Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Announces Changes to Transit Provisions for SA Shrimp Fishery

October 23, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

KEY MESSAGES:

  • NOAA Fisheries announces changes to provisions for shrimp trawl vessels transiting through cold weather closed areas with brown, pink, or white shrimp on board in federal waters of the South Atlantic.
  • The rule will allow trawl doors in the rack (cradle), nets in the rigging and tied down, and try net on the deck during transit.
  • The final rule for Amendment 11 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region will update the regulations to more closely align with current fishing practices, reduce the socio-economic impacts for fishermen who transit these closed areas, and improve safety at sea while maintaining protection for overwintering white shrimp.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

  • Regulations will be effective November 23, 2020.

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION:

  • 85 FR 67309; October 22, 2020.

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

Where can I find more information on Amendment 11?

By Mail: Frank Helies
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office
Sustainable Fisheries Division
263 13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505

By FAX: (727) 824-5308

By Phone: (727) 824-5305

NOAA Seeks Public Input on New Aquaculture Opportunity Area Initiative

October 23, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

  • NOAA Fisheries is seeking public input on the identification of areas within the Gulf of Mexico as Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) and on what other areas in the nation NOAA should consider for future AOAs.
  • An AOA is a small defined geographic area that has been evaluated to determine its potential suitability for commercial aquaculture. NOAA will use a combination of scientific analysis and public engagement to identify areas that are environmentally, socially, and economically appropriate for commercial aquaculture.
  • Identifying AOAs is an opportunity for NOAA to use best available global science-based guidance on sustainable aquaculture management, and support the “triple bottom line” of environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

On May 7, 2020, the White House issued an Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth (E.O. 13921). The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Commerce to identify Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, other appropriate Federal officials, and appropriate Regional Fishery Management Councils, and in coordination with appropriate State and tribal governments. This includes:

Within 1 year of the Executive Order, identifying at least two geographic areas containing locations suitable for commercial aquaculture;

Within 2 years of identifying each area, completing a National Environmental Policy Act, programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for each area to assess the impact of siting aquaculture facilities there;

For each of the following 4 years, identifying two additional geographic areas containing locations suitable for commercial aquaculture and completing a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for each area within 2 years of the dates they are identified.

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED:

Public input is a critical component of the process of identifying AOAs in the Gulf of Mexico. On October 23, 2020, NOAA Fisheries published a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register (85 FR 67519), requesting interested parties provide input on potential areas in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico that may be suitable for AOA development. Please refer to the “Supplementary Information” section of the RFI for specific questions NOAA seeks input on and the “Addresses” section for how to submit comments.

In addition to the RFI, national and regional listening sessions have been scheduled to provide opportunities for the public to learn more about the AOAs process. Information on national and regional (Gulf of Mexico) listening sessions are below:

  • National Listening Session: November 5, 2020, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern
  • Gulf of Mexico Listening Session: November 17, 2020, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern
  • National Listening Session: November 19, 2020, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern

Links and toll-free phone numbers for each webinar can be found here.

NOAA Fisheries Announces a New and Improved Catch Shares Online System

October 22, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

  • NOAA Fisheries is currently developing an updated Catch Shares Online System. The new system will be hosted in a cloud application that should decrease the unexpected down-times in the future.
  • As development of the new Catch Shares Online System is underway, NOAA Fisheries will be looking for volunteers, both shareholder and dealer account holders, to help test functions in the new system. If users are interested in testing the new online system, they should contact Catch Share Support at nmfs.ser.catchshare@noaa.gov.
  • Catch Share Support anticipates the new online system will launch in fall 2020. The official date will be listed on the current system’s messages when known.
  • The new online system will function in a similar manner to the existing online system with some long awaited improvements, including mobile phone and tablet compatibility.

NEW URL

  • The URL to the website will be changing to https://SECatchShares.fisheries.noaa.gov/
  • Be sure to update all bookmarks.
  • Please note that NOAA Fisheries will redirect from the old website for the foreseeable future.

INCREASED SECURITY THROUGH STRONGER PIN REQUIREMENTS

  • Must have at least fifteen (15) non-blank characters.
  • Must contain each of the following categories:
    1. Two English upper-case characters (A-Z)
    2. Two English lower-case characters (a-z)
    3. Two Special Characters
    4. Two Numbers (0-9)
  • New PIN may not be the same as the current PIN or past eight (8) PINs

INCREASED SECURITY THROUGH SECRET QUESTIONS

  • Secret question and answer development will become mandatory.
  • Account PIN will only be recoverable by answering secret questions.
  • Answering secret questions will provide a temporary PIN to access account.
  • Upon logging in with the temporary PIN, users will be prompted to create a new account PIN following new PIN requirements.

**To facilitate this change, users should consider meeting the new PIN and secret question requirements before the new system is launched, as we anticipate increased call volume during the transition.**

LANDING TRANSACTIONS WITH DIFFERENT PRICES PER POUND FOR THE SAME SPECIES

  • The system will now accept multiple entries per species to allow for different prices per pound in one landing transaction, rather than having to submit multiple transactions.
  • Therefore, if someone lands red snapper at two different prices per pound, they can record red snapper in the same transaction two different times, with the appropriate weight and price per pound (e.g., 100 pounds at $4.50 and 50 pounds at $5.00).

Read the full release here

FB20-063: NOAA Fisheries Announces Changes to Transit Provisions for the South Atlantic Shrimp Fishery

October 22, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGES:

  • NOAA Fisheries announces changes to provisions for shrimp trawl vessels transiting through cold weather closed areas with brown, pink, or white shrimp on board in federal waters of the South Atlantic.
  • The rule will allow trawl doors in the rack (cradle), nets in the rigging and tied down, and try net on the deck during transit.
  • The final rule for Amendment 11 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region will update the regulations to more closely align with current fishing practices, reduce the socio-economic impacts for fishermen who transit these closed areas, and improve safety at sea while maintaining protection for overwintering white shrimp.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

  • Regulations will be effective November 23, 2020

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION:

  • 85 FR 67309; October 22, 2020. 

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

Where can I find more information on Amendment 11? 

  • By Phone: (727) 824-5305
  • By FAX: (727) 824-5308

Reminder: Midwater Trawl Herring Vessels May Only Fish Inside Groundfish Closed Areas on Trips That Carry an Observer

October 22, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Atlantic herring vessels may only fish with midwater trawl gear inside the following Groundfish Closed Areas when carrying an observer onboard the vessel:

  • Closed Area I North (February 1 – April 15)
  • Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area
  • Cashes Ledge Closure Area
  • Closed Area II

Because industry-funded monitoring has not yet been implemented in the herring fishery, vessels are currently unable to purchase optional industry-funded observer coverage in order to fish inside a Groundfish Closed Area.

Currently, a vessel may fish with midwater trawl gear inside a Groundfish Closed Area on a herring trip if the following criteria are met:

  1. If the vessel is assigned Northeast Fisheries Observer Program (NEFOP) coverage on the trip in the Pre-Trip Notification System, and
  2. If the vessel actually 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 Groundfish Closed Areas during that trip. For complete information on notification and reporting requirements, please see Notification, Reporting, and Monitoring Requirements for the Atlantic Herring Fishery.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces Adjustments to the 2020 Atlantic Herring Specifications

October 21, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

This action increases the Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (ACL) and the ACL for 2020.  Because landings in New Brunswick weir fishery were less than 2,942 mt through October 1, we subtracted 1,000 mt from the management uncertainty buffer and re-allocated it to the herring Area 1A sub-ACL and ACL.

This action increases the Area 1A herring sub-ACL from 3,344 mt to 4,344 mt for the remainder of the fishing year. When 92 percent of the total Area 1A sub-ACL is reached, vessels are prohibited from fishing for, possessing, catching, transferring, or landing more than 2,000 lb of herring per trip, per calendar day.

This action also increases the herring ACL from 11,571 mt to 12,571 mt. When 95 percent of the herring ACL is reached, vessels are prohibited from fishing for, possessing, catching, transferring, or landing more than 2,000 lb of herring per trip, per calendar day in or from all herring management areas.

For more details, please read the rule in the Federal Register and our permit holder bulletin.

Read the full release here

Extended: Slow Speed Zone South of Nantucket to Protect Right Whales

October 20, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces an extension to the previously triggered voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area  or DMA) south of Nantucket.

This DMA was originally triggered by an August 31, 2020, sighting of an aggregation of right whales and previously extended until October 20, 2020. A Center for Coastal Studies aerial survey observed an aggregation of whales in this area on October 19. Since the current DMA is set to expire we are extending it through November 3.

Mariners, please go around this areas or go slow (10 knots or less) inside this area where groups of right whales have been sighted.

South of Nantucket DMA is in effect through November 3.

41 16 N
40 32 N
069 37 W
070 28 W

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces Designation of Habitat Areas of Particular Concern for Deep-Water Coral and Associated Fishing Regulations in Gulf of Mexico Federal Waters

October 16, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries announces the final rule implementing Amendment 9 to the Fishery Management Plan for Coral and Coral Reef Resources in Gulf of Mexico U.S. waters (Amendment 9).  The final rule will be effective November 16, 2020.

The rule establishes 13 new habitat areas of particular concern with fishing regulations, designates 8 new areas without fishing regulations, and modifies the regulations in 3 existing areas.  These areas have been identified as having sufficient numbers and diversity of deep-water corals to be considered essential fish habitat.

Fishing regulations apply to fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, including fishing for highly migratory species.

SUMMARY OF CHANGES:

For the changes below, except where otherwise stated, bottom-tending gear is defined as:  bottom longline, bottom trawl, buoy gear, dredge, pot or trap, and bottom anchoring by fishing vessels.  Buoy gear does not refer to highly migratory species buoy gear, which is not a bottom-tending gear.

The rule:

  • Establishes the following areas as habitat areas of particular concern with regulations prohibiting fishing with bottom tending gear: West Florida Wall, Alabama Alps, L&W Pinnacles, Scamp Reef, Mississippi Canyon 118, Roughtongue Reef, Viosca Knoll 826, Green Canyon 852, AT 047, AT 357, Harte Bank, and Southern Bank.
  • Establishes Viosca Knoll 862/906 as a habitat area of particular concern with regulations prohibiting fishing with bottom-tending gear, but allows royal red shrimp fisherman to keep their nets in the water, but off the bottom, in this area.
  • Within the current Pulley Ridge habitat area of particular concern, establishes a new habitat area of particular concern with fishing regulations prohibiting all fishing with bottom-tending gear, except for long line gear.
  • Establishes the following areas as habitat areas of particular concern without fishing regulation: South Reed; Garden Banks 299 and 535; Green Canyon 140/272,234, and 354; Mississippi Canyon 751 and 885.
  • An interactive map of existing and new areas can be found online at http://portal.gulfcouncil.org/coralhapc.html.

Additionally, the final rule modifies the prohibitions on “fishing with bottom-tending gear” to “deployment of bottom-tending gear” for habitat areas of particular concern in the Gulf of Mexico, including those established in Amendment 9.  “Deploy” is defined for the purpose of these prohibitions to mean that the gear is in contact with the water.

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NAME/NUMBER:  85 FR 65740, published October 16, 2020.

Read the full release here

Reminder: Vessel Trip Reporting Requirements for the Large Mesh Belly Panel Trawl

October 16, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

On March 5, 2020, NOAA Fisheries created a gear code, “OBP” for use in Vessel Trip Reports (VTRs) to report use of the large mesh belly panel trawl. Vessels may choose to use the gear in a number of fisheries and as an approved selective gear for vessels using the sector small mesh exemption.

Please note that vessel operators must report the new gear code “OBP” in their VTRs whenever they use a large mesh belly panel trawl.

If you have used a large mesh belly panel trawl on a past trip and believe that you did not use the appropriate gear code on your VTR for that trip, please call 978-282-8418 or email us to request a correction.

Information on VTRs and other reporting requirements are available on the Vessel Trip Reporting page, including a downloadable instructions document. The document lists gear codes and other information to help industry ensure that their submitted VTRs are accurate.

Read the full release here

Mississippi, Connecticut join list of states with approved CARES Act spend plans

October 15, 2020 — Mississippi and Connecticut have been added to the growing list of states that have received CARES Act spend plan approval from NOAA Fisheries.

The two states will receive an allocated portion of the USD 300 million (EUR 256 million) that was released in May in order to offset negative revenue impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of that sum, Connecticut will receive just over USD 1.8 million (EUR 1.5 million) and Mississippi will receive a little more than USD 1.5 million (EUR 1.3 million).

Read the full story at Seafood Source