Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: Top fisheries regulator blends into the crowd at Working Waterfront Festival

September 27, 2015 — NEW BEDFORD — In the closing hours of a picture-perfect day for the New Bedford Waterfront Festival, about 15 pretty important people were meeting in a stuffy, windowless third-floor conference room up three flights of stairs at the State Pier building.

This was an invitation-only chance for some locals involved in the fishing industry to meet the woman who is in charge of fisheries regulation for the entire nation, NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Eileen Sobeck.

She was here at the invitation of Mayor Mitchell, and the arrangements were done pretty quietly. There was no announcement by the mayor’s office because, as he explained, this was an opportunity to open up some lines of communication between our fishing community and the persons in charge of regulating it.”

“It was civil and informative … a lot of progress was made that way,” Mitchell said after the meeting.

Former Mayor John Bullard was there because, as he is now regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries in the Northeast, Sobek is his boss. He deferred all questions to her.

Read the full story at New Bedford Standard- Times

Over 1,500 Coastal Residents Join Federal, State, and Congressional Leaders in Opposing Atlantic Marine Monument

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) – September 25, 2015 – A letter delivered this week to the President and other top Federal officials has been signed by more than 1,500 fishermen and other residents from coastal communities opposing recent calls to create a marine national monument along America’s Atlantic Coast. The letter’s signers join a growing list of citizens, stakeholders, governors, Senators, Members of Congress, and local leaders speaking out publicly against the monument campaign. The letter’s signers call the measure an unnecessary use of Executive authority that undermines the public management of natural resources, which are being successfully managed through public processes.

READ THE LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT AND TOP FEDERAL OFFICIALS

Saving Seafood has published the letter online today, which was produced jointly by the Fisheries Survival Fund (FSF) and the Northeast Seafood Coalition (NSC). In addition to President Obama, the letter was also delivered to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, and NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Eileen Sobeck.

According to the letter, a recent campaign to designate an Atlantic marine national monument, specifically in the Cashes Ledge area of the Gulf of Maine and around the New England Canyons and Seamounts, circumvents and diminishes the public management procedures that currently manage these areas. In the view of the signers, a process that is open and collaborative, and considers the input of scientific experts, fishermen, and other stakeholders, is best way to successfully manage marine resources.

The signers also contend that these proposals do not properly take into account the existing protections already in place in many of these areas. They note that Cashes Ledge has been closed to most forms of commercial fishing for over a decade, and that the New England Fishery Management Council recently took steps to extend these protections into the future with the approval of Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2. The Council is set to further examine additional habitat protections for the region when it considers the Deep Sea Coral Amendment later this year. To the signers of the letter, these are clear signs that the current management process is working.

The letter joins increasingly vocal opposition to a national monument designation. Maine Governor Paul LePage, as well as Maine Senator Susan Collins and Congressman Bruce Poliquin, have all written to the Obama Administration opposing any monument in the Gulf of Maine. Sefatia Romeo Theken, the Mayor of Gloucester, Massachusetts, home to the nation’s oldest fishing port and its historic groundfish fishery, has also written a letter in opposition. Jon Mitchell, the Mayor of New Bedford, Massachusetts, the nation’s most valuable port and home to the Atlantic scallop fishery, is one of the signers of this week’s letter. Legislatively, Congressmen Don Young and Walter Jones recently introduced the Marine Access and State Transparency Act, which would prevent the President from declaring offshore national monuments.

 

Maine Sen. Collins, Rep. Poliquin write to NOAA on Marine Monument

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — September 24, 2015 — Maine Senator Susan Collins and Congressman Bruce Poliquin have written a letter to NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Eileen Sobeck expressing concern over proposals to designate marine National Monuments in the Atlantic Ocean, and calling for a “thorough, open” public process before such a proposal is implemented.

The letter, dated September 14, notes that the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), which currently is responsible for managing many of the areas under discussion, “has been proactive in its stewardship” of the area, particularly the Cashes Ledge region of the Gulf of Maine. It notes that the “deliberative and democratic” process that consults “scientists, public officials, fishermen, regulators, and other stakeholders” has allowed Cashes Ledge to “flourish.”

A National Monument designation in these areas, the letter states, “could well undermine the NEFMC’s longstanding, cooperative, and effective management systems and its years of hard work to develop balanced management plans in the region.” To prevent this, the letter calls for additional public hearings hosted by NOAA before any monument plan is implemented.

Read the letter here

 

VIDEO: Aquaculture Abounds this Week with New Video Premiere and U.S. Aquaculture Week

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) – September 24, 2015 — Global experts agree: the marine ingredients used to sustain aquaculture are irreplaceable for their nutritive benefits for aquaculture species and the human consumers who eventually enjoy them as food. In conjunction with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) first-ever Aquaculture Week, Saving Seafood announces a new video showcasing the vital role that marine ingredients play in the expanding, sustainable aquaculture industry. Produced in partnership with the International Fish Meal and Fish Oil Organisation (IFFO) and Omega Protein, the video features interviews with aquaculture industry leaders and experts from both sides of the Atlantic.

“People talk about fish meal replacements; there really aren’t fish meal replacements, because no one ingredient is going to have everything that fish meal has,” explains Dr. Rick Barrows in the video. Dr. Barrows is a Fish Nutritionist at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service Fish Technology Center in Bozeman, Montana. Dr. Barrows, alongside Dr. Andrew Jackson, Technical Director of IFFO and recent recipient of the Seafood Champion Leadership Award at the 2015 SeaWeb Seafood Summit in New Orleans, Louisiana, join a handful of other global aquaculture experts in the new video.

This week, NOAA is “celebrating the important role of aquaculture in providing a sustainable seafood supply, building economic opportunities and resilience in coastal communities, and conserving our natural resources,” just days ahead of IFFO’s Annual Conference in Berlin, where attendees will view the premiere screening of “A Closer Look at Aquaculture and Marine Ingredients.” With today’s announcement, Saving Seafood includes a 30 second preview of the new video, and will release the full-length video to coincide with its showing at IFFO’s Annual Conference.

Saving Seafood is a Washington D.C.-based non-profit that conducts media and public outreach on behalf of the seafood industry.

IFFO, the International Fish Meal and Fish Oil Organisation, is an international non-profit that represents and promotes the global fish meal, fish oil, and marine ingredients industry.

Omega Protein Corporation is a century old nutritional company that develops, produces and delivers healthy products throughout the world to improve the nutritional integrity of functional foods, dietary supplements and animal feeds.

Watch a preview of the new video here  

MASSACHUSETTS: Letter from Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — September 24, 2015 — Gloucester, Mass. Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken has written to top officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in opposition to a recent proposal to designate Cashes Ledge, three deep sea canyons and four seamounts off the Atlantic Coast as national monuments. Gloucester, one of nation’s oldest fishing ports, is also noted for its relation to New England’s historic groundfish fishery.

Read the letter from Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken

 

DON CUDDY: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help you’

September 24, 2105 — The Working Waterfront Festival takes place this weekend and features the traditional Blessing of the Fleet, to be held Sunday afternoon on the State Pier. This year, New Bedford welcomes NOAA’s Eileen Sobeck to the ceremony. Ms. Sobeck holds the title of Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, and in that capacity oversees the management and conservation of marine fisheries. According to the NOAA web site: “Her focus is on rebuilding the nation’s fisheries and the jobs and livelihoods that depend on them by promoting management approaches that will achieve both sustainable fisheries and vibrant coastal communities.”

It is difficult to reconcile such lofty goals with the harsh reality facing New England groundfishermen today. The National Marine Fisheries Service and its regional administrator John Bullard, in the face of widespread opposition, is intent on forcing fishing vessel owners to pick up the tab for the at-sea monitors that accompany them on fishing trips to estimate the catch and observe bycatch.

Last April, at the request of the New England Fishery Management Council, NOAA’s own social sciences branch conducted an evaluation of the impact the promotion of this particular management approach would have if industry funded. Here is a quote taken from the study’s findings: “Predictions for FY 2015 are that nearly 60% of the fleet could see negative returns to owner when full 2015 ASM costs are factored in.” The study also predicted that “industry funded ASM could result in restructuring of the fleet.”

Read the full story at New Bedford Standard-Times

Federal grants aim to help fishing industry businesses hurt by Sandy

September 22, 2015 — Local fishing industry businesses that took losses due to Super Storm Sandy will now have access to $3.6 million in grant funding being made available by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The grants are aimed at reimbursing sectors of New York’s fishing industry impacted by the October 2012 storm. Sectors include: bait and tackle; for-hire fishing boat operators; marinas; commercial harvesters; commercial seafood dealers, shippers or processors; and aquaculture facilities.

Fishing businesses in eligible counties must complete an application and provide documentation to demonstrate more than $5,000 in revenue or gross income loss as a result of Superstorm Sandy, and have at least $15,000 in annual earnings in one of the eligible fishery sectors. Businesses in Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties are eligible to apply.

Read the full story from Riverhead Local

NOAA Fisheries Announces Commercial Scup Quota Increase for 2015 Winter II (Nov 1-Dec 31)

September 18, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Fisheries announces that the commercial scup quota and the per trip possession limit for the 2015 Winter II quota period (November 1-December 31) is increased due to the rollover of unused quota from the Winter I period of 2,084,256 lbs.

The commercial scup possession limit for the upcoming Winter II season will be 18,000 lb, up from the initial 12,000 lbs, and is the maximum allowed in Winter II.

The commercial scup quota for Winter II has been revised up to 5,468,726 lbs from 3,384,700 lbs.

The commercial quota for scup is distributed through the coastal states from Maine to North Carolina, and is managed on a coastwide basis. Fishermen should keep in mind that when the state and Federal possession limits are different, you are required to abide by the more restrictive of the two.

Read the rule as filed in the Federal Register and the bulletin posted on our website.

Questions? Contact Reid Lichwell, Regional Office, at 978-281-9112 or Reid.Lichwell@noaa.gov.

 

Shaheen Presses Federal Agency Leader Not to Shift Burdensome Fees to NH Fishermen

WASHINGTON — September 17, 2015 — The following was released by the office of U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH):

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) today advocated for New Hampshire fishermen in a phone call with Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Shaheen specifically urged the Administrator not to force New Hampshire fishermen to pay expensive new fees – more than $700 per trip – to cover the cost of the agency’s at-sea observer program, which monitors catch sizes and collects data in the region. NOAA announced last month that fishermen will be responsible for these fees starting October 31 of this year.

“New England’s fishing industry is in crisis, with many of New Hampshire’s remaining fishermen fighting for survival,” said Shaheen. “These fees will cut into incredibly thin margins and could be the tipping point for many of our fishermen. I’ve made it crystal clear to Administrator Sullivan that these fees threaten the very existence of New Hampshire’s fishing industry.”

As a Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen included provisions in Fiscal Year 2016 legislation directing NOAA to alleviate this problem and to develop new technology that would be more efficient and cost-effective. In the call with NOAA’s administrator today, Shaheen was asking for NOAA to continue funding the program while that work proceeds.

Today Shaheen also sent a letter with U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) to the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce, calling for an investigation into the costs and operation of NOAA’s at-sea monitoring program.

Sens. Shaheen, Ayotte Dispute Fees for NH Fishermen

September 17, 2015 — The following was released by the office of Sen. Kelly Ayotte:

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) sent a letter to the Department of Commerce Acting Inspector General David Smith calling for a full investigation into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) at-sea monitoring program for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery, which includes New Hampshire’s coastal region. On August 4, 2015, NOAA announced it would end its funding the program on October 31, and will require individual fishermen to fund the ASM program instead.

“As you may know, the New England fishing industry has been devastated in recent years by severe cuts to catch quotas,” wrote the Senators. “In this moment when the fishery can least afford it, NOAA announced on August 4, 2015, that it would end its funding for the ASM program on October 31, 2015. This move will cost individual fishermen an estimated more than $700 per trip and will force many out of business entirely.”

Earlier this year, Senators Shaheen and Ayotte pushed for prompt action by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to deliver on New Hampshire’s request for federal fishery disaster funds. In April, OMB announced that NOAA had released $2.3 million in disaster relief funds to New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine. The Senators have also led bipartisan efforts to obtain similar funds for New Hampshire fishermen who had been negatively impacted by rigorous catch limit requirements.

The full text of the letter is below.

The Hon. David Smith
Acting Inspector General
Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington, DC 20230

Dear Acting Inspector General Smith:

We write to request an investigation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) at-sea monitoring (ASM) program in the Northeast Multispecies Fishery.

As you may know, the New England fishing industry has been devastated in recent years by severe cuts to the fishery’s catch quotas. In this moment when the fishery can least afford it, NOAA announced on August 4, 2015, that it would end its funding for the ASM program on October 31, 2015.

This decision will cost individual fishermen an estimated $700 per trip and could force many out of business entirely. We have also heard disturbing reports of fishing sectors being told by NOAA that they are required to sign specific contracts by arbitrary deadlines, or they will lose their access to the fishery.
With New Hampshire’s commercial fishing industry already suffering due to onerous federal regulations, we are deeply concerned about the destructive impact that this new and sudden fee will have in our state. Based on concerns raised by our constituents, we are requesting an investigation into the ASM program that answers the following questions:

• How does NOAA determine with which companies to contract for fishery observers? Does the agency have to disclose potential conflicts of interest in this process?
• How are the costs of these fees and contracts determined? What percentage of the contract is a profit for observer companies?
• What legal basis enables NOAA to require fishing sectors to sign specific observer contracts and to set specific deadlines by which observer contracts must be signed?
• What options do fishermen have to negotiate the details of contracts they are required to sign?
• How do the ASM costs in the Northeast fishery compare with similar programs in other regions of the country?
• How do observer fees compare to per-trip revenue, particularly for fishermen with smaller vessels? How do these ratios in the Northeast compare with those for similar-sized vessels in other regions of the country?
• What is the estimated state-by-state economic impact of these new fees on the region’s fishing industry? How does this impact differ across vessel sizes?

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. The survival of New Hampshire’s 400-year-old fishing industry is at stake. We look forward to your timely response.

Read the legislation to terminate at-sea monitoring program