Saving Seafood

Commentary: Aquaculture won’t replace fishing but can strengthen US seafood economy

February 7, 2024 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report last month confirming what any fisherman could tell you: The ocean is warmer than ever. About the only thing hotter, at least in fishing circles, is the debate on what to do about it. While many regional fishery management councils are taking steps to adapt and protect both fish stocks and our livelihoods, it’s time for more action. It’s time we lay the groundwork for a science-based, sustainable offshore aquaculture industry in our country to complement wild-capture fishing.

Aquaculture will never replace fishing. If it could, we wouldn’t support it. We’ve been involved in various aspects of the fishing industry for years, and we know fishing is a way of life. We also think a sustainable aquaculture industry that works with, not against, U.S. fishermen could help keep it that way for generations to come.

Right now, warming waters are shrinking or shifting fish stocks in every region of the country. Black sea bass are moving from the Mid-Atlantic to New England while lobster are scuttling north into Canadian waters. Humboldt squid have moved from California all the way to Alaska. And last summer, masses of dead fish washed up on Texas beaches as Gulf waters boiled.

Read the full article at Post and Courier 

U.S. Department of Commerce allocates over $20.6M in fishery disaster funding

February 3, 2024 — The following was released by the NOAA Fisheries:

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced today the allocation of $20.6 million to address a fishery resource disaster that occurred in the 2023 Sacramento River Fall Chinook and Klamath River Fall Chinook ocean and inland salmon fisheries. NOAA Fisheries used revenue loss information from the commercial, processor and charter sectors to allocate funding for the disaster.

“Fishery disasters have wide-ranging impacts and can affect commercial and recreational fishermen, subsistence users, charter businesses, shore-side infrastructure and the marine environment,” said Secretary Raimondo. “These funds will help affected California communities recover and improve sustainability.”

Congress provided fishery resource disaster assistance funding in the 2022 and 2023 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Acts. A positive determination makes these fisheries eligible to receive a funding allocation from those appropriations. These funds will improve the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of the impacted fisheries. Funds can be used to assist the impacted fishing communities including commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, charter businesses and subsistence users.

“At NOAA Fisheries we can appreciate how this fishery disaster is of great concern for the fishing industry and the people that depend on these fisheries to support their communities,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “We hope this allocation can aid in recovery efforts as quickly as possible.”

Activities that can be considered for funding include fishery-related infrastructure projects, habitat restoration, state-run vessel and fishing permit buybacks, job retraining and more. Some fishery-related businesses affected by the fishery disaster may also be eligible for assistance from the Small Business Administration.

On December 29, 2022, Congress passed the Fishery Resource Disasters Improvement Act, which amended the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Since the disaster request for these fisheries was received after this date, it was evaluated under the amended statute.

In the coming months, NOAA Fisheries will work with the state of California to administer the disaster relief funds. Fishing communities and individuals affected by the disaster should work with their state or other agencies as identified by the state, as appropriate.

See a summary of fishery disaster determinations, including this announcement, and learn more about fishery disaster assistance.

Whales on the Brink: Making Strides in Marine Mammal Research and Protection

February 3, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

2023 marked the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. Under this law, NOAA Fisheries is responsible for the conservation and recovery of more than 160 endangered and threatened marine species—including many marine mammals. The Act has been overwhelmingly successful in preventing their extinction during the last 50 years and has also put many species on the path to recovery.

A recent event hosted at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Whales on the Brink: Stories from Rice’s Whale Discovery and Right Whale Tales, highlighted the ongoing dedication to this effort. NOAA Fisheries, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Marine Mammal Commission, and other partners organized and supported the event. The goal of the symposium was to bring attention to the plight of three endangered large whale species: Rice’s whales, North Pacific right whales, and North Atlantic right whales. Experts from the marine mammal scientific research, conservation, and management communities shared the current state of knowledge and the efforts being undertaken to conserve these species.

In addition to presentations by NOAA Fisheries staff, there were presentations from several outside partners who work in the Marine Mammal Stranding Network or at academic institutions. We’re grateful to all of them for making this event—and indeed our day-to-day conservation work for large whales—possible! Following are highlights from the NOAA Fisheries team’s contributions to this momentous event.

NOAA Fisheries Finalizes a Habitat Area of Particular Concern Offshore of Southern New England

February 3, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is designating a Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) in and around offshore wind lease areas in southern New England, including Cox Ledge. The New England Fishery Management Council recommended the HAPC designation due to concerns about the potential adverse impact on Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) from the development of offshore wind energy projects. The designation focuses on important cod spawning grounds and areas of complex habitat that are known to serve important habitat functions to federally managed species within and adjacent to offshore wind development areas. Complex benthic habitat provides shelter for certain species during their early life history, refuge from predators, and feeding opportunities. The HAPC provides additional conservation focus when NOAA Fisheries reviews and comments on federal and/or state actions that could impact Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and HAPCs, as part of the EFH consultation process. EFH consultations provide non-binding conservation recommendations to the implementing (action) agency to avoid, minimize, and mitigate the impacts of federal actions on EFH. 

For more information, read the final rule (https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2024-02239/fisheries-of-the-northeastern-united-states-framework-adjustments-to-northeast-multispecies-atlantic) as filed in the Federal Register.

New wind strategy advanced to protect right whales

February 1, 2024 — The federal government announced a new strategy aimed at protecting the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale while the development of offshore wind ramps up.

The 78-page strategy from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and NOAA Fisheries, released Thursday, Jan. 25, lays out ways to continue evaluating and mitigating the potential effects on the whales and their habitat.

North Atlantic right whales are an endangered species, with an estimated 360 individuals remaining, a population that has been reported to be on the decline. That decline has been felt locally, as a juvenile right whale was found dead in Edgartown on Monday.

While NOAA reports that entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes are the leading cause of death for the whales, the agency says that ocean noise is also a threat to the species, and sources can include energy exploration and development.

Read the full article at MV Times

NOAA examining rope embedded in dead right whale on Martha’s Vineyard

January 31, 2024 — A piece of rope removed from a dead female North Atlantic right whale on Jan. 28 is undergoing analysis as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other experts work to determine a cause of death.

The dead whale, presumed to be a juvenile by its size, was reported Sunday afternoon near Joseph Sylvia State Beach on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. NOAA Fisheries and the International Fund for Animal Welfare worked to respond to the stranding with Edgartown Police, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

Massachusetts state law enforcement officers collected a piece of rope that was found entangled around and embedded in the whale’s tail, turning it over to NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, according to a statement from the agency. “Authorized members of the National Marine Mammal Stranding Response Network are planning to perform a necropsy (an animal autopsy) to investigate the cause of death as logistics allow,” according to NOAA.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Feds look to release plan to protect right whales while expanding wind power

January 29, 2024 — With whale deaths and offshore wind power now firmly connected in many minds along the Jersey Shore, federal officials released a strategy to protect one of the most endangered species while developing wind power off the coast.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, under the U.S. Department of the Interior, on Thursday released a final joint strategy aimed at helping the North Atlantic right whale recover while also developing offshore wind energy, citing a Biden administration goal of increasing wind energy development.

The North Atlantic right whale, weighing multiple tons and growing to be more than 50 feet long, is considered to be at the brink of extinction.

According to federal studies, only about 360 of the animals are left in the world, and of those, fewer than 70 are reproductively active females.

Read the full article at the Press of Atlantic City

100 chefs call on Biden to expand Seafood Import Monitoring Program

January 29, 2024 — More than 100 chefs have signed a letter organized by nonprofit Oceana calling on U.S. President Joe Biden to expand the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), which imposes traceability requirements on some seafood species to prevent illegal fishing.

SIMP currently covers just 13 species or species groups, but many fishery observers and lawmakers have called on the program to expand.

Read the full article at the SeafoodSource

Hatcheries Yield More Salmon for Endangered Killer Whales; New Analysis Open for Comment

January 26, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Additional federal funds for Northwest salmon hatcheries have helped increase adult salmon available to endangered Southern Resident killer whales. Salmon increased as much as 3 percent in the places and times where the whales can best access them, according to a new analysis.

A draft environmental impact statement released assesses federal spending that began in 2020. NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comments on alternatives for allocating the federal funding examined in the new document.

The document includes an analysis of how much additional prey the funding has yielded for the whales to date and into the future. It also shows that leaving prey for the killer whales by cutting back fishing could result in similar benefits as hatchery production, but at substantial cost.

A separate alternative would seek to increase salmon numbers by improving habitat, but the results would be difficult to measure because other factors also affect salmon numbers.

Options for Federal Funding

The draft environmental impact statement examines four main alternatives:

  1. No prey increase: Discontinuing federal funding to increase killer whale prey
  2. Producing hatchery salmon to increase killer whale prey: This is the preferred alternative; federal funding would continue to increase hatchery production
  3. Habitat-based prey increase: Redirecting funding from hatchery production to habitat restoration that would increase the abundance of salmon produced in the wild by improving habitat
  4. Reduced fishing: Redirecting funding from hatchery production to reduce Chinook salmon fisheries and leave more salmon prey available for the killer whales

The population of about 75 endangered killer whales preys on salmon and other marine fish. Other killer whales prey on marine mammals such as sea lions and dolphins. Low salmon returns have reduced prey available to the whales, which are also threatened by vessel traffic and noise, toxic contaminants that collect in their blubber, and inbreeding.

The draft environmental impact statement responds to a 2022 court order, which found deficiencies in NOAA Fisheries’ 2019 analysis of domestic actions connected to the Pacific Salmon Treaty agreement. The court concluded NOAA Fisheries was required to conduct analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act on the prey increase funding.

 

Biden-Harris Administration announces $27 million for transformational science supporting recovery of threatened and endangered Pacific salmon

January 26, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced plans for $27 million to recover threatened and endangered Pacific salmon in the face of climate change. These funds, part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, are made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest investment in climate action ever. This investment in science will support informed management actions as a component of NOAA’s comprehensive strategy for Pacific salmon recovery.

NOAA’s strategy outlines how investment in science enhances efforts in restoring and connecting Pacific salmon habitats, ensuring water quality and quantity, managing sustainable fisheries and continuing to improve fish hatcheries. This funding will help support the science component of the agency’s recovery strategy by expanding its expertise and improving access to resources necessary to advance its science capabilities. Today’s announcement builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s significant progress and commitments to support salmon recovery, including a historic agreement to work in partnership with Pacific Northwest tribes and states to restore salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin, among other important goals. 

“While climate change has severely hurt Pacific salmon populations, the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to salmon recovery along the West Coast,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This funding, made possible by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, will help NOAA make more informed decisions to aid Pacific salmon survival and recovery efforts and move Pacific salmon populations closer to healthy and abundant levels that benefit our West Coast ecosystems, communities and economies.”

Robust science is critical to adaptively managing the diversity of Pacific salmon populations, addressing uncertainties in a changing climate and investing in the most effective solutions in watersheds along the West Coast. Supporting Pacific salmon recovery is particularly beneficial to cultural heritage and livelihoods of Pacific Northwest tribes. Indigenous Knowledge of Pacific salmon is vital to the conservation and restoration of the species.

The $27 million in funding will be distributed through 2026 to NOAA’s Northwest and Southwest Fisheries Science Centers to conduct science and research to advance salmon recovery. Specific activities include: 

  • Integrated model development and application: Improving salmon life-cycle computer models and including ecosystem parameters to inform management strategies that rely on predictions of Pacific salmon abundance.
  • Restoration, recovery and reintroduction techniques: Assessing habitat restoration effectiveness, improving methods to determine meaningful conservation and management decisions and measuring the ability of reintroduced salmon to adapt to future environmental conditions.
  • Habitat stressors in freshwater and estuary environments: Investigating the impacts of stormwater pollutants on salmon to include using toxicity data in management decisions.
  • Ocean and nearshore ecology: Measuring indicators of ocean productivity and predation rates to improve predictions of salmon survival and growth. 

“This Inflation Reduction Act funding provides an opportunity to advance impactful salmon science and research at our West Coast fisheries science centers,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “Each salmon species has a robust recovery plan developed through years of work and collaboration with communities and co-managers and includes the best available science to identify the actions needed to recover the species.”

“NOAA scientists at Seattle’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center need funding for groundbreaking research into how salmon are adapting to the changing climate and dealing with threats like stormwater pollution here in Washington,” said Washington Senator Maria Cantwell. “Salmon are central to the culture, economy and marine ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest, and this investment in science will help us make the right choices and help protect salmon for years to come.”

“From the California Coast through upstream rivers, Chinook and coho salmon populations have plummeted, leading to catastrophic consequences for the environment and for fishers, tribes, businesses and families who depend on healthy salmon fisheries,” said California Senator Alex Padilla. “As climate change continues to threaten these populations, this funding is critical for establishing a science-based, systematic plan for urgent Pacific salmon restoration.”

This funding was first announced in June 2023 as part of the historic $3.3 billion in investments that NOAA is making through the Inflation Reduction Act to ensure that America’s communities and economies are ready for and resilient to climate change. Of that funding, $42 million will directly support Pacific salmon recovery, including $15 million to support conservation efforts through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. Also, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, NOAA recently announced $60 million for Columbia River Basin tribal salmon hatcheries, and is continuing its work to reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for fish.

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