Saving Seafood

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Four From Grounded Fishing Vessel

December 10, 2019 — On Monday morning, a U.S. Coast Guard aircrew hoisted four fishermen from a grounded commercial fishing boat in Browns Inlet, North Carolina.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received a radio distress call at about 0815 hours Monday from a crewmember aboard the fishing vessel Sea Angels. The crewmember reported that they had run aground due to mechanical issues and that the four people on board needed assistance.

A boat crew aboard a response boat from Station Emerald Isle and an aircrew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City launched to assist. Once on scene, the aircrew hoisted the four crew members and transported them to Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle.

Read the full story at The Maritime Executive

Some of Earth’s oldest creatures thrive in the dark off coasts of Carolinas, Virginia

December 9, 2019 — Some of the oldest living things on the planet are centuries-old corals growing in perpetual darkness along Mid Atlantic states like Virginia and the Carolinas, according to NOAA’s Office of Exploration and Research.

Photos of the most bizarre of the corals were shared this week on Facebook, revealing them to be bony looking, brightly colored and filled with legions of cowering shrimp.

“Some individual corals live for several hundred years and reefs can be several thousands of years old,” NOAA officials wrote.

A video shows the coral’s growth is dense enough in some spots to form “a wall of coral” that fish can’t penetrate.

“Look at the size of that. I am in awe now,” one NOAA researcher says in the video. “These organisms have been growing down here in the deep sea for longer than our country probably has been a country… It is astounding.”

Read the full story at The State

Tracking the mysterious underwater migration of female lobsters

December 9, 2019 — A marine biology researcher from the University of North Carolina is trying to figure out how far a female lobster will go to lay eggs.

Heather Koopman, senior scientist at the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station, has enlisted the help of Grand Manan fishermen to tag any female lobsters they catch and to report when they recapture one that’s been tagged.

“Some … have gone nine or 10 nautical miles in the space of a little over a week,” said Koopman.

“That’s kind of a distance for an animal … that size.”

It’s hoped the research will shed light on the range of the species and the health of the resource.

“I think our members are actually excited to see what’s happening with them,” said Bonnie Morse, Grand Manan Fishermen’s Association project manager.

More than 200 lobsters had been tagged for the project by Tuesday. Koopman said the project hopes to reach the 1,000 mark in the next few weeks.

Read the full story at CBC News

Federal Fishery Managers Approve Measures for Red Snapper, Mackerel, Blueline Tilefish

December 6, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council met this week in Wilmington, North Carolina and approved management measures, that if approved by the Secretary of Commerce, will provide flexibility for red snapper seasons, increase trip limits for the commercial king mackerel fishery, and allow additional harvest of blueline tilefish.

Each year, NOAA Fisheries determines if a season for red snapper can occur in federal waters in the South Atlantic. Under current regulations, if the number of days is less than three, the fishery will not open. This applies to both recreational and commercial sectors. The Council approved Regulatory Amendment 33 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan for formal review by the Secretary of Commerce that would eliminate that requirement, providing more flexibility should a shortened season be allowed. After much discussion, the Council decided not to move forward with an action to change the opening date of the commercial red snapper season within the regulatory amendment.

While Council members are well-aware that fishermen are anxious to have additional days added to the red snapper season as the stock continues to rebuild, the Council must abide by annual catch limits until a stock assessment is completed. The Council has approved measures that will help shorten the time required for a new red snapper stock assessment through the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) stock assessment program. The new assessment is scheduled to begin in 2021.

Mackerel

The Council also approved measures to increase the commercial king mackerel trip limit in the Atlantic Southern Zone, south of the Flagler/Volusia County line in Florida during season two. Framework Amendment 8 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Fishery Management Plan would set the trip limit at 100 fish throughout season two, with no step-up during the month of February. Earlier this year, the Council requested NOAA Fisheries increase the trip limit from 50-fish to 75-fish after hearing concerns from fishermen that they were not able to harvest the full commercial annual catch limit due to the more restrictive trip limits. The 75-fish increase was approved by NOAA Fisheries through emergency rule for the 2019/2020 season beginning October 1st. The Council’s intent is to have the new regulations in place for the 2020/2021 season.

Measures for the Spanish mackerel commercial fishery were also discussed. The Council is considering reducing the current trip limit of 3,500 pounds in the Northern Zone (NC/SC line through NY) to help extend the season, with alternatives ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 pounds and a preferred trip limit of 2,000 pounds. Public hearings will be held via webinar in late January or early February.

Blueline Tilefish

The most recent stock assessment for blueline tilefish was conducted in 2017 as a joint assessment between the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The deep water fishery primarily occurs in the South Atlantic, but landings have increased north of North Carolina. Following the stock assessment, the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee provided recommendations for catch level increases. The Council considered options for implementing the increases and moved forward with final approval of Abbreviated Framework Amendment 3 during its meeting this week. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the amendment will increase the annual catch limit for blueline tilefish from 174,798 pounds (whole weight) to 233,968 pounds (whole weight).

Additional information about the December Council meeting, including an interactive story map, committee reports, and summary motions is available from the Council’s website at: https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/. The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for March 2-6, 2020 in Jekyll Island, GA.

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Croaker and Spot Draft Addenda

November 27, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board (Board) releases two documents for public comment: Draft Addendum III to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Croaker and Draft Addendum III to the Omnibus Amendment to the Interstate FMPs for Spanish Mackerel, Spot, and Spotted Seatrout. The states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on the Draft Addenda. The details of those hearings follow.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources
December 3, 2019 at 6 PM
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Tawes State Office Building
C1 (Lobby) Conference Room
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Contact: Lynn Fegley at 410.260.8285
 
December 16, 2019 at 6 PM*
Wor-Wic Community College
32000 Campus Drive
Hazel Center Room 302
Salisbury, MD 21804
Contacts: Lynn Fegley at 410.260.8285 and
John Clark at 302.739.9914
* Held jointly with the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
 
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
January 7, 2020 at 6:30 PM
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
380 Fenwick Road
Ft. Monroe, VA 23651
Contact: Adam Kenyon and Somers Smott at
757.247.2200

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

December 5, 2019 at 6 PM
N.C. Department of Environmental Quality
Southern Regional Office
127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington, NC 28405
Contact: Chris Batsavage 252.808.8009
 
The Board initiated the development of the Draft Addenda for Atlantic croaker and spot to incorporate updates on the annual traffic light approach (TLA) and propose changes to the management program. In the absence of an approved stock assessment, which is the case for both species, the TLA is conducted each year to evaluate fishery trends and develop management actions (e.g. bag limits, size restrictions, time and area closures, and gear restrictions) when harvest and abundance thresholds are exceeded. The TLA assigns a color (red, yellow, or green) to categorize relative levels of indicators on the condition of the fish population or fishery. For example, as harvest or abundance increases relative to its long-term average, the proportion of green in a given year will increase and as harvest or abundance decreases, the amount of red in that year will increase. The Board annually evaluates the proportion of red against threshold levels to determine if management action is required. In recent years, fisheries for both Atlantic croaker and spot have experienced declines in harvest, but not declines in abundance as indicated by fishery-independent surveys used in the TLA. Therefore, management action has not been triggered. The lack of triggering management action with these harvest declines has raised concerns, leading to re-evaluation of TLA methods and the proposal of changes to management.
 
Both Draft Addenda present updates to resolve issues with the TLA analyses in order to better reflect stock characteristics, based on recommendations from the Atlantic Croaker Technical Committee and Spot Plan Review Team. Each Draft Addendum also presents options for four issues that address the TLA management triggering mechanism, triggered management responses for the recreational and commercial fisheries, and evaluation of the population’s response to triggered management actions.
 
The Draft Addenda are available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AtlCroakerDraftAddIII_PublicComment_Oct2019.pdf andhttp://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/SpotDraftAddIII_PublicComment_Oct2019.pdf or via the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. Fishermen and other stakeholders are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addenda either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment.Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on January 10, 2020 and should be sent to Dr. Michael Schmidtke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Croaker and Spot Draft Addenda III). 
 
The Board will meet at the Commission’s Winter Meeting in February to review public comment and consider final approval of the Addenda.

Reminder – SAFMC Meeting December 2-6, 2019 in Wilmington, NC

November 25, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Join members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council for their December 2-6, 2019 meeting at the Hotel Ballast, 301 N. Water Street, Wilmington, NC 28401. The meeting week includes a series of committee meetings and concludes with a meeting of the Full Council.

The meeting briefing book materials, including agendas, overviews, and discussion documents, are available from the Council’s website. Members of the public are welcome to attend the meetings in person or listen in via webinar. The public comment period is open and webinar links are provided below.

Agenda Highlights:

  • Red Snapper – The Council is considering actions to eliminate the current three-day minimum number of fishing days required for the red snapper seasons (recreational or commercial) to open, and to change the start date of the commercial fishing season to May 1st from the current 2nd Monday in July. The Council is scheduled to approve the measures in Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 33 at this meeting.
  • Mackerel Cobia – The Council is scheduled to approve measures affecting king mackerel commercial trip limits in season two (Framework Amendment 8). The Mackerel Cobia Committee will also discuss accountability measures for the Spanish mackerel fishery.
  • Citizen Science – The Council’s Citizen Science Committee will receive updates on the pilot projects SAFMC Scamp Release and FISHstory, review research priorities, discuss program evaluation, and more.
  • Dolphin Wahoo – The Dolphin Wahoo Committee will continue to discuss management options for both dolphin and wahoo to include in draft Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan.

Additional Information:

  • Wednesday, December 4 – Formal Public Comment 4:00 PM
  • Online Public Comment
    • Members of the public may provide written comments on agenda items via the Council’s Online Comment Form. Comments may also be viewed online as they are posted. Additional details are available from the December Council Meeting page.
  • Meeting via Webinar – Listen to the meeting and view presentations via webinar each day as the meeting occurs. Registration required. Click the links below to register ahead for each day and receive an email reminder.

NORTH CAROLINA: Calls for reform and a coming resignation as fight rages over coastal fisheries

November 25, 2019 — A wildlife conservation group called this week for an overhaul in the way North Carolina manages its coastal fisheries, and a member of the policy-setting commission in charge is contemplating resignation.

The North Carolina Wildlife Federation voted Saturday to recommend a massive management consolidation over one of the state’s most contentious issues. Under their plan, the Marine Fisheries Commission, a board appointed by the governor, and the Division of Marine Fisheries, which enforces rules day to day along the North Carolina coast, would be folded into the state Wildlife Resources Commission.

Wildlife Resources is a stand-alone entity whose board is appointed by the governor and leadership in the General Assembly, and it already manages freshwater fishing in North Carolina’s lakes and rivers. The commission is jousting now with the Division of Marine Fisheries over just where each entity’s boundaries are when freshwater meets saltwater along North Carolina’s coast.

Read the full story at WRAL

SAFMC Meeting December 2-6, 2019 in Wilmington, NC

November 18, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Briefing book materials are now available for the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s December 2-6, 2019 meeting at the Hotel Ballast, 301 N. Water Street, Wilmington, NC 28401. The meeting week includes a series of committee meetings and concludes with a meeting of the Full Council. The briefing book materials, including agendas, overviews, and discussion documents, are now available from the Council’s website.

Agenda Highlights:

  • Red Snapper – The Council is considering actions to eliminate the current three-day minimum number of fishing days required for the red snapper seasons (recreational or commercial) to open, and to change the start date of the commercial fishing season to May 1st from the current 2nd Monday in July. The Council is scheduled to approve the measures in Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 33 at this meeting.
  • Mackerel Cobia – The Council is scheduled to approve measures affecting king mackerel commercial trip limits in season two (Framework Amendment 8). The Mackerel Cobia Committee will also discuss accountability measures for the Spanish mackerel fishery.
  • Citizen Science – The Council’s Citizen Science Committee will receive updates on the pilot projects SAFMC Scamp Release and FISHstory, review research priorities, discuss program evaluation, and more.
  • Dolphin Wahoo – The Dolphin Wahoo Committee will continue to discuss management options for both dolphin and wahoo to include in draft Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan.

Additional Information:

  • Wednesday, December 4 – Formal Public Comment 4:00 PM
  • Online Public Comment
  • Members of the public may provide written comments on agenda items via the Council’s Online Comment Form. Comments may also be viewed online as they are posted. Additional details are available from the December Council Meeting page.
  • Meeting via Webinar – Listen to the meeting and view presentations via webinar each day as the meeting occurs. Registration required. Click the links below to register ahead for each day and receive an email reminder.

Mark Your Calendar – SAFMC Meeting December 2-6, 2019

November 7, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold its next meeting December 2-6, 2019 at the Hotel Ballast (Hilton Riverside), 301 North Water Street, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28401. The meeting week begins on Monday at 1:30 p.m. with a series of committee meetings and concludes with a meeting of the Full Council on Friday.

A formal public comment session will be held on Wednesday, December 4th beginning at 4:00 PM. An online comment form will be available for written comments, and the meeting will be available via webinar as it occurs.

Agenda Highlights:

  • Red Snapper – The Council is considering actions to eliminate the current three-day minimum number of fishing days required for the red snapper seasons (recreational or commercial) to open, and to change the start date of the commercial fishing season to May 1st from the current 2nd Monday in July. The Council is scheduled to approve the measures in Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 33 at this meeting.
  • Mackerel Cobia – The Council is scheduled to approve measures affecting king mackerel commercial trip limits in season two (Framework Amendment 8). The Mackerel Cobia Committee will also discuss accountability measures for the Spanish mackerel fishery.
  • Citizen Science – The Council’s Citizen Science Committee will receive updates on the pilot projects SAFMC Scamp Release and FISHstory, review research priorities, discuss program evaluation, and more.
  • Dolphin Wahoo – The Dolphin Wahoo Committee will continue to discuss management actions and alternatives for both dolphin and wahoo in draft Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan.

Additional Information:

Additional meeting information will be available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/ as it becomes available. Briefing book materials, including the meeting agenda, committee agendas/overviews, and the public comment form will be available on November 15, 2019.

Weakfish Assessment Update Indicates Stock is Depleted

November 4, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The 2019 Weakfish Assessment Update indicates weakfish continues to be depleted and has been since 2003. Under the reference points, the stock is considered depleted when the stock is below a spawning stock biomass (SSB) threshold of 30% (13.6 million pounds). In 2017, SSB was 4.24 million pounds.  While the assessment indicates some positive signs in the weakfish stock in the most recent years, with a slight increase in SSB and total abundance, the stock is still well below the SSB threshold. Given the weakfish management program is already highly restrictive with a one fish recreational creel limit, a 100-pound commercial trip limit, and a 100-pound commercial bycatch limit, the Board took no management action at this time.

The assessment indicates natural mortality (e.g., the rate at which fish die because of natural causes such as predation, disease, and starvation) has been increasing since the early 2000s. Fishing mortality was also high during the mid-to-late 2000s. Therefore, even though harvest has been at low levels in recent years, the weakfish population has been experiencing very high levels of total mortality (which includes fishing mortality and natural mortality), preventing the stock from recovering.

To better address the issues impacting the weakfish resource, the Technical Committee recommends the use of total mortality (Z) benchmarks to prevent an increase in fishing pressure when natural mortality is high. The assessment proposes a total mortality target of 1.03 and a threshold of 1.43. Total mortality in 2017 was 1.45, which is above both the threshold and target, indicating that total mortality is too high. Fishing mortality has increased in recent years but was below the threshold in 2017.

Weakfish commercial landings have dramatically declined since the early 1980s, dropping from over 19 million pounds landed in 1982 to roughly 180,560 pounds landed in 2017. The majority of landings occur in North Carolina and Virginia and, since the early 1990s, the primary gear used has been gillnets. Discarding of weakfish by commercial fishermen is known to occur, especially in the northern trawl fishery, and the discard mortality is assumed to be 100%. Discards peaked in the 1990s but have since declined as the result of management measures and a decline in stock abundance.

Like the commercial fishery, recreational landings and live releases have declined over time. It is assumed that 10% of weakfish released alive die so that total recreational removals are equal to the number of weakfish landed plus 10% of the weakfish released alive. The assessment update used the new time-series of calibrated estimates of landings and live releases from the Marine Recreational Information Program. These estimates were higher than the values used in the 2016 benchmark assessment but showed the same overall trend. Total recreational removals peaked in 1987 at 20.4 million pounds and have declined since then to slightly less than 500,000 pounds in 2017. The proportion of fish released alive has increased over time; over the past 10 years, 88% of weakfish were released alive. Most of the recreational catch occurs in the Mid-Atlantic between North Carolina and New Jersey.

The Assessment Update and a stock assessment overview will be available on the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org, on the Weakfish page under Stock Assessment Reports. For more information on the stock assessment, please contact Katie Drew, Stock Assessment Team Leader, at kdrew@asmfc.org; and for more information on weakfish management, please contact Dr. Mike Schmidtke, FMP Coordinator, at mschmidtke@asmfc.org.