Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Announces Closure of the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area

May 5, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective 0001 hr May 6

NOAA Fisheries is closing the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area to all federally permitted limited access general category scallop vessels effective 0001 hr, on May 6, 2021.

As of May 6, 2021, no scallop vessel fishing under federal scallop regulations may fish for, possess, or land scallops in or from the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area. The scallop regulations require that we close this area once we project that 100 percent of the 2021 default total allowable catch for this area will be taken. The closure will be in effect until the end of the fishing year, March 31, 2022.

Framework Adjustment 33 to the Scallop FMP is currently under review and will implement a 2021 NGOM LAGC TAC of 119,222 lb when finalized. Because the Framework Adjustment 32 default TAC will be harvested by May, 6, a closure is required before Framework Adjustment 33 is finalized. After Framework Adjustment 33 is in place, the difference between the 2021 NGOM LAGC final catch and the Framework Adjustment 33 TAC will be deducted pound-for-pound from a future fishing year.

If you have declared a trip into the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area using the correct Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) code and have crossed the VMS demarcation line before 0001 hr, May 6, 2021, you may complete the trip and retain and land scallops caught from the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area.

Exemption for Maine and Massachusetts Vessels Fishing Exclusively in State Waters

If you have a valid Maine or Massachusetts state scallop permit, you may continue to fish in Maine or Massachusetts state waters within the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area under the State Waters Exemption program. If you are fishing under an Individual Fishing Quota scallop permit (Limited Access General Category A), any pounds landed under a state waters only trip will still be deducted from the vessel’s allocation.

Exemption for Limited Access Vessels Fishing Compensation Trips Under the Scallop Research Set-Aside Program

This closure does not affect the Limited Access fleet that was allocated a separate Total Allowable Catch of 97,500 lb for the 2021 fishing year under Framework 32 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. The Limited Access Total Allowable Catch will be harvested by vessels that are participating in the 2021 scallop Research Set-Aside Program.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces 2021 Recreational Rules for Summer Flounder

May 5, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are finalizing “conservation equivalency” for the recreational summer flounder fishery as recommended by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Under conservation equivalency the combination of state or regional measures must be “equivalent,” in terms of conservation (i.e., not expected to exceed the recreational harvest limit), to a set of “non-preferred coastwide measures,” which are recommended by the Council and the Commission each year.

For the 2021 fishing year we have waived the federal recreational bag limit, minimum fish size, and fishing season for summer flounder, and fishermen are subject to regulations in the state where they land. Please contact your state for information on summer flounder recreational rules.

Read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register today.

Read the full release here

Fatima Sauafea-Le’au, Fisheries Biologist

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

What is your key responsibility?

I am a fisheries biologist based in Pago Pago, American Samoa. One of my primary roles is to serve as a fisheries liaison for coral reef management. I provide support and assistance to the American Samoa resource management partners and local communities on coral reef management projects. I conduct reviews and provide conservation recommendations for Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) consultations on development projects in American Samoa to minimize, avoid, and/or mitigate any adverse effects to EFH.

What is Essential Fish Habitat?

Where did you grow up?

I am a Samoan, born and raised in American Samoa. I grew up in a small village called Aua on Tutuila Island in a family that values culture, church, and family.

What is your educational background?

I earned a B.S. degree in biology from Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawai‘i and an M.S. degree in Environmental Policy and Management from the University of Denver.

Are you a member of any organizations within your community?

I am an active member of a few organizations within my Catholic church, Maria Fatima Parish, in Aua, Tutuila. These organizations include the St. Gregory Choir, Women’s Organization, Youth Group, and Sunday School Teachers Organization. I am a volunteer science mentor for the Marist St. Francis Elementary School, assisting regularly with student science fair projects. I am also the Treasurer for the Marist St. Francis Elementary School Parents and Teachers Association.

What book influenced you to be the person that you are today?

Thrive by Arianna Huffington. People often think that you are a successful person when you have a bigger salary and office space. However, this book shows how success is not only defined by money and power but the importance of being mindful, having self-awareness, taking care of yourself, and being generous to others. The book defines these thriving elements in the areas of well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving. I am using these elements to help me in my journey to success.

What advice would you have for today’s youth interested in a federal government career?

Believe in yourself and never let fear limit you from applying for a career opportunity in the federal government. Do your research on federal career opportunities and work towards obtaining the required skills and experiences for the opportunity relevant to your interest. Obtain a college degree and seek internship opportunities within the federal offices that you are interested in.

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