Saving Seafood

Help make fisheries, aquaculture, and protected resources more resilient to climate change

March 2, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Agency announces 30-day comment period to collect information in response to Section 216(c) of the Executive Order on tackling the climate crisis.

NOAA is launching an agency-wide effort to gather initial public input on Section 216(c) of the Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. This section directs NOAA to collect recommendations on how to make fisheries, including aquaculture, and protected resources more resilient to climate change. This includes changes in management and conservation measures and improvements in science, monitoring, and cooperative research. We invite your input on how best to achieve these objectives. Submit your comments by April 2, 2021 to OceanResources.Climate@noaa.gov.

The input will inform NOAA’s implementation of our relevant authorities and our work with federal agencies, state and tribal governments, and relevant stakeholders and constituents to ensure more resilient fisheries and protected resources due to climate change.

Research has shown that fisheries, protected resources, and their habitats and ecosystems are being affected by climate change. Climate-related changes in ocean ecosystems such as warming oceans, increasing acidification, and rising seas can affect the distribution and abundance of marine species. These changes also impact the people and communities that depend on them. At NOAA, we work with partners to understand and respond to changing climate and ocean conditions to help minimize impacts, adapt to changes, and ensure that future generations can enjoy the benefits of healthy marine ecosystems.

Beyond this 30-day public comment period, we will continue to gather input throughout 2021 through meetings, public listening sessions, and other means. Information gathered after the initial deadline for comments will still be collected and considered.

Read the full release here

Reminder: The Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Season Begins April 1

March 2, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Activity in the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) scallop fishery has steadily increased over the last few years. The Northeast Division of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement recognizes that many vessels relocate to the area for the season and may not be familiar with all of the federal scallop regulations.

Permit Renewal

All vessels fishing for scallops must have an active NGOM or Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) permit. The easiest way to renew your scallop permit is to fill out your forms electronically through your Fish Online account

Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Requirements

All federally permitted NGOM and IFQ scallop vessels must have an operational Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). All trips must be declared through the vessel’s VMS prior to leaving port. The declaration for a NGOM trip should be SES-SCG-NGXDXX. In addition, all vessels must submit a Pre-Landing Report at least 6 hours before returning to port on each trip. For assistance with VMS requirements, please contact 978-281-9213.

Stellwagen Bank Scallop Closed Area

The Stellwagen Bank Closed Area is closed through fishing year 2021. This closure is to protect a substantial number of small scallops that have not recruited into the fishery.

Only One Landing Per Calendar Day

For example, if you complete a trip and land scallops midday on Monday, then depart for a second trip Monday afternoon, you cannot land scallops again until after midnight (i.e., Tuesday). However, you may return to harbor prior to midnight, but your vessel cannot land at any dock, land, or facility.

Selling to a Federally Permitted Dealer

Federally permitted vessels must sell to a federally permitted dealer. We understand COVID-19 may have impacted the market and many fishermen seek to sell directly to the consumer. However, to sell your scallops directly to the consumer you need a federal dealer permit. Please contact GARFO for questions and to obtain a federal dealer permit at 978-282-8438 or visit our website.

Read the full release here

MAINE: Whale rule proposals bring fear and anxiety

March 1, 2021 — A broad and sweeping federal proposal to save right whales from extinction could wipe out tens of thousands of jobs tied to the lobster fishery within a decade, according to state officials and fishermen’s advocates.

Not only that, the proposal won’t even save the whales, they say.

Under a judge’s order, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, on December 31, 2020, proposed new rules to protect right whales from fishing gear. Two weeks later, NOAA published a draft opinion, also ordered by the judge, on the impact of the rules. Known as a biological opinion, it outlines a 10-year plan to reduce 98 percent of the lobster fishery’s risk to whales.

Gov. Janet Mills called the biological opinion “devastating” in a February 18 letter to NOAA. “If this comes to pass, it is not only fishermen and their crew who will be impacted, [but] gear suppliers, trap builders, rope manufacturers—all these businesses face a deeply uncertain future,” Mills wrote.

Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Kelliher offered a blunter assessment during a virtual Lobster Advisory Council meeting on February 17.

Read the full story at the Penobscot Bay Press

Feds aim for reduced red snapper season in 2021

March 1, 2021 — Alabama anglers and seafood lovers who have mistrusted the federal red snapper management program in the past won’t like it any better in the coming year after NOAA Fisheries announced plans to “calibrate” the state’s snapper reporting system to better manage the fishery. What calibration means in this case is to cut in half, apparently, and that means far shorter seasons and reduced bag limits for the popular table fish this summer.

“Under the Gulf Council state management plan, there is a section that says there will be a calibration factor between the federal surveys and what they say about how many fish are landed in each state and what our surveys show are landed,” says Scott Bannon, Director of the Alabama Marine Resources Division (MRD). “Ultimately, NMFS wants to use that calibration number to develop what they call a ‘common currency’ across the Gulf for each state survey.”

Under certain calibration alternatives, Alabama’s quota for red snapper could go from 1.12 million pounds in 2020 to 547,298 pounds in 2021.

“We’re in disagreement with that, and we are working through the Gulf Council process to find an alternative and not have a dramatic cut in our season,” Bannon said. “Mississippi’s calibration is larger than Alabama’s, and they would see a season cut even larger than that. The other Gulf states, Texas, Louisiana and Florida, would stay similar to last year’s quotas.”

Read the full story at AL.com

REMINDER: NOAA Fisheries Continues Weekly For-Hire Reporting Webinars with a Time Change

March 1, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

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 starting at 6:30 PM, EST, from March 2 to March 30, 2021.  The webinar will continue each Tuesday evening for as long as people have questions.

To register for the webinars and access 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.

Read the full release here

Preliminary Results of e-DNA Study Shows Promise for Improving Understanding of Nearshore Habitats for Fish and Crabs in Alaska

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

Many marine fish and crab species spend their critical early development stages of life in shallow, coastal waters. Scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Auke Bay Laboratories conducted a pilot study using environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques in 2020. They identified more than 40 species in nine sites around Juneau, Alaska.

Every marine organism sheds small amounts of tissue and waste into the water. This material potentially contains eDNA from the source organism. Genetic analysis of the eDNA can help us to identify species and detect the diversity of species. It can also possibly determine the abundance of each species that have been present in the water sample even days after the organism has left the area. Environmental DNA can complement traditional surveys that are able to identify the age or size of a species.

The major objective of this study was to demonstrate that eDNA metabarcoding represents a feasible and cost-effective alternative to traditional sampling for collecting species diversity data and identifying Essential Fish Habitat (EFH). While eDNA has been used to assess biodiversity in many environments, it is important to verify the technique and compare it to data collected from traditional surveys to ensure that results are robust. This is especially important in dynamic environments such as those found in Alaska, where variables such as large tidal swings and severe weather can influence eDNA transport and detection.

“There are so many ways eDNA research can help us do our jobs better,” said Wes Larson, program manager, Genetics Laboratory. “We are able to detect a fish after it has left an area. It is also a less invasive means for sampling habitats that enables us to detect cryptic fish. Cryptic fish are fish that may not typically be sampled in traditional survey gear or may be a rare or low-density organism that surveys miss. Additionally, eDNA can help us detect important pelagic fish like cod and pollock that may be offshore and could avoid smaller nets. ”

Read the full release here

How much is a clam worth to a coastal community?

February 25, 2021 — Researchers have developed a method to estimate the value of oyster and clam aquaculture to nitrogen reduction in a coastal community. Nitrogen is a nutrient that comes from many different sources, including agriculture, fertilizers, septic systems, and treated wastewater. In excess it fuels algal growth, which can affect water quality and human health.

As a result, a growing number of communities are required to follow regulations to reduce the amount of nitrogen they release. Shellfish are an option that can be a valuable part of a community’s nutrient management plan.

In a study in Environmental Science & Technology,  biologists, economists, and modelers from NOAA Fisheries, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, and Stony Brook University used a transferable replacement cost methodology to estimate the value of oyster and clam aquaculture to nitrogen reduction in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Growing bivalve shellfish, including oysters and clams, provides direct economic benefits to a community by supporting jobs and making fresh local seafood available to consumers. It also provides ecosystem services—benefits that nature provides to people—including habitat for native species and improved water quality.

Read the full story at PHYS.org

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