Saving Seafood

MAINE: Maine’s leaders seek more time on whale protection rules

September 15, 2022 — Maine Gov. Janet Mills is seeking to delay new federal whale protection rules, citing fears the state’s commercial lobstermen won’t be able to comply.

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Mills urges federal fisheries regulators to extend the period for collecting public comment on the new regulations, which are aimed at protecting critically endangered north Atlantic right whales by setting a seasonal closure and requiring modifications to gear.

Mills said she believes it is “unconscionable” that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration only plans to hold one remote public hearing on the new regulations, which call for reducing by 90% the number of Atlantic Coast fixed gear fisheries, including lobster industry.

Read the full article at The Center Square

NOAA, NFWF award $2.6 million for Papahānaumokuākea

September 15, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), Marc and Lynne Benioff and NOAA today announced nearly $2.6 million in grants to support management and conservation of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, part of the Hawaiian Islands chain.The five grants will leverage $1.3 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of $3.9 million. NOAA support includes funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and additional support is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a UNESCO World Heritage site, encompasses a remote group of islands, reefs and atolls in the northwestern sector of the Hawaiian Islands. The site is home to thousands of species of fish and wildlife, some that are found nowhere else, including threatened and endangered species such as the Hawaiian monk seal, green sea turtle and Laysan albatross. 

“Healthy habitats are vital for addressing the climate crisis and strengthening the resilience of coastal communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The public-private partnership between NFWF, NOAA, and Marc and Lynne Benioff, leveraged with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, is a transformational opportunity to invest in and help protect this sacred Native Hawaiian landscape.”

Marine debris removal is of critical importance to both the natural and cultural components of the monument. Papahānaumokuākea is a sacred Native Hawaiian landscape and is home to numerous important archaeological sites. The funds awarded today will significantly increase efforts to reduce the amount of marine debris that threatens the monument. The project will also develop and test new tools and techniques that can help increase the efficiency of these removal efforts, such as using uncrewed aircraft systems and satellites to help locate debris.

“Today’s announcement will support debris removal and research across more than 1,200 miles of Papahānaumokuākea, allowing us to protect endangered wildlife, sustain coral reefs and explore new ways to conserve the marine monument going forward,” said U.S. Senator Brian Schatz.

“The low-lying atolls of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument are extremely susceptible to sea-level rise, reducing available nesting and haul out areas for endangered seabirds, sea turtles and monk seals,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “But what people might find more surprising is the threats that come from around the Pacific Ocean in the form of lost fishing nets and other marine debris that entangle these animals and damage these fragile habitats.” 

One of the projects supported this year will continue an effort to remove marine debris from the monument that has taken place since 1996, but this new investment will scale up removal work, build capacity for a sustainable multi-year program and incorporate lessons and efficiencies learned from more than 20 years of experience and data. The grant will enable the removal of over 500 metric tons of debris in coming years.  

“Marine debris is a global issue that poses immense challenges to nature, human health and the economy,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “Working with NFWF and Marc and Lynne Benioff to leverage the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for marine debris removal is an important step in helping these habitats recover and stay healthy.”

Other projects supported on this slate will seek to protect the monument from a biological threat: an outbreak of an invasive and smothering form of algae that is severely affecting marine habitats at the northern end of the monument. This algae forms in thick mats that can cover large areas of coral reefs. Funds will continue research into how the algae spreads and what drives the outbreaks while working with managers and those in the monument on practical guidelines to prevent its spread to other areas.

“Papahānaumokuākea is the largest conservation area in the United States, and one of the greatest assets of the Hawaiian Islands,” said Marc and Lynne Benioff. “It’s our honor to be able to support its continued preservation and conservation.”

All five grants were awarded through the Papahānaumokuākea Research and Conservation Fund (PRCF), a partnership between NFWF and NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. In its first five years, the PRCF has invested more than $5.4 million across 13 projects, leveraging more than $4.5 million in support of the monument’s natural resources for a total conservation impact of nearly $10 million. A complete list of the 2022 grants made through the PRCF is available here.

WASHINGTON: Multiple tribal fishery disasters declared in Washington, West Coast tribes awarded $17 million

September 13, 2022 — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced nearly $17.5 million will be used to address fishery disasters that occurred in multiple tribal salmon fisheries on the West Coast from 2014 to 2019, including Washington.

“Sustainable and resilient fisheries play a vital role in helping tribal communities put food on the table and in supporting economic well-being,” said Raimondo. “It’s our hope that this disaster declaration will help the affected tribes recover from these disasters and increase their ability to combat future challenges.”

Read the full article at MyNorthwest

Maine lobstermen, politicians rally in protest of fishing restrictions and boycott

September 12, 2022 — Maine lobstermen and their elected leaders are fighting back over two setbacks this week — one in court and one in the marketplace — that could threaten their livelihood.

At a rally in Portland on Friday, they protested a federal judge’s ruling allowing the National Marine Fisheries Service, a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to impose limits on where and how lobstermen fish in order to protect endangered North Atlantic Right Whales.

Gov. Janet Mills said, “Regulations that are not based on sound science, not proven fact, and will often pose a risk of devastating Maine’s lobster industry! These guys are fed up. I’m fed up. We’re all fed up!”

The rally was also protesting Seafood Watch, a California-based sustainable seafood advocacy group now advising food distributors and restaurants to boycott Maine lobster.

Read the full article at WABI

NOAA Fisheries announces $2.3M in funding for 13 projects under its Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program

September 8, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has awarded approximately $2.3 million to 13 projects under the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program. Bycatch reduction is a top priority for NOAA Fisheries, as outlined in our National Bycatch Reduction Strategy, because bycatch can contribute to overfishing, threaten endangered and threatened species and protected marine mammals, or close fisheries, significantly impacting U.S. economic growth. This year’s projects focus on several priority bycatch issues related to a variety of species, including whales, turtles, sharks, sturgeon, and halibut.

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

Greater Atlantic Region Projects

  • Sea Mammal Education Learning Technology Society: $199,824
  • Cormac Hondros-McCarthy: $211,290
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County: $205,240
  • University of Maine: $210,822
  • Ocean Associates Incorporated: $199,154

Chinook lawsuit still looms over Alaska trollers

September 7, 2022 –A lawsuit filed against National Marine Fisheries Service in 2020 reared its head in a Washington district court on Aug. 8, and it could spell changes in fisheries management for Southeast Alaska trollers.

The case stems from a suit brought by the Wild Fish Conservancy that challenges the biological rationale in setting allocations of Pacific Salmon Treaty chinooks that Southeast trollers catch.

The premise of the case is that NMFS, in its biological opinion, did not consider a portion of the commingling stocks as forage fish for a pod of 74 killer whales in Puget Sound, rendering the agency out of compliance with the Endangered Species Act.

Like other legal battles between the fishing industry and environmental groups, this case stems from differing interpretations of the data.

The Wild Fish Conservancy contends that 97 percent of the troll-caught chinooks originate in drainages outside of Alaska. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, meanwhile, estimates those numbers between 30 and 80 percent, and that the percentages vary each year.

Though some feared that a subsequent injunction filed by the conservancy could stop the fishery after the initial case was filed in 2020, that didn’t happen.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Green crabs have already invaded Washington’s shorelines. Now they’re heading to Alaska.

September 7, 2022 — The first signs of the Alaskan invasion were discovered by an intern.

In July, a young woman walking the shoreline of the Metlakatla Indian Community during an internship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found a shell of a known menace in the U.S. — the European green crab.

Two more were soon discovered. It was a day many had been dreading for years.

“We always knew we were eventually going to see evidence of green crab,” said Dustin Winter, a member of the Metlakatla Indian Community and the program director of its fish and wildlife department. “I didn’t think it was going to happen so quickly.”

Within a month and half, more than 80 live green crabs had been trapped along the Metlakatla shoreline, Winter said, making the community ground zero in the fight against the species in Alaska, though it’s possible other areas of Alaska have been colonized already.

The green crab is a notorious invasive species that has reshaped U.S. ecosystems and hammered East Coast commercial fisheries for decades. The discovery of the species in Alaska represents a profound risk in a state that accounts for about 60% of the nation’s seafood harvest.

They’re also almost impossible to remove. Nowhere in the world have green crabs been eradicated after they’ve established a population, scientists say. The discovery, which experts say is likely tied to warming waters due to climate change, threatens Alaskan economies, ecosystems and longstanding ways of life.

Read the full article at NBC News

Tribal fishery disasters declared in the West; $17.4 million allocated

September 1, 2022 — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced today her determination and the allocation of $17.4 million to address fishery disasters that occurred in multiple tribal salmon fisheries on the West Coast from 2014 to 2019.

“Sustainable and resilient fisheries play a vital role in helping tribal communities put food on the table and in supporting economic well-being,” said Secretary Raimondo. “It’s our hope that this disaster declaration will help the affected tribes recover from these disasters and increase their ability to combat future challenges.”

The Secretary found that the following fisheries met the requirements for a fishery disaster determination:

  • 2019 Fraser River & Skagit River Salmon Fisheries (the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Tulalip, Upper Skagit Tribes).
  • 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019 Fraser River and Nooksack River Terminal Area Sockeye, Chinook, Chum, Coho, and Pink Salmon Fishery (Lummi Nation).
  • 2019 Puget Sound Fall Chum Salmon Fishery (Squaxin Island Tribe).
  • 2014 and 2019 Fraser River Sockeye and Puget Sound Chum, and Coho Salmon Fishery (Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe).
  • 2019 Klamath River Fall Chinook Salmon Fishery (Yurok Tribe).

The Secretary, working with NOAA Fisheries, evaluates each fishery disaster request based primarily on data submitted by the requesting tribe, state or appointed official. Positive determinations make these fisheries eligible for disaster assistance from NOAA. In order to allocate funding across the eligible disasters, NOAA Fisheries used commercial revenue loss information. The agency also took into consideration traditional uses that cannot be accounted for in commercial revenue loss alone, such as cultural and subsistence uses.

“NOAA has great respect for our tribal fishery co-managers, and their knowledge, science and history are invaluable to our work managing and restoring fisheries,” said Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “With climate change impacts further stressing our fisheries and waterways, it is essential that we work together to take on the challenges in our ecosystems and communities.”

These funds will help improve the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of the impacted fisheries. Funds can be used to assist fisheries participants, including commercial fishermen, charter businesses, shore-side infrastructure providers and subsistence users. Activities that can be considered for funding include fishery-related infrastructure projects, habitat restoration, tribal and fishing permit buybacks, job retraining and more. Some fishery-related businesses impacted by this fishery disaster may also be eligible for assistance from the Small Business Administration. 

In the coming months, NOAA Fisheries will work with the tribes receiving allocations under this announcement on administering these disaster relief funds. Fishing communities and individuals affected by these disasters should work with their tribe and/or the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission as appropriate.

Bycatch Reduction Week marked by NOAA Fisheries

September 1, 2022 — During its 2022 Bycatch Reduction Week, August 22-26, NOAA Fisheries shared details of its efforts and projects to reduce bycatch in U.S. fisheries in recent years – focusing on the development, testing and adoption of gear that aids in decreasing bycatch.

It’s important, the organization notes, “to discuss bycatch reduction efforts through the lens of innovation rather than just more regulations. Preventing bycatch entirely may be impossible, but it can be managed, accounted for and at least mitigated through innovative approaches.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NFWF, NOAA announce $7.7 million in conservation grants to support coastal resilience

August 29, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today announced $7.7 million in new grants using funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support ongoing natural infrastructure projects in seven states. These grants will support the design and implementation of projects to enhance the resilience of coastal communities and improve habitat for fish and wildlife in Hawai‘i, Maine, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Virginia. The eight grants announced today will leverage more than $3 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $11.1 million.

The grants were awarded through the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF), a partnership between NFWF, NOAA, Shell, TransRe, and Occidental, with additional funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Bezos Earth Fund, and also using funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. NFWF worked to award an early slate of grants in August, ahead of its standard annual award date, so that communities experiencing increasing impacts from rising seas, more intense storms, and other coastal hazards would have funding to spend towards resilience projects. In 2022, NFWF anticipates investing approximately $140 million in grants through the NCRF once additional awards are announced in November.

“Maintaining and rehabilitating our coasts is critical for the health and economic wellbeing of coastal communities, especially in the face of impacts from climate change like flooding and extreme storms,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden Administration is making meaningful long-term investments that will strengthen coastal communities and allow them to flourish for generations.”

“As coastal communities face growing threats including coastal flooding and hurricanes, communities need resources immediately to help them reduce threats and increase resilience,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “The Foundation has worked extremely hard to provide this funding as quickly as possible to help these communities bolster their natural defenses to current and future storms, while also enhancing the coastal habitats that are so vital to both communities and wildlife.”

“Climate-driven floods and storms threaten all coastal communities, and these locally-driven projects are critical for developing effective natural infrastructure,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “By investing in local communities, we invest in our nation’s resilience.”

The projects supported by the eight grants announced today will restore and enhance a diverse range of coastal habitats—including wetlands, dunes and tidal rivers—that are vital to the survival of many fish and wildlife species and provide natural buffers for communities against storms and other coastal hazards. These awards build on previously funded NCRF projects and will support efforts of the grantees to finalize project designs and implement important nature-based coastal resilience projects across the country.

NFWF, in partnership with NOAA and joined initially by Shell and TransRe, launched the NCRF in 2018 to support on-the-ground projects to engage communities and reduce their vulnerability to growing risks from coastal storms, sea-level rise, flooding, erosion and extreme weather through strengthening natural ecosystems that also benefit fish and wildlife.

A list of the 2022 National Coastal Resilience Fund early-slated grants is available here.