Saving Seafood

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA make $95 million available for fish passage as part of Investing in America agenda

October 30, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries announced two funding opportunities totaling $95 million through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to support new fish passage projects, with one focused on tribes. Projects will help protect and restore migrating fish and their habitats, and support communities and economies that depend on these resources.

“Thanks to President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this investment will further NOAA’s efforts to work with partners to strengthen safe passage for migratory fish, ensure healthy and sustainable fisheries, support local economies, and help boost communities’ resilience to climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. 

Every year, millions of fish attempt to migrate to their spawning and rearing habitats to reproduce. They are often blocked from completing their journey by human-made barriers, such as dams and culverts. When fish cannot reach their habitat, they cannot reproduce and maintain or grow their populations. Fish passage projects reopen these pathways and are important for the protection and restoration of migrating fish and their habitats. 

The two funding opportunities announced today are:

“These investments reflect a continuation of decades of work by NOAA Fisheries to  recover threatened and endangered migratory fish and support the sustainability of commercial, tribal and recreational fisheries,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “Our work with tribal organizations to improve fish passage is vital for building long-term tribal capacity to sustain and manage culturally significant resources and habitats.”

These competitions will prioritize projects that demonstrate a broad base of community support. Projects developed with inclusive practices that incorporate meaningful strategies to engage a diverse range of community groups, including tribes and underserved communities, will also be prioritized. 

Tribes are eligible to apply to both funding opportunities, to support barrier removal efforts that benefit tribally-important migratory fish and to build tribal organizational capacity to participate in developing current and future fish passage projects.

NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation has run four funding opportunities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. To date, the program has funded 214 awards totaling $985 million through these competitions.

The application deadline for the Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Funding Opportunity is February 10, 2025 and the deadline for applications for the Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage Funding Opportunity is February 27, 2025. 

Additional information is available on the NOAA Fisheries website. 

Is U.S. Wild-Caught Shrimp Sustainable? The Short Answer Is Yes

October 30, 2024 — U.S.-harvested shrimp is nutritious, delicious… and sustainable! The shrimp fishery has also historically been a culturally important economic engine. It provides a livelihood for thousands of U.S. commercial fishermen. U.S. shrimp are a sustainable seafood option and the United States sets a global precedent for shrimp trawl bycatch reduction. But our nation’s shrimp industry is struggling to stay afloat and there’s confusion about its sustainability. Here are the facts about U.S. wild-caught shrimp.

What Makes Wild-Caught Shrimp Sustainable?

United States fisheries are among the largest and most sustainable in the world, thanks to strong science and a dynamic management process. Sustainable seafood is fish, shellfish, and seaweeds harvested or farmed in ways that protect the long-term health of species populations and ecosystems. Wild-caught U.S. shrimp is no exception. It’s a smart seafood choice due to its sustainable management and responsible harvest practices under NOAA Fisheries regulations.

Most U.S. shrimp are caught in the Southeast from Texas to North Carolina. Three species—white shrimp, pink shrimp, and brown shrimp—make up the vast majority of the shrimp caught. Together, they are one of the most valuable fisheries in the region. The life history of shrimp makes them resilient to overfishing. They are short-lived, fast-growing crustaceans—often reaching 7 to 8 inches in length within 2 years. They rapidly reproduce—typically when they reach 5 inches in length—and are often referred to as an “annual crop.”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

Marine debris removal season at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument ends with record-breaking results

October 29, 2024 — This year, the conclusion of the marine debris removal season in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument resulted in the largest amount of marine debris removed from the site in a mission season since NOAA began removal efforts in 1996.

Through a partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and other partners, a team of 16 from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project removed 298,180 pounds of marine debris from the monument during three missions from April to October 2024. The removed marine debris includes 191,860 pounds of derelict fishing nets, 4,600 pounds of abandoned and derelict vessels and 101,720 pounds of plastic and other debris. The team also released four Hawaiian green sea turtles entangled in derelict fishing nets.

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a UNESCO World Heritage site, encompasses a remote group of islands, reefs and atolls in the northwestern sector of the Hawaiian Islands. The site is home to thousands of species of fish and wildlife, — some that are only found in the Hawaiian Islands — including threatened and endangered species such as the Hawaiian monk seal, Hawaiian green sea turtle and Laysan albatross. Papahānaumokuākea is a sacred Native Hawaiian landscape and is home to numerous important archaeological sites. Marine debris removal is of critical importance to both the natural and cultural components of the monument.

Read the full article at Maui Now

Researchers find evidence of different sardine species off West Coast

October 28, 2024 — Gary Longo was looking for what he thought would be small genetic differences across a single species of small, ocean-dwelling fish: Pacific sardine.

But as he examined the early data, he suddenly got a sinking feeling. He was looking at what appeared to be two completely different species.

Pacific sardines are small but ecologically important fish. For fishery management purposes, they are usually grouped into three subpopulations: the northern stock, the southern stock and the Gulf of California stock.

Longo, a contractor with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center, was part of a group looking to see if the different sardine stocks were genetically distinct from each other.

Now, as he looked at the data, he thought he must have made a mistake. Maybe he’d accidentally swapped plates with different samples.

Gradually, he and Matt Craig, a research geneticist with the center, realized they were looking at a sardine, but a species of sardine they had never detected along the West Coast of North America before: Japanese sardine, thousands of miles away from home.

Read the full article at OPB

New NOAA calculator helps oyster growers quantify their environmental benefit

October 28, 2024 — Oyster growers can now prove and track how well their farms benefit the local water supply thanks to a new tool from NOAA’s Connecticut-based Milford Lab.  

The Aquaculture Nutrient Removal Calculator, which provides growers with a science-based estimate of how much nitrogen their farms remove from local waterways, will help farmers to demonstrate what scientists call the ecological services (nitrogen reduction capability) of their farms. The team behind the project, which included scientists from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, hopes that this will help farmers with the aquaculture permitting process.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee Releases Survey on Marine Mammal Deterrents

October 28, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) has released a survey to gather knowledge and perceptions about the nature of marine mammal interactions and use of deterrents currently employed by commercial, recreational, and tribal fishermen; aquaculture farmers; and marina and coastal property owners and managers. Developed in response to a request from NOAA Fisheries, the data collected will be used to create an index to identify the relative effectiveness of different allowable deterrents used by various user groups nationwide to reduce the risk of expected losses from damage by marine mammals on various user groups nationwide. The ultimate goal is to help NOAA Fisheries identify and prioritize those marine mammal deterrents that should be tested for their effectiveness to safely deter marine mammals and protect fishing gear/catch and property. If you are an aquaculture farmer; commercial, recreational, or tribal fishermen; or a coastal property owner or manager, please take a few minutes and complete the survey linked HERE and below. The survey is open until November 22, 2024. For more information, please contact Katie Zanowicz at katie.zanowicz@noaa.gov.

ALASKA: Alaska fishing industry sees nearly 7,000 job cuts

October 25, 2024 — The Alaska fishing industry, long regarded as an economic engine and cultural cornerstone, is grappling with steep financial losses and structural challenges. A recent Alaska Seafood Snapshot economic report by NOAA Fisheries underscores the scale of the crisis, showing that the state’s seafood sector has been hit with nearly 7,000 lost jobs, shrinking profitability, and a $1.8 billion decline in revenues between 2022 and 2023.

The report is based on ex-vessel landings, processed products, and wholesale revenue data through 2022, alongside statistical projections for 2023. Analysts also spoke with fishermen, processors, and community members to better capture the social impacts of the downturn. While this report focuses on the commercial fishing sector, NOAA noted that future studies may explore the broader effects on recreational and subsistence fisheries.

As Robert Foy, director of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center stated in a press release, “The social and economic ramifications of Alaska’s losses have reverberated down the West Coast and across the country.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Science: The Secret Ingredient Behind Sustainable Seafood

October 25, 2024 — U.S. fisheries are among the largest and most sustainable in the world, thanks to strong science and a dynamic management process. Just as culinary experts transform sustainable ingredients into delicious dishes, fisheries management councils use NOAA science to develop sound fisheries management policies.

Locally sourced seafood restaurants are keenly aware of the important role fisheries science plays in their ability to fill our plates without depleting our ocean. That’s why a New England-based seafood restaurant group, Row 34, brought their staff on an educational visit to NOAA’s Woods Hole Lab in Massachusetts in September.

“Row 34 is, and always will be, about getting our teams and our guests as close to the source of where our food comes from as possible,” shared co-owner Shore Gregory. “Getting a behind-the-scenes look at the NOAA operations in Woods Hole helped deepen our understanding of the complexities of our oceans and how we can continue to be great stewards.”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

New report shows increase in North Atlantic right whale population

October 25, 2024 — A new report shows that the endangered North Atlantic right whale species may be making a comeback. However, scientist say there is still much more to be done.

The right whale population is making a slight rebound. According to the latest report from NOAA, the current population is estimated at 372, which is an increase from last year’s data of 360 whales.

“It’s not necessarily a sign of complete celebration and everything is well and this population is fully recovered, there’s still threats that this species is unfortunately facing,” said Oceans Campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity, Ben Grundy.

Read the full article at Fox 22 

Marine Debris From Hurricanes Helene And Milton Could Take Years To Remove

October 24, 2024 — The recovery and cleanup process following hurricanes Helene and Milton will take months or even years to fully complete.

But the cleanup extends well beyond people’s homes and businesses. Marine debris has also found its way onshore, as well as into Florida’s canals and rivers, adding another layer to the cleanup.

“After hurricanes, they create a large pulse of debris in a short amount of time,” explains Ashley Hill, the Florida Regional Coordinator for NOAA’s marine debris program.

Hurricanes are so powerful that they are able to move large amounts of water. The water displacement, combined with the wind and storm surge, pushes trash, plastic and debris that has been floating around the Gulf of Mexico on the Florida coast and inland. All the trash now has to be picked up and removed.

What is marine debris?

Marine debris is any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material that intentionally or unintentionally ends up in our oceans or Great Lakes, according to NOAA.

“Anything human-made and solid can become marine debris once lost or littered in these aquatic environments,” says NOAA. “Our trash has been found in every corner of our ocean.”

Just one year after Hurricane Irma hit Florida in 2017, more than 250,000 cubic yards of marine debris had been reported removed at an estimated cost of $43 million, according to NOAA.

Hurricanes carry marine debris well inland

Hill explains that the marine debris removal following hurricanes Helene and Milton will take a very long time and is also very expensive.

“We’re finding things months, sometimes years after a particular hurricane,” said Hill. “A great example of that is we’re getting close to funding projects that will be removing some debris that we still have remaining from Hurricane Ian, which made landfall about two years ago.”

Read the full article at The Weather Channel