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.
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.
The draft environmental impact statement examines four main alternatives:
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.
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:
“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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.