Saving Seafood

New Officer Takes the Helm of the Research Vessel Gloria Michelle

November 13, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Benjamin VanDine’s route to a career in the NOAA Corps ran through his love of diving, and doing research on corals in Bonaire during a college semester abroad. Today he is the officer-in-charge of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s research vessel Gloria Michelle.

No Salt Water in His Veins

Working on the ocean was not on the radar early in Ben VanDine’s life. Born and raised in the small town of Eagle in southeastern Wisconsin, freshwater was his playground. He enjoyed the lakes and river systems of Wisconsin and “up North” in Canada. The only family connection to the ocean was his grandfather, who served in the U.S. Navy shortly after the Korean War.

Ben was homeschooled through high school. In 2012, he graduated from Cedarville University in Ohio with a bachelor of science in biology.

While in college VanDine tutored students in biology and organic chemistry, and served as a volunteer firefighter for the local fire department.

Then, he spent a semester on the Dutch island of Bonaire in the Caribbean. He is an American Academy of Underwater Sciences diver and a professional rescue diver. He used these skills to conduct independent ecological research and gather coral cover data for Bonaire National Marine Park. He was hooked.

Read the full release here

Maine lobstermen group pans state whale plan

November 13, 2019 — The state of Maine has opted to go it alone against NOAA Fisheries and the plan drafted by the federal Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction team to impose new right whale protections. But that decision seems to have hit a sizable snag.

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association, the state’s largest and most influential lobster trade group, has said it will not support the state’s autonomous draft plan, not even over the more rigorous and restrictive plan developed by the take reduction team.

According to the MLA, both plans place too much onus and blame on the state’s $500 million lobster industry for entanglements that may lead to critical injuries or deaths for the imperiled North Atlantic right whales. Estimates are there are only about 400 of the whales.

“The Maine Lobstermen’s Association voted not to support the Maine Department of Marine Resources whale plan because it seeks reductions that exceed the documented risk posed by the Maine lobster fishery as demonstrated in MLA’s analysis of (NOAA Fisheries) data,” the MLA said in a statement. “The MLA conducted a thorough analysis of fishing gear removed from entangled right whales which revealed that lobster is the least prevalent gear. The MLA is also concerned the state’s plan creates unsolved safety and operational challenges for some sectors in the lobster industry.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Federal habitats to protect whales would reach to Alaska

November 12, 2019 — The National Marine Fisheries Service proposed creating critical habitat sites to protect humpback whales that will extend to waters off Alaska, officials said.

The habitats are focused on the feeding areas of groups of humpback whales and include the area off Juneau, The Juneau Empire reported Sunday.

A critical habitat does not establish a sanctuary or preserve, said Lisa Manning, an official with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which includes the fisheries service. Manning conducted a public presentation about critical habitats at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau last week.

“It does not affect recreational activities. It does not affect private lands,” Manning said. “It only affects federal activities.”

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Washington Times

Even baby fish are eating plastics, Hawaii study finds

November 12, 2019 — Recent evidence has shown that adult fish are eating plastics in the ocean and suffering from perils such as malnutrition and toxicant buildup.

Now, for the first time, a study conducted in Hawaii shows baby fish are ingesting tiny plastics, too.

The research, published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that both young coral reef fish and open-ocean species are consuming plastic as early as days after they are spawned.

Working in the waters off West Hawaii, an international team of researchers focused on surface slicks — naturally occurring ribbons of smooth water at the ocean surface that are formed when underwater waves converge near coastlines, according to a NOAA news release. These biologically rich ribbons of water aren’t always visible to the eye but are commonly seen, especially if wind conditions are right.

Found in coastal waters around the world, the surface slicks accumulate high concentrations of plankton, a key food source that lures larval fish in huge numbers. These watery nurseries harbor an impressive variety of species from a range of habitats, ranging from the deep ocean waters to shallow-water reefs.

Read the full story at The Honolulu Star Advertiser

NOAA Fisheries Sets Management Measures for the Jonah Crab Fishery

November 12, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has approved federal measures for the Jonah crab fishery that complement the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Jonah Crab.

Approved measures include:

Sector

Management Measure

Requirement

Commercial

Vessel permitting

Landing requires a federal lobster permit

Minimum size

4.75-inch (12.065-cm) carapace width

Broodstock protection

Prohibit retention of egg-bearing females

Incidental limit

Up to 1,000 crabs per trip

Incidental latch definition

Up to 50 percent of weight onboard

Dealer permitting and reporting

Federal dealer permit required and mandatory Federal dealer reporting

Recreational

Broodstock protection

Prohibit retention of egg-bearing females

Catch limit

50 crabs per day

Read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register and the permit holder bulletin available on our website.

Marine Heatwave in the Pacific Shrinks from “Blob” in Size, Retreats Farther Offshore

November 11, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The vast marine heatwave that spread warm temperatures across the northeast Pacific Ocean late in the summer and fall of 2019 has declined in size and pulled back from the West Coast, possibly reducing its immediate impacts on coastal ecosystems.

It has declined to about half the size and intensity it displayed in August. However scientists caution that the heatwave designated MHW NEP19a remains two to three times the size of Alaska and still retains enormous amounts of heat in the upper layers of ocean. It remains one of the top four or five largest heatwaves on record in the North Pacific in the last 40 years.

“What we are seeing now is a smaller heatwave that is farther offshore, but there is still a very large span of the Pacific Ocean that is much warmer than usual,” said Andrew Leising, a research scientist at NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) in La Jolla, California. Leising has developed criteria to detect and gauge the size and magnitude of marine heatwaves. “The question is, where does it go from here? That’s what we’re watching now.”

The edge of the heatwave is now about 1,500 kilometers (about 930 miles) from the West Coast, but still envelops much of the Gulf of Alaska. It no longer so closely resembles the enormous earlier marine heatwave known as “the Blob” that affected much of the West Coast through 2014 and 2015, causing reverberations through the food web.

Low salmon returns to many West Coast rivers in the last few years have been linked to the Blob, which reduced the availability of food when the salmon first entered the ocean as juveniles.

Read the full release here

DAVE MONTI: NOAA called out for doing its job

November 11, 2019 — The fishing industry in Massachusetts and Rhode Island collaborates with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

This is the way it should be.

It was no surprise to me when a story titled ‘Emails show bond between NOAA, fishermen against project’ appeared in Energy & Environmental (E & E) News on Oct. 25.

In Rhode Island and Massachusetts, big fishing (those representing major fishing companies or fishing associations), were reportedly discussing a review of the Vineyard Wind ocean wind farm environmental study with NOAA staff, some from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

By design, NOAA and fishermen are supposed to work together. Historically NOAA has conducted the longest running fish stock survey up and down the east coast. The survey serves as a tool, along with formal stock assessments, establishment of allowable catch limits, rebuilding time lines and the development of fishery management plans for each species. These are the successful measures outlined in our national fishing law, the Magnuson Stevens Act (and its eight regional councils), that have successful rebuilt 45 of our fish stocks since 2009.

It is the job of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to work closely with fishermen, so yes, when it comes to ocean wind farm development in our oceans that may impact fishing, it is NMFS’s job to talk to fishermen, review research and research approaches and express their perspective on how it will impact fish, fishing and habitat.

However, the ocean does not belong to fishermen, big fishing companies or ocean wind farm developers. No one special interest group should have the right to block the development of a natural resource (whether it be ocean wind farms or fishing) because the oceans are a natural resource for the benefit of all the people of the United States of America. The ocean belongs to all of us.

Read the full story at The Sun Chronicle

NOAA proposes humpback whale habitat protections

November 11, 2019 — NOAA’s fisheries division, the National Marine Fisheries Service, has proposed creating a number of critical habitat sites ranging from the Channel Islands in southern California to the Bering Sea, including the waters off Juneau.

The critical habitats, created with the aim of protecting the feeding areas of three separate groups of humpback whales, or Megaptera novaeangliae, will not affect anything except for federal agencies seeking to use those waters for other purposes, said Lisa Manning, an official with NOAA. Her presentation to the public on the proposed habitats was held at University of Alaska Southeast on Thursday evening, and was attended by more than 30 people.

“A critical habitat does not establish a sanctuary or preserve. It does not affect recreational activities. It does not affect private lands,” Manning said. “It only affects federal activities.”

The proposed habitats, which cover 175,182 square nautical miles in total, are the traditional feeding areas of three of the 14 major humpback whale distinct population segments (DPS), Manning said. The three groups that come to Alaska and California to summer and feed spend the rest of their time west of Mexico, west of Central America and east of Taiwan respectively. These three groups are currently threatened, and protecting their feeding areas may help them to regain their footing, Manning said. Some of these groups may number 2,000 whales or less.

Read the full story at the Juneau Empire

$4 Million Available for New Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Projects

November 11, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA is committed to promoting healthy ecosystems and resilient coastal communities. We are announcing the availability of up to $4 million in Community-based Restoration Program funding for new coastal and marine habitat restoration projects in 2020. We are seeking proposals from non-federal partners for projects that will help recover threatened and endangered species and promote sustainable fisheries. We will also continue funding 19 projects selected in 2019.

Investing in habitat restoration and recovery projects leads to real, lasting differences for communities, businesses, and the environment. By removing dams and other barriers, restoring coral and oyster reefs, and rebuilding coastal wetlands, selected projects will not just support protected resources and sustainable fisheries. They will also yield community and economic benefits, such as increased coastal resilience and recreational opportunities.

This funding opportunity requires a pre-proposal. The pre-proposals will help determine if proposed projects are well-suited for this specific funding competition and if a full proposal is warranted. Pre-proposals are due January 8, 2019. Applicants who are successful in the pre-proposal process will be eligible to submit full proposals, with a deadline in April 2020.

NOAA will not accept proposals with a federal funding request of less than $75,000 or more than $3 million over a three-year award period. For more information, view the Fiscal Year 2020 Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Grants funding opportunity.

Since 1996, the Community-based Restoration Program has provided more than $196 million to implement more than 2,150 coastal habitat restoration projects. Partnering with more than 2,900 organizations, we have restored more than 90,000 acres of habitat for fish and opened 4,070 stream miles for fish passage.

Veterans Become Budding Marine Scientists through Washington Internship Program

November 8, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

In the Puget Sound region of Washington, Kate Rovinski helps study Dungeness crabs at NOAA’s Mukilteo Research Station, part of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. The crabs are the target of a valuable West Coast fishery at high risk to the effects of ocean acidification. Rovinski got started in the lab through a promising new pathway for veterans in marine science: the NOAA Washington Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Conservation Corps Internship Program.

The internship program allows veterans to be part of marine science research teams. Work includes both lab and field experiences in a range of disciplines related to the health of Puget Sound, including salmon recovery and ocean acidification.

Field work in particular can provide the veterans with valuable “ecotherapy”—referring to the therapeutic benefits of interacting with nature. Ecotherapy can help veterans who are experiencing post-traumatic stress syndrome, or who are transitioning back to their communities following military service.

Rovinski is one of a number of veterans who have completed the internship. Many graduates of the program go on to work in fisheries with local tribes or to study marine science in graduate school. Rovinski didn’t have much field experience when she applied, but volunteer experience at a salmon hatchery and as an educator deckhand on the Schooner Adventuress made a difference.

“Don’t let perceived lack of experience hold you back from applying if you’re passionate about conservation, especially if ecotherapy resonates with you,” said Rovinski. She encourages veterans who have a strong interest in the marine environment to consider the opportunity.

Read the full release here