Saving Seafood

Partners Provide Critical Support in Unprecedented Year for Alaska Research and Fisheries Management

January 29, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Each year, NOAA Fisheries scientists compile information from a variety of sources to produce and update annual indicators of ecosystem status in the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands. Data and information are provided by federal, state, academic, non-government organizations, private companies, and local community partners across Alaska. Collected data complement NOAA Fisheries’ own research.

However, in 2020 several key NOAA research surveys were cancelled. Collaboration, increased engagement by community and research partners, and creative thinking on the part of some NOAA scientists helped fill critical information gaps. As a result, the annual Ecosystem Status Reports still could be produced.

“Around 143 individuals contributed to the three Ecosystem Status Reports we produced this year,” said Elizabeth Sidden, editor of the Eastern Bering Sea Ecosystem Status Report and a scientist at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. “The success of this continuing effort to provide valuable ecosystem context to better understand factors contributing to fish stock fluctuations hinges on these partnerships. We couldn’t do this without the help of fellow researchers and local communities along with our staff contributions.”

One example of the kind of information provided by partners this year in all regions is seabird data. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S. FWS) was unable to conduct field research due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Coastal community members, tribal governments, and state and university partners provided information on seabird dynamics for the Bering Sea region. U.S. FWS biologists then synthesized that data. In the Gulf of Alaska, they provided opportunistic observations that were incorporated into the Ecosystem Status Report along with other information from non-profits, The Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) and U.S. Geological Survey.  Seabird biology and ecology are bellwethers of environmental change, which is one of the reasons they are important ecosystem indicators.

NOAA scientists also identified other sources of information to develop ecosystem indicators in 2020.  For instance, they used satellite data to measure sea surface temperatures in the Bering Sea since they weren’t able to collect these data during annual research surveys. They also were able to process and analyze data collected from previous years of surveys.

Read the full release here

Commercial Closure in Federal Waters for Atlantic Migratory Group Spanish Mackerel Southern Zone on February 3, 2021

January 29, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

WHAT/WHEN:

  • The commercial harvest of Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel in the Atlantic southern zone will close at 6:00 a.m., local time, on February 3, 2021, and will open on March 1, 2021, for the March 2021 through February 2022 fishing season. The Atlantic southern zone includes federal waters off the states of South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida.
  • During the commercial closure, harvest or possession of Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel in or from the Atlantic southern zone is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open.
  • NOAA Fisheries was unable to implement any trip limit reductions prior to the commercial quota being harvested.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

  • The March 2020 through February 2021 commercial quota for the Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel southern zone is 2,667,330 pounds.
  • Information provided to the Southeast Regional Office indicate that commercial landings for Spanish mackerel in the Atlantic southern zone are projected to reach the commercial quota. According to the accountability measure, harvest must close to prevent the quota from being exceeded.

AFTER THE CLOSURE:

  • The prohibition on sale or purchase during a closure for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel does not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 6:00 a.m., local time, February 3, 2021, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
  • During the closure, a person on board a vessel that has been issued a valid Federal commercial or charter vessel/headboat permit for coastal migratory pelagic fish may continue to retain, but not sell or purchase, Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel in the Atlantic southern zone under the recreational bag and possession limits, as long as the recreational sector is open.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations.  Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=4a1c3805e95097423c9a607a31c4c9f8&rgn=div5&view=text&node=50:12.0.1.1.2&idno=50#sp50.12.622.q.

Request for Comments: Add bullet mackerel and frigate mackerel to the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery Management Plan of the Atlantic as Ecosystem Component Species

January 29, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries requests your comments on Amendment 12 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic (Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 12). If implemented, Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 12 would add bullet mackerel and frigate mackerel to the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery Management Plan and designate them as ecosystem component species. Ecosystem component species are those that do not require conservation and management, but are deemed important to include in a fishery management plan to achieve ecosystem management objectives. Bullet mackerel and frigate mackerel are documented as important prey species particularly for wahoo, dolphin (to a lesser extent), blue marlin, and yellowfin tuna in the Atlantic Region. Comments are due by March 30, 2021.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES:

  • The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council wants to consider ecosystem management approaches to fisheries management and advance ecosystem management objectives in the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan.
  • If approved and implemented, Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 12 and the proposed rule could result in potential indirect benefits such as increased awareness among the fishing constituents, fishing communities, and fishery management agencies.
  • If landings for bullet mackerel and frigate mackerel were to greatly increase in the future to unsustainable levels, fisheries managers could be made aware of the changing stock status before the stocks are depleted which may have subsequent beneficial effects on populations of several economically important predatory fish species, including dolphin, wahoo, blue marlin, and yellowfin tuna.

HOW TO COMMENT ON THE NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY AND PROPOSED RULE:

The comment period for the notice of availability is open now through March 30, 2021.  The comment period on the proposed rule is expected to fall within this same time frame, and comments on both the amendment and proposed rule will be considered in the final rule.  You may submit comments by electronic submission (described below) or by postal mail.  Comments received after the end of the comment period may not be considered by NOAA Fisheries.

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NAME/NUMBER: 86 FR 7524, published January 29, 2021 

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

  1. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NOAA-NMFS-2020-0146.
  2. Click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields.
  3. Enter or attach your comments.

Mail: Submit written comments to Nikhil Mehta, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.

Read the full release here

Texas fishing industry finally gets COVID-19 stimulus

January 29, 2021 — The Texas fishing industry is about to get a long-awaited $9 million that Congress allocated way back in March 2020.

Commercial fishing experienced “broad declines” as COVID-19 ravaged the country, according an analysis by NOAA Fisheries. Data shows that revenue among Gulf Coast and southeast fisheries fell sharply between February and June as the pandemic slowed the economy.

The $2.2 trillion CARES Act, which Congress passed in March, allocated $300 million for the fishing industry in coastal states. Texas was allocated $9 million, or 3 percent.

Read the full story at The Houston Chronicle

NOAA Fisheries Announces Weekly For-Hire Reporting Webinars

January 29, 2021 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Regional Office will host weekly question and answer webinar sessions to assist participants with program information and compliance.

WHEN:

The webinars are scheduled for Tuesday evenings from 6:00 PM–7:00 PM, EST, from February 2, 2021, to March 30, 2021.

To register for the webinars and access the additional information, such as tool-kits and instructional videos, go to: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/recreational-fishing-data/southeast-hire-electronic-reporting-program.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Program staff and software vendor representatives will participate in these webinars to answer questions and resolve issues users identify. These webinars are for anyone with an interest in the Southeast Electronic For-Hire Program and specifically, any captain, owner, or lessee running a headboat or charter trip on a boat with any of the following permits: Atlantic coastal migratory pelagics, Atlantic dolphin wahoo, South Atlantic snapper grouper, Gulf of Mexico reef fish, and Gulf Of Mexico coastal migratory pelagics.

NOAA Fisheries implemented the new Southeast For-Hire Electronic Reporting Program in January 2021. This program will provide more timely catch, effort, and discard information from federally-permitted for-hire vessels, to be used in future fish population assessments and management evaluations.

Please call our customer service hotline with any questions (available from 8:00-4:30, EST) at 1-833-707-1632 or email us at ser.electronicreporting@noaa.gov.

Please know that NOAA Fisheries is here to help, and we respect your time and business operations. We look forward to working with you during the implementation phase of this new program. Our goals are to provide each fisherman with excellent customer service, improve for-hire data collection, and reduce the amount of time you spend reporting so you can focus more time on your customers.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

Commercial Gillnet Harvest of King Mackerel in Federal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico Southern Zone Closed on January 28, 2021

January 28, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

WHAT/WHEN:

  • Commercial gillnet harvest of king mackerel in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico Southern Zone closed at 12 p.m., local time, on January 28, 2021.
  • Commercial king mackerel gillnet harvest will reopen at 6:00 a.m., (local time) on January 18, 2022.
  • The Gulf of Mexico Southern Zone includes federal waters off Collier and Monroe Counties, Florida (see map).

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

  • The 2020/2021 commercial gillnet quota is 575,400 pounds.
  • Updated landings data indicate that commercial gillnet harvest of king mackerel has reached its quota.
  • In accordance with the regulations, NOAA Fisheries is required to close this component of the fishery when the quota has been met or projected to be met. The closure is needed to prevent overfishing (too many fish being harvested).

DURING THE CLOSURE:

  • No person aboard a vessel with a commercial king mackerel permit with a gillnet endorsement may fish for king mackerel using a run-around gillnet in the closed zone after 12 p.m., local time, on January 28, 2021.
  • The operator of a vessel that has been issued a federal commercial king mackerel permit with a gillnet endorsement and who is landing king mackerel for sale must have harvested, landed ashore, and sold before 12 p.m., local time, January 28, 2021.
  • No person aboard a vessel possessing a gillnet with a stretched-mesh size of 4.75 inches (12.1 cm) or larger, may fish for or possess king mackerel in this zone during the closure.
  • Sale or purchase of gillnet harvested king mackerel in or from federal waters in the Southern Zone after January 28, 2021 is prohibited.
  • The prohibition on sale or purchase does not apply to trade in king mackerel that were harvested by gillnet, landed ashore, and sold before 12 p.m., local time, January 28, 2021, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
  • The hook-and-line component of the fishery remains open in this zone at this time. Therefore, only king mackerel caught by hook-and-line in this zone may be purchased, bartered, traded, or sold after 12 p.m., local time, on January 28, 2021.
  • A vessel for which a king mackerel gillnet endorsement has been issued may not retain king mackerel for sale in or from federal waters harvested with any other gear.
  • Persons aboard commercial vessels with a federal king mackerel permit may fish for and retain the recreational bag and possession limit of king mackerel during the open recreational season, even if commercial fishing for this species is closed in this zone or others.

Read the full release here

NOAA wants monitors on 40% of groundfish trips

January 28, 2021 — NOAA Fisheries has established a monitoring coverage target that would deploy at-sea monitors aboard 40% of all groundfish sector trips in the Northeast in the upcoming 2021 fishing year, the agency announced Tuesday.

The 2021 ASM coverage target represents a 25% increase from the 32% monitoring coverage target in the 2020 fishing year for the Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery.

“Consistent with the requirement to monitor sector operations and to reliably estimate overall catch to the extent practical, the coverage target level will be 40%,” NOAA Fisheries stated in its bulletin  announcing the coverage target.

At-sea monitoring coverage levels for Northeast sector groundfish vessels was one of the more tumultuous issues of the 2020 fishing season because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the monitoring program and the New England Fishery Management Council’s approval of Amendment 23 that set future at-sea monitoring coverage target rates for the fishery.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Major Refresh Orients our Fishery Monitoring and Research Division Toward the Future

January 27, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Staff involved with cooperative research and fishery monitoring at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center interact daily with the fishing industry. It’s a challenging job, and an essential one: scientists and fishermen working together in areas of mutual interest improves fisheries science and management.

It’s little wonder that managing the many moving parts of this effort requires constant assessment and adaptation. The most recent effort is a major one that has resulted in a new internal structure to improve operations and maximize resources.

The ultimate goal is to ensure accurate representation of fishing activity.

“Improving integration of our efforts, modernizing our systems, and making the data we collect even more useful will enable us to have increased confidence in our science, take some of the burden off the industry, and make it easier for fishermen to access information,” said Amanda McCarty, chief of the center’s Fishery Monitoring and Research Division, which includes the fishery monitoring and cooperative research efforts.

Read the full release here

New Slow Zone East of Boston to Protect Right Whales

January 27, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces a new Slow Zone (voluntary vessel speed restriction) to protect right whales.

On January 25, 2021, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Stellwagen Bank Slocum buoy acoustically detected the presence of right whales 35nm East of Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Slow Zone is in effect through February 9, 2021. 

Mariners, please go around this slow zone or go slow (10 knots or less) inside this area where right whales have been detected.

Slow Zone Coordinates:

42 47 N
42 07 N
069 51 W
070 46 W

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

Read the full release here

Major Reorganization Improves NEFSC Fishery Monitoring and Research

January 27, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

A new internal structure within the NEFSC’s Fishery Monitoring and Research Division  is a major overhaul intended to improve operations and maximize resources.

The ultimate goal is to ensure accurate representation of fishing activity.

While the basic tasking is the same, separating work into four branches allows better accountability and expansion of existing capability.

Four organizational groups, rather than two, are now responsible for:

  • Fisheries observer program
  • Fisheries observer training and trip data
  • Data and information systems management and development
  • Cooperative research.

Read all about the “new” Fishery Monitoring and Research Division here.

Read the full release here