Saving Seafood

ASMFC Awards Grants to Four Aquaculture Pilot Projects

September 16, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, with the support of $575,000 from NOAA Fisheries, has selected four aquaculture pilot projects along the Atlantic coast to receive funding. NOAA Fisheries provided the funds as part of its efforts to foster responsible aquaculture and seafood security in the U.S. After rigorous reviews, which included an evaluation of the technical aspects of the proposals as well as their compliance with environmental laws, the following projects were selected.  All four projects explore promising, but less commercially-developed, technologies for finfish and shellfish aquaculture, with projects ranging from flounder to seaweed aquaculture. The projects started in July and are scheduled for completion in 2021.

For more information, please contact Dr. Louis Daniel, at ldaniel@asmfc.org or 252.342.1478.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Approves Framework Adjustment 12 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan

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

NOAA Fisheries approved Framework Adjustment 12 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan, including the 2020 annual catch limits and total allowable landings limits for both the Northern and Southern Fishery Management Areas. We are also projecting quotas for 2021-2022.

No changes are being made to day-at-sea allocations or possession limits.

This rule also includes two regulatory clarifications:

  1. To the interactive voice response system, requiring monkfish vessels to call in a trip no more than an hour in advance of leaving port.
  2. To the monkfish whole weight incidental possessions limits in the Northeast multispecies exempted fisheries, applying the current tail-to-whole-weight (landed) conversion factor of 2.91.

Read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register , the bulletin and supporting documents on the Council’s website.

Read the full release here

Temporary Increase in Vermilion Snapper Commercial Trip Limit in the South Atlantic and Atlantic King Mackerel Recreational Bag Limit in the Atlantic Beginning September 17, 2020

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

KEY MESSAGE:

  • NOAA Fisheries announces a temporary rule to increase:
    • The commercial trip limit for vermilion snapper from 1,000 pounds gutted weight to 1,500 pounds gutted weight in federal waters of the South Atlantic Region (Virginia/North Carolina boundary south to the Florida Keys in the Atlantic).
    • The recreational bag limit for Atlantic migratory group king mackerel (Atlantic king mackerel) from: (1) 3-fish per person to 4-fish per person in federal waters from the Connecticut/Rhode Island/New York boundary to the Georgia/Florida boundary, and (2) 2-fish per person to 4-fish per person in federal waters from the Georgia/Florida boundary south to the Miami-Dade/Monroe County, Florida boundary.
  • These changes are being made to address economic losses to the commercial and recreational fishing communities and industries that have resulted from recent unforeseen events such as disruptions to market, restricted access to ports, closures of harbors and boat ramps, and disruptions to fishing supplies.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

  • This change to the commercial trip limit and recreational bag limit will be effective on September 17, 2020.

WHAT THIS MEANS:

  • At their June 2020 meeting, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council requested an emergency rule to increase the commercial trip limit for vermilion snapper and the recreational bag limit for Atlantic king mackerel starting as soon as possible in 2020.
  • The change to the commercial trip limit and recreational bag limit will be effective from September 17, 2020, through March 16, 2021:
    • The commercial trip limit for vermilion snapper will be 1,500 pounds gutted weight in federal waters of the South Atlantic Region (Virginia/North Carolina boundary south to the Florida Keys in the Atlantic).
    • The recreational bag limit for Atlantic king mackerel will be 4-fish per person in federal waters throughout its management area, from the Connecticut/Rhode Island/New York boundary south to the Miami-Dade/Monroe County, Florida, boundary.
  • The increase in commercial trip limit and recreational bag limit is necessary to prevent unnecessary economic losses, increase fishing opportunities, and to increase the likelihood of achieving optimum yield for vermilion snapper and Atlantic king mackerel.

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

NEFMC to decide on at-sea monitoring levels later this month

September 16, 2020 — Now two years and change in development, the New England Fishery Management Council measure that could determine the fate of the Northeast groundfish fishery is set for final action on the middle day of the council’s upcoming three-day meeting.

The agenda for the council’s Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 meeting, originally scheduled for Gloucester and now consigned to a webinar, sets aside all of Sept. 30 for groundfish-related issues — including the highly contentious Amendment 23, which will set future monitoring levels aboard sector-based Northeast commercial groundfish vessels.

The council is considering four alternatives: Putting monitors on 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of all sector-based groundfish vessels trips. It has designated 100% coverage as its preferred alternative.

In January, NOAA Fisheries set the target level for 2020 at-sea monitoring at 40% of all sector-based groundfish trips. It’s highly unlikely the agency will hit that target this year after the COVID-19 pandemic kept monitors off boats for about five months.

The council’s preferred choice of 100% monitoring levels helped establish an obvious and stark divide between the fishing industry and conservationists, as if they needed the help.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management Strengthens Resilience to Climate Change

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

Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) has been applied in Alaska for decades with great success. Alaska’s valuable commercial fisheries are among the most productive and sustainable in the world. However, current EBFM policies were not designed to address climate change.

A new study evaluates the future performance of EBFM in the eastern Bering Sea. The innovative experiment projects that EBFM can forestall climate-driven collapse of key Alaska fisheries better than other management policies. This management approach considers the impacts on fish stock productivity from environmental variables, such as changing ocean conditions, and socio-economic factors. It can help fishery managers and fishermen in planning for the future.

“Ecosystem-based management doesn’t just help fish, it helps fishing communities. It is the best strategy we have to provide harvest stability in the coming years. It buys time for Alaska fisheries and fishing communities to prepare and adapt. EBFM is going to be a vital tool for us under climate change,” said Kirstin Holsman, biologist at NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Fisheries Science Center. “But no matter how effective management is, by mid-century—maybe sooner—Alaska fisheries may reach a tipping point of rapid decline in the eastern Bering Sea if climate change continues on the current trajectory and fish and fisheries are not able to adapt to these changing conditions. To guarantee long-term success, we need to couple EBFM with global climate change mitigation.”

Read the full release here

NORTH CAROLINA: DMF’s CARES Act Spending Plan Approved

September 15, 2020 — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries has approved the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries’ spending plan for federal coronavirus fisheries assistance.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act is a more than $2 trillion economic relief package. The  next step is for the state to be notified by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that the $5.4 million has been awarded.

The Marine Fisheries spending plan details how the funding will be disbursed through direct payments to eligible commercial fishermen, charter businesses, seafood dealers and processors and qualified marine aquaculture operations.

The division was notified May 7 that NOAA Fisheries had allocated $5.4 million in CARES Act fisheries assistance to North Carolina. Receipt of the funding, which passes through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, was contingent on federal approval of the spending plan, which was received Sept. 9.

Read the full story at Coastal Review Online

Study aims to find indicators of resilience in American lobster fishery

September 15, 2020 — A new study by the University of Maine, Orono – funded in part by NOAA Fisheries’ Sea Grant American Lobster Initiative – is aiming to find indicators of the industry’s resilience.

The study – lead by UMaine Assistant Professor of Marine Policy Joshua Stoll – aims  to collect data to find indicators of the health of the lobster industry. Currently, several different monitoring programs keep track of the health of the lobster resource itself, but there are no equivalent monitoring programs to determine the health of the industry.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NOAA Fisheries Announces Closure of the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area for the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota Fleet

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

NOAA Fisheries is closing the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area to all federally permitted limited access general category individual fishing quota (LAGC IFQ) scallop vessels effective 0001 hr, on September 13, 2020.

As of September 13, 2020, no scallop vessel fishing under these regulations may fish for, possess, or land scallops in or from the Closed Area I Access Area. The scallop regulations require that we close this area once we project that the LAGC fleet has fished all of the 571 trips allocated for this area.

Vessels that have complied with the observer notification requirements, have declared a trip into the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area using the correct Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) code, and have crossed the VMS demarcation line before 0001 hr, September 13, 2020, may complete their trip and retain and land scallops caught from the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area.

For more details, read the notice as filed in the Federal Register and the permit holder bulletin.

Read the full release here

NOAA Announces an Increase in the Commercial Scup Quota and Possession Limit for the 2020 Winter II Period (October 1-December 31)

September 11, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

As authorized by the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, we are transferring 4,850,963 lb of unused quota from the Winter I commercial scup fishery to the Winter II fishery. This results in a revised Winter II commercial scup quota of 8,394,299 lb.

We are also increasing the commercial scup possession limit for the Winter II season to 24,000 lb, per trip (from 12,000 lb), based on the amount of quota being rolled over from Winter I to Winter II.

When state and federal possession limits are different, fishermen with both state and federal permits are required to abide by the more restrictive of the two.

For more details, read the Federal Register notice as filed today, and the bulletin on our website.

NOAA Fisheries Awards $2.3M to Support Bycatch Reduction Projects

September 10, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Bycatch reduction is a top priority for NOAA Fisheries and this week the agency announced over $2.3 million in grants to support 13 projects under our Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program. This year’s projects focus on priority bycatch issues related to a variety of species, including whales, turtles, sharks, sablefish, and flounders. Left unaddressed, bycatch can contribute to overfishing, can threaten endangered and threatened species and protected marine mammals, and can close fisheries, significantly impacting U.S. economic growth. Three projects in the Northeast were chosen for funding.

NOAA Fisheries’ Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program has resulted in innovative technological solutions to some of the nation’s top bycatch challenges. We are proud to continue to partner with fishermen, fishery managers, industry, and the environmental community to avoid and minimize bycatch.

For more information about this year’s recipients and selected projects visit our website.