NOAA Archives - Page 95 of 523

ALASKA: More marine debris cleanup projects coming to Alaska

May 25, 2023 — Plastic, wood, fishing nets and buoys are just some of the waste that washes up on even the most remote parts of Alaska’s coastline. Now, programs aimed at cleaning up that marine debris are getting a funding boost from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – thanks to an influx of grant money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Nearly $14 million in federal funding is earmarked for two separate programs aimed at cleaning up marine debris in the state. The money is distributed through NOAA’s Marine Debris Program and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was passed in 2021.

Peter Murphy is Alaska’s regional debris coordinator with NOAA. He said the new programs go beyond just cleaning up existing debris.

Read the full article at KTOO

New England Fishery Management Council asks NOAA to raise haddock limit for upcoming season

May 24, 2023 — The Gulf of Maine is now on a federal overfishing watchlist after a group of scientists found the haddock population is on the decline.

As a result of the population decline showed in the survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has limited the amount of haddock New England fishermen can catch this season.

Now, the New England Fishery Management Council estimating fishing season will close as early as August.

But fishermen said they are seeing an increase in the highly demanded fish this season, not a decrease, and they are questioning the science behind the survey.

In an effort to protect the fish and the fishermen, the New England Fishery Management Council has asked NOAA to increase the limit.

Read the full article at WMUR

Kevin Stokesbury awarded $1.4 million from NOAA Fisheries

May 23, 2023 — Commonwealth Professor of Fisheries Oceanography Kevin Stokesbury was recently awarded four grants totaling $1,462,427 for sea scallop research through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. Co-principal investigators from the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) include post-doctoral research fellow Adam Delargy and research associate Amber Lisi.

In RSA programs, researchers apply for funding through a competitive federal grant process managed by NOAA Fisheries. No federal funds are provided to support the research; instead, funds are generated from the sale of sea scallops “set-aside” annually for this purpose. Selected researchers partner with the fishing industry to conduct research and to harvest their set-aside award.

Read the full article at UMASS Dartmouth

NOAA’s 2023 State of the Ecosystem: a tool for fishing management

May 22, 2023 — As NOAA celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, created to conserve endangered species and their habitats, the organization releases its 2023 edition of the State of the Ecosystem.

Developed annually for the New England and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, the State of the Ecosystem reports provide the current status of the Northeast Shelf marine ecosystems. These annual, collaboratively produced reports inform the councils about ecological, oceanographic, and socioeconomic aspects of the ecosystem—from fishing engagement to climate conditions.

You may think that these reports do not have much to do with the fishing industry, but in fact they do, and large sections of each document – the 52-page 2023 Mid-Atlantic report and 55-page 2023 New England report – are dedicated to fishing management and how changes in the ecosystem reflect in the industry. In fact, the reports are organized into two sections:

Performance measured against ecosystem-level management objectives
Potential risks to meeting fishery management objectives such as climate change and other ocean uses, such as offshore wind development

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

ALASKA: Alaskan fishing groups and tribes welcome changes to federal fishery guidelines

May 22, 2023 — Fishing groups and tribes in the U.S. state of Alaska are eyeing potential updates to federal fishing guidelines as a chance to change how several hallmark fisheries in the state are regulated.

Last week, NOAA Fisheries issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, welcoming public input on a number of topics, including climate change, equity in the representation of local fishing communities, and trawl bycatch. The agency will be accepting public comments offering suggestions on how to improve national standards to address those issues until 12 September, 2023.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Locals testify against expanding marine monument

May 22, 2023 — THE local opposition to a proposed expansion of a marine national monument in the Pacific Remote Islands was clear Friday, as most public commentators expressed their frustrations and aired their concerns to representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA was on island to collect public comments regarding a proposal to expand the boundaries of marine protections at Howland and Baker Islands, and Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll, as well as encompass the areas under one marine national monument.

Most speakers against the expansion of the national marine monument shared one or more of the following basic arguments: the NOAA process to establish the sanctuary was too unilateral, in that it came from the federal government with not enough input from the Pacific; Pacific peoples were already conserving marine resources prior to NOAA’s establishment; and American Samoa’s fish canning industry will be damaged if the PRI national monument is expanded.

Read the full article at Marianas Variety

Northeast Fisheries, Ecosystems Continue To Depart From Historical Norms

May 19, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The fisheries of the Northeast span from Northern Maine down to the tip of North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras. These centuries-old fisheries harbor stories of trials and tribulations, perfect storms, and generations of tradition. It wouldn’t be out of line to describe these fisheries and the people involved as strong, hardworking, and able to weather any challenge that history has thrown at them. However, the continued effects of climate change pose another threat to these storied fisheries and the ecosystems that support them. NOAA’s 2023 State of the Ecosystem reports show that environmental conditions continue to push historical boundaries, altering the ecosystems, their inhabitants, and their productivity. Results from these reports will be discussed in-depth during a public OneNOAA Seminar on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 12pm ET.

The annual State of the Ecosystem reports are presented as two reports, focusing on the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions. They describe changes in physical, chemical, biological, and socioeconomic indicators that, when compiled, help describe the health of the Northeast ecosystem over time. These measurable characteristics of the environment are selected using NOAA’s Integrated Ecosystem Assessment framework. As part of the assessment process, NOAA scientists and collaborators work closely with stakeholders in their respective communities to identify components of the ecosystem that are important for monitoring the health of the ecosystem as well as the human communities that rely on these systems. Results from the annual State of the Ecosystem reports are presented to the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils to inform management groups about important trends and changes in the ecosystem and move towards the usage of ecosystem-wide science in making management decisions, a holistic approach known as ecosystem-based fishery management.

ALASKA: Representative Peltola applauds NOAA Fisheries’ proposal to revise key National Standards for fisheries management

May 19, 2023 — Thursday, Representative Peltola applauded the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Fisheries division announcement of an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, which would allow revisions to the division’s Guidelines for National Standards, specifically sections (NS) 4 (allocations), 8 (communities), and 9 (bycatch).

Read the full article at KINY

U.S. Department of Commerce allocates $220 million in fishery disaster funding to AK and WA

May 18, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the allocation of over $220 million in fishery disaster funding, appropriated by Congress in the 2022 and 2023 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Acts. The funding will address fishery disasters that occurred in multiple Alaska and Washington fisheries between 2019 and 2023.

“Fishery disasters have devastating effects on local communities and our blue economy,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This disaster funding provides much needed assistance to our fishing industry and we will work with the affected communities to begin the difficult work of helping them recover.”

NOAA Fisheries Announces Projects Recommended for Saltonstall-Kennedy Funding

May 17, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is recommending 40 projects for over $11 million under the 2023 Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) Competitive Grants Program. The list of projects is available online. In the Greater Atlantic there are 14 projects for $3,720,532.00

The goal of the S-K program is to fund projects that address the needs of fishing communities, optimize economic benefits by building and maintaining sustainable fisheries, and increase other opportunities to keep working waterfronts viable.