Saving Seafood

Can offshore wind and commercial fishing coexist?

September 5, 2018 — The Virginia Marise slides away from the dock into the pitch-black night. At 4 a.m., the only light comes from a flood light illuminating the deck of the boat and a handful of streetlights on land that disappear into the darkness as Captain Rodman Sykes maneuvers his boat out of the harbor, the black sky indistinguishable from the black sea.

This is a familiar scene to fishermen like Mr. Sykes. Commercial fishermen have headed out on these New England waters for some 400 years, casting their lines and nets overboard just as the sun peeks over the horizon. But at daybreak on this August morning, there’s a new sight. As the inky-black night gradually fades into the dim gray pre-dawn light, five red flashing lights appear all in a row on the horizon.

Those lights come from the five turbines making up the United States’ first offshore wind farm – the 30 megawatt Block Island Wind Farm. As the Virginia Marise draws closer, and the sky begins to blush pink, the turbines stand out on the horizon. The blades turn slowly in the slight breeze, generating electricity that flows through a cable buried in the seabed to Rhode Island’s Block Island.

The turbines and all the hardware that accompanies them spun to life in December 2016. So far, this is the only offshore wind power in the nation, and with just five turbines, it’s a small installation. But that’s soon to change. Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut have already selected larger projects which are set to be installed not far from the Block Island Wind Farm. And more are in the development pipeline in New York, New Jersey, and Maryland.

This flurry of activity has sparked agitation among the fishermen who have long been a fixture on the Eastern seaboard. Could fields of turbines disrupt their operations and the resource on which their livelihoods depend? Meetings with developers and permitting officials have been tense and, at times, explosive. A group of fishermen have even sued the federal government for leasing a tract of seafloor south of Long Island to an offshore wind developer.

Read the full story at The Christian-Science Monitor

French, UK fishermen to seek scallops deal after sea skirmishes

September 4, 2018 — Fishing industry officials from France and Britain will try to strike a new deal on dredging for scallops next week following violent skirmishes in the Channel, authorities said on Friday.

On Tuesday, French vessels rammed British trawlers off the coast of Normandy, hurling projectiles and insults in a dispute which erupted after a previous agreement broke down.

French fishermen accuse the British of unfairly catching scallops in the Baie de Seine in the summer months when French boats are banned from doing so under rules imposed by the Paris government to conserve stocks of the shellfish.

French Agriculture Minister Stephane Travert told Europe 1 radio he had discussed the issue with a British minister on Thursday night and that the industry representatives would meet next week to work out an agreement.

“We both condemn the violent acts and we want to return to a spirit of responsibility,” Travert said.

Travert said he had asked British fisheries minister George Eustace to ensure UK vessels do not sail south of the Barfleur-Antifer line, the scene of this week’s clashes.

The industry representatives would meet in London on Wednesday and French government officials would also attend, said Dimitri Rogoff, who heads the Normandy fishing association.

Read the full story at Reuters

French and U.K. Fishing Boats Clash in ‘Scallop War’

August 30, 2018 — It’s been called the “scallop war” — a simmering rivalry that spilled out into the open again this week when French and British vessels clashed in the English Channel, French fishermen tossed what appeared to be smoke bombs at their rivals, and the British called on the Royal Navy for protection.

Video footage on French state television and on social media showed about 35 small French fishing boats menacing five larger British vessels early Tuesday morning in a stretch of international waters that separates Britain from the rest of Europe, just off the northwest coast of France.

At least one French boat slammed into the side of a Scottish vessel.

A French official said no one had been injured in the clash, but called the encounter “extremely dangerous.”

The French argue that British fishing vessels have an unfair advantage. The French government does not allow fishing for scallops to begin until October, in order to preserve the stock.

Read the full story at The New York Times

Maine Scallopers Would Be Allowed Same Limits Under Proposal

August 28, 2018 — Maine scallop fishermen would be allowed to harvest the same amount of the shellfish per day under a proposal floated by state regulators.

The state’s scallop season takes place every winter in the state’s icy waters. The Maine Department of Marine Resources is proposing a 2018-19 fishing season in which fishermen in most of Maine would be limited to 15 gallons per day. Fishermen in a zone that includes scallop-rich Cobscook Bay would be limited to 10 gallons per day.

The proposal also includes localized closures. It’s up for public hearings next month in Augusta, Machias, and Ellsworth.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at U.S. News

DAVE MONTI: Research Set-Aside program good for fish and fishermen

August 27, 2018 — The National Marine Fisheries Service’s Research Set-Aside (RSA) program has raised funds for fishery research while allowing fishermen to catch more fish.

It has successfully worked for the scallop industry in New England and for a charter industry pilot program that I participated in seven years ago.

RSA programs use a set-aside of fishery resources, whether quota or days-at-sea, to generate revenue that is used to conduct needed research. Here in the Northeast, the New England Fishery Management Council has successfully used its RSA program to study Atlantic sea scallops, Atlantic herring and monkfish.

The charter fishing industry RSA program I participated in with seven other vessels purchased summer flounder quota (with a grant) to run a summer flounder pilot project.

Software developed during the pilot allowed charter captains to record catch and effort in real time electronically with computer tablets on their vessels. Today, the software is approved by NOAA for use by charter captains and commercial fishermen in the Greater Atlantic Regional.

Read the full story at The Sun Chronicle

New York to study climate change impact on oceans, oysters

August 27, 2018 — As New York’s oyster industry makes a comeback, the state is gearing up to study how changes in ocean chemistry caused by man-made climate change might threaten oysters and the rest of New York’s multi-billion dollar marine industry.

About a third of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbed into the oceans, where it is converted into carbonic acid. This is causing a gradual, steady increase in ocean acidity levels, which are now about 30 percent higher than at the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Rising acidity levels are a threat to oysters, clams, corals and other aquatic creatures that make shells, since this increase also causes a decline in carbonate ions, which are a critical chemical building block of shell formation.

Last week, the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced creation of a 14-member task force to examine ocean acidification, which is a consequence of past and ongoing emissions of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said it will “ensure that the best available science is used to assess and respond to this emerging threat to our coastal waters and fisheries.” He said marine resources support the jobs of about 350,000 state residents.

“Ocean acidification has a dramatic effect on species such as shell fish, including oysters and clams, as well as corals and even plankton. It puts the entire food chain at risk from plankton to whales,” said Chris Thorncroft, chairman of the University at UAlbany Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences.

Read the full story at The Albany Times-Union

Mainers look to farms to boost scallops, a wild staple

August 27, 2018 — Scallops are among the most valuable and beloved seafood items in the U.S., and a group of Maine firms thinks farming them might be a way of keeping up with increasing demand.

The Atlantic sea scallop is a New England mainstay, but unlike oysters and mussels, they’re almost exclusively harvested from the wild on the East Coast. A loose consortium of aquaculture businesses off the Maine coast is looking to change that by making scallop farming a viable option here. It’s one of the first serious attempts to farm Atlantic sea scallops in the United States.

One of the groups, Bangs Island Mussels of Portland, is using the largest amount of Japanese scallop farming equipment ever used by an American scallop farm. The Japanese have farmed scallops for decades, and Bangs Island hopes to learn from their example, said Matthew Moretti, the company’s co-owner.

Bangs Island began growing scallops at its farm in Casco Bay three years ago, and could have a few thousand scallops to market as soon as this fall, Moretti said. Maine scallops sometimes sell for $25 per pound, but the fishery only takes place in the winter, and farming represents a chance to bring the product to customers year round, he said.

“Scallops are higher value, and there’s a traditional fishery here,” he said. “It would be great to expand it.”

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Sioux City Journal

Scallop population rebounding in Florida Panhandle

August 21, 2018 — Wildlife officials say the scallop population is rebounding following a bout of red tide in Gulf of Mexico off Florida’s Panhandle.

A survey of the adult population of St. Joseph Bay scallops posted last week by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows the population is nearly four times what it was last year.

The News Herald reports the St. Joseph Bay scallop population remains “vulnerable,” which is the wildlife agency’s category for adult populations of between two and 20 scallops per square meter. During the most recent survey, researchers found 8.1 scallops per square meter.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at My Plainview

New England Council Update – August 20, 2018

August 20, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

Here’s a roundup of upcoming meetings and new developments that are relevant to the New England Fishery Management Council’s stakeholders.

SEPTEMBER 2018 COUNCIL MEETING:  The Council has extended its September meeting by a half-day.  The meeting now will begin on Monday, September 24 at 2 p.m. and run through Thursday, September 27 at Hotel 1620 Plymouth Harbor in Plymouth, MA.  The agenda and meeting materials will be posted in the coming weeks at September 2018 Plymouth.

DOGFISH:  The New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils jointly manage spiny dogfish.  The Mid-Atlantic Council, which has the administrative lead over the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan, has scheduled two upcoming meetings to review recent fishery performance and talk about specifications for fishing year 2019 and beyond.

  • Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel – The advisory panel (AP) will meet via webinar on August 27, 2018 to develop a Fishery Performance Report and provide input on upcoming specifications.  More information is available at Spiny Dogfish AP and  AP webinar.
  • Spiny Dogfish Monitoring Committee – The monitoring committee will meet via webinar on September 14, 2018 to review annual specifications and management measures and make appropriate recommendations for upcoming fishing years.  Visit meeting details and spiny dogfish.

ATLANTIC SEA SCALLOPS:  The Council’s scallop-related bodies will be meeting to discuss: (1) the 2018 scallop benchmark stock assessment; (2) preliminary results from 2018 scallop surveys; (3) fishery specifications and Framework Adjustment 30 management measures; (4) limited access general category individual fishing quota (LAGC IFQ) trip limit analyses; and (5) 2019 scallop work priorities.

  • Scallop Plan Development Team – Tuesday, August 28 and Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at Coonamessett Inn in Falmouth, MA.  Check here for details.
  • Scallop Advisory Panel and Scallop Committee – Thursday, September 13, 2018 and Friday, September 14, 2018 respectively at Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in New Bedford.  Learn more at Scallop AP and Scallop Committee.
GROUNDFISH:  Here’s what’s in the line-up for upcoming groundfish-related meetings.
  • Groundfish Plan Development Team – Wednesday, August 22, 2018 via webinar to discuss Framework Adjustment 58 issues and Monitoring Amendment 23.  Details are available at webinar information.
  • Fishery Data for Stock Assessment Working Group – Friday, September 7, 2018 at the UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology in New Bedford to continue work on how fishery dependent data can be used to inform stock abundance.  The agenda can be found at working group meeting.
  • Transboundary Management Guidance Committee (TMGC) – The TMGC will meet Tuesday and Wednesday, September 11-12, 2018, to develop recommendations for 2019 total allowable catches for shared U.S./Canada groundfish stocks on Georges Bank.  Details will be posted at TMGC meetingwhen available.
  • Atlantic Cod – The New England Council manages Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank cod under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan.  The University of New Hampshire recently hosted a Cod Population Structure Symposium that included several presentations from regional scientists.  Copies of those presentations can be downloaded at Cod Population Structure and New England Fisheries.
HABITAT:  The Habitat Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at the Four Points by Sheraton in Wakefield, MA to: (1) review fishing industry proposals and preliminary Habitat Plan Development Team evaluation for exemption areas in the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area; (2) develop recommendations for the Council for inclusion in the Clam Dredge Framework; (3) receive updates on recent Essential Fish Habitat consultations; and (4) discuss offshore wind issues.  More information is available at habitat meeting materials.
ATLANTIC HERRING:  The New England Council’s Atlantic Herring Advisory Panel (AP) and Herring Committee will meet back-to-back on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 and Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at the Four Points by Sheraton in Wakefield, MA.  Both bodies will: (1) review results from the 2018 herring benchmark stock assessment; (2) review public comments on Amendment 8 and recommend preferred alternatives; (3) discuss possible measures for consideration in 2019-2021 specifications and potential independent action for 2019 by NOAA Fisheries; and (4) begin discussing potential 2019 herring work priorities.  When available, related documents will be posted at AP and committee meeting materials.
 
PUBLICATIONS:  Here are a few recent scientific publications that involve Council staff members or Council funding.q
  • Social Impact Analyst Dr. Rachel Feeney and Atlantic Herring Fishery Analyst Deirdre Boelke were authors on a journal article titled “The dream and the reality: meeting decision-making time frames while incorporating ecosystem and economic models into management strategy evaluation,” which recently was published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
  • Scallop Fishery Analyst Sam Asci was the lead author on a paper titled “Estimating similarity in benthic communities over decades and in areas open and closed to fishing in the central Gulf of Maine, USA,” which was published in Marine Ecology Progress Series.
  • Dr. John Wiedenmann and Dr. Olaf Jensen authored a paper titled “Could recent overfishing of New England groundfish have been prevented?  A retrospective evaluation of alternative management strategies.”  The work was funded by the New England Council, and the resulting article was published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS:  New England Council Habitat Fishery Analyst Michelle Bachman will be giving a presentation on August 21 at the 148th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society in Atlantic City, NJ during a session called “Strategic Engagement with Stakeholders and Partners.”

FLORIDA: Scallop survey shows rebounding population

August 17, 2018 — The extra TLC the past two years would appear to be reaping dividends.

A project begun in 2016 to restore the scallop population in St. Joseph Bay has found purchase based on the results of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s adult population survey.

The survey results, posted Tuesday, show that the current population is nearly four-times that of last year and nearly twice the mean of the past six years.

Scallop harvest season in St. Joseph Bay begins Friday and continues through Sept. 30, the latest starting, and longest by days, scallop harvest season in Florida.

During this year’s survey, which was more extensive than typical due to the late start of the season, researchers found 8.1 scallops per square meter, approximately 1.2 square yards.

That is more than three times the density found during last year’s survey and eight times higher than two years ago, when the population was deemed “collapsed,” with less than one scallop per square meter.

The population remains “vulnerable,” the FWC category for adult populations of between two and 20 scallops per square meter.

Read the full story at The Port St. Joe Star