Saving Seafood

U.S. Fisheries Management Clears High Bar for Sustainability Based on New Assessment

January 28, 2016 — Today, NOAA Fisheries announced the publication of a peer-reviewed self-assessment that shows the standards of the United States fishery management system under the Magnuson-Stevens Act more than meet the criteria of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s ecolabelling guidelines. These same guidelines serve as a basis for many consumer seafood certification and ranking schemes. The assessment demonstrates that the U.S. fisheries management system is particularly strong when considering responsiveness and science-based criteria. Beyond the biological and ecosystem criteria, the assessment also pointed out that the U.S. system incorporates the social and economic components of fisheries essential for effective long-term stewardship.

This assessment was authored by Dr. Michelle Walsh, a former NOAA Fisheries Knauss Fellow and current member of the Marine Science Faculty at Florida Keys Community College. Walsh evaluated the sustainability of how U.S. federal fisheries are managed using the FAO’s Guidelines for the Ecolabelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries. These guidelines are a set of internationally recognized criteria used to evaluate the sustainability of fisheries around the world.

“While the performance of U.S. fisheries clearly illustrates that the U.S. management system is effective, my colleagues and I wanted to evaluate the U.S. approach to fisheries management as a whole against these international guidelines for ecolabelling seafood,” said Walsh.

Read the full story from NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries Announces New Regulations for Snapper-Grouper and Golden Crab in the South Atlantic, and Dolphin and Wahoo in the Atlantic Region

January 25, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

The final rule for the Generic Accountability Measures and Dolphin Allocation Amendment including: Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, Amendment 9 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Golden Crab of the South Atlantic Region, and Amendment 8 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic published in the Federal Registrar on January 22, 2016 (81 FR 3731). Regulations will be effective on February 22, 2016.

The final rule:

Revises commercial and recreational sector allocations, and annual catch limits for dolphin in the South Atlantic. The commercial sector allocation for dolphin will increase from 7.54% to 10%, and the commercial annual catch limit will increase from 1,157,001 to 1,534,485 pounds whole weight. The recreational sector allocation for dolphin will change from 92.46% to 90%, and the annual catch limit will change from 14,187,845 to 13,810,361 pounds whole weight.

Revises the accountability measures for black grouper, mutton snapper, yellowtail snapper, greater amberjack, red porgy, gag, golden tilefish, red grouper, snowy grouper, gray triggerfish, hogfish, scamp, Atlantic spadefish, bar jack, the other snappers complex, the other jacks complex, the other shallow-water grouper complex, the other porgies complex; wreckfish (recreational), and golden crab (commercial).

Accountability measures are ways fishery managers prevent annual catch limits from being exceeded and to correct overages of the catch limits if they do occur. These measures can include in-season closures, and post-season paybacks, such as reducing the length of the next fishing season or reducing the annual catch limit in the next fishing season. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more detailed information on accountability measures for the commercial and recreational sectors.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

For more information on the final rule for the Generic Accountability Measures and Dolphin Allocation Amendment, please follow this link to the Frequently Asked Questions.

NOAA Fisheries Announces Proposed Specifications for 2016-2018 Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Fisheries

January 22, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA

NOAA Fisheries Announces Proposed Specifications for 2016-2018 Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries is requesting comments on proposed 2016-18 specifications and management measures for the Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fisheries.

We are proposing to decrease the Atlantic mackerel quota by 56 percent to 9,177 mt because catches have remained low since 2011,and the last stock assessment for mackerel was in 2010. Without a new stock assessment the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee decided to base the 2016-2018 Acceptable Biological Catch on 50% of the long-term median catch.

To keep the catch cap on river herring and shad in the mackerel fishery proportional with the quota, we are proposing to reduce it from 89 mt to 82 mt.

This action also proposes to require longfin squid and butterfish moratorium permit holders to use 3-inch mesh when possessing more than 5,000 lbs, up from 2,500 lbs, and to clarify that 5-inch (square or diamond) or greater strengtheners may be used outside the 3-inch mesh to avoid breaking nets during large hauls.

Finally, we propose to suspend the Pre-Trip Notification System (PTNS) requirement for longfin squid and butterfish moratorium permit holders.

To get all the details on these proposed specifications and management measures, read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register today and the background documents posted on our website.

We are accepting comments through February 22.

Please submit comments either through the online e-rulemaking portal or by mailing your comments to:

John Bullard, Regional Administrator

National Marine Fisheries Service

55 Great Republic Drive

Gloucester, MA, 01950.

Please mark the outside of the envelope, “Comments on the Proposed Rule for MSB Specifications.”

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

Read the full release at the NOAA Fisheries website

FISHY BUSINESS: Lack of fairness, parity at play in at-sea monitors

January 11, 2016 — The New England coast has been synonymous with fishing for over 400 years. Throughout those years, fishing as a occupation has been known for its dangers, independence and ingenuity to overcome challenges. These traits remain, especially the danger.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, New England ground fishermen are 37 times more likely to die on the job than a police officer. When compared to the average American worker, the New England ground fisherman is 171 times more likely to be killed on the job.

It is sadly ironic that the U.S. government is likely to put the final nail in the coffin of the industry. As this column outlined in October, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s insistence that ground fishermen fund the at-sea monitoring program is likely to put many of the fishing small businesses out of business. According to NOAA’s own report, the $710 per-day fee that the fishermen would need to fund to pay for the program will make 59 percent of the fishing enterprises unprofitable. So the men and women who literally risk life and limb to bring us fresh, local, sustainable seafood not only have the physical risks associated with their profession, but also the business risk of being driven out of business by NOAA’s unlawful regulation.

Read the full story from the Scituate Mariner

17 New England Legislators Write to Support Proposed At-Sea Monitoring Reforms

January 8, 2016 — A bipartisan group of New England legislators wrote Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, in support of the New England Fishery Management Council’s proposed At-Sea Monitoring (ASM) reforms, and to thank NOAA Regional Administrator John Bullard for his support of the Council measure.
 
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) wrote a separate letter on the same subject to Under Secretary Sullivan.
 
The following is taken from a release by the Office of Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA).

Today, seventeen members of the U.S. House and Senate representing New England sent a letter to Undersecretary Kathryn Sullivan at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to voice strong support for the New England Fishery Management Council’s (Council) proposed At Sea Monitoring (ASM) reforms. As costs are expected to shift to the fishing industry, regional House and Senate members committed to improving the science that is used to set ASM coverage rates and safeguarding cost efficiencies. The signatories of the letter are:

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Sen. Angus King (I-ME)
Sen. Christopher Murphy (D-CT)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA)
Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT)
Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH)
Rep. William Keating (D-MA)
Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME)

“I want to thank Administrator Bullard and the Council for taking these steps to improve the At Sea Monitoring program,” said Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA). “At a time when our fishing industry is already facing serious financial hardship, it’s critical that we implement systems that both enhance sustainable management and ensure the long-term economic viability of the fishery.”

The New England fishing community, including members of the Northeast Seafood Coalition, also expressed their support for the Council’s proposed reforms.

“It is time to use the wealth of data generated over these years to design an ASM program that is both effective and cost efficient,” said Jackie Odell, Executive Director of the Northeast Seafood Coalition. “Northeast Seafood Coalition (NSC) continues to fully support Congressional efforts to offset costs of the ASM program to the commercial groundfish fishermen, but evolving the coverage-rate methodology at this juncture is a critical step forward.”

If adopted, the Council’s reforms would be implemented for fishing year 2016.

“NSC truly appreciates the exceptional region-wide support from our Congressional representatives for the policy and analytical improvements to the ASM program recently adopted by the New England Fishery Management Council with the support of GARFO Administrator John Bullard,” said Odell. “We are particularly thankful to Congressman Moulton for his leadership in spearheading this very important letter to NOAA Administrator Sullivan,” she said.

Read the letter here

Read the letter from Sen. Ed Markey here

NOAA may move science center from Woods Hole

January 7, 2016 — GLOUCESTER, Mass.— Gloucester officials, reacting to reports that NOAA Fisheries might relocate its Northeast Science Center out of Woods Hole, want the federal agency to consider America’s oldest seaport as a potential new home for the premier fisheries science facility in the Northeast.

Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken said Gloucester could provide the perfect setting for the science center, which employs about 240 federal and contract employees at its current 3.4-acre site on Vineyard Sound and in facilities in other parts of Falmouth.

“We’re definitely interested if that’s what NOAA decides to do,” Romeo Theken said. “We think we have everything they need here.”

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center, first built in 1885 and reconstructed in 1961 after sustaining hurricane damage, was the first laboratory of the nation’s federal marine fishery service that was established in 1871 and which evolved into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Read the full story at Gloucester Daily Times

 

Remains of Lost 1800s Whaling Fleet Found

January 6, 2016 — NOAA archaeologists have discovered the battered hulls of two 1800s whaling ships nearly 144 years after they and 31 others sank off the Arctic coast of Alaska in one of the planet’s most unexplored ocean regions. 

The shipwrecks, and parts of other ships, that were found are most likely the remains of 33 ships trapped by pack ice close to the Alaskan Arctic shore in September 1871. The whaling captains had counted on a wind shift from the east to drive the ice out to sea as it had always done in years past. 

The ships were destroyed in a matter of weeks, leaving more than 1,200 whalers stranded at the top of the world until they could be rescued by seven ships of the fleet standing by about 80 miles to the south in open water off Icy Cape. No one died in the incident but it is cited as one of the major causes of the demise of commercial whaling in the United States. 

Read the full story at the Marine Link

Ohio Gov. John Kasich to meet with N.H. fishermen

January 5, 2016 — SEABROOK, N.H. — Republican presidential candidate John Kasich will meet with New Hampshire fishermen Friday to discuss federal regulations some say will kill the Granite State’s fishing industry.

The Ohio governor will meet privately with commercial and recreational fishermen and industry members from 3 to 4 p.m. at Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative after he holds a noon town hall event at the Lane Memorial Library in Hampton.

Ellen Goethel, a Hampton marine biologist and wife of Hampton commercial fisherman David Goethel, said in an email that the local fishing industry is not endorsing any particular candidate.

Read the full story at Portsmouth Herald

New Faces on the Docks: NOAA Hires Uniformed Enforcement Officers

January 5, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

This year NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement in the Northeast Division hired seven new uniformed enforcement officers in an effort to increase patrol presence with a focus on compliance assistance and education.

“OLE will continue to bolster its enforcement officer staff across the country over the next several years,” said OLE Deputy Director Logan Gregory. “Fair and effective law enforcement is critical toward protecting the commercial and recreational fishing industries, and the sustainability of our living marine resources.”

OLE’s sworn personnel are comprised of enforcement officers and special agents, each with their own distinct roles.

Enforcement officers focus on improving compliance via face-to-face interactions with industry. Through patrols enforcement officers increase NOAA’s presence, provide information about regulations directly to the fishing industry, and at-sea enforcement in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard and state partners. Enforcement officers focus on directly engaging with fishermen to help ensure they understand fishing regulations. Additionally, EOs handle patrol-level investigations such as landing fish in excess of possession limits or prohibited and undersized species, fishing in closed areas, illegal fishing gear and reporting issues.

 

Special agents conduct more complex and long term investigations in area such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, fraudulent mislabeling of seafood, smuggling or trafficking of threatened or endangered marine animal parts such as sperm whale teeth; and the intentional harm or attempt to harm protected marine animals such as whales, seals, and turtles.

With the area of responsibility spanning more than 3 million square miles of ocean, 85,000 miles of U.S. coastline, 13 National Marine Sanctuaries, and four Marine National Monuments, OLE has an extensive mission. OLE’s Northeast Division expects to hire and train seven additional enforcement officers in 2016. This strategic shift in staffing will increase the visibility of OLE’s programs and provide greater outreach, emphasizing prevention of unintentional violations, and education as a means to improve voluntary compliance.

“Most fishermen and seafood dealers are honest, hardworking individuals, with difficult jobs in a highly regulated industry,” said Gregory. “We are committed to helping them understand the regulations they must abide by. Increasing our patrol presence will strengthen our ability to ensure compliance assistance and education is available, while helping to ensure a level playing field for the industry.”

Meet the New Enforcement Officers

Eric Provencher, Lieutenant, North East Supervisory Enforcement Officer

Lt. Provencher began his law enforcement career in 1996 with the National Park Service, where he last served as the Deputy Chief Ranger at Delaware Water Gap before joining OLE.

Jason Berthiaume, Enforcement Officer, Gloucester, MA

Before graduating the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2005, Officer Berthiaume realized his interest in marine law enforcement and quickly began his career as a Fisheries Observer. From there he was hired as a Marine Patrol Officer for the state of Maine where he worked closely with the lobster industry in Stonington and other local ports. In 2009 Berthiaume transitioned to the NOAA Sustainable Fisheries Division, where he was involved with policy and regulatory development. This year he joined OLE for the face-to-face interactions with local fishermen and opportunity to help the industry navigate and comply with the complex regulations in the Northeast.

Kevin Swiechowicz, Enforcement Officer, New Bedford, MA

After completing a degree in wildlife conservation at the University of Massachusetts Officer Swiechowicz became a Wildlife Inspector for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This position afforded him the opportunity to work alongside USFWS Agents who were regulating the international and interstate trade in wildlife products. Swiechowicz became involved with investigations covering topics from sport hunted trophies originating in Zimbabwe to smuggled corals from Indonesia. Swiechowicz made the jump to OLE to assist in leveling the playing field for all industry partners.

Mark Kerr, Enforcement Officer, Portland, ME

Officer Kerr began his law enforcement career with the National Park Service in 1995, working as a Ranger at Harpers Ferry National Historic Park in West Virginia and Catoctin Mountain Park in Thurmont, Md.  Kerr served in law enforcement positions at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Wells, Maine, and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport, Mass. Through these positions, Mark gained experience and expertise in wildlife law enforcement, while cooperatively working with state and local entities in the conservation field.  Kerr saw the opportunity to join OLE as a way concentrate on the preservation of marine environment.

Wynn Carney, Lieutenant, Mid-Atlantic Supervisory Enforcement Officer

Lt. Carney holds an undergraduate degree in criminal justice and a graduate degree in public administration from Georgia Southern University. He began his law enforcement career 15 years ago and has served as a Game Warden, a municipal police officer, a special agent, and Park Ranger.

Conservation of the nation’s fisheries has been a primary focus of Carney’s law enforcement career. He considers fisheries conservation to be one of his passions and views his career as much more than just a job. Carney believes his role in keeping marine resources healthy and sustainable for future generations is of the utmost importance.

Jed Fiske, Enforcement Officer, Wall, NJ

Officer Fiske graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.S. in Recreation Management and Policy, and a Minor in Environmental Conservation. Since graduating, he has worked as a law enforcement officer for the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as regulatory enforcement for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Fiske takes pride in being able to protect our nation’s natural resources and looks forward to learning more about the commercial fishing industry.

John Ford, Enforcement Officer, Newport News, VA

Before being hired as an Enforcement Officer, Officer Ford began his career with NOAA in 2009 working on OLE’s Cooperative Enforcement Program. In his new role, Ford hopes to improve working relationships between the fishing community and marine conservation. He enjoys the opportunity to be a part of the natural resource management partnership to ensure fishing opportunities for future generations.

Read the full story from NOAA

NOAA outlines enforcement efforts

December 31, 2015 — Nearly six years after being savaged by a Commerce Department investigation that portrayed it as a department basically run amuck, the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement has issued its first public annual report.

The report, released Dec. 17, is “part of our effort for more transparency,” Casey Brennan, chief of staff at the Office of Law Enforcement (OLE), said Wednesday.

The report, which does not reference the documented abuses by NOAA law enforcement agents at the heart of the 2010 investigation by the Commerce Department’s inspector general, portrays an agency grappling with the challenge of fulfilling its expanding mandate despite shrinking resources, budgetary constraints and declining staff at its headquarters, as well as its five divisional offices and 53 field offices.

“As we continue to navigate the challenges of resource management and budgetary constraints while adapting to new and expanded missions, we have not lost sight of our core priorities,” OLE Director James Landon wrote in his director’s message introducing the report.

Read the full story from the Gloucester Daily Times