Saving Seafood

NOAA’s treatment of wind industry called into question after closure of clamming areas

December 6, 2018 — Offshore wind development appeared on Tuesday’s agenda at a New England Fishery Management Council meeting, however, it wasn’t expected to pop up during discussion on closures affecting the clamming industry.

Peter Hughes, a liaison for the Atlantic Council, couldn’t digest the fact that an offshore wind leasing area identified in a similar region extends upwards of 1,400 square miles, while the clamming industry, which sought less than 300 square miles off of Nantucket Shoals, couldn’t receive approval.

The notion only gained traction after the council voted against the resolution the clamming industry had wanted, which would have provided exemption to the 280 miles of harvesting area. Instead, the council adopted a modifed version that closed Rose and Crown and Zone D to clamming.

“It’s amazing to me that they’ve turned this complete blind eye on really the most intrusive project that’s ever come on the East Coast, which is wind,” said Scott Lang, former New Bedford mayor and attorney for the clam industry. ”… They’re acting like that’s something we’re just going to have to live with, but a fishery that’s been around for a couple hundred years is a threat to the habitat.”

Both Hughes and Lang said they supported offshore wind, but the fishing industry should receive the same cooperation from NOAA.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

NOAA Announces Another Buyout for Southeast Alaska Purse Seiners to Remove an Additional 36 Licenses

December 5, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — NOAA announced that a second buyout would take place in the Southeast Alaska salmon purse seine fishery.

In 2011, Congress approved loans of up to $23.5 million for a buyout program, and existing permit holders voted to support a loan of $13.1 million to buyback 64 licenses.

In 2018, the Southeast Revitalization Association submitted a request to NOAA to use the remainder of the funds, $10.4 million, to fund another buyout round.

NOAA will hold a referendum among the 315 existing permit holders, who will have to gain majority approval to take on the additional loan.  If the plan is approved, NOAA would retire an additional 36 licenses.

Those remaining in the fishery agree to repay the loan through a landings tax, administered by NOAA.

The voting period is scheduled to begin January 15, 2019, and end 30 days later on February 14th.

The Southeast Alaska purse seine fishery harvests primarily pink salmon and some chum salmon.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

 

Bleak outlook for Pacific cod could see 2019 US pollock TAC hike, despite reduced biomass

December 5, 2018 — Although the biomass for pollock in the US eastern Bering Sea fishery is coming down, the total allowable catch (TAC) for 2019 could actually be increased, due to the outlook for further cuts to Pacific cod.

The TACs for pollock and cod, especially in light of the gloomy outlook for the latter, will be a major focus of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, this week, which will go ahead, after an earthquake hit the city last Friday. With whitefish prices set high, the Barents Sea cod and haddock fisheries coming down for 2019 and the Russians only increasing their pollock quota for next year marginally, industry players globally are looking to what happens at the meeting.

First, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists present their views on the outlook for 2019, then the council will decide on TAC levels for pollock, cod, yellowfin sole and other fish. There is uncertainty around pollock and cod moving further north, as previously reported by Undercurrent News. 

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

New Federal Regulations for Golden Tilefish in the South Atlantic Region

December 5, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries has published a final rule which revises the catch limits for golden tilefish. The final rule reduces golden tilefish catch limits based on the most recent population assessment. The purpose of the final rule is to end overfishing (rate of removal is too high) of golden tilefish in the South Atlantic.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

  • The final rule is effective on January 4, 2019.

WHAT THIS MEANS:

  • The final rule establishes a total catch limit at 342,000 pounds gutted weight (lbs gw).
  • This final rule specifies the commercial and recreational catch limits and component commercial quotas using the existing allocations.

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NAME/NUMBER:
83 FR 62508, published December 4, 2018.

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

(NOTE: See the complete Fishery Bulletin from NOAA Fisheries for a list of Frequently Asked Questions and additional information.)

Vital surf clam harvesting grounds closed by New England Fishery Management Council

December 5, 2018 — Clamming captains, business-owners and attorneys huddled in the lobby of the Viking Hotel on Tuesday sharing disbelief and despair over a decision by the New England Fisheries Management Council that will close vital harvesting grounds.

“A lot of these guys are going to go out of business,” owner and president of Nantucket Sound Seafood LLC Al Rencurrel said. “Obviously the economic impact, they didn’t view that, did they?”

Heading into the meeting, the surf clam industry hoped for the approval of “Alternative 2,” which would continue an exemption in its fishing areas but would modify boundaries including seasonal areas. It also called for increased monitoring with 5-minute vessel monitoring system to locate where the vessels are fishing. The clam industry would also fund a research project that NOAA would undertake to examine the habitat.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

2018 Northeast Fall Bottom Trawl Survey Completed

December 4, 2018 — The following was released by NOAA:

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s 2018 Fall Bottom Trawl Survey aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow has been completed. The survey began on September 4 as scheduled and ended on November 13, finishing 83 percent of planned stations (314 of 377).

The NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow supports a variety of marine research. The NEFSC’s twice-yearly bottom trawl survey of fish and invertebrates is the longest running of its kind in the world, and collects data used to understand changes in marine life and their habitats over time.

Resource Sampling
During Leg 1, Hurricane Florence passed through south of Delaware Bay, yet operations continued by adjusting the survey track. Some planned inshore stations in the storm’s path were not sampled. Still, Legs 1 and 2 were the most productive for this survey.

Leg 3 left on schedule to cover Southern New England and Georges Bank. About midway through the leg, strong winds forced operations away from eastern Georges Bank and into Cape Cod Bay. While sampling there, crew members discovered a small hole in the aft part of the vessel through which draining seawater was being retained in a watertight space. The ship returned to Newport, RI on October 19 to address the issue. The repair was done quickly but continued high winds, short-term staffing issues, and replacement of a required back-up electrical system consumed the remainder of sea days available for Leg 3. In all, 7 sea days were lost.

Leg 4 started on time October 30 with 3 sea days added to offset days lost during Leg 3. About mid-way through Leg 4, a damaged pipe was found in the vessel’s sea chest. The ship returned to Newport for repair November 8 and departed the same day resuming operations in the western Gulf of Maine. The 3 sea days added for use in Leg 4 were then lost to high winds. Priority was given to stations in the western Gulf of Maine and stations planned in the eastern Gulf of Maine were not completed.

Ecosystem Sampling
Temperature and salinity measurements were conducted at all but one of the stations occupied. Plankton tows were also planned at a subset of stations, and about 75% (87 of 116) of the planned stations were completed. Reduced plankton tow coverage was mostly caused by lost sea days, although 4 stations were affected by equipment problems.

Gear Testing
In close consultation with the Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel, we set aside time during this survey to focus on achieving consistent net spread with our survey gear in shallow water, testing several different trawl door types. We completed approximately 24 hours of testing for the 66″ Thyboron Type IV doors during calibration work leading up to the survey. We planned to test other types using any remaining sea days after the survey was completed. These experiments did not occur owing to lost sea days, but will be rescheduled during a future field season.

Read the full release here

NOAA Approves Seismic Blasts off Coast of Md., Va.

December 4, 2018 — The federal government has cleared the way for five companies to do seismic surveys in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Maryland and Virginia, as a first step to possible offshore drilling for gas and oil.

National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, gave final authorization, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, to “incidentally, but not intentionally, harass marine mammals to companies proposing to conduct geophysical surveys in support of hydrocarbon exploration in the Atlantic Ocean.”

That means NOAA Fisheries will allow seismic blasts even though they may unintentionally disturb marine mammals. The companies will be required to monitor acoustics, and take action to reduce the impact on animals. The required actions include vessels listening and watching for marine life, especially protected species. Companies must increase the seismic activity gradually “to alert animals in the area and reduce potential for exposure to intense noise.” And when certain sensitive species are nearby, they must stop blasting.

The geophysical surveys use airgun arrays to explore for hydrocarbons. A 2017 Presidential Executive Order encourages energy exploration like this. The NOAA Fisheries decision to allow blasting on the Atlantic Coast was met with outrage from conservation groups like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management says there is no evidence that seismic surveys harm marine life, but a study it conducted in 2014 shows that nearly three million dolphins and half a million whales could be harassed, or worse, by survey activity.

Read the full story at the Chesapeake Bay Magazine

Concern Grows for Future of Right Whales

November 30, 2018 — A group of 17 North Atlantic right whales was spotted by an aerial survey team 21 miles south of Nantucket early this week, prompting a renewed call for voluntary speed restrictions among mariners and also renewed concern for the future of the critically endangered mammals.

In response to the whale sighting early Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has instituted a voluntary vessel speed restriction zone, also known as a DMA, or dynamic management area, that encompasses Nantucket and extends to the southeastern coast of Martha’s Vineyard and Chappaquiddick. Boaters are asked to limit their speed to 10 knots or less when sailing through the area, which spans latitudinally from 40 degrees, 28 minutes north to 41 degrees, 22 minutes north, and longitudinally from 70 degrees, 39 minutes west to 69 degrees, 29 minutes west. Overall, the rectangular area encompasses approximately 360 square nautical miles.

With only about 400 whales remaining, the North Atlantic right whale is one of the rarest marine mammals in the world. The whales are known to appear around Cape Cod and the Islands around this time of year, fattening up on zooplankton before heading south to breed. Two weeks ago, NOAA reported a sighting of four right whales in a similar location off Nantucket’s south shore. But 17 is an entirely different story.

“That’s a lot of whales,” said Jennifer Goebel, a spokesman for NOAA, speaking to the Gazette Tuesday. “Usually when we set up these dynamic management areas we can do it on anything over three, sometimes four, maybe five. This was 17, so that tells you.”

Read the full story at The Vineyard Gazette

Electronic Fishery Monitoring Gets Big Boost in US

November 30, 2018 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a pair of foundations are funding a suite of projects around the country designed to improve electronic fisheries monitoring.

Fisheries in the U.S. are subject to monitoring to help inform future rules. Some in fisheries and government have advocated for more electronic monitoring, as opposed to monitoring by humans, to make data collection more efficient.

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

Carlos Rafael vessel captain sentenced for thwarting Coast Guard inspection

November 30, 2018 — A former captain of one of Carlos “Codfather” Rafael’s fishing boats has been sentenced in Boston federal court for interfering with a U.S. Coast Guard vessel inspection off the coast of Massachusetts.

South Portland, Maine’s Thomas D. Simpson, 57, was sentenced to two years of probation – with the first four months to be served in home confinement with electronic monitoring – in U.S. District Court this week, after pleading guilty in August 2018 to one count of destruction or removal of property subject to seizure and inspection. Simpson was also ordered by the court to pay a USD 15,000 (EUR 13,195) fine, according to a report from WBSM.

The former captain of Rafael-owned fishing vessel Bulldog, Simpson and his crew were engaging in commercial fishing practices on 31 May, 2014, when the U.S. Coast Guard came onboard to conduct a routine inspection of the boat and its equipment.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource