Saving Seafood

Court: Feds can require tracking of charter fishing boats

March 1, 2022 — A federal judge on Monday rejected a lawsuit filed by Gulf of Mexico charter fishing boat operators opposed to federal regulations that include a requirement that they affix tracking equipment to their vessels.

U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan ruled Monday in favor of the National Marine Fisheries Service. The devices will help make sure logbooks are correct and that data on catches are accurately reported, the agency said in court records.

Morgan rejected the boat operators’ arguments that permanent tracking amounts to a violation of Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Read the full story at AP News

NOAA Fisheries Announces New Name for Its International Office

March 1, 2022 — NOAA Fisheries’ Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection is now the Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce. It remains under the leadership of Director Alexa Cole. This new name integrates the full scope of office functions and more thoroughly reflects the types of work the office carries out. The name also more accurately and comprehensively reflects the important work of the Seafood Inspection Program in support of trade and commerce.

The office’s responsibilities and efforts have expanded and evolved over the years. The proposed changes address the increasing demands related to:

  • Trade and commerce policy and analysis
  • Implementation of new and expanding statutory mandates
  • Seafood trade
  • Information technology modernization

Read the full story at NOAA Fisheries

After 2019 Mississippi River flood, Louisiana fishers might soon see disaster relief

February 22, 2022 — Louisiana fishers might soon see federal disaster relief more than two years after the unprecedented flooding of 2019 — now considered the longest flood on record — devastated much of the commercial industry.

For more than four months, freshwater was diverted through the Bonnet Carre Spillway to relieve pressure on the levees along the Mississippi River. In that time, the influx of river water killed millions of pounds of oysters and disrupted the balance required for species like shrimp, crab or menhaden to thrive. Fertilizers in the water created pockets of hypoxia, or “dead zones,” and harmful algal blooms.

Distribution of $58 million through several state grant programs could begin as early as June, should the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration approve the spending plan drafted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Relief for a flood that cost fishers at least $101 million in lost revenue has been slow, delayed after several more disasters struck the industry, including the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

Read the full story at WWNO

‘The future in our hands’: Scientists call for urgent action to curb sea level rise in Hawaii

February 17, 2022 –America’s coasts will be dealing with about a foot of sea level rise on average by the year 2050, a new federal study shows.

The biggest impacts are forecast for the East Coast, where sea level rise estimates are between 14 and 18 inches. Hawaii, meanwhile, is projected to see between 6 and 8 inches in three decades.

NOAA, which is one of seven agencies responsible for the report, says that much sea level rise will cause tide and storm surge heights to increase and reach further inland.

By the year 2050, “moderate” flooding ― the kind that causes damage ― is expected to occur on average more than 10 times as often as it does today.

“The impacts will will depend upon what we do to mitigate against those,” said William Sweet, a NOAA oceanographer. “With less heating under less emissions, the risk of higher sea level rise of mountains is much less. The future is in our hands, and that future does not need to be one of doom and gloom.”

Read the full story at Hawaii News Now

 

Coonamessett Farm Foundation awarded contract for at-sea monitoring training

February 15, 2022 — The following was released by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation:

The Coonamessett Farm Foundation, Inc. (CFF) located in East Falmouth, MA was recently awarded a 2-year contract through the Atlantic States Fisheries Marine Commission, in cooperation with NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), to provide supplemental At-Sea Monitoring training sessions. These classes are critical to increasing the groundfish monitoring coverage rate to 100%, as stipulated under Amendment 23 of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. CFF, a recognized leader in sustainable fisheries and cooperative industry research, employs highly skilled instructors on staff that will begin training at-sea monitors for at-sea deployment by the NEFSC.

The At-Sea Monitoring Groundfish Program began in 2010 when the Northeast Fisheries Management Council and NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Office finalized the creation of the sector quota management system for federally permitted groundfish vessels. There are 13 commercially viable fish stocks such as Atlantic cod, redfish, haddock, and winter flounder that are managed as part of the Northeast species complex through sector allocations. Currently, based on geographical location within federal waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, there are 20 recognized stocks that make up the groundfish complex.

Employed by observer/monitor service providers, certified at-sea monitors work directly with groundfish vessel captains and crews throughout the Northeast region and serve as NOAA Fisheries contractors. They are an important and vital link between industry, stock assessment biologists, and federal managers. Monitors are instructed in species identification, with core training components related to collecting haul level catch data of kept and discarded species; verification of area fished; and gear types used. During training, monitors undergo 3 days of instruction in vessel emergency and safety with hands-on field exercises to prepare them for working aboard commercial fishing vessels that range in size from 35 and 95 feet.

With guidance from training and data quality staff at the NEFSC, CFF plans to lead several trainings during the 2022-2023 season. In class training will be led by CFF ASM trainers, Tanner Fernandes and Taylor Irwin, former monitors and observers who joined CFF in 2021 to support this program. The NEFSC will advise on the need for additional training classes and provide ongoing support to CFF throughout this contract.

U.S. coastline to see up to a foot of sea level rise by 2050

February 15, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA:

The United States is expected to experience as much sea level rise by the year 2050 as it witnessed in the previous hundred years. That’s according to a NOAA-led report updating sea level rise decision-support information for the U.S. released today in partnership with half a dozen other federal agencies.

The Sea Level Rise Technical Report provides the most up-to-date sea level rise projections for all U.S. states and territories by decade for the next 100 years and beyond, based on a combination of tide gauge and satellite observations and all the model ensembles from the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report projects sea levels along the coastline will rise an additional 10-12 inches by 2050 with specific amounts varying regionally, mainly due to land height changes. 

The report updates the federal government’s 2017 sea level rise projections, and provides additional information on tide, wind, and storm-driven extreme water levels affecting current and future coastal flood risk. A suite of federal tools are using this data, including the NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer, which are critical to the Administration’s commitment to tackle the climate crisis by making actionable climate data accessible to those who need it.

“For businesses along the coast, knowing what to expect and how to plan for the future is critical,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “These updated projections will help businesses, and the communities they support, understand risks and make smart investments in the years ahead.”

“This new data on sea rise is the latest reconfirmation that our climate crisis – as the President has said – is blinking ‘code red,’” said Gina McCarthy, National Climate Advisor. “We must redouble our efforts to cut the greenhouse gases that cause climate change while, at the same time, help our coastal communities become more resilient in the face of rising seas.”

“This is a global wake-up call and gives Americans the information needed to act now to best position ourselves for the future,” said Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA Administrator. “As we build a Climate Ready Nation, these updated data can inform coastal communities and others about current and future vulnerabilities in the face of climate change and help them make smart decisions to keep people and property safe over the long run.”
 
The report also finds that the sea level rise expected by 2050 will create a profound increase in the frequency of coastal flooding, even in the absence of storms or heavy rainfall. 

“By 2050, moderate flooding–which is typically disruptive and damaging by today’s weather, sea level and infrastructure standards–is expected to occur more than 10 times as often as it does today,” said Nicole LeBoeuf, NOAA’s National Ocean Service Director. “These numbers mean a change from a single event every 2-5 years to multiple events each year, in some places.” 

“This report supports previous studies and confirms what we have long known: Sea levels are continuing to rise at an alarming rate, endangering communities around the world. Science is indisputable and urgent action is required to mitigate a climate crisis that is well underway,” said Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator. “NASA is steadfast in our commitment to protecting our home planet by expanding our monitoring capabilities and continuing to ensure our climate data is not only accessible but understandable.”

This multi-agency effort is a product of the Interagency Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Hazard and Tool Task Force, composed of NOAA, NASA, EPA, USGS, DoD, FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as several academic institutes. The report leverages methods and insights from both the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report and supporting research for the U.S. DoD Defense Regional Sea Level database.

Read the Sea Level Rise Technical Report.

BOEM announces effort to protect right whales

February 10, 2022 — The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced in a press release it is partnering with multiple federal and state entities to research and strengthen the protection of the endangered North Atlantic right whales. The groups mentioned in the press release include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NOAA Fisheries, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

According to the release, BOEM is working with NOAA to develop strategies to “protect and promote the recovery of right whales” while allowing responsible development of offshore wind farms. The two organizations, with other partners, are also working on a passive acoustic monitoring network to identify and monitor the movements and distribution of marine mammals.

Read the full story at The Martha’s Vineyard Times

 

U.S. blocks Mexican fishermen from ports, cites years of illegal fishing in U.S. waters

February 9, 2022 — Along the U.S.-Mexico maritime border, the incursions occur almost daily. The boats are outfitted with small outboard motors, powerful enough to flee pursuing Border Patrol and Coast Guard vessels.

The Mexican skiffs are loaded not with drugs or migrants, but with red snapper, sea turtles and sharks.

U.S. officials say the threat posed by Mexican fishermen casting their nets illegally in U.S. waters has grown so acute that for the first time in years, they’ve banned Mexican fishing vessels from entering U.S. ports.

“These vessels … will be denied port access and services,” said Lauren Gaches, a spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She said the sanction was being applied in response to Mexico’s “continued failure to combat unauthorized fishing activities by small hulled vessels in U.S. waters.” It took effect Monday.

Read the full story at the Washington Post

MAINE: Local lobstermen hear mostly bad news at Zone B Council meeting

February 8, 2022 — Area lobstermen heard little good news at a Jan. 31 Zone B Council meeting as Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher shared information presented earlier at a December 2021 Lobster Advisory Council meeting. 

New gear, reporting and trap line regulations and the temporary closure of local waters to lobster fishing – all aimed at protecting the endangered North Atlantic right whale – are changing how lobstermen fish today and in the future. But greater challenges will play out in federal courts, as lawsuits levied by well-funded environmental groups could shut the fishery completely down. 

“This represents the greatest threat to the industry,” Deputy Commissioner Meredith Mendelson said. 

If the federal court rules to vacate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s biological opinion, as one lawsuit requests, on grounds that it violates the Endangered Species Act and the 1946 Administration Procedures Act (which governs how federal agencies develop and issue regulations), then NOAA’s National Fisheries Marine Service (NFMS) could not legally authorize the fishery to operate. 

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander

Maine lawmakers asked to create $30M emergency fund to aid fishermen

February 3, 2022 — Maine lobstermen can resume setting their traps in a roughly 960-square-mile area of ocean that’s been off-limits to them for the past two months.

That closure was part of new rules from the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, ordered to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales.

Fishermen in that offshore area were told to remove their traps by late October, but the Maine Lobstering Union challenged the requirement in court and won a restraining order. However, just a few weeks later, a federal appeals court overturned that ruling and reinstated the closure, which finally began at the end of November.

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association estimated last year that nearly 200 fishermen normally work that area during the months it would be closed.

Tuesday marked the end of the closure and fishermen can now return to those waters. However, the MLA said the closure has cost those fishermen money, as they had to spend time relocating traps instead of fishing, which may have reduced catches.

Read the full story at News Center Maine