Saving Seafood

NOAA asks mariners to stay clear of right whales

January 30, 2019 — The federal government has asked mariners to slow down in, or avoid altogether, a protected area off Nantucket set up to keep endangered right whales safe.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends vessels voluntarily travel at 10 knots or less until Feb. 11 The request came after 100 North Atlantic right whales were spotted south of the island on Jan. 15.

“We are also asking commercial fishermen to be vigilant when maneuvering to avoid accidental collisions with whales, remove unused gear from the ocean to help avoid entanglements, and use vertical lines with markings, weak links, and breaking strengths,” NOAA officials said in a statement.

About 20 of the whales were spotted in the 2,800-mile area on Sunday , said Jennifer S. Goebel, a spokeswoman for NOAA’s Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office.

Read the full story at the Boston Globe

 

Voluntary Vessel Speed Restriction Zone South of Nantucket to Protect Right Whales

January 29, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

A voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area – DMA) has been established south of Nantucket for 100 right whales sighted in this area on January 15.

This DMA is in effect through January 30, 2019.

Mariners are requested to route around this area or transit through it at 10 knots or less.

Nantucket DMA coordinates:

41 12 N
40 28 N
070 36 W
069 31 W

See a map.

Right Whales Are Migrating

North Atlantic right whales are on the move along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. With an unprecedented 20 right whale deaths documented in 2017 and 2018, NOAA is cautioning boaters to give these endangered whales plenty of room as they migrate south. We are also asking commercial fishermen to be vigilant when maneuvering to avoid accidental collisions with whales, remove unused gear from the ocean to help avoid entanglements, and use vertical lines with required markings, weak links, and breaking strengths.

Right Whales in Trouble

North Atlantic right whales are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Scientists estimate there are slightly more than 400 remaining, making them one of the rarest marine mammals in the world.

In August 2017, NOAA Fisheries declared the increase in right whale mortalities an “Unusual Mortality Event,” which helps the agency direct additional scientific and financial resources to investigating, understanding, and reducing the mortalities in partnership with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and outside experts from the scientific research community.

More Info

Recent right whale sightings

Find out more about our right whale conservation efforts and the researchers behind those efforts.

Download the Whale Alert app for iPad and iPhone

Acoustic detections in Cape Cod Bay and the Boston TSS

Send a blank message  to receive a return email listing all current U.S. DMAs and SMAs.

Details and graphics of all ship strike management zones currently in effect.

Reminder: Approaching a right whale closer than 500 yards is a violation of federal and state law.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, at 978-281-9175

Read the full release here

2019 Federal Funding Opportunity for NOAA’s New England Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Grants

January 29, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

he NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region has released details of the FY19 New England Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program funding opportunity. A total of roughly $250,000, subject to appropriations, may be available to fund three to five projects.

Applications are due by February 19, 2019. The full Federal Funding Opportunity is now available; it includes comprehensive information about eligibility and the application process. Information on the application process can also be found on grants.gov and our funding opportunities page.

B-WET is an environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning for K-12 school students. B-WET administers a competitive funding process that promotes Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs). MWEEs are multi-stage activities within formal K-12 programs that include learning both outdoors and in the classroom. Funded projects provide MWEEs for students and related professional development for teachers.

New England B-WET focuses on the priorities and challenges facing New England watersheds by helping students and teachers apply scientific methods and tools to understand and appreciate their local watershed system. B-WET encourages students to become more interested in science, technology, engineering, and math. By focusing on watersheds where they live and by participating in personally relevant stewardship projects, students and teachers can become knowledgeable stewards of their local environment.

Read the full release here

NOAA Asks Mariners to Avoid Group of 100 Endangered Whales

January 29, 2019 — The federal government says there is a large aggregation of an endangered species of whale south of Nantucket, and mariners should avoid it for the safety of the animals.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the group of 100 North Atlantic right whales was seen in the area in mid-January. It’s asking mariners to route around the area or transit through at 10 knots or less. The management area is in effect until Wednesday.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

Fishery Managers Begin Unsnarling Mess Left by Shutdown

January 29, 2019 — Federal fishing managers are beginning the process of determining how the nation’s harvest of wild fish has been impacted by the government shutdown.

The New England Fishery Management Council is meeting this week in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The council is one of several charged by the feds with crafting fishing regulations and managing fisheries.

Members of the council said Tuesday their meeting this week will primarily be about determining how the 35-day federal shutdown has affected fishery management plans. The shutdown left the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mostly shuttered, and that halted the scientific work that managers rely on to write regulations.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at U.S. News

Shutdown pushes Maine fishing community to the brink of crisis

January 29, 2019 — Terry Alexander has fished for 40 of his 57 years, catching groundfish in the winter and squid during the summer months, off New York and Rhode Island.

Throughout the 35-day federal shutdown that ended — perhaps temporarily — on Friday, the Cundy’s Harbor man and his four employees continued to head out on the “Jocka” to haul in groundfish such as cod, haddock, flounders and pollock. Alexander said the shutdown may have long-term consequences for him and for other Mainers who make their living fishing for groundfish.

“If they have another shutdown, it could be catastrophic for New England groundfishing,” he said by phone from a meeting of the New England Fishery Management Council in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Alexander said a memo Monday from the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region regional administrator Michael Pentony about the backlog of work for federal regulators only added to that worry.

Pentony wrote that staff would focus on a significant backlog of time-critical work accumulated during the 35-day shutdown.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

NOAA after shutdown: Priority getting fishermen back to work

January 29, 2019 — Furloughed NOAA Fisheries staffers returned to work Monday from the partial shutdown of the federal government and commenced the task of playing catchup as a new fishing season beckons.

In Gloucester, the furloughed workers, sent home 35 days ago, resumed their duties at the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office on Great Republic Drive as Regional Administrator Mike Pentony acknowledged the shutdown’s impact on fishing stakeholders and set the overarching agenda moving forward.

“We will have three priorities as we ramp back up to full and normal operations: getting fishermen back to work; completing consultations so federally permitted projects in your communities can move forward; and ensuring that adequate monitoring and protections are in place for our protected resources,” Pentony said in a statement.

Pentony conceded the shutdown has left the agency behind schedule for completing several essential actions as the 2018 fishing season winds down and the May 1 start of the 2019 season moves closer.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Reminder: Closed Area 1 North Seasonal Closure for All Vessels Begins February 1

January 29, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

On February 1, the Closed Area I (CAI) North seasonal closure goes into effect, through April 15. See below for map and coordinates.

The closure applies to all commercial and recreational vessels except:

Vessels that are transiting;

  • Vessels fishing with exempted gears (spears, rakes, diving gear, cast nets, tongs, harpoons, weirs, dip nets, stop nets, pound nets, pots and traps, purse seines, surfclam/quahog dredge gear, pelagic hook and line, pelagic longlines, or single pelagic gillnets);
  • Vessels participating in the mid-water trawl exempted fishery; and
  • Vessels fishing with scallop dredges.

 

Shutdown leaves NOAA behind schedule on East Coast fisheries management

January 29, 2019 — The administrator of a federal fisheries office says the government is behind schedule on actions related to oceans management because of the long shutdown.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is charged with regulating fishing and marine issues for the U.S. government. Michael Pentony, the administrator of its Greater Atlantic Region Fisheries Office, said Monday the office is “behind schedule on many, many critically important actions.”

Pentony said fishing boats haven’t been able to fish because they could not get permits. He said there also weren’t enough resources to fully monitor protected ocean resources. Some fisheries have also been unable to operate at full capacity.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at Bangor Daily News

Government employees return to work, but concerns linger

January 28, 2019 — Monday morning 800,000 federal employees will return to work for the first time in 35 days after the longest government shutdown in history.

It all stems from the ongoing political dispute over a border wall.

On Friday a deal was struck to temporarily open the government for three weeks. Federal workers are uneasy about the future after already missing two paychecks.

For more than a month Anna Kagley has been ready to return to her job at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She’s worked at the agency for three decades.

“I’m a little nervous after missing 30 plus days,” said Kagley.

The fishery biologist who lives in Everett works with Chinook salmon and is concerned the shutdown has harmed the agencies long term work.

“I’m concerned we’ll be missing the beginning of the pulse of the fish migrating for some of our monitoring projects,” said Kagley.

The mother of five and primary bread winner for her family says she still doesn’t know when she’s get her next paycheck.

Read the full story at KOMO News