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NOAA Pilot Program Extends Snapper Season In Gulf of Mexico

April 27, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The fisheries management folks have finally thrown a bone to recreational anglers targeting American red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. The Feds at NOAA Fisheries has granted the Gulf states a two-year pilot management option allowing state management agencies the leeway to establish their own harvest guidelines in both state and federal zones.

The program, aka the “exempted fishing permit” gives Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission the right to manage the whole snapper enchilada for two years and they have established a 40-day recreational harvest to begin on June 11 and run through July 21. After years of ridiculously short open seasons, this is really a big deal for recreational anglers to get their fair share of the pie. It also shows that the feds have finally owned up to the fact that in some areas of the Gulf states, American reds are not a factor in state waters, the Gulf Coast south of the big bend, including the Suncoast, being one of them.

The exempted fishing permit does not apply to commercial harvesters or for-hire (charter) operations with valid federal reef permits. Those for-hire vessels have a separate harvest season that roughly runs concurrently with the new recreational regulation.

2018 Lionfish Challenge

The 2018 Lionfish Challenge kicks off on May 19 and will continue through to Sept. 3. The opener coincides with Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day on May 19. Both spear fishers and hook-and-liners can register to participate by going to MyFWC.com/Lionfish.

This year there will be tagged lionfish released that when brought in can garner participants up to $5,000 in cash prizes. Many non-cash prizes such as GoPro Cams, Engel Cooler products, Turtle Skin Gloves and more, are up for grabs.

The non-native and invasive lionfish have become a huge problem in Florida waters as they feed primarily on the fry of our most valued reef species as groupers and snappers. Any effort to cut down on this gluttonous invader should be encouraged. Their extremely good table value should help but must be handled with caution due to venomous spines. The venom is not life threatening but if you get stuck you would wish you hadn’t woke up that morning.

This story originally appeared on Seafood News, it is republished with permission.

Miami seeks to retain National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

April 25, 2018 — Miami city commissioners are urging the federal government to retain the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Headquarters at its current location on Virginia Key.

NOAA is reportedly considering relocating its Southeast Fisheries Science Center to St. Petersburg because the fisheries center on Virginia Key is outdated and needs improvement.

NOAA’s facilities on the barrier island have a long reach and impact the local community in many ways, officials say.

NOAA’s operations at Virginia Key are performed in concert with research and teaching functions at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, which is directly adjacent to the NOAA campuses.

City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Commission Vice Chairman Ken Russell are co-sponsoring a resolution urging the US Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to retain the fisheries headquarters on Virginia Key.

Read the full story at Miami Today

Rhode Island Fishing Industry Releases ‘Blueprint for Resilience’

April 25, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — After two years members of the Rhode Island fishing industry have put together the Rhode Island Commercial Fisheries Blueprint for Resilience.

The Blueprint for Resilience was created to address issues that the state fisheries are facing: warming water temperatures, changing food webs, habitat alteration, shifting demographics and labor markets, increasing competition from other ocean industries, and regulatory strain. With financial support from the Saltonstall-Kennedy grant from NOAA, the project allows the industry to identify goals, tools and tactics for public relations, civic engagement, innovative seafood marketing and much more.

A launch event for the Blueprint for Resilience will take place May 7 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the South Kingstown Elks Lodge in Wakefield, RI. Members of the fishing industry will have a chance to brainstorm how to implement some of the recommendations.

Read the Rhode Island Commercial Fisheries Blueprint for Resilience here.

This story originally appeared on Seafood News, it is republished with permission.

Trump Drilling Plans Raise Concerns Over Discarded Poison Gas, Nuke Waste

April 24, 2018 — The Trump administration’s proposal to open large tracts of seabed off the South Carolina coast to oil and gas exploration has drawn a sharp rebuke from a statewide business advocacy group concerned about the thousands of unexploded bombs, poison gas and radioactive waste that were dumped in the planned exploration zone.

In a written a statement submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Frank Knapp of the South Carolina Business Chamber of Commerce, said oil and gas exploration off the coast would increase the risk of disturbing long-dormant hazards and contaminating marine life harvested by fisherman up and down the east coast.

“We have a tremendous stake in our coastal economy and environmental health of ocean and coast,” said Knapp, the chamber’s chief executive officer.

Read the full story at the Courthouse News Service

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross praises red snapper recreational pilot program

April 23, 2018 — U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross expressed praise on Tuesday, 17 April, for a pilot program that gives states along the Gulf of Mexico more power in managing the red snapper recreational fishery.

NOAA Fisheries previously unveiled a two-year pilot program giving partial control of the fishery to officials in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. All five states submitted applications that will enable them to manage the recreation fishery in both state waters, which run for the first nine miles off the coast, and federal waters, which extend beyond that.

“Granting these experimental fishing permits to all five states continues the work we started last year to expand recreational fishing opportunities through coordinated, Gulf-wide seasons,” Ross said. “We are going to give the states the opportunity to demonstrate effective management that improves recreational opportunities for all Americans.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Massachusetts: New Bedford fishermen docked for season’s start

April 23, 2018 — The New Bedford groundfishing fleet will remain at dock — and without the ability to lease quota to other fishing entities — when the 2018 fishing season dawns on May 1. What happens after that is anybody’s guess.

NOAA Fisheries staffers informed the New England Fishery Management Council earlier this week that operations plans for New Bedford-based Northeast Fishing Sectors VII and IX will not be completed in time for the opening of the 2018 fishing season.

But the discussion following the briefing, as well as the council’s widely split vote on a draft recommendation to NOAA Fisheries, reflected stark divisions within the council and the Northeast groundfish fishery at large over how NOAA should resolve the issues borne from the long-standing catch misreporting and conviction last year of New Bedford fishing mogul Carlos Rafael.

It also recommended that, following full repayment of the overages associated with Rafael’s cheating, NOAA Fisheries work with Sector VII “to ensure that the 2018 sector operation plan and associated conditions” are fully implemented.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

NOAA: South Atlantic Vermilion Snapper Commercial Trip Limit Reduced to 555 Pounds Whole Weight on April 26, 2018

April 23, 2018 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

WHAT/WHEN:

The daily trip limit for the commercial harvest of vermilion snapper in federal waters of the South Atlantic is reduced from 1,100 to 555 pounds whole weight, or from 1,000 to 500 pounds gutted weight, effective 12:01 a.m., local time, on April 26, 2018.

WHY THIS TRIP LIMIT REDUCTION IS HAPPENING:

When commercial landings of South Atlantic vermilion snapper reach or are projected to reach 75 percent of the quota, regulations are in place to reduce the daily trip limit.
The trip limit reduction is necessary to slow the rate of commercial harvest to avoid exceeding the quota.

AFTER THE TRIP LIMIT REDUCTION:

The 555-pound whole weight or 500-pound gutted weight trip limit will remain in effect until the end of the current fishing season on June 30, 2018, or when 100 percent of the quota is reached or projected to be reached, whichever occurs first. The second 2018 vermilion snapper season in the South Atlantic will open at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 1, 2018, with a 1,100-pound whole weight or 1,000-pound gutted weight trip limit.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=383bc195ccbeab4fd6bec1c24905df34&node=sp50.12.622.i&rgn=div6#se50.12.622_1191.

SAMFC: Proposed Changes to Sea Turtle Release Gear Types for For-Hire/Charter and Commercial Fishermen

April 23, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Written comments due by May 18, 2018

The Council is soliciting public comment on options for changes to current sea turtle release gear types for use in handling and releasing incidentally caught sea turtles. Vessels with Commercial or For-Hire South Atlantic Snapper Grouper Federal Permits are required to follow the sea turtle release gear requirements.

The proposed changes provide additional options for approved gear. The new gear would require less space on vessels while still providing the necessary function. These new gear types are only additional options, and not the only gear that industry may use to satisfy the current regulatory requirements.

Learn More

Additional information, including the Amendment 42 Scoping Document, Overview, and Video Presentation is available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/.

Comments may be submitted via the online public comment form available from the link above. Written comments are due by 5 p.m. on May 18, 2018.

See the Story Map for Amendment 42 for a quick overview of proposed options.

Scoping Meetings via Webinar Begin Today!

In addition to the information available online, the Council is offering two public scoping webinars, each beginning at 6:00 PM. Registration is required.

Monday, April 23

Tuesday, April 24

During the scoping meetings, Council staff will present an overview of the proposed changes and will be available for informal discussions and to answer questions via webinar. Members of the public will have an opportunity to go on record to record their comments for consideration by the Council.

Learn more about the SAFMC by visiting their site here.

NE Fishery Management Council Divided Over New Plan For Rafael’s Fishing Sector

April 20, 2018 — In a divided vote, the New England Fishery Management Council is backing a new operations plan for a sector of New Bedford boats that have been prohibited from fishing. However, the council said the plan should only be approved if certain conditions are met.

The sector of boats, called Sector IX, has been banned from catching groundfish, such as cod and haddock, for the past five months. Federal regulators from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made the decision to prohibit all sector activity after fishing mogul Carlos Rafael, who has also been referred to as “The Codfather,” pleaded guilty to misreporting the numbers of fish his boats were catching.

Now, Sector IX wants to be operational again as a “lease-only” sector, which means the boats would remain docked but could still make money by leasing their fishing allocation to other fishermen.

Read the full story at Rhode Island Public Radio

NOAA finalizes plan for record scallop year

April 20, 2018 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has now finalized its plan to allow the biggest Atlantic scallop harvest in 14 years in the 2018-2019 fishing year.

In a final rule appearing in Thursday’s Federal Register, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published the last few technical elements it needed to implement Framework Adjustment 29, advancing a plan that would boost the scallop harvest by 26% — to as much as 60 million pounds of scallops from the 47.5 million lbs caught in 2017. The 2018-2019 season began on April 19 and runs until March 21, 2019. Earlier elements of the plan were laid out on March 26, 2018.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News