Saving Seafood

New Jersey Flounder Fishery Shut Down for Rest of Year

December 1, 2017 — BARNEGAT LIGHT, N.J. — Federal fishing regulators say they’ve closed a New Jersey fishery that targets a popular species of flatfish through the end of the year.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the summer flounder fishery in the state must close because fishermen have hit their quota. Regulators previously shut down the summer flounder fishery in Rhode Island.

The state of New Jersey has also shut down the flounder fishery. The state is one of the biggest producers of the fish, which is sold as food in restaurants, super markets and seafood markets.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at U.S. News

 

Why are North Atlantic right whale numbers declining?

One of the world’s most endangered animals used to be routinely seen off the NC coast. Not anymore.

November 27, 2017 — WILMINGTON, N.C. — After years of steady improvement, one of the Atlantic ocean’s most at-risk whales — a species with strong ties to North Carolina — is in perilous decline, according to researchers.

The North Atlantic right whale, historically a target for harpooners, saw its population improve from 270 whales in 1990 to 483 in 2010, according to research led by Richard Pace of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, based in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The population fell to 458 whales by 2015.

“When you’re talking about a population that’s somewhere between 400 and 500 individuals, you can never let your guard down. And you can never assume that things are going well,” said Ann Pabst, a University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) zoologist whose lab focuses on marine mammals.

The downward trend continued in 2017, with 16 North American right whales dying, putting the species’ population in decline and at risk of endangerment. The Pace team’s research indicates the female population declined about 7 percent from 2010 to 2015, while the male population dropped about 4 percent.

Right whales are likely not breeding quickly enough to replace their deceased counterparts, according to the Pace team’s study, with the plight further enhanced by female whales dying at a faster rate than males. Bill McLellan, who works with UNCW’s Marine Mammal Stranding Program, explained some of the reasons behind it.

“Females have a lot riskier life. They spend a lot more time up and down the coast, they migrate a lot more to give birth,” McLellan said. “Males generally stay north. … They’re sitting in one location, and they’re not exposing themselves to the mortality factors.”

Read the full story from GateHouse Media at the Jacksonville Daily News

Changes may be coming in the snapper/grouper fishery

November 15, 2017 — Dr. Michelle Duval of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, chair of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, anticipates a few changes to how the snapper/grouper fishery is managed after fishermen brought up some issues during the SAFMC’s Visioning Project last year.

“One of the things fishermen asked for was simpler regulations that would be easier to understand,” Duval said. “One example of this is in the shallow-water grouper fishery, where the bag limit is aggregate and may contain only one fish of certain species and not one of every species and even includes golden tilefish. Minimum sizes vary even within the grouper family, plus, there are established closures, and some species are prohibited entirely.

Read the full story at Carolina Sportsman

 

North Carolina begins work on artificial reef to restore Cape Fear oyster population

November 8, 2017 — Sport fishermen and oyster lovers rejoice – construction has begun on a one-acre artificial reef aimed at enhancing recreational fishing and providing a new, hospitable home for oysters in the Lower Cape Fear River.

The artificial reef, known formally as AR 491, is a project from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) in partnership with Carolina Beach State Park and the North Carolina Coastal Federation. The five-acre site is located in the Cape Fear River just off the banks of Carolina Beach State Park.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, workers deployed 700-tons of recycled crushed concrete into the river to create the new reef.

Read the full story at Port City Daily

 

Federal bill that could eliminate shark fin sales puts pressure on N.C. shark fishermen

November 6, 2017 — WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. — The sale of shark fins may soon become illegal for coastal fisherman across the country. Legislation has been introduced to the House and Senate which would make it illegal to possess, buy, sell, or transport shark fins or any product containing shark fins.

Local fishermen make a portion of their income based off of the sale of shark fins and shark meat. Some perceive this aspect of their business to be at risk because of the potential regulation.

Shark fins, not shark finning 

Shark finning is the process of cutting the fin off of a live shark and discarding the remainder of the fish back into the ocean.

The practice was made illegal in the United States in 2000, with a loophole that was closed by 2009.

All shark species, with the exception of the smooth dogfish, are federally protected from finning under current legislation.

The sale of shark fins is legal in North Carolina. Fishermen are permitted to harvest and sell the fins of sharks once landed, not while the shark is still alive and at sea. This distinction is important to fishermen who oppose the inhumane act of shark finning.

“People are obviously horrified by the thought, and they should be,” said Jerry Schill, director of government relations for the North Carolina Fisheries Association.

Read the full story at the Port City Daily 

 

Rep. Walter Jones weighs in for North Carolina fishermen

November 2, 2017 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the office of Congressman Walter Jones:

Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) is moving to help Eastern North Carolina fishermen who could be hurt by legislation pending before Congress. The bills threaten America’s domestic shark fisheries, and a significant piece of those fisheries is in Eastern North Carolina. They are sustainably managed and help support the economy in coastal North Carolina and other small fishing communities around the country.

The bills – H.R. 1456 and S. 793 – purport to be an attempt to stop the practice of shark finning (i.e. the process of removing fins at sea and discarding the shark). They seek to do so by banning the sale of fins, even those harvested legally here in the United States. However well-intentioned the bill sponsors may be, the fact is that shark finning has been illegal in the United States for many years. Advocates for the legislation have countered with the false allegation that the practice is still widespread. They publicly claimed that NOAA Fisheries had 500 cases of shark finning over the last several years. That number sounded impossibly high to Congressman Jones, so in August he asked NOAA Fisheries for the real number of federal shark finning violations assessed over the past five years. According to NOAA, the real number is not 500, it is 22. The Associated Press recently ran a story correcting the record on the ‘fake news’ claims distributed by the bill’s supporters. You can find that story HERE.

“If foreign countries are failing to manage their shark populations appropriately, they should change their ways,” said Congressman Jones. “But we should not put U.S. fishermen out of business in the process.”

This week, Congressman Jones urged U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to join him in opposing the legislation. The Commerce Department is home to the regulatory agency – NOAA Fisheries – which manages the domestic shark fisheries. As Congressman Jones pointed out to Secretary Ross in a letter, federal law mandates that the domestic shark fishery be managed sustainably. According to renowned shark scientist, Dr. Robert E. Heuter of Florida’s Mote Marine Lab, America has “one of the best systems in the world for shark fisheries management and conservation.” The proof can be seen in NOAA Fisheries own data. NOAA Fisheries’ 2015 coastal shark survey captured and tagged “more than 2,800 sharks, the most in the survey’s 29-year history.” The leader of the survey stated that NOAA Fisheries has “seen an increase in the number of sharks in every survey since 2001,” and the agency called the survey results “very good news for shark populations.”

“Mr. Secretary, you know how important good jobs are to America’s future,” said Congressman Jones. “The sustainably managed U.S. shark fishery helps many hard working people in Eastern North Carolina and across the country support their families and their communities. For the sake of the American fishermen who make this country great, I respectfully ask you to oppose these bills.”

Congressman Jones has long been a strong supporter and advocate for Eastern North Carolina fishermen.

Additional information on Jones’ backing of North Carolina fishermen can be found here.

 

NOAA about-face on red snapper revives overfishing debate

October 31, 2017 — Reversing course, NOAA Fisheries said it will allow anglers in the South Atlantic to catch red snapper for the first time in three years.

Calling it an “emergency action,” the fisheries service said it would create two mini-seasons over the next two weekends for recreational anglers in federally controlled waters off the coast of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

Commercial fishermen may be allowed to catch red snapper until Dec. 31.

“NOAA Fisheries has determined that the limited harvest in 2017 is not expected to result in overfishing and will not prevent the continued rebuilding of the red snapper population,” the agency said in a statement released late Friday.

Coming only four months after Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross extended the red snapper season in the Gulf of Mexico, the decision revived a long-simmering debate about how much fishing should be permitted and the federal government’s management of the popular species (Greenwire, Sept. 20).

Read the full story at E&E News

ASMFC South Atlantic Board Selects Final Measures for the Interstate FMP for the Atlantic Migratory Group Cobia and Recommends Final Approval by the Commission

October 20, 2017 — NORFOLK, Va. — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board selected final measures for the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Migratory Group (AMG) Cobia and recommended Commission approval of the FMP at its next Business Session meeting, scheduled for November in Baltimore, MD.

The FMP was initiated in response to recent overages of the federal annual catch limit (ACL) for AMG Cobia. Managing the recreational ACL on a coastwide basis has resulted in federal closures and significant overages in 2015 and 2016, disrupting fishing opportunities and jeopardizing the health of the stock. 
The Board-approved FMP complements many of the aspects of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (SAFMC) cobia regulations from Georgia through New York.  The recreational fishery will be managed with a one fish bag limit and minimum size limit of 36” fork length (FL) or total length equivalent.  Vessel limits will be determined once individual states set their seasonal restrictions, but may not exceed six fish per vessel.  State-specific allocations of a coastwide recreational harvest limit that is equivalent to the federal AMG cobia ACL of 620,000 pounds result in the following state-specific soft targets:
 
·         Georgia: 58,311 pounds
·         South Carolina: 74,885 pounds
·         North Carolina: 236,316 pounds
·         Virginia: 244,292 pounds
 
Recreational harvest overages of specific-state allocations will be evaluated over a three-year time period. If overages occur, states will be required to adjust management measures to reduce harvest in the subsequent three-year period.
 
The commercial fishery will maintain the current management measures as implemented through the SAFMC plan and continue to be managed with a 33” FL minimum size limit and 2 fish limit per person, with a 6 fish maximum vessel limit.  The federal ACL of 50,000 pounds is allocated to the entire commercial fishery from Georgia through New York.  The commercial AMG cobia fishery will close once the ACL is projected to be reached.
 
The FMP provides the opportunity for states to declare de minimis status for their recreational fishery if landings constitute less than 1% of the recreational AMG cobia harvest. States must submit implementation plans to the Commission by January 1, 2018 for Technical Committee review and Board approval at the February 2018 meeting in Alexandria, Virginia. Approved plans must be implemented by April 1, 2018. For more information, please contact Dr. Louis Daniel, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at ldaniel@asmfc.org or 252.342.1478.

A PDF version of the press release can be found here – http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/59e95456pr54CobiaFMP_BoardApproval.pdf

ASMFC Spiny Dogfish Board Approves 2018 Fishery Specifications

October 17, 2017 — NORFOLK, Virginia — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

The Commission’s Spiny Dogfish Management Board approved a spiny dogfish commercial quota of 38,195,822 pounds for the 2018 fishing season (May 1, 2018 – April 30, 2019). The Board maintained a 6,000 pound commercial trip limit in state waters (0-3 miles from shore) in the northern region (Maine through Connecticut). The quota and northern region trip limit are consistent with the measures recommended to NOAA Fisheries by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. States in the southern region (New York to North Carolina) have the ability to set state-specific trip limits based on the needs of their fisheries.

2018 marks the third year of the current federal 3-year specifications cycle. It is anticipated the stock assessment will be updated in 2018 to inform development of fishery specification recommendations, including the commercial quota, for 2019 and beyond. Additionally, the Board intends to discuss issues raised by the Advisory Panel (and other fishery participants) in more detail prior to setting 2019 specifications. The timing of the next benchmark stock assessment for spiny dogfish is less certain, however, the Board supported the Council’s recommendations to conduct a benchmark stock assessment in 2019, or soon after.

The 2018 spiny dogfish commercial quota allocations (in pounds) for the northern region and the states of New York through North Carolina are provided below. Any overages from the 2017 season will be deducted from that region’s or state’s 2018 quota allocation. Similarly, any eligible roll overs from the 2017 season will be applied to that region’s or state’s 2018 quota allocation.
For more information, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for October 13, 2017

October 13, 2017 — The following was released by the North Carolina Fisheries Association:

HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13th!!!

OCTOBER IS SEAFOOD MONTH!

Seafood month got a great kickoff in North Carolina with last Saturday’s Fisherman’s Village on the Morehead City waterfront, and on Sunday morning at the Blessing of the Fleet.

For a message from Chris Oliver, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries, or NMFS, click the link below.
Message from Chris Oliver about Seafood Month

FROM THE DIVISION OF MARINE FISHERIES:

Advisory committee meetings to focus on cobia management measures – Three advisory committees to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet on separate dates in October to discuss issues related to the cobia fishery.

The advisory committees will be asked to provide input to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission on management measures contained in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Draft Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Migratory Group Cobia (Georgia to New York). The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board will meet Oct. 19 to vote on this plan.

The draft plan includes size, bag and vessel limits to complement federal measures. Most notably, the draft plan includes several proposed options for state-specific recreational harvest targets that will give individual states more flexibility in developing management measures to best suit their needs.

Currently, the recreational annual catch limit for Georgia to New York is managed on a coastwide basis. This has resulted in federal closures and significant overages, disrupting fishing opportunities and jeopardizing the health of the stock.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will discuss North Carolina’s recreational cobia management measures at its Nov. 15-16 meeting at the Doubletree by Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks in Kitty Hawk.

For more information, contact Steve Poland, cobia staff lead with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, at 252-808-8159 or Steve.Poland@ncdenr.gov.

CALENDAR

Oct 15 – 19; ASMFC Annual Meeting; Waterside Marriott; Norfolk, VA

Oct 24; 6:00pm MFC Northern Advisory Committee; Dare County Complex; Manteo, NC

Oct 25; 6:00pm MFC Southern Advisory Committee; Cardinal Drive; Wilmington, NC

Oct 26; 6:00pm MFC Finfish Advisory Committee; DMF District Office; Morehead City, NC

Nov 8; Noon; NCFA Board of Directors; Civic Center; Washington, NC

Nov 15-16; NC Marine Fisheries Commission; Kitty Hawk

Dec 4 – 8; South Atlantic Council; Doubletree; Atlantic Beach, NC

Dec 6; Noon; NCFA Board of Directors; Civic Center, Washington, NC

Dec 11 – 14; Mid Atlantic Council; Westin Annapolis; Annapolis, MD