Saving Seafood

December South Atlantic Council Meeting Summary

December 10, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council held their December meeting in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Below are highlights from the Council’s week-long meeting. Additional information from the meeting is available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/ including a Meeting Report, Story Map, final committee reports, public comments, and briefing book materials.

Approved for Secretarial Review

Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 26

After considering public comment and much discussion, the Council approved Regulatory Amendment 26 for review by the Secretary of Commerce. However, the Council chose not to take action on measures within the amendment that would have established a deepwater species aggregate (snowy grouper, misty grouper, yellowedge grouper, blueline tilefish, golden tilefish, and wreckfish) and specified seasons and bag limits for the species within the aggregate. Council members noted that establishing two seasons, one proposed for January and February and the other May through August and modifying bag limits could unfairly impact fishermen in the region. The Council discussed seasonal differences in the fishery for deepwater species in Florida and North Carolina, especially for recreational fishermen targeting blueline tilefish and golden tilefish, and chose not to take action. As a result of the discussion, the Council decided to explore options for allocations of the species in the proposed deepwater species aggregate during its June 2019 meeting.

The following actions were approved as part of Regulatory Amendment 26:

  • Change the recreational minimum size limit of gray triggerfish from 14 inches to 12 inches (fork length) in federal waters off the east coast of Florida to maintain consistency with state regulations currently in place;
    Modify the current 20-fish aggregate bag limit in place (for species without individual bag limits) to specify that no more than 10 fish can be of any one species within the 20-fish aggregate; and
  • Remove recreational minimum size limits for queen snapper, silk snapper, and blackfin snapper, currently set at 12 inches total length.
  • The regulatory amendment was developed as part of the Council’s 2017-2020 Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery. NOAA Fisheries will solicit additional public input on the amendment during the Secretarial review process. Regulatory actions in the amendment will be implemented following the review process in 2019, if approved by the Secretary of Commerce.

Other Items:

Yellowtail Snapper – Regulatory Amendment 32

Council members voted to postpone consideration of Regulatory Amendment 32 that would revise accountability measures for yellowtail snapper with the intent to alleviate socio-economic impacts of in-season closures in the fishery. After considering recommendations from the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel and public comment, the Council will delay further development of measures until a benchmark stock assessment for yellowtail snapper is completed in 2020.

Red Grouper – Regulatory Amendment 30
The Council delayed final action on Regulatory Amendment 30 addressing red grouper stock rebuilding, modifications to spawning season closures off the Carolinas, and establishment of a commercial trip limit for red grouper. Council members cited concerns about the need to consider new recreational fishing effort estimates from the Marine Recreational Information Program and the need to have input from its Scientific and Statistical Committee. The amendment will be considered again during the Council’s March 2019 meeting.

Citizen Science Program
The Council reviewed and adopted the Program’s Standard Operating Policies and Procedures that will guide the operation of the Program moving forward. The Program has two citizen science projects in development that fishermen will be able to get involved with in 2019. The first project will focus on collecting data on the lengths of scamp discards using a mobile application called, Release. The app will be available on both Android and iOs platforms and will be available in the Google Play Store and App Store in January 2019. The second project called FISHstory will use crowdsourcing to analyze historic photos from a Florida headboat fleet in the 1940s-70s to document species and length composition. For more information on the projects and getting involved, contact Program Manager Amber Von Harten.

Dolphin Wahoo
The Dolphin Wahoo Committee discussed a request from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to consider managing frigate mackerel and bullet mackerel as ecosystem components in the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan (FMP), acknowledging their role as prey species for both dolphin and wahoo. Discussions will continue during the March 2019 meeting. The Committee also identified potential additional items to include in Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP, including: allowing bag-limit sales of dolphin by dually permitted for-hire and commercial permit holders; revising annual catch limits and sector allocations for dolphin and wahoo to accommodate new MRIP data; consider modifying recreational vessel limits for dolphin; and modifying gear, bait, and training requirements in the commercial longline fishery to align with HMS requirements. Development of the amendment will continue throughout 2019 with opportunities for public comment.

Habitat and Ecosystem-Based Management
The Committee received an update on collaborative efforts with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and New England Fishery Management Council to address the movement of species northward with changing oceanographic and environmental conditions. The Committee will continue to review landings data and discuss priorities and timing for addressing species movements at its March 2019 meeting with representatives of the Mid-Atlantic and New England Councils. The Committee also received presentations on renewable energy activities including the proposed Kitty Hawk Wind Development Project, a system of offshore wind generators proposed approximately 27 miles off the coast of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Presentations are available as part of the briefing book materials at: http://safmc.net/briefing-books/briefing-book-2018-december-council-meeting/.

The next Council meeting is scheduled for March 4-8, 2019 in Jekyll Island, Georgia. Briefing book materials will be available from the Council’s website two weeks prior to the meeting at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/.

South Atlantic Fisheries Council meets this week in Kitty Hawk

December 3, 2018 — The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will be meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kitty Hawk this Monday afternoon through Friday.

The council, headquartered in Charleston, S.C., is responsible for managing fish stocks within the federal 200-mile limit off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and east Florida to Key West.

On Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m., a training session will be held for charter boat captains for a catch reporting system for the snapper, grouper, dolphin, wahoo and coastal migratory pelagic fisheries.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about upcoming electronic reporting requirements for federal permit holders and to practice using available electronic reporting tools.

Read the full story at The Outer Banks Voice

Reminder: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting December 3-7, 2018

November 30, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council head to the Outer Banks of North Carolina next week to address federal fishery management measures affecting offshore fisheries including snapper grouper, dolphin, wahoo, habitat protection and ecosystem-based management, and the Council’s Citizen Science Program. The Council will also host a For-Hire Electronic Reporting Training Sessions (see below for details). The meetings are open to the public unless otherwise specified, and public comment is now being accepted on agenda items.

Agendas, Overviews, and Briefing Materials:
The agenda for the week-long meeting, as well as individual committee agendas and helpful overviews, are available from the Council meeting website. Documents, summaries, presentations, and other briefing materials for the meeting are also available.

Attend the Meeting via Webinar:
The meeting may be accessed via webinar each day as it occurs. Registration for each day is required. Register now via the links below and receive email reminders for the upcoming sessions. (Note: The Council’s Personnel Committee is meeting in Closed Session on Monday and the meeting will not be available via webinar.)
– Tuesday, December 4 8:30 am – 5 pm
– Wednesday, December 5 8:30 am – 6 pm
– Thursday, December 6 8:30 am – 5 pm
– Friday, December 7 8:30 am – 12:00 pm

Public Comment:
Comments on agenda items may be submitted using the online comment form. The form allows Council members immediate access to all comments and gives others the opportunity to read comments as they are posted. The Council will also solicit in-person public comment during the meeting beginning at 4:00 PM on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.

Agenda Highlights:
Final Approval: The Council is scheduled to approve two amendments for review by the Secretary of Commerce during the meeting: Snapper Grouper Visioning Regulatory Amendment 26 (recreational measures as outlined in the Council’s Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery); and Snapper Grouper Amendment 32 (Accountability Measures for Yellowtail Snapper).

Additional agenda highlights are available online. Access all of the meeting information, submit comments, and listen live as the meeting occurs.

Read more

South Atlantic Council to Offer Training for Federally Permitted Charter Captains on Upcoming Electronic Reporting Requirements

November 29, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is continuing its series of hands-on training sessions for federally permitted charter captains.

TRAINING LOCATIONS: The next stop in the series is in North Carolina next week with trainings in Morehead City, Wednesday (12/5) and Kitty Hawk, Thursday (12/6). See the detailed schedule below.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Charter captains with South Atlantic federal, for-hire permits (Snapper Grouper, Dolphin Wahoo, and/or Coastal Migratory Pelagic fisheries).

TRAINING TOPICS:
  • Overview of the South Atlantic For-Hire Electronic Reporting Amendment and rulemaking process;
  • Proposed reporting requirements;
  • Timeline for possible implementation;
  • Hands-on training to learn how to use web-based and tablet reporting tools

Check the webpage for additional information.

Can’t attend an in-person training? Council staff will also host informational webinars twice a month for federal for-hire permit holders to provide information about electronic reporting, the proposed amendment, and upcoming training sessions. Registration is required.
Below is the current schedule for informational webinars:

South Atlantic Update Fall 2018 Newsletter

November 28, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Inside this issue:

Managed Areas and the New System Management Plan Workgroup

We focus on areas managed by the Council including Deepwater MPAs, The Oculina Bank, and Spawning Special Management Zones – and the workgroup tasked to develop a comprehensive plan…

New Council Member Appointment

Learn more about South Carolina representative David Whitaker, the most recent Council member appointed by the Secretary of Commerce…

Marine Resources Education Program (MREP) Southeast

Connect the dots between fishery science and management through this popular program! Apply now to participate in 2019…

December Council Meeting and For-Hire Electronic Reporting Training Sessions

Take a minute now to register to attend the Council’s December 3-7, 2018 meeting via webinar or join us in person in Kitty Hawk, NC. For-Hire Electronic Reporting Training Sessions are also scheduled…

Read the full newsletter here

Hurricane Florence crippled the seafood industry. Farmers must decide whether to rebuild.

November 21, 2018 — After Hurricane Florence, bags of dead oysters hung in the trees near Jimmy Morris’ oyster farm and hatchery.

Florence ransacked his Morris Family Shellfish Farms in Sealevel, north of Beaufort and Morehead City. Pummeling winds, historic flooding and power outages killed a year’s worth of shellfish seed, the early stage for 10 million oysters and 5 million clams, plus the better part of 1,000 cages of market oysters.

“There were oysters everywhere,” Morris said after the storm.

Florence hit North Carolina in September as a Category 1 hurricane, then stopped and stalled for days on the coast as it dumped trillions of gallons of rain. The rush of freshwater chased off fish, killed millions of oysters and crippled an industry still taking stock of its losses.

Read the full story at the Raleigh News and Observer

Quota bump for an economically important fish north of NC

November 21, 2018 — BOSTON — Federal fishing regulators are going to allow fishermen to catch more of an economically important species of fish on the East Coast.

The rule changes apply to blueline tilefish, which is a species that has been caught from Massachusetts to Florida over the years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s authorizing a quota bump north of the Virginia border with North Carolina.

The new quotas apply for 2019 to 2021 and they are 15 percent more than the 2018 limits. Commercial fishermen will be able to catch nearly 27,000 pounds of the fish, while recreational fishermen will be allowed nearly 72,000 pounds.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

 

N.C. governor calls for fishery disaster after Florence

November 14, 2018 — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is seeking additional funding to help coastal communities deal with the damages weathered by the state’s fisheries following Hurricane Florence.

In a letter to Secretary Wilbur Ross, Cooper has asked the U.S. Department of Commerce to declare a federal fishery resources disaster.

“This was the storm of a lifetime for many coastal communities. The damaging economic impact to the state’s fisheries was, and continues to be, significant. While state appropriations will begin to afford some limited initial relief, much more is needed,” Cooper wrote in the letter.

According to the state Division of Marine Fisheries, the North Carolina commercial fishing industry generated more than $96 million in revenue in 2017. Declaring a federal fishery resource disaster can assist with long-term relief for commercial fishing families struggling to make a living while repairing their businesses. Hurricane Florence’s historic rainfall and powerful winds destroyed boats, gear and buildings critical to fishing businesses.

“Federal fisheries disaster assistance can provide the means to a longer-term recovery that North Carolinian fishermen so desperately need,” wrote Cooper.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NORTH CAROLINA: Gov. Cooper urges feds to help fisheries

November 12, 2018 —  Gov. Roy Cooper has requested help from the federal government to assist state fisheries hit by Hurricane Florence, and some local fishermen and seafood dealers are pleased with his actions.

According to a Nov. 2 press release from the governor’s office, Gov. Cooper has urged the U.S. Department of Commerce to help provide additional resources and funding to help North Carolina fisheries affected by Florence. This request follows a $1.6 million appropriation in September by the state, in response to a recommendation from Gov. Cooper to appropriate $12 million, which the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will use to compensate fishermen and shellfish harvesters for equipment and income loss.

In Beaufort, Cannon Seafood owner and operator Gary Cannon was pleased with the governor’s efforts to help restore the fisheries.

“There’s a lot of fishermen that have been put out of business by the storm,” he said. “We were put out of work two to three weeks.”

Mr. Cannon said his seafood dealership got four feet of water in its buildings, and he lost $30,000 in fishing gear.

What makes losses like this especially difficult for commercial fishermen is that they can’t get insurance for it.

“Farmers have crop insurance,” Mr. Cannon said, “but fishermen don’t have anything like that.”

Insurance for lost gear and income seems to be a significant concern for commercial fishermen.

Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times

Fisheries Researchers Map Habitats Ahead of Offshore Wind Development

November 9, 2018 — HYANNIS, Mass. – NOAA Fisheries researchers are helping to inform federal managers and developers on the impacts that construction and operation of offshore wind facilities will have on ocean bottom habitats and fisheries.

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center conducted four years of research to build a database of information, including water temperatures, topography, sediments, currents and marine life in the eight Wind Energy Areas authorized by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management along the East Coast.

The designated WEAs encompass just over 4,000 square nautical miles of seafloor from Massachusetts to North Carolina. About 40 percent of the area has actually been leased to date, including the Vineyard Wind project development south of Martha’s Vineyard.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com