Saving Seafood

Seafood industry well-positioned to meet challenges of climate change

January 25, 2024 — Climate change is undeniably having an impact on where certain seafood species are located, and its exact effects are still being researched.

Research being done in how stocks are shifting varies. Some NOAA studies have predicted high-value groundfish species will migrate toward deeper offshore waters on the west coast of the U.S., while others are pointing out the risks it poses to global blue food production. Despite those risks, a panel covering seafood sourcing amid climate change at the Global Seafood Market Conference – which ran from 23 to 25 January in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. – said the seafood industry can meet the challenges and even weather them better than other protein industries.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Op-Ed: Preserving our heritage and livelihood – A shrimper’s stand against unjust regulations

January 18, 2024 — I’ve been a shrimper for over 45 years. It’s more than just a job; it’s a legacy that’s been passed down through generations in my family. Since I was 15, I’ve been working in the waters of Plaquemines Parish, my workplace, my passion, and my source of livelihood. Today, as I continue to bring the finest Gulf shrimp to your tables, I find myself fighting not only for my job but for the very soul of Louisiana’s shrimping heritage.

The recent rule by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) mandating the use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) on skimmer trawl vessels longer than 40 feet is a real threat to our community. This rule, though it may seem well-intentioned, is an example of overreach and disregard for our industry’s reality. That’s why, under my leadership, the Louisiana Shrimp Association is taking a stand by suing against this unfair regulation on the same day the Supreme Court is hearing arguments on the power of faraway bureaucrats in the Loper Bright case.

Our challenge isn’t about denying environmental stewardship; we shrimpers understand the importance of preserving marine life more than anyone else. Our problem lies in the NMFS’s lack of consideration for the real-world reasons and impact of this rule. Studies show that there is minimal interaction between sea turtles and shrimpers in the waters where we mostly operate, and our waters aren’t primary nesting sites for these creatures. However, the NMFS chose to ignore this evidence and push through a rule that could devastate our industry.

Read the full article at The Center Square

Louisiana shrimpers sue feds over rule requiring sea turtle safety device on skimmer trawls

January 18, 2024 — The Louisiana Shrimp Association has sued the National Marine Fisheries Service over a federal rule that forces certain kinds of boats to use devices that allow turtles to escape fishing nets unharmed, the shrimper organization announced Wednesday.

Introduced in 2021 by the National Marine Fisheries Service, also known as NOAA Fisheries, the rule requires skimmer trawl vessels to equip turtle excluder devices, which let sea turtles escape when caught in a fisherman’s net. Skimmer trawl vessels have an L-shaped frame that allows for nets to be deployed below the boat in shallow, nearshore waters. The vessels are at risk for picking up sea turtles that live close to the surface, according to NOAA Fisheries.

The lawsuit, filed in New Orleans federal court on behalf of the Louisiana Shrimp Association by the Pelican Institute’s Center for Justice, says the rule violates federal law by failing to consider that sea turtles do not interact with shrimpers in inshore waters, according to a news release from the institute. The suit also claims sea turtle nesting sites are “thriving.”

Read the full article at NOLA

Wild Fish Conservancy seeks endangered species listing of Alaska Chinook salmon

January 16, 2024 — The Wild Fish Conservancy has petitioned NOAA Fisheries to list Alaska king salmon under the Endangered Species Act.

The organization claims the petition is a response to “the severe decline and poor condition of Chinook populations” in Alaska.

“For decades, scientists have been sounding the alarm that Alaska’s Chinook are in dire trouble,” Wild Fish Conservancy Executive Director Emma Helverson said. “Despite existing management plans and years of efforts by the state of Alaska, Chinook salmon continue to decline in abundance, size, diversity, and spatial structure throughout the state. Through this action, we are asking the federal government to undertake a formal status review and implement protections warranted under the Endangered Species Act, including designating critical habitat protections, to ensure the survival of these iconic fish.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA official says coral critical habitat designation to minimize federal action on reef

January 16, 2023 — A NOAA coral reef critical habitat designation in the CNMI would only affect federal actions on and near the waters of the Marianas, according to Lance Smith, a fishery biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Smith met with Variety for a virtual interview on Jan. 12 to discuss a NOAA proposal to designate critical habitat for Acropora globiceps, a type of coral that is “sensitive” to ocean warming, ocean acidification, and coral bleaching, he said.

Smith said a critical habitat designation is established once a species becomes protected under the Endangered Species Act. The critical habitat is a location where the species can thrive.

Read the full article at Marianas Variety 

Unsettled Pacific Ocean Offers Few Clear Indicators for Salmon Success in 2024

January 13, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Want to learn how the Pacific Ocean is likely to change and affect salmon survival in the coming year? Stay tuned, scientists say.

The ocean indicators that NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center researchers track off Newport, on the Central Oregon Coast, are decidedly mixed for the coming year. El Niño is still developing at the equator and there are both positive and negative indicators in local waters for emerging salmon. The ocean indicators of juvenile salmon survival—now online—reflect a rapidly changing ocean that is tough to predict.

“We’re not seeing any clear direction as we sometimes have before,” said Jennifer Fisher, a research fisheries biologist at the Science Center’s Newport Research Station. “The overall message is that the system is unsettled. We’d like to be able to tease something out of that, but right now, we have to watch and wait.”

The Research Station’s team regularly monitors ocean conditions along the Newport Hydrographic Line, one of the best records of ocean change on the West Coast. Scientists have surveyed the line twice monthly (weather permitting) for 26 years. The information collected reveals patterns and insights into how the ocean changes, particularly how the changes are likely to affect the salmon experiencing those conditions.

UMaine-led research team making new frozen foods from squid fins

January 13, 2024 — Squid has become a staple menu item and ingredient in many seafood restaurants, whether it’s fried, baked, grilled or served raw. In North American markets, however, only about half of each squid is used for culinary applications.

To reduce food waste and open new markets, a University of Maine-led team of researchers and students will devise new frozen food products that can be created from squid fins, one of their byproducts. The project is supported by $229,376 from the NOAA Fisheries Saltonstall-Kennedy Competitive Grants Program.

The group, led by UMaine professor of food science Denise Skonberg, will devise and develop several frozen food prototypes at the Dr. Matthew Highlands Food Pilot Plant in Hitchner Hall using processed fins from North Atlantic longfin and shortfin squid. Possible goods, which will be designed for preparation at home or in restaurants, may include frozen appetizers, entrees, nuggets and sliders. Researchers will recruit people to sample their prototype food products at the UMaine Sensory Testing Center and evaluate them based on appearance, texture, aroma and flavor.

As part of their initial work, UMaine researchers recently invited local chefs to prepare various dishes with squid fins, some of which they may be able to freeze. Those dishes included meatballs, egg rolls and dumplings, all made from squid fins.

Read the full article at Bangor Daily News

Biden administration announces USD 10 million contract for right whale-protection technology

January 11, 2024 — The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a USD 10 million (EUR 9.1 million) contract to the Center for Enterprise Modernization to develop technologies that can help protect endangered North Atlantic right whales.

“NOAA and its partners are working to stabilize the North Atlantic right whale population and prevent extinction of this species,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said. “This partnership, made possible by funding from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, will allow us to develop and explore new technologies and tools to address the North Atlantic right whale crisis.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA SEA GRANT ADVANCES RESILIENT COASTAL COMMUNITIES WITH $4 MILLION IN SUPPORT

January 10, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries: 

Sea Grant programs across the U.S. are scaling up capacity to support additional hands-on, collaborative engagement to advance the sustainability of coastal and Great Lakes communities. Sea Grant awarded $4 million in fiscal year 2023 funds to its grant-based programs nationwide to continue or expand ongoing work or address new opportunities for coastal climate adaptation and resilience for the communities that Sea Grant serves.

“Engaging with and helping to prepare coastal and Great Lakes communities to address the challenges associated with a changing climate is a priority for Sea Grant,” said Jonathan Pennock, director of NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program. “The funded projects, and additional work with partners, will enhance communities’ resilience with a number of localized initiatives.”

In recognition of growing needs, the $125,000 per funded program was made possible with the support of Congress. These adaptation and resilience funds are further leveraged by additional program funds and at least 50 percent matched partner contributions, among a broader set of relevant Sea Grant awards.

The funded projects include support for engagement, knowledge sharing, research, technical assistance, decision support, project implementation, and partnership coordination and collaboration to help address community adaptation and resilience needs, along with support for resilience-focused staff capacity. This work also includes engagement with tribal, Indigenous, remote, and economically disadvantaged communities. Examples of this broader work are below:

    • Alaska Sea Grant will expand extension capacity to support rural coastal communities faced with erosion caused by thawing permafrost and increased coastal inundation requiring a retreat from the coast and increase the culturally relevant environmental literacy of eco-tour guides and tourists.
    • California Sea Grant will conduct an offshore wind analysis with economic development, workforce capacity and inclusion of tribal and historically underrepresented students as central assessment elements to help communities balance development with sustainable futures.
    • Louisiana Sea Grant will develop outreach materials and engagement events to address underrepresented communities’ concerns surrounding wind and flood insurance issues within the state.
    • Maine Sea Grant aims to improve community resilience to natural hazard events like coastal inundation and storm damage through scenario planning exercises and convening of communities across the region.
    • Minnesota Sea Grant will identify barriers to installing green infrastructure within land-use codes and ordinances and will provide alternate language that promotes the use of green infrastructure within Lake Superior communities.
    • Texas Sea Grant will increase awareness in technology that helps decision-making around coastal energy transition, marine debris and sustainable consumption, natural and nature-based solutions, and early warning systems for coastal hazards.

Learn about all of the funded projects here

Sea Grant programs are trusted as an important connector of university, government, community and coastal industry decision-making, and are uniquely positioned to improve engagement, communication and collaboration that supports managing coastal issues and addressing climate-related challenges. Through historic and ongoing support, Sea Grant programs aim to serve as intermediaries, trusted partners, and coordinators that facilitate and build capacity for climate resilience and adaptation.

Read more about the work that Sea Grant programs are advancing with coastal communities to address social, ecological and economic climate impacts, including with NOAA’s Disaster Preparedness Program, the U.S. Coastal Research Program, and through fiscal year 2022 coastal adaptation and resilience institutional funding.

Resolve to Meet (and Eat) New Seafood

January 10, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries: 

U.S. seafood is sustainable, nutritious—and delicious! Many Americans are familiar with only a fraction of the species that come from U.S. fisheries. Beyond staples like tuna, salmon, and cod, there are plenty of other fish in the sea that merit a place on our plates. Because these species are not as familiar to seafood shoppers, they are often overlooked or harder to find at markets. Fisheries, fishing communities, and coastal ecosystems are more resilient when harvesters can diversify the species they target—and then sell the fish they catch. Support U.S. fishermen—and your local economy—by adding more U.S. seafood to your diet!

Some chefs, restaurants, and seafood distributors have resolved to incorporate underused species in their menus and stores. Home cooks can try this, too, especially by shopping for seafood at their local fish market or talking to their grocery store fish counter. These efforts support a sustainable ocean harvest and provide customers with opportunities to savor new fish in new dishes.

The start of a new year is a great time to try new things. In that spirit, we’d like to introduce you to six seafood species you may not have tried. Consider it a New Year’s Meet-and-Eat!