Saving Seafood

MAINE: Gov. Mills: Future of lobster industry is threatened

February 25, 2021 — A draft federal biological opinion on the impact of fisheries on endangered North Atlantic right whales would “necessitate the complete reinvention of the Maine lobster fishery,” Governor Janet Mills wrote in a forceful Feb. 19 letter to NOAA Fisheries, citing “grave concern” and “inequities.”

The draft biological opinion includes a conservation framework that calls for a 98 percent reduction in risk to whales from U.S. federal fixed gear fisheries, including lobster fishing, over the next decade.

“The survival of Maine’s iconic lobster fishery, and in fact, our heritage, through the future of Maine’s independent lobstermen and women, depend on your willingness to act,” Mills wrote to Michael Pentony, NOAA Fisheries regional administrator. The letter was included with the state Department of Marine Resources’ comments on the draft opinion.

In his comment letter, DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher wrote that his agency is “deeply concerned” that while several human causes of whale mortality are cited, “the draft Bi-Op places the overwhelming majority of the burden to reduce mortality/serious injury on U.S. fisheries, and specifically the U.S. trap/pot fishery.”

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

Pacific Sardine Landings May Shift North as Ocean Warms, New Projections Show

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

Pacific sardines are a small but sometimes numerous fish closely intertwined with California’s fishing history. A new study linking climate change and the northern sardine stock fishery shows that they may shift north along the West Coast as the ocean warms.

A climate-driven northward shift by sardines could cause a decline in landings of the northern sardine stock by 20 to 50 percent in the next 60 years. These changes would affect historic California fishing ports such as San Pedro and Moss Landing, according to the new research published in Fisheries Oceanography. The study did not examine whether southern sardine stock would also shift northward, potentially offsetting this decline in landings. In turn, landings at northern port cities such as Astoria, Oregon, and Westport, Washington, are projected to benefit.

Researchers examined three possible “climate futures.” The warmest had the most pessimistic outcomes, with total sardine landings in all West Coast states declining 20 percent by 2080.

Understanding climate-driven shifts in habitat helps predict impacts on landings

The study translates environmental shifts into possible impacts on fishing communities and coastal economies. Sardines have historically gone through “boom and bust” changes in their population. Their numbers off the West Coast have remained low in recent years, with the West Coast sardine fishery closed since 2015. This research does not project changes in the abundance of sardines. Instead, it shows that climate-driven shifts in their habitat may have a significant impact on landings at historically important ports.

“As the marine environment changes, so too will the distribution of marine species,” said James Smith, a research scientist with the University of Santa Cruz affiliated with NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center. “But linking future changes in the distribution of species with impacts on the fishing fleet has been challenging. Hopefully our study can provide information about potential impacts in coming decades, and thereby inform strategies to mitigate these impacts.”

Read the full release here

WHOI and NOAA fisheries release new North Atlantic right whale health assessment review

February 25, 2021 — Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) along with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries have released the first broad scale synthesis of available information derived from right whale health assessment techniques. The manuscript published today in the science journal Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, reviews available tools, and current understanding of the health status and trends of individual whales and the species. The paper concludes with recommendations for additional information needs and necessary management actions to enhance the health of individual right whales.

The manuscript is the result of a NOAA Fisheries workshop held in June 2019, in response to the ongoing North Atlantic right whale Unusual Mortality Event (UME) and the critically endangered status of the species. There are an estimated 366 left on the planet. Climate change, vessel strikes, entanglements and noise pollution can result in poor health and reproductive failure and are major threats to individuals and the species.

According to lead author Michael Moore, a whale trauma specialist at WHOI, “North Atlantic right whales face a serious risk of extinction, but there is hope if we can work together on solutions. Trauma reduction measures and applying new tools to assess their health are critically important to enhance the welfare of individual whales. If we can reduce the number of deaths, and successfully improve their health to increase reproduction, the current decline in population can be reversed.”

Read the full story at EurekAlert

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments for an Application for an Exempted Fishing Permit to Collect Speckled Hind in South Atlantic Federal Waters

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

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries is accepting comments on an application for an exempted fishing permit.  The applicant proposes to collect a maximum of 80 speckled hind during the 2-year project from select commercial fishermen who occasionally encounter speckled hind in the U.S. South Atlantic during routine fishing operations.  The project would assess the population structure, connectivity, and life history of speckled hind in the U.S. South Atlantic.

HOW TO COMMENT ON THE APPLICATION:

The comment period is open now through March 12, 2021.  You may submit comments by electronic submission or by postal mail.  Comments sent by any other method (such as e-mail), to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered by NOAA Fisheries.

Application information:  https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/about-us/south-atlantic-speckled-hind-exempted-fishing-permit-application/

Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.

  1. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NMFS-2021-0007.
  2. Click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields.
  3. Enter or attach your comments.

Mail:  Submit written comments to Frank Helies, NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.

Project Concepts

  • Speckled hind are sedentary, long-lived, deep-water groupers and are considered to be undergoing overfishing in the U.S. South Atlantic. There are no known data regarding stock structure of speckled hind in South Atlantic waters and little is known about their biology; consequently, there are not enough data to accurately determine whether the species is overfished.
  • Currently, federal regulations at 50 CFR 622.182 (b)(3) prohibit the harvest and possession of speckled hind in or from South Atlantic federal waters. If granted, the exempted fishing permit would exempt select commercial fishermen from federal regulations prohibiting the harvest and possession of speckled hind in federal waters of the South Atlantic.
  • Commercial snapper-grouper fishermen would opportunistically harvest speckled hind by hook-and-line gear year-round throughout South Atlantic federal waters in depths ranging from 70 ft to 600 ft. A fin clip would be taken from harvested speckled hind and shipped to the Marine Genomics Laboratory at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi.  The sampled fin clip would be used for genetic studies.  Sampled speckled hind carcasses would be shipped to the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center for otolith extraction to determine age and growth parameters.  Because speckled hind would be harvested incidentally (during routine commercial fishing trips), no additional environmental impacts are expected through the issuance of the exempted fishing permit.

NOAA Fisheries finds this application warrants further consideration, and is seeking public comment on the application.  A final decision on issuance of the exempted fishing permit will depend on NOAA Fisheries’ review of public comments received, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommendations, consultations with the affected states, and the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as a determination that it is consistent with all applicable laws.

Meet Sheila Stiles, Research Geneticist

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

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. Back then we children played outside most of the time, and we explored nature. My early interest in the natural world led me to study science as I got older. My mother was a teacher, and a great role model. She valued education, and told me and my four siblings that if we studied we could become whatever we wanted to be. All of us ended up graduating from college.

Where did you go to school and in what subject did you get your degree(s) in?

I attended St. Augustine/ Father Bertrand High School in Memphis. I studied hard and graduated as class valedictorian. I went on to Xavier University in Louisiana, where I earned my B.S. degree in biology. Later on, I attended the University of Connecticut in Storrs, and received a master’s degree in zoology and ecology. I then earned a Ph.D. in fisheries and genetics from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

How did you come to work at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center?

After graduating from Xavier, I was recruited by a representative from the Department of the Interior to work for the summer at the Milford, Connecticut lab. The lab was then part of the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service. At the end of the summer I was asked to stay on. I was the first full-time African American woman hired at the lab and soon became a fisheries biologist. When NOAA was created in 1970, the lab was transferred to the Department of Commerce and became part of NOAA Fisheries and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. That was more than 50 years ago, and I am still here!

Read the full interview here

Final Rule to Modify the Requirements for Federally-Permitted For-Hire Vessels Multi-Day Trip Possession Limits in the Gulf of Mexico

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

KEY MESSAGE:

Fishermen on a charter vessel or headboat who take a trip lasting more than one day, also known as a multi-day trip, can retain a second daily bag or vessel limit as long as they follow specific procedures.

This final rule modifies the on-board multi-day possession limit of fish species so that a second bag-limit can be retained at any time after the vessel leaves the dock for fishing trips that are greater than 30 hours in duration on qualifying vessels.

WHEN THE RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

The final rule will be effective on March 26, 2021.

WHAT THIS MEANS:

  • The rule will increase the required trip duration to greater than 30 hours, but will allow anglers to retain the second daily bag limit at any time after the federally-permitted for-hire vessel leaves the dock.
  • The rule will also require the receipt issued to passengers specify the date and time of both the departure and return of the trip.
  • The entire trip must occur on days when the harvest and possession of the applicable reef fish species are allowed.
  • The possession of Gulf of Mexico cobia is limited to two per person per day regardless of the duration of a trip and this proposed rule would not revise the cobia possession limits.
  • Speckled hind and warsaw grouper have daily bag limits of one fish per vessel per day; therefore, the possession limit is two vessel limits, or two fish per vessel.
  • The existing requirements will remain the same for the vessel to have two licensed operators aboard, and each passenger issued and have in possession a receipt issued on behalf of the vessel that verifies the length of the trip.
  • For the purpose of the possession limit, the entire trip duration must coincide with an open fishing season for the applicable species.
    • For example: if anglers on a federal for-hire vessel intend to retain the possession limit of red snapper, which has an open season beginning on June 1, the vessel cannot depart before 12:01 AM on June 1.
  • The rule is expected to promote efficiency in the utilization of reef fish and coastal migratory pelagic resources and a potential decrease in regulatory discards by providing the owners and operators of federally-permitted for-hire vessels greater flexibility in determining when to allow passengers to retain the possession limit on multi-day trips.

Read the full release here

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program Funding Opportunity

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

Chesapeake Bay (B-WET) program 2021-2022 funding competition is open through March 1.

Chesapeake B-WET is a competitive grant program that supports existing, high-quality environmental education programs and fosters the growth of new, innovative programs. It encourages capacity building and partnership development for environmental education programs throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed. NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training grant program—known as Chesapeake B-WET—supports hands-on watershed education to students and teachers to foster stewardship of the Bay.

Chesapeake B-WET emphasizes the development of programs that reach all students in a given grade level across an entire school district to create systemic change in school districts. Successful projects advance the environmental literacy goal of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and goals of the NOAA Education Strategic Plan. They provide hands-on environmental education about issues affecting the watershed for students and related professional development for teachers, administrators, and other educators who serve formal K-12 audiences. B-WET supports Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences, which are learner-centered experiences that focus on investigations into local environmental issues that lead to informed action and civic engagement. Learn more about past and current funded projects.

To learn more about this year’s priorities and to apply visit our website.

Read the full release here

Scientist Profile: A Career Spent Saving Sockeye Salmon in the Pacific Northwest

February 23, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

In the fall of 1991, Snake River sockeye salmon hovered on the brink of extinction. Thousands of the distinctively red fish had once returned more than 900 miles from the Pacific Ocean. They swam up the Columbia, Snake, and Salmon rivers to Redfish Lake in Idaho every year. They passed eight major dams along the way.

Only four made it in 1991.

The dire situation galvanized regulatory and stakeholder groups. That same year,  the Redfish Lake Sockeye Captive Broodstock Program was formed. The program pooled the expertise and efforts of NOAA Fisheries and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. They collaborate with the Bonneville Power Administration, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Idaho. The program endeavors to help save the signature species by protecting its remaining genetic diversity.

The next step was to revive the species by reproducing them in hatcheries.

Along came Carlin McAuley, a scientist with a rare blend of fisheries experience. For the next 29 years, Carlin led fish culture operations for NOAA Fisheries Redfish Lake sockeye captive broodstock program. He retired in December, but he has left a lasting legacy. While hard work remains, he helped halt the decline and set these sockeye on a path toward recovery. But he wants everyone to know he didn’t do this alone. He played a role amongst a group of very talented, hard-working people at NOAA.

We recently sat down with Carlin to reflect on his career.

Read the full interview here

Maine’s governor outlines “grave” concerns regarding right whale lobster measures

February 23, 2021 — U.S. State of Maine Governor Janet Mills has written a letter to NOAA Fisheries outlining “grave concern” over the latest Biological Opinion that has been drafted for 10 fishery management plans in the Greater Atlantic Region – including the state’s lucrative lobster industry.

Mills, in a letter to NOAA Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator Michael Pentony, said the framework could have drastic consequences for the state’s lobster industry, which was a USD 485 million (EUR 399 million) industry in 2019 and is by far Maine’s most valuable fishery. The framework is being established in order to increase protection for the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Have Questions on NPFMC Requests for Emergency Actions? NOAA Fisheries Offers Q&As

February 23, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

On February 10, 2021, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council made four recommendations to NOAA Fisheries for emergency or expedited changes to Federal fishing regulations.

The Council’s four motions would:

Allow the temporary transfer of catcher vessel halibut and sablefish IFQ for all individual quota share holders for the 2021 fishing season.

  • Move the start date of the 2021 Central Gulf Rockfish Program fishery from May 1 to April 1.
  • Remove vessel use cap regulations for IFQ halibut harvested in IPHC regulatory Areas 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D for the 2021 IFQ fishing season.
  • Suspend the residency requirements applicable to the Adak Community Quota Entity Program for 2021.

NOAA Fisheries will analyze the Council’s recommendations and, if approved by the Secretary of Commerce, will publish a rule in the Federal Register. This process typically takes five to six weeks but the exact timing may vary for each action.

As we have received numerous inquiries from participants in these Alaska fisheries, we have developed a Questions and Answers webpage to answer the most frequently asked questions on the recommended emergency or expedited regulations.

For additional information or questions about permits or transfer applications, please contact the Restricted Access Management Program at: (800) 304-4846 option #2 or (907) 586-7474 or by email at RAM.Alaska@noaa.gov.

For additional information or questions about regulations and the rulemaking process, please contact the Sustainable Fisheries Division at 907-586-7228.

Read the full release here