Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: CLF teleconference on Rafael agrees on one thing: More monitoring

September 14, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Less than two weeks remain until the Carlos Rafael trial is scheduled to wrap up with sentencing set for Sept. 25 and 26.

The Conservation Law Foundation held a teleconference Wednesday to discuss the evolution of Rafael’s actions to his guilty plea and potential fallout from sentencing.

CLF attorney Peter Shelley discussed the topic with Togue Brawn of Downeast Dayboat, a commercial scallop company, and Patrick Shepard of the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries.

“I think it’s fair to say all eyes on are NOAA fisheries and what’s it going to do,” Shelley said.

The answer at this point is no one really knows — at least until sentencing. NOAA has consistently told The Standard-Times it doesn’t comment on ongoing litigation.

However, the CLF teleconference provided recommendations on what can be done in the aftermath of Rafael’s sentencing.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Sea Scallop Research Funding Now Available for 2018-19

September 14, 2017 — WOODS HOLE, Mass. — Fishing regulators are now accepting proposals for the upcoming 2018-2019 sea scallop research program.

Projects funded under the program need to enhance information on the scallop resource or contribute to fishery management decisions.

NOAA Fisheries and the New England Fishery Management Council use proceeds from the sale of set-aside scallops to fund the research and compensate vessels that take part in research activities.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

California crabbers use GPS to find whale-killing gear

September 14, 2017 — HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — Fisherman Jake Bunch leans over the side of the fishing boat “Sadie K,” spears his catch, and reels it aboard: an abandoned crab pot, dangling one limp lasagna noodle of kelp and dozens of feet of rope, just the kind of fishing gear that has been snaring an increasing number of whales off U.S. coasts.

Confirmed counts of humpbacks, blue and other endangered or threatened species of whale entangled by the ropes, buoys and anchors of fishing gear hit a record 50 on the East Coast last year, and tied the record on the West Coast at 48, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The accidental entanglements can gouge whales’ flesh and mouth, weaken the animals, drown them, or kill them painfully, over months.

This year, Bunch is one of a small number of commercial fishermen out of Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, and five other ports up and down California who headed to sea again after the West Coast’s Dungeness crab season ended this summer.

The California fishermen are part of a new effort using their cellphones’ GPS and new software pinpointing areas where lost or abandoned crabbing gear has been spotted. They retrieve the gear for a payment — at Half Moon Bay, it’s $65 per pot —before the fishing ropes can snag a whale.

Especially stormy weather this year has meant more wayward crabbing gear than usual, Bunch said recently on a gray late-summer morning at sea.

“Makes it all the more important to pick it up,” he says.

Read the full story at the News & Observer

Feds shutting squid fishery for year to avoid overfishing

September 13, 2017 — PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The federal government is shutting down the shortfin squid fishery later this week to avoid exceeding quota for the year.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the fishery will close at 12:01 a.m. on Friday until Dec. 31. Squid fishing permit holders will not be allowed to fish for, catch or possess more than 10,000 pounds of shortfin squid per trip.

The shortfin squid fishery is located mostly off of Rhode Island.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Gloucester Times

NOAA Fisheries: Ocean surveys show poor conditions for Columbia salmon

September 13, 2017 — Ocean conditions for salmon headed to sea this year are very poor, according to recent NOAA Fisheries research surveys, and have a high likelihood of depressing salmon returns to the Columbia River in the next few years.

The outlook is described in a recent research memorandum from NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries Science Center, which has been studying the ecology of young salmon entering the ocean for more than 20 years. The research has helped reveal how conditions in the ocean affect salmon survival and, ultimately, how many salmon complete their life cycle to return to their home streams and spawn a new generation of fish.

NOAA Fisheries researchers regularly survey ocean conditions off the Pacific Northwest Coast, focusing especially on factors known as “ocean indicators” that can serve as barometers of salmon survival.

They also assess the number and condition of juvenile salmon along the Oregon and Washington coastlines, since the survival of the fish during their first months at sea helps predict how many are likely to survive over the longer term.

Read the full story at the Chinook Observer

NOAA Fisheries Announces Increase in Commercial Scup Quota and Possession Limits for Winter II Period (November to December 2017)

September 13, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA announces an increase in the commercial scup quota and possession limit for the 2017 Winter II Period (November 1-December 31).

Unused quota from the Winter 1 Period (January 1-April 30) is being rolled over into Winter II.

The revised Winter II commercial scup quota is 5,160,914 lbs, up 76 percent from 2,929,762 lbs.

The revised commercial scup possession limit for the Winter II season is 18,000 lb per trip, up 50 percent from 12,000 lbs per trip.

When state and federal possession limits are different, fishermen are required to abide by the more restrictive of the two.

For more details, read the Federal Register notice as filed today, and the permit holder bulletin on our website.

Questions? Contact Cynthia Hanson, 978-281-9180 or Cynthia.hanson@noaa.gov.

NEW JERSEY: Anglers Argue Over Fishing Limits

September 13, 2017 — STAFFORD, N.J. — A trip to Annapolis, Maryland might be what saves the 2018 New Jersey fishing season.

Saltwater anglers and their allies crowded the Stafford Township municipal chambers, where the Marine Fisheries Council held its regular Sept. 7 meeting. Although the first hour was filled with its usual reports and comments, the Council’s second hour saw passionate arguments and discussion from Council and audience members about what to do with the ever-shortening fishing season and its negative impact on commercial fishermen throughout the state and beyond.

Jim Hutchinson Jr.’s Sept. 8 article at TheFisherman.com quoted boat captain Adam Nowalsky that cuts felt in fish seasons and quotas for 2017 will be mild compared to what’s expected for 2018, based on the early returns from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries surveys. Those quotas and seasons are set annually.

Captain Victor Hartley III of Miss Ocean City explained to Jersey Shore Online that although regulations dictate what size fish may be kept, anglers must count all fish caught toward quotas.

“We don’t have enough quotas is one issue, and the other issue is we don’t have enough days,” Hartley explained. “We don’t have the time to catch anything.”

Read the full story at Jersey Shore Online

NOAA: Charter fishing vessels must submit electronic trip reports

September 12, 2017 — Charter and party fishing vessels that hold certain federal permits will be required next year to electronically submit reports for all passenger-for-hire trips.

The requirement is intended to reduce “recall bias” associated with delayed paper report submissions, according to NOAA.

The federal agency issued an alert about its new requirement, calling it an administrative modification rather than a reporting requirement change.

Read the full story from State House News Service at the Gloucester Times

Judith S. Weis: To help New Jersey, Congress should invest in science

September 12, 2017 — In the Garden State, we are lucky to have beautiful natural surroundings and strong industries. But it takes more than luck to maintain this balance – it takes science. Unfortunately, scientific research is threatened by drastic cuts to non-defense spending that President Trump has proposed and Congress is currently considering.  While Congress is not expected to adhere to the president’s proposal, severe cuts are likely to remain and could have substantial impact on programs in northern New Jersey.

Another agency looking after our estuaries and coasts is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is also slated for major cuts.  While military spending can help keep us safe, it is not the only budget that can do so – we also need protection from natural “assaults.” Our coasts can protect us and keep us safe – but only if we protect them, which is one role of NOAA. In addition to providing recreation and food, salt marshes are natural “infrastructure,” and damage to them weakens defenses against winds and flooding from storms, hurricanes, and other coastal hazards – a lesson from Houston.

With inadequate coastal protection, even small storms can cause floods that can become expensive by closing roads, overwhelming storm drains and damaging building foundations with saltwater. The marshes themselves are at risk of being overwhelmed by rising seas, and research is critical to learn how to best protect them. The economy, the protection of natural habitat and the vitality of our communities all depend on fully funded scientific agencies.

Congressional action supporting research to protect our estuaries and coasts is essential. Tell your congressional representatives that funding science is the best investment to keep New Jersey waters and residents healthy and safe.

Read the full opinion piece at NorthJersey.com

Feds looking to trim golden tilefish quota for next 3 years

September 12, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — Federal fishing regulators are planning to cut back the fishing quota for golden tilefish for the next three years.

Golden tilefish are prized as food and they are caught by longline and hook-and-line fishermen up and down the East Coast. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says proposed quotas for 2018 to 2020 are 14 percent lower than the 2017 quota to prevent overfishing.

The fish are not currently experiencing overfishing, but fishery managers recommended reduction based on an evaluation of the fishery.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the San Francisco Chronicle