Saving Seafood

New Changes at NOAA Worry Some Scientists

July 2, 2018 — The federal agency that regulates what happens on, and in, the oceans is making some major policy changes, including some tweaks to its mission statement. That agency is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. WCAI’s Kathryn Eident talked with science correspondent and Living Lab Host Heather Goldstone to learn more.

Eident: Good morning, Heather. So, these changes were announced last week at a closed-door meeting, but some details have leaked, including new wording in NOAA’s mission statement. Can we talk about that?

Goldstone: Yes, so what happened was that there was a Department of Commerce vision-setting strategic meeting. And of course, NOAA is part of the Department of Commerce and the acting director of NOAA presented what could be NOAA’s contributions to that. The presentation that he made was leaked to the Union of Concerned Scientists and to certain media outlets, including us.

That new mission statement, if you will, was actually presented in the first part of the presentation as the ‘current’ mission statement, with what is still on the website, and what has been the mission statement as the ‘past mission’ statement. One of the changes that’s gotten a lot of attention this week is the fact that the word “climate” was dropped from the part of the mission statement that deals mostly with research. Perhaps the bigger change is actually in the end of the mission statement where that has said to, “conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources” and the new version of that says, “to protect lives and property, empower the economy, and support homeland and national security.”

So, it’s a pretty dramatic change in what the goals of the organization would be. The acting director has since issued a statement saying that this was not intended to exclude NOAA’s important climate and conservation efforts, which are “essential for protecting lives and the environment,” and that this should not be considered a final proposal– that it was just kind of throwing some ideas out there. But, it has definitely grabbed people’s attention.

Read the full story at WCAI

New Hampshire fishermen face declining prices

July 2, 2018 — Local commercial fishermen say the price per pound they earn for their catch has dropped in recent years as their industry continues to struggle financially.

Fishermen say they have been selling their fish at prices several cents per pound less than in years past, citing strict catch quotas, a decline in businesses that buy their fish and a rise in imported fish as causes for the drop in their earnings.

Hampton fisherman David Geothel said prices for small American plaice, a species of flounder on which he relies in the face of strict cod catch limits, have dropped from $1.40 to $1.50 per pound in previous years to between 40 and 70 cents per pound now. Grey sole, or witch flounder, another species he targets frequently, has gone from $1.50 to $1.80 per pound down to 80 cents to $1.10 per pound.

Jamie Hayward, a gillnetter out of Portsmouth, said he has seen monkfish prices drop by 60 percent from what they were in years past. He and Goethel both said the drop in prices is another blow to fishermen struggling with strict regulations they say are upending their industry. There were once dozens of fishermen in New Hampshire, but now Goethel said less than 10 are actively groundfishing.

“It has potential to be the end, to be honest with you,” Hayward said of the prices and what they could mean for commercial fishing.

Read the full story at the Hampton Union

Trump administration considering National Marine Fisheries Service and Fish and Wildlife Services merger

June 29, 2018 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is looking to make changes to the U.S. government, and one of the recommendations it is considering would impact the seafood industry.

Earlier this month, the White House released a 128-page report, “Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century,” detailing steps it’s considering to streamline governmental functions. The report was written by the Office of Management and Budget after Trump issued an order to the agency in March 2017 to devise a plan to revise organizations within the executive branch.

“This plan will serve as a cornerstone for a productive, bipartisan dialogue around making the Federal Government work for the 21st century,” the administration said in a statement.

One of the recommendations in the report proposes to merge the National Marine Fisheries Service, which is part of the Commerce Department, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which falls under the Department of Interior. It’s not the first time the two agencies have been targeted for consolidation as the report mentions Congressional proposals and similar recommendations dating back to the administration of former president Jimmy Carter.

NMFS – sometimes referred to as NOAA Fisheries – and FWS hold similar responsibilities in protecting endangered species and marine mammals, and the report indicates the split can lead to confusion. Earlier this year, a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would eliminate redundancies in the Endangered Species Act and put FWS in charge of protecting fish that migrate between fresh and ocean waters.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

US Commerce Department appoints Regional Fishery Management Council members

June 29, 2018 — The U.S. Commerce Department announced on 27 June that is has made 30 appointments to the eight regional fishery management councils that partner with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration to manage fish stocks.

The councils, established by the Magnuson-Stevens Act, help prepare fishery management plans for each of the eight regions: New England, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Western Pacific, Pacific, and North Pacific.

Of the councilors appointed, 29 are receiving three-year terms, starting on 11 August, that will run through to 10 August, 2021. One member, Michael K. Goto of Hawaii, is  filling a recently vacated at-large seat in the Western Pacific council and will serve out the remainder of that term through 10 August, 2020.

The council members come from diverse backgrounds, including commercial fisheries, recreational fisheries, environmental organizations, and academic institutions. Appointments take place each year, when the U.S. Secretary of Commerce appoints roughly one-third of the 72 total council members from the eight councils. Appointments are made based on nominations from the governors of the fishing states, territories, and tribal governments.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Salem State University professors win $296K for Cape Ann project

June 29, 2018 — Two Salem State University marine researchers will receive just over $296,000 in Saltonstall-Kennedy grant funds to expand their project aimed at developing offshore commercial shellfish aquaculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday.

The project by SSU marine biology professor Mark R. Fregeau and SSU colleague Edward Maney Jr. is the only North Shore-based project included among the 38 projects nationally that will receive a slice of the $9 million NOAA is doling out in the 2018 Saltonstall-Kennedy funding cycle.

“The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the development of offshore commercial shell aquaculture as a sustainable, viable alternative or enhancement to current fishing practices that is compatible with conservation of protected species,” NOAA said in its summary of the SSU project.

The two researchers have been working in the waters off Cape Ann, collecting data from solitary longline mussel aquacultures near Hodgkins Cove in Gloucester and Sandy Bay in Rockport. They are trying to develop a concept to produce an aqua-farm that could extend 30 to 35 acres at a water depth of 150 feet to leave the bivalves out of reach of their natural predators, such as crabs and starfish.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Atlantic City charter boat captain reappointed to fisheries council

June 29, 2018 — Atlantic City charter boat Captain Adam Nowalsky has been reappointed for his second, three-year term on the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council.

Nowalsky has more than 20 years of saltwater fishing experience and is captain of the Karen Ann II, a 35-foot charter fishing vessel.

The Mid-Atlantic council is one of eight regional councils that work with the National Ocean Atmospheric Administration to manage ocean fish stocks, determining both fishing limits, and how allowable harvests are split between recreational and commercial fishermen and between states. Appointments are made by the U.S. Commerce Department.

The Mid-Atlantic council includes members from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Read the full story at the Press of Atlantic City

NOAA Announces 2018 Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Recommendations

June 28, 2018 — The following was released by NOAA:

Today, NOAA Fisheries announced recommendations to fund 38 projects for almost $9 million under the 2018 Saltonstall-Kennedy Competitive Grants Program. The list of projects fall into four categories:  Marine Aquaculture; Adapting to Environmental Changes and Other Long Term Impacts in Marine Ecosystems; Promotion, Development and Marketing; and Territorial Science.

For more than 40 years, NOAA has awarded grant funding for projects under the Saltonstall-Kennedy program to individuals, institutions, organizations, and businesses across the country. S-K funds help address the needs of fishing communities, support economic opportunities, and build and maintain resilient and sustainable fisheries.

Demand for funding through S-K was high again this year. Initially, NOAA received 517 pre-proposals. Out of that number, 155 full proposals requesting nearly $40 million were reviewed by at least three subject matter experts during the Technical Merit Review phase. The top 87 scoring proposals advanced to the Constituent Panel Reviews where each proposal was then reviewed and scored by 15 subject matter experts from the fishing industry and community. Based on that, the top 38 proposals have been recommended for 2018 funding.

At this point in the selection process, the application approval and recommended funding is not final. Divisions of NOAA and the Department of Commerce, NOAA’s parent agency, must still give final approval before successful applicants receive funding by October 2018.

 

NOAA Says Seafood for Reprocessing Exempt from Chinese Tariffs, but Rebate System May Impose Costs

June 28, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — NOAA has confirmed via email to people in the Alaska seafood industry that the 25% Chinese retaliatory tariff will not apply to re-processed products for export.

John Henderschedt, NMFS director of the Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, wrote  “In consultation with Embassy Beijing, NOAA Fisheries has confirmed that the following products are not subject to the additional 25% tariff recently announced by the Chinese government:

-Imports of U.S. seafood that is processed in China for re-export and some fishmeal products.”

“Affected U.S. seafood exports arriving at Chinese ports on July 6 or later will be subject to the new tariff rate,” he said in an email dated Tuesday, June 26th.

There was some uncertainty following China’s June 15 announcement at the beginning of a long holiday weekend for the Dragon Boat Festival that prevented clarification until government offices re-opened last Tuesday, June 19th, according to Jim Gilmore, Director of Public Affairs for the At-Sea Processors Association.

“Really, no one knew at that time, so the news coverage was of an issue with a lot of confusion and not much time for the U.S. government to get clarification.  The holiday didn’t help matters, but it might also have been that the Chinese government language wasn’t clear.  Not sure what factors were all at play,” Gilmore said.

One unresolved issue is that China has two types of import exemptions for re-processing for export.  One involves no tariff, for products that are exempt, and the other collects the tariff, but then rebates the value back to the company when the product is exported.

One sentence in the Chinese announcement suggests that the 25% tariff will be applied to everything, but then rebated for products that are exported.  When asked about this, Henderschedt had no comment.

If this is the final interpretation, the tariffs will add significant costs for exporters, even though they will ultimately get the 25% tariff refunded.  For example, a Chinese plant that purchases 1000 tons of cod for re-processing and pays $3.6 million, would have to pay an additional $900,000 to bring the product into the country, but then get this money back when the product was exported.  This adds costs to the process, even if the tariffs are ultimately not applied.

Ultimately, the answer will come after July 6th, when importers of record have to deal with Chinese customs officers.

Jim Gilmore says not much of offshore Alaska’s pollock is re-processed.  His group, the At-Sea Processors Association,  represents the Bering Sea pollock factory trawlers. He said that’s more common with salmon and cod.

But shore plants, especially in the Gulf of Alaska, export a lot of H&G pollock for reprocessing.  In fact, Trident recently spent millions of dollars in the last several years to upgrade its plant in Kodiak to efficiently produce a frozen H&G product.

Also the Bering Sea Amendment 80 factory trawler flatfish fleet’s catch goes to China for reprocessing, especially yellowfin sole, according to Chris Woodley, executive director of the group’s trade association, the Groundfish Forum.

The vast majority of the U.S. exports of frozen seafood to China are reprocessed in China and then re-exported, Woodley said.  Such U.S. exports to China that are then re-exported from China are not subject to Chinese duties or the Value Added Tax (VAT).  However, U.S. seafood exports that are imported for consumption in China face high tariff rates.  For example, frozen flatfish species, and other Alaska seafood exports to China that are consumed in China currently face a duty of 10 percent and are also subject to a 13 percent  VAT.

The Dragon Boat Festival is held annually in honor of poet Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in a river in 278 BC, as a political protest. Villagers tried to save the beloved figure in their little boats, but when they couldn’t find him, they threw rice in the water in the hopes that the fish would eat the rice, and not the poet and activist, during the Warring States period of Chinese history.

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

Eleven of 27 Amendments Proposed for Magnuson Reauthorization Bill HR 200 Could Go to House Vote

June 28, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — An anticipated House of Representatives floor vote on H.R. 200, the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act, was delayed Tuesday. More than 25 amendments were proposed for the bill reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. It went to the Rules Committee instead.

The Rules Committee held a hearing Monday night and passed a rule to provide a structured amendment process for floor consideration. The rule included 11 of the 27 amendments.

H.R. 200, sponsored by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, was the primary bill proposed to re-authorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act. It garnered both strong support and strong opposition.

Opponents blanketed Capitol Hill offices and committees with reasons why the bill should not pass. At the same time, many Democratic lawmakers proposed amendments or changes, some that could fundamentally change Young’s original bill.

Outside supporters and lawmakers were also busy lining up votes and proposing amendments to the bill.

By Monday night, 27 amendments had been submitted: 16 from Democrats and 7 from Republicans; four were bi-partisan. Five were revised amendments and four were submitted late, after the 10 a.m. Monday deadline.

California Democrat Jared Huffman led the opposition to H.R. 200. Both he and Young were the invited witnesses to the Rules Committee hearing Monday evening.

Young, one of the creators of the first Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, said he recognizes the successes this bill and subsequent reauthorizations have made over the years and that he, better than anyone, understands what else is needed to protect fish stocks while helping communities. “This legislation is dear to my heart,” Young said during the Rules Committee hearing.

Young also referred to recent lawmakers proposing changes to the bill as “Johnny-come-latelys” who don’t understand the fundamentals of the language that protects the stocks while balancing communities’ needs. The proposed bill was made with the suggestions from regional Councils and scientists, Young said.

Huffman countered that several provisions in the bill would roll back fish stock protections and the current language doesn’t prevent overfishing. He also noted that all previous bills reauthorizing the Fishery Conservation and Management Act were bipartisan; this one isn’t he said. It passed out of committee on party lines, Huffman added.

To that end, Huffman proposed four amendments, one considered a substitution for the entire bill. That particular amendment was not included in the committee’s final rule

By the end of the hearing, the Rules Committee passed a rule that included 11 of the 27 amendments — also along party lines. If that rule also passes the House, only those 11 amendments can be considered when H.R. 200 comes up for a floor vote again.

Those amendments, in order, include:

1. A revised manager’s amendment by Young and Rep. Garret Graves, R-La. It revises some sections and adds a new section regarding the Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program;

2. An amendment to create an industry-based pilot trawl survey for the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council regions (Reps. Joe Courtney, D-Conn. and Lee Zeldin, R-NY);

3. A provision for a voting representative from Rhode Island on the MAFMC (Reps. Jim Langevin and David Cicilline, D-RI);

4. An amendment ensuring rebuilding plans are successful in rebuilding overfished fish stocks (Reps. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., and Alcee Hastings, D-Fla.);

5. Waiving compensatory mitigation requirements for maintenance dredging projects in certain waterways (Reps. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., and Daniel Webster, R-Fla.);

6. Requiring the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the resource rent of Limited Access Privilege Programs in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council areas (Rep. Garret Graves, R-La.);

7. A plan to establish fully operational electronic monitoring and reporting procedures for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery (Rep. William Keating, D-Ma.);

8. A requirement for NOAA to conduct a study on all fees it charges the lobster industry and report those findings to Congress (Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-Maine);

9. Lifting the ban on striped bass fishing in the Block Island transit zone between Montauk, NY and Block Island, RI (Rep. Zeldin, R-NY);

10. Directing the Secretary of Commerce to use funds collected from penalties and fines for monitoring, in addition to traditional enforcement activities (Rep. Keating); and

11. Rewarding the elimination of lionfish from US. waters by allowing individuals to exchange lionfish for tags authorizing fishing for certain species in addition to the number of such species otherwise authorized to be taken by such individuals (Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.)

Some of the amendments that didn’t pass muster in the Rules Committee included refinancing a Pacific Coast groundfish buyback loan; two amendments related to sharks and shark finning; a prohibition on offshore drilling In essential fish habitat areas on Atlantic and Pacific coasts; additional funding for stock assessments; two amendments related to aquaculture; and more.

The earliest the committee’s rule and H.R. 200, with the 11 amendments, is likely come up on the House floor for a vote is the week of July 11. However, it may be delayed again if appropriations bills are ready in the next week and a half.

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

A new chapter for US aquaculture?

June 28, 2018 — A bill that could allow for the culture of fish and shellfish in US Federal waters for the first time has been welcomed by representatives of the US aquaculture industry.

The bill to introduce the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act was implemented by Senator Roger Wicker and aims to streamline the permitting process for aquaculture farms in federal waters, and fund research and development to advance the aquaculture industry.

Its introduction was welcomed by the US National Aquaculture Association (NAA), whose president, Jim Parsons, told The Fish Site: “The last time the US Senate considered this topic was in 2005. Over the last several decades, shellfish, fish and seaweed farming in state waters has contributed considerable jobs and income benefits to coastal communities and resulted in the production of high-quality seafood. Because of this experience and success, the stage is set to recognize times have changed. We can farm offshore using new technology, new production gear, and greatly improved feeds to make the US a net seafood exporter instead of the second largest consumer of global seafood. In addition, a proven regulatory model of federal and state regulations has demonstrated that we can grow fish, shellfish and seaweed sustainably and be fully protective of the environment. We are looking forward to working with Congress to pass legislation beneficial to the US aquaculture community.”

Read the full story at The Fish Site