Saving Seafood

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.

MASSACHUSETTS: Regional Officials Push For NOAA To Stay In Woods Hole

September 29, 2023 — As the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration studies next steps for its Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, Barnstable County and state officials have joined forces to urge the agency to stay in the village.

To that end, the Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners endorsed a letter to NOAA from state Representative Dylan A. Fernandes (D-Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket) on Wednesday, September 27.

“Moving NOAA’s facilities out of Woods Hole would not only fragment our scientific community, but would also further silo research, impede collaboration and the sharing of best practices between institutions, and negatively impact the oceanic sciences in our region for generations to come,” said the letter, which was co-signed by several other state legislators representing the Cape.

NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center was founded in 1871; a permanent facility was built on Water Street in 1885. The current building, still in the original location, dates back to 1961.

Read the full article at The Enterprise

Activists urge reforms after Bering Sea trawlers haul up 9 dead orcas

September 28, 2023 — Federal officials are looking into the deaths of nine orcas that were hauled up by groundfish trawlers in Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands fisheries this year, and conservation groups say more needs to be done to prevent such deaths.

According to NOAA Fisheries, a tenth whale was released alive, but the nine other orcas incidentally caught in trawl nets weren’t so lucky.

“NOAA Fisheries is analyzing collected data to determine the cause of injury or death and determine which stocks these whales belong to through a review of genetic information,” said Julie Fair, public affairs officer with the federal agency’s Alaska office, reading from a statement published Thursday. She declined to be interviewed, except to read the statement aloud.

Killer whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which requires boat owners or operators to report the deaths and injuries of the mammals during commercial fishing and survey operations.

Fair said NOAA Fisheries monitors bycatch of protected species to determine whether the animals were dead before being caught or were killed or seriously injured by commercial gear.

The vessels involved in these incidents weren’t named, but Fair said the boats involved were all required to carry two federal observers on board.

This isn’t the first time killer whales have been caught in trawl gear off Alaska, but the numbers seem to have spiked this year.

Read the full article at KYUK

United States Leads Conservation Gains in Eastern Pacific Fisheries, Benefiting Sharks and Tuna

September 28, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Sharks and North Pacific albacore tuna—some of the ocean’s top predators—won new protections from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). The actions marked conservation successes for the U.S. delegation, who helped negotiate their passage.

“These were important collaborative successes because we had to help bring countries together to support the measures,” said Ryan Wulff, head of the U.S. delegation to the IATTC and Assistant Regional Administrator at NOAA Fisheries. “These measures reflect a united step  forward for sustainable albacore fisheries and shark conservation.”

The Commission is an organization of 21 countries and alliances that govern fishing across the eastern Pacific Ocean. They collectively set conservation measures for tuna, “tuna-like” species, and other highly migratory species such as sharks. Another regional organization, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, oversees fishing in the western Pacific.

 

 

Commerce Secretary Announces Fishery Disaster Determinations for Yurok Chinook Salmon

September 27, 2023 — The Secretary of Commerce determined that a commercial fishery failure due to a fishery resource disaster occurred in the 2021 and 2022 Yurok Tribe Chinook Salmon Fishery. The determination is in response to requests from Chairman Joseph L. James of the Yurok Tribe.

Secretary of Commerce, Gina M. Raimondo, working with NOAA Fisheries, evaluates each fishery resource disaster request based primarily on data submitted by the requesting official. A fishery disaster determination must meet specific requirements under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. For example, there must be economic impacts and an unexpected large decrease in fish stock biomass or other change that results in significant loss of access to the fishery resource resulting from specific allowable causes due to the fishery resource disaster event.

This positive determination makes these fisheries eligible for disaster assistance from NOAA. Fishery participants may also qualify for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration. The Department of Commerce has fishery disaster assistance funding available and in the near future will determine the appropriate allocation for these disasters.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

NOAA could designate cod habitat around Cox Ledge, wind power sites

September 27, 2023 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is considering whether to outline a “habitat area of particular concern’ in and around offshore wind lease areas off southern New England.

The proposal, originated by the New England Fishery Management Council over concerns of how wind development will affect essential fish habitat, would include Cox Ledge, an important bottom area for cod spawning. NOAA, the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management, fishermen and wind power developers have grappled for years over how to build turbine arrays while protecting cod habitat in the region.

The often-bitter debate was one factor in the Sept. 1 mass resignation of the Rhode Island Fishermen’s Advisory Board, whose members charged the state Coastal Resource Management Council is too deferential to wind development interests at the expense of habitat and fisheries impacts.

NOAA Fisheries on Sept. 26 published the proposal for a formal habitat of particular concern (HAPC) designation around Cox Ledge and wind energy leases in the Federal Register, opening a 30-day public comment period.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Veteran Interns Build Their Skills Supporting NOAA’s Habitat Restoration Efforts

September 27, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

For years, NOAA and partners have worked to provide opportunities for military veterans to build their skills and work experience contributing to habitat and fisheries restoration projects along the West Coast. Through paid internships and training programs, veteran interns have worked with NOAA to:

  • Support the recovery of threatened salmon and steelhead
  • Learn about the science and policy of habitat restoration and salmon recovery
  • Network and collaborate with agency, tribal, and nonprofit partners
  • Build a portfolio of outreach and communications products
  • Advance their GIS skills

NOAA partners with several groups to recruit, hire, and support veteran interns throughout Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska. In 2023, we have several interns supported by one of these groups, Mt. Adams Institute. This Washington-based non-profit is dedicated to providing diverse internship opportunities for veterans. Their VetsWork program is an 11-month career development internship program for military veterans interested in the natural resources management, public lands, and environment sector.

Through this collaboration, NOAA is hosting three veteran interns this year:

  • Jodie Robinson in Portland, Oregon
  • Garret Engelke in Seattle, Washington
  • Jeremy Thatcher in Anchorage, Alaska

Below, Jodie, Garret, and Jeremy share their experiences and perspectives from their internships so far.

Proposed Rule to Designate a Habitat Area of Particular Concern Offshore of Southern New England

September 26, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is requesting comments on the proposed designation of 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 proposed designation would focus 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 proposed HAPC, if adopted, would provide 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 proposed rule as filed in the Federal Register. The comment period is open through October 26, 2023. You may submit comments via our online portal.

NOAA Fisheries to Revise Critical Habitat for Right Whales in Alaska

September 26, 2023 — Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has concluded that a revision of endangered North Pacific right whale critical habitat is warranted. We intend to proceed with a revision, including initiating the rulemaking process. There are only an estimated 30 eastern North Pacific right whales remaining.

Our decision is in response to a petition we received on March 10, 2022, from the Center for Biological Diversity and Save the North Pacific Right Whale. It requested that we revise the critical habitat designation for the species.

Critical habitat for North Pacific right whales was designated in 2008. It consists of two areas, one in the Southeast Bering Sea, the other in the Gulf of Alaska off the coast of Kodiak Island (Figure 1). The areas are approximately 35,460 square miles and 1,175 square miles, respectively.

The petition requests we revise critical habitat to connect the two existing critical habitat areas. This would entail extending the Southeast Bering Sea boundary west and south to the Fox Islands, through Unimak Pass to the edge of the continental slope. It would also extend east to the Gulf of Alaska critical habitat area off the coast of Kodiak Island. We have not yet decided whether to propose the specific revision recommended by the petitioners or some other revision to the critical habitat designation.

What’s Next? The Process to Revise Critical Habitat

On July 12, 2022, we published a positive 90-day finding that the petitioned revision may be warranted. We also initiated a review of currently designated critical habitat and solicited public comments during a 60-day period.

We conducted a review of the petition using the best scientific data available. We also considered information we received during the comment period. Our review indicates that a revision to North Pacific right whale habitat is warranted.

To identify what areas qualify as critical habitat for this species, we will conduct and analysis and synthesis of:

  • Available acoustic mooring data
  • Visual sightings
  • Observations of right whale feeding behavior
  • Spatial and temporal patterns in right whale prey

We will also consider potential economic, national security, and any other relevant impact of designating any particular areas as critical habitat.

Based on the data supporting critical habitat, we will then revise the critical habitat. We will develop a proposed rule that will undergo public comment and a final rule that addresses information and comments received during the comment period.