Saving Seafood

NEFMC Elects Eric Reid as Chair, Rick Bellavance as Vice Chair; Welcomes Four New Members to the Table

September 28, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council held its annual election of officers at the start of its September 28-30, 2021 webinar meeting. It voted in Eric Reid as chairman and Rick Bellavance as vice chairman to lead the Council in the year ahead. Both are from Rhode Island.

Eric was the Council’s vice chair for the past two years and then became acting chairman in mid-August when Dr. John Quinn, who chaired the Council for the past five years, became ineligible for reappointment after serving three consecutive three-year terms on the Council.

Chairman Reid is a fisheries consultant based in North Kingstown, RI. Over his 47-year career in commercial and recreational fisheries, he has been actively engaged in all facets of the industry both at sea and shoreside. He previously owned and operated his own business, Deep Sea Fish of Rhode Island, for 11 years and worked for numerous other companies, including Seafreeze Shoreside Inc., Seafresh USA, and The Town Dock. He was the past president of the Rhode Island Seafood Council and the American Seafood Institute, and he was a founding member of both the East Coast Fisheries Association and the New England Seafood Producers Association. He served as the New England Council’s liaison to the MidAtlantic Council and has represented the New England Council on several MidAtlantic Council committees.

Chairman Reid also is on the board of directors of RODA, the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, and serves as the alliance’s treasurer. He is a U.S. Commissioner to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) and serves as Rhode Island State Senator Susan Sosnowski’s proxy on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).

After being elected unopposed and by acclamation, Chairman Reid said of his new position, “I appreciate everyone’s support. It’s certainly an honor and a very humbling experience.”

Rick Bellavance is the owner/operator of Priority Charters, LLC, a charter fishing business located in Point Judith. A lifelong Rhode Island resident, he has engaged in a variety of recreational and commercial fishing industries for over 30 years. Rick currently serves as the president of the Rhode Island Party and Charter Boat Association. For more than a decade, he has represented the recreational for-hire fishing industry on state, regional, and federal panels, committees, and commissions. He has worked steadily to help develop electronic reporting tools that can improve recreational catch estimates, and he strongly supports improvements to the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP). Rick represents the Council on the NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section of ICCAT. He has represented the New England Council on several Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Council committees.

Read the full release here

 

MAFMC: Council to Offer Webinar on Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting for For-Hire Vessel Operators

February 23, 2018 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a public webinar on Friday, March 2, 2018, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., to help for-hire vessel operators prepare for upcoming electronic reporting requirements. This webinar will be recorded and made available on the Council’s website for later viewing for those who cannot attend.

Beginning March 12, 2018, all vessels with Federal charter or party permits for species managed by the Mid-Atlantic Council will be required to submit electronic vessel trip reports (eVTRs) while on trips carrying passengers for hire. eVTRs must be submitted through a NOAA-approved software application within 48 hours following the completion of a fishing trip. This action only changes the required method of transmitting VTRs and the submission date; the required data elements and all other existing reporting requirements will not change. This regulation impacts any for-hire vessel holding Federal charter or party permits for Council-managed species, regardless of home port or fishing location. For more information about for-hire electronic reporting requirements, visit the For-Hire eVTR page or review the For-Hire eVTR Q&A summary.

This webinar will provide participants with information on the new requirements and training on select systems in preparation for this action. While all options for electronic reporting will be briefly discussed, the webinar will focus primarily on training for the SAFIS eTrips/mobile system developed by the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP). Instruction will be led by Rick Bellavance, Owner/Operator of Priority Fishing Charters in Point Judith, Rhode Island, and ACCSP staff.

Registration: Pre-registration is encouraged at www.mafmc.org/for-hire-evtr/. Pre-registration will allow us to assist you with setting up accounts and systems needed to comply with this requirement.

To join the webinar, go to http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/evtr2018/, select “Enter as Guest,” and type your name in the box. Telephone instructions are provided upon connecting, or you can call direct: 800-832-0736, Rm: *7833942#.

View the release from the MAFMC in its entirety here.

 

Mid-Atlantic Council to Offer Training Workshops on Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting for the For-Hire Community

January 16, 2018 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold two workshops in February to help for-hire vessel operators prepare for upcoming electronic reporting requirements. Beginning March 12, 2018, all vessels with Federal charter or party permits for species managed by the Mid-Atlantic Council will be required to submit electronic vessel trip reports (eVTRs) while on trips carrying passengers for hire. eVTRs must be submitted through a NOAA-approved software application within 48 hours following the completion of a fishing trip.

While all software options for electronic reporting will be briefly discussed, the workshops will primarily focus on training for the SAFIS eTrips/mobile and eTrips Online systems developed by the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP). Participants will receive hands-on assistance with navigating the eTrips application, setting up favorites, and creating and editing trip reports. Instruction will be led by Rick Bellavance, Owner/Operator of Priority Fishing Charters in Point Judith, Rhode Island, and ACCSP staff.

For more information about for-hire electronic reporting requirements and software options, visit http://www.mafmc.org/for-hire-evtr/.

Workshop Dates and Locations

  • Saturday, February 10, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. DoubleTree by Hilton Boston North Shore, 50 Ferncroft Rd., Danvers, MA, 978-777-2500
  • Saturday, February 24, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Clarion Hotel & Convention Center, 815 Route 37 West, Toms River, NJ, 732-341-6101

Instruction for SAFIS eTrips/mobile (for use on tablets) will begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 12:30 p.m. Instruction for eTrips Online (for use on desktop or laptop computers) will begin at 1:00 and conclude by 4:30. Each session will be preceded by a discussion of all options for reporting. In the event that demand for eTrips Online instruction is low, a second eTrips/mobile session may be added in the afternoon.

Registration

To register for one of the workshops, complete the registration form at  http://www.mafmc.org/forms/evtr-workshop-registration or email the workshop coordinator at aloftus@andrewloftus.com. There are a limited number of spaces available. Participants are strongly encouraged to register early so that workshop personnel can work with each individual prior to the workshop to establish needed accounts for reporting systems.

What to Bring

Participants should bring an electronic tablet or laptop capable of connecting to the internet via W-Fi. For the mobile-based version, participants will need either a Google account (for Android systems) or an iTunes account (for Apple systems) to download the eTrips/mobile app. This will allow you to work along with the instructors and be set up and ready to begin electronic reporting once you leave the workshop.

Please direct any questions to workshop coordinator Andrew Loftus, aloftus@andrewloftus.com, (410) 295-5997.

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A unique educational experience, designed for fishermen, by fishermen

January 11, 2018 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Marine Resource Education Program (MREP) offers fishermen, and others with a stake in healthy fisheries, an opportunity to learn the basics of fisheries science and how the fishery management process works. It provides an inside look at the fisheries science and management processes, demystifies the acronyms and vocabulary, and equips fishermen with the tools to engage in shaping regulatory action and participating in collaborative science.

MREP is offering two upcoming workshops that are organized and moderated by members of the local fishing community:

The Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management Workshop offers an in-depth discussion on data inputs, management strategies, and what Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management may mean for fishermen in the future. It will be held from February 26-28 in New Bedford, MA.

Questions? Contact Chris Roebuck (Commercial Fisherman) at (401) 741-1831 or Libby Etrie at (978) 491-1848.

The Recreational Fisheries Workshop covers the basics of fisheries science and management with a special focus on topics of interest to the recreational fishing community. It will be held from March 20-22 in Hanover, MD.

Questions? Contact moderators Dave Sikorski (Mid-Atlantic) at (443) 621-9186 or Rick Bellavance (New England) at (401) 741- 5648.

For both workshops, lodging, meals and travel expenses are covered for participants who complete the entire program, and who are not otherwise funded to attend. You can apply for these workshops with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

Learn more about NOAA Fisheries by visiting their site here.

 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Offer Training on Electronic Vessel Trip Reports for the For-Hire Community

March 22, 2017 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) is hosting two workshops in late April to help the for-hire community prepare for submitting Vessel Trip Reports (VTRs) electronically.  The Council approved a measure last year that will phase out the current paper-based reports over the coming year. For-hire vessel operators/owners who must report VTRs for species managed by the Mid-Atlantic Council will need to report using their mobile device or personal computer in order to be in compliance. Such options are already available on a voluntary basis.

While all options for electronic reporting will be briefly discussed, the workshops will focus on hands-on training for the eTrips/mobile and eTrips/PC system, a free program developed by the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP). Instruction and guidance will be led by Rick Bellavance, Owner/Operator of Priority Fishing Charters in Point Judith, Rhode Island, and ACCSP staff.

When:

April 25th, 2017, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 pm at the Hilton Mystic Hotel 20 Coogan Blvd., Mystic CT 06355. Phone: (860) 572-0731.

April 27th. 2017, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton Baltimore-BWI Airport, 890 Elkridge Landing Rd, Linthicum Heights, MD  21090. Phone:  (410) 859-8400.

Participation is limited to 30 individuals per workshop!

Registration: To register for one of the workshops, visit http://www.mafmc.org/forms/evtr-workshop-registration.

What to Bring: It would be extremely helpful to bring an electronic tablet or laptop capable of connecting to the internet via W-Fi. For the mobile-based version, participants will need either a Google account (for Android systems) or an iTunes account (for Apple systems) to download the eTrips/mobile app. This will allow you to work along with the instructors and be set up and ready to begin electronic reporting once you leave the workshop.

Please direct any questions to workshop coordinator Andrew Loftus (aloftus@andrewloftus.com; 410-295-5997).  

PDF Version / Web Version