Saving Seafood

How fishermen market their catch: a national survey

May 16, 2023 — Now open until June 2023, a NOAA Fisheries survey on national seafood marketing practices aims to fill a gap in our understanding of the domestic seafood market in the U.S.

A national survey on direct marketing practices among U.S. seafood harvesters, developed by the University of Maine, Agricultural Marketing Services of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and National Marine Fisheries Service, was born from a simple question: “How do fishermen market their catch?” National Fisherman first mentioned the survey project, which is  funded by NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Sustainable Fisheries and the USDA, in July 2022.

Farmers are used to similar surveys, which have been common since 2015, when the USDA began monitoring direct marketing practices by farmers through the Local Food Marketing Practices Survey. Data from these surveys are used to estimate the scale of direct marketing practices. Although they are important to define future strategies, and so are a well established practice in the agricultural sector, they  do not exist in the seafood sector.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NOAA publishes a new Aquaculture Science Advice Handbook

May 14, 2023 — There is a mounting interest in marine aquaculture – or farmed seafood – development in the United States, and now NOAA has published a new Aquaculture Science Advice Handbook.

Important for nutrition, for local jobs and for climate-ready food systems, aquaculture is growing in the United States, as more people is attracted to the potential it offers. For decades, aquaculture production was tiny, but it is growing lately for a series of reasons. One of them is climate change: as it creates numerous threats for fishermen, aquaculture offers a viable solution to keep working in the industry. Last February National Fisherman reported how in Maine, an idea imported from Japan is helping to diversify the seafood harvesting business.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Hawaiian Monk Seal Population Rounds Out a Decade of Growth

May 11, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

In 2022, NOAA and partners gathered data on Hawaiian monk seals throughout their 1,500-mile wide range. The field teams scattered far and wide, from Hōlanikū (Kure Atoll) to Hawaiʻi Island to survey and collect new data. Thanks to these surveys, we have good news to report: the Hawaiian monk seal population continues to increase! In 2021, total abundance was estimated to be 1,564, which marked the first time the population had exceeded 1,500 in more than two decades. In 2022, the population crested 1,600.

Monk Seal Population Highlights

Here are a few of the field teams’ findings:

  • The estimated total population size of monk seals in 2022 was 1,605 (with 95 percent confidence that the true number is between 1,512 and 1,743)
  • About 75 percent of the seals live in the northwestern part of the island chain, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, and the remaining 25 percent are in the main Hawaiian Islands.
  • After decades of declining numbers, the number of monk seals has increased on average by 2 percent per year since 2013—a slow but steady rise over a full decade

Threats to Monk Seals

Despite these gains, monk seals remain vulnerable to many threats—including food limitation, human interactions, and entanglement in marine debris. NOAA works with partners to address these issues. In 2022, we conducted 68 life-saving actions, including:

  • Moving pups to safer locations
  • Disentangling seals caught in marine debris
  • De-hookings

Medical interventions were performed on the beach and at The Marine Mammal Center’s Ke Kai Ola monk seal hospital

El Niño’s arrival is imminent; 90% chance it lasts all year, forecasters say

May 11, 2023– El Niño is likely to take over soon — and odds are it will be sticking around for a long time, national forecasters said in an update Thursday.

While the Northern Hemisphere is still under “ENSO-neutral” conditions — meaning we are neither in an El Niño nor La Niña — that could change at any time. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center said there is about an 80% chance the transition to El Niño takes place between May and July.

Once it takes hold, El Niño is likely to strengthen into the fall and winter, when it normally peaks. The odds of it lasting until February of 2024 are upwards of 90%, the Climate Prediction Center said.

Read the full article at Fox 8

Senator Collins Questions Commerce Secretary about Incomplete Surveys in the Gulf of Maine

Click HERE to watch Senator Collins’ exchange with Secretary Gina Raimondo. Click HERE to download.

May 2, 2023 — The following was released by the office of Senator Susan Collins:

At a hearing to review the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary Gina Raimondo on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) broken survey vessel, which is leading to incomplete survey work for the Gulf of Maine. Specifically, Senator Collins emphasized the deep knowledge of Maine’s fishermen and encouraged NOAA to work with them to better survey the Gulf of Maine, which will help inform more accurate quotas.

At the hearing, Senator Collins:

Last week, I was notified that the start of the Northeast Spring Bottom Trawl Survey will be delayed for the third time, because NOAA’s survey vessel, the Henry B. Bigelow, is not functioning properly. And I have a feeling this affects others of my colleagues. So, we still don’t know when this vessel will be functional. But, according to NOAA’s staff, it can only be used for this survey through May 26. But it may not be fixed in time. So, that means, according to NOAA, that NOAA will have to decrease the survey coverage; and that only 70% of the planned coverage area, in southern New England, Georges Bank and the Bank of Maine, will be surveyed.

I recently met with a group of Maine fishermen who shared their great frustration about incomplete surveys. Because if you don’t have accurate surveys, you can’t determine the quota. If you don’t know how many fish are out there, you can’t decide, accurately, what the quota is. And the fishermen are on the water every day. They have the best information about the state of the stock, and they’re not involved in the surveys. So, I would ask you, if your vessel is going to be out of commission, and as I said, this is the third time this has happened, I would ask you to consider collaborating with the fishermen, who work in the Gulf of Maine and in these other areas, on better data collection methods. They’re willing to help. And they do know where the fish are; that’s where they go. I hope you will consider that, because, otherwise, we’re going to end up with quotas that don’t reflect the state of the stock. 

Secretary Raimondo:

I will look into this. I’ve taken notes. You’re exactly right, about the surveys, how vital they are. We had a lot of problems, in COVID, staying on top of the surveys on time. We’re mostly caught up. I regret that we’re not caught up in Maine. So, let me look into it and get back to you.

If we’re allowed to collaborate in the way you suggest, with the fishermen, I think it’s a smart idea. But let me get into the details.

NOAA making vessel traffic data more accessible to public

April 28, 2023 — Escalating debates over siting offshore wind energy projects has made stakeholders reliant on Coast Guard vessel traffic data to scope out potential conflicts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been making improvements and new online tools to open that knowledge to a wider public.

The Automatic Identification System that tracks vessel movements with transponders on ships has helped create an “AIS database of 30 billion-plus vessel locations has become the go-to resource for maritime planners and ocean geospatial tech experts,” according to a recent summary from NOAA.

That data is a base for a NOAA website, MarineCadastre.gov . Cadastre is the ancient system of metes-and-bounds surveying of real estate on land.

For the ocean, NOAA developed the tool AccessAIS to help users access AIS data and more from MarineCadastre.gov on birds, economics, boundaries, federal regulations and other factors in planning.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Tracking endangered North Atlantic right whales

April 28, 2023 — NOAA Fisheries is working with partner agencies and organizations to rebuild and conserve the remaining North Atlantic right whale population.

Now estimated to number only around 340 animals, they are one of the world’s most endangered species. NOAA says that tracking and monitoring the right whale population and the health of these mammals is crucial to their recovery efforts.

Right whales can be observed from a boat, on shore, and from the air, but researchers have varieties of technology and methods to be able to monitor these mammals underwater.

By attaching tracking devices to right whales, scientists and researchers can learn more about the time that these animals spend out of sight.

The tracking devices are known as tags that can be attached to a whale through a suction cup or implantable darts. NOAA shares that these tags document the animal’s location, behavior, movement, swim speed, habitat uses, dive depth, and health.

Some of the tags can record audio and capture ocean temperatures. The collected data provides insights on an animals movement and behavorial habits that are critical for addressing their conservation challenges.

The tags used for whales are lightweight and relatively small and range from the size of a cell phone to a book. The devices are tested rigorously before being approved for use in the field.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

 

U.S. marine fish stocks show improvements in 2022

April 27, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA:

Today, NOAA released the 2022 Status of Stocks report, providing a snapshot of the more than 490 fish stocks managed by NOAA Fisheries. Maintaining sustainable fisheries contributes significantly to the U.S. economy, provides important recreational opportunities and helps meet the growing challenge of increasing the nation’s seafood supply.

In 2022, U.S. fisheries data revealed that 93% of stocks are not subject to overfishing and 81% are not overfished. These numbers show slight improvements compared to the 2021 figures of 92% and 80%, respectively. Positive trends were seen this year with the number of stocks on the overfishing list decreasing by two stocks to 24, and the number of overfished stocks decreasing by three stocks to 48.

NOAA Fisheries also implemented new island-based fishery management plans for Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. John, and St. Croix this year, consolidating existing Caribbean fishery management plans and bringing 32 new stocks under NOAA’s management authority. These new plans account for differences between fishing sectors, available markets for harvested products, fishermen and their fishing communities, and the social and cultural attributes unique to each island area.

“This annual report reveals the U.S. remains a global leader in maintaining the sustainable fisheries that drive the blue economy, support coastal communities, and play a key role in marine ecosystems,” said Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA administrator. “NOAA and our partners continue to build on the country’s successful fisheries management approach by advancing policies and plans that help address changing conditions.”

The latest data show that U.S. commercial and recreational fishing supports 1.7 million full- and part-time jobs across the broader economy, generated over $253 billion in sales impacts and contributed $79.4 billion to the gross domestic product.

“Managing fisheries sustainably is an adaptive process, relying on sound science and innovation to conserve species and habitat, and meet the challenge of increasing our nation’s seafood supply in the face of climate change,” said Janet Coit, NOAA Fisheries assistant administrator. “NOAA Fisheries conducted 198 stock assessments in fiscal year 2022, and our work in partnership with the Regional Fishery Management Councils under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act continues to be key to rebuilding and maintaining sustainable fish stocks.”

NOAA researchers recently developed global forecasts that can provide up to a year’s advance notice of marine heatwaves that can cause sudden and dramatic increases in ocean temperatures. These forecasts will help fishing fleets, ocean managers and coastal communities anticipate significant changes in ocean ecosystems. NOAA Fisheries’ distribution website tool also provides information to track the location and movement of marine fish and invertebrate species in U.S. waters, which may be shifting in response to changing ocean conditions.

Sustainable U.S. fisheries play an important role in the nation’s economy — providing opportunities for commercial, recreational and subsistence fishing, and in providing sustainable seafood for consumers. To keep U.S. fisheries operating sustainably, NOAA Fisheries continually adjusts management measures in response to complex challenges including climate change, rebuilding stocks, ending overfishing and developing new forecasting tools to better predict ocean conditions.

Looming El Nino might be bad news for ocean life

April 26, 2023 — An El Nino is likely coming, and it’s set to be unusual in a couple of ways.

It also has the potential to wreak havoc on marine ecosystems, according to a climate research scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Dillon Amaya with the NOAA said global ocean temperatures are already at record highs, and an El Nino can trigger additional ocean warming.

For example, he wrote in a recent article published by The Conversation, some fish increase their metabolism in warm waters by so much that they burn energy faster than they can eat, and they can die.

Read the full article at NBC 24