Saving Seafood

Illegal Wildlife Smuggling Operation Shut Down in Puerto Rico

November 27, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement led a joint investigation resulting in the sentencing of two Dominican nationals. They were sentenced to a combined 4 years in prison for smuggling live American juvenile eels. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico and the Environmental and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section successfully prosecuted Simon De la Cruz Paredes and Saul Enrique José De la Cruz. Paredes was sentenced to 24 months in prison and De la Cruz was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Coast Guard identified and intercepted the two smugglers in February. They were transiting in a high speed panga in federal waters north of Puerto Rico. The smugglers refused to heave to and follow USCG orders, ultimately leading USCG to disable their vessel’s engines through force. Upon boarding, USCG officers noticed large bags containing live eels and aerators, in addition to a firearm and ammunition. USCG officers contacted NOAA Enforcement officials to aid in determining the bag’s contents and jurisdiction. Our close collaboration and cross-training with partner agencies aided in identifying the suspects intent to smuggle wildlife and started the joint investigation.

Our enforcement agents and officers train USCG personnel at their regional training centers. They develop close working relationships with local sector Living Marine Resource officers, who specialize in fishery related boardings. USCG personnel are trained to identify and inspect vessels and persons potentially engaging in illegal fishing activities. In this case, USCG officers informed NOAA enforcement of a potential fisheries violation. We consulted with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources biologists to determine the species seized. American eels spend part of their lives in freshwater, which falls under the responsibility of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We worked with USFWS agents in the investigation. DNER rangers assisted with transport of the suspects and evidence upon USCG’s arrival in San Juan, Puerto Rico. “Our joint enforcement partnerships expand our ability to enforce marine resource laws more efficiently,” said Paige Casey, acting Assistant Director of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement Southeast Division. “In this case, we saw how effective our partnerships are with the successful arrest and prosecution of two individuals who illegally harvested eels. Our collaboration is vital in ensuring that individuals who violate marine resource laws are held fully accountable.”

The harvest of juvenile eels, commonly known as glass eels, are a lucrative business. They typically yield $2,200 per kilogram in a legal market. Black markets supported through operations similar to Parede’s and De la Cruz’s actions can increase retail prices of glass eels and encourage illegal activity. The Coast Guard seized more than 100,000 eels, estimated at $132,000. The two suspects spent months illegally harvesting eels at a freshwater creek in Puerto Rico. After illegally harvesting the eels, they attempted to transport the catch to the Dominican Republic. The eels would then be sold in Asian markets where the product would ultimately be worth more than $1 million.

NOAA Fisheries enforces fisheries and seafood regulations. Illegal wildlife trafficking, such as these eels, falls under the Lacey Act. Identifying and putting a halt to illegal seafood coming into or leaving the United States is integral in protecting our domestic fisheries. This successful prosecution is credited to the close working relationship we have with our partner agencies. It aids in ensuring a level playing field exists for U.S. seafood dealers and distributors.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

NOAA Fisheries introduces new net design for integrated US West Coast survey

November 27, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries says a new, innovative net design will help the agency improve and streamline its fisheries surveys along the West Coast.

Developed together with Ocean Gold Seafoods and Seattle-based net manufacturer Swan Nets, the Multi-Function Trawl net allows NOAA research vessels to harvest fish at different depths. That enables a research vessel to set the net for midwater depths to catch Pacific hake during the day, and then adjust the net for surface level trawling to catch sardines and anchovies at night.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA Committee Conducting Survey on Methods to Deter Conflicts with Marine Mammals

November 26, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Some marine mammal populations have rebounded in recent decades. But this conservation success story can also lead to conflicts with fisheries, harbors, and property owners. This includes dolphins, whales, seals, and sea lions eating fish from hooks and nets and damaging fishing gear and harbor infrastructure, which leads to economic losses.

To learn more about how deterrent methods are being used, the NOAA Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee has released an anonymous survey on marine mammal deterrents. The goal of this survey is to identify which marine mammal deterrents are considered the most effective by users to protect fishing gear, fishing catches, vessels, docks, aquaculture facilities, and other property. Data and information from the survey will inform recommendations on how NOAA Fisheries (or partners) could best invest future resources to further research marine mammal deterrents.

“The information gathered through this survey will help us understand the nature of marine mammal interactions and use of deterrents in various situations,” said Kristy Long, from the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act have fostered species recovery since their passage in the early 1970s. The MMPA prohibits the “take” of marine mammals—including harassment, hunting, capturing, collecting, or killing—in U.S. waters and by U.S. citizens on the high seas. One exception allows specified users to deter marine mammals from damaging fishing gear and catch as well as public and private property. These deterrents cannot result in mortality or serious injury to marine mammals.

The survey is anonymous and voluntary so that respondents provide honest input on all current deterrents used to deter marine mammals.

“This survey is an opportunity for fishermen and harbor and dock owners to have their voices heard” says Kim Raum-Suryan, from NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division, Alaska Region. “We hope those affected by marine mammal conflicts will take advantage of this survey to provide information that will work toward reducing these interactions so fishermen can retain their gear and catch and marine mammals will remain safe.”

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA announce $147.5 million to transform NOAA data collection and analysis

November 26, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration and NOAA announced a $147.5 million Inflation Reduction Act investment to strengthen NOAA’s science and management capabilities that support climate-ready fisheries. This funding will enable NOAA to modernize its science enterprise, delivering critical information and tools to support decision-making and adaptation strategies for rapidly changing marine ecosystems.

“This funding, made possible thanks to President Biden’s historic Inflation Reduction Act, will make our nation’s fisheries, protected species and coastal communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “By strengthening NOAA’s scientific efforts to help us better understand and plan for changing marine conditions, we are making smart investments in the economic and climate resilience of communities across our entire country.”

NOAA Fisheries will use $107.5 million to enhance science and data collection to account for the effects of climate change and improve fish and marine mammal stock assessments. This funding will modernize and transform the agency’s technological capabilities, and broaden the scope of observations that NOAA collects using innovative methods like uncrewed systems, remote sensing and environmental DNA collection. 

Another $40 million will fund the Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative to provide resource managers and fishing communities with the information they need to build resilience and adapt to changing marine ecosystems. This initiative will establish an operational decision-support system to track changes in marine ecosystems, and assess risks to valuable resources and the communities who depend on them. It will also identify options for reducing risks and bolstering resilience in the face of changing climate and ocean conditions. 

To implement the initiative, NOAA will allocate $20 million to NOAA Fisheries and $4 million to NOAA’s National Ocean Service to enhance regional capacity to forecast future ecosystem conditions, evaluate risks and provide actionable advice for climate-informed resource management and community adaptation. To support these efforts, an additional $16 million will go to NOAA Research to develop the state-of-the-art forecasts and long-term projections of ocean and Great Lakes conditions needed to evaluate risks and identify strategies for adaptation and resilience.

“The climate crisis means warming oceans, rising sea levels, diminishing sea ice and increasing acidification — all profoundly impacting coastal ecosystems and every aspect of NOAA’s mission,” said Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries Janet Coit. “We have an unprecedented opportunity to advance our scientific understanding of our rapidly changing ocean and deliver critical information to communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems.”

This funding is part of the historic $3.3 billion in Inflation Reduction Act investments that NOAA first announced in June 2023, which is focused on ensuring America’s communities and economies are ready for and resilient to climate change. It complements other Inflation Reduction Act priority areas and NOAA Fisheries mission efforts, including the revised Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management Road Map. 

Learn more about NOAA Fisheries’ Inflation Reduction Act priority investments in climate-ready fisheries and coasts.  

US government awards USD 9 million for Pacific salmon recovery research

November 25, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries has awarded USD 9 million (EUR 8.6 million) for academic research designed to help Pacific salmon populations recover.

Most of the money – USD 7.5 million (EUR 7.2 million) – was awarded to the Cooperative Institute for Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Systems at the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC). University staff will partner with NOAA scientists through the Fisheries Collaborative Program to conduct research in support of salmon recovery.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

On Deck With Observer 0001— Looking Back 30 Years

November 22, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries has been deploying observers onto U.S. fishing vessels for the past three decades as part of the Pacific Islands Region Observer Program. Observers collect data on fishermen’s effort and catch, as well as incidental, or unintentional, interactions with protected species like sea turtles and marine mammals. But the program wouldn’t be where it is today without the pioneering observers from the first class of graduates in 1994. We recently sat down with Tonya Wick, the region’s first official observer, to look back on the program’s early days.

What made you decide to become an observer?

After graduating from the University of California, Davis, I found a job as a wine chemist at a winery in Oregon. (I had taken some viticulture jobs during my undergraduate coursework.) But I was still trying to find my dream job in fisheries. I had applied to the Peace Corps to work in their aquaculture program in Africa. I also found the Hawaiʻi observer job announcement working for NOAA Fisheries. Observing sounded challenging and pretty cool.

What experience or schooling was required to become an observer when you applied?

Oddly enough, I still have the original observer job recruitment notice from 1993! The observer job title was for a biological science technician, GS-5, based in Honolulu. At the time, the requirement was either 1 year of experience in fisheries at a GS-4 level, or 4 years of education above the high school level leading to a bachelor’s degree with major study in biology, chemistry, statistics, physics or mathematics. The announcement also details such things as “live and sleep in cramped quarters,” “no showers,” “does not have separate facilities for women,” “trips are 1 to 8 weeks in duration,” “operate in the open ocean in all weather and sea conditions,” etc.  And, I might add, no radio contact and no cell phones back in 1994. I knew what I was getting into and loved the idea. Looking back it was the experience of a lifetime.

How did you become the first official observer?

I attended a 3-week training course with 14 other trainees (there were three other women) in Honolulu at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in February 1994. At the end of the course, we had to take a 2-hour long final exam. After the exam, the instructors announced, “We hate to report someone got 100 percent!” They were referring to me and followed up, “because you got a 100 on the exam, you’ll be the first to go out: observer #1, trip 1.”

What was your first trip like?

I was part of an all-Vietnamese crew that I believe was fishing for tuna. A day or two before we left, my supervisor, Tom Shearer, and I went down to the docks. We visited the first vessel that was randomly chosen to take an observer (observer 0001) to introduce me to the captain (Captain Andy—nicest guy ever). As we were talking, they broke the news that I (a woman) was in fact the observer… He dramatically pretended to faint—as women were bad luck at sea—but it was actually kind of funny. In the end, the 28-day fishing trip went very well. They caught a lot of fish, so I was then considered good luck! It was a good experience for my first time. They were so welcoming. It was also the first time I saw sperm whales, as we motored by Molokaʻi. That trip set the stage for it being promising for us to get data on sea turtles.

As an observer, what tasks did you do on the vessels?

The funding for the observers came from the Endangered Species Act, so we were there primarily to collect data on bycatch of sea turtles. We collected data on more than just interactions with protected species, though. We collected data on setting and retrieving the longline gear. During haulback, we documented the number of hooks set, catch by species, and life history data on individual species (for example, swordfish, tuna, and all protected species). We also tagged sea turtles and performed marine mammal scans while the gear was soaking or when we were motoring to haulback positions.

What is your favorite memory from your time as an observer?

We motored 10 days north to swordfish fishing grounds on one longline trip. As we were motoring, a pod of hundreds of Pacific white-sided dolphins, mixed with Northern right whale dolphins, surrounded our boat for hours. One fur seal was also there and rode the bow of our fishing vessels. It was like the fur seal thought he was a dolphin! It was amazing how long that huge pod stayed alongside our vessel—quite a sight to see.

What were some of the conditions on the vessels?

I’ve been on vessels with amenities, and others that had no showers or a toilet. I always shared a room with the crew. Sometimes there may have been a little bit of a language barrier but that didn’t bother me at all. I even tried to learn some basic Vietnamese.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

Top U.S. ports for a quarter century

November 21, 2024 — For the 25th consecutive year, Dutch Harbor, AK, and New Bedford, MA, ranked as the top U.S. fishing ports for volume and value in 2022.

Nationwide, commercial landings that year were 8.4 billion pounds valued at $5.9 billion, down by 2.6 percent and 11 percent ($632 million), respectively.

Those are two of the top takeaways from the annual Fisheries of the United States report released this month by NOAA Fisheries. The data show a downward press almost across the board from Covid-driven impacts as the global pandemic waned in 2022.

The easy-to-read, 23-page report provides a national snapshot of U.S. commercial fisheries, aquaculture, seafood processing, imports and exports, market trends, and per capita consumption.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

Restoring Pocket Estuaries Key to Puget Sound Chinook Recovery in Washington

November 21, 2024 — As a tiny Puget Sound Chinook salmon fry, your job is to eat as much as possible and avoid predators. You need to grow strong so you can survive the ocean and one day return to spawn. But what if heavy flows flush you from your river into salt water before you’re ready? Or, what if you can’t find quality habitat in your home watershed? You cross your fins and hope you can find a pocket estuary.

Pocket estuaries are where shorelines are protected from waves, allowing salt marsh to grow, and are often fed by freshwater streams. They serve as nurseries for juvenile salmon that leave their home rivers. However, most pocket estuaries, like other salmon habitat in the Puget Sound, have been degraded and filled in for development and agriculture. This poses a serious threat to the recovery of the threatened Puget Sound Chinook.

With funding from NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation, the Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC) and many partners are restoring the Similk pocket estuary for Skagit River Chinook. In 2023 and 2024, the Cooperative was awarded $5.8 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act for salmon habitat restoration work in Washington State. NOAA has supported restoration work on the Skagit River and other locations in Puget Sound for decades.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

ALASKA: A statewide task force is trying to stop the spread of highly invasive green crabs in Southeast Alaska — and they need your help

November 20, 2024 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) calls European green crabs one of the most invasive marine species in the world. They are widely blamed for the collapse of the softshell clam industry on the East Coast. Now, the species has been wreaking havoc up the west coast of North America.

“We’re kind of on the front lines with the invasion here,” said Ian Hudson. Hudson coordinates the Metlakatla Indian Community’s green crab program.

Metlakatla is the southernmost community in Southeast Alaska. Locals there had been worried about green crabs for years. The tiny, invasive crabs were first found in San Francisco in 1989 and have been marching north ever since. States like Oregon and Washington have spent millions of dollars trying to protect their lucrative shellfish industries but still, green crab populations there are booming.

Read the full article at KRBD

NOAA launches Ocean Acidification Advisory Board, seeks seafood sector representatives

November 20, 2024 — NOAA and its Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST) are seeking seafood sector representatives to join the newly established Ocean Acidification Advisory Board.

The 25-member advisory board was created to advise the U.S. government’s Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification (IWG-OA). The board will review and provide recommendations on the working group’s reports and strategic research plan while advising it on best practices for data management. The board is also charged with maintaining mechanisms for engagement with Tribal governments.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource