Saving Seafood

NORTH CAROLINA: New Fish Passage Facility Restores Access to 1,000 Miles of Habitat in North Carolina

October 5, 2023 — The following was released by the NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have been working with Duke Energy on major upgrades to fish passage facilities along hydropower dams in North Carolina. These upgrades are reopening access to hundreds of miles of upstream spawning and rearing habitat for American eel, American shad, and blueback herring. The work highlights NOAA’s efforts to support migratory fish.

New Plans for Old Dams

On the Pee Dee River in North Carolina, Duke Energy operates the Yadkin-Pee Dee Hydroelectric Project. This includes the energy generating Blewett Falls and Tillery Projects and their associated dams. Originally built in 1912, the Blewett Falls Project has a long history of generating hydropower for the region. The Blewett Falls Dam is located 29 miles downstream of Tillery Dam and almost 200 miles upstream from the Atlantic Ocean. It’s also the first obstacle to fish migrating inland from the ocean.

In 2015, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a new license to Duke Energy to operate the Yadkin-Pee Dee Project. Through the relicensing process as part of the Federal Power Act, NOAA Fisheries and partners requested fish passage at both the Blewett Falls and Tillery Projects. At Blewett Falls, the original dam builders had created a fish ladder, but it was non-functional due to an ineffective design. There were no fish passage structures at Tillery. Through coordination with NOAA Fisheries and partners, Duke Energy began work on fish passage and facility upgrades in 2020.

National Seafood Month 2023: Celebrating Past Successes, Preparing for Future Challenges

October 5, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

In many parts of the country, October is the real onset of autumn. Some regions see temperatures begin to drop and leaves start to turn vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange, while others experience a change in the patterns of wind and rain. In each case, the natural world is preparing for the winter ahead. My love of seafood is a year-round passion, but this year it seems fitting that we celebrate National Seafood Month during this season of transition. On a much broader time scale, our fisheries and the communities that rely on them—for food, cultural heritage, and economic security—are also in a season of transition, driven by the impacts of a changing climate. Those changes require us to work together to build resilience in our fisheries and communities. One simple way to support our commercial fishing sector is to eat more seafood!

The U.S. commercial seafood industry supports 1.1 million jobs and generates $155 billion in sales in seafood and across the U.S. economy. Our nation harvests and farms about 8 billion pounds of seafood for consumption each year, with a dockside value of around $6 billion. By adding more U.S. seafood to your diet, you can feel good knowing you’re eating a healthy, responsibly farmed or fished product. You’re also directly supporting an industry that is sustainably managed and critical to our food system. And that’s certainly something to celebrate!

With all this on the line, there is more interest than ever in how science can keep up with management and how management can be responsive to the changes. Those are primary areas of focus at NOAA Fisheries—and you can be sure we are investing in them. Just as the plants and animals are preparing for the changing conditions of winter, we at NOAA Fisheries have been working to respond to the many challenges facing the U.S. seafood industry.

In August, we released the National Seafood Strategy, which was developed with significant public input. The strategy outlines our comprehensive vision for what we can do to support seafood businesses and communities along the supply chain—and we are committed to carrying out that work. It underscores NOAA’s strong commitment to seafood sector resilience and aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals for economic recovery, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience.

The strategy also reinforces our critical science and management support to the seafood sector. Our stakeholders recognize that the science we conduct to support the management of wild capture fisheries and seafood farming is essential for the well-being of the U.S. seafood sector. What is new in this strategy is an emphasis on climate change and a refocus on vital industry services. We will increase support of partners and the seafood sector by funding projects such as critical habitat restoration that supports healthy and productive fisheries. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, NOAA Fisheries will see an unprecedented investment in climate and conservation measures. The positive impacts of these initiatives will no doubt be felt across the seafood sector.

So, as we start the fall season, let’s celebrate National Seafood Month by recognizing our past successes and our active preparations to meet the challenges that lie ahead. I am optimistic that these efforts, and our collaborative engagement with partners across the supply chain, will serve to strengthen our seafood communities for the future. Follow along throughout October by visiting our Seafood Month page or join the conversation by using #SeafoodMonth on social media. And remember to enjoy delicious, healthy seafood this month and every month!

Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries

More whales are dying. Conspiracies are leading to threats against the rescue teams

October 4, 2023 — For the past seven years, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has been monitoring a spike in whale strandings along the entire East Coast.

The agency has declared the ongoing situation an “unusual mortality event,” or UME, for humpback whales. More than 200 humpback strandings have been reported since 2016 along the eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Fisheries Department says it has conducted partial or full necropsy examinations on about half the whales, with 40 per cent of those examinations showing evidence of human interaction, such as entanglement or ship strikes.

But theories about offshore wind energy projects contributing to the deaths have risen alongside the strandings, despite the NOAA rejecting those claims.

Read the full article at Calgary Herald

NOAA aids Puerto Rico coral reef restoration through support of the Biden Administration

October 4, 2023 — The Biden administration awarded USD 34.4 million (EUR 32.5 million) in April toward projects to combat climate change in Puerto Rico, including ocean restoration.

Eight projects have been selected for grants to boost both economic and environmental outcomes for Puerto Rico’s coastal communities. The selected projects, the administration said, will benefit the community across Puerto Rico.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Environmental groups demand emergency rules to protect rare whales from ship collisions

October 3, 2023 — A coalition of environmental groups is calling on the federal government to enact emergency rules to protect a vanishing species of whale from lethal collisions with large ships.

The groups filed their petition with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Sept. 28 in an effort to protect the North Atlantic right whale. The whale, which can weigh more than five school buses, numbers less than 340 and has been in steep decline in recent years.

Ship collisions are among the most dire threats to the survival of the whale, according to NOAA. The groups cited a proposed rule from the agency designed to prevent such ship strikes by making more vessels slow down for whales. NOAA has yet to release a final updated speed rule despite proposing new rules more than a year ago, the environmental groups said.

Read the full article at the Associated Press

Fishermen diversify to fill the kelp demand

October 3, 2023 — Predominantly grown on the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska – and even in parts of New England – kelp forests have been harvested on a large scale since World War I, when the vegetation was used as a source of potash to make gunpowder. During that time, the harvest was unregulated and destructive to the surrounding habitats. Nowadays, the harvest of kelp is more sustainable due to harvesters only removing the upper portion of the canopy of the algae.

The evolution of harvesting kelp may have begun with gunpowder; however, the primary resource from kelp is algin, a product used as a gelling agent in foods, pharmaceuticals, waterproof and fireproofing fabrics, a component in fertilizers, and a healthy ingredient in food. In addition to this array of uses, kelp has been identified as a potential alternative energy source, according to NOAA Fisheries.

Studies on kelp forest ecosystems and the economics behind this sea plant show that it provides food and habitat for hundreds of fish species, invertebrates, and marine mammals. Additionally, healthy forests can protect coastlines and support other sustainable fisheries. Studies have shown that kelp generates a potential value of $465 to $562 billion annually across three critical ecosystem services:- fisheries production, nutrient cycling, and carbon removal.

Over the last 50 years though, climate change, poor water quality, and overfishing have damaged 40 to 60 percent of kelp forests. The impact has been significant, as more than 95 percent of these forests have been lost in one section of the coastline from southern Oregon to northern California due to high temperatures and over-harvest. As a result of the decline of the kelp forests, small-scale fisheries have been severely affected by a lack of food.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

OREGON: Oregon officials consider adding southern resident orcas to state endangered species list

October 3, 2023 — The number of southern resident orcas that forage along the Oregon Coast has been on the decline for decades as they struggle to find food and confront boats and pollution.

Just 73 are left, down from a peak of nearly 100 in the late 1990s. Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries division project the number could decline by half during the next 20 years.

Now, the state’s Fish and Wildlife Commission will weigh whether to add the orcas to the state’s endangered species list, creating more protections for the orcas and directing more conservation money toward their survival. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on Thursday produced an assessment of the situation that the commission will review. Southern resident orcas are already listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act and in Washington and Canada, where they also live and forage. Being listed under Oregon’s Endangered Species Act would offer even greater protections, according to Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director for the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity.

“While the federal listing is helpful, some of its provisions only apply to federal actions,” Sakashita said via email. “By having a state listing, the state has more powerful tools to address threats to orcas and their salmon prey.”

If listed, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department would need to develop a management plan and coordinate with other state agencies to take action and address the primary threats to orcas in Oregon. The commission is scheduled to decide whether to add the southern resident orca to the state’s endangered species list by February 2024.

The primary threats to southern resident orca survival include a lack of salmon to eat, pollution from chemicals and oil spills and disturbances from boats, including sounds from the boats.

Read the full article the Oregon Capital Chronicle 

NOAA Weighs Cod Research Near Offshore Wind Projects

October 2, 2023 — An area south of the Island near where several offshore wind energy companies have secured leases could soon be studied due to the potential adverse effects on cod spawning grounds.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is considering creating a “Habitat Area of Particular Concern” designation for the area in and around offshore wind farms in southern New England, including Cox Ledge. The designation was recommended by interstate fishing officials to mitigate the environmental impacts of new wind farm projects.

Read the full article at the Vineyard Gazette

Killer whale deaths in Alaska trawl harvests prompt investigations and spark anger

October 2, 2023 — An unusually high number of whales have died in trawl fishing gear in Alaska waters, spurring a federal investigation and new criticism of the industry that uses big nets to scoop fish from the bottom of the ocean.

Ten killer whales, also known as orcas, were ensnared in trawl gear this year in the Bering Sea and along the Aleutian Islands, and nine of them died, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service. The toll compares to six killer whale deaths in Alaska fisheries documented over the five years spanning from 2016 to 2020, according to NOAA Fisheries records.

While pollock makes up the biggest volume of fish harvested in the Bering Sea and Aleutians, all of the trawlers involved in this year’s killer whale deaths were harvesting different types of groundfish. Those vessels, participants in what NOAA Fisheries classifies as the Amendment 80 trawl fishery, harvest yellowfin sole, Pacific ocean perch and other bottom-dwelling species.

Critics of bottom trawling speculate that the whales are dying after chasing fish discarded as bycatch by the vessels. Bycatch is the incidental harvest of non-targeted species.

It is possible that climate change has disrupted normal food supplies, said Jon Warrenchuk, a senior scientist with the environmental group Oceana.

“The food web is so out of whack in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska,” Warrenchuk said.

That means that orcas are turning to the food they find around trawl ships, he said. “The whales now have been conditioned to be feeding off the discards of the factory trawlers,” he said.

Halibut may be a particularly fatal attraction for the whales, Warrenchuk said.

He cited a relatively new practice called “halibut deck sorting,” which is allowed exclusively for the non-pollock Amendment 80 trawlers through a rule enacted in 2019.

The practice, a response to reduced halibut stocks, is intended to reduce impacts of halibut bycatch. Under the rule, trawlers within a particular fleet are allowed to send incidentally caught halibut back into the sea without penalty as long as certain requirements are met. The halibut must be alive, they must be returned to the water within 35 minutes and the entire process must be monitored by an onboard fisheries observer, according to the rule.

Read the full article at the Alaska Beacon

ALASKA: NOAA Fisheries Releases its 2023 Alaska Aquaculture Accomplishments Report

September 29, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to supporting the aquaculture (also known as “mariculture”) industry in Alaska. In Alaska, aquaculture initiatives primarily involve Pacific oysters, seaweed, and blue mussels (finfish farming is illegal in Alaska State waters).

The Alaskan aquaculture industry is in a period of growth, and many local, state and federal efforts are focused on supporting this developing industry. Aquaculture can be beneficial both to local communities and the environment, boosting coastal economies and providing habitat to marine organisms.

NOAA Fisheries promotes scientific research and economic development that can sustainably advance the growth of the Alaskan aquaculture industry.

The NOAA Fisheries Alaska Aquaculture Program has been engaged in a variety of projects over the last year, each of which aligns with NOAA’s recently released 2023-2028 Aquaculture Strategic Plan. Our FY23 aquaculture activities supported three of NOAA’s national Aquaculture strategic goals:

  1. Manage Sustainably and Efficiently
  2. Lead Science for Sustainability
  3. Educate and Exchange Information

NOAA Fisheries supports cutting-edge research, as well as policy-making and regulation. We work closely with partners to improve and expand opportunities to promote sustainable marine production of shellfish and seaweed in Alaska.

NOAA’s Alaska Aquaculture Program has just released its 2023 Aquaculture Accomplishments Report. In 2023, NOAA’s Alaska Aquaculture Program prioritized 10 of 17 national objectives listed in the 2023-2028 Aquaculture Strategic Plan. This report highlights the 14 projects that supported each of the above Alaska aquaculture priorities. It also provides updates on other accomplishments over the last year. These projects are diverse in scope and design. They all pursue the goal of promoting sustainable aquaculture growth in Alaska state waters.