Saving Seafood

Two New Vessel Slow Zones Off Nantucket and New York City to Protect Right Whales

January 19, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

There are now 6 Slow Zones in effect.

NOAA Fisheries announces two new Slow Zones (voluntary vessel speed restriction zone) to protect right whales.

On January 15, 2021, observers with the NOAA aerial survey team detected an aggregation of right whales 15nm southeast of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.

Also on January 15, 2021, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Atlantic City buoy and New York Bight buoy acoustically detected the presence of right whales 34nm SE of New York, New York.

Both the southeast of New York City Slow Zone and the southeast of Nantucket Island MA Slow Zones are in effect through January 30, 2021.

Mariners, please go around these areas or go slow (10 knots or less) inside these areas where right whales have been detected.

Slow Zone Coordinates:

Southeast of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, January 15-30, 2021

41 25 N
40 44 N
069 28 W
070 21 W

and

Southeast of New York City, New York,  January 15-30, 2021

40 41 N
40 01 N
073 03 W
073 55 W

See the coordinates for all the slow zones currently in effect.

Read the full release here

New Vessel Slow Zone East of Atlantic City to Protect Right Whales

January 15, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces a new Slow Zone (voluntary vessel speed restriction zone) East of Atlantic City, New Jersey.

On January 14, 2021,  observers aboard Fugro Enterprise detected the presence of right whales 23 nm East of Atlantic City, New Jersey. The East of Atlantic City Slow Zone is in effect through January 29, 2021.

Mariners, please go around this area or go slow (10 knots or less) inside this area where right whales have been detected. Slow Zone coordinates:

39 47 N
39 07 N
073 31 W
074 22 W

See the coordinates for all the slow zones currently in effect.

Read the full release here

NMFS begins online public sessions for right whale gear rules

January 13, 2021 – New gear regulations proposed for the Northeast lobster fishery will be presented in online public sessions beginning Tuesday evening, as the National Marine Fisheries Service pitches its newest effort to meet endangered species requirements for the northern right whale.

The new package of changes to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan, is NMFS’ bid to satisfy a federal court ruling that the agency must do more by May 31, 2021 to protect the East Coast right whale population, now estimated to number fewer than 400 animals and less than 100 breeding females.

The new steps aim to reduce the number of vertical lines in the lobster and Jonah crab fisheries by requiring fishermen to fit more of their traps between buoy lines.

Fishermen will need to add new weak insertions or weak rope into buoy lines, so that whales have a better chance to break free in the event of an entanglement.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

New Vessel Slow Zone East of Virginia Beach to Protect Right Whales

January 13, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces a new Slow Zone (voluntary vessel speed restriction zone) East of Virginia Beach, Virginia.

On January 13, 2021, HDR aerial survey team detected the presence of right whales 24 nm East of Virginia Beach. The East of Virginia Beach Slow Zone is in effect through January 28, 2021.

Mariners, please go around this area or go slow (10 knots or less) inside this area where right whales have been detected. Slow Zone coordinates:

37 09 N
36 29 N
075 02 W
075 52 W

See the coordinates for all the slow zones currently in effect.

Read the full release here

Massachusetts postponing lobster closures to protect right whales

January 12, 2021 — We here at FishOn have been absent from these pages for the past couple Mondays. Slight case of mistaken identity. Fear not, we’ve escaped. Here’s hoping you didn’t pay the ransom.

First column of the new year, so we’re still finding our footing, staying within ourselves and letting the game come to us. It’s early and it’s a long year.

There, that pretty much encapsulates the product of virtually every Opening Day interview we ever did.

One thing we know we’ll be writing about in 2021 is the plight of the North Atlantic right whales, so let’s start with them.

The end of 2020 brought a flurry of proposed protective actions from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and NOAA Fisheries that will be batted around until final rules can be enacted.

In the Bay State, DMF, among other recommendations, has proposed closing all state waters to lobstering from February to May to coincide with the right whales’ annual migration and feeding along the Massachusetts coast.

It is set to present those recommendations to the Massachusetts Fisheries Advisory Commission on Jan. 28. That meeting initially was set for Jan. 7, but DMF was swamped with public comment to review, as seemingly every conservation group in the world except the Cross Street Irregulars weighed in.

Last Friday, DMF said the altered timeline means it won’t be able to “promulgate final regulations for Feb. 1, 2021.”

It now expects the new rules — including the closure — to go into effect between mid-February and early March.

“As a result only those waters within the Massachusetts restricted area will be closed to trap gear fishing on Feb. 1,” DMF said. “All other waters within the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth will not be subject to a trap gear closure until a final rule is promulgated.”

Promulgate. Good word.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Public Information Sessions for Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Proposed Rule Begin Tonight

January 12, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are proposing to amend the regulations implementing the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan to reduce the incidental mortality and serious injury to North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in northeast commercial lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot fisheries to meet the goals of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.

To give the public an opportunity to learn about the proposed rule and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, we are holding 4 public information sessions. Everyone is welcome to attend and ask questions about the proposed rule.

See our summary fact sheet for more information on the proposed rule.

Please note, there will be an opportunity to provide comments at our public hearings in February. You may also provide comments online through the Regulations.gov comment portal. The comment due date is March 1, 2021.

Public Information Sessions

To sign up to attend, choose the link for the public information session you want to attend.

The information sessions run from 6:30-9 pm and are designed to orient participants to the documents and the review process, and to answer questions about what the proposed rule and DEIS contain. Public comments will only be accepted if time permits.

We will be opening the sessions at 6 pm for troubleshooting, so please log on early.

The sessions are focused on the proposed requirements for particular areas, though you may attend any session, and ask questions about any area.

If you are unable to attend, you may access a pre-recorded version of the slides to learn more about the rule.

Read the full release here

New Vessel Slow Zone Southeast of Atlantic City and Extended Slow Zone South of Martha’s Vineyard

January 12, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces a new Slow Zone (voluntary vessel speed restriction zone) southeast of Atlantic City, New Jersey.  On January 9, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Atlantic City Buoy acoustically detected the presence of right whales 20nm southeast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. This new Slow Zone is in effect until January 24, 2021.

Also, on January 8, a New England Aquarium aerial survey team detected the presence of right whales south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. This slow zone is extended through January 23.

Mariners, please go around these areas or go slow (10 knots or less) inside this area where right whales have been detected.

The South of Martha’s Vineyard Slow Zone is in effect through January 23 for waters bounded by:

41 25 N
40 44 N
069 59 W
070 55 W

The Southeast of Atlantic City Slow Zone is in effect through January 24 for waters bounded by:
39 25 N
38 44 N
073 44 W
074 36 W

See the coordinates for all the slow zones currently in effect.

Read the full release here

NOAA proposes new round of whale protections

January 6, 2021 — A proposed rule released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Dec. 30 aims to lower North Atlantic right whale entanglements in commercial fishing lines. Its release follows two years of research, public meetings and comment.

Federal regulators found the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) proposal submitted last January to be lacking — by 8 percent.

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service seeks a 60 percent risk reduction to whales while the Maine DMR plan would only achieve a 52 percent reduction, NOAA informed Maine DMR in January 2020. Both proposals increase the number of traps per trawl line to reduce the number of vertical lines in the ocean, allow for gear marking to identify which state a whale fatality occurred in, require weak links in lines that would allow an entangled whale to break free and provide for seasonal closures in one lobster management area (LMA).

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

NOAA proposes new regulations to protect North Atlantic right whales

January 5, 2021 — NOAA has proposed new modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan that are intended to address entanglements in fishing gear, one of the leading causes of death in the highly endangered animal.

The regulations are targeting pot and trap fisheries – specifically the Northeast Jonah crab and lobster fisheries – which according to NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Chris Oliver “deploy about 93 percent of the buoy lines fished in areas where right whales occur.” The plan would require gear modifications to reduce the number of vertical lines by requiring more traps on each line, in addition to the insertion of weaker parts of the rope; modify existing seasonal restrictions; add “up to two” new seasonal buoy line closures; and modify gear markings to include state-specific marking colors, along with increasing the number and area of marked lines.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

New slow zone to protect right whales off Martha’s Vineyard

January 5, 2021 — The federal government has announced a new slow speed zone designed to protect right whales off New England until the middle of January.

The zone is located south of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts and it will be in effect until Jan. 15. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said acoustic gear detected the whales on Dec. 31.

Mariners are asked to go 10 knots or less in the area or avoid it completely. The whales are vulnerable to ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. They number only about 360 in the world.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times