Saving Seafood

Long-running plankton survey to resume this winter

October 28, 2020 — Scientists this winter will revive a long-running survey of plankton in the Gulf of Maine. Plankton, drifting microscopic sea organisms, are food for endangered North American right whales and other marine species. 

The Gulf of Maine plankton survey was originally performed from 1961–2017. It is returning under a new agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth, England, and the Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.  

“Many marine species are shifting their distributions as ocean waters warm,” said Chris Melrose, a research oceanographer at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s laboratory in Narragansett, R.I. “Because plankton are an important food source for many species, including the endangered North Atlantic right whale, knowing about changes in the plankton helps us to understand other changes we see in the ecosystem.” 

Melrose, who is NOAA representative on the agreement, said continuing the survey “is essential to understanding the impact of climate change to marine ecosystems.”  

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander

MAINE: Zone C lobster council OK’s trawl limit plan

October 27, 2020 — With the National Oceanic Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under a fast approaching, court-imposed deadline to develop new whale protection rules, the Zone C Lobster Management Council held a special meeting on the internet in late September to get an update on the situation from Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher and consider a zone-specific plan for gear modifications that will likely be required by NMFS.

On Aug. 19, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg gave NMFS nine months to craft new rules to protect endangered right whales from entanglement in lobster fishing gear. In April, Boasberg had ruled that NMFS violated the federal Endangered Species Act in 2014 when it adopted new rules governing the lobster fishery by failing to adequately consider the risk right whales might face if they become entangled in the vertical lines that connect lobster traps on the sea floor to marker buoys on the surface.

The judge vacated the NMFS “biological opinion” required by the ESA, which allowed continuation of the lobster fishery as it is currently practiced.

In August, the judge gave NMFS and the lobster industry until May 31, 2020, to come up with a new biological opinion and new lobster fishing regulations. He ordered NMFS to submit progress reports to the court every 60 days beginning Sept. 30.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

Black Sea Bass Sensitive to Ocean Noise in Wind Energy Development Areas

October 27, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Scientists looking at the effects of underwater pile driving and construction noise on sea life have found that black sea bass can hear these sounds. The noise may interfere with their natural behavior.

Their study is the first to look at the impact of ocean noise on this fish species. It found that younger fish were more sensitive to sounds than older fish. The frequencies at which the fish are most sensitive to sound directly overlap with frequencies of human-produced noise pollution. This noise comes from activities like shipping and the underwater construction required for offshore wind farms.

“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, New Jersey and a co-author of the study. “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 are a commercially and recreationally important fish in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, the coastal region from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to southern New England. Wind farms planned in the region overlap with current black sea bass habitat, exposing fish to construction and operational noises. Pile driving, for example, produces sounds that might stress fish, impacting their choice of habitat, feeding, social interaction and reproduction.

Read the full release here

Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change on Economically Important Fish Species

October 26, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Researchers at NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center and Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory are teaming up. They want to understand how changing ocean conditions might be influencing commercially important fish stocks. The project will identify key physical processes that affect the biology and chemistry of waters used by coastal migratory species. They will pool their modeling capacities to investigate factors influencing fish stocks in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Bight. These stocks are managed by NOAA Fisheries and the regional Fishery Management Councils.

Building on previous research collaborations, the scientists will continue advancing these modeling efforts to support marine resources management and conservation. “We have configured several high-resolution models for the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and South Atlantic Bight,” said Laboratory scientist Dr. Sang-Ki Lee. “Using these models, we have built close collaborations between our laboratory and the science center addressing key scientific questions, including the impacts of increasing ocean temperatures on coral bleaching and spawning of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, impacts of El Niño and increased rainfall on plankton patterns in the Texas-Louisiana shelf, and seasonal variability in ocean carbon chemistry in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Coastal migratory species, such as king mackerel, greater amberjack, red porgy, and red grouper, are key commercial and recreational species that support a billion-dollar economy. The most recent stock assessments for these species indicated that the stocks began declining in the late 2000s. This indicates either reduced population reproductivity, migration out of the management area, or both.

A stock assessment is the process of collecting, analyzing, and reporting demographic information to determine changes in the abundance of fishery stocks in response to fishing. They are also used to predict future trends of stock abundance. The stock assessments track the age structure of the adult population to determine how many new fish are expected in the future. When the actual number does not match the expected number, it reflects that something other than stock abundance is affecting the population, such as the environment or a predator species.

Read the full release here

Long-Running Plankton Survey to Resume in the Gulf of Maine

October 23, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

A new agreement between NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth, England and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will allow a plankton survey to resume. The survey was originally conducted across the Gulf of Maine from 1961 to 2017.

NOAA Fisheries is providing funding for the survey through the NOAA Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region, hosted by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The Marine Biological Association manages merchant vessel-based plankton surveys around the world. The association will run and maintain the resumed Gulf of Maine survey through 2024 under this agreement.

“Continuing a long-term time series like the Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey is essential to understanding the impact of climate change to marine ecosystems,” said Chris Melrose, a research oceanographer at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s laboratory in Narragansett, Rhode Island and NOAA representative on the agreement.

“Many marine species are shifting their distributions as ocean waters warm,” explained Melrose. “Because plankton are an important food source for many species, including the endangered North Atlantic right whale, knowing about changes in the plankton helps us to understand other changes we see in the ecosystem.”

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces Changes to Transit Provisions for SA Shrimp Fishery

October 23, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

KEY MESSAGES:

  • NOAA Fisheries announces changes to provisions for shrimp trawl vessels transiting through cold weather closed areas with brown, pink, or white shrimp on board in federal waters of the South Atlantic.
  • The rule will allow trawl doors in the rack (cradle), nets in the rigging and tied down, and try net on the deck during transit.
  • The final rule for Amendment 11 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region will update the regulations to more closely align with current fishing practices, reduce the socio-economic impacts for fishermen who transit these closed areas, and improve safety at sea while maintaining protection for overwintering white shrimp.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

  • Regulations will be effective November 23, 2020.

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION:

  • 85 FR 67309; October 22, 2020.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

Where can I find more information on Amendment 11?

By Mail: Frank Helies
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office
Sustainable Fisheries Division
263 13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505

By FAX: (727) 824-5308

By Phone: (727) 824-5305

NOAA Seeks Public Input on New Aquaculture Opportunity Area Initiative

October 23, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

  • NOAA Fisheries is seeking public input on the identification of areas within the Gulf of Mexico as Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) and on what other areas in the nation NOAA should consider for future AOAs.
  • An AOA is a small defined geographic area that has been evaluated to determine its potential suitability for commercial aquaculture. NOAA will use a combination of scientific analysis and public engagement to identify areas that are environmentally, socially, and economically appropriate for commercial aquaculture.
  • Identifying AOAs is an opportunity for NOAA to use best available global science-based guidance on sustainable aquaculture management, and support the “triple bottom line” of environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

On May 7, 2020, the White House issued an Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth (E.O. 13921). The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Commerce to identify Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, other appropriate Federal officials, and appropriate Regional Fishery Management Councils, and in coordination with appropriate State and tribal governments. This includes:

Within 1 year of the Executive Order, identifying at least two geographic areas containing locations suitable for commercial aquaculture;

Within 2 years of identifying each area, completing a National Environmental Policy Act, programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for each area to assess the impact of siting aquaculture facilities there;

For each of the following 4 years, identifying two additional geographic areas containing locations suitable for commercial aquaculture and completing a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for each area within 2 years of the dates they are identified.

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED:

Public input is a critical component of the process of identifying AOAs in the Gulf of Mexico. On October 23, 2020, NOAA Fisheries published a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register (85 FR 67519), requesting interested parties provide input on potential areas in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico that may be suitable for AOA development. Please refer to the “Supplementary Information” section of the RFI for specific questions NOAA seeks input on and the “Addresses” section for how to submit comments.

In addition to the RFI, national and regional listening sessions have been scheduled to provide opportunities for the public to learn more about the AOAs process. Information on national and regional (Gulf of Mexico) listening sessions are below:

  • National Listening Session: November 5, 2020, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern
  • Gulf of Mexico Listening Session: November 17, 2020, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern
  • National Listening Session: November 19, 2020, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern

Links and toll-free phone numbers for each webinar can be found here.

NOAA Fisheries Announces a New and Improved Catch Shares Online System

October 22, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

  • NOAA Fisheries is currently developing an updated Catch Shares Online System. The new system will be hosted in a cloud application that should decrease the unexpected down-times in the future.
  • As development of the new Catch Shares Online System is underway, NOAA Fisheries will be looking for volunteers, both shareholder and dealer account holders, to help test functions in the new system. If users are interested in testing the new online system, they should contact Catch Share Support at nmfs.ser.catchshare@noaa.gov.
  • Catch Share Support anticipates the new online system will launch in fall 2020. The official date will be listed on the current system’s messages when known.
  • The new online system will function in a similar manner to the existing online system with some long awaited improvements, including mobile phone and tablet compatibility.

NEW URL

  • The URL to the website will be changing to https://SECatchShares.fisheries.noaa.gov/
  • Be sure to update all bookmarks.
  • Please note that NOAA Fisheries will redirect from the old website for the foreseeable future.

INCREASED SECURITY THROUGH STRONGER PIN REQUIREMENTS

  • Must have at least fifteen (15) non-blank characters.
  • Must contain each of the following categories:
    1. Two English upper-case characters (A-Z)
    2. Two English lower-case characters (a-z)
    3. Two Special Characters
    4. Two Numbers (0-9)
  • New PIN may not be the same as the current PIN or past eight (8) PINs

INCREASED SECURITY THROUGH SECRET QUESTIONS

  • Secret question and answer development will become mandatory.
  • Account PIN will only be recoverable by answering secret questions.
  • Answering secret questions will provide a temporary PIN to access account.
  • Upon logging in with the temporary PIN, users will be prompted to create a new account PIN following new PIN requirements.

**To facilitate this change, users should consider meeting the new PIN and secret question requirements before the new system is launched, as we anticipate increased call volume during the transition.**

LANDING TRANSACTIONS WITH DIFFERENT PRICES PER POUND FOR THE SAME SPECIES

  • The system will now accept multiple entries per species to allow for different prices per pound in one landing transaction, rather than having to submit multiple transactions.
  • Therefore, if someone lands red snapper at two different prices per pound, they can record red snapper in the same transaction two different times, with the appropriate weight and price per pound (e.g., 100 pounds at $4.50 and 50 pounds at $5.00).

Read the full release here

New report reveals insights into the condition of natural and cultural resources of Papahānaumokuākea

October 22, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA:

The State of the Monument Report

NOAA has published a peer-reviewed State of the Monument report that was jointly produced by the co-trustees of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The report includes information on the status and trends of living resources, habitats, ocean conditions, maritime and cultural archaeological resources, and the human activities and natural events that affect them.

The data used in the report were collected from research over the last 10 years. Assessments of status and trends involved scientists and researchers from the monument’s management agencies and partners, and were based on the most recent data available as well as expert opinion.

An unrivalled reef ecosystem

Located northwest of the main Hawaiian islands, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is virtually unpopulated. Because of its isolation, scale, and high degree of protection, the monument provides an unrivalled example of reef ecosystems still dominated by top predators such as sharks. This is not seen in most other island environments due to human activity.

Papahānaumokuākea is of great importance to Native Hawaiians, and has spiritual significance in Hawaiian cosmology. Cultural sites found on the islands of Nihoa and Mokumanamana are on both National and State Registers for Historic Places. Mokumanamana has one of the highest densities of sacred sites in the Hawaiian Archipelago.

The monument is also home to a variety of post-Western-contact historic resources, such as those associated with maritime heritage, the Battle of Midway, and 19th century commercial whaling.

What the report says

Impacts from local human uses have been relatively few, and the monument’s reefs and other marine resources are considered to be in nearly pristine condition. However, some marine habitat has been impacted by derelict fishing gear, large storms, aggressive nuisance algae, and coral bleaching. Most marine areas of the monument have not been significantly affected and are in relatively good to fair condition.

Read the full release here

FB20-063: NOAA Fisheries Announces Changes to Transit Provisions for the South Atlantic Shrimp Fishery

October 22, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGES:

  • NOAA Fisheries announces changes to provisions for shrimp trawl vessels transiting through cold weather closed areas with brown, pink, or white shrimp on board in federal waters of the South Atlantic.
  • The rule will allow trawl doors in the rack (cradle), nets in the rigging and tied down, and try net on the deck during transit.
  • The final rule for Amendment 11 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region will update the regulations to more closely align with current fishing practices, reduce the socio-economic impacts for fishermen who transit these closed areas, and improve safety at sea while maintaining protection for overwintering white shrimp.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

  • Regulations will be effective November 23, 2020

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION:

  • 85 FR 67309; October 22, 2020. 

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

Where can I find more information on Amendment 11? 

  • By Phone: (727) 824-5305
  • By FAX: (727) 824-5308