Saving Seafood

North Atlantic Right Whales On the Move in the Northeast

April 16, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

On March 21, 2021, 89 North Atlantic right whales were spotted by scientists from the Center for Coastal Studies in Cape Cod Bay. Just a few days later, on March 30, scientists spotted 57 North Atlantic right whales off Southeast New England in and around the wind energy development areas. They were seen by scientists from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center flying a sighting survey. Three mother/calf pairs have been sighted there to date.

Right whales have typically appeared in Cape Cod Bay during spring, but in recent years have been arriving sooner and staying longer. Right whale use of areas south and west of Nantucket Shoals has been documented in just the last 10 years. In recent years, the right whales appear to be staying in these waters in greater numbers and for longer periods than in the past.

What gives? To find out, we track when and where these whales are found throughout the year, using sighting surveys and passive acoustic listening devices.

“A very small portion of the right whale population heads south to the waters off northern Florida and Georgia in the winter—mostly just the moms—to give birth,“ said Tim Cole, a marine mammal researcher and lead of the center’s aerial whale survey team. We try to determine where the rest of the population is and have found them so far this year in large numbers on Nantucket Shoals south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and in Cape Cod Bay.”

Read the full release here

For-hire Vessels and Tilefish Anglers: Reporting Requirements Reminder

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

As the recreational fishing season gets going, we remind all GARFO permitted vessel operators about the current reporting requirements:

  • For-hire (party and charter) vessels that hold federal permits for species managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council must submit their Vessel Trip Reports (VTR) electronically.

  • Vessels issued only a Northeast multispecies (groundfish) charter/party permit may report on paper or electronic VTRs, until later this fall when e-VTRs will be required. You are encouraged to start reporting electronically as soon as possible.

  • Tilefish anglers on private vessels must submit their VTRs electronically for trips targeting or catching golden and blueline tilefish.

All fishermen can choose from several smart devices and web-based apps to report electronically.

Read the full release here

NOAA to reimburse monitoring costs

April 13, 2021 — NOAA Fisheries has set its electronic monitoring reimbursement policy for Northeast groundfish sector vessels in the 2021 fishing season and is urging fishermen to purchase and install the systems now while federal funds are available.

“For fishing year 2021, groundfish sector vessels may use either electronic monitoring or human at-sea monitors to meet the monitoring requirements, provided the sector has a corresponding monitoring program as part of its approved operations plan,” the agency stated. “Vessels that choose to use electronic monitoring will be eligible for reimbursement, while government funding is available.”

The agency said sector vessels employing electronic monitoring should submit receipts for reimbursable costs to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, using the same process they use for human at-sea monitoring reimbursements.

It said costs eligible for reimbursement largely fall within six areas: equipment, technical support, video review, operational costs, training and COVID-19 protocols.

The equipment category covers the purchase and installation of equipment necessary “to outfit a vessel with one fully functioning electronic monitoring system.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Biden administration proposes record $6.9 billion budget for NOAA

April 13, 2021 — President Biden’s administration has proposed a budget increase for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that would be the biggest in the agency’s history if approved by Congress.

The proposed budget would provide $6.9 billion in funding for the agency, a $1.4 billion increase from the budget enacted for 2021 and nearly $2.3 billion above the amount proposed by Donald Trump’s administration, or roughly 50 percent more.

The increase would infuse a massive amount of resources to support the agency, whose responsibilities include weather forecasting, climate research and services, ocean research, the health of the nation’s fisheries and protection of endangered marine species.

“These additional funds would allow NOAA to expand its climate observation and forecasting work and provide better data and information to decision-makers, support coastal resilience programs that would help protect communities from the economic and environmental impacts of climate change, and invest in modern infrastructure to enable these critical efforts,” according to the Biden administration’s budget document, released Friday.

Read the full story at The Washington Post

Recruitment Announcement – SAFMC Quantitative Fisheries Scientist

April 12, 2021 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) is seeking a Quantitative Fisheries Scientist to provide data and analytical support to the Council’s Science and Statistics and Fisheries Management Programs. The Council is responsible for the conservation and management of fish stocks within the federal 200-mile limit along the Atlantic coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and east Florida to Key West.

This position is responsible for providing data summaries, assessment summaries, and analyses of management actions and alternatives for Fishery Management Plan (FMP) amendments; staffing the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC); and participating in Southeast Data Assessment and Review (SEDAR) workshops. Completing these tasks requires working with a wide range of partners and participants including industry participants (recreational and commercial), NOAA Fisheries, non-governmental organizations, researchers, resource managers, state marine fisheries agencies, and universities.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Provide staff support to the SSC. This includes scheduling, organizing, and facilitating meetings of the SSC and SSC workgroups, compiling briefing materials, and producing summary reports.

Compile, analyze, and interpret biological, ecosystem, stock assessment, citizen science, and other technical data to support the Council and its advisors.

Serve on Interdisciplinary Plan Teams for preparing FMPs and amendments. Contribute data summaries, assessment summaries, and evaluations of management alternatives as needed and conduct technical review of analyses conducted by NMFS staff.

Attend SEDAR assessment project activities related to Council managed species.

Communicate and interpret results of stock assessments and other related analyses to Council members, other staff, Advisory Panel and SSC members, and the public.

Interact with the public, state and federal agencies, and other scientists on a wide variety of fisheries science and data and assessment issues.

Perform other duties as assigned.

See the complete recruitment announcement available from the Council’s website for additional information and application instructions. Closing date is April 26, 2021.

Extended and New Slow Zones to Protect Right Whales

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

NOAA Fisheries announces the extension of two Slow Zones set to expire south of Nantucket and establishes another Slow Zone southeast of Chatham, MA. On April 9, 2021 several aggregations of right whales were detected south of Nantucket, MA by the NOAA North Atlantic Right Whale Sighting Survey and southeast of Chatham, MA by the Center for Coastal Studies survey team. These three right whale Slow Zones are in effect immediately through April 24, 2021.

Mariners are requested to route around these areas or transit through them at 10 knots or less.

Slow Zone Coordinates:

Southeast of Chatham, MA, April 9 – April 24, 2021 *NEW*

41 56 N
41 15 N
069 23 W
070 16 W

South of Nantucket, MA, February 26 – April 24, 2021 *Extended*

41 23 N
40 40 N
069 39 W
070 35W

South of Nantucket, MA, March 30 – April 24, 2021 *Extended*

41 01 N
40 19  N
069 50 W
070 46 W

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

Read the full release here

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office Shares Biennial Report to Congress

April 9, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office’s Biennial Report to Congress (pdf, 9 pages) includes a snapshot of work we accomplished during fiscal years 2019 and 2020. Highlights include:

  • Completing the restoration of 350 acres of oyster reef in the Little Choptank River in Maryland—the largest oyster restoration project in the world to date.
  • Maintaining a system of buoys that allow for near-real-time observations of the Bay’s changing water and weather conditions.
  • Providing $5.2 million in funding to support watershed education for 53,000 students and 1,700 teachers.
  • Funded fish and habitat science with a focus on state and federal fisheries management needs for striped bass, summer flounder, black sea bass, and invasive blue catfish.
  • Supporting the design of three nearshore habitat restoration projects in coastal Virginia, which will enhance coastal resiliency and provide habitat for commercially and recreationally important fish.

For more details and to learn about other aspects of our work in fisheries and habitat science, restoration, climate, education, and more, we invite you to read through the report.

Steep decline in giant sea turtles seen off US West Coast

April 9, 2021 — Scientists were documenting stranded sea turtles on California’s beaches nearly 40 years ago when they noticed that leatherbacks — massive sea turtles that date to the time of the dinosaurs — were among those washing up on shore. It was strange because the nearest known population of the giants was several thousand miles away in the waters of Central and South America.

Their mysterious presence led researchers to a startling discovery. A subset of leatherbacks that hatches on beaches in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands were migrating 7,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean to the cold waters off the U.S. West Coast, where they gorged on jellyfish before swimming back. The epic journey stunned scientists.

“There are birds that go farther, but they fly. There’s a whale shark that might swim a little further, but it doesn’t have to come up for air. This animal is actually pushing water all the way across the Pacific Ocean,” said Scott Benson, an ecologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries service in Monterey, who has studied the turtles for decades. “It’s just a majestic animal.”

But now, just as scientists are beginning to fully understand the amazing odyssey, the turtles are disappearing — and fast.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

Changes in Ocean Conditions and Human Activities Impacted the U.S. Northeast Shelf Marine Ecosystem in 2020

April 9, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Two new reports provide an updated picture of conditions supporting fisheries in the U.S. Northeast Shelf marine ecosystems. One report focuses on Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine, two ocean regions off New England, and the other report focuses on the Mid-Atlantic Bight. These are the three major regions within the U.S. Northeast Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem.

For the first time, the reports focus directly on how well we have achieved fishery management goals and the risks to achieving those goals posed by ecosystem changes and other human activities. Linkages between environmental conditions and managed species are also highlighted throughout the report. This focus ensures that scientists are providing ecosystem information in a form that the regional fishery management councils can use effectively.

Major findings in this year’s report include:

  • Seafood production trends downward
  • Recreational fishing effort is steady, but fewer anglers are taking for-hire trips
  • Waters continue to warm and marine heat waves continue
  • Less cold, fresh water is entering the Gulf of Maine
  • The Gulf Stream is further north
  • Chesapeake Bay’s warmer winter and cooler spring affected blue crab and striped bass<
  • More fish species are moving to the north and east of their historic distribution, some into deeper water

The reports also cover new and rising factors, including offshore wind energy development and COVID-19 effects on fishery harvests and scientific data collection. There are more than 20 offshore wind development projects proposed for construction over the next decade in the Northeast. They have the potential to impact many parts of the ecosystem. With sufficient data, subsequent reports will further address these factors.

Read the full release here