health of the overall ecosystem.

The goal of this video is to communicate our updated summary of ecosystem information beyond the Council, to the broader community.

Read the full release here

Reminder: Requirements for the Butterfish Fishery

May 3, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The butterfish fishery is managed by limited access permits, an annual quota, mesh requirements, trip limits in some circumstances, and area restrictions. There have not been any recent changes to the butterfish fishery regulations. To review the current butterfish regulations for the butterfish fishery check out this summary.

Questions?

Industry: Contact Aly Pitts, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9352

Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103

Slow Zone North of Cape Cod to Protect Right Whales

May 3, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces a new voluntary right whale Slow Zone.  On May 2, 2021, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Slocum glider acoustically detected the presence of right whales north of Cape Cod, MA.  This Slow Zone is in effect through May 17, 2021.

Mariners are requested to route around this or transit through it at 10 knots or less.

Slow Zone Coordinates:

North of Cape Cod, MA, May 2, 2021- May 17, 2021

42 40 N
42 00 N
069 40 W
070 34 W

See the coordinates for all the slow zones currently in effect.

Active Seasonal Management Areas 

Mandatory speed restrictions of 10 knots or less (50 CFR 224.105) are in effect in the following areas:

Cape Cod Bay, January 1 – May 15

Great South Channel, April 1 – July 31

Find out more and get the coordinates for each mandatory slow speed zone.

Give Right Whales Room

North Atlantic right whales are on the move along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. NOAA is cautioning boaters and fishermen to give these endangered whales plenty of room. We are also asking all fishermen to be vigilant when maneuvering to avoid accidental collisions with whales and remove unused gear from the ocean to help avoid entanglements. Commercial fishermen should use vertical lines with required markings, weak links, and breaking strengths.

Right Whales in Trouble

North Atlantic right whales are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Scientists estimate there are only about 400 remaining, making them one of the rarest marine mammals in the world.

North Atlantic right whales are NOAA Fisheries’ newest Species in the Spotlight. This initiative is a concerted, agency-wide effort to spotlight and save marine species that are among the most at risk of extinction in the near future. 

In August 2017, NOAA Fisheries declared the increase in right whale mortalities an “Unusual Mortality Event,” which helps the agency direct additional scientific and financial resources to investigating, understanding, and reducing the mortalities in partnership with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and outside experts from the scientific research community.

Read the full release here

New Discoveries and Management Decisions in the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program Report to Congress

April 30, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA’s Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program just released its Report to Congress (PDF, 8.25MB). It showcases new accomplishments and scientific discoveries and summarizes exciting activities from 2018 and 2019. The deep sea is the largest habitat on Earth, and the least well known. Our research improved our understanding of deep-sea coral communities, supported management decisions, and leveraged joint priorities with different partners.

Improving Understanding of Deep-Sea Coral Communities

Deep-sea corals create habitat for countless species off of every coastal state in the country. They offer significant ecological value and support a number of U.S.-managed fishery species. These productive habitats provide spawning grounds for commercially important fish such as grouper, snapper, sea bass, and rockfish, as well as shrimp, and crab. The high biodiversity of deep-sea coral and sponge habitats has made them fertile ground for new species and new natural product discoveries.

NOAA significantly improved our understanding of deep-sea coral communities during the past two years. We supported large-scale underwater surveys of deep-sea coral communities throughout most regions of the country. As a result, NOAA and our partners:

  • Described 21 new deep-sea coral species
  • Discovered the most expansive area of deep-sea coral reefs known to date off the U.S. Southeast coast
  • Mapped 55,000 square miles of previously poorly understood seafloor in high resolution

Read the full release here

Using Sound as a Tool to Help Count Snappers in Hawai‘i and Prevent Overfishing

April 30, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Snappers are economically important species for fisheries worldwide. To determine the health of snapper populations, we must monitor their abundance and record any changes in their biomass. NOAA scientists conducted a study to test new, more efficient and accurate methods to regularly monitor snapper in the Hawaii bottomfish fishing grounds. The results of this study were recently published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science.

Snappers are abundant in nearshore, 100–400-meter deep subtropical and tropical oceans with rocky, uneven bottoms that have steep slopes. They typically occupy areas near the ocean floor but are also found further in the water column and within crevices or under outcrops.

Modern research methods limit accurate and efficient abundance estimations for these species. Trawl sampling is not feasible as the highly uneven, rocky bottom would damage the net and the fragile habitat itself could be disturbed. More recent underwater video observations are limited by light and field-of-view distance. Placing video cameras in the water can also scare away or attract fish, skewing the results.

Read the full release here

Extended Slow Zone East of Boston to Protect Right Whales

April 30, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces the extension of a Slow Zone set to expire east of Boston, MA. On April 28, 2021, the Center for Coastal Studies observed right whales east of Boston, MA. This Slow Zone is in effect through May 13, 2021.

Mariners are requested to route around this or transit through it at 10 knots or less.

Slow Zone Coordinates:

East of Boston, MA, April 8 – May 13, 2021 *Extended*

42 39 N
41 54 N
070 08 W
071 06 W

See the coordinates for all the slow zones currently in effect.

Active Seasonal Management Areas 

Mandatory speed restrictions of 10 knots or less (50 CFR 224.105) are in effect in the following areas:

Cape Cod Bay, January 1 – May 15

Off Race Point, March 1 – April 30 *Expires Today*

Great South Channel, April 1 – July 31

November 1 – April 30 *Expires Today*

Block Island Sound 

Ports of New York/New Jersey

Entrance to the Delaware Bay
(Ports of Philadelphia and Wilmington)

Entrance to the Chesapeake Bay 
(Ports of Hampton Roads and Baltimore)

Ports of Morehead City and Beaufort, NC

Within a continuous area 20-nm from shore between Wilmington, North Carolina, to Brunswick, Georgia.

Find out more and get the coordinates for each mandatory slow speed zone.

Update on the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Fishing Season

April 30, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The 2021 Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) scallop fishery opened on April 1, 2021, under default specifications set by Framework 32. We are reviewing the final 2021 specifications (i.e., Framework 33) and, if approved, will implement them as soon as possible. The limited access general category (LAGC) portion of the NGOM total allowable catch (TAC) that would be implemented through Framework 33 (119,222 lb) is lower than the Framework 32 default TAC (167,500 lb).

The NGOM remains open to fishing. However, we project that the Framework 33 fishing year 2021 TAC (119,222 lb) has been reached. Framework 33 has not been approved, so we are monitoring the NGOM fishery based on the Framework 32 default TAC (167,500 lb).

If Framework 33 is implemented and the LAGC NGOM fleet exceeds its portion of the TAC, any overage would result in a pound-for-pound deduction against the NGOM TAC in a future year. Further, an overage could have a detrimental impact on the scallop resource on Jeffreys Ledge and in Ipswich Bay.

For landings and trip information visit our quota monitoring page.

Read the full release here

Look Out for Whales in Massachusetts Waters

April 30, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Critically endangered  North Atlantic right whales are moving north and through waters surrounding Massachusetts. Along with entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with vessels are one of the biggest barriers to the species’ recovery.

With high right whale numbers in and around Cape Cod Bay, we’re asking all vessels to slow down to 10 knots or less. Collisions can be deadly for these whales, especially young calves traveling through these waters for the first time. Collisions are also dangerous for the vessels involved. Stay safe and help protect right whales by slowing down where right whales are found.

In some of these waters, speed restriction measures are in place and enforced. Learn more about federal and state speed restrictions and use the Whale Alert App to stay informed about right whale detections and Right Whale Slow Zones.

Read the full release here