Saving Seafood

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.

Federal Regulators Conduct Fishing Net Testing for Flounder

September 15, 2017 — WASHINGTON — A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research project in the Northeast was recently conducted to test the efficiency of different sweep types of fishing nets.

The team targeted summer flounder from Long Island to Nantucket and red hake in the western Gulf of Maine off Cape Ann.

Preliminary results show that smaller fish were caught more often using a chain sweep.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

RHODE ISLAND: Fisherman and scientists collaborate during voyage

September 8, 2017 — NARRAGANSETT – Last week, the fishing vessel Karen Elizabeth docked home in Point Judith following a 10-day voyage that involved the study of flat fish populations and the methods used to catch various species. Formulated by the Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel, a group made up of fishing industry professionals, government bodies and various fishing councils, the research was examining the number of summer flounder, winter flounder and red hake off the coast of New England. The resulting data will go on to better inform catch and population estimates of each species and came about due to the collaboration of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the local fishing industry.

On the NOAA side, John Manderson, a senior fisheries research biologist with specialties in field ecology, habitat ecology, fisheries ecosystem science and collaborative research working out of the organization’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in New Jersey, served as the chief scientist on the project. Chris Roebuck, operator of the Karen Elizabeth, was representing the fishing industry. The crew onboard the vessel totaled 10 members – five researchers and five fishing professionals.

The goal of the study was to develop a quantitative understanding of two different modes of ocean-floor species surveying – one approved by the federal government and one designed by the fishing community for maximum efficacy.  For this experiment, the third leg of the overall project, researchers were examining the catch rates of summer flounder, winter flounder and red hake. Previous and similar research conducted in 2015 was examining yellow-tail flounder and grey sole.

“My specialty has become collaborative research with the fishing industry,” said Manderson. “The reason for that is that at the scale of the ecosystem, experts in the fishing industry have much greater access to the ecosystem and as a result they have much better intuitions about what is going on in the ecosystem in real time, including changes in habitat occurring as a result of changes in climate, than we do. “

The fishing vessel Karen Elizabeth is a twin trawler equipped with two nets as close together as possible which can then be towed simultaneously at approximately the same speeds and for the same duration. These assets lend the boat well to research-based projects that involve comparing different survey methods literally side-by-side.

Read the full story at the Narragansett Times

 

Cooperation between fishermen, regulators not just a fluke

August 30, 2017 — NARRAGANSETT, R.I. — The following is excerpted from an article published today by the Providence Journal:

Fisheries management is only as good as the science that it’s based upon. The better the science, the more effective the management.

For the past three years, Point Judith fisherman Chris Roebuck has partnered with federal regulators to get a better handle on fish stocks, taking scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration out to sea on his 78-foot Western-rig stern trawler the Karen Elizabeth to help figure out where groundfish are and in what numbers.

This summer’s trip wrapped up this week when the team of five researchers led by John Manderson, a senior ecosystem field scientist with NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, and a four-man crew headed by Roebuck returned to port in Galilee with new information on summer flounder, red hake and other species.

Their research is more important than ever as regulators try to respond more nimbly to shifts in fish abundance and distribution caused by the changing climate.

The work depends on the collaboration between Roebuck and Manderson.

“I can’t do this research without him because I don’t know the ecosystem the way he does,” Manderson said. “I can work with him and quantify what he knows.”

Roebuck, 45, has been fishing his whole life. A second-generation fisherman, he was lobstering at 12 and has captained the Karen Elizabeth for the past two decades.

He fishes for squid from September to April and for sea scallops from April to June, trawling ocean waters from Delaware to the Canada border.

Working with the fisheries science center was a no-brainer for Roebuck, who believes that there are more fish in the sea than regulators are currently counting. Better data could end up benefiting him and other fishermen if they’re allowed to catch more.

“In the end, I’m just interested in making the science more accurate,” Roebuck said.

Read the full story at the Providence Journal

NOAA Fisheries Announces Northern Red Hake Possession Limit Reduction

August 8, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The northern red hake commercial possession limit is reduced from 3,000 lbs per trip to 400 lbs per trip. Effective immediately, federally permitted vessels may not possess on board or land more than 400 lb of northern red hake per trip for the remainder of the 2017 fishing year (i.e., through April 30, 2018).

This reduction is required because the northern red hake fishery is projected to have reached or exceeded 37.9 percent of the total allowable landings.

Vessels that have started a fishing trip when this possession limit reduction becomes effective may retain northern red hake under the previous possession limit of 3,000 lb for the remainder of that trip.

Dealers issued federal dealer permits for small-mesh multispecies may not purchase more than 400 lbs of northern red hake per trip from federally permitted vessels for trips started after August 7, 2017. Federally permitted dealers must continue to report all fish purchased from any vessel.

Read the rule as filed today at 4:15pm and the permit holder letter on our website for more information.