Saving Seafood

Dealers scramble to supply lobstermen ahead of gear change deadline

April 12, 2022 — May 1 is the deadline for commercial lobstermen in Maine to trawl up, use weaker rope or insert weak links and mark gear with the state color purple. But will they be ready? 

The new federal gear requirements enacted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are aimed at reducing right whale entanglements with vertical trap lines. Weaker rope or weak links will allow whales to break free of the rope, while the state-specific gear colors will help determine where a whale was entangled.  

“Everyone’s hoping for a good year, hoping for a good price,” said Virginia Olsen, a Maine Lobstering Union Local 207 member who fishes out of Stonington. “We’re just going to do what we do. We’re gonna go to work.” 

But first, enough rope and weak links must come into local fishing gear stores to supply the approximately 4,500 commercial lobstermen in Maine, each of whom can haul up to 800 traps. 

That equals a lot of rope or links – even with the requirement to attach more traps per vertical line than before, depending on the lobster zone and whether the grounds are in federal or state waters. While NOAA has specified approved gear types and brands, many local lobstermen are on waiting lists at gear shops.

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander

NEW JERSEY: Fishermen say Ørsted boats destroying traps

April 11, 2022 — Several commercial fishermen claim survey boats hired by wind turbine developer Ørsted inadvertently cut their lines causing their lobster and conch traps to be lost in the ocean. At issue: being reimbursed from Ørsted for the lost gear and income

Lobster fisherman Joe Wagner, a second-generation fisherman of lobster, sea bass and conch, said last year he lost 157 lobster traps to Ørsted, which is partnering with PSEG on the Ocean Wind 1 project that aims to bring up to 99 massive wind turbines to an area 15 miles off the coast of Cape May and Atlantic counties.

“They only paid me for a handful of them because they say it wasn’t their boats,” he said.

Wagner said Ørsted made that claim based on tracking data of the survey boats. He said he caught the survey boats frequently turning off their tracking devices.

Last year his father lost 100 lobster pots to Ørsted survey boats, Wagner asserted, again with Ørsted claiming their boats were not to blame. The cost of lobster pots is $180 to $220 each with a possible two-year delay to receive all the replacements due to supply chain issues, he said.

He said Ørsted sends a weekly email to fishermen with a photo of their leased areas stating “our vessels might be in your area” but doesn’t give exact coordinates.

Read the full story at Ocean City Sentinel

 

ANALYSIS: 2022 Scallop Season Expectations

April 5, 2022 — April 1, 2022  marks the opening of the 2022/2023 Atlantic sea scallop fishery that operates along the Atlantic coast from the Mid-Atlantic region, up to the U.S.-Canadian border. Framework Adjustment 34, which namely projects 34 million pounds of Atlantic sea scallops to be landed this season, was approved by New England Fishery Management Council back in December, and passed along to NOAA for final approval and implementation.

Harvest projections of 34 million pounds is a 15% reduction to the 40 million pounds projected last year, almost half of the 62.5 million pounds projected just three years ago in 2019, and the lowest level since 2014.

Read the full story at Seafood News

 

Salmon travel deep into the Pacific. As it warms, many ‘don’t come back.’

March 30, 2022 — During a typical fall, almost a million chum salmon pour into Alaska’s Yukon River, a torrent of wild fish that has sustained the economy and Indigenous culture in the far north for generations. Last year, that run collapsed, with salmon trickling upstream at a 10th of normal levels, forcing the state to airlift frozen fish from other regions to feed the population.

About 400 miles to the south, in Bristol Bay, the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery set a record last year, with more than 66 million salmon returning to the rivers in the watershed. That total is expected to be broken again this year.

Salmon in the Pacific Ocean face dramatically different fates from one river system to the next. As the planet warms, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, scientists say changes in ocean conditions are helping drive these wild swings and collapses of key stocks. These North Pacific fish account for most of the world’s wild-caught salmon, and their survival has implications for economies and cultures around the Pacific Rim.

During her three decades as a government scientist, as climate change has intensified, Laurie Weitkamp has watched these fluctuations in salmon numbers become bigger and the models that predict how many salmon will return from sea become more unreliable.

“Salmon will go out, in what we think is a really good ocean, and then it collapses,” said Weitkamp, a fisheries biologist with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration based in Oregon. “They don’t come back.”

Read the full story at The Washington Post

Meet Janet Coit, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator

March 30, 2022 — To wrap up Women’s History Month, we sat down with Janet Coit, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator, to find out more about her career path, passions, and perspective on leading NOAA Fisheries. Explore her answers below.

Tell us a little about yourself. What are a few words that describe you?

I am a mom, wife, daughter, and sister. A reader. A conservationist, who has always loved nature and learning. I am an extrovert, drawing energy from people. But I need time to myself and like to restore my soul in nature. The older I get, the more I realize the importance of spending time with friends and loved ones. I am also super passionate about making a difference in the world.

Where did you grow up?

Little known fact: I did not grow up on the coast! I grew up in Syracuse, New York, the hub of New York State. I fell in love with nature at my family’s very rustic camp—or cabin—in the Adirondacks. We have a place you can get to by boat with no electricity and no plumbing! Yes, that means an outhouse. But this place was a North Star in my life. It’s still “off the grid,” and helped me appreciate wild places. That connection to a natural place seems to be at the heart of many careers in conservation and environmental policy. For those in the fisheries world, maybe that’s out on an estuary or on the open ocean. I still visit the cabin and feel every cell expand when I’m there. My children have grown up there, too.

Read the full story at NOAA Fisheries

NOAA ship leaves Hawaii for historic deployment

March 30, 2022 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) ship Rainier has finally departed on the farthest journey of its 52-year history.

Originally planned for 2020, the ship is on a 3,307-nautical mile expedition to the Western Pacific to map the waters and survey the reefs. The ship set sail from Honolulu, Hawaii, on March 26.

This is Rainier’s first multidisciplinary expedition to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. A team of scientists on board will map the waters from shore to almost 2,000 meters deep. The data collected from this trip will support safe navigation as well as coral habitat and fisheries conservation; it will also support storm surge and tsunami modeling.

Read the full story at KHON2

 

NOAA report highlights 2021 climate, weather, ocean research

March 29, 2022 — Launching the first ever national rip current forecast model, creating high-resolution sea ice information to improve navigation, and using artificial intelligence to process marine mammal calls: These are just a few of NOAA’s many notable scientific accomplishments from the past year. The newly released 2021 NOAA Science Report includes more than 60 stories that represent a selection of NOAA’s 2021 research and development accomplishments across the range of NOAA’s mission. Some of NOAA’s biggest science accomplishments from 2021 include the following 4 stories:

1. Looking at how climate change could impact West Coast fisheries

The “Future Seas” project is a collaborative effort that uses models to explore potential impacts of climate change on West Coast fisheries and evaluate strategies for managing those impacts. This year, the team of scientists completed detailed projections of West Coast ocean conditions out to the year 2100 and used them to project potential climate-driven changes in the distributions and landings of Pacific sardine and albacore tuna in the California Current System, an ocean current that moves southward along the West Coast of North America. Thanks to the Future Seas project, scientists can now provide  information and advice on climate resilience to West Coast fishing communities, which helps them better prepare for the effects of climate change.

Read the full story from NOAA

NOAA Fisheries Names Jon Kurland New Regional Administrator in Alaska

March 25, 2022 — Today, NOAA Fisheries announced that Mr. Jon Kurland is the new Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Region. He will assume his new duties on March 27, 2022. Mr. Kurland has been with the agency since 1990, serving in two regional offices and headquarters, including three senior leadership roles in the Alaska Region: Assistant Regional Administrator for Habitat Conservation, Acting Deputy Regional Administrator. Since 2012, he has served as  Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources. He succeeds retiring Regional Administrator Dr. Jim Balsiger who had been in the position for 21 years.

“I am extremely pleased to announce this appointment,” said NOAA Fisheries’ Assistant Administrator Janet Coit. “Alaska’s waters support some of the most productive and valuable commercial fisheries in the world, and are also home to nationally and globally significant marine mammal populations and habitats. For Alaskans, the effects of climate change on these resources is real. I am confident that Jon will bring a unique awareness of these changes to this new role. I am excited for him to dive in.”

As Regional Administrator, Mr. Kurland will head the agency’s regulatory and management programs for fisheries, marine mammals, and habitat conservation. This includes the responsibility for managing approximately 105 employees and 20 contractors and other affiliates. The Alaska Regional Office is located in the capital city of Juneau, with field staff in offices in Anchorage, Kodiak, and Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The office works closely with its counterpart, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, in the science-based stewardship of marine life and their habitats in the waters of the North Pacific and Arctic Oceans off Alaska.

Read the full story at NOAA Fisheries

 

WPRFMC Asks for Remedies to Long-Standing Issues in Western Pacific Region

March 25, 2022 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

At the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council meeting today, Chair Archie Soliai reiterated concerns about NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) delays in completing Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultations for the region’s longline and bottomfish fisheries.

“Our experience with ESA consultations over the last several years have left us with the impression that our Council process is not respected,” emphasized Soliai. “The Council is here to ensure the sustainability of our region’s fishery resources as mandated by the Magnuson-Stevens Act.” Soliai added, “We ask PIRO to provide us with realistic timelines and meaningful dialogue, so we may work together to complete these biological opinions and ensure that our fisheries can continue to operate in compliance with ESA.”

The Council will convey its concerns to Janet Coit, assistant administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), requesting assistance so biological opinions are completed in coordination with the Council.

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The Council believes the existing Mariana Trench Marine National Monument (MTMNM) management plan should be implemented ahead of any national marine sanctuary nomination in the Marianas, as it may provide protections the nomination seeks. The MTMNM boundaries, including the omission of the water column, already reflects the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana (CNMI) government’s management needs.

Council comments in February to NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) on the 5-year nomination review, explained the MTMNM greatly reduced the need for sanctuary protection. Concerns in the proposed sanctuary, such as fishing regulations, are already addressed through the MTMNM management plan and Magnuson-Stevens Act. Foreign fishing is prohibited.

“ONMS needs to be clear about what is proposed,” said Michael Tenorio, CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife fisheries supervisor. “The nomination seems to allude to closing fishing to the community and it’s causing confusion.”

The Council asked NOAA to remove the proposed sanctuary from the national inventory and assist Friends of the Mariana Trench Monument with developing a revised proposal vetted through the CNMI and Guam communities. This would create a stronger proposal with broad community support, one of the 11 evaluation criteria for inclusion on the inventory list. The CNMI Governor Ralph DLG Torres and other community members have expressed strong opposition to the proposed marine sanctuary plan.

The public comment period has been extended to April 25, and comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov/document/NOAA-NOS-2022-0005-0034.

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Equity and environmental justice (EEJ) is a priority for the Council, and influences all programs, approaches and actions. The Council raised EEJ-related issues and opportunities throughout the meeting this week.

“I think this is very important and am glad it’s finally coming to fruition after 30 years,” said Monique Amani, Council member from Guam, referencing when the EJ social movement began. “I fully support this initiative – we’re part of the United States, but the services and investments to our communities aren’t always the same for the territories,” she added.

The Council approved a draft Western Pacific EEJ approach and will develop a regional strategy to direct future work. Together with the Council’s new Pacific strategy to advocate for equitable fisheries in the region, our fishing communities will be better positioned to benefit across global, regional and national landscapes.

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The Council recommended NMFS clarify a 2015 notice of proposed rule-making that would acknowledge an American Samoa purse seine fleet, distinct from a U.S. fleet. A proposed rule is expected in April 2022.

American Samoa does not have direct access to the high seas and most purse seine fishing effort occurs within waters of small island states and tropical waters north of the territory. However, American Samoa is home to a tuna cannery that is the territory’s most important private employer.

In 2015, Tri Marine purse seine vessels petitioned the United States to remove high seas fishing limits for vessels that offload at least 50% of their catch in American Samoa, citing Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) fishing restrictions that impede their ability to support the territory’s economy. NMFS denied the petition in October 2015, but stated it could reconsider taking action if there was evidence that WCPFC restrictions have a negative impact on the territory’s economy.

“Seven years have passed and American Samoa’s dire situation is self-evident with the exodus of U.S. vessels and the need to supply our cannery,” said Council Chair Archie Soliai. PIRO Regional Administrator Michael Tosatto was unable to provide specifics on proposed regulations.

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The Council appointed the following officers for 2022: Archie Soliai, chair; Will Sword, American Samoa vice chair; John Gourley, CNMI vice chair; Manny Duenas, Guam vice chair; and Roger Dang, Hawai‘i vice chair.

 

Regulators say new whale-protection rules for Maine’s lobster fleet are on the horizon

March 24, 2022 — Federal regulators said they will soon start a process to create new whale-protection rules for Maine’s lobster fleet that will go beyond the controversial regulations going into effect on May 1. The rules are being imposed to reduce the risk that endangered North Atlantic right whales will be killed by entanglements with fishing gear or ship strikes.

Michael Pentony, the regional administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, spoke to an online meeting of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum today.

He said that the initial rules were designed to reduce the risk to whales by 60%, but recent evidence shows that the agency must act more quickly than planned to reduce that risk even more.

Read the full story at Maine Public