Saving Seafood

Evan Howell Appointed New Director for NOAA’s Office of Science & Technology

July 21, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA announced the appointment of Dr. Evan Howell as the new director of NOAA’s Office of Science and Technology. In this role, Dr. Howell will advocate and ensure a sound scientific basis for NOAA Fisheries science programs and resource conservation and management decisions. He will coordinate closely with six NOAA Fisheries science centers in Alaska, Northeast, Northwest, Pacific Islands, Southeast, and Southwest.

“The NOAA Fisheries science enterprise provides the foundation for understanding the dynamics of our marine ecosystems. We build on this understanding to provide sound science advice for the sustainable management of our commercial and recreational fisheries and the conservation of our protected species. As our new lead for NOAA Fisheries Office and Science and Technology, Dr. Evan Howell has the responsibility to help guide our agency through rapidly evolving technological and scientific capabilities and maintain our global leadership role. I have every confidence Evan will successfully meet these challenges based on his many years in science and leadership roles,” states Cisco Werner, Chief Science Advisor and Director of Scientific Programs for NOAA Fisheries.

For the past 5 years, Howell has served as the deputy director for the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, though he began work with NOAA Fisheries as a Cooperative Institute employee in the Pacific Region back in 1997. Overall, he has spent 15 of these 23 years as an ecosystem scientist, 3 years leading IT and data management development to support scientific research, and 5 years as deputy at the science center. Throughout his career, Howell has demonstrated his leadership and participated in scientific research coupling physical and biological processes to better understand critical habitat and possible climate effects on highly migratory and protected species in the central North Pacific ecosystem. As part of this research, Howell authored or co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers and participated in 11 NOAA or scientific partner research missions.

Read the full release here

The Pros And Cons Of Expanding United States Offshore Aquaculture In 2020

July 20, 2020 — An executive order issued by President Donald Trump on May 7th moved to open up federal waters to commercial fish farming (aquaculture). The area has previously been off-limits. The executive order intends to promote U.S. seafood production and create a hassle-free regulatory process for offshore aquaculture projects. While the aquaculture industry is celebrating, many conservationists and commercial fishers are not happy with the move.

Coastal waters in the U.S. are managed in zones under different authorities. The Submerged Lands Act of 1953 secured state control over waters from the coastline to three miles out to sea. Beyond that mark, waters are federally managed to 200 miles offshore. This federal zone is called the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). While nearshore aquaculture in the U.S. is regulated by states, there is currently no explicit authority in charge of permitting and regulating aquaculture in federal waters, which provides a significant stumbling block for anyone interested in starting up an offshore fish farm. The executive order designates the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the government agency lead on all aquaculture projects in the EEZ and also requires that all permitting decisions on new aquaculture projects be made within two years, significantly speeding up the process. “An executive order is needed to establish priority amongst the many agencies that have authority in the offshore space,” says Margaret Henderson, campaign manager for the aquaculture lobby group Stronger America Through Seafood.

Despite having the largest EEZ in the world, the U.S. currently has no commercial fish farms in any of it. NOAA fishery statistics indicate that approximately 90% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported, however this estimate is debated by some that argue that it is far less given the fact that much of the fish caught in the U.S. is exported for processing, only to be sent back to be consumed. Regardless of the percentage, proponents argue that expanding U.S. offshore aquaculture will lower imports and stimulate domestic production.

Read the full story at Forbes

MASSACHUSETTS: Markey Touts Fisheries Aid, Hedges NOAA Question in New Bedford

July 20, 2020 — In a New Bedford campaign stop on Friday U.S. Sen. Ed Markey touted his work to procure coronavirus aid for the fisheries and to secure federal port infrastructure funding for the city’s working waterfront.

He also spoke of upcoming battles on Capitol Hill, blasted Republicans, and hedged when asked by local reporters if he would support construction of a new NOAA Fisheries science center in New Bedford — a federal investment Mayor Jon Mitchell and other local officials have long been pushing for.

Markey, 74, is facing a Democratic primary challenge from 39-year-old U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III of Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District. Kennedy, in visiting New Bedford last week, made NOAA the cornerstone of his stump speech, insisting that the government scientists who conduct stock assessments central to the regulation of the commercial fisheries should share geographic proximity with the industry, and that as such the brand-new lab should be built in the Whaling City.

Fisheries scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been headquartered in the seaside scientific community of Woods Hole since the 1960s, and plans are afoot to replace their aging lab facility. Mitchell has been a strong advocate for building the center in New Bedford, saying it could help heal the uneasy relationship between commercial fishermen and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service while bringing economic development and jobs to the city. However, communities on Cape Cod have pushed back, saying NOAA should stay in Barnstable County.

Read the full story at WBSM

NOAA hires directors of offices of science and technology, sustainable fisheries

July 20, 2020 — NOAA has hired a new director of its Office of Science and Technology and director of its Office of Sustainable Fisheries.

Evan Howell, previously the deputy director for the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, has been hired to head the Office of Science and Technology, where he will “advocate and ensure a sound scientific basis for NOAA Fisheries science programs and resource conservation and management decisions,” according to the agency. In his role, Howell will coordinate the work being done at six NOAA Fisheries science centers in the U.S. Northeast, Northwest, Pacific Islands, Southeast, Southwest, and Alaska.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Reminder: Complete the COVID-19 Economic Survey

July 20, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

If you received a survey in the mail from NOAA Fisheries and our partner, the University of Florida, please complete it. The results will help us assess  the impact of COVID-19 on commercial/for-hire fishing operations and on seafood dealers and processors.

Survey participants were selected as part of a carefully designed random sample. If you received a letter, your response is very important to the success of this survey. It will take less than 6 minutes, and the information you provide is strictly confidential.

We are using this multi-region survey to inform NOAA Fisheries, the Department of Commerce, Congress, fishery management councils, state fishery managers, and stakeholders about the economic and social impacts that the recent economic downturn has had on the fishing industry.

NOAA Fisheries will draft reports for the public detailing the revenue losses and recovery of fishing-dependent businesses over the past few months.

If you have further questions regarding the survey please contact Eric Thunberg.

New England Lobster Fisheries Dip into Aquaculture

July 17, 2020 — After years of growth, lobster populations in the Gulf of Maine are declining due to warming waters, according to a study by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Fishers are looking to kelp farming to support their livelihoods and the environment.

“We have seen the lobster population just grow and grow [in past years],” Chris Townsend, a commercial fisher on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, tells Food Tank. But, he continues, “A lobster is very sensitive to temperature. As the water warms, they cannot come back to their traditional grounds where they drop their eggs off.”

The Gulf of Maine is the fastest warming body of water, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, gradual warming initially contributed to a boom in lobster populations, but warming waters, coupled with shell disease – a condition that makes lobsters susceptible to mineral loss – is already resulting in a decrease in lobster stocks.

Townsend has been working along the New England coast for 37 years. He now sells his catch to local fish markets, runs eco-tours, and continues to fish commercially. “You used to be able to go lobstering all the way down to South Jersey. Now the southern limit of lobsters is basically Rhode Island,” Townsend tells Food Tank.

Read the full story at Foodtank

Commercial Closure in Federal Waters for Atlantic Migratory Group Spanish Mackerel Northern Zone on July 22, 2020

July 17, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

WHAT/WHEN:

The commercial harvest of Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel northern zone in federal waters will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 22, 2020 and will re-open on March 1, 2021. The northern zone for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel includes federal waters from North Carolina through New York. During the commercial closure, harvest or possession of Spanish mackerel in or from the northern zone federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open, but those fish may not be sold.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial quota for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel northern zone. According to the accountability measure, harvest must close to prevent the quota from being exceeded.

DURING THE CLOSURE:

  • The prohibition on sale or purchase during a closure for Spanish mackerel does not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, July 22, 2020, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
  • During the closure, a person on board a vessel that has been issued a valid federal commercial permit for coastal migratory pelagic fish may continue to retain Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel in the northern zone under the recreational bag and possession limits, as long as the recreational sector for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel is open.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations.  Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=38b00fbc079181f330b3d8428a1d8fea&mc=true&n=pt50.12.622&r=PART&ty=HTML#sp50.12.622.q.

Commercial Closure of the Golden Tilefish Hook-and-Line Component in South Atlantic Federal Waters on July 23, 2020

July 17, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

WHAT/WHEN:
The commercial hook-and-line component for golden tilefish in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 23, 2020.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:
The 2020 commercial catch limit for the golden tilefish hook-and-line component is 82,935 pounds gutted weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial catch limit and harvest must close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded.

DURING AND AFTER THE CLOSURE:

  • The closure prohibitions for the commercial hook-and-line component apply in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a federal commercial South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper permit.
  • The South Atlantic golden tilefish commercial longline component already closed on March 23, 2020, for the remainder of the fishing year. Therefore, all commercial harvest and sale of South Atlantic golden tilefish will be prohibited effective at 12:01 a.m., local time, July 23, 2020.  Harvest or possession is limited to the golden tilefish recreational bag and possession limits when the recreational sector is open, without regard to where the golden tilefish was harvested (i.e. in state or federal waters).
  • Golden tilefish bag and possession limits and the prohibition on sale/purchase apply in the South Atlantic on board a vessel for which a valid federal commercial or charter vessel/headboat permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper has been issued, without regard to where such species were harvested, i.e., in state or federal waters.
  • The prohibitions on harvest or possession and sale or purchase during the closure do not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 23, 2020, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
  • The 2020 fishing season for golden tilefish commercial hook-and-line component in the South Atlantic will open on January 1, 2021, with a commercial catch limit of 82,935 pounds gutted weight.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations.  The complete list of regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=383bc195ccbeab4fd6bec1c24905df34&node=sp50.12.622.i&rgn=div6.

NOAA Fisheries Announces Closure of the Mid-Atlantic Scallop Access Area for the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota Fleet

July 17, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is closing the Mid-Atlantic Scallop Access Area to all federally permitted limited access general category individual fishing quota (LAGC IFQ) scallop vessels effective 0001 hr, on July 19, 2020.

As of July 19, 2020, no scallop vessel fishing under LAGC IFQ regulations may fish for, possess, or land scallops in or from the Mid-Atlantic Access Area. The scallop regulations require that we close this area once we project that the LAGC fleet has fished all of the 1,142 trips allocated for this area.

Vessels that  have declared a trip into the Mid-Atlantic Scallop Access Area using the correct Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) code, and have crossed the VMS demarcation line before 0001 hr, July 19, 2020, may complete their trip and retain and land scallops caught from the Mid-Atlantic Scallop Access Area.

For more details, read the notice as filed in the Federal Register and the permit holder bulletin.

Baleen Whales Have Changed Their Distribution in the Western North Atlantic

July 17, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Researchers have been using passive acoustic recordings of whale calls to track their movements. They have found that four of the six baleen whale species found in the western North Atlantic Ocean — humpback, sei, fin and blue whales — have changed their distribution patterns in the past decade. The recordings were made over 10 years by devices moored to the seafloor at nearly 300 locations from the Caribbean Sea to western Greenland.

“All four whale species were present in waters from the southeast U.S. to Greenland, with humpbacks also present in the Caribbean Sea,” said Genevieve Davis, a senior acoustician at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts and lead author of the study. “These four species were detected throughout all the regions in the winter, suggesting that baleen whales are widely distributed during these months. Humpback, sei, fin, and blue whales also showed significant changes in where they were detected between the two time periods considered in this study: before and after 2010.”

A large group of federal, state and academic researchers from the United States and Canada conducted the study, published in Global Change Biology. It is the first to show the occurrence of these four species across the western North Atlantic Ocean over long time spans and at a large spatial scale. The study also demonstrates how whale distributions have changed over time, and in particular since 2010.

Read the full release here