Saving Seafood

Lobstermen, scientists concerned about sea level, temperature rise

November 10, 2016 — PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Lobstermen and scientists are concerned about rising sea temperatures and sea level rise in the state’s Seacoast region.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, went out on a lobster boat out of Portsmouth harbor Aug. 30 to talk to fisherman about concerns they have for the potential for temperature rise in the waters and how it could impact the state’s prized, $23 million a year fishery.

Waiting for her on the dock as she returned were officials from the Rockingham County Planning Commission to discuss a related issue: sea level rise and its impacts on the seacoast.

The two go hand in hand because they are both linked to climate change.

The largest high tide of the year, the King Tide, is expected on New Hampshire’s seacoast Nov. 15.

It will give residents a glimpse into the future, where high water could be the norm. Hopefully, there will not be a weather event late that morning which would possibly impact low-lying structures.

Scientists predict that the average high tide in New Hampshire could rise by two feet in the next 35 years and be six feet higher by the year 2100 due to climate change.

These tides could damage homes, infrastructure and the tourist economy of the state.

Both Shaheen and her Republican counterpart, U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-New Hampshire, together worked successfully last month to fight off an effort by Sweeden to ban the import of the American lobster. The European Union rejected Sweden’s request on Oct. 14.

Read the full story at WMUR

Gulf of Maine shrimp season likely to be canceled

October 28th, 2016 — The Gulf of Maine has been closed to shrimping for the past three seasons and it now appears regulators will continue the shutdown throughout the upcoming 2017 season.

When the Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission’s shrimp section convenes Nov. 10 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, members will be greeted with a recommendation from its northern shrimp technical committee that the closure extend through a fourth consecutive season.

“Given the continued poor condition of the resource and poor prospects for the near future, the NSTC recommends that the Northern Shrimp Section extend the moratorium through 2017,” the technical committee wrote in the summary of its 2016 Gulf of Maine northern shrimp stock assessment.

 According to the assessment, not much has changed since the ASMFC closed the shrimp fishery following the 2013 season in which harvesters landed only 55 percent (346 metric tons) of the total allowable catch of 625 metric tons set by ASMFC for that season.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times 

ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section and Advisory Panel to Meet November 10th to Set 2017 Fishery Specifications

October 27, 2016 — The following was released by the ASMFC:

Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section (Section) and Advisory Panel will meet on November 10, 2016 in Urban Forestry Center, 45 Elwyn Road, Portsmouth, New Hampshire; 603.431.6774. The Advisory Panel will meet in the morning (10-11:30 a.m.) to review the 2016 Stock Status Report and Technical Committee recommendations, and formulate recommendations to the Section for the 2017 fishing season. The Section will meet in the afternoon (1-3 p.m.) to set 2017 specifications after reviewing the 2016 Stock Status Report, as well as the recommendations from the Technical Committee and Advisory Panel.

For the past three fishing seasons (2014-2016), based on the status of the resource, which is considered at record low levels and experiencing poor recruitment since 2012, a moratorium has been in place for the Gulf of Maine northern shrimp fishery.

Both meetings are open to the public. The draft agendas for the meetings can be found athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/NoShrimp_Section_AP_Nov2016.pdf

ASMFC to Review Gulf of Maine Shrimp Stock Survey, Determine 2017 Season Status in November Meeting

October 20, 2016 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission will decide in November whether the Gulf of Maine shrimp fishery, which has been closed for the previous three seasons, will remain closed for the 2017 season.

The commission is scheduled to meet Nov. 10 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, first to review the most recent stock status report for northern shrimp and technical recommendations from the shrimp advisory panel. It will then set the specifications for the upcoming season.

Tina Berger, ASMFC spokeswoman, said the 2016 status report has not been finalized, but said she would be surprised if the stock status report revealed anything resembling an extraordinary comeback for the species.

“I haven’t seen the report, but I would be surprised if there was a season,” Berger said. “If there is one, it would probably be a very small one. But again, I haven’t seen the report.”

The stock status reports dating back to 2012 reveal a species in free fall, with record low levels of abundance and biomass and poor recruitment since 2012. Those assessments showed problems with overfishing, warming water temperatures and a dwindling number of spawning females.

The dire state of the fishery and the resulting closures also have given rise to a discussion among New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts about future fishery management options for the beleaguered fishery — including limiting access to what historically has been an open fishery.

Those discussions bogged down last year, and the ASMFC halted further development of the draft amendment addressing access to the collapsed fishery.

Berger said the states met again this summer to try to iron out differences, but came no closer to finding the common ground necessary to draft a workable amendment with limited entry at its core.

“It’s still in the development stages,” Berger said. “They figured that, given the state of the stock, there really was no reason to rush it at this point given the status of the stock.”

Maine harvesters dominated the fishery the last time it was open in 2013. Of the 207 vessels permitted to shrimp in the Gulf of Maine, 180 had hailing ports in Maine, while Massachusetts and New Hampshire each had 13. One vessel landed its shrimp in both Maine and New Hampshire.

Maine shrimpers in 2013 accounted for 83 percent, or 255.5 metric tons, of the total 307 metric tons of shrimp landed — which represented only 50.8 percent of the allowable catch and was the lowest seasonal harvest since the fishery was closed altogether in 1978.

New Hampshire was next with 10 percent (31.3 metric tons) and Massachusetts was third with 7 percent (20.3 metric tons).

This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Last of the fishermen: NH’s ground fishing captains fading away

October 11th, 2016 — Dozens of commercial fishing boats were once docked along the New Hampshire coastline and trawled through the Gulf of Maine to drag in thousands of pounds of cod.

Today, only about five commercial ground fishermen remain active in New Hampshire. And as they continue to struggle with strict regulations on cod and other species of groundfish, many question the future of groundfishing in the Granite State.

One active ground fisherman, Neil Pike, said “there ain’t one.” He lives in Seabrook and fishes out of Hampton Harbor where he said there used to be 13 other fishing vessels docked next to his. Now, he said there are three and he owns two of them.

“There is no future,” Pike added as he looked out the window of his harborside home where his boats are docked.

Jamie Hayward, 42, a gillnetter who fishes out of Portsmouth, said he once had six or seven crew members and brought in more than twice the amount of income he is making today. Strict cod catch limits and added costs from the federal government, he said, forced him to shrink his business and take up fishing for lobster part-time to keep his business alive.

“There’s a few of us that are surviving on a lot less than what we generated (before),” Hayward said. “There aren’t a lot of people that are catching fish and making money. It’s just not happening.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the nation’s fisheries, cut cod quotas for ground fishermen by approximately 95 percent in the Gulf of Maine over the course of a few years leading up to this fishing year. NOAA researchers say cod stocks are dangerously low and require the restrictions to help them bounce back.

NOAA increased Gulf of Maine cod allocations by 30 percent this year, but fishermen say it is not nearly enough. The number of ground fishermen dropped from nine last year. Dan Salerno, who manages the fishing sector that includes New Hampshire, said the exact number of ground fishermen today is hard to pin down as people change their status throughout the year. Some are waiting to fish their quota until the end of the year and are remaining inactive until then.

Read the full story at The Portsmouth Herald

September 16 Atlantic Herring Area 1A Trimester 3 Days Out Meeting Changed to a Conference Call

September 2, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section (Section) members from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts are meeting via conference call at 9 a.m. on September 16, 2016 to discuss days out measures for Trimester 3 (October 1 to December 31). The members have deferred discussion of alternative management approaches for Area 1A until the Section meets in October at the Commission’s Annual Meeting. This conference call replaces the previously scheduled in-person meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

The 2016 Area 1A sub-annual catch limit is 30,102 metric tons (mt) including carryover of unharvested catch in 2014 and deductions for the research and fixed gear set-aside in 2016. The Section set the seasonal split as 72.8% allocated from June 1 – September 30 and 27.2% allocated from October 1 – December 31. The seasonal quota for Trimester 3 amounts to 7,533 mt.

Fishermen and other interested parties are welcome to listen in and participate at the Chair’s discretion. Join via telephone by dialing 1-888-394-8197 and entering the passcode 499811. For more information, please contact Ashton Harp, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or aharp@asmfc.org.

Atlantic Herring Area 1A Days Out Meeting Scheduled for September 16, 2016

August 25, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section (Section) members from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts will meet from 9:15 a.m. through Noon on September 16, 2016 to discuss days out measures for Trimester 3 (October 1 to December 31), review recent fishing effort in Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) and discuss alternative management approaches for Area 1A. This meeting will take place at the Portsmouth Library at 175 Parrott Ave Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801.

The 2016 Area 1A sub-annual catch limit is 30,102 metric tons (mt) including carryover of unharvested catch in 2014 and deductions for the research and fixed gear set-aside in 2016. The Section set the seasonal split as 72.8% allocated from June 1 – September 30 and 27.2% allocated from October 1 – December 31. The seasonal quota for Trimester 3 amounts to 7,533 mt.

As a reminder, the seasonal quota for Trimester 2 is 20,161 mt. As of August 22, 2016, 78% of the Trimester 2 quota has been harvested.

Portsmouth seafood supplier: Double inspection is bad for business, health

June 7, 2016 — PORTSMOUTH, NH — Officials at High Liner Foods in Portsmouth say that a duplicative inspection program for catfish is hindering their growth.

Traditionally, the Food and Drug Administration was tasked with oversight of all fish. But a provision included in the 2008 Farm Bill removed FDA oversight of catfish, and transferred inspection responsibilities to the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now, companies such as High Liner are subject to redundant regulations and duplicate inspection activities, they say.

CEO Keith Decker says the provision is not only bad for business, it is bad for the health of Americans, who eat less than half of the recommended amount of seafood.

“We have to figure out a way to be able to more than double seafood consumption, so we hope through our work, and the support of our senators, we can continue to eliminate these efforts to block seafood consumption through trade protectionism, etc., so we can continue to expand our work,” Decker said.

Decker said because of the current inspection process, he has to have a separate inspector in all of their facilities.

U.S. Sens. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., toured the company Monday morning, learning about its products, and speaking with employees about the recent passage of a Resolution of Disapproval that would block the USDA program.

Read the full story at the New Hampshire Union Leader

ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section Resumes Development of Draft Amendment 3

June 7, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

PORTSMOUTH, NH – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section resumed development of Draft Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp. The amendment was initiated in 2014 to address overcapacity in the fishery. Prior to closure of the fishery in 2014 due to a collapsed resource, overcapacity had been identified as an important issue to be addressed in order to effectively control harvest.

Draft Amendment 3 explores state-by-state allocations, seasonal- and area-based management to manage effort in the fishery, and the mandatory use of size sorting grate systems to minimize harvest of small shrimp and ensure resource sustainability. The draft amendment will also explore additional reporting measures to ensure all harvested shrimp are being reported.  The Section removed limited entry as an option for consideration in the draft amendment with the understanding that Maine would explore alternative options to reduce overcapacity in the state’s fishery.

The Section will meet in November to review the 2016 stock status report for northern shrimp and set fishery specifications for the 2017 fishing season. The draft amendment will be presented to the Section for its consideration this winter.

Future of Gulf of Maine shrimp fishery up for discussion

May 26, 2016 — PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Interstate fishing regulators will meet to discuss what New England’s shuttered coldwater shrimp industry should look like if it reopens.

The little pink shrimp, Pandalus borealis, were popular as a grocery store item and with restaurants until regulators shut the fishery down in 2013. Scientists say warming ocean temperatures have made New England waters inhospitable for shrimp.

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section will meet in Portsmouth on June 3 to discuss how much participation the fishery might be able to sustain if it reopens. The board will also consider the possibility of limiting entry into the fishery.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times