Saving Seafood

Meet Lisa Hiruki-Raring: Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Alaska Fisheries Science Center

May 19, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

What is your key responsibility?  

I translate the research that our scientists do into educational activities or resources. I develop and foster partnerships between the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and other agencies and organizations. I believe education helps to strengthen relationships between communities and our scientists. It is a way to give back to the communities where we do research by sharing and exchanging information with students, families, and community members. We focus on all levels of education, from K-12 to undergraduate internships to graduate fellowship opportunities. We also do informal education opportunities to reach the general public.

What is your educational background?

I grew up and went to school  in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Computing Science, Scientific Applications, from the University of Alberta. I had initially wanted to study biology or zoology, but somehow got the idea that there weren’t many jobs in biology. So I studied computers instead, with a minor in biology/zoology. As an undergraduate, I volunteered at an international mammalogy conference held at my university. At the conference I met Dr. Ian Stirling, a polar bear biologist. I got the opportunity to work in his lab as a volunteer and later as a student technician.

He connected me with the Hawaiian monk seal research program at the NOAA Fisheries lab in Honolulu. That inspired me to pursue a Master’s degree in zoology, studying injuries in Hawaiian monk seals. I worked for the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center in Honolulu for a few years, studying population dynamics of Hawaiian monk seals. Then I moved to Seattle to work in the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Marine Mammal Laboratory. First I worked on Antarctic fur seals, and later on harbor seals and ice-associated seals in Alaska. Finally, I moved into education and outreach coordination.

Read the full release here

Twelve Projects Selected for Saltonstall-Kennedy Program Funding in the Greater Atlantic Region

May 19, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

For over 40 years, NOAA Fisheries has awarded grant funds under the Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) program to organizations nationwide working to address the needs of fishing communities, optimize economic benefits by building and maintaining sustainable fisheries, and increase other opportunities to keep working waterfronts viable.  Of the 43 projects selected nationally for 2021 funding, 12 projects were from the Greater Atlantic Region, requesting approximately $2.84 million in federal funding.

Awardees

  • University of Maryland Baltimore County
  • Virginia Institute of Marine Science
  • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  • Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County
  • Gulf of Maine Research Institute
  • Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
  • American Littoral Society
  • University of Maine

Read more in our web story or review the list of all proposals recommended for funding.

Read the full release here

Fishing Year 2021 Management Measures for the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery

May 18, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces final management measures for the Atlantic Sea Scallop fishery for the 2021 fishing year (April 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022). The landings for fishing year 2021 are projected to be lower than 2020.

Framework 33:

  • Sets management measures for the scallop fishery for the 2021 fishing year, including the annual catch limits for the limited access and limited access general category (LAGC) fleets, as well as days-at-sea allocations and sea scallop access area trip allocations.
  • Implements specifications that would result in a reduction in projected landings compared to fishing year 2020 (40.0 million pounds for fishing year 2021 compared to 51.6 million pounds for fishing year 2020). This is due primarily to a decrease in harvestable biomass and a lack of significant recruitment in recent years.
  • Maintains the existing seasonal closure in Closed Area II (August 15 – November 30) to reduce bycatch of Georges Bank yellowtail flounder and northern windowpane flounder.
  • Closes the Closed Area II-East Closed Area to fishing to protect small scallops and reduce bycatch of flatfish.

Read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register, and the permit holder bulletins (Limited Access and LAGC) posted on our website.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Travis Ford, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9233

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

NOAA Fisheries Reminder: Update your Fish Online Account by June 1

May 17, 2021 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

To increase your online security, NOAA Fisheries’ GARFO is changing the way that vessel owners and operators login to Fish Online. By June 1, vessel owners must create a Fish Online user account and vessel operators will also need to create an account to report electronically using a GARFO Fish Online app and to view their previously submitted eVTRs.

Direct marketers: These funds are for you

May 14, 2021 — Last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $92.2 million in competitive grant funding through the 2018 Farm Bill’s Local Agriculture Market Program as part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers Initiative.

The Local Agriculture Market Program includes $77 million for the Farmers Market Promotion Program and Local Food Promotion Program. What does this mean for the fishing industry? Both grant programs are open to seafood businesses, tribes, NGOs, and fishing associations who are involved in local, regional, and direct seafood marketing and distribution. This injection of funding represents a major opportunity to strengthen the resilience of our nation’s food system and put domestic seafood on our country’s menu in a meaningful way.

The United States is a major producer of seafood. However, an estimated 71 to 90 percent of the seafood we consume is imported. Our reliance on seafood trade makes our seafood economy vulnerable to socioeconomic, political and environmental shocks. No more apparent has this been than during the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. According to NOAA Fisheries, landings were down by an astonishing 29 percent during the first seven months of the pandemic in the United States. This affects everyone from the fishing crews to captains, dealers, processors, and shoreside communities.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Public Comment on a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Management of Red Grouper in the Gulf of Mexico: Comment Period Ends June 28, 2021

May 14, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Key Message:

NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a draft environmental impact statement for Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan for Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico.  The Environmental Protection Agency announced the availability of the draft environmental impact statement on May 14, 2021.

The purpose of this draft environmental impact statement is to assess the environmental impacts associated with a reasonable range of alternatives intended to modify the red grouper commercial and recreational sector allocations, overfishing limit, acceptable biological catch, annual catch limits, and annual catch targets of Gulf of Mexico red grouper.

Read the full release here

Exploring Atlantic Salmon’s Battle for Survival: A Story Map

May 14, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Wild Atlantic salmon stocks in the United States have declined significantly since the late 19th century. Historically, dams, overfishing, and pollution led to large declines in salmon abundance.

The Kennebec River, Androscoggin River, and Sheepscot Rivers of the Merrymeeting Bay region have a long history of human development. This story map tells the history of this area’s many dams and our restoration efforts to recover the populations of endangered Atlantic salmon.

salmon

Read the full release here

Industry-Funded Monitoring Coverage in the Atlantic Herring Fishery Will Begin on July 1, 2021

May 14, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Beginning on July 1, 2021, NOAA Fisheries will begin selecting vessels with Category A or B herring permits fishing on declared herring trips for industry-funded monitoring (IFM) coverage. Vessels issued a Category A or B Atlantic herring permit will be required to secure and pay for at-sea monitoring coverage on trips that are selected for IFM coverage.

These vessels must log into their Pre-Trip Notification System (PTNS) web account to review the list of approved providers in PTNS and rank them in order of preference. Vessels should rank their providers in PTNS by June 20, 2021 to avoid any delays in the IFM assignment process.

For more information, go to our IFM website, which includes information on reporting requirements, approved IFM providers, the midwater trawl electronic monitoring exempted fishing permit, and other details.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Carrie Nordeen, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9272

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

Deadline Extended: ASMFC Still Seeks Proposals for At-Sea Monitoring Trainers

May 14, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, in cooperation with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to conduct components of the At-Sea Monitoring (ASM) Training Program for the center. The submission deadline has been extended to May 24, 2021.

NOAA Fisheries is required to collect biological and compliance data aboard U.S. domestic fishing vessels, data which cannot be obtained at the dock or on research vessels. Specifically, observer data is essential to reliably estimating catch and bycatch, and in helping to implement programs to reduce bycatch. A sharp increase to the coverage rate (up to 100%) for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery in Fishing Year 2022 and observer attrition during the 2020 fishing year have resulted in the need for approximately 140 new at-sea monitors.

The awardee shall provide and retain the necessary qualified personnel, materials, equipment, services, and facilities to conduct components of the ASM training for the Center. The Awardee shall conduct approximately 4-6 trainings per year. The training will be conducted as a collaborative effort between NOAA Fisheries and the Awardee; where some components of the training will be conducted by the Awardee and some training components will be conducted by NOAA Fisheries.

Application Instructions

Applicants seeking to apply to the RFP must submit, as a single file, an electronic proposal by email no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on May 24, 2021. Please see the RFP online for complete proposal details, qualifying requirements, and submission instructions.

For More Information:

Please contact Deke Tompkins at dtompkins@asmfc.org or (313) 303-2623.

Press contact: Tina Berger, (703) 842-0740

NOAA Fisheries Announces 2021-2026 Specifications for the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries

May 12, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective June 14

NOAA Fisheries is setting 2021 and projecting 2022-2026 commercial harvest quotas for Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs. The final quotas, which have remained unchanged since 2004, are:

  • Atlantic surfclams: 3.4 million bushels
  • Ocean quahogs: 5.36 million bushels
  • Maine ocean quahogs: 100,000 Maine bushels

In addition, the Atlantic surfclam minimum size limit will be suspended for the 2021 fishing year, as it has been every year since 2005. There is currently no minimum size for ocean quahogs.

For more details, read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register and the bulletin.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Laura Hansen, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 978-281-9225

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