Saving Seafood

Biden admin picks up pace on Endangered Species Act rewrite

October 28, 2022 — The Biden administration could be done with its rewrite of Trump-era Endangered Species Act rules by May 2024, an official noted in an update for a federal judge overseeing a crucial legal challenge.

Samuel Rauch III, NOAA Fisheries’ deputy assistant administrator for regulatory affairs, stated that he had previously estimated the final ESA rule changes could be published two years after the judge rules on the lawsuit, first filed in 2019. Now, he says definitively that the final rule changes could be done by May 2024.

“Since my [earlier estimate] was filed, the Services have been further examining and clarifying an anticipated timeline for a rulemaking to propose revisions to the 2019 rules,” Rauch wrote in the administration’s most recent legal filing.

Read the full article at E&E News

NOAA Announces 5-Year Strategic Plan for Aquaculture

October 27, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA published its first-ever 5-Year Strategic Plan for Aquaculture to guide the agency’s work from 2023-2028. The Strategic Plan was developed by the NOAA Aquaculture Program, which includes the NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture, the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research’s National Sea Grant Program, and the National Ocean Service’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.

“Through this plan, NOAA will support a thriving, resilient, and inclusive U.S. aquaculture industry as part of a competitive domestic seafood sector,” said NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Janet Coit. “This plan will act as a framework to guide NOAA’s Aquaculture Program, set priorities to achieve our mission, and support NOAA’s vision of healthy and resilient ecosystems, communities, and economies.”

The Strategic Plan articulates a vision for an industry that supports jobs, expands access to nutritious domestic seafood, and reinforces healthy coastal and ocean ecosystems in a changing environment. This is supported by the Program’s mission of providing science, services, and policies that create conditions for opportunity and growth of sustainable U.S. aquaculture.

Four Goals to Expand Sustainable Aquaculture

The Strategic Plan is designed to support collaboration and align goals and objectives across the NOAA Aquaculture Program and with our partners. It includes the following components:

  • Vision and Mission to guide our work
  • Core Values to illustrate who we are and our philosophy as a program
  • Four key goals, which outline our top priorities over the next five years

Goal 1. Manage Sustainably and Efficiently

Improve the regulatory processes for sustainable coastal and marine aquaculture through collaboration with partners.

Goal 2. Lead Science for Sustainability

Use world-class science expertise to meet management and industry needs for a thriving seafood production sector and share this knowledge broadly.

Goal 3. Educate and Exchange Information

Build awareness and support for coastal, marine, and Great Lakes aquaculture through two-way communication with diverse stakeholders and partners.

Goal 4. Support Economic Growth and Viability

Facilitate a robust aquaculture industry that thrives as a key component of a resilient seafood sector.

“Sustainable aquaculture encompasses the “triple bottom line” of economic viability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility,” said David O’Brien, Acting Director of the Office of Aquaculture. “As the demand for seafood continues to increase, and climate change continues to pose a threat to food security, NOAA will continue supporting efforts to grow seafood on land, in coastal waters, and the open ocean in harmony with a healthy and resilient environment.”

NOAA’s Aquaculture Program

The Strategic Plan was developed collaboratively by the NOAA Aquaculture Program and the public. Input was sought through public listening sessions, and feedback was incorporated to ensure the plan reflects the needs of a diverse range of users and stakeholders. This is the first Strategic Plan developed by all three Line Offices in the NOAA Aquaculture Program, highlighting the strong shared goal to support resilient U.S. aquaculture.

The NOAA Aquaculture Program consists of:

“Our aquaculture team strives to advance sustainable aquaculture development in the United States through science, service, and stewardship. We will seek to provide ongoing opportunities for public input to ensure results that are community-driven,” said O’Brien.

 

NOAA awards USD 18.9 million towards research in harmful algal bloom across the US

October 27, 2022 — NOAA has announced it will be allocating USD 18.9 million (EUR 18.9 million) toward research projects and monitoring activities surrounding harmful algal bloom (HAB) across the coastal United States and Great Lakes.

Investments in the effort are being coordinated by the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) and the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System within the NOAA National Ocean Service.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Statement from the NOAA Administrator on the 50th anniversary of the MMPA, NMSA and CZMA acts

October 25, 2022 — Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries:

“In 1972, in response to the dire state of our environment and growing public concern, Congress passed a series of bedrock conservation acts to safeguard our nation’s coasts, shores, and marine ecosystems.

“This week marks the 50th anniversaries of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act. These historic laws provide a foundation for the nation’s ocean and coastal conservation efforts and shape how many Americans view the environment. But most importantly, these past 50 years have demonstrated our nation’s ability to work collectively to spur economic opportunity, protect our natural resources and wildlife, and ensure that future generations are able to enjoy their splendor.

“Today, our conservation and restoration efforts are undertaken with an increasing sense of urgency in the face of the climate crisis. Across NOAA, from the National Marine Fisheries Service to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the Office for Coastal Management, we’re working to build climate resilience into how we manage and protect our resources and marine environments. We’re committed to ensuring that the next 50 years of our conservation efforts build on our heritage and address existing and future threats with the best available science and data.

“To honor the legacy of these acts, I encourage you to visit noaa.gov, as well as the websites for NOAA Fisheries and NOAA Sanctuaries, to explore our resources and explainers on their achievements.”

— Dr. Rick Spinrad

Lobstermen may get temporary delay on new right whale restrictions

October 25, 2022 — Maine lobstermen may get a temporary break on new rules aimed to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. But it will be up to a federal judge in Washington, D.C. to decide.

The lobster industry, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) are involved in federal court negotiations over imposing new and tougher restrictions on fishing.

Read the full article at News Center Maine

North Atlantic Right Whale and Offshore Wind Strategy Open for Public Comment until December 4

October 25, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released a joint draft strategy to protect and promote the recovery of North Atlantic right whales while responsibly developing offshore wind energy. The draft strategy is now available for public comment no later than December 4, 2022. It outlines how the agencies will collaborate and improve science and information to support the Administration’s goal of developing offshore wind while protecting biodiversity and promoting ocean co-use. The draft strategy will also provide offshore wind developers with guidance on mitigation measures that will assist them in navigating the regulatory process.

“As we face the ongoing challenges of climate change, this strategy provides a strong foundation to help us advance renewable energy while also working to protect and recover North Atlantic right whales, and the ecosystem they depend on,” said Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries and Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere at NOAA. “Responsible development of renewable energy sources and protecting endangered North Atlantic right whales are priorities both agencies share.”

NOAA Fisheries and our partners are dedicated to protecting and recovering North Atlantic right whales. Their population includes fewer than 350 individuals and fewer than 70 reproductively active females and has been experiencing an Unusual Mortality Event since 2017. Climate change is affecting every aspect of right whales’ survival—changing their habitat, their migratory patterns, and the location and availability of their prey. It is even increasing their risk of becoming entangled in fishing gear or being struck by vessels.

Offshore wind development is also rapidly expanding along the Atlantic coast of the United States, especially from Massachusetts to North Carolina. North Atlantic right whales’ habitat and migration routes are primarily in Atlantic coastal waters on the continental shelf where offshore wind leases exist or are planned. Working together on this draft strategy leverages the resources and expertise of both agencies and allows the agencies. It will allow us to collect, apply, and use the best available scientific information to inform offshore wind management decisions.

“This draft strategy focuses on improving the science and integrating past, present, and future efforts related to North Atlantic right whales and offshore wind development,” said Dr. Jon Hare, the Director of NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and one of the lead authors of the draft strategy. “We also identify preliminary mitigation measures related to offshore wind energy project planning, leasing, and siting, site characterization,  and unexploded ordnance surveys, construction and operation, and project-specific monitoring, and are looking for public comment on these measures and on the strategy overall.”

The draft strategy also identifies project-specific and regional preliminary monitoring measures. These mitigation measures include the types of requirements that regulatory agencies and project proponents consider for individual projects, thereby assisting offshore wind developers to navigate the permitting process. The list of measures is not comprehensive and does not supersede measures that may be required by the agencies during regulatory processes such as construction and operations plan approvals, Endangered Species Act consultations, or incidental take authorizations.

Following review of public comments, the draft strategy will be finalized. The final strategy will be a living document, periodically evaluated and updated as new information becomes available.

View the draft strategy and information on how to submit comments

The ambitious deployment of offshore wind energy is a critical component of U.S. efforts to combat the climate crisis and build a clean energy economy. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to addressing the nation’s climate crisis by deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.

BOEM is the lead federal agency responsible for offshore energy exploration and development in the United States. To date, BOEM has leased approximately 1.7 million acres in the northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. Outer Continental Shelf for offshore wind development. There are 25 active leases in the Atlantic from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras.

NOAA Fisheries works with BOEM, other federal agencies, tribes, state agencies, and stakeholders to assess how offshore wind projects affect endangered and threatened species, marine mammals, fisheries, marine habitats, and fishing communities, and protect these important resources.

Interior, NOAA ink right whale and offshore wind strategy

October 25, 2022 — NOAA Fisheries and the Interior Department released a draft strategy Friday to protect the endangered right whale amid an imminent boom of offshore wind development.

The draft lays out a plan for both agencies to engage with the public and ocean users. It also spells out several primary goals for raising wind turbines while trying to recover the whale’s population, such as prioritizing mitigation, new research and monitoring, and improving communication.

“BOEM is deeply committed to ensuring responsible offshore wind energy development while protecting and promoting the recovery of the North Atlantic right whale,” said Amanda Lefton, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a subagency of Interior.

Read the full article at E&E News

MAINE: NOAA Sea Grant announces $2.1M to support Maine aquaculture

October 25, 2022 — Four projects that advance research into aquaculture, including sustainable aquaculture, in Maine will receive $2.1 million from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sea Grant, the agency announced in a press release. The projects are part of a larger $14 million NOAA Sea Grant investment to strengthen aquaculture across the United States.  

Investigators from the University of Maine Aquaculture Research Institute, Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, UMaine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research and Maine Sea Grant will lead projects to develop feed for finfish, improve Atlantic sea scallop hatchery techniques, diversify lumpfish broodstock and advance the work of the Maine Aquaculture Hub.  

The finfish feed project at UMaine Aquaculture Research Institute will focus on food for farm-raised finfish larvae, which require microscopic feeds that are challenging to produce as zooplankton, which the larvae eat in the wild, is not economically feasible in finfish farms. So researchers will work with industry partners to produce and refine microparticulate larval feeds and evaluate the effects of diets on the growth and survival of California yellowtail and yellowtail amberjack. 

“We are trying to get away from living organisms as feeds and move toward formulated diets, as we do in other fields of agriculture, Matt Hawkyard, of UMaine Aquaculture Research Institute, said. “This project will allow us to develop feeding technologies that are practical and adaptable to industry use.” 

Read the full article at Mount Desert Islander

New US strategy for combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

October 22, 2022 — Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is one of the greatest threats to ocean health and a significant cause of overfishing. It contributes to the collapse or decline of fisheries that are critical to the economic growth, food systems, and ecosystems of numerous countries around the world. It is also a global problem that disadvantages law-abiding fishers and seafood producers.

The U.S. Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement Act called for stronger federal collaboration to coordinate efforts to address this and other maritime related threats. Today, the Congressionally established U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing, composed of 21 member agencies, released its wide-reaching National Five-Year Strategy for Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing.

Read the full article at PHYS.org

Special Issue Journal Focuses on Ecosystem Processes in the Gulf of Alaska

October 19, 2022 — Read the full release at NOAA Fisheries:

This special issue journal is titled Understanding Ecosystem Processes in the Gulf of Alaska: Volume 3, Deep-Sea Research II. It contains 13 papers ranging on topics such as oceanography, nearshore environments, fish communities, and fisheries management applications. More than 70 authors from 15 different agencies and organizations contributed to these publications, including many NOAA scientists from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center.

“It’s an especially exciting time for researchers investigating the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem,” according to Mandy Lindeberg, a NOAA Fisheries scientist and guest editor for the special issue. “The Gulf has recently experienced periods of unusually cool conditions contrasted with an extreme marine heatwave. These extreme conditions are sending ripple effects through the food web and make research and monitoring in the Gulf of Alaska anything but boring.”

Findings published in this issue provide considerable new insights into the processes at work in the Gulf of Alaska. They range, from oceanography and localized processes that provide food for commercially and ecologically important species, to animal responses to stressors like a marine heatwave. Highlighted below are just a few of these findings.

Oceanography and the Pacific Marine Heatwave

Oceanographic processes in the Gulf of Alaska are driven by winds, tides, and freshwater runoff, which in turn create eddies and mix water to enhance growth of phytoplankton. These processes fuel the Gulf’s food web, including ecologically important forage fish such as herring and commercially important groundfish such as Pacific cod.

The 2014–2019 Pacific marine heatwave caused major changes across the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem. Several papers in this volume address the Pacific marine heatwave and place its impacts in a broader context.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries