Saving Seafood

Agency critics slam federal oversight of bycatch

July 18, 2024 — The agency that oversees the performances of federal agencies gave a sobering assessment of those tasked with monitoring bycatch in US fisheries.

That oversight falls to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), also called NOAA Fisheries, which agreed with the troubling performance outlined in a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

In a June report to the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee titled “Efforts to Reduce and Monitor Unintentional Catch and Harm Need Better Tracking,” the GAO addressed four issues: measures used to reduce bycatch, coverage, and funding of fisheries observers, how bycatch estimates are developed and reported and how NMFS tracks its performance towards reducing and monitoring bycatch.

It added: “NMFS’ efforts to track its performance in reducing and monitoring bycatch do not align with key elements of evidence-based policymaking related to performance management.”

The GAO outlined numerous ways in which NMFS has failed to adequately tackle bycatch issues and blamed a lack of observer coverage overall. NMFS replied that it needs more funding to recruit and retain observers, but it hasn’t communicated that need to Congress.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Reminder for Fishermen and Boaters: Avoid Trouble, Steer Clear of Bubbles!

July 18, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries reminds all fishermen and boaters to keep a safe distance from whales. Whales can get hooked in tuna rigs or tangled in monofilament lines. Recently, the Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network has received a number of reports of fishermen trolling their gear too close to humpback whales. This can result in injuries to both the whales and the people.

When fishing around whales, fishermen are reminded to:

  • Keep your distance: NOAA Fisheries recommends all fishermen and boaters to keep a safe distance from whales of at least 100-600 ft (and at least 1500 ft from endangered North Atlantic right whales, as required by federal law). 
  • Protect your gear and avoid entanglement: Don’t cast or troll near or around humpback whales or bubble clouds. If a bubble cloud appears while you’re fishing, pull up your gear, if possible. 
  • Slow down: In areas where you suspect whales will be present, slowing to 10 knots helps to prevent collisions by allowing both you and the whale time to react. 

Humpbacks create bubble clouds to corral their prey and then lunge through the center to swallow the small fish. Fishermen or boaters in these bubble patches run the risk of colliding with a massive 80,000-pound humpback whale as it rapidly approaches the surface. When a whale collides with a vessel, it can be gravely injured and die from its injuries. Collisions with whales have also thrown boaters from vessels, causing injuries and even death. 

In addition to the potential risk of a collision, the close proximity of a boat may cause a whale to stop feeding. All whales in U.S. waters are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it illegal for people to harm, injure, kill, chase, or harass whales or any other marine mammal. Harassment includes any activity that results in changes to the whales’ natural behaviors, such as feeding. Violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act can result in fines up to $35,000 and up to one year in prison.

Get more information on safe boating near whales.  

Biden-Harris Administration announces nearly $220 million for transformational habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects

July 18, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is recommending nearly $220 million in funding, and an additional $66 million in future year funding, to support 32 transformational habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. These funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act will build on decades of habitat work in priority watersheds and support innovative projects that implement cutting-edge restoration techniques and groundbreaking efforts that restore habitat in urban ecosystems to benefit underserved communities. 

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to an ambitious climate agenda that strengthens our coastal communities, combats the climate and nature crises, and makes our nation and economy more resilient. This historic investment, made possible thanks to President Biden’s commitment to investing in America, will help sustain our nation’s fisheries across our coastal communities by strengthening climate resilience and protecting ecosystems from the impacts of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

NOAA prioritized projects that demonstrated a broad base of partner and community support, inclusive practices and meaningful strategies to engage Tribal Nations and community groups, including underserved communities. 

“These transformational projects will restore healthy coastal ecosystems across the country,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “We’re proud to support projects that span a broad range of habitats and restoration techniques, from reconnecting rivers to their historic floodplains, to outplanting corals to rebuild reefs to restoring salt marshes that will protect coasts from erosion and sea level rise.”

Funding — including future year funding — is going to partners in the following states and territories: Alaska ($1.5 million), California ($46 million), Connecticut ($4 million), Florida ($29.1), Georgia ($2.8 million), Hawaii ($14.8 million), Louisiana ($10 million), Maine ($9 million), Maryland ($10 million), Massachachusetts ($15 million), Michigan ($15 million), North Carolina ($23.9 million), Oregon ($16.6 million), Pennsylvania ($9.5 million), Puerto Rico ($5 million), Texas ($8.2 million), U.S. Virgin Islands ($2.5 million), Virginia ($17.5 million), Washington ($28.5 million), Wisconsin ($3.2 million), and a multi-state project across Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas ($12 million). The Yurok Tribe, and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians are also receiving funds. 

These projects were selected through the Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience funding opportunity, and build on the $285 million awarded from BIL/IRA funds for 38 projects during the first round of this funding opportunity in 2023.

This funding supports President Biden’s America the Beautiful Initiative, a locally led and voluntary, nation-wide effort to conserve, connect and restore 30 percent of lands, waters and wildlife by 2030. This is a program covered by the Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution 

NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation has a long history conducting habitat restoration by executing large-scale competitive funding opportunities and providing expert technical assistance through the Community-based Restoration Program. The program provides technical and financial assistance to partners across the country to develop high-quality habitat restoration projects that support our nation’s fisheries. Since its start in 1996, the program has helped implement more than 2,200 coastal habitat restoration projects — restoring more than 94,000 acres of habitat for fish and opening more than 4,400 stream miles for fish passage.

Please visit the NOAA Fisheries website to learn more about habitat restoration projects funded under the Bipartisan infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.

Media contact:

James Miller, nmfs.pa@noaa.gov, (202) 579-4845

9th Circuit Court of Appeals to hear oral arguments on Southeast king salmon troll fishery lawsuit

July 17, 2024 — A panel of federal judges will hear oral arguments on Thursday, July 18, in an appeal of a lower court ruling that threatened to halt the Southeast troll fishery for king salmon.

The Alaska Trollers Association, the State of Alaska, and other entities are appealing a Washington District Court ruling that found NOAA Fisheries violated endangered species and environmental laws. The ruling says they did so by allowing the Southeast trollers to harvest king salmon at rates that harmed a small population of endangered killer whales in Puget Sound, as well as well as several king salmon populations from the lower Columbia River.

That ruling would have effectively stopped Southeast trollers from fishing for kings — at least, until the National Marine Fisheries Service corrects its environmental analysis. But the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay on the lower court order in June of 2023, allowing the fishery to stay open — for now.

The Washington-based conservation group Wild Fish Conservancy filed the initial suit four years ago. The organization’s case rests on the idea that the trollers are intercepting salmon that would otherwise feed the Puget Sound killer whales. The Wild Fish Conservancy has since petitioned the federal government to give Endangered Species Act protections to king salmon across the entire Gulf of Alaska.

Read the full article at KFSK

After Environmental Disasters, NOAA Works to Restore Habitat for All

July 16, 2024 — Each July NOAA celebrates Habitat Month, a month-long ode to our habitat conservation efforts. In particular, the Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) aims to restore habitat for fisheries and wildlife which also supports recreation and tourism for people.

Since its inception more than 30 years ago, DARRP has assessed, restored, and protected coastal environments damaged by oil spills, hazardous waste releases, and vessel groundings. NOAA and other federal and state agencies, called trustees, have recovered more than $10.7 billion from polluters. With partners, we’ve used these funds to restore important habitats and natural resources nationwide.

When oil or hazardous waste spills into the environment, it harms habitats, and can limit outdoor recreational activities like fishing, boating, and swimming. Through DARRP, NOAA helps restore and reconnect all walks of life to these natural spaces. Read on to learn about four recent restoration projects.

Read the full artile at NOAA Fisheries 

FAO endorses new aquaculture guidelines at UN Committee on Fisheries meeting

July 16, 2024 — The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations’ Committee on Fisheries (COFI) has endorsed a new set of guidelines for aquaculture designed to develop a set of best practices for the industry worldwide.

The Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture (GSA) was designed with the aid of NOAA and other stakeholders and officially endorsed by COFI at the committee’s 36th session in Rome, Italy. The new guidelines come after the FAO’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report showed that fisheries and aquaculture production hit a new high of 223.2 million metric tons (MT) in 2022 – with aquaculture contributing over 57 percent of aquatic animal products for direct human consumption.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Completes Science Report

July 15, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce, together with the Governor of Alaska are sharing the final report of the Congressionally mandated Alaska Salmon Research Task Force. It identifies potential impacts to salmon productivity, gaps in understanding of the Pacific salmon life cycle and recommended research priorities to support sustainable salmon management in Alaska.

Under the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Act, NOAA Fisheries, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce, in collaboration with the State of Alaska, was required to convene a task force to review existing Pacific salmon research in Alaska, identify applied research needed to better understand the increased variability and declining salmon returns in some regions of Alaska, and to support sustainable salmon runs in Alaska. NOAA Fisheries and the Governor of Alaska were also required to each appoint a representative to serve on the task force.

The Task Force was made up of a diverse group of Alaska salmon knowledge holders, including members from federal, state, tribal, university, industry, and non-governmental organizations. This report was written by the Task Force and its Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Working Group and reflects their views, opinions, and recommendations.

“The 19-member task force and its 44-member Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Working Group did an impressive job compiling and integrating diverse information and data from scientists and Indigenous and Local Knowledge holders to inform development of this important science plan,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator, NOAA Fisheries. “Thanks to their work, we have a meaningful strategy to better understand mechanisms driving Alaska salmon production to provide a path for mitigating negative impacts due to climate change and other factors.”

“Pacific salmon are essential to the cultural and socio-economic well being of Alaska, supporting commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries and rural communities across the state,” said Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner, Doug Vincent-Lang. “I would like to commend the Task Force for identifying priority research to support sustainable salmon runs in Alaska.”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

2024 Northeast Spring Ecosystem Monitoring Cruise Completed

July 15, 2024 — Our ecosystem monitoring cruises help researchers understand and predict changes in the Northeast shelf ecosystem and its fisheries. Our core sampling provides data that help us understand ocean acidification as well as changes in:

  • Distribution and abundance of zooplankton and larval fish
  • Temperature
  • Salinity

Researchers also record observations of seabirds, marine mammals, and sea turtles. Egg data collected are important for managing Atlantic mackerel in U.S. and Canadian waters.

We sampled 131 stations from May 25–28 and June 3–14, 2024. We lost 4.5 operational days due to an unexpected mechanical issue with the fast rescue boat. We completed 79 percent of our planned research activities. We dropped stations in the most southern and northern portions of the cruise to allow for the most efficient cruise track.

The plankton we gather provide information about the food chain supporting fisheries and marine mammals. Scientists use our larval fish and egg samples to learn more about fish stock spawning and help estimate stock abundance. By measuring physical and chemical conditions like temperature and salinity, we can describe:

    • Ecosystem productivity
    • Fish spawning
    • Larval recruitment
    • Species distribution

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Impacts of ocean heat wave found off SF Bay Area coast

July 12, 2024 — The ocean is no place to escape a heat wave. According to a recent condition report from the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, the effects of a 2014 to 2016 marine heat wave had a cascading effect with impacts that echoed from deep sea krill to shoreline restaurants.

The domino effect began with the tiny shrimp-like critters that feed the biggest animals on earth, blue whales. Looking at data collected between 2010 and 2022, scientists with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration found that the heat wave caused a notable decline in nutritious krill, and a proportional increase in less nutritious, gelatinous zooplankton in the sanctuaries off the Northern California coast.

Read the full article at Chesapeake Bay Magazine 

ALASKA: Draft plan published for disbursement of $11.5 million in 2021 and 2022 ESSN disasters

July 12, 2024 — A draft spend plan was published Tuesday, July 9 by the State Department of Fish and Game for the allocation of around $11.5 million in federal funds in response to a disaster determination for the 2021 and 2022 Upper Cook Inlet east side setnet fisheries.

A public notice from the department says that the National Marine Fisheries Service allocated $11,484,675 to address losses from the 2021 and 2022 fisheries. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce made the disaster determination in April, responding to an October request from Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

The draft spend plan of those dollars by the department says that funds will be disbursed to achieve two objectives: to assist fishery participants harmed by the disasters and to improve fishery information to avoid or mitigate the impacts of future disasters.

The draft plan says that 62% of the money, around $7 million, will be dispersed to harvesters. Around $3 million will go to processors, $1 million to research, $300,000 to communities and $11,000 for program support.

Read the full article at the Peninsula Clarion