Northwest Atlantic Archives

Celebrating 15 Years of Surveying Protected Species in the Northwest Atlantic

March 21, 2025 — NOAA scientists, a student, and a teacher participating in the NOAA Teacher At Sea Program kicked off a series of surveys supporting the Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species.

“I feel really lucky to have been involved with this program for the last 15 years. This fantastic time series has helped us provide accurate and precise abundance and trends for many of our region’s protected species, interpret their status, and provide data needed for ocean developers and other ocean users,” said Debi Palka, the program’s principal investigator and chief scientist for the shipboard surveys. “Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, our mission is to recover protected marine species while allowing economic growth, recreational opportunities, and offshore marine development in our region. Our program meets those needs. Very few science organizations are able to do this kind of long-term data collection throughout the U.S. Atlantic Ocean.”

The team conducted marine mammal, sea turtle, seabird, and ecosystem surveys aboard a NOAA vessel and plane between January 6 and February 21. Their surveys ran from Massachusetts to North Carolina, inshore to the Exclusive Economic Zone. This winter survey is particularly important because there’s limited winter data on these species, especially in offshore waters.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Gulf of Maine waters warmed to highest fall temperatures on record

January 13, 2022 — The Gulf of Maine – which has been warming faster than 96 percent of the world’s ocean areas – experienced its warmest fall surface water temperatures on record last year in what scientists tracking it call a “distinct regime shift” for the ecosystem.

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland announced its findings Wednesday in its seasonal warming report, which showed average sea surface temperatures in the gulf hit 59.9 degrees, or more than 4 degrees above the long-term average.

Last fall’s figures exceeded even those in the infamous “Northwest Atlantic Ocean heat wave” of 2012, which triggered a two-year explosion in green crabs that devoured clams and eelgrass meadows and led to the starvation of puffin chicks. That warming cycle also triggered the early shedding of Maine lobsters, which fueled armed confrontations between Canadian lobstermen and truckers trying to carry the soft-shell boon to New Brunswick processing plants at the height of Canada’s own lobstering season.

Read the full story and listen to the audio at the Portland Press Herald

NOAA names a new regional administrator

January 12, 2018 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday named Michael Pentonyas its new regional fisheries administrator, succeeding John Bullard.

A New Jersey native, Pentony has worked for the federal agency since 2002, most recently as assistant regional administrator for the sustainable fisheries division, NOAA said in a news release. Pentony will begin his new post Jan. 22.

“Michael’s deep experience in every aspect of sustainable fisheries management, both commercial and recreational, positions him perfectly for this job,” NOAA Fisheries Director Chris Oliver said. “He is going to hit the ground running.”

Pentony will head the agency’s regional office in Gloucester, which is responsible for managing about 100,000 square miles of the Northwest Atlantic. He will also oversee aspects of international fisheries conservation and management, NOAA said.

Read the full story at the Boston Globe

ASMFC: States Schedule Hearings on Draft Addenda XXVI & III to the American Lobster and Jonah Crab FMPs

January 2, 2018 — ARLINGTON, Va. — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

States from Maine through New Jersey have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on American Lobster Draft Addendum XXVI/Jonah Crab Draft Addendum III. The details of those hearings follow.

Maine Department of Marine Resources

January 10, 2018; 6 PM

Scarborough Middle School Cafeteria

21 Quentin Drive

Scarborough, ME

Contact: Pat Keliher at 207.624.6553

January 11, 2018; 6 PM

Ellsworth High School

24 Lejok Street

Ellsworth, ME

Contact: Pat Keliher at 207.624.6553

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

January 16, 2018; 7 PM

Urban Forestry Center

45 Elwyn Road

Portsmouth, NH

Contact: Doug Grout at 603.868.1095

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries*

January 19, 2018; 1PM

Resort and Conference Center of Hyannis

35 Scudder Avenue

Hyannis, MA

Contact: Dan McKiernan at 617.626.1536

* The MA DMF hearing will take place at the MA Lobstermen’s Association Annual Weekend and Industry Trade Show

Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife

January 17, 2018; 6 PM

University of Rhode Island Bay Campus

Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road

Narragansett, RI

Contact: Conor McManus at 401.423.1943

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

January 18, 2018; 7 PM

CT DEEP Boating Education Center

333 Ferry Road

Old Lyme, CT

Contact: Mark Alexander at 860.447.4322

New York Department of Environmental Conservation

January 9, 2018; 6:30 PM

NYSDEC Division of Marine Fisheries

205 N. Belle Mead Road

East Setauket, NY

Contact: Jim Gilmore at 631.444.0430

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

January 8, 2018; 6 PM

Wall Township Municipal Building

Lower Level Community Room

2700 Allaire Road

Wall Township, NJ

Contact: Peter Clarke at 609.748.2020

The Draft Addenda seek to improve harvest reporting and biological data collection in the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries. The Draft Addenda propose using the latest reporting technology, expanding the collection of effort data, increasing the spatial resolution of harvester reporting, and advancing the collection of biological data, particularly offshore.

Recent management action in the Northwest Atlantic, including the protection of deep sea corals, the declaration of a national monument, and the expansion of offshore wind projects, have highlighted deficiencies in current American lobster and Jonah crab reporting requirements. These include a lack of spatial resolution in harvester data and a significant number of fishermen who are not required to report. As a result, efforts to estimate the economic impacts of these various management actions on American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries have been hindered. States have been forced to piece together information from harvester reports, industry surveys, and fishermen interviews to gather the information needed. In addition, as American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries continue to expand offshore, there is a greater disconnect between where the fishery is being prosecuted and where biological sampling is occurring. More specifically, while most of the sampling occurs in state waters, an increasing volume of American lobster and Jonah crab are being harvested in federal waters. The lack of biological information on the offshore portions of these fisheries can impede effective management.

The Draft Addenda present three questions for public comment: (1) what percentage of harvesters should be required to report in the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries; (2) should current data elements be expanded to collect a greater amount of information in both fisheries; and (3) at what scale should spatial information be collected. In addition, the Draft Addenda provide several recommendations to NOAA Fisheries for data collection of offshore American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries. These include implementation of a harvester reporting requirement for federal lobster permit holders, creation of a fixed-gear VTR form, and expansion of a biological sampling program offshore.

The Draft Addenda, which are combined into one document that would modify management programs for both species upon its adoption, is available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/LobsterDraftAddXXVI_JonahDraftAddIII_PublicComment.pdf or on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org (under Public Input).Fishermen and other interested groups 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 5:00 PM (EST) on January 22, 2018 and should be forwarded to Megan Ware, FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Lobster Draft Addendum XXVI).

Learn more about the ASMFC by visiting their site here.

NOAA Seeks Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Commissioner

December 27, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is seeking a U.S. citizen to serve a four-year term as a Commissioner representing the commercial fishing industry to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). NAFO is a regional fisheries management organization with 12 Contracting Parties that coordinates scientific study and cooperative management of the fisheries resources of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, excluding salmon, tunas/marlins, whales, and sedentary species (e.g., shellfish). NAFO was established in 1979 by the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries. The United States joined NAFO in 1995.

The U.S. Commissioner to NAFO representing the commercial fishing industry must be knowledgeable and experienced in the conservation and management of fisheries in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. The role of the U.S. industry Commissioner is to provide advice and support to the Federal Commissioner during NAFO meetings and to participate in the domestic U.S. advisory process for NAFO. The U.S. industry Commissioner is expected to serve on U.S. delegations to NAFO, including attending the NAFO annual meeting each September and other relevant meetings held during the year. The non-government Commissioners may not serve more than two consecutive four-year terms.

Learn more about NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region here.

States Schedule Hearings on Draft Addenda XXVI & III to the American Lobster and Jonah Crab FMPs

November 16, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Arlington, VA – States from Maine through New Jersey have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on American Lobster Draft Addendum XXVI/Jonah Crab Draft Addendum III. The details of those hearings follow.

Maine Department of Marine Resources

January 10, 2018; 6 PM

* Scarborough, ME

Contact: Pat Keliher at 207.624.6553

* Specific location to be determined

January 11, 2018; 6 PM

Ellsworth High School

24 Lejok Street

Ellsworth, ME

Contact: Pat Keliher at 207.624.6553

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

January 16, 2018; 7 PM

Urban Forestry Center

45 Elwyn Road

Portsmouth, NH

Contact: Doug Grout at 603.868.1095

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

January 19, 2018; 1PM

Resort and Conference Center of Hyannis

35 Scudder Avenue

Hyannis, MA

Contact: Dan McKiernan at 617.626.1536

* The MA DMF hearing will take place at the MA Lobstermen’s Association Annual Weekend and Industry Trade Show

Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife

January 17, 2018; 6 PM

University of Rhode Island Bay Campus

Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road

Narragansett, RI

Contact: Conor McManus at 401.423.1943

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

January 18, 2018; 7 PM

CT DEEP Boating Education Center

333 Ferry Road

Old Lyme, CT

Contact: Mark Alexander at 860.447.4322

New York Department of Environmental Conservation

January 9, 2018; 6:30 PM

NYSDEC Division of Marine Fisheries

205 N. Belle Mead Road

East Setauket, NY

Contact: Jim Gilmore at 631.444.0430

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

January 8, 2018; 6 PM

Wall Township Municipal Building

Lower Level Community Room

2700 Allaire Road

Wall Township, NJ

Contact: Peter Clarke at 609.748.2020

The Draft Addenda, which are combined into one document that would modify management programs for both species upon its adoption, is available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/LobsterDraftAddXXVIJonahDraftAddIIIPublicComment.pdf or on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org (under Public Input). Fishermen and other interested groups 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 5:00 PM (EST) on January 22, 2018 and should be forwarded to Megan Ware, FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Lobster Draft Addendum XXVI).

To learn more about the ASMFC visit their site here.

ASMFC American Lobster Board Approves Draft Addenda XXVI & III to the American Lobster and Jonah Crab FMPs for Public Comment

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

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board approved American Lobster Draft Addendum XXVI/Jonah Crab Draft Addendum III for public comment. Given the same data collection needs apply to both American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries, Draft Addendum XXVI and Draft Addendum III are combined into one document that would modify management programs for both species upon its adoption. The Draft Addenda seek to improve harvest reporting and biological data collection in the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries. The Draft Addenda propose using the latest reporting technology, expanding the collection of effort data, increasing the spatial resolution of harvester reporting, and advancing the collection of biological data, particularly offshore.

It is anticipated the majority of states from Maine through New Jersey will be conducting public hearings on the Draft Addenda. The details of those hearings will be released in a subsequent press release. The Draft Addenda will be available on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org (under Public Input) by October 27^th. Fishermen and other interested groups 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 5:00 PM (EST) on January 22, 2017 and should be forwarded to Megan Ware, FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741(FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addenda XXVI & III).

CLARKE: In hot water

May 19, 2017 — As the president claims that climate change is a “Chinese hoax” and members of Congress deny that it even exists, those of us who live by the sea can testify firsthand to its impacts. They include bigger storms, accelerated sea-level rise and warmer waters. In America’s first seaport, those are game changers to our way of life. They affect our community’s character, soul and livelihood, especially in the commercial fishery.

The biggest long-term threat to fishing in the northwest Atlantic is not excessive regulations, national marine monuments, or overfishing — it’s hot water. Cold water species like cod, and even lobsters and northern shrimp, have to put up with living conditions so uncomfortable that they may be leaving home and heading north.

A recent issue of the journal “Science” shows that over the last 10 years, temperatures in our front yard, the Gulf of Maine, have increased three times faster than almost all of the earth’s oceans. Gulf surface temperatures increased four degrees between 2005 and 2013 and scientists tell us they could go even higher. That spells disaster for the Gulf’s ecosystem.

The world’s oceans absorb most of the heat humans produce, but when we deposit too much heat into the atmosphere and adjacent waters below, sea life pays the price. With nature out of balance, fisheries shift, oceans acidify, and life-sustaining oxygen levels decrease.

Especially alarming is what we are seeing at the lower levels of the food chain. As water temperatures spike, copepods are disappearing. These tiny plankton-like crustaceans anchor the Gulf’s food chain and when they leave, the chain starts to unravel from the bottom up and fish productivity suffers.

Read the full story at The Gloucester Times

U.S. and Canada fishing areas boast highest certified sustainable catch

December 21st, 2016 — The following was released by the Maine Stewardship Council:

A whopping 83 percent* of the total catch from the Northeast Pacific fishing area (including Northern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea waters) is certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sustainable fishing standard. That’s 2.6 million metric tons of MSC certified seafood annually. Of the major global fishing areas, the Northeast Pacific – home to MSC certified salmon, Albacore tuna, pink shrimp, hake, halibut, sablefish, Pacific cod, and Alaska pollock fisheries – ranks #1 for the percentage of catch that is MSC certified.

Another North American fishing area, the Northwest Atlantic (including waters from North Carolina, the U.S. mid-Atlantic, New England, and Eastern Canada) ranked seventh globally with 32 percent (580,000 metric tons) of the total catch being MSC certified. This area is home to MSC certified swordfish, spiny dogfish, sea scallop, lobster, Acadian redfish, haddock, pollock, Atlantic halibut, snow crab, Northern shrimp and Arctic surf clam fisheries.

The analysis and ranking was done as part of the recently published MSC Annual Report 2015-2016, which also reported that MSC certified fisheries caught more than 9.3 million metric tons of seafood in 2015-16, representing almost 10 percent of the total global wild caught seafood by volume.

The global volume of MSC certified catch has increased by 6% since 2014-15, while the MSC certified supply chain has climbed 16% over the same period. Between April 2015 and March 2016, the number of processors, restaurants and caterers with MSC Chain of Custody grew from 2,879 to 3,334 companies, operating in 37,121 sites across 82 countries. More than 20,000 products now carry the blue MSC label and can be traced back to fisheries which meet the MSC’s world-class standard for sustainable fishing.

Commenting on the results, Brian Perkins, MSC Regional Director – Americas, said, “When people purchase MSC certified seafood, their choice supports fishermen around the world who are working hard to meet the world’s most rigorous standard for environmental sustainability. While we’re proud of the MSC certified fisheries here in North America, it takes a global effort to safeguard seafood supplies for the future.”

Christina Burridge, Executive Director, B.C. Seafood Alliance and Chair, International Association of Sustainable Fisheries, said: “Fishermen on the Pacific Coast of the US and Canada are proud to be recognized by the MSC for their responsible stewardship of a renewable food resource for our countries and the world. We look forward to the day when most of the world’s fisheries can meet the MSC standard.”

All MSC certified seafood comes from fisheries which have been independently certified to the MSC’s standard for sustainable fishing, widely recognized as the world’s most credible and robust seafood sustainability certification.

###

Media contact:

Jon Corsiglia, US Media Manager, Marine Stewardship Council, jon.corsiglia@msc.org +1 (202) 793-3286

Landmark Legislation A Victory For High Seas Fisheries Management

December 13th, 2016 — On the high seas, our nation has all hands on deck.

Congress just passed landmark legislation giving the U.S. a formal role in international organizations that govern vastly important areas of the North and South Pacific Oceans, including the high seas adjacent to Alaska and the Pacific Islands and American Samoa, respectively.

Further, sweeping improvements were made to existing international fishery management in the Northwest Atlantic, which includes waters off the coasts of New England and Canada. Collectively, this week’s passage of three major bills demonstrates a renewed commitment to sustainably manage fisheries on the high seas and to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems from the effects of adverse fishing practices.

The milestone legislation is of particular interest to Hawaiian fishing interests. The U.S. can now bring its best practices to the management of seriously depleted stocks such as jack mackerel in the South Pacific and pelagic armorhead in the North Pacific. It further opens opportunities to advance U.S. interests in developing sustainable squid and other new fisheries on the high seas and, where U.S. fleets are active, to improve coordination with other organizations managing tuna, swordfish and other valuable species.

While the United States has long worked with other nations to improve international fisheries management, the new legislation ensures that our country will fully and formally participate in developing standards for best fishing practices in two new international organizations in the North and South Pacific, respectively. Until now, our status with these organizations has essentially been that of observer. With the new legislation, the U.S. will speak with an active global voice. We have new opportunities to learn, and a proud track record to share and leverage.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat