Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries to Require Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting for Commercial and For-Hire Vessels

November 9, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective November 10, 2021

NOAA Fisheries is approving a recommendation from both the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils to require federally permitted commercial fishing vessels to submit vessel trip reports electronically within 48 hours of the end of a trip.

Upon request of the New England Council, we are also extending this requirement to vessels issued for-hire (charter/party) permits for New England Council-managed fisheries (i.e., Northeast multispecies). Vessels issued a Mid-Atlantic Council for-hire permit have been required to submit vessel trip reports electronically since March 2018. Note, reporting requirements for vessels issued only a federal lobster permit are being addressed in a separate rulemaking and this action does not affect those vessels.

The effective date of this action is being delayed for 1 year, until November 10, 2021, to allow ample time for training on the various electronic reporting applications and to allow vessel owners and operators the time to find the appropriate application for their operations. Information on eVTR applications is available on our website.  Additional information on training opportunities can be found on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s website.

For more details, please read the rule as filed in the Federal Register or the bulletin.

Feds to allow same level of bluefish fishing in 2021

November 6, 2020 — Fishermen in the U.S. will be allowed to bring about the same amount of bluefish to the docks in the coming year under a proposal from the federal government.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it’s proposing keeping catch limits for the fish at mostly status quo. Bluefish is a popular food fish that is also prized by sport fishermen.

Commercial fishermen from New England to Florida brought more than 2.6 million pounds of the fish to docks in 2019. The largest producer of the fish was North Carolina, where the largest share of the fish came to docks.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

The United States National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council (NOMEC Council) Seeks Public Input on Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Efforts in the U.S. EEZ

November 6, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA:

The National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council (NOMEC Council), a group of federal agencies established to carry out the National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone, is requesting your input on developing an Implementation Plan and setting strategic priorities for the effort to map the entire U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by 2040 and explore and characterize strategic areas.

WHAT:

The public is invited to two Virtual Public Listening Sessions to discuss the NOMEC Strategy and Implementation Plan:

  • Session #1: Ocean Exploration and Characterization [November 16, 2:00-3:30pm EST via Zoom]
  • Session #2: Ocean Mapping [November 18, 2:00-3:30pm EST via Zoom]

REGISTRATION:

Session 1: Ocean Exploration and Characterization Nov 16, 2020 @ 2:00pm Eastern Time

Session 2: Ocean Mapping Nov 18, 2020 @ 2:00pm Eastern Time

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

REQUEST FOR COMMENTS:

The public is particularly encouraged to provide comments via email on the development of the NOMEC Implementation Plan and strategic priorities. Please submit comments and letters by email no later than Nov 12, 2020, to nomec.execsec@noaa.gov, with subject line “Public Comment on Implementation Plan for the National Strategy” for request #1 and subject line, “Public Comment on Exploration Priorities for the Implementation Plan” for request #2.

  1. Implementing a National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. EEZ The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a notice stating that the NOMEC Council requests input from all interested parties on the development of an Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. EEZ (“National Strategy”). Input should be provided by 12 November. 85 Fed. Reg. 64446 (10/13/20) [https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/10/13/2020-22411/request-for-comment-implementation-plan-for-the-national-strategy-for-ocean-mapping-exploring-and].
  2. Strategic priorities for mapping, exploring, and characterizing the U.S. EEZ NOAA issued a second notice stating that the NOMEC Council requests input from all interested parties on the strategic priorities to be included in the Implementation Plan for the National Strategy. Input should be provided by 12 November. 85 Fed. Reg. 64448 (10/13/20) [https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/10/13/2020-22413/request-for-information-implementation-plan-for-the-national-strategy-for-mapping-exploring-and].

All responses and questions can be addressed to nomec.execsec@noaa.gov. Please reach out for additional information or questions regarding NOMEC.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

The NOMEC Council seeks input from non-federal stakeholders interested mapping, exploration, and characterization from all sectors, including academia, non-profit, industry, and community partners. Please forward to anyone who may be interested.

BACKGROUND:

In November 2019, the United States issued the Presidential Memorandum on Ocean Mapping of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone and Shoreline and Nearshore of Alaska. Section 2 calls for Federal agencies to develop a strategy to conduct ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization exercises to meet the mandate to map the entire U.S. EEZ by 2040 and explore and characterize priority areas. Following this directive, in June of 2020, the White House released the National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone. This document sets forth a National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), for enhancing opportunities for collaboration among interagency and non-United States Government entities with respect to those activities, and creates the NOMEC Council. Public input is essential for developing the Implementation Plan to carry out the goals and objectives outlined in the National Strategy. The first federal register notice seeks input on the Implementation Plan to carry out the national strategy and the second federal register notice solicits input on the strategic priorities for exploration and characterization activities.

NOAA Fisheries Offers Paperless Ways to Receive Information about Fishing Regulations and Management Actions

November 5, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

  • This is an annual reminder that NOAA Fisheries offers you three ways to receive your fishery bulletins. These bulletins contain fishing regulation information and are typically referred to as “the blue sheets.”
  • You may receive a copy of the bulletins in three ways:
    • Electronic/E-mail
    • Mail
    • Text Message Notifications

MORE INFORMATION:

  • Electronic/E-mail:
    • To receive an on-line copy of NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fishery Bulletins, which explain current/proposed fishing regulations and other announcements, please visit https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/outreach-and-education/southeast-regional-fisheries-news-sign-or-follow-us. You can unsubscribe at any time.
    • An electronic copy of each bulletin, sent via e-mail, will be delivered to you faster than a paper copy, is in color, features informational links, and reduces paper use.
        • Note: If you already receive electronic fishery bulletins via email, your subscription will not be affected and you do NOT need to sign up again now.
  • Mail:
    • In an effort to better serve you, we want to update our records so the Southeast Fishery Bulletins you receive are of interest to you.
    • Please use the form below to let us know which region-specific bulletins you would like to receive.
    • Send your response to the following address:
      • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
        Southeast Regional Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division
        263 13th Avenue South
        Saint Petersburg, FL  33701

        • Note: If you already receive fishery bulletins in the mail, you still need to complete the attached form and send it back to NOAA Fisheries before December 31, 2020. If you do not send to the address above, you will not receive any bulletins in the mail after December 31, 2020.

Text Message Notifications:

  • NOAA’s Text Message Alert Program allows you to receive important fishery related alerts via text message (SMS).
  • Text alerts you receive may include, but are not limited to:
    • Immediate fishery openings and closures
    • Any significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly
  • Sign up for one or more of the following groups:
    • Gulf of Mexico Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts
      • Text GULFRECFISH to 888777
    • Gulf of Mexico Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts
      • Text GULFCOMMFISH to 888777
    • South Atlantic Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts
      • Text SATLRECFISH to 888777
    • South Atlantic Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts
      • Text SATLCOMMFISH to 888777
    • Caribbean Fisheries Related Alerts
      • Text CARIBFISH to 888777

Join us every other Friday on NOAA Fish Instagram for Rec Fish Friday!

This change will be EFFECTIVE January 1, 2021.

NOAA Fisheries Announces Proposed 2021 Bluefish Specifications

November 5, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is proposing the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended catch specifications for the 2021 bluefish fishery. These proposed catch limits are mostly status quo, with only slight changes in the final recreational harvest limit to account for most recent (2019) recreational catch data. A summary of the Council’s recommended specifications is shown in Table 1.

The commercial fishery state allocations for 2021 (Table 2) are based on the final coast-wide commercial quota, and the allocated percentages defined in the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan. No states exceeded their state allocated quota in 2019 or are projected to do so in 2020, so no adjustments are necessary for the 2021 commercial fishery.

All other management measures and requirements, including the recreational daily bag limit of 3 fish per person for private anglers and to 5 fish per person for for-hire (charter/party) vessels, would remain unchanged.

For more details on the proposed specifications, read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register, and submit your comments through the online portal. The comment period is open through November 20, 2020.

Read the full release here

Feds extend right whale protections to mid-November

November 3, 2020 — The federal government has extended protections designed to help keep a declining species of whale safe off New England until Nov. 15.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it is asking mariners to go slowly through an area south of Nantucket or avoid it completely. NOAA started the protections after an Aug. 31 sighting of a group of North Atlantic right whales.

Read the full story at The Wilton Bulletin

NOAA scientists study how offshore wind construction noise may affect black sea bass

November 3, 2020 — Scientists at federal fisheries laboratories are investigating how sound generated by the construction and operation of offshore wind turbines may affect black sea bass – a valuable species in the Northeast that is attracted to underwater structures like turbine foundations.

“No one knew for sure how much black sea bass can hear and how that changes as they age,” said Beth Phelan, a fishery biologist at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s laboratory at Sandy Hook, N.J. and a co-author of the study, in a narrative published online by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We do know that black sea bass are attracted to underwater structures, and have anecdotal information that they move away from noise. We had to first determine the range of sounds they can hear by giving them a type of hearing test, much like we do to humans.”

Black sea bass typically congregate around hard structure, including docks, jetties and shipwrecks, and recreational fishermen and charter captains target them around the Block Island Wind Farm turbines off Rhode Island. The species supports a commercial fishery from the Mid-Atlantic into southern New England, and with waters warming in the Northeast black sea bass are extending their range into the Gulf of Maine.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Commercial Harvest of Atlantic Group Cobia (Georgia through New York) Will Close in Federal Waters on November 6, 2020

November 3, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

WHAT/WHEN:

  • Commercial harvest of Atlantic group cobia (Georgia through New York) will close in federal waters at 12:01 a.m., local time, November 6, 2020. Commercial harvest will reopen in federal waters at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2021.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

  • The 2020 commercial quota is 50,000 pounds whole or gutted weight. NOAA Fisheries projects the 2020 Atlantic cobia quota for the commercial sector will be reached by November 6, 2020, based on reported landings to date and landings that are expected to be reported by dealers that do not have a federal dealer permit.
  • This closure is necessary to protect the Atlantic cobia resource by preventing the commercial quota from being exceeded.

DURING THE CLOSURE:

  • The sale or purchase of Atlantic migratory group cobia in or from federal waters during a closure is prohibited. The prohibition on sale and purchase does not apply to the sale or purchase of Atlantic cobia that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, November 6, 2020, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.

HAWAII: Application period for federal fishing funds begins today

November 2, 2020 — The CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act authorizes and provides appropriations to the U.S. Department of Commerce to aid qualified fisheries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over $300 million was identified for fisheries and aquaculture, with a total sum of $4,337,445 allocated for eligible Hawai‘i fishery sectors. The application period opens today.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources has developed a spending plan with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

Applications must be submitted to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission by Monday, Nov. 23. Interested applicants must review the spending plan to determine their eligibility.

Read the full story at The Garden Island

ALASKA: Seafood Bycatch Donation Relieves Hunger and Reduces Waste

November 2, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Fishermen sometimes unintentionally catch fish they do not want or cannot keep. This is called bycatch. While these fish are returned to the sea, many of them do not survive. This is a major problem worldwide—nearly 10 percent of global fishery catches are discarded each year

This waste of valuable seafood protein has been an increasing focus of management, industry, and public concern due to its ecological and economic impacts. That’s where our innovative donation program comes in.

Alaska fishermen occasionally catch Pacific halibut and salmon incidentally in trawls targeting groundfish. Because halibut and salmon are valuable targets of other fisheries, they are designated as prohibited species. Groundfish trawlers are not allowed to retain or sell them. Historically, all prohibited species caught in Alaska were discarded at sea to avoid any incentive to catch these species.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council and the Alaska seafood industry have a long history of cooperative efforts to reduce bycatch. However, even after bycatch has been eliminated to the extent practicable, some is inevitable.

In 1996, NOAA Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council established the Prohibited Species Donation Program. It takes a unique approach to the problem of discarded fish by making it possible for fishermen to donate some bycatch to hunger relief organizations. It simultaneously reduces waste, provides high quality seafood protein to people in need, and avoids incentives to catch prohibited species.

“Bycatch donation is an example of thinking outside the box. When we think about reducing waste, it is usually about avoiding bycatch. This program is a creative solution to maximize the value of the bycatch that can’t be avoided,”  said Jordan Watson, NOAA Fisheries biologist at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center.

Read the full release here