Saving Seafood

Locked in and off-loaded: Quotas stifle diversity and stability in fishing

July 25, 2019 — As any commercial fisherman knows, fishing is a risky business. Fluctuations in markets, regulations, fish populations and the weather — not to mention the climate’s growing volatility — can result in fluctuating income that can threaten a fisherman’s livelihood.

Buffering against these fluctuations might mean taking a page from another risky business: the stock market.

A growing body of research is showing that, in most cases, fishermen are more likely to have stable year-to-year incomes if they diversify their fishing portfolios, much like an investor would diversify a stock portfolio, giving them a safety net to weather whatever the year brings.

“It can really pay for fishermen to diversify,” said Anne Beaudreau, a fisheries professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

But there’s a surprising and troubling hitch to the promise of diversification. Alaskan fishermen are trending in a different direction — fewer people are fishing, and they are fishing fewer types of fish.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NOAA Announces 2017 Limited Opening of Recreational and Commercial Red Snapper Fishery in South Atlantic Federal Waters

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

KEY MESSAGE:

  • Red snapper recreational and commercial seasons will open in South Atlantic federal waters for limited harvest in 2017 through emergency action.
  • The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council requested the opening after recent scientific information indicated a large increase in the size of the red snapper population since 2010.
  • NOAA Fisheries determined the limited harvest in 2017 is neither expected to result in overfishing, nor prevent continued rebuilding of the population.WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:
  • The recreational sector will open for harvest on weekends only (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) on the following days:
    • November 3, 4, and 5, 2017 – The recreational season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 3, 2017, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 6, 2017.
    • November 10, 11, and 12, 2017 – The recreational season opens again at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 10, 2017, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 13, 2017.
  • The commercial sector will open for harvest upon implementation of the emergency rule at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 2, 2017, and will close at 11:59 p.m., local time, on December 31, 2017, unless the commercial annual catch limit is met or projected to be met before this date.
    • NOAA Fisheries will announce if the commercial sector needs to close before 11:59 p.m., local time, on December 31, 2017.

 THE REGULATIONS DURING THE LIMITED SEASONS ARE:

  • For the recreational sector, the bag limit is one red snapper per person per day. This applies to private and charterboat/headboat vessels (the captain and crew on for-hire vessels may retain the recreational bag limit).
  • For the commercial sector, the trip limit is 75 pounds gutted weight.
  • There are no minimum size limits for the recreational and commercial sectors.
  • The recreational and commercial catch limits are 29,656 fish and 124,815 pounds whole weight, respectively.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) 

When are the 2017 South Atlantic recreational and commercial red snapper seasons?

  • The recreational sector will open for harvest on weekends only (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) on the following days:
    • November 3, 4, and 5, 2017 – The recreational season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 3, 2017, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 6, 2017.
    • November 10, 11, and 12, 2017 – The recreational season opens again at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 10, 2017, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 13, 2017.
  • The commercial sector will open for harvest upon implementation of the emergency rule at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 2, 2017, and will close at 11:59 p.m., local time, on December 31, 2017, unless the commercial annual catch limit is met or projected to be met before this date.
    NOAA Fisheries will announce if the commercial sector needs to close before December 31, 2017.

    • NOAA Fisheries will announce if the commercial sector needs to close before December 31, 2017.

What are the regulations for red snapper during these seasons?

    • Recreational annual catch limit of 29,656 fish.
    • The recreational bag limit is one red snapper per person per day.
    • Commercial annual catch limit of 124,815 pounds whole weight.
    • The commercial trip limit is 75 pounds gutted weight.
    • There is no minimum size limit for both the recreational and commercial sectors.

What is the history of red snapper harvest and prohibitions in the South Atlantic Region?  

  • Harvest of red snapper from South Atlantic federal waters was prohibited in 2010 when the population was determined to be severely overfished and undergoing overfishing (Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review [SEDAR] 15).
  • Amendment 28 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region established a process that allowed harvest if total removals (landings plus dead discards) were below the acceptable biological catch in the previous year.
  • Limited harvest of red snapper was allowed in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
  • The estimated total removals of red snapper exceeded the acceptable biological catch in 2014, 2015, and 2016, resulting in no allowable harvest since 2014.

What is the current status of the red snapper population in the South Atlantic Region?

  • The latest population assessment (SEDAR 41) was completed in 2016 and revised in 2017. It indicated the South Atlantic red snapper population is overfished and undergoing overfishing; however, the population is rebuilding.
  • The red snapper overfishing determination in the assessment came from 2012-2014 when only a small amount of harvest was allowed to occur. However, discards during this time period were high due to fishermen targeting species that co-occur with red snapper, which likely contributed to the overfishing determination.
  • SEDAR 41 stated that recreational discards were one of the most important and uncertain sources of information used in the stock assessment during the harvest prohibition from 2010-2014.
  • The harvest prohibition in 2015 and 2016 has contributed towards addressing overfishing of red snapper supported by an increase in population biomass of red snapper since 2010.

Why is limited harvest of red snapper being allowed in 2017?

  • Recently available fisheries independent studies by the Southeast Reef Fish Survey program available here and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission available here have shown relative abundance of red snapper has increased since 2014, and was highest in 2017.
  • The scientific studies also show a greater number of large red snapper and a broader range of ages in recent years suggesting rebuilding of the red snapper population despite the limited harvest allowed in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
  • The total annual catch limit implemented by this temporary rule equals the landings of red snapper during the limited harvest in 2014.
  • The harvest prohibitions of red snapper since 2010 have resulted in adverse socio-economic effects to fishermen and fishing communities such as loss of additional revenue and recreational opportunities, as well as indirect benefits to businesses that provide supplies for fishing trips.
  • Collection of fishery dependent data is limited during harvest prohibitions. Federal and state personnel will collect information, including catch data and biological samples during the open season in 2017, which will inform future population assessments for red snapper.

How will the limited harvest in 2017 affect the overfishing and overfished status of red snapper?

  • 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.

What are some Best Fishing Practices while fishing for red snapper?
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council identified the following best practices to reduce release mortality and further protect the population as it rebuilds:

    • Avoid areas likely to have red snapper if you already have met your recreational bag limit. If you are approaching your commercial vessel limit, move to a different area.
    • When red snapper are out of season, avoid areas where they are common.
    • Use single hook rigs since the recreational bag limit for red snapper during the limited fishing season is one per person per day. This will potentially reduce the number of red snapper that are caught on one drop.
    • Use a dehooking device to remove the hook. Keep fish in the water if you plan to release them or return them as quickly as possible.
    • Use descending devices when releasing fish with signs of barotrauma.

Where can I find more information on the environmental assessment and temporary final rule through emergency action?

  • Contact NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

By Mail: Nikhil Mehta

NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

Sustainable Fisheries Division

263 13th Avenue South

St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505

By FAX: (727) 824-5308

By Phone: (727) 824-5305

The environmental assessment and temporary final rule through emergency action may be found online at the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office Web site at: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/s_atl/sg/2017/red_snapper_er_2017/index.html 

Additional information on management of red snapper in the South Atlantic may be found at: http://safmc.net/regulations/regulations-by-species/red-snapper/

Access this and other Fishery Bulletins from NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office by clicking here.

 

Ray Hilborn tells US Senate overfishing shouldn’t be most important concern

October 25, 2017 — WASHINGTON — A U.S. Senate subcommittee considering the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act heard additional testimony Tuesday, with a University of Washington researcher telling lawmakers the U.S. is leaving money in the ocean.

Ray Hilborn, a professor at the university’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, noted that in many cases fisheries aren’t even bringing in half of the total allowable catch in some seasons. For example, in 2015, mixed bottom commercial fishermen caught USD 65 million (EUR 55.1 million) worth of fish available in the West Coast. The total allowable catch had an estimated value around USD 168 million (EUR 142.5 million).

Read the full story at Seafood Source 

 

Scallop Fishermen will be Allowed to Catch More Next Year

November 17, 2016 — PORTLAND, Maine – The federal government plans to allow scallop fishermen to catch more shellfish next year as consumer demand grows.

The New England Fishery Management Council on Wednesday approved rules for the fishing year that begins spring 2017. The rules are expected to yield about 47 million pounds of scallops.

The decision represents a slight increase from this year’s rules, which are expected to allow fishermen to catch 46.9 million pounds of scallops. That was a 30 percent increase from the 36 million pounds of scallops fishermen landed in 2015.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Maine Public Radio

NOAA Fisheries Announces Management Measures for 2016-2018 Spiny Dogfish Fishery

August 12, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA: 

NOAA Fisheries announces the 2016-2018 final management measures for the spiny dogfish fishery.

We are increasing the spiny dogfish federal trip limit from 5,000 lb to 6,000 lb. Increasing the trip limits will help an underutilized fishery better achieve optimum yield.

Commercial Spiny Dogfish Quotas Through FY 2018

2016: 40.4 million pounds (-20% from 2015)

2017: 39.1 million pounds (-23% from 2015)

2018: 38.2 million pounds (-25% from 2015)

While these quotas are lower than the 2015 quotas, the limits are substantially higher than actual landings in the fishery since 2000, and approximately twice the 2014 landings. We are reducing the quota due to a biomass decline of spiny dogfish.

These changes are effective August 15, 2016.

Read the permit holder bulletin and the final rule as published in the Federal Register.

NOAA Announces New Fisheries Allocation Policy

August 8, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA and our partners at the Fisheries Management Councils have taken an important step to clarify how allocations of fish harvest among recreational, commercial, and subsistence fishermen should be made.

Today, NOAA is issuing an agency Fisheries Allocation and Review Policy (pdf). We are issuing two complementary procedural directives to provide guidance for implementing the policy: Recommended Practices and Factors  to Consider When Reviewing and Making Allocation Decisions (pdf) and Criteria for Initiating Fisheries Allocation Reviews (pdf).

We’ll also host a conference call on Tuesday, August 2 at 4 pm (EDT) to discuss the policy and answer any questions for the recreational community.

Join the call:

Phone number: 1-800-369-1932

Passcode: 42334

You’ve told us in the past that allocations can seem locked in place, unable to keep pace with changing fisheries. We appreciate your perspective and that is why we included a commitment to examine allocations in our National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy Implementation Plan.

Over the last couple of years, we worked with the Council Coordination Committee to create a more transparent mechanism to ensure fisheries allocations are periodically evaluated to remain relevant to current conditions.

These new documents provide guidance to Fishery Management Councils on when to revisit allocations and what factors to consider when making allocation decisions.

The policy and associated guidance are positive steps that bring some clarity to a longstanding and complicated issue.

MAINE: Harvest Season for Biggest US Producer of Baby Eels Wraps Up

May 17, 2016 — PORTLAND, Maine — The nation’s biggest producer of valuable baby eels is nearing the close of a much more productive harvesting season.

The state’s baby eels, called elvers or glass eels, are a major fishery because they are prized by aquaculture companies and demand for them is high. Fishermen in Maine, the only state with a significant elver fishery, are allowed to catch about 9,700 pounds of the elvers every spring.

Fishermen are within 900 pounds of the quota, and the elvers have sold for about $1,450 per pound this year — less than last year’s record of nearly $2,200, but easily enough for a greater total value.

Asian aquaculture companies buy the elvers to use as seed stock so they can be raised to maturity and used as food, including sushi, some of which comes back to America.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at Food Manufacturing

Key Scallop Fishing Area in Maine to Be Closed for 9 Months

May 13, 2016 — Federal regulators are shutting down scallop fishing in the northern Gulf of Maine, which is one of the most important harvesting areas for the shellfish.

Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday that fishermen have reached their quota for the area and it will be closed starting Friday. The closure of the area to federally permitted scallop boats will last until next Feb. 28.

The closure is the first of its kind since the current quota system was implemented in 2008, New England Fishery Management Council analyst Deirdre Boelke said. She said it’s unlikely to have a dramatic impact on the availability or price of scallops nationally.

Read the full story at ABC News

NOAA reduces monitoring requirements, sets groundfish catch limits in Northeast US

May 4, 2016 — At-sea monitoring requirements for Northeast multispecies groundfish vessels have been lowered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), bringing relief to fishermen who have been forced to absorb its cost due to a recent policy change.

In the same ruling, NOAA also set quotas for 2016 to 2018 covering 20 groundfish stocks, including decreasing the quota for Georges Bank cod to a level that will be “devastating” to the Northeast groundfishing fleet, according to one fisherman.

NOAA’s final rules, known as Framework 55, were filed Monday, 2 May and went into immediate effect to coincide with the beginning of the 2016 fishing season. Commercial groundfish operators will only be required to pay for monitors on 10 percent of their trips, whereas previously they had been expected to pay for them on 20 percent of their trips. The Northeast Fisheries Observer Program will pay for an additional four percent of the monitoring, pushing monitoring requirements to 14 percent of groundfish fishing trips taken by commercial vessels.

NOAA cited standards that required it to minimize costs and adverse economic impacts, while maintaining sound scientific practices to ensure sustainable fishing levels, as a reason for the lowering of the requirements.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource.com 

NOAA Announces Gulf Red Snapper Harvest to Open June 1

April 29, 2016 — NOAA Fisheries has announced the recreational season for the harvest of red snapper in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico will open at 12:01 a.m. June 1, 2016. The bag and possession limit is two fish per person at a 16-inch minimum total length.

Last year, NOAA Fisheries, through the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council), made the decision to split the recreational red snapper quota into two distinct components – private anglers and charter vessels and headboats (for-hire). Each component has its own quota allocations based upon NOAA’s recreational red snapper harvest estimates. Private anglers will have a 9-day federal season running through June 9th closing at 11:59 p.m., and charter vessels / headboats will have a 46-day federal season, closing July 16th at 11:59 p.m.

The “Louisiana-only” season

The season for the recreational harvest of red snapper in Louisiana state waters is currently open, will remain open during the federal season, and will continue to be open after the federal season closes. LDWF monitors real-time red snapper harvest during 2016 through the LA Creel program.

Recreational Offshore Landing Permit

The Department reminds anglers that a Recreational Offshore Landing Permit is required in order to posses certain species, including red snapper. Anglers may obtain or new the permit, free of charge at https://rolp.wlf.la.gov.

The permit is required for any angler possessing tuna, billfish, swordfish, amberjacks, groupers, snappers, hinds, wahoo, cobia and dolphin, except for anglers under 16 years of age or anglers fishing on a paid-for-hire trip where the captain holds a permit.

Read the full story at The Fishing Wire