Saving Seafood

Conservationists seek permanent marine protection for Cashes Ledge off Cape Ann

July 29, 2024 — A rare underwater mountain range 80 miles off the coast of Cape Ann – home to the region’s largest kelp forest – may become a protected national marine sanctuary, joining just 16 other sanctuaries in the U.S.

The Conservation Law Foundation, based in Boston, submitted a nomination to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today to designate Cashes Ledge as a sanctuary.

National marine sanctuaries are permanently protectedfrom fishing, shipping and ocean dumping and offer a haven for marine life and an undisturbed ecological site for scientific research.

The nomination triggers a yearslong review process that could lead to the 766-square mile site being formally designated.

“The kelp forest harbors this treasure trove of marine life plants and animals … and a tremendous amount of biodiversity,” CLF’s senior scientist Gareth Lawson said, describing the area to be protected.

Research shows the Gulf of Maine warming faster than 97 percent of the global ocean, and scientists backing the effort to protect the habitat and marine life at Cashes Ledge say the need for conservation here is urgent.

Read the full article at CAI

Northwest tribes’ salmon hatcheries get $240 million federal boost

July 29, 2024 — West Coast tribes are getting nearly $240 million from the federal government to improve their salmon hatcheries.

Twenty-seven tribes, including 21 from Washington state, will get an initial $2 million each to repair and modernize their aging hatcheries, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Thursday.

The remaining funds will be awarded competitively among the tribes “in the coming months,” federal officials said.

Jennifer Quan, regional administrator of NOAA Fisheries, called it “one of our greatest commitments of support for tribal fisheries since the treaties themselves that first assured the tribes access to the fisheries.”

Read the full article at KUOW

US lawmakers trying to stop NOAA Fisheries’ new vessel speed rules

July 29, 2024 — U.S. lawmakers in Congress are trying to stop NOAA Fisheries’ expanded vessel speed rules from going into effect, with 54 legislators signing a letter asking the federal government to reopen the rule for further input and review.

“We share the objective of preventing vessel strikes and protecting critically endangered marine mammals like the North Atlantic right whale,” the lawmakers wrote in the joint letter. “However, we believe that there are better strategies to accomplish this goal while safeguarding the multiple uses of our ocean resources.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Speed limits to protect whales? Not so fast, says Congress

July 29, 2024 — The federal proposal to designate critical habitat for the endangered Rice’s whale is slowing amid opposition from Gulf of Mexico state leaders, who say any potential restrictions to protect the whales could endanger their maritime industries.

With a population estimated at only around 75 animals, the Rice’s whale is at even more peril than the North Atlantic right whale, believed to number around 360 whales ranging along the U.S. Atlantic coast.

Back in October 2023 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration backed off from a rule proposal that called for local 10-knot speed limits when Rice’s whales are seen in Gulf waters. The agency says ship strikes are a major danger for whales just below the sea surface.

That plan drew intense criticism from Gulf shipping and offshore energy industries. The NOAA Fisheries service is continuing to push for some measures to help the Rice’s whale survive, by designating a 28,000-square mile critical habitat along the continental shelf and slope waters within the Gulf of Mexico.

 Read the full article at Workboat

US promises $240 million to improve fish hatcheries, protect tribal rights in Pacific Northwest

July 26, 2024 — The U.S. government will invest $240 million in salmon and steelhead hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest to boost declining fish populations and support the treaty-protected fishing rights of Native American tribes, officials announced Thursday.

The departments of Commerce and the Interior said there will be an initial $54 million for hatchery maintenance and modernization made available to 27 tribes in the region, which includes Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska.

The hatcheries “produce the salmon that tribes need to live,” said Jennifer Quan, the regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region. “We are talking about food for the tribes and supporting their culture and their spirituality.”

Some of the facilities are on the brink of failure, Quan said, with a backlog of deferred maintenance that has a cost estimated at more than $1 billion.

Read the full article at the Associated Press

Biden administration announces USD 220 million for coastal habitat restoration, resilience

July 26, 2024 — The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has recommended USD 220 million (EUR 203 million) in spending on coastal resilience and habitat restoration projects, with much of the money supporting salmon recovery efforts.

“These transformational projects will restore healthy coastal ecosystems across the country,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Janet Coit said. “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.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA proposes protection for 10 giant ocean-dwelling clams

July 26, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries has proposed Endangered Species Act listings for 10 giant clams, saying five of the marine species are in danger of extinction throughout the entirety or a significant portion of their ranges with five others losing habitat at alarming rates.

The clams — which can weigh as much as 500 pounds and have shells as long as 4.5 feet — have been decimated by “pervasive harvest for subsistence and domestic sale, and several periods of short-lived but intensive commercial harvest have severely depleted giant clam populations throughout their respective ranges,” the agency said in a Federal Register notice Thursday.

The proposed rule, which is open for public comment through Oct. 23, arrives eight years after biologist Dwayne Meadows petitioned NOAA to protect the giant clams whose range includes parts of the Pacific and Indian oceans, including Hawaii and the Marshall Islands.

Read the full article at E&E News

US Senate committee recommends fully funding NOAA Fisheries, setting up fight with House

July 26, 2024 — The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has voted to fully fund NOAA Fisheries’ USD 1.1 billion (EUR 1 billion) 2025 budget request, setting it at odds with the U.S. House Appropriations Committee’s plans to slash the agency’s budget by 22 percent.

The Democrat-led committee voted to allocate USD 1.2 billion (EUR 1.1 billion) for NOAA Fisheries’ operations, research, and facilities budget, roughly USD 53 million (EUR 49 million) more than the agency requested. Most of the additional funding was split roughly evenly between the protected resources science and management budget and the fisheries science and management budget. USD 5 million (EUR 4.6 million) was added to the habitat conservation and restoration budget.

Read the full article SeafoodSource

NOAA to provide $54 million for marine debris cleanups

July 25, 2024 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it has up to $54 million in new funding to pay for marine debris cleanup. Two grant offerings are aimed at the usual large-scale collection of debris – and “installation, monitoring and maintenance of proven marine debris interception technologies,” according to the agency.

The funding is part of NOAA’s Climate-Ready Coasts Initiative. “Marine debris threatens the health, productivity and overall economic viability of coastal communities throughout the nation,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in announcing the funds. “These new funding opportunities, made possible thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, will strengthen our coastal infrastructure, keep debris from entering our waterways, and help protect our public health and marine ecosystems.”

Read the full article at WorkBoat

Innovative Technology Helps Scientists Better Estimate Ages of Long-Lived Rockfish

July 25, 2024 — Scientists demonstrate that an innovative technology to scan fish otoliths (ear stones) coupled with trained computer models can determine rockfish ages as well as humans, and even more quickly.

This technology, Fourier-transform near-infrared spectroscopy, examines the unique vibrations of molecules in otoliths, especially the way they absorb near-infrared light, to gather detailed chemical information related to fish age.

In this study, NOAA Fisheries scientists used this near-infrared technology in combination with a type of machine learning called deep learning. This is a method of artificial intelligence that teaches computers to process data in a way that is inspired by the human brain. Deep learning models can recognize complex patterns in pictures, text, sounds, and other data to produce accurate insights and predictions. In this case, scientists used the technology on fish otoliths and integrated it with information on fish length, fish sex, otolith weight, and geographic coordinates to predict rockfish ages.

In the Age and Growth lab, a common method to determine the age of a fish is to extract otoliths from fish and use various techniques. This includes cutting, burning or baking, to make the growth rings in the otoliths more prominent. Scientists then use a microscope to count the rings to estimate the fish’s age. However, using near-infrared technology with deep-learning to estimate fish ages improves precision. It also enhances efficiency compared to ages generated by humans.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries