Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator Announces Retirement

July 12, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator John Bullard today formally announced he will retire on January 5, 2018. Bullard, who took the top job in the agency’s Gloucester-based office in 2012, will leave a legacy of improved relationships with the regulated community, the research community, environmentalists, local, state, and federal officials and agency partners, including the New England and the Mid-Atlantic fishery management councils and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

As the regional administrator responsible for leading the agency’s approach to fisheries, habitat, sea turtle, and marine mammal issues from Maine to North Carolina as well as the Great Lakes region, Bullard also provided a much-needed conduit helping the regulated communities understand the critical role of science in informing management decisions.

“As the former Mayor of New Bedford, Bullard brought with him a unique connection to the fishing industry, and used that connection to improve communication with all aspects of the industry and Congress during a very challenging period for the agency,” said Sam Rauch, NOAA Fisheries Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs.

As Regional Administrator, Bullard worked with the fishery management councils and the commission to manage 44 fish stocks, including two, scallops and lobster, worth more than $500 million each.

During his tenure, he faced the daunting New England groundfish crisis. Bullard met the challenge head on, making the tough and unpopular decision to impose emergency closures when the New England Council failed to act.

“I know how difficult these issues are, and I tried to tackle them with courage and compassion,” says Bullard.

Bullard worked with Congress and state directors to deliver $32.8 million in disaster assistance to affected fishing families and communities. In close collaboration with the New England Council, Bullard then put quotas and closures in place to protect cod and other depleted fish stocks.

“We wish John well,” said New England Council Executive Director Tom Nies. “He is always willing to work with the council to find management solutions and empowers those around him to actively participate in the process, which is one of his key accomplishments. That may go unnoticed by many, but it is one of the reasons our council has been able to complete so many management actions during his tenure.”

Bullard’s leadership in protecting living marine resources included removing approximately 30,000 miles of rope from Atlantic coastal waters to reduce whale entanglements and expanding critical habitat for North Atlantic right whales in the region by more than 25,000 nautical miles. He also oversaw development of a strategy to restore river herring populations, imposed catch caps on mackerel and herring fisheries, and removed dams and created fish passages to double fish runs in key Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts rivers.

“For me, John is an example of public service and more importantly, an example of working with stakeholders to have a positive impact on tough issues,” said Dr. Jon Hare, science and research director at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center. “I will miss working with him and am thankful for his time as regional administrator.”

Bullard strongly supported groundbreaking actions created to bolster the Mid-Atlantic region’s important recreational and commercial fisheries. In 2016, he approved the Mid-Atlantic Council’s deep-sea coral amendment that protects 15 deep-sea canyons and a total area of 24 million acres, about the size of Virginia, where fragile, slow-growing corals live. These hotspots of biodiversity provide important habitat, refuge, and prey for fish and other marine life. Bullard has also advanced an action to protect small schooling fish, also known as forage fish, which serve as prey for larger fish, marine mammals, and sea birds. This would be the first ever action on the Atlantic coast to designate forage fish as important parts of the ecosystem and provide protection for them.

“Throughout his tenure as regional administrator, John has been an engaged and dedicated participant in the council process, and he has played an important role in increasing focus on the Mid-Atlantic portion of the Greater Atlantic Region,” said Chris Moore, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. “His insight and leadership have been especially valuable to the Mid-Atlantic Council during the development of several new initiatives such as the Deep Sea Corals Amendment, the Unmanaged Forage Fish Amendment, and the development of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management.”

Bullard also led the charge to modernize access and sharing of fishery dependent data in cooperation with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the fishing industry, the councils and the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program. He championed electronic monitoring pilot projects on fishing vessels with partners in the industry and environmental non-government organizations to increase coverage and improve the data on which our science is based.

“It’s been an honor and pleasure to work with John. He has been a strong supporter of state/federal cooperation in the management of our shared marine resources,” said Bob Beal, executive director of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. “We are grateful for his contributions to sustainable management and wish him the very best.”

“I’m really proud of the work I’ve done with the GARFO team. They are intelligent, hard-working, and caring professionals, and I rely on them every day to make me smart on the many issues we face,” said Bullard, who has no plans to slow down before he leaves. “There is work left to do before I leave—very important work. Still on my list are the Omnibus Habitat Amendment, the New England Council’s Deep Sea Coral Amendment, some critical dam removals, electronic monitoring, the Carlos Rafael situation, the summer flounder crisis, and the continuing groundfish challenge, among others.”

However, once he does bid the agency goodbye, he plans to literally sail into the sunset, provided the weather is warm enough!

The agency will launch a search for Bullard’s replacement within the next several months.

Read the full release here

Atlantic Region Increased Large Coastal Shark Retention Limit to 36 Sharks per Trip and Regulation Reminders

July 12, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) is increasing the retention limit for the commercial aggregated large coastal shark (LCS) and hammerhead shark management groups for directed shark limited access permit holders in the Atlantic region from 3 to 36 LCS other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip as of July 16, 2017.  This adjustment is intended to promote equitable fishing opportunities in the Atlantic region, while allowing quota to be harvested throughout the year.  All other retention limits and shark fisheries remain unchanged in the Atlantic region.

The retention limit will remain at 36 LCS other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip in the Atlantic region through the rest of the 2017 fishing season or until NOAA Fisheries announces via a notice in the Federal Register another adjustment to the retention limit or a fishery closure.  This retention limit adjustment affects anyone with a directed shark limited access permit fishing for LCS in the Atlantic region.

NOAA Fisheries wants to remind commercial shark fishermen of the following regulations:

  • Sharks must be landed with fins naturally attached, including dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, anal, and caudal fins (§635.30(c)(1)).
  • While on a vessel, the head and viscera of the shark may be removed, but the backbone cannot be removed, and the shark cannot be halved, quartered, filleted, or otherwise reduced (§635.30(c)(2)).  Additionally, once landed and offloaded, sharks that have been halved, quartered, filleted, cut up, or reduced in any manner may not be brought back on board a vessel (§635.30(c)(3)).  In other words, sharks cannot be cut up to be used as bait.
  • All federal permit holders must land sharks to federally-permitted dealers (§635.31(c)(1)).
  • All sharks that are not being retained must be released in the water in a manner that maximizes survival (§635.24(a)(6)).

This notice is a courtesy to the HMS fishery participants to help keep you informed about the fishery.  For further information on this retention limit adjustment, contact Lauren Latchford, Guý DuBeck, or Karyl Brewster-Geisz at 301-427-8503. The information will also be posted on the HMS website at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/species/sharks/news/shark_news_2017.html.

NOAA Fisheries Announces Monkfish Quotas for 2017 to 2019

July 11, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Fisheries announces monkfish quotas for the fishing years 2017 through 2019 (May 1, 2017 through April 30, 2020).

This action also approves possession limit and days-at-sea (DAS) increases for limited access monkfish permit holders.

Northern Fishery Management Area

We are increasing the monkfish quota in the Northern Fishery Management Area by about 8 percent. Incidental landing limits for vessels fishing on a groundfish DAS would also increase:

  • Category C: from 600 to 900 lb tail weight/DAS
  • Category D: from 500 to 750 lb tail weight/DAS 

Southern Fishery Management Area

We are increasing the monkfish quota in the Southern Fishery Management Area by approximately 1 percent. Fishermen can now fish five more DAS in the Southern area; an increase from 32 to 37 DAS. Southern Area trip limits also increase for limited access vessels:

  • Category A and C: from 610 to 700 lb tail weight/DAS
  • Category B and D: from 500 to 575 lb tail weight/DAS

These management measures are designed to increase monkfish landings, provide operational flexibility, and increase economic efficiency.

To get all the details on these management changes, read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register today, supplemental documents, and the permit holder bulletinposted on our website. 

Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel at 978-281-9175 or jennifer.goebel@noaa.gov

Call for Summer Flounder Stock Assessment Workshop Working Group Members

July 10, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center seeks Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW) Working Group applicants for the upcoming summer flounder stock assessment, scheduled for peer review in 2018. Our goal is to create the most capable and balanced Working Group possible to carry out this stock assessment and produce high quality science products.

The Northeast Region Coordinating Council (NRCC) recently developed written guidelines for SAW Working Group formation and membership. With the exception of the Working Group Chair and lead stock assessment scientist, candidates for SAW Working Groups need to fill out a short questionnaire. The completed questionnaires will then be reviewed by the SAW Working Group Chair and the SAW Chair, followed by a higher-level NRCC decision committee. 

Application Instructions

Applicants should complete the questionnaire and email to Sheena Steiner at sheena.steiner@noaa.gov by August 3, 2017. Applicants may also mail the completed document to Sheena c/o NEFSC, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543. Applicants will receive an email confirmation once the questionnaire has been submitted. 

Timeline

  • Questionnaire available to public: July 6, 2017
  • Completed questionnaires due back to the NEFSC: August 3, 2017
  • Short lists selected for SAW Working Groups: August 15, 2017
  • All questionnaires and short lists delivered to NRCC Selection Committee:  August 18, 2017 (target date)
  • NRCC decisions due to NEFSC: August 28, 2017 (target date)
  • Public Announcement of Decisions: August 30, 2017 (target date)

Questions? Contact Sheena Steiner at 508-495-2177 or sheena.steiner@noaa.gov.

CO2 Benefits the “Rats and Cockroaches” of Marine World

July 7, 2017 –Beneath the waves, swelling levels of carbon dioxide could be boosting some species to ecological dominance while dooming others.

A study published yesterday in Current Biology suggests ocean acidification is driving a cascading set of behavioral and environmental changes that drains oceans’ biodiversity. Niche species and intermediate predators suffer at the expense of a handful of aggressive species.

Sea-level rise and coral bleaching often dominate discussions about how climate change affects the ocean, but a host of more subtle—and harder to research—trends also play a role in reshaping the world’s marine ecosystems. Among the most pressing questions is how fish react to rising levels of CO2, said Tom Bigford, policy director at the American Fisheries Society.

“The hurdles for behavioral changes are far lower than the hurdles for life and death,” said Bigford, who worked with fish habitats at NOAA for more than three decades.

Now, for the first time, researchers from the University of Adelaide in South Australia have cataloged the changing ways marine species interact with each other.

For three years, they observed marine environments near undersea volcanic vents where CO2 levels are high—providing a window into the future acidity of ocean water—along with adjacent areas of normal acidity. They also conducted behavioral experiments on fish from the different zones to test their responses to food and habitat competition.

Receding kelp means less habitat for intermediate predators, with about half as many near the volcanic vents.

But the acidified conditions proved to be a boon to what the researchers called “the marine equivalent to rats and cockroaches”—small fish with low commercial or culinary value.

Read the full story at the Scientific American

Brad Gentner: It’s time to rethink ‘catch shares’

July 7, 2017 — Catch shares in marine fisheries is a concept unfamiliar to most people, and it is probably completely alien to most hunters and anglers in this country. It is a system of wildlife management that bestows some percentage of a public marine resource, like red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico, to private businesses for free, to use and sell for their own profit. It was thought that by giving away ownership rights to individuals, the fishery would consolidate and ultimately become easier to manage. While the same number of fish would be caught, the benefits of funneling access to the resource through fewer entities was thought to remove some of the uncertainty in the industry and thus would be worth the price of privatizing a public resource for free.

While catch shares are still the darling of some fisheries economists, there is a growing backlash against this management tool worldwide for a variety of reasons. At the heart of these complaints is fleet and wealth consolidation, extraction of public wealth for private profit, and failure to capitalize share-cost into production costs.

Within the past two years, two small-scale fisheries organizations, the World Forum of Fisher Peoples and the World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers came out in opposition to a large World Bank investment initiative centered around rights-based management. These small-scale fisherfolk organizations oppose “ocean grabbing” because it destroys communities and consolidates the fleet and the fishery wealth in too few hands. In addition to these grassroots resistance efforts, there have been several scholarly articles published that state that the only real guaranteed output from catch shares is capacity reduction through consolidation. And while reducing capacity is the key to reducing overfishing, it is not a sufficient condition to improving biological outcomes. In other words, there is no guarantee that stock will be conserved, but a definite guarantee that the industry will shrink, generally damaging coastal communities.

Beyond the consolidation problem, as we’ve seen in the Gulf red snapper commercial sector, these systems create “quota barons” who pay their harvesters laborer wages in order to increase their profits or lease out their quota to other fishermen or new entrants. First-generation quota holders paid nothing for the public resource, and this failure to capitalize the share value as a cost in the production of fish by quota holders is actually distorting quota markets and changing incentives. When the quota is given away to the first generation of fishers at the inception of a catch share, the subsequent generations of fishermen essentially become fishery sharecroppers forever.

Read the full opinion piece at the Houston Chronicle

U.S.-Cuba scientific collaborations continue despite change in policy

July 7, 2017 — Scientists from both Cuba and the U.S. have continued to work together despite President Donald Trump’s regression on U.S. relations with the Communist island.

Cuban coral reefs are the nursery grounds for some of the grouper, snapper and other marine species that the U.S. commercial fishing industry relies on.

Daniel Whittle runs the Cuba program for the Environmental Defense Fund, an American nonprofit conservation organization that has been working in Cuba for 17 years.

“We share migratory resources. We share sharks, sea turtles and fish,” Whittle said.

When it comes to biodiversity, Cuba is the ecological crown jewel of the Caribbean. Economic underdevelopment and the communist-run country’s restrictive laws have benefited the environment.

There are more than 4,000 tiny islands surrounding the main island that offer refuge. And there are plenty of endemic exotic species in the 211 protected areas that cover about 20 percent of the island.

There are more than 6,000 species of plants and around 1,400 species of mollusks. More than 80 percent of its reptiles are unique to the island. The Cuban trogon, the Cuban pygmy owl and the Cuban tody are birds that are not found anywhere else in the world.

The U.S.-Cuba scientific research teams that followed restoration of diplomatic relations continue to study the healthy ecosystems.

Among the new partnerships is a deal between the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment.

Read the full story at WPLG

Shell game: researchers release 21 diamondback terrapins hatched from eggs collected during BP restoration work

July 6, 2017 — Squirt, an 11-month old turtle raised by a team of volunteers, flailed its legs in the air as it was lowered into the marshes off a barrier island near Grand Isle.

“Welcome home, Squirt,” said Rachael Creech as her husband Stephen placed the reptile along the bay side of the island, known as Chenier Ronquille.

After some hesitation, Squirt navigated the marsh grasses and plopped into the bay, where it quickly settled on some floating vegetation.

Squirt was the smallest of a batch of 21 diamondback terrapins released Thursday after their eggs were discovered last year during restoration work on the island after the BP oil spill.

The 2- to 4-inch terrapins, which hatched last August, were deemed ready to return to the wild by state researchers, who had helped oversee their collection and care.

By ones and twos, scientists and volunteers grasped the reptiles by their distinctive shells and lowered them into the grass at the water’s edge.

Some of the turtles headed straight for the water, while others were more tentative. More than one made a U-turn and headed back toward the crowd that had gathered to watch the release. Others dove in and their noses could soon be seen yards off the bank, popping up to the surface before they dove again.

“Maybe we’ll see you again someday,” state biologist Keri Landry said.

If not for the BP oil spill, the presence of terrapins on Chenier Ronquille might never have been known.

It was only when federal contractors working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were searching for bird eggs along the island’s sandy shores last July that they noticed the terrapin eggs there as well. They called the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to collect the eggs. Until that point, the state was unaware that terrapins lived on the island.

Read the full story at The New Orleans Advocate

New Jersey’s fluke question will be answered next week

July 7, 2017 — New Jersey will get an answer to the question of whether the state is out of compliance with its 18-inch summer flounder regulation next week.

State officials from the Department of Environmental Protection were able to plead their case to NOAA Fisheries on a June 27 conference call.

“We were able to go into great detail about the data behind New Jersey’s management measures that will conserve more fish and reduce the number of larger breeding females removed from the fishery, and therefore provide stronger recruitment for the future,” said NJDEP Spokesperson Bob Considine.

Biologists with the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife have provided NOAA information demonstrating that an 18-inch size limit would result in far fewer discard mortalities than the 19-inch limit, which was the regulation adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission on Feb. 2, in order to reduce the coastwide catch of summer flounder by 30 percent.

NJ adopted its own summer flounder rules in May. In June the ASMFC made a recommendation to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to find New Jersey out of compliance with those rules.

Toni Kerns, the ASMFC’s director of the interstate fisheries management plan, said the ruling is expected on or about July 12.

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press

NOAA Fisheries Announces Initiation of Atlantic Salmon Status Review

July 7, 2017 — NOAA Fisheries is initiating a five-year review of the Gulf of Maine distinct population segment of Atlantic Salmon, as required by the Endangered Species Act.

The Gulf of Maine DPS of Atlantic Salmon is listed as endangered by NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In a five-year review, NOAA evaluates the best scientific and commercial data available to review the current status of listed species.

They will use the reviews to ensure that listing classifications are accurate.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com