Saving Seafood

Slow Down for Right Whales in Cape Cod Bay

March 26, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Endangered North Atlantic right whales have returned to Massachusetts waters. As of March 21, there were 89 right whales sighted in Cape Cod Bay, including 3 mother-calf pairs.

We encourage vessel operators to slow down to 10 knots or less to avoid deadly collisions with these whales. 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.

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

Great South Channel, April 1 – July 31

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

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

Final Report of the Great Red Snapper Count Released

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

Today, an impressive scientific team led by the Harte Research Institute (HRI) released their final report on the Great Red Snapper Count. We are pleased to receive the final report and are working to incorporate the results into an interim analysis as quickly as possible. As we stated last October when the draft report was delivered, we welcome the results of the study. It provides important new scientific information to enhance our understanding of the Gulf red snapper population.

Dr. Greg Stunz is HRI’s Chair for Fisheries and Ocean Health and director of the institute’s Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation. He and a multidisciplinary team of scientists worked collaboratively to complete this landmark study. We are grateful to Congress for appropriating the funds for the project and to our partners who conducted and completed it successfully. HRI was awarded $9.5 million in federal funds by administering agency Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant through a competitive research grant process. With matching institutional funds, the project totaled $12 million.

NOAA Fisheries is incorporating these data into an interim analysis to help inform quotas and management measures for the 2021 Gulf red snapper season. Results of the Great Red Snapper Count and this interim analysis are expected to be reviewed by independent experts. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee will also review the results March 30-April 2 and the analysis will be available for the Gulf Fishery Management Council meeting the week of April 12th. We will continue to work with our partners on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee to peer-review the assessment and adjust red snapper management as appropriate.

The next full, operational assessment for Gulf Red Snapper is scheduled to begin in late 2022 and be completed in 2023. The Great Red Snapper Count will be an important input in this stock assessment along with other fishery independent and fishery dependent data.

Read the full release here

6 Reasons to Add Seafood to Your Menu

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

1. Support Sustainable Fisheries

The United States has some of the largest and most sustainable fisheries in the world—both wild-caught and farmed seafood. Any U.S.-harvested seafood in the marketplace is inherently sustainable based on 10 national standards.

2. Support Our Fishermen

U.S. fishermen work hard to follow robust regulations and only catch what they are allowed within sustainability limits. When buying seafood from U.S. fishermen, you’re supporting their families and coastal communities as a whole. U.S. fisheries also make a significant contribution to the economy and the broader seafood supply chain. They provide jobs and recreation, and keep our coastal communities vibrant.

3. Boost Your Health

Seafood provides a variety of benefits to your diet. It is a healthy source of low-fat protein and high in omega 3s which are good for your heart and brain.

4. Strengthen Our Seafood Supply

If done responsibly, as it is in the United States, aquaculture is increasingly recognized as one of the most environmentally sustainable ways to produce food and protein. Marine aquaculture is a resource-efficient method of increasing and diversifying U.S. seafood production. It can expand and stabilize U.S. seafood supply in the face of environmental change.

5. Contribute to a More Sustainable Planet

Purchasing sustainable seafood helps support larger sustainability goals for the globe. It can help end world hunger, and provide clean water and more economic opportunities.

6. Give Your Taste Buds a Treat

Last but not least, seafood is delicious! This summer, take your tastebuds on vacation with seasonal dishes featuring fresh seafood. Try out a new recipe from FishWatch. You can also stock your freezer and use seafood swaps in burgers, tacos, pizzas, pastas, skewers, salads, and more.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Approves Adjustments to Fishing Year 2020 Specifications for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan

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

Each year, NOAA Fisheries determines how much unused quota sectors may carry over from the previous fishing year based on final catch data. Today we are announcing, through a final rule, the amount of allocation each sector may carry over from the 2019 to 2020 fishing year, which ends April 30, 2021. This rule also corrects minor errors published in Framework Adjustment 59 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. These errors are administrative and do not change the amount of quota allocated to sectors or the common pool for the 2020 fishing year.

For details, including tables presenting the carryover allocations, see the rule as filed in the Federal Register or our bulletin.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Spencer Talmage, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9232

Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, 978-281-9175

NOAA Fisheries Announces Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Quota for 2021

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

NOAA Fisheries has finalized the Atlantic deep-sea red crab quota for the 2021 fishing year.  The quota for 2021 is 2,000 metric tons, which is the same quota that was approved for the 2020 fishing year.

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

Questions?

Industry:  Contact Allison Murphy, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9122

Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, 978-281-9175

Reminder: Historic Shipwreck Avoidance on Stellwagen Bank

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

NOAA Fisheries, in conjunction with NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, requests that vessels avoid shipwreck sites on southern Stellwagen Bank within the Sanctuary by keeping gear 400 feet away from each of the site locations listed below.  We recognize that fishermen want to avoid shipwrecks to ensure the safety of the crew and because of the risks of damaging their gear when the gear gets hung up on a wreck or other objects on the ocean floor.  Hanging up on a wreck can also cause serious damage to shipwrecks that have historical significance.

For more information read the permit holder bulletin posted on our website.

Read the full release here

The Pacific Hake/ Whiting Agreement U.S. Delegation Meeting

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

March 25, 2021

Online Meeting

The U.S. Delegation to the Joint Management Committee (JMC) and Advisory Bodies created under the Pacific Hake/Whiting Agreement between the Governments of the United States and Canada (Agreement) will meet by webinar to discuss the lack of a bilateral agreement on the 2021 Pacific hake/whiting coastwide total allowable catch (TAC) during the JMC and Advisory Panel (AP) meeting held March 15-17, 2021.  In addition, NMFS will provide information on the procedures to establish the 2021 Pacific whiting U.S. TAC as identified in the Pacific Whiting Act of 2006 (16 U.S.C. 7007(c)) when the JMC does not recommend a final coastwide TAC.

The U.S. Delegation meeting is open to U.S. members of the public.

Meeting Time:   Thursday, March 25, 2021   2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Webinar Meeting Information:

To join from your computer, smartphone or tablet: 
Meeting link:   https://noaanmfs-meets.webex.com/noaanmfs-meets/j.php?MTID=md36d86074802d683c53c129c1ceba2a8
Meeting number:  199 730 7021
Password:   5033437777

To join by phone:  +1-415-527-5035 US Toll
Access code: 199 730 7021

Video Highlights Importance of Fishing in American Samoa

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

NOAA Fisheries is proud to release We Fish! American Samoa. We collaborated with local fishermen and fishing communities to tell the story of recreational and non-commercial fishing in American Samoa. The video offers a lens into Samoan culture, and gives a glimpse into the different types of fishing methods common in the territory. Interviews with local fishermen help stress the importance of these activities in daily life.

“It is an expected part of life that we rely on the ocean and on the land for food and for provisions of families’ livelihood,” says Sili Satatua from the Village of Fagasa on Tutuila Island, American Samoa.

We Fish! American Samoa reveals the traditional Samoan practice of sharing within the community, and the need to act as stewards of local marine resources. It highlights the importance of non-commercial and recreational fishing—both in American Samoa and across the Pacific Islands region. It is a resource for food, an outlet for fun and education, and a way to perpetuate cultural family practices and the conservation of marine resources for future generations.

Watch the video here

Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishing Year 2021 Default Management Measures Begin April 1

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

Effective April 1

Beginning April 1, 2021, we are implementing default management measures for the scallop fishery until we can implement final specifications in Framework Adjustment 33 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (if approved).

The New England Fishery Management Council voted on final 2021 allocations in Framework Adjustment 33 on January 27, 2021, and, if we approve the action, we will adjust scallop allocations according to Framework 33. We have noted these Framework 33 allocations and the default measures in our recent bulletin so you can consider these adjustments when planning your fishing activity between April 1 and the implementation of Framework 33.

Questions?

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

Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, 978-281-9175

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

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

NOAA Fisheries will begin selecting vessels with Category A or B herring permits fishing on declared herring trips for industry-funded monitoring (IFM) coverage of trips departing on or after June 1, 2021. 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. The IFM coverage target for the herring fishery is 50 percent of trips.

Notification, Reporting, and Monitoring Requirements

Vessels must follow all Pre-Trip Notification System (PTNS) requirements for the herring fishery. For more information on notification and reporting requirements, please see the Notification, Reporting, and Monitoring Requirements for the Atlantic Herring Fishery bulletin from March 31, 2020. For more information about PTNS, please contact the PTNS team at nefsc.ptns@noaa.gov or (855) 347-4371.

Approved IFM Providers

In April 2020, NOAA Fisheries approved four companies to provide IFM services to herring vessels in 2020 and 2021. Please see the IFM in the Northeast webpage for a list of approved providers, services provided, and contact information.

Vessels issued a Category A or B Atlantic herring permit must log into their 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 May 20, 2021.

For more information about ranking preferred providers, please contact the PTNS team at nefsc.ptns@noaa.gov or (855) 347-4371.

Fishing in Groundfish Closed Areas

A vessel may fish with midwater trawl gear inside certain Groundfish Closed Areas on a herring trip if:

  1. The vessel is assigned Northeast Fisheries Observer Program (NEFOP) coverage on the trip in PTNS, and
  2. The vessel carries a NEFOP observer on the trip.

If the vessel is issued a coverage waiver for the trip for any reason, the vessel is not permitted to fish inside a Groundfish Closed Area during that trip.

Midwater trawl vessel owners may purchase observer coverage to satisfy the requirement of carrying an observer to access Groundfish Closed Areas. Vessels carrying an IFM at-sea monitor are not allowed to fish with midwater trawl gear inside the Groundfish Closed Areas. For more information about purchasing observer coverage, please contact the PTNS team at nefsc.ptns@noaa.gov or (855) 347-4371.

Midwater Trawl Electronic Monitoring (EM) Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP)

Some herring vessels chose to use EM and portside sampling instead of at-sea monitoring to satisfy IFM coverage requirements in 2021. EM coverage will be provided by Saltwater Inc. through a contract with NOAA Fisheries. Participating vessels will be required to secure portside sampling services from an approved provider on trips that are selected for IFM coverage. Participating vessels will also be required to land at a NOAA Fisheries-approved sampling station on trips that are selected for portside sampling. Consistent with the NOAA Fisheries COVID-19 protocols for deploying human observers and monitors, vessels participating in the midwater trawl herring EM EFP will temporarily not be assigned Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) coverage. For questions about the EFP, please contact Maria Fenton at maria.fenton@noaa.gov or (978) 281-9196.

Read the full release here