Saving Seafood

Federal management trap cap for lobster fishery areas

October 17, 2023 — On September 29, NOAA Fisheries approved federal management measures for the lobster fishery that complement the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American lobster. These measures include:

  • In Area 2, ownership caps would restrict most entities to 800 traps, effective May 1, 2025. An entity with an allocation that exceeded this limit as of May 1, 2022, would be capped at their 2022 trap allocation and may not purchase additional traps.
  • In Area 3, a maximum trap cap reduction and a new aggregate ownership cap with proportionate reductions would allow entities to own five times the number of the maximum trap cap. An entity with an allocation that exceeded this limit as of May 1, 2022, would be capped at their 2022 trap allocation and may not purchase additional traps. NOAA is implementing these measures with a one-year delay.
  • Beginning April 1, 2024, mandatory electronic harvester reporting using the federal electronic vessel trip report (eVTR) for all federal lobster permit holders begins April 1, 2024. This reporting requirement will include five additional lobster-specific data elements.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NOAA has imposed USD 1.1 million in fines over right whale speed limits since 2021

October 16, 2023 — NOAA is stepping up enforcement of vessel speed limits when endangered North Atlantic right whales are on the move, using satellite technology and even highway patrol-style speed radar to nab violators.

In the period between 2021 and 2022, NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) brought 19 complaints against vessel operators for exceeding a 10-knot speed limit that the agency declares in “seasonal management areas” from November to July as the right whales move off the U.S. East Coast. The agency levied USD 218,500 (EUR 207,000) in penalties on those operators.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA announces funding for algal bloom research

October 15, 2023 — NOAA has announced USD 20 million (EUR 19 million) in awards for research on dangerous algal blooms and hypoxia.

“Harmful algal blooms and hypoxia affect coastal and inland waters and can be devastating to communities and businesses,” Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Office Director Carl Gouldman said. “These awards are part of NOAA’s ongoing commitment to advance our abilities to forecast, manage, and mitigate the effects of these events nationwide.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Working Towards Zero-Waste Seafood

October 12, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Seafood Month is a time to celebrate sustainable seafood for both wild-caught and farmed species. The United States is a global leader in sustainable seafood, underscoring NOAA Fisheries’ strong commitment to building a resilient seafood sector. This would not be possible without our many partners throughout the country and the world.

We sat down with Jhana Young, sustainable seafood manager at Conservation International Hawaiʻi, one of our important partners. Jhana shares CI Hawaiʻi’s sustainable seafood vision, what Seafood Month means to her, the exciting events CI Hawaiʻi is holding throughout the month, and more.

What kind of work does Conservation International do in Hawaiʻi?

Conservation International’s Hawaiʻi program started in 2011 as our only U.S.-based field program. We are part of a global team that works in more than 30 countries to empower societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity, and for the well-being of humanity. Our focus in Hawaiʻi involves working with a diversity of partners across the state to underscore the importance of food security and to support sustainability in our fisheries and seafood industry.

We have three pillars or areas of work:

  • Helping fishing communities like Miloliʻi in South Kona on marine monitoring practices
  • Working with government partners in ocean policy
  • Collaborating with our seafood industry and culinary community to uplift sustainable seafood practices

With those three pillars as the foundation, our overarching goal is ocean conservation and shifting people’s perspectives towards valuing our important seafood and fishery resources.

Study: Over 70% of marine mammals in American waters are vulnerable to climate change threats

October 10, 2023 — Whales, dolphins and seals living in U.S. waters face major threats from warming ocean temperatures, rising sea levels and decreasing sea ice volumes associated with climate change, according to a first-of-its-kind assessment.

Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration examined more than 100 stocks of American marine mammal species and found more than 70% of those stocks are vulnerable to threats, such as loss of habitat and food, due to the consequences of warming waters. The impacts also include loss of dissolved oxygen and changes to ocean chemistry.

The scientists found large whales such as humpbacks and North Atlantic right whales were among the most vulnerable to climate change, and that other toothed whales and dolphins were also at high risk.

The study, published late September in the journal PLOS ONE, is evidence that the way the U.S. manages whales and dolphins needs to adapt in the era of climate change, advocates for marine mammals said.

The news is bleak, but the assessment also is the first to look solely at marine mammal stocks managed by the U.S. and the results can help inform federal ocean managers about how to safeguard the vulnerable animals, said Matthew Lettrich, a biologist and lead author of the study.

“As the climate’s changing, we’re seeing some of the effects already, and some of our marine mammal populations are more vulnerable to those changes than others,” Lettrich said. “Based on this study, we see a good proportion are highly and very highly vulnerable.”

Read the full article at wbur

US Help Our Kelp Act aims to support kelp forest recovery efforts

October 10, 2023 — Grown on the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska and on the East Coast in parts of New England, kelp has been harvested on a large scale in the United States 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.

Today, the primary resource derived from kelp for human use is algin, a product used as a gelling agent in foods, pharmaceuticals, waterproof and fireproofing fabrics, a component in fertilizers, and an ingredient in food. In addition to this array of uses, kelp has been identified as a potential alternative energy source, according to NOAA Fisheries.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Whales and dolphins in US waters losing food, habitat to climate change, study says

October 10, 2023 — Whales, dolphins and seals living in U.S. waters face major threats from warming ocean temperatures, rising sea levels and decreasing sea ice volumes associated with climate change, according to a first-of-its-kind assessment.

Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration examined more than 100 stocks of American marine mammal species and found more than 70% of those stocks are vulnerable to threats, such as loss of habitat and food, due to the consequences of warming waters. The impacts also include loss of dissolved oxygen and changes to ocean chemistry.

The scientists found large whales such as humpbacks and North Atlantic right whales were among the most vulnerable to climate change, and that other toothed whales and dolphins were also at high risk.

The study, published last month in the journal PLOS ONE, is evidence that the way the U.S. manages whales and dolphins needs to adapt in the era of climate change, advocates for marine mammals said.

The news is bleak, but the assessment also is the first to look solely at marine mammal stocks managed by the U.S. and the results can help inform federal ocean managers about how to safeguard the vulnerable animals, said Matthew Lettrich, a biologist and lead author of the study.

Read the full article at ABC News

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