Saving Seafood

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

New Tools Available to Help the Public to Better Understand Fishing Impacts Associated with Offshore Wind Development

October 15, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has developed new tools and analyses that will help the public better understand fishing impacts associated with offshore wind development.

To help analyze how fishing operations may be impacted by offshore wind energy projects, NOAA Fisheries combined vessel logbook and dealer report data from 2008-2018 compared to current offshore wind energy project areas. We identified where and when fishing occurred relative to these areas and estimated landings and fishing revenue associated with each project area.

Based on this process, NOAA Fisheries developed reports of potential socioeconomic impacts from each offshore wind project area based on historic data.  These reports include information on the amount of primary species landed, revenue associated with landings, gear types used, and communities affected by each offshore wind development project area.  This will help estimate the potential impacts of such development on managed fisheries and associated fishing communities.

The public can access and download data used to generate these reports using a web-based tool developed by NOAA Fisheries. This tool allows users to access summary data based on species, gear, port, and state.  Users can also conduct a customized query by filtering the data for several fields, including year, wind energy area, species, or fishery management plan.

Both the socioeconomic impact reports and data query tool are now available online.  All data included in reports or available through the new web-based query tool have been aggregated, as necessary, to protect data confidentiality.

Read the full release here

Bold Initiatives Chart Course for Stronger, More Resilient Seafood Sector

October 15, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We all have a stake in a stronger, more resilient U.S. seafood industry. Seafood is an important source of protein and other nutrients that are essential for strong bones, brain development, and healthy immune and cardiovascular systems. The U.S. seafood industry is a powerful economic driver—supporting 1.2 million jobs and adding $69.2 billion to the gross domestic product in 2017. And for decades, the United States has been a global leader in sustainable seafood production. In short, U.S. seafood is good for your health, good for the economy, and good for the planet.

While the pandemic has created serious, ongoing challenges, NOAA Fisheries has taken a proactive role in monitoring and adjusting to COVID-19. Our actions are driven in part by our rapid economic assessments that identified immediate and long term impacts on the seafood industry. The United States recently reaffirmed its commitment to building a stronger seafood industry. We’re taking bold steps to expand sustainable production and make U.S. products more competitive in domestic and foreign markets. In May, the President signed an Executive Order that will serve as the map for several exciting initiatives, including the creation of 10 Aquaculture Opportunity Areas.

Growing our domestic aquaculture industry is critical to expanding and stabilizing the supply of sustainable seafood in the face of environmental and economic uncertainty. Aquaculture operations diversify seafood production and provide a year-round source of high-quality jobs and economic opportunities in coastal communities. These jobs augment seasonal tourism and commercial fishing.

The first two Aquaculture Opportunity Areas will ultimately be located somewhere within the federal waters off southern California and in the Gulf of Mexico. By tapping into existing regional industry and infrastructure, each of the final 10 areas selected through 2025 will support new commercial marine farm sites.

Also under the Executive Order, the Department of Commerce is co-chairing the newly-established Seafood Trade Task Force. The group is charged with developing a comprehensive interagency seafood trade strategy that will support fair market access for U.S. seafood products. While the strategy is being developed, fishermen and other producers impacted by retaliatory tariffs can apply for direct support through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Seafood Trade Relief Program.

Read the full release here

NOAA Supports American Lobster and Jonah Crab Research Fleet Led by Fishermen

October 14, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Lobster and Jonah Crab Research Fleet, organized by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF), was established in 2013. It has collected biological data from nearly 160,000 American lobsters and about 90,000 Jonah crabs from the Gulf of Maine and south to the Mid-Atlantic.

In September, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center provided funding to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to support the research fleet’s work.

“I am thrilled that we were able to work with the Commission to provide support for the Lobster and Jonah Crab Research Fleet,” says Anna Mercer, Science Center  Cooperative Research Branch Chief. “The project exemplifies the value of working with fishermen to address science needs and has tangible impacts on the stock assessments and management of these valuable species. I look forward to following along as this research continues and expands.”

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces Modifications to South Atlantic Red Snapper Fishing Seasons

October 13, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries announces the final rule for Regulatory Amendment 33 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Regulatory Amendment 33).  This final rule allows the South Atlantic red snapper fishing season to be less than four days.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

Regulations will be effective November 13, 2020.

SUMMARY OF CHANGES FOR RED SNAPPER:

The final rule removes the minimum season length requirement, and red snapper harvest could be open for either commercial or recreational harvest for three days or less.  The removal of this requirement improves access to the red snapper resource.

Read the full release here