Saving Seafood

60+ Leading Seafood Orgs Support National Seafood Campaign

May 5, 2021 — The following was released by the Seafood Nutrition Partnership:

More than 60 leading organizations in the nation’s diverse seafood community sent a letter to Congress today to support a comprehensive, nationwide seafood marketing and public education campaign as recommended by NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Council (MAFAC) in July 2020.

Seafood is the healthiest, most environmentally sustainable form of animal protein production on the planet, but Americans are not eating nearly enough for optimal health as outlined in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. An unprecedented public education campaign, with initial support from the federal government, is needed to inspire a shift in consumer behavior and to measurably increase American seafood consumption from the current 16 lbs. to 26 lbs. per capita, which is the recommended two servings per week. To support this campaign, the letter to Congress requests an initial appropriation for $25 million.

The full press release is available online, along with the letters sent to the House and Senate.

NOAA Fisheries Announces 2021 Recreational Rules for Summer Flounder

May 5, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are finalizing “conservation equivalency” for the recreational summer flounder fishery as recommended by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Under conservation equivalency the combination of state or regional measures must be “equivalent,” in terms of conservation (i.e., not expected to exceed the recreational harvest limit), to a set of “non-preferred coastwide measures,” which are recommended by the Council and the Commission each year.

For the 2021 fishing year we have waived the federal recreational bag limit, minimum fish size, and fishing season for summer flounder, and fishermen are subject to regulations in the state where they land. Please contact your state for information on summer flounder recreational rules.

Read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register today.

Read the full release here

Fatima Sauafea-Le’au, Fisheries Biologist

May 4, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

What is your key responsibility?

I am a fisheries biologist based in Pago Pago, American Samoa. One of my primary roles is to serve as a fisheries liaison for coral reef management. I provide support and assistance to the American Samoa resource management partners and local communities on coral reef management projects. I conduct reviews and provide conservation recommendations for Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) consultations on development projects in American Samoa to minimize, avoid, and/or mitigate any adverse effects to EFH.

What is Essential Fish Habitat?

Where did you grow up?

I am a Samoan, born and raised in American Samoa. I grew up in a small village called Aua on Tutuila Island in a family that values culture, church, and family.

What is your educational background?

I earned a B.S. degree in biology from Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawai‘i and an M.S. degree in Environmental Policy and Management from the University of Denver.

Are you a member of any organizations within your community?

I am an active member of a few organizations within my Catholic church, Maria Fatima Parish, in Aua, Tutuila. These organizations include the St. Gregory Choir, Women’s Organization, Youth Group, and Sunday School Teachers Organization. I am a volunteer science mentor for the Marist St. Francis Elementary School, assisting regularly with student science fair projects. I am also the Treasurer for the Marist St. Francis Elementary School Parents and Teachers Association.

What book influenced you to be the person that you are today?

Thrive by Arianna Huffington. People often think that you are a successful person when you have a bigger salary and office space. However, this book shows how success is not only defined by money and power but the importance of being mindful, having self-awareness, taking care of yourself, and being generous to others. The book defines these thriving elements in the areas of well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving. I am using these elements to help me in my journey to success.

What advice would you have for today’s youth interested in a federal government career?

Believe in yourself and never let fear limit you from applying for a career opportunity in the federal government. Do your research on federal career opportunities and work towards obtaining the required skills and experiences for the opportunity relevant to your interest. Obtain a college degree and seek internship opportunities within the federal offices that you are interested in.

Peter Kuriyama, Research Mathematical Statistician

May 4, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Meet Peter Kuriyama, a research mathematical statistician with the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center.

What is your key responsibility?  

I do stock assessments for coastal pelagic species. The results of these assessments inform fisheries management on the west coast of the United States.

Where did you grow up?

Solana Beach, California.

What is your educational background?  

I did my undergraduate degree at UC Santa Barbara and Ph.D. at University of Washington. My dissertation mainly looked at the impact of catch share implementation on the U.S. West Coast groundfish fishery.

What are your hobbies?    

I like surfing, cooking, reading, and basketball.

Is there a book, quote, or person that influenced you to be the person that you are today?  

My parents and grandparents are strong influences. A couple recent books, The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama and Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, have been impactful. The Color of Air tells a story of a Japanese immigrant family working on sugarcane plantations in Hawai’i. Japanese immigrants came to Hawai’i thinking that they would work on plantations for a couple of years, but plantation owners prevented them from returning home and forced them to continue working. My ancestors worked on these plantations in Hawai’i and likely had similar experiences. Interior Chinatown excavates Asian-American stereotypes in pop culture. I regularly listen to the podcast Time to Say Goodbye, which discusses Asian America among many other topics.

What does Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Month mean to you? What does being a career civil servant mean to you?

To be honest, I didn’t even know that May was Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Unfortunately, I think this year it will be featured more prominently than in previous years. I think months of awareness are good, and hopefully they motivate people to keep learning and acting year-round.

While there are often challenges to the work, I feel fortunate to be able to do science that helps to sustainably manage fisheries.

Slow Zone East of Cape Cod to Protect Right Whales

May 4, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces a new voluntary right whale Slow Zone.  On May 3, 2021, the Center for Coastal Studies observed right whales east of Cape Cod, MA.  This Slow Zone is in effect through May 18, 2021.

Mariners are requested to route around this or transit through it at 10 knots or less.

Slow Zone Coordinates:

East of Cape Cod, MA, May 3, 2021- May 18, 2021

42 16 N
41 35 N
069 30 W
070 22 W

See the coordinates for all the slow zones currently in effect.

Active Seasonal Management Areas 

Mandatory speed restrictions of 10 knots or less (50 CFR 224.105) are in effect in the following areas:

Cape Cod Bay, January 1 – May 15

Great South Channel, April 1 – July 31

Find out more and get the coordinates for each mandatory slow speed zone.

Give Right Whales Room

North Atlantic right whales are on the move along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. NOAA is cautioning boaters and fishermen to give these endangered whales plenty of room. We are also asking all fishermen to be vigilant when maneuvering to avoid accidental collisions with whales and remove unused gear from the ocean to help avoid entanglements. Commercial fishermen should use vertical lines with required markings, weak links, and breaking strengths.

Right Whales in Trouble

North Atlantic right whales are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Scientists estimate there are only about 400 remaining, making them one of the rarest marine mammals in the world.

North Atlantic right whales are NOAA Fisheries’ newest Species in the Spotlight. This initiative is a concerted, agency-wide effort to spotlight and save marine species that are among the most at risk of extinction in the near future. 

In August 2017, NOAA Fisheries declared the increase in right whale mortalities an “Unusual Mortality Event,” which helps the agency direct additional scientific and financial resources to investigating, understanding, and reducing the mortalities in partnership with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and outside experts from the scientific research community.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries releases new video looking at environmental conditions in the Gulf of Alaska in 2020

May 4, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

More than 90 researchers and local community members contributed knowledge and information to help NOAA Fisheries scientists generate an ecosystem status report for the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem last year. This new video captures some of the high points of that report.

“We are excited to offer another way of sharing what we learned about ecosystem conditions in the Gulf of Alaska last year,” said Bridget Ferriss, Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem Status Report editor. “This video is a nice complement to our other communications products.”

For decades, scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center have been pulling together data for numerous indicators of ecosystem health including water temperature, plankton abundance, and seabird reproductive success. NOAA Fisheries and other scientists from other organizations monitor these indicators for the four marine ecosystems that surround Alaska–the Aleutian Islands, the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Arctic.

Every fall, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council sets catch limits for groundfish and crab in federal waters off Alaska for the upcoming fishing year. They base these decisions on scientific research and analysis including fish stock assessments, economic information on the commercial fishery, and these annual ecosystem assessments.

“Ecosystem assessments help us understand the context by explaining, among other things, how changes in the ecosystem might affect present and future abundance of commercially important fish and crab stocks,” said Ferriss.

For each of the Alaska Ecosystem Status Reports, a variety of indicators are evaluated annually. All of this information helps fisheries managers to determine what steps to take to ensure sustainable fish and crab fisheries while preserving the health of the overall ecosystem.

The goal of this video is to communicate our updated summary of ecosystem information beyond the Council, to the broader community.

Read the full release here

Reminder: Requirements for the Butterfish Fishery

May 3, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The butterfish fishery is managed by limited access permits, an annual quota, mesh requirements, trip limits in some circumstances, and area restrictions. There have not been any recent changes to the butterfish fishery regulations. To review the current butterfish regulations for the butterfish fishery check out this summary.

Questions?

Industry: Contact Aly Pitts, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9352

Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103

Slow Zone North of Cape Cod to Protect Right Whales

May 3, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces a new voluntary right whale Slow Zone.  On May 2, 2021, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Slocum glider acoustically detected the presence of right whales north of Cape Cod, MA.  This Slow Zone is in effect through May 17, 2021.

Mariners are requested to route around this or transit through it at 10 knots or less.

Slow Zone Coordinates:

North of Cape Cod, MA, May 2, 2021- May 17, 2021

42 40 N
42 00 N
069 40 W
070 34 W

See the coordinates for all the slow zones currently in effect.

Active Seasonal Management Areas 

Mandatory speed restrictions of 10 knots or less (50 CFR 224.105) are in effect in the following areas:

Cape Cod Bay, January 1 – May 15

Great South Channel, April 1 – July 31

Find out more and get the coordinates for each mandatory slow speed zone.

Give Right Whales Room

North Atlantic right whales are on the move along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. NOAA is cautioning boaters and fishermen to give these endangered whales plenty of room. We are also asking all fishermen to be vigilant when maneuvering to avoid accidental collisions with whales and remove unused gear from the ocean to help avoid entanglements. Commercial fishermen should use vertical lines with required markings, weak links, and breaking strengths.

Right Whales in Trouble

North Atlantic right whales are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Scientists estimate there are only about 400 remaining, making them one of the rarest marine mammals in the world.

North Atlantic right whales are NOAA Fisheries’ newest Species in the Spotlight. This initiative is a concerted, agency-wide effort to spotlight and save marine species that are among the most at risk of extinction in the near future. 

In August 2017, NOAA Fisheries declared the increase in right whale mortalities an “Unusual Mortality Event,” which helps the agency direct additional scientific and financial resources to investigating, understanding, and reducing the mortalities in partnership with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and outside experts from the scientific research community.

Read the full release here

Bonamici, Young, Huffman, González-Colón Introduce Bill to Strengthen NOAA Response to Sexual Harassment, Assault

April 30, 2021 — The following was released by The Office of Congresswomen Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR):

During Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Don Young (R-AK), Jared Huffman (D-CA), and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) response to sexual assault and sexual harassment, and to secure more resources for survivors.

“Scientists and researchers must be safe and feel safe at work, and not fear retaliation for reporting sexual harassment and assault,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “This starts with prevention and a meaningful way for survivors to seek justice. Several years ago, I spoke with a fisheries biologist who was forced to put her career on hold because of sexual harassment on a NOAA vessel. I worked with NOAA leadership to make tangible changes to the agency’s policies and procedures for reporting and investigating sexual harassment, and the scientist eventually returned to her research. But she is not alone in her experience, and there are still gaps in NOAA’s efforts. This bipartisan bill will expand coverage of NOAA’s sexual harassment prevention and response policy and provide a secure reporting structure and advocacy resources for survivors.”

“I have been a long-time supporter of NOAA and its mission. But if they are to continue leading the world in marine research and data collection, action must be taken so that researchers, scientists, and other employees feel safe in the workplace,” said Congressman Don Young. “Protecting employees means preventing sexual assault in the workplace and putting safeguards in place so that survivors never fear retaliation. I am proud to join my friends, Representatives Bonamici, González Colón, and Huffman, on the bipartisan NOAA Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act. Through this legislation, NOAA will have better, more effective mechanisms in place to prevent sexual harassment and provide the support necessary for survivors to heal.”

“Sexual assault and harassment are pervasive crimes that cannot be tolerated in any workplace, especially in our federal workforce,” said Congressman Jared Huffman. “We must do more to prioritize the safety and well-being of those who work for the agency. This legislation will further NOAA’s prevention and response policies and increase accountability to protect employees and help survivors. The work done by NOAA is critical for our communities, and the people doing this important work deserve better.”

“I’m proud to once again join my colleagues as co-lead of the bipartisan NOAA Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act,” said Rep. González Colón. “This legislation is crucial to provide NOAA with additional tools to strengthen its sexual assault and harassment policies and to secure more resources to support survivors. Sexual harassment and sexual assault have serious implications for the victims―most of which are women―including an impact in their career and mental health. We must ensure that the right mechanisms are in place to guard against these attacks and be prepared to fully assist and empower survivors for when these occur. I invite my colleagues to support this important legislation.”

The bipartisan NOAA Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act will strengthen NOAA’s sexual assault and sexual harassment prevention and response program, coordinate claims, improve reporting, and better support survivors. NOAA employs approximately 12,000 people, with many working in remote locations or aboard vessels to conduct science and research on climate, weather, oceans, and coast.

The NOAA Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act will:

  • Expand coverage of NOAA’s sexual harassment prevention and response policy.
  • Direct NOAA to provide a clear mechanism for anonymous reports of sexual harassment.
  • Strengthen advocacy resources for survivors.
  • Provide for a secure reporting structure for survivors.
  • Expand reports to Congress on sexual harassment, sexual assault, and equal opportunity employment.
  • Improve the ability of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement to enforce a prohibition on assault, intimidation, and interference with fisheries observers.

More details about the legislation can be found here. A copy of the bill text can be found here.

Bonamici and Young are Co-Chairs of the House Oceans Caucus. Bonamici has been outspoken about the need to end sexual harassment in the workplace. She has long advocated for survivors of sexual harassment at NOAA and repeatedly called on the agency to improve its policies.

Marco Rubio Brings Back the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act

April 30, 2021 — U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has brought back his proposal for the U.S. Commerce Department to increase regulation on the international shark trade.

Rubio has been pushing the “Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act” since 2018 and he reintroduced it this week.

The bill “would require any country that seeks to export shark, ray, and skate to the US to first demonstrate it has a system of science-based management to prevent overfishing and a prohibition on the practice of shark finning” and ensure other nations “must also receive certification from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that its fisheries management policies are on par with US practices” and modifies the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is co-sponsoring the bill. So are U.S. Sens. Mike Braun, R-Ind., and Bill Cassidy, R-La.

Read the full story at Florida Daily