Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Announces the Re-opening of the Commercial Sector for Atlantic Dolphin

June 24, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA:

Because we understand that commercial Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) vessels may occasionally catch Atlantic dolphin, we want to make sure Atlantic HMS permit holders are aware of the following action.

NMFS announces the re-opening of the commercial sector for Atlantic dolphin (dolphin) in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Atlantic states (Maine through the east coast of Florida) through a temporary rule. The most recent landings for dolphin indicate the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) has not yet been reached. Therefore, NMFS re-opens the commercial sector for dolphin at 4:15 p.m., local time, June 24, 2015, and it will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, June 30, 2015 in the EEZ of the Atlantic. A June 30, 2015, closure will minimize the risk of the commercial ACL being exceeded and provides more sufficient notice to fishermen of the closure.

For more information, please contact the NMFS Southeast Regional Office Sustainable Fisheries Division at 727-824-5305

 

Commercial Harvest of Atlantic Dolphin (Mahi-Mahi) Extended to June 30, 2015

June 24, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA:

The commercial harvest of Atlantic dolphin from Maine through the east coast of Florida will reopen from 4:15 p.m. (local time), June 24, until 12:01 a.m. (local time) June 30.

Atlantic dolphin

A previous Federal Register notification announced the commercial sector for dolphin would close at 12:01 a.m. June 24, 2015. However, a landings update indicates the dolphin catch limit has not yet been met. Information received from fishermen after the notification indicates that some vessels are far offshore and need additional time to return to port. Therefore, we are reopening the commercial sector for five days to allow for the catch limit to be caught and for vessels to return to port without having to discard dolphin.

The operator of a vessel with a federal commercial permit for dolphin-wahoo that is landing dolphin for sale must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such dolphin prior to 12:01 a.m. (local time), June 30.

The prohibition on sale does not apply to sale or purchase of dolphin that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m. (local time), June 30 and held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.

During the closure:

  • Harvest or possession of dolphin is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits.
  • Sale and purchase of dolphin is prohibited.
  • The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels with a federal commercial permit.

This closure is necessary to protect the dolphin-wahoo fishery because the commercial annual catch limit will be reached.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has developed a fishery management plan amendment that would increase the commercial sector’s dolphin allocation from 7.54% to 10%, and the resulting catch limit from 1,157,001 pounds whole weight to 1,534,485 pounds whole weight. If the amendment is approved and landings are below the catch limit, the commercial sector will be reopened later this year.

Questions? Call 727-824-5305 or fax 727-824-5308.

 

DON CUDDY: If it’s the same, it will never be different

June 23, 2015 — DON CUDDY — We are having a serious problem in New England with the performance of the models used in fishery management. To remedy a situation that, along with some other factors, has led to the current crisis in the groundfish industry, we need new data … and maybe we need new models.

All the researchers will tell you that the existing models have trouble performing well when fish stocks, such as Gulf of Maine cod, Georges Bank cod and Georges Bank yellowtail are low. With healthy stocks, a certain amount of scientific uncertainty can be factored in as a buffer. But with low abundance, the margin for error is very thin, and fishermen and their families pay the price. When catch limits are cut, a small variation can mean the difference between an independent fisherman remaining on the water or being forced out of business.

I had a call last Monday from a producer of the “Today” show in New York. They were looking to profile a day in the life of a New England fisherman. I contacted veteran fisherman Frank Mirarchi, whose opinion pieces will be familiar to readers of The Standard-Times. In fact, his latest one, advocating electronic monitoring of the catch, ran that same day. But Frank told me he just sold his boat and is an ex-fisherman. This is what is happening to the single-boat owner around New England.

Getting better data is a theme familiar to anyone with connections to the fishing industry in New England. It is central to the mission at the Center for Sustainable Fisheries and was the focus of the forum CSF sponsored at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in May.

Read the full opinion piece from The New Bedford Standard-Times

 

GLOUCESTER TIMES: Disaster aid belongs to the fishing industry, not NOAA

June 23, 2015 — The following is an excerpt from an editorial published in the Gloucester Daily Times:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has in recent weeks been casting about for a pool of money to tap for its controversial onboard fishing vessel monitoring program. Efforts to make fishermen pay directly for the program – yet another unfunded federal mandate – have so far fallen short.

Not to be deterred, however, NOAA administrators have come up with an even more disturbing idea – take the money from the emergency funds the government set aside for fishermen.

On Friday, NOAA Regional Administrator John K. Bullard said the $2.5 million needed to pay for at-sea monitoring for the rest of this fishing season could come from yet-to-be-delivered federal fishery disaster aid.

“The states sill have about $10 million in the ‘third bin,'” Bullard said. “(Monitoring) would be an eligible use of those funds.” 

We’re sorry, Mr. Bullard. That money is already spoken for.

The so-called “third bin” of the roughly $33 million allocated to the five coast New England states and New York last year is set aside for a permit buyback and boat buyout program that would allow fishermen to leave the industry without facing total financial ruin.

That plan has been delayed by squabbling over how to develop a system that would fairly split the money among the states. The extended bureaucratic wrangling has raised the possibility the $10 million could be spent elsewhere, and it prompted NOAA’s leaders to suggest they get a cut.

Read the full editorial at the Gloucester Daily Times

2015 Appointments to the Regional Fishery Management Councils

June 22, 2015 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The U.S. Commerce Department today announced the appointment of 30 new and returning members to the eight regional fishery management councils that partner with NOAA Fisheries to manage ocean fish stocks. The new and reappointed council members begin their three-year terms on August 11.

The councils were established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to prepare fishery management plans for marine fish stocks in their regions. NOAA Fisheries works closely with the councils as plans are developed, and then reviews, approves and implements the fishery management plans. Council members represent diverse groups, including commercial and recreational fishing industries, environmental organizations and academia. They are vital to fulfilling the act’s requirements to end overfishing, rebuild fish stocks and manage them sustainably.

“U.S. fisheries are among the most sustainable in the world, and NOAA Fisheries is grateful for the efforts these individuals devote to our nation’s fisheries management and to the resiliency of our oceans. We look forward to working with both new and returning council members,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “Each council faces unique challenges, and their partnerships with us at NOAA Fisheries are integral to the sustainability of the fisheries in their respective regions, as well as to the communities that rely on those fisheries.”

Each year, the Secretary of Commerce appoints approximately one-third of the total 72 appointed members to the eight regional councils. The Secretary selects members from nominations submitted by the governors of fishing states, territories and tribal governments.

Council members are appointed to both obligatory (state-specific) and at-large (regional) seats. Council members serve a three-year term and can be reappointed to serve three consecutive terms. Asterisks preceding a member’s name indicate a reappointment. 

New England Council 

The New England Council includes members from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The appointees for 2015 will fill obligatory seats for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and one at-large seat.

Obligatory seats: 

*Matthew G. McKenzie (Connecticut)

*Terry A. Alexander (Maine)

*John F. Quinn (Massachusetts)

Eric E. Reid (Rhode Island)

At-large seat:

*Vincent M. Balzano (Maine)

Mid-Atlantic Council 

The Mid-Atlantic Council includes members from the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The appointees for 2015 will fill obligatory seats for New Jersey and Virginia and two at-large seats.

Obligatory seats: 

Adam C. Nowalsky (New Jersey)

Peter L. deFur (Virginia)

At-large seats: 

Sara E. Winslow (North Carolina)

*Anthony D. Dilernia (New York)

South Atlantic Council 

The South Atlantic Council includes members from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The appointees for 2015 will fill obligatory seats from Florida and Georgia and two at-large seats.

Obligatory seats: 

*Benjamin C. Hartig, III (Florida)

*Edward “Zack” Bowen (Georgia)

At-large seats: 

*Charles M. Phillips (Georgia)

*Anna B. Beckwith (North Carolina)

Caribbean Council 

The Caribbean Council includes members from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The appointees for 2015 will fill an obligatory seat for the U.S. Virgin Islands and one at-large seat.

Obligatory seat: 

*Carlos F. Farchette (U.S. Virgin Islands)

At-large seat: 

Carlos J. Velazquez (Puerto Rico)

Gulf Council 

The Gulf Council includes members from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The appointees for 2015 will fill obligatory seats for Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and two at-large seats.

Obligatory seats: 

*Johnny R. Greene, Jr. (Alabama)

*Juan M. Sanchez (Florida)

*Campo E. Matens (Louisiana)

At-large seats: 

Edward W. Swindell, Jr. (Louisiana)

Dale A. Diaz (Mississippi)

Pacific Council 

The Pacific Council includes members from California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The Pacific Council also includes one Tribal seat. The appointees for 2015 will fill obligatory seats for California, Oregon and the Tribal seat. Two at-large seats will also be filled.

Obligatory seats: 

*David M. Crabbe (California)

*Dorothy M. Lowman (Oregon)

Joseph Y. Oatman (Tribal)

At-large seats: 

*William “Buzz” Brizendine, II (California)

Philip M. Anderson (Washington)

North Pacific Council 

The North Pacific Council includes members from Alaska and Washington. The appointees for 2015 will fill two obligatory seats for Alaska and an obligatory seat for Washington.

Obligatory seats: 

*Howard “Dan” Hull (Alaska)

Andrew D. Mezirow (Alaska)

*Craig A. Cross (Washington)

Western Pacific Council 

The Western Pacific Council includes members from American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The appointees for 2015 will fill obligatory seats for Guam and Hawaii.

Obligatory seats: 

*Michael P. Duenas (Guam)

*Michael K. Goto (Hawaii)

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New call for outside review of NOAA assessments

May 26, 2015 — GLOUCESTER, Mass. — The battle over the validity of NOAA fish stock assessments that continually have led to slashed groundfish quotas has reached a higher pitch, with mounting calls for a third-party assessment of the manner the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration assesses fish stocks.

Under questioning by U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., on Wednesday, NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan defended the accuracy of the agency’s fish stock assessments and said she would welcome a third-party review of the agency’s methods and performance in arriving at the science that serves as the basis for the federal government’s fishery management policies.

Ayotte’s questioning stemmed largely from the Northeast Seafood Coalition-sponsored petition proclaiming no confidence “in the stock status reported by recent assessments for many groundfish stocks” and seeking a third-party review of NOAA’s methods and results.

The petition urged the formation of a “blue ribbon panel of assessment scientists” that would include government, academic and industry leaders and be coordinated by either the National Research Council or the U.S. Government Accountability Office “to determine the underlying causes of assessment failures.”

The petition also seeks binding recommendations from the blue ribbon panel “to correct those causes in a transparent and collaborative manner and in time for the updated review scheduled for all groundfish stocks this coming September.”

The petition, signed by almost 150 fishermen from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Virginia, was sent to 14 U.S. senators and 20 members of the House of Representatives.

Read the full story and watch the Youtube video at the Gloucester Times