Saving Seafood

Council Approves Changes to Scup Gear-Restricted Areas

The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

April 20, 2016 — During a meeting last week in Montauk, New York the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved a framework action to modify the boundary of one of the region’s two Scup Gear Restricted Areas (GRAs). The proposed change to the Southern Scup GRA boundary is expected to increase the availability of longfin squid to small-mesh fisheries.

The GRAs were implemented in 2000 and are intended to reduce discard mortality of juvenile scup. The current GRA regulations include a Northern GRA, which is effective from November 1 through December 31, and a Southern GRA, which is effective from January 1 through March 15. Trawl vessels which fish for or possess longfin squid, black sea bass, or silver hake (also known as whiting) are required to use mesh 5 inches or larger in the GRAs during those times of the year. The scup stock has expanded substantially since the GRAs were first implemented, and analysis conducted by scientists at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center indicate that the GRAs were partially responsible for this rebuilding.

The GRAs have been modified several times in response to requests from commercial fishermen. In recent years, advisors have recommended further modification of the GRAs to restore access to certain areas for longfin squid fishing, arguing that modifications to the GRA boundaries would not harm the scup stock

In response to an industry request, the Council initiated a framework action in 2014 to address potential changes to the scup GRAs. The framework considered a range of alternatives, including modifications to the GRA boundaries and elimination of one or both GRAs.

After a lengthy discussion of the impacts of the proposed alternatives, the Council voted to modify the boundary of the Southern Scup GRA. The proposed change, shown in Figure 1, is based on a proposal developed by members of the Council’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel.

“By increasing access to important fishing grounds, the Council balanced the concerns of the squid industry with the possible impacts on the scup stock,” said the Council’s Executive Director, Chris Moore. “If the modification is approved by NMFS, the Council will be working closely with NMFS to monitor scup discards to make sure that mortality of juvenile scup does not increase as a result.”

MASSACHUSETTS: Hull aims at luring NOAA fisheries center from Woods Hole

April 18, 2016 — HULL, Mass. — Few people around the state paid much attention recently, when officials with the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they may consider moving the agency’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center from its original site at Woods Hole.

But elected officials in Hull took notice – and they’ve gone into action to lure the research facility and its 275 employees to their town.

“It would be a real coup,” Selectmen Chairman John Brannan said. “We have the water, we have the marine life right here. The bay and the beach are within a half mile of each other. There’s a lot of opportunity for them to do what they need to do.”

Brannan and Hull Redevelopment Authority member Robert DeCoste said the boards have already contacted Congress members and others in Washington, where the ultimate decision will be made – among them, Congressman Stephen Lynch – whose 8th District includes Hull – and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Lynch and Warren’s spokesmen couldn’t be reached for comment.

Read the full story at the Patriot Ledger 

Dr. William Karp: NOAA choices on scallop studies relies on science

April 14, 2016 — I am writing regarding your recent editorial and news coverage of the Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Program and the projects that have been selected for 2016-17. The Scallop RSA Program is one of the best examples of cooperative fisheries research with industry in the nation, serving an important role in supporting the management of this fishery, which is such a part of New Bedford’s economy. Your readers should know that the program is very competitive, that all proposals are evaluated using independent reviews, and that although all have worthy points, not all can be funded.

As director of NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, it is my goal to build stronger strategic partnerships with regional research partners, including UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology, an institution with a strong record in educating students and in carrying out research that is directly relevant to managing living marine resources. NOAA funds a faculty member at SMAST and there are many examples of productive collaborations involving SMAST students and faculty, and NEFSC researchers. A number of these activities include Dr. Kevin Stokesbury, a member of the SMAST faculty who is recognized for his work on survey methodology and scallop assessment, and for his effective collaboration with industry.

When Dr. Stokesbury’s RSA proposals for further sea scallop surveys were not selected for funding in 2016, I was greatly concerned about how this would be received. I appreciate his concern over the result, well publicized in your paper, but I believe his criticism of the grants process is unfounded.

See the full letter at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Mid-Atlantic Council Announces Funded Collaborative Research Projects

April 8, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council announces that four research projects have been selected to receive a total of approximately $610,000 in funding as part of the Council’s 2016-2017 Collaborative Fisheries Research Program. The four projects each address research priorities identified by the Mid-Atlantic Council in a Request for Proposals distributed in December 2015.

“Accurate information is the foundation of effective fisheries management,” said Council Chairman Rick Robins. “These research projects will help fill critical gaps in our understanding of Mid-Atlantic fisheries and ensure their continued sustainability.”

Below is an overview of the selected projects. Click here to view Executive Summaries for these projects.

Changes in Availability of Mid-Atlantic Fish Stocks To Fisheries-Independent Surveys 

Principal Investigators: Janet Nye, Michael Frisk, and Skyler Sagarese.  

This project will investigate how habitat modifies the availability of summer flounder, black sea bass, and spiny dogfish to the NEFSC trawl survey. The focus of this research is on the relationship between the NEFSC trawl survey index and actual abundance of these species.

Collaborative Development Of A Winter Habitat Model For Atlantic Mackerel, “Version 2.0”, For The Identification Of “Cryptic” Habitats And Estimation Of Population Availability To Assessment Surveys And The Fishery

Principal Investigator: Gregory DiDomenico; Co-Principal Investigators: William Bright; Peter Moore, Josh Kohut, Mitchell Roffer, and John Manderson. 

This project will synthesize existing information to develop and evaluate a quantitative model describing dynamic winter habitat distributions for Atlantic Mackerel. The goal of this study is to develop a model that can be used to accurately estimate the availability of the population to fishery independent surveys.

Estimating and Mitigating the Discard Mortality Rate of Black Sea Bass in Offshore Recreational Rod-And-Reel Fisheries 

Principal Investigator: Olaf Jensen; Co-Principal Investigators: Eleanor Bochenek and Jeffrey Kneebone. 

This objective of this project is to estimate the discard mortality rate of black sea bass captured by recreational anglers using rod-and-reel fishing gear in the deepwater offshore fishery during fall/winter in the Mid-Atlantic. In addition, this research will generate “best practice” capture and handling recommendations.

Determining Selectivity and Optimum Mesh Size to Harvest Three Commercially Important Mid-Atlantic Species 

Principal Investigator: Emerson Hasbrouck; Co-Principal Investigator: Jonathan Knight. 

This project will analyze the selectivity of multiple codend mesh sizes relative to summer flounder, black sea bass and scup retention in the commercial bottom trawl fishery in the Mid-Atlantic region.

2016-2017 Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Recommended Awards Announced

April 7, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the New England Fishery Management Council are pleased to announce that 15 research projects have been selected for support from the 2016 Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) program. The projects address the council’s research priorities for the nation’s highest-valued single species commercial fishery.

Twenty-five researchers from nine different organizations will be awarded 2016-2017 research grants valued at $15.6 million. These projects are funded by proceeds from selling a portion of the annual sea scallop quota “set aside” for this purpose. Award recipients are located in Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Virginia and include universities, non-profit research and education organizations, and commercial fishing vessels and businesses.

Research set-aside programs are unique to federal fisheries in the northeast region. Under RSA programs, no federal funds are provided to support the research. Selected projects receive allocations “set-aside” within established quotas for this purpose under the particular fishery management plan. Successful applicants partner with the fishing industry to harvest their set aside award to generate funds for the research. There are active research set-aside programs for Atlantic sea scallops, Atlantic herring, and monkfish.

The New England Fishery Management Council established the sea scallop RSA program to address research that will support management of the scallop resource. The Council sets the research priorities and researchers compete for funding through a federal grant competition managed by NOAA Fisheries. All of the funds derived from quota sales are used to support research and compensate industry partners. NOAA Fisheries does not retain or use any of these funds.

This year, more than 30 proposals were received for consideration. Six of these are two-year projects. Proposals were evaluated and ranked for technical merit and responsiveness to Council research priorities.

Ten projects will address the Council’s highest research priorities, including intensive and broad-scale resource surveys, bycatch reduction, scallop meat quality, and scallop area management. Five projects focus on other Council priorities, such as sea scallop biology and productivity, habitat impact research, and reducing the risk of sea turtle interactions with the scallop fishery.

Proposals underwent a two-stage review – one for technical merit and one for responsiveness to management priorities.

Proposals for sea scallop surveys were evaluated and ranked by a technical panel that looked at merit as well as how the work met recommendations from a recent peer review of all sea scallop survey methods used in the region. All other proposals were each evaluated for technical merit by three subject matter experts. Each technical reviewer submitted scores and comments on each proposal. A management panel made recommendations on priority projects, based on current management priorities.
The technical review scores, in conjunction with recommendations from the management panelists, are the basis for RSA survey funding decisions.

Sea Scallop Resource Surveys Recommended for Funding

These surveys, combined with the annual NOAA Fisheries sea scallop survey, will provide a comprehensive picture of the scallop resource by the end of this summer. The data collected are expected to support the Council’s area management decisions for 2017 and beyond.

Arnie’s Fisheries Inc. will conduct an optical survey of the Elephant Trunk Access Area using the HabCam V3 instrument system, looking at scallop numbers, sizes, and density in order to generate harvestable biomass estimates.

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) will conduct a fine-scale dredge survey of the Mid-Atlantic sea scallop resource from the Virginia/North Carolina border to Block Island, Rhode Island. VIMS will also conduct high-resolution abundance and distribution surveys in and around the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, and in Georges Bank Closed Area II and the surrounding area to the south, where secondary objectives include finfish bycatch species composition and catch rates; scallop product quality and disease research; and commercial and survey scallop dredge performance.

The Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution, as part of their habitat research on the northern part of Georges Bank, will conduct a high resolution HabCam survey to support near-term scallop area management decisions of this area that is undergoing considerable management changes. Lund’s Fisheries are co-principal investigators.

As requested by the New England Fishery Management Council, the survey technical review panel not only considered technical merit, but also the results of a recent peer review when evaluating proposals for sea scallop surveys. That review, conducted in 2015 by the Center for Independent Experts, examined all of the primary survey methods for assessing sea scallop abundance in the region, several of which are supported through the scallop RSA program. The technical panel ensured that proposals were responsive to the peer review findings.

Bycatch Mitigation Projects

For the fifth year, UMASS Dartmouth’s School of Marine Science and Technology will use their award to support a yellowtail flounder bycatch avoidance system.To address low allocations of yellowtail flounder in the scallop fishery, these researchers will work with the limited-access and general category scallop fleets to deploy the bycatch avoidance system in fishing grounds on Georges Bank and in southern New England.

Reducing bycatch through scallop dredge gear modifications is the focus of two projects proposed by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation, Inc. The Foundation plans to design and test gear designed to reduce flatfish bycatch through modification to the dredge bag, and the use of a modified flounder sweep attached to the dredge bail, filming interactions to monitor the effectiveness of the gear modifications.

The Coonamessett Farm Foundation will also continue its seasonal bycatch survey on Georges Bank, collecting information on yellowtail flounder bycatch rates and other bycatch species relative to scallop meat yield. Data will also be used to evaluate sea scallop health and meat quality, provide maturity data for several flounder species, estimate the prevalence of a potentially significant parasite in yellowtail flounder, and examine lobsters for shell disease while also collecting biological data.

For the eighth Coonamessett Farm will tag up to 30 loggerhead sea turtles with water activated tags. They will also observe sea turtle behavior using a remotely operated vehicle, take biological samples, and collect length and weight measurements. This work provides information on sea turtle distribution and behavior in the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England, where there is overlap between sea scallop fishing activity and turtle distribution. Co-principle investigators include Virginia Institute of Marine Science, the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association, and Roger Williams University.

Sea Scallop Biology, Meat Quality, and Productivity Projects

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science will study sea scallop age structure and growth rates over time. Under a separate grant, VIMS will develop a framework for mark-recapture studies to estimate natural mortality, growth and movement of scallops and the effects of scallop density on those factors.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth campus investigating scallop meat quality will focus on how the infection that causes “gray meat” in sea scallops is transmitted.

Researchers at Virginia Institute of Marine Science, with colleagues at Rutgers University, will study how a nematode parasite affects scallop meat quality and provide insight into how industry and management can assess and predict impacts to the scallop stock and meat quality.

Coonamessett Farm Foundation will demonstrate the feasibility of a seeding program to enhance and stabilize scallop recruitment while documenting the factors that affect seed survival.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will investigate the impact of scallop fishing in habitat management areas using the REMUS autonomous underwater vehicle.

For more information about these recommended awards and the Scallop RSA Program, please contact Ryan Silva (ryan.silva@noaa.gov, 978-281-9326), or Cheryl Corbett (cheryl.corbett@noaa.gov, 508-495-2070).

To learn more about work funded through the Sea Scallop RSA program, or through the NEFSC Northeast Cooperative Research Program, use our searchable project list.

2016-2017 Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Projects 1

Project Organization Principal Investigators * Set-Aside Award
based on $12 per pound
R=research
C=compensation fishing
T=total budget
Optimizing the Georges Bank Scallop Fishery by Maximizing Meat Yield and Minimizing Bycatch Coonamessett Farm Foundation, Inc. Carl Huntsberger, Jasper Leavitt, Rachel Simpson, Liese Siemann (CFF)
David Rudders (VIMS)
Heidi Henninger (AOLA)
Roxanna Smolowitz (RWU)		 R-$498,573
C-$1,495,719
T-$1,994,292
166,191 lb of scallops
Development of Ecosystem Friendly Scallop Dredge Bags: Tools for Long-Term Sustainability Coonamessett Farm Foundation, Inc. Farrell Davis
Christopher Parkins
Melissa Campbell		 R-$394,050
C-$1,182,150
T-$1,576,200146,350 lb of scallops
A Modified Flounder Sweep for Flatfish Bycatch Reduction in the LAGC Scallop Fishery Coonamessett Farm Foundation, Inc. Christopher Parkins
Farrell Davis		 R-$92,380
C-$277,140
T-$369,52030,793 lb of scallops
Understanding Impacts of the Sea Scallop Fishery on Loggerhead Sea Turtles Through Satellite Tagging Coonamessett Farm Foundation, Inc. Samir Patel
Shea Miller		 R-$223,014.50
C-$669,044
T-$892,058.5074,338 lb of scallops
Drivers of Dispersal and Retention in Recently Seeded Sea Scallops Coonamessett Farm Foundation, Inc. Shea Miller
Liese Siemann
Jasper Leavitt		 R-$270,032
C-$810,096
T-$1,080,12890,011 lb of scallops
Optical Survey of the Scallop Resource in the Elephant Trunk Scallop Access Area – Year 2 Arnie’s Fisheries, Inc. Richard Taylor R-$146,635
C-$439,905
T-$586,54048,878 lb of scallops
Transmission of Apicomplexan Infection and Development of Gray Meat in Atlantic Sea Scallops Placopecten magellanicus (2 Years) University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth Jennifer Koop
Susan Inglis		 R-$179,140
C-$460,646
T-$639,78653,315 lb of scallops
Scallop Fishery Bycatch Avoidance System 2016 University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth Steve Cadrin R-$87,500
C-$225,000
T-$312,50026,041 lb of scallops
A Cooperative High Precision Dredge Survey to Assess the Mid-Atlantic Sea Scallop Resource Area (2 Years) Virginia Institute of Marine Science David Rudders
Sally Roman
Robert Fisher		 R-$395,870
C-$1,583,478
T-$1,979,346164,946 lb of scallops
An Assessment of Sea Scallop Abundance and Distribution in the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area and Surrounds (2 Years) Virginia Institute of Marine Science David Rudders
Sally Roman		 R-$178,389
C-$713,556
T-$891,94574,329 lb of scallops
An Investigation into the Scallop Parasite Outbreak on the Mid-Atlantic Shelf: Transmission Pathways, Spatio-Temporal Variation of Infection, and Consequences to Marketability (2 Years) Virginia Institute of Marine Science David Rudders (VIMS)
David Bushek
Daphne Munroe, Robert Fisher, Eleanor Bochenek (Rutgers University)		 R-$231,628
C-$713,794
T-$945,42278,785 lb of scallops
An Assessment of Sea Scallop Abundance and Distribution in Georges Bank Closed Area II and Surrounds Virginia Institute of Marine Science David Rudders R-$89,643
C-$358,572
T-$448,21537,351 lb of scallops
Scallop Mark-Recapture to Estimate Density Dependent Natural Mortality and Growth Virginia Institute of Marine Science David Rudders
John Hoenig		 R-$148,571
C-$445,713
T-$ 594,28449,524 lbs. of scallops
Age Structure and Growth Rate in the Sea Scallop Placopecten magellanicus (2 Years)  Virginia Institute of Marine Science Roger Mann
David Rudders		 R-$202,512
C-$411,161
T-$613,67351,139 lb of scallops
Impact of Disturbance on Habitat Recovery in Habitat Management Areas on George’s Bank (2 Years) Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Scott Gallager
Mike Purcell (WHOI)
Wayne Reichle
Jeff Kaelin (Lund’s Fisheries)		 R-$666,486
C-$1,999,458
T-$2,665,944222,162 lb of scallops

Total $ 15,589,853
1 CFF – Coonamessett Farm Foundation
VIMS – Virginia Institute of Marine Science
AOLA – Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association
RWU – Roger Williams University
WHOI – Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

 

MASSACHUSETTS: Push on to move science center to fishing hub of New Bedford

April 5, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The federal government is considering renovating one of the oldest and most influential marine science centers in the country, prompting some to lobby for the facility to relocate across the bay to New Bedford, the nation’s commercial fishing hub.

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center has been in the Falmouth village of Woods Hole since 1871. The current home was built in the 1960s and is surrounded by younger scientific organizations.

New Bedford is about 15 miles northwest of Woods Hole across Buzzards Bay but about 40 miles when traveling by land.

The federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is considering a renovation plan for the science center, which is aging, crowded and short on laboratory space. A consortium of local and state officials from the New Bedford area is lobbying for the center to move to the historic city, which is the country’s top ranking fishing port in dollar value.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Boston Herald

Changing Ocean Conditions Affect Quality of Prey for Atlantic Salmon, Other Species

March 29, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

Researchers have found that changes in ocean conditions in the Northwest Atlantic during the past 40 years have altered the food web, changing the quantity and quality of important prey species. These food-web changes are thought to have influenced the survival and abundance of Atlantic salmon and many other ecologically, commercially, and culturally important species.

“Salmon are a good barometer of what is happening in the marine ecosystem,” said Mark Renkawitz, a salmon researcher at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) and lead author of a study on salmon foraging and the changing food web in the Northwest Atlantic published in Marine Ecology Progress Series. “They are like a canary in the coal mine. Dams and decreasing marine survival rates have been the primary drivers of the declines for many populations. In taking a closer look at the marine part of a salmon’s life, we found that changes in salmon diet may be a big factor.”

Atlantic salmon have a broad range, extending from the US and Portugal in the south to Canada and Russia in the north. After a freshwater phase, juveniles migrate to sea for a year or more, with North American and European salmon stocks congregating at common marine feeding areas like the waters off West Greenland during summer and fall. There, salmon feed on abundant and energy-rich prey such as capelin, a small forage fish. This diet promotes rapid growth and maturation, allowing salmon to undertake long migrations back to their natal rivers to spawn.

Changes in ocean conditions have significantly changed the quality of capelin, the primary prey for both North American and European origin Atlantic salmon feeding at West Greenland. Since the early 1970s, the North American portion of the stock complex at West Greenland has declined approximately 54 percent, and similar declines have been documented for the European stock complexes.

Read the release from NOAA

MASSACHUSETTS: NOAA considers major upgrades in Woods Hole

WOODS HOLE, Mass (March 28, 2016) — The old brick buildings, which lack central air conditioning, can be stifling in the summer and drafty in the winter. Most of the offices are cramped, sometimes forcing scientists to work in hallways and beside equipment as loud as circular saws. Their labs, built during the Kennedy administration, offer little space for serious research.

On the edge of Vineyard Sound, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the federal government’s oldest marine research facility and a pivotal player in the region’s fishing industry, is seeking a major overhaul, through long-deferred renovations or a new center elsewhere in the region.

In the coming weeks, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will decide whether it should spend tens of millions of dollars to modernize the aging research center, a renowned institution that has conducted fisheries research in Woods Hole since 1871.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe

Mayor, supporters intensify push for fisheries center to move from Woods Hole to New Bedford

March 10, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD — A broad group of SouthCoast supporters is backing an intensified push for moving the Northeast Fisheries Science Center from Woods Hole to New Bedford, saying in a letter to the top NOAA administrator this week that bringing government scientists closer to the fishing industry could ease long-simmering tensions.

The letter was sent Monday to NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan, written by Mayor Jon Mitchell and signed by more than 50 people, including port representatives, fishermen, SouthCoast politicians, local economic leaders and more. It describes “persistent distrust between NOAA and the fishing industry” over the last 20 years and says moving the science center to New Bedford could “restore the agency’s credibility in fishing communities,” by fostering communication.

“We have tried over the years to establish a more constructive dialogue with NOAA, and it just hasn’t happened,” Mitchell said Thursday. “I have long stressed that the best way to improve the government’s understanding of fishing communities is to get them to operate in one, and New Bedford is the undisputed center of the commercial fishing industry on the East Coast.”

The National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA), under the federal Department of Commerce, has been assessing the Woods Hole science center for more than a year.

The issue caught broad attention in December, when Falmouth town officials discussed a possible relocation of the center at a public meeting. Teri Frady, spokeswoman for NOAA at the science center, said at the time that repairs, renovations or replacement were possible options.

Paul Doremus, deputy assistant administrator for operations at NOAA Fisheries, said in December that NOAA’s assessment of the Woods Hole laboratory would be completed this spring.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times

Scientists turn to drones to count growing seal colonies

March 7, 2016 — On a remote island off of Nantucket, scientists are using a tool most commonly associated with war and surveillance to get a look at fuzzy baby seals.

Researchers who want to get a handle on the growth of New England’s gray seal population have been using drones as part of an effort to photograph the animals, which gather in huge numbers on remote islands.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration used a pair of unmanned aircraft on Muskeget Island off of Massachusetts to take pictures of seal pups in January. The island is the biggest gray seal breeding colony in the country.

The pictures will help scientists find how many gray seals there are in Northeastern waters, said Kimberly Murray, the coordinator of the seal research program at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

“We need to know how many seals there are before we can know what’s going on, and how to manage them. Or, I should say, manage us,” Murray said.

Read the full story at Gloucester Daily Times