Saving Seafood

Speeding boats, fishing gear the leading causes of North Atlantic right whale deaths, conservation experts say

March 13, 2023 — A top ocean conservation group in the country is calling on the feds to enforce boat speed limits along the Atlantic coast and issue stronger protections to prevent more deaths of North Atlantic right whales.

The group Oceana released an analysis Thursday that found hundreds of boats had sped through mandatory and voluntary slow zones designed to protect the critically endangered species in the Virginia Beach area in the weeks leading up to a North Atlantic right whale death.

There are just 340 right whales left in the world today, a number that has declined by 25% over the past decade, according to conservation scientists.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration determined blunt force traumatic injuries as the cause of death of the 20-year-old male right whale. The injuries mirrored those of a boat strike, a leading threat to such whales.

Read the full article at the Boston Herald

Unsettled Pacific Ocean Offers Surprises as Climate Change Alters Ecosystem

March 8, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Ecological relationships across the Pacific Coast that once guided annual expectations such as salmon returns are evolving as climate change disrupts long-standing connections. NOAA Fisheries researchers report these findings in their latest Ecosystem Status Report for the California Current Ecosystem.

Robust climate indices like the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and Oceanic Niño Index predicted cold and productive ocean conditions for salmon and other species throughout 2022. However, weakened upwelling and local intrusions of warmer water resulted in poor productivity and warmer-than-normal coastal conditions in the latter half of the year.

For example, the warm waters fueled an outbreak of toxic algae that poisoned California sea lions near Santa Barbara in August. It kept some beaches closed to clamming as far north as Washington. The disconnect between the oceanographic predictions and observed conditions have raised further concerns about the region’s preparedness in the face of climate change.

“We have seen profound changes underway in the last decade that have altered these relationships unlike anything we have seen in the historical record,” said Nate Mantua, landscape and seascape ecology leader at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Santa Cruz.

Changes in Ecological Relationships Due to Climate Change

The new findings come from a research partnership between NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest and Northwest Fisheries Science Centers called an Integrated Ecosystem Assessment. It tracks ecological and other indicators of the California Current Ecosystem off Washington, Oregon, and California. The science centers issue an annual ecosystem status report describing indicators of physical, biological, and socioeconomic indicators. When all these results are considered together, scientists can track connectivity and changes within the entire ecosystem, including humans and coastal communities. They can then use science to inform management in a movement towards Ecosystem Based Fishery Management.

Researchers saw shifts in ecological relationships, such as the weakened connection between the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index in predicting annual upwelling strength. These changes may reflect a “decoupling” of broad-scale processes from more local processes, scientists said. Decoupling occurs when the relationship between two environmental conditions is weakened such that the status of one condition is no longer as reliable as it once was in predicting the condition of the other. Climate change has caused unequal shifts in environmental conditions, causing some relationships to unravel.

One effect of the unsettled ocean is that some models scientists use to estimate fishing impacts may no longer work well in this new ocean environment. For example, the commercial salmon catch in California overshot expectations by about 2.5 times because the fleet caught more salmon per day than first estimated. That left fewer salmon returning to rivers to spawn. And those salmon that returned to their home rivers in summer and fall 2022 were greeted by extremely warm—potentially lethal—stream temperatures.

While the unraveling of familiarly strong connections is not ideal for forecasters, it can produce surprisingly positive outcomes. For example, anchovy continued to boom in the California Current Ecosystem in 2022, decoupling past patterns that linked anchovy numbers to cold ocean conditions rather than warm. These abundant schools of forage fish provided ample food for salmon, California sea lions, whales, birds, and other predators. However, with a rise in anchovy providing ample prey for salmon, we have seen the adverse effects of a uniform diet because anchovies carry an enzyme that breaks down vitamin B1 (thiamine) in anchovy predators and puts their offspring at risk.

Tracking Ecological and Social Indicators

The Integrated Ecosystem Assessment covers ecological and social developments on the West Coast. It recognizes the value of commercial fisheries and marine mammals that also generate economic activity through recreation and tourism. In 2022, fishery landings were close to the long-term average as they increased following the pandemic years. Crab and squid landings especially increased, as commercial fishing revenue rose 10 percent from 2021 to 2022 in an increase following the pandemic. Biological surveys also found very high numbers of sablefish in the 2021 year class, which could be good news for the future of the West Coast groundfish fleet.

The report includes a section examining the overlap between commercial fisheries and likely development areas for offshore wind energy. The team also continued efforts to identify ecological indicators of climate change that could help track impacts on the ecosystem.

“We expected better conditions, but at least the system showed resilience in the face of heatwaves and other negative conditions via periods of decent productivity and an ample food web base in some locations,” said Chris Harvey, research scientist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, who helped develop the new report. “At the end of the day, we were left with a system that still performed on average.”

Study Sharpens Atlantic Cod Stock Delineation

March 7, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Over nearly 5 years, an international group of researchers inventoried, summarized, and analyzed all relevant peer-reviewed information about Atlantic cod stock structure off New England. Their initial results were reported in 2021. The fully documented study is now available.

The researchers determined that cod found off New England occur in five distinct populations. They have further identified these as an offshore Georges Bank population and four inshore populations. They include a mixed stock composed of spring and winter spawners in the southern Gulf of Maine.

Since 2021, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the New England Fishery Management Council have considered both the management and stock assessment of these newly proposed biological cod stocks.

Variety of Experts Needed to Unwind Stock Components

Since 1972, the Atlantic cod in U.S. waters have been managed in two management areas: Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. These areas were drawn around an underlying “grid” of smaller areas with roots in fishing grounds identified by U.S. and Canadian fleets through most of the fishery’s history. The framework was further formalized as fishery management and fishery science advanced and was used to structure groundfish studies and regulations.

However, both fishermen and fish biologists could see and document differences among cod throughout U.S. and Canadian waters, including:

  • Genetic composition
  • Spawning behavior
  • Migration patterns
  • Physical characteristics like shape, size, and color

The challenge was first to collect and aggregate enough reliable information for a large-scale study. Then,we brought together an interdisciplinary group of experts to analyze the information and further define more discrete populations within the larger management areas. The Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Working Group was formed in 2018 to do just that.

The group includes specialists across various fields in fisheries biology, Rich McBride, a co-chair of the working group, found that each discipline offered insight into how a species lives in the vast, open ocean. Species in the open ocean are often divided into discrete or overlapping populations. “The differences evident with each discipline are often a matter of resolution or spatial or temporal scale, but that is important,” he said. “I found the different disciplines offered complementary and not competing perspectives.”

The working group also included commercial fishermen and sought out their perspectives and input throughout this study. McBride noted the importance of this component of the study, saying “the industry was included in every step of the process.” A former commercial fisherman was a working group member. Recreational and commercial captains and their representatives also attended:

  • 2018 and 2019 working group meetings
  • 2020 peer review of findings
  • 2021 outreach meetings
  • 2022–2023 Atlantic Cod Research Track Assessment

Better Stock Structure Understanding Key to Improving Chances for Cod Recovery

The Atlantic cod stocks have declined significantly since the 1990s. Despite efforts to reduce fishery catch and support the species’ ability to thrive, these stocks have not had much success in rebuilding. There are many pieces to the puzzle of understanding and improving the condition of cod stocks. Experts hope that improved recognition of population structure may help.

These findings are currently being taken into account in the U.S. Atlantic cod research track stock assessment, scheduled for July 31 to August 3, 2023.

“The assessment is currently moving from the old two-stock structure to a new stock structure that will better match our new understanding of the biological stocks,” said Charles Perretti, a NOAA Fisheries stock assessment scientist and one of the leads for this assessment. “This work is ongoing and is scheduled for peer review this year. After that, fishery managers will decide how to incorporate the new stock structure into management.”

The work is ongoing, but with persistence, stock assessment scientists and fishery managers hope this work will help:

  • Prevent further loss of Atlantic cod spawning components
  • Better guide adjustments of allowable catch to balance fishing mortality across populations
  • Facilitate recovery of currently declined stocks
  • Strengthen the resiliency of the populations that exist within fishing areas.

McBride continues to look ahead for additional ways to apply these studies, remarking, “New methods and funding are needed to sort out the data for two separate stocks in the mixed area, as well as to improve the data quantity in the data poor areas, but these issues have been clearly identified for the future.”

NOAA data shows 2022 Gulf of Mexico shrimp catch at highest level since 2014

March 7, 2023 — Preliminary shrimp landings data from the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic for November 2022 have been released by NOAA, showing Louisiana made a comeback for the year while Texas numbers dropped.

Data shows more than 9 million pounds of shrimp landed in the Gulf and South Atlantic in November 2022. NOAA’s reporting indicated landings in Louisiana jumped significantly in November 2022, compared to 2021, with the state catching 4.22 million pounds in the month – a significant jump from the 2.375 million pounds caught in the same month in 2021.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAINE: Maine Fishermen’s Forum returns amid offshore wind debate

March 3, 2o23 — The 48th Maine Fishermen’s Forum kicked off as a celebration of the industry and informed discussion on developing challenges.

“The greatest things that the Maine Fisherman’s Forum does it negates or lessens a lot of the animosity between the groups involved in the fishery,” said Stephen Train, lobsterman.

“We have a trade show, we have a dance, we have an auction, we give out scholarships to children and fishermen. And we have some really nice meals and the seafood reception is amazing,” said Train.

The highlight of the day was a series of seminars on how offshore wind development may impact local fisheries. Leaders at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shared data-driven presentations but noted several gaps remain in the process.

Read the full article at WABI

Proposed Management Measures for the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery for 2023 Fishing Year

March 3, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

  • • Set management measures for the scallop fishery for the 2023 fishing year (April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024), including the annual catch limits for the limited access and limited access general category fleets, as well as days-at-sea allocations and sea scallop access area trip allocations.
  • Implement specifications that would result in projected landings of 34 million lb, a 6 million-lb reduction from the fishing year 2021 projected landings. This is due primarily to a decrease in harvestable biomass and a lack of significant scallop recruitment in recent years.
  • Incorporate the new specifications-setting methodology and other changes developed in Amendment 21 into the fishing year 2023 specifications.
  • Maintain the existing seasonal closure in Closed Area II to reduce bycatch of Georges Bank yellowtail flounder and northern windowpane flounder.
  • Close an area on the New York Bight to fishing to protect small scallops and promote scallop recruitment in the mid-Atlantic

Congressman Jared Golden to NOAA: Share Findings on Recent Whale Strandings

March 2, 2023 — Maine Congressman Jared Golden is calling on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to release more information on the recent increase in whale strandings that have been happening along the Atlantic Coast.

“As you are aware, in the past two months alone, the Marine Mammal Stranding Network has reported at least 18 cases of whales found washed ashore along the Atlantic Coast,” Golden wrote in a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and National Marine Fisheries Service Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Janet Coit. “Alarmingly, humpback whales and North Atlantic right whales – both species currently experiencing Unusual Mortality Events – are the two species that account for the majority of these strandings. At least seven dead humpback whales have already been reported in 2023, including four in New Jersey. This is in addition to a North Atlantic right whale that was found stranded along Virginia Beach earlier this month.”

Read the full article at Seafoodnews.com

NEW JERSEY: Save LBI Takes Fight for North Atlantic Right Whale to the President

March 2, 2023 — Saying it generally supports offshore wind as an energy source, a local grassroots organization opposed to the placement of turbines in the Atlantic so close to New Jersey’s coast told President Joe Biden it is staunchly against “the ill-informed and insular decision-making process” while raising concern for the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

“The risks and consequences to the right whale from the wind projects currently planned are major and imminent,” Bob Stern, president of Save LBI, wrote on behalf of the more than 4,500-member group in the Feb. 15 letter to Biden.

On the endangered list since 1970, there are currently an estimated 350 North Atlantic right whales remaining with fewer than 70 breeding females, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. The marine mammal “is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species,” NOAA Fisheries said.

Since the beginning of the year, NOAA Fisheries has reported the death of two North Atlantic right whales, one in Virginia and the other in North Carolina. There have been four documented entanglement cases, including two in North Carolina and one each in Massachusetts and Georgia. A repeat sighting of an entangled North Atlantic right whale off Cape May was also documented this year, according to NOAA.

“North Atlantic right whales are dying faster than they can reproduce, largely due to human causes,” according to NOAA Fisheries’ information on the 2023 calving season for the endangered species.

Read the full article at The Sand Paper

New Study Finds Ocean Acidification and Warming Hinder Juvenile Atlantic Sea Scallop Growth

March 2, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

A new study published in PLOS Climate indicates that ocean acidification conditions projected between now and 2100 depress the growth of juvenile Atlantic sea scallops. Ocean acidification is caused by the ocean absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, resulting in chemical changes that increase acidity. Ocean warming may further hinder growth. Atlantic sea scallops support one of the most valuable fisheries in the United States, worth $670 million in 2021.

Postdoctoral researcher and lead author Emilien Pousse said, “This work describes the energetic balance of sea scallops under ocean acidification conditions for the first time, a species of economic and socio-cultural importance. Within our changing world, getting to know how our marine resources and fisheries could be affected by ocean warming and acidification in the near future is the key to anticipate the upcoming changes.”

The 8-week study was a collaboration between NOAA Fisheries and Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. Faculty and students helped NOAA scientists conduct the study at the campus’ aquaculture lab. Scientists exposed the scallops to three different carbon dioxide levels and measured their growth and metabolism, including feeding, respiration, and excretion rates. Ocean acidification conditions significantly reduced the scallops’ ability to take up energy.

Why 23 Dead Whales Have Washed Up on the East Coast Since December

February 28, 2023 — First a North Atlantic right whale, a critically endangered species, washed ashore in Virginia. Then a humpback floated onto a beach in New Jersey. Not long afterward, a minke whale, swept in on the morning tide, landed on the Rockaway Peninsula in New York City.

And that was in just a single week this month.

In all, 23 dead whales have washed ashore along the East Coast since early December, including 12 in New Jersey and New York, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The pace of the deaths is worrisome to federal scientists, even if the total numbers are below some prior years.

Late Monday, the Coast Guard spotted another whale floating south of the Ambrose shipping channel, between New York and New Jersey; two teams from New York located the animal and determined that it was a humpback, but it was not clear where it might wash ashore.

Most of the fatalities have been humpbacks, and post-mortem examinations have suggested that ship strikes are likely the cause of many of the deaths.

Read the full article at the New York Times