Saving Seafood

Right whale found dead off Virginia coast recently gave birth to calf, experts say

April 3, 2024 — A critically endangered North Atlantic right whale was found dead off the coast of Virginia on Saturday, and her calf is missing, unlikely to survive without her, officials said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday confirmed the identity of the dead whale, female #1950, which was found floating approximately 50 miles offshore Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia. The whale has been known to researchers since 1989, and gave birth to her sixth calf during the 2024 calving season.

NOAA Fisheries said the whale was towed to shore for a necropsy, which will be led by scientists at the University of North Carolina Wilmington alongside other organizations, to determine her cause of death. The carcass showed signs of shark scavenging.

According to NOAA Fisheries, female #1950 is the 40th mortality in the ongoing Unusual Mortality Event impacting North Atlantic right whales. the UME was declared in 2017, and includes 40 dead, 34 seriously injured, and 51 sublethally injured or ill whales. The agency said most were killed or injured by entanglements in fishing gear and vessel strikes in both U.S. and Canadian waters.

Read the full article at WIFR

New count of gray whales along West Coast suggests rebound

April 2, 2024 — A new count of the gray whale population along the West Coast shows “signs of recovery” five years after hundreds of them washed ashore and the population began declining, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

Scientists estimate the total number of eastern north Pacific Gray whales to be somewhere between 17,400 and 21,300, an increase from last year’s estimate, which had shown another year of decline. Last season, scientists estimated between 13,200 and 15,960 whales.

“It’s nice to be able to report some good news the last couple of years,” said Aimee Lang, a research biologist with NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center.

Read the full article at the Seattle Times

New Research Reveals Full Diversity of Killer Whales as Two Species Come into View on Pacific Coast

March 28. 2024 — Scientists have resolved one of the outstanding questions about one of the world’s most recognizable creatures, identifying two well-known killer whales in the North Pacific Ocean as separate species.

Killer whales are one of the most widespread animals on Earth. They have long been considered one worldwide species known scientifically as Orcinus orca, with different forms in various regions known as “ecotypes.”

However, biologists have increasingly recognized the differences between resident and Bigg’s killer whales. Resident killer whales maintain tight-knit family pods and prey on salmon and other marine fish. Bigg’s killer whales roam in smaller groups, preying on other marine mammals such as seals and whales. (Killer whales actually belong to the dolphin family.) Bigg’s killer whales, sometimes called transients, are named for Canadian scientist Michael Bigg, the first to describe telltale differences between the two types.

He noted in the 1970s that the two animals did not mix with each other even when they occupied many of the same coastal waters. This is often a sign of different species.

The finding recognizes the accuracy of the listing of Southern Resident killer whales as a Distinct Population Segment warranting protection under the Endangered Species Act in 2005. At the time, NOAA described the distinct population segment as part of an unnamed subspecies of resident killer whales in the North Pacific.

Now a team of scientists from NOAA Fisheries and universities have assembled genetic, physical, and behavioral evidence. The data distinguish two of the killer whale ecotypes of the North Pacific Coast—residents and Bigg’s—as separate species.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Environmental DNA offers scientists a look at salmon’s past and future

March 26, 2024 — Scientists have many ways to track fish populations – but they usually require seeing the fish. Now, researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are refining a method to collect data about what fish were present in an area – up to two days after those fish have moved on.

Diana Baetscher is a research geneticist at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Juneau.  She said that when fish swim, they shed scales, slime, and other tiny fragments into the water. Those fragments contain DNA – and they can provide a breadcrumb trail for scientists looking to learn about fish populations.

“eDNA is environmental DNA,” Baetscher said. ” It’s sort of a really simple concept. At its heart, it’s the fact that all organisms shed DNA or genetic material into the environment, and that can be water or air or soil.”

Read the full article at KCAW

Biden-Harris Administration announces $60 million to advance tribal priorities and address climate change impacts on Pacific salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River

March 23, 2024 — Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced plans to allocate $60 million in funding to advance tribal priorities and address the impacts of climate change on Pacific salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. These funds from the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest climate investment in history —  will also play a crucial role in addressing deferred maintenance and repairs at Mitchell Act-funded hatchery facilities across the Columbia River Basin. 

This funding is consistent with President Biden’s September 2023 Memorandum on Restoring Healthy and Abundant Salmon, Steelhead, and Other Native Fish Populations in the Columbia River Basin and the historic December 14, 2023 agreement between the four lower Columbia River Treaty Tribes, the States of Oregon and Washington (collectively known as the six sovereigns) and the relevant agencies and departments of the United States promising to work together in partnership to restore these species in the Basin.

“This effort aligns with the U.S. government’s commitment to the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The funding will prioritize tribal initiatives, building upon extensive tribal engagement efforts, to strengthen projects aimed at enhancing climate resilience for tribal fisheries and salmon recovery efforts.”

This funding was first announced in June 2023 as part of the historic $3.3 billion in investments focused on ensuring America’s communities and economies are ready for and resilient to climate change. Of that $3.3 billion, an additional $240 million will support Pacific coastal salmon restoration and recovery through investment in non-Mitchell Act hatcheries, and $42 million will support Pacific salmon populations through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund and expanded research programs to identify and prioritize restoration strategies. NOAA is also continuing work to reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for fish. 

NOAA Fisheries worked closely with hatchery operators to identify critical deferred maintenance and repairs required for facilities. NOAA collaborated with tribal, state and federal Mitchell Act hatchery program operators to strategize the most effective allocation of funding. Together, these groups identified a range of projects focused on hatchery deferred maintenance and repair activities to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of fisheries in the region.

“This funding from the Inflation Reduction Act reaffirms our commitment to tribal and treaty rights through revitalizing the salmon, steelhead and other native fish populations within the Columbia River Basin,” stated Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “These funds will support salmon fisheries that have long been the lifeblood of tribes along the Columbia River.”

The Mitchell Act was passed by Congress in 1938 for the conservation of salmon and steelhead fishery resources in the Columbia River Basin in light of hydroelectric, irrigation and flood control development projects across the basin. It authorized the establishment, operation and maintenance of hatchery facilities in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, as well as other fishery conservation activities. Since 1946, Congress has annually appropriated Mitchell Act funds.

Please visit NOAA’s Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law websites to learn about current and future funding opportunities.

NOAA proposes tighter rules for East Coast vessels to protect right whales

March 23, 2024 — We’re taking a closer look into the amendments proposed by the NOAA that would increase the number of boats required to slow down offshore in an effort to protect the endangered Right Whale from strikes.

On Monday, we spoke to charter businesses that would be affected by the changes to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule. But changing the length requirements from 65 ft boats to 35 ft or longer isn’t the only change being proposed- there are three other major amendments as well.

The National Marine Fisheries Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been leading the change to the vessel strike reduction rule and propose four major changes to the rule that was first implemented in 2008. This is a map of the current Seasonal Management areas where the 10-knot limit, that’s about 11 miles an hour, is in place during the right whale’s migratory season- but take a look at the proposed change. Now called Seasonal Speed Zones, it stretches along the entire east coast up to 90 miles offshore. These will be mandatory for all boats 35ft or longer during the specified periods.

Read the full article at WCTI

NOAA Fisheries releases 2025 budget request of USD 1.2 billion

March 23, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries has requested a USD 1.1 billion (EUR 1 billion) budget for operations, research, and facilities in 2025, a slight decrease from the USD 1.3 billion (EUR 1.2 billion) Congress allotted the agency for fiscal 2023 and roughly equivalent to the fiscal 2024 funding congressional leadership agreed to earlier in March.

One of NOAA Fisheries’ budget priorities is growing funding for Mitchell Act hatcheries in the Columbia River Basin. The agency is seeking an increase of USD 10 million (EUR 9.2 million), bringing total 2025 funding to USD 75 million (EUR 69 million). According to the budget request, the additional funding is “part of the [Biden] administration’s commitment to prioritize the restoration of healthy and abundant wild salmon, steelhead, and other native fish populations to the Columbia River Basin, and honor the United States’ obligations to tribal nations.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Boosting wild red king crab populations through hatcheries

March 21, 2024 — Anew study found that releasing red king crabs as early as possible after they are reared in a hatchery may improve young crab survival and save operational costs. Researchers at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center have noted that the optimal time to release hatchery-raised red king crabs is immediately following their transition from freely swimming planktonic larvae to settling as bottom-dwelling juveniles.

The red king crab was one of Alaska’s most important commercial and subsistence fisheries. In the 1960s, it was especially commercially important around Kodiak. However, the stock crashed in the late 1970s. Researchers believe the crash was a combination of climatic shifts, changes in the food web structure, recruitment failure, and overfishing.

According to NOAA Fisheries and the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, the commercial fishery has been closed since 1983, and the Kodiak stock still has not recovered. Due to the lack of recovery, the consideration of stock enhancements has grown through the release of hatchery-reared juveniles to bolster the wild population.

The Alaska King Crabs Research Rehabilitation and Biology program (AKCRRAB) was formed by NOAA Fisheries, commercial hatcheries and fishing groups, university groups, and State and Tribal governments. As an Alaska Sea Grant partnership and conducted by a research program coalition of state, federal, and stakeholder groups’ views to examine the region’s long-term economic development and sustainability.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

 

ALASKA: Alaska aquaculture is growing quickly, but faces roadblocks

March 20, 2024 — Aquaculture is a new, but rapidly growing industry in Alaska. That’s according to a recent report from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) on the state of Alaska’s water-based farming.

James Currie is an Alaska Sea Grant fellow who authored the February report. He said it’s meant to provide an approachable overview for curious non-experts.

“So there have been steady increases over preceding years in our production of oysters and seaweed,” Currie said. “And it’s a really exciting time for the aquaculture industry overall, just in terms of we’re receiving more applications on average year by year.”

Read the full article at KRBD

Boating and Fishing Groups Disappointed in NOAA Right Whale Regulations

March 20, 2024 — Some boating and fishing advocates are voicing concerns in response to regulations meant to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales moving closer to potential implementation.

If approved, NOAA’s Vessel Strike Reduction rule would require speed restrictions of 10 knots for smaller vessels under 65 feet in length in certain parts of the ocean where endangered whales are spotted. Larger vessels are already subject to restrictions.

For Cape Cod Bay currently, Massachusetts state law requires most vessels less than 65 feet to travel at 10 knots or less in the Cape Cod Bay Vessel Speed Restriction Area from March 1 to April 30. Speed restrictions may be extended by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) if right whales are spotted outside that window.

Read the full article at CapeCod.com