Saving Seafood

NEFMC Discusses Red Hake Research Track Assessment, Rebuilding Measures

May 5, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

During its April 14-15, 2020 webinar meeting, the New England Fishery Management Council received a presentation from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center on preliminary results from the Red Hake Stock Structure Peer Review meeting. It then received a progress report on management measures that are under development to rebuild the southern stock of red hake. The Council is scheduled to take final action on this rebuilding package in June.

Currently, red hake is assessed as two distinct stocks – one northern and one southern (see map). As part of the research track assessment, a working group was established to evaluate whether it is appropriate to continuing using this two-stock assumption or whether an alternative approach would be better.

The working group was made up of scientists from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, state agencies, and academia. It met several times between November 2019 and February 2020 and examined red hake growth, maturity, spawning patterns, and other characteristics. The working group also was charged with evaluating how well the federal bottom trawl survey catches red hake and what that means for population assessments

Read the full release here

NEFMC Addresses Recreational eVTRs, Chub Mackerel; Receives Ecosystem, Stellwagen, Whale Updates

April 29, 2020 — The New England Fishery Management Council met April 14-15, 2020 by webinar and covered a wide range of issues. In addition to the actions it took on Atlantic sea scallops, groundfish, Atlantic herring, and red hake, the Council also:

  • Discussed matters involving recreational electronic vessel trip reports (eVTRs) and Atlantic chub mackerel – see pages 2 and 3 for details;
  • Received a presentation from: (1) the Northeast Fisheries Science Center on the 2020 State of the Ecosystem report covering New England, and (2) the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee, which made recommendations on the report;
  • Received a short update on work being conducted by the Council’s Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) Committee;

Read the full story from the New England Fishery Management Council

New England Council Update – February 24, 2020

February 24, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

Here are several timely meetings and management actions that directly relate to the work of the New England Fishery Management Council.

SCALLOPS:  The Council’s Scallop Advisory Panel (AP) and Scallop Committee both have a couple of meetings coming up.
  • Scallop AP:  The AP will meet on Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Boston.  The agenda and meeting materials are available here.
  • Scallop Committee:  The Committee will meet on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at the same hotel in Boston.  Here are the meeting materials.
  • Scallop AP and Committee:  The Scallop AP and Committee will meet again back-to-back on Thursday and Friday, March 26 and March 27, 2020 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Boston.  More information will be posted on the Council’s scallop webpage in the near future.
  • Scallop Framework Adjustment 32:  The Council signed off on Framework 32 during its December 2019 meeting.  The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS/NOAA Fisheries) has reviewed the document and is accepting public comments on the proposed rule through March 6, 2020.  Here is the Framework 32 webpage.
  • Of Note:  NOAA Fisheries released its Fisheries of the United States 2018 Report.  Scallops ranked fourth in the nation in the category called “highest value species groups,” coming in at $541 million.  Roughly $532.3 million of that total came from sea scallop landings and the remainder was due to bay scallops.  Scallop landings helped make New Bedford, MA the highest value fishing port in the U.S. for the 19th consecutive year.
ATLANTIC HERRING:  The Council’s Herring AP and Herring Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at the Four Points by Sheraton in Wakefield, MA.  The AP will start off in the morning at 8:30 a.m. and the Committee will meet after lunch, roughly around 1 p.m.  Here’s the agenda.  Meeting materials for both the AP and Committee meeting are available here.
  • Draft Addendum III:  The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will hold a hearing on Draft Addendum III to the interstate herring plan at 11:00 a.m. on March 3 at the same location as the New England Council’s Herring AP and Herring Committee meetings.  According to ASMFC, Draft Addendum III “proposes options to better manage the Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) sub-annual catch limit under low quota scenarios.”
FISHERY DATA:  The Fishery Data for Stock Assessment Working Group has delivered its final report to the Council.  The Council established the working group to explore how fishery-dependent data can be used to inform stock abundance and explain how this information is used in stock assessments.  The group developed a number of recommendations.  Learn more about the working group’s charge and membership. 
 
ABC CONTROL RULE CONTRACTOR:  The Council is seeking an independent contractor to develop alternatives for acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rules for groundfish stocks that have undergone analytic assessments as of 2019.  Letters of interest and supporting documents must be received by March 18, 2020.  Details are available at groundfish ABC control rules.  Here’s a link to the announcement.
 
SKATES – SAVE THE DATE:  The Skate AP and Skate Committee will meet jointly on Thursday, March 26, 2020 at the Fairfield Inn in New Bedford.  More information will become available shortly.  Here is the Council’s skate webpage.
  • The Council developed Framework Adjustment 8 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan to set skate wing and skate bait specifications for the 2020-2021 fishing years.  NOAA Fisheries is collecting public comment on the framework through March 6, 2020.  Documents are available on the Framework 8 webpage.
RED HAKE:  Here’s a reminder that the Red Hake Stock Structure Research Track Assessment Meeting will be taking place March 9-12, 2020 in Woods Hole, MA.  The Council is working on an action to rebuild southern red hake.  Visit the Council’s whiting webpage for future developments. 
 
EBFM – SAVE THE DATE:  The Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) Committee and EBFM Plan Development Team will meet jointly on Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at the Fairfield Inn in New Bedford.  More information will become available shortly.  Here is the Council’s EBFM webpage.
 
JOIN US!  MAINE FISHERMEN’S FORUM:  The Maine Fishermen’s Forum will take place March 5, 6, and 7, 2020 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, ME.  Several Council members and staff are participating in many of this year’s seminars, including a special day-long offshore wind session.  Council representatives also will be taking part in seminars about:  Groundfish Monitoring Amendment 23; changes in the federal Atlantic herring fishery; updates on the federal scallop fishery in the Gulf of Maine; an open forum with fisheries leadership; and reconsideration of Atlantic cod stock structure in U.S. waters.
  • Detailed descriptions of the seminars are available at Maine Fishermen’s Forum 2020.
  • Tables with daily at-a-glance schedules are available on the forum’s forms and schedules webpage.

NEFMC Roundup – Herring, EBFM, Skates, Red Hake, January 2020 Meeting

February 5, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

Here are several timely management actions that directly relate to the work of the New England Fishery Management Council.

ATLANTIC HERRING SPECIFICATIONS:  The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS/NOAA Fisheries) is collecting public comment through February 12, 2020 on Framework Adjustment 6 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP).  This framework was developed by the Council to set specifications and catch limits for the 2020 and 2021 fishing years and update the overfished and overfishing definitions for Atlantic herring.  Visit the Council’s Framework 6 webpage.  Stakeholders also may want to keep tabs on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s progress on Draft Addendum III to the Interstate Atlantic Herring FMP, which may impact how the Area 1A quota is allocated.
 
ATLANTIC HERRING ASSESSMENT:  Atlantic herring is one of several stocks undergoing a management track assessment in 2020.  An Assessment Oversight Panel (AOP) meeting is scheduled for February 25, 2020 in Woods Hole, MA.  The agenda and webinar registration information can be found on the meeting webpage.  Discussions related to Atlantic herring, Atlantic mackerel, and longfin inshore squid are scheduled for the afternoon.  Surfclams, ocean quahogs, and butterfish are on deck in the morning.  The assessment peer review meeting for Atlantic herring and the other stocks mentioned above is scheduled for June 22-26, 2020.
 
EBFM CONTRACTOR:  The Council is seeking a contractor to prepare Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management-related public outreach materials.  Letters of interest and supporting documents must be received by February 14, 2020.  Details are available at EBFM Outreach.  Here’s a link to the announcement.
 
SKATES:  NOAA Fisheries is collecting public comment through March 6, 2020 on Framework Adjustment 8 to the Northeast Skate Complex FMP.  The framework was developed by the Council to set skate wing and skate bait specifications for the 2020-2021 fishing years.  Visit the Council’s Skate Framework Adjustment 8 webpage for more information.
 
RED HAKE:  On February 3, NOAA Fisheries reduced the commercial possession limit for southern red hake from 5,000 pounds to the incidental limit of 400 pounds per trip for the remainder of the fishing year, which ends April 30.  The agency took this action after projecting that 90% of the total allowable landings limit would be reached on or around February 2.  Details are available in the Federal Register notice.  The Council is working on an action to rebuild southern red hake.  Visit the Council’s whiting webpageand take a look at materials from the last Joint Whiting Committee and Advisory Panel meeting and January 2020 Council meeting.  The Council will be sending out additional information about this action in the near future.
 
NEFMC JANUARY 2020 MEETING:  The full New England Council met January 28-30, 2020 in Portsmouth, NH.  Visit the meeting webpage to access the audio and all meeting materials.  Among the many topics covered, the Council discussed how it uses sociocultural information in its process.  Take a look at the presentation and report.  Also, here’s a list of news releases from the meeting.
SAVE THE DATE:  The Council’s next meeting will be held April 14-16, 2020 in Mystic, CT.

Regional Regulators Vote For 3-Year Closure Of Maine Shrimp Fishery

November 19, 2018 — A panel of regulators from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts voted Friday to put a three-year moratorium on the commercial fishery for Northern Shrimp, also known as Maine shrimp. Maine’s representatives at the meeting in Portland wanted some type of season preserved, but they were outnumbered.

The decision came after Katie Drew, a scientist with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, told the panel there was virtually no chance the shrimp would bounce back from depleted levels before 2022 and, in fact, might never recover. Above all, she says, the Gulf of Maine, has warmed to the limits of the shrimp’s reproductive capacity.

“The warmer the waters the less baby shrimp you have the next year,” says Drew. “And so we’ve had a lot of warm waters, and we’re just not getting a enough baby shrimp into the population. And in addition a lot of things like to eat northern shrimp.”

Predators such as red hake, spiny dogfish and squid, which are growing more abundant in some parts of the Gulf. The pressure they are putting on shrimp is a growing problem, even though one top predator, humans, haven’t been in the picture since 2014.

Historically, the commercial shrimp fishery, which traditionally started in December, has been dominated by boats from Maine. But it’s been closed for four consecutive years.

Panel member Mike Armstrong, assistant director in the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, says the regulators should bow to reality and proposed the three-year closure.

Read the full story at Maine Public

 

Whiting Amendment 22 Comment Period Reopens; Council to Host November 14 Informational Webinar

October 25, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has reopened the public comment period on Whiting
Amendment 22 and will host an informational webinar on Wednesday, November 14 at 3 p.m. The webinar will cover the amendment’s proposed alternatives, as well as pertinent information in the accompanying Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Written comments are welcome until November 23, 2018.

The Whiting Amendment – officially called Amendment 22 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan –proposes to limit access to the small-mesh multispecies fishery. The five impacted stocks are northern silver hake, southern silver hake, and offshore hake, which collectively are referred to as whiting, and northern and southern red hake. The draft amendment contains three sections, which cover:

  • Limited access qualification criteria;
  • Whiting and red hake possession limits by permit type; and
  • Permit conditions, which would apply only if the Council decides to approve a limited access program.

Read the full release here

Feds say red hake stock is overfished

March 21, 2018 — BOSTON — Federal fishing regulators say a species of food fish caught by U.S. fishermen in the Atlantic Ocean has become overfished.

The National Marine Fisheries Service says red hake have become overfished in its southern Georges Bank and mid-Atlantic stocks. The service has informed the New England Fishery Management Council that it needs to craft a plan to end the overfishing and rebuild the stock.

Red hake is a species of whitefish that has been brought to land from Maine to North Carolina over the years. The catch has fallen from more than 3.6 million pounds in 2001 to about 1 million pounds in 2016.

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

NEFMC: Council Update – March 19, 2018 – Scallops, Herring, Groundfish, more

March 19, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

ATLANTIC SEA SCALLOPS:  The 2018 scallop fishing year will begin on April 1.

  • The New England Fishery Management Council developed Framework Adjustment 29 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which contains 2018 fishery specifications and other measures. Visit “Related News” and “Framework 29” on the Council’s Scallop Webpage. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) currently is reviewing the framework for approval and implementation.
  • Northern Gulf of Maine measures are expected to be in place by April 1. The proposed rule is available at NGOM Framework 29 measures. NMFS will publish the final rule soon.
  • The remainder of Framework 29 will not be in place by April 1. Therefore, the 2018 scallop default measures implemented through Framework Adjustment 28will kick in. NMFS’s Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) published a side-by-side comparison of the measures at Defaults vs. Framework 29 Guide.
  • On March 15, NMFS published the proposed rule containing the remainder of the Framework 29 measures, meaning everything exceptthe NGOM actions. The agency is collecting public comment through March 30. Visit Framework 29 proposed rule for details.
  • IMPORTANT NOTE: In addition to Framework 29, the scallop fleet must wait for the Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2 final rule to be published before being able to access the new Closed Area I and Nantucket Lightship-West Visit the New England Council’s Habitat Webpage and NMFS Approves “Majority” of Council’s Habitat Amendment for more information.
  • The New England Council’s Scallop Advisory Panel (AP) will meet March 21, 2018 in Providence, RI. The Council’s Scallop Committee will meet the following day at the same hotel in Providence. Details and documents are available at Scallop Committee March 22, 2018 meeting.

ATLANTIC HERRING:  Effective March 14, NMFS prohibited Atlantic herring midwater trawl vessels from directed fishing in the Mid-Atlantic/Southern New England Catch Cap Area after projecting that the fishery’s river herring/shad catch cap had been harvested. The herring midwater trawl possession limit is 2,000 pounds in this area for the remainder of the 2018 fishing year, which ends December 31.

  • ATLANTIC HERRING DETAILS: Additional details and a map showing the Mid-Atlantic/Southern New England Catch Cap Closure Area can be found at NMFS herring fishery bulletin.
  • ATLANTIC MACKEREL FISHERY: The Atlantic mackerel fishery, which is managed by the Mid-Atlantic Council, also reached its river herring/shad catch cap. Effective February 27, NMFS prohibited federally permitted mackerel vessels from possessing more than 20,000 pounds of mackerel per trip through December 31. Learn more at NMFS mackerel fishery bulletin.
  • The New England Council’s Herring Committee and Herring AP will meet jointly on April 4 in Boston to, among other things, discuss the implications of the river herring/shad catch cap accountability measures (AMs) being triggered in both the Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel fisheries. The Committee and AP also will review a draft white paper considering the addition of river herring and shad as “stocks in the Atlantic herring fishery.” The meeting notice is available at April 4 Herring Committee/AP meeting. Related documents will be posted on this same page as they become available.

GROUNDFISH:  Effective March 1, NMFS extended its previous emergency action to remove the 2017 southern windowpane flounder AMs for non-groundfish trawl vessels. The emergency action will run through April 30, the end of the 2017 fishing year.  Read the notice at emergency action extension. A map of the area is available at bulletin.

  • The New England Council’s Groundfish AP will meet March 26, 2017 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Logan Airport in Boston. The Groundfish Committee will meet the following day at the same location primarily to discuss Groundfish Monitoring Amendment 23 and work-to-date on 2018 groundfish priorities.  The meeting notice is available at March 27, 2018 Groundfish Committee Meeting. Related documents also will be available on this page shortly.

GROUNDFISH RECREATIONAL:  At the request of the New England Council, NMFS published a new control date that may be used to determine future participation in the Northeast multispecies charter/party fishery. The new control date is March 19, 2018. This replaces the previous March 30, 2006 control date, which many members of the industry considered to be “stale” and not reflective of current conditions in the fishery. NMFS is collecting public comment on the new date through April 18. The notice is available at March 19, 2018 control date. Learn more about the New England Council’s recent recreational actions at January 31 decision-making.

RED HAKE:  NMFS has notified the New England Council that the Southern Georges Bank/Mid-Atlantic stock of red hake is now subject to overfishing and overfished based on the recent 2017 assessment. As such, the Council will be working to develop measures to end overfishing and rebuild the stock.  Read the Federal Register notice and visit the Council’s Small-Mesh Multispecies Webpage.

DOGFISH, MID-ATLANTIC SPECIES:  Spiny dogfish is jointly managed by the New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils. The Mid-Atlantic, which has the administrative lead over the Spiny Dogfish FMP, is soliciting applications from qualified individuals to serve on the Dogfish Advisory Panel.

  • The application deadline is April 20, 2018.
  • All current advisory panel members must reapply in order to be considered for reappointment.
  • The Mid-Atlantic Council also is accepting applications for seven other advisory panels, which are the: River Herring and Shad AP; Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass AP; Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish AP; Surfclam and Ocean Quahog AP; Tilefish AP; Bluefish AP; and Ecosystem and Ocean Planning AP.
  • Additional information and an application form are available at serve on an advisory panel.

Learn more about the NEFMC by visiting their site here.

 

Whiting: Council Approves 2018-2020 Specifications; Votes to Send Limited Access Amendment 22 to Public Hearing

December 8, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council: 

The New England Fishery Management Council took two actions today related to small-mesh multispecies, which include two stocks of silver hake and offshore hake – collectively known as “whiting” – and two stocks of red hake.

  • First, the Council approved 2018-2020 specifications for the fishery, including total allowable landings (TALs) for the next three fishing years.
  • Second, the Council voted to send Whiting Amendment 22 out to public hearing. The amendment was developed to potentially limit access to the small-mesh multispecies fishery. During it’s September meeting, the Council selected “no action” as its preferred alternative for qualification criteria, but the public will have the opportunity to comment on five other alternatives to potentially limit access to the fishery. Other related measures, such as possession limits by permit type and permit conditions, also are proposed.

The “Whiting Amendment” is being developed as Amendment 22 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, better known as the groundfish plan. The full range of alternatives will go out to public hearing in early 2018. The Council will provide a detailed public hearing document and additional information once the remaining analyses are completed and hearings are scheduled.

Small-Mesh Multispecies Specifications for Fishing Years 2018-2020 With Percent Increases/Decreases from 2016-2017

The 2018-2020 specifications: (1) are based on the best available science using updated assessment information; and (2) account for recent changes in stock biomass and catch, which includes landings and discards.

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) recommended overfishing limits and acceptable biological catches (ABCs) for four of the target stocks in the small-mesh multispecies fishery (see table previous page). Specifications are not set for offshore hake because the stock’s status currently is “unknown.” However, the southern silver hake ABC is adjusted by 4% to account for offshore hake that are landed as “whiting.”

Southern Red Hake Stock Status: Management Action Likely Needed

The latest small-mesh multispecies assessment update, which includes information through 2016, was prepared by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and is undergoing a final internal review. It indicates that southern red hake: (a) is overfished; and (b) overfishing is occurring.

If the assessment is certified by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the New England Council intends to initiate an amendment to take steps to end overfishing and rebuild the stock. A 2019 benchmark assessment is planned, at which time the biological references points could be reconsidered.

Developing measures to rebuild southern red hake will be challenging because most of the catch is comprised of discards.

View the full release from the NEFMC here.

 

NEFMC SSC Meeting, October 12, 2017, Live Streaming Information

October 4, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet on Thursday, October 12, 2017.  The public is invited to listen via webinar or telephone.  Here are the details.

MEETING LOCATION:  Hilton Garden Inn, Boston Logan Airport, 100 Boardman Street, Boston, MA.  Hotel information is available here.

START TIME:  10:00 a.m.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting will be available at: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3726401422414349827.

There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8321.

The access code is 818-682-657.

Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  The SSC will (1) review information provided by the Council’s Scallop Plan Development Team (PDT) and recommend overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) levels for Atlantic sea scallops for fishing year 2018, as well as default OFL and ABC levels for 2019; (2) review information provided by the Council’s Whiting PDT and recommend OFLs and ABCs for the northern and southern stocks of silver hake and, separately, for red hake for fishing years 2018-2020; and (3) discuss other business as necessary.

MATERIALS:  Meeting materials, as they become available, will be posted on the Council’s website at SSC October 12, 2017 documents.

QUESTIONS:  Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492 ext. 106, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.