Saving Seafood

NEFMC Approves 2019-2020 Scallop RSA Priorities; Initiates Framework 30

June 13, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council: 

The New England Fishery Management Council today approved research priorities for the 2019-2020 Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. Once again, the Council ranked resource surveys as “high” on the list of preferred projects.

The Council also initiated Framework Adjustment 30 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. The framework will include specifications for fishing year 2019 and default measures for 2020, as well as the addition of “standard default measures” – actions that have become a routine part of each year’s fishery and can be included automatically in each specifications package, barring Council objection.

RSA PRIORITIES – TWO CATEGORIES

More specifically, the Council approved two categories of priorities for the next RSA cycle. These include: (1) “high” priorities; and (2) “general research areas” with no preference in ranking. Survey-related research is at the top of the list with three subcomponents, all of which carry equal weight:

  • 1a: An intensive industry-based survey of each relevant scallop rotational area – Closed Area I, Closed Area II, Nantucket Lightship, Elephant Trunk, and Hudson Canyon – that will provide estimates of total and exploitable biomass to be used for setting catch limits under the fishery’s rotational area management program;
  • 1b: An intensive industry-based survey of areas of importance, such as open areas with high scallop recruitment or areas of overall importance to the fishery, which possibly could cover:
    • The Habitat Area of Particular Concern in Closed Area II and surrounding bottom,
    • The area south of Closed Area II that formerly was part of the Closed Area II extension,
    • Delmarva,
    • Areas off Long Island, and
    • Areas in the Gulf of Maine that recently have been or are likely to be fished;
  • 1c: A broadscale industry-based survey of Georges Bank and/or Mid-Atlantic scallop resource areas, which does not need to be carried out by a single grant recipient.

The other “high” 2019-2020 Scallop RSA priority involves dredge efficiency. The Council is looking for proposals that investigate variability in dredge efficiency across habitats, times, areas, scallop densities, and gear designs to improve dredge survey estimates either through new research or analyses of existing data sets.

Read the full release here

NEFMC Presents 2018 Award for Excellence to Dr. Bill DuPaul

April 18, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:   

The New England Fishery Management Council today presented its 2018 Janice M. Plante Award for Excellence to Dr. Bill DuPaul, a highly respected scientist and pioneer of cooperative research in the Atlantic sea scallop fishery. His early work on scallop dredge ring size helped revolutionize the fishery’s primary gear-type, leading to enhanced selectivity of large scallops and the release of smaller ones. He forged and nurtured partnerships with fishermen from the very start of his career, earning industry’s trust and willingness to participate in a wide range of studies that greatly advanced management of the resource and the fishery.

Council Chairman Dr. John Quinn, who presented the award, said, “Dr. DuPaul is a man of great integrity. He intuitively knew that solutions to hard problems would come only when people on all sides worked together. He proved that cooperative research can break through seemingly insurmountable barriers and help resolve even the most challenging issues.”

Dr. DuPaul is an emeritus professor at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary. His research included extensive work on the relationship between scallop meat weight and shell height, and he consistently strove to improve dredge efficiency, enhance scallop quality, and reduce bycatch, especially of yellowtail flounder.

He is a strong supporter of the industry-funded Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. He has spent countless hours at sea with fishermen conducting gear research, biological studies, and annual surveys that have helped gauge abundance and distribution of scallops both on Georges Bank and throughout the Mid-Atlantic. The annual surveys also helped document incoming recruitment, enabling fishery managers to identify and close areas with large beds of seed scallops for additional grow-out. This practice is a bedrock of the current rotational area management program – and one that Dr. DuPaul was in on from the beginning. He is a staunch advocate of Scallop RSA Share Days where industry members and scientists gather to openly discuss their research results and exchange ideas about emerging issues.

In 1991, the New England Council established the Scallop Plan Development Team (PDT). Dr. DuPaul was an inaugural member of the team and to this day continues to provide valuable guidance. He is the PDT’s longest serving member. He also has been heavily involved with the Council’s Research Steering Committee and, from 2007-2010, served on the former Scallop Survey Advisory Panel.

Dr. DuPaul remains active in the scientific world. He currently is a member of the Scallop Stock Assessment Working Group, which is doing the legwork for the upcoming scallop benchmark stock assessment. As an esteemed veteran of the field, his voice is routinely sought after as wise counsel on a multitude of scallop issues.

View the release in its entirety here.

 

Scallop RSA Program: 2018-2019 research proposals wanted

September 12, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The National Marine Fisheries Service, in coordination with the New England Fishery Management Council, is soliciting proposals for the 2018-2019 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program.  The application deadline is November 6, 2017.

HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK:  The Scallop RSA Program was established through the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan to address scallop research priorities identified by the New England Council.  The Council adopted 2018-2019 research priorities at its June meeting in Portland, ME.

HOW IS THE RSA PROGRAM FUNDED:  Each year, 1.25 million pounds of scallops are “set aside” during the specification-setting process to carry out the program.  Awards are made in pounds, not dollars, and no federal funding is provided to conduct the research.  Proceeds generated from the sale of set-aside scallops are used to fund research activities and compensate vessels that participate in research activities and/or harvest set-aside quota.

2018-2019 PRIORITIES:  Projects funded under the Scallop RSA Program must: (a) enhance understanding of the scallop resource; or (b) contribute to scallop fishery management decisions.  For the current federal funding opportunity, priority will be given to proposals that address the New England Council’s list of 2018 and 2019 research priorities.  The complete list is spelled out in detail in the 2018-2019 Atlantic Sea Scallop Federal Funding Opportunity  notice, which also contains instructions for how to submit proposals.  In very general terms, the research priority categories include:

  • HIGHEST: (#1) Survey-related research
  • HIGH: (#2) Scallop meat quality research; and (#3) bycatch research
  • MEDIUM: (#4) Turtle behavior investigations and potential impact on the Mid-Atlantic/Georges Bank scallop fishery; (#5) scallop biology projects
  • OTHER: (#6) Dredge efficiency investigations; (#7) habitat characterization research; (#8a) projects related to water quality and environmental stressors; (#8b) spat collection and seeding projects; (#9) research to identify sources of management uncertainty and potential effects on projected landings; (#10) expanded survey coverage into new or minimally sampled areas; (#11) social and economic impacts and consequences of area rotation; and (#12) investigations of non-harvest scallop mortality.

REVIEW PROCESS:  All submitted proposals will be evaluated by: (1) technical reviewers for technical merit; and (2) a management panel comprised of scallop fishermen, fishery managers, fishing industry representatives, and others closely involved with scallop fishery management issues.

RSA BACKGROUNDERS:  Learn more at RSA and everything you ever wanted to know.

QUESTIONS:  For more information about the 2018-2019 solicitation and the Scallop RSA Program in general, contact Cheryl Corbett at (508) 495-2070, cheryl.corbett@noaa.gov.

NOAA Fisheries Announces 2018/2019 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Program Funding Opportunity

September 11, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries, in coordination with the New England Fishery Management Council, is soliciting Atlantic Sea Scallop research proposals under the 2018/2019 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Program.

Under this program, proceeds generated from the sale of set-aside scallops will be used to fund research activities and compensate vessels that participate in research activities and/or harvest set-aside quota.

Projects funded under the Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Program must enhance the understanding of the scallop resource or contribute to scallop fishery management decisions. Priority is given to funding research proposals addressing the list of 2018 and 2019 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Priorities listed in the Funding Opportunity.

Read the complete 2018/2019 Atlantic Sea Scallop Federal Funding Opportunity.

To apply for this NOAA Federal Funding Opportunity, go to Grants.gov, and use the following code: NOAA-NMFS-NEFSC-2018-2005322.

Complete proposals/applications must be received on or before 5 p.m. EDT on November 6, 2017.

For proposals submitted through Grants.gov, a date and time receipt will be the basis of determining timeliness. The proposal must be validated by Grants.gov in order to be considered timely. PLEASE NOTE: It may take Grants.gov up to two (2) business days to validate or reject the application. Please keep this in mind in developing your submission timeline.

If you prefer to mail your application, please send one signed original and two hard copy applications postmarked by November 6, 2017 to Cheryl A. Corbett, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543, ATTN: 2018/2019 Atlantic Scallop Research Set-Aside Program.

Find out more about Northeast Research Set-Aside Programs.

Questions? Contact Cheryl Corbett at 508-495-2070 or Cheryl.Corbett@noaa.gov.

NEFMC and NEFSC Announce 2017-2018 Recommended Scallop RSA Awards

March 17, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center:

The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) are pleased to announce 17 projects that are recommended for funding through the Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program.

AWARDS:  The 2017-2018 awards are expected to generate more than $15 million — $3.5 million to fund the research itself and $11.5 million to compensate industry partners who will harvest the 1.25-million-pound scallop set-aside quota.  More than 30 researchers from 15 organizations will be conducting the projects.

VIEW THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND LIST OF PROJECTS:  2017-2018 Recommended Scallop RSA Awards

RSA PRIORITIES:  The projects address 2017 and 2018 research priorities established by the New England Council, which include:  intensive and broad-scale surveys to estimate scallop abundance; bycatch reduction initiatives; and work to improve understanding of scallop biology, scallop meat quality, and area management.

REVIEW PROCESS:  All proposals were evaluated by: (1) technical reviewers for technical merit; and (2) a management panel comprised of scallop fishermen, fishery managers, fishing industry representatives, and others closed involved with scallop fishery management issues.

NEFMC CHAIRMAN DR. JOHN QUINN:  ”The Scallop RSA Program continues to be integral to the successful management of this fishery.  We genuinely appreciate everyone’s long-standing engagement with this program.  We have many industry members, managers, institutions, and researchers who help us set our research priorities, and this collaboration has fostered a constructive feedback loop between science and management.”

NEFSC DIRECTOR DR. JON HARE:  “The Research Set-Aside Program funds science projects that are directly applicable to the management of Atlantic sea scallop — a highly valuable resource.  The selected projects complement research and monitoring that is ongoing at the NEFSC and this collaborative approach — enabled by the RSA program — is a real strength for scallop science and management.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT RSA PROGRAMS:  RSA and everything you ever wanted to know

QUESTIONS:  For more information about the the 2017-2018 awards and the Scallop RSA Program in general, contact Ryan Silva, (978) 281-9326, ryan.silva@noaa.gov; or Cheryl Corbett, (508) 495-2070, cheryl.corbett@noaa.gov.

Scallop RSA proposals now being solicited for 2017 and 2018

August 9, 2016 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Managment Council:

Scallop industry members and partners have until 5 p.m. on Oct. 7, 2016 to submit applications for the latest round of funding available through the Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program.

The program was established through the Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to address scallop research priorities identified by the New England Fishery Management Council. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), in coordination with the Council, is now soliciting proposals for the 2017 and 2018 Atlantic Sea Scallop Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO).

To apply, go to www.grants.gov and use the following funding opportunity number: NOAA-NMFS-NEFSC-2017- 2004963.

NMFS emphasized, “Projects funded under the Scallop RSA Program must enhance the understanding of the scallop resource or contribute to scallop fishery management decisions. Priority is given to funding research proposals addressing the list of 2017 and 2018 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Priorities listed in the FFO.”

Read the full release from the New England Fishery Management Council