Saving Seafood

Shellfish and seaweed farms are a growing industry in Alaska

August 28, 2019 — Underwater and out of sight are the makings of a major Alaska industry with two anchor crops that clean the planet while pumping out lots of cash: shellfish and seaweed.

Alaskans have applied for over 2,000 acres of new or expanding undersea farms, double the footprint from two years ago, ranging from .02 acres at Halibut Cove to nearly 300 acres at Craig.

Nearly 60% of the newest applicants plan to grow kelp with the remainder a mix of kelp and/or Pacific oysters, said Cynthia Pring-Ham, aquatic farming coordinator at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which issues the permits. Fish and Game partners with the state Department of Natural Resources, which leases the tidal and submerged lands for farms.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

Icelandic fishing fleet’s annual earnings soar as catches rise

August 26, 2019 — Almost 1.26 million metric tons (MT) of fisheries products were caught by the Icelandic fishing fleet last year, an increase of 6.7 percent or 79,025 MT, and the total first-sale value of that catch rose 15.6 percent to almost ISK 128 billion (USD 1 billion, EUR 924.7 million), according to figures gathered by Statistics Iceland.

The largest contributor to these increases was the demersal sector, which saw its catch increase by 12 percent in volume, or 51,341 MT, to 480,224 MT. The value of these landings climbed 17.9 percent to ISK 90.8 billion (USD 726.4 million, EUR 656 million).

Read the full story at Seafood Source

MAINE: Shellfish harvest sites reopened after long red tide season

August 21, 2019 — Maine has recently lifted long closures of several shellfish harvest sites due to the potentially fatal biological toxin known as red tide.

The Portland Press Herald reports this year’s closure remained in place for three months in parts of southern Maine, nearly three times as long as the typical four to five weeks.

Jeff Nichols, a spokesman for the Maine Department of Marine Resources, said the department hasn’t determined the cause of the longer red tide season.

Read the full story at The Associated Press at the Bangor Daily News

MAINE: After Last Year’s Poor Harvest, Mainers Work To Help Clam Fisheries Bounce Back

August 9th, 2019 — Last year Maine’s harvest of soft-shell clams was one of the worst in many decades, down to around 7 million pounds. That’s due in part to closures of polluted flats, and predation by the invasive green crab.

But harvesters and other observers say the fishery can bounce back — and new efforts to better protect the resource are emerging in more than a dozen coastal towns.

The Medomak River is Maine’s most prolific softshell clam fishery, and Glen Melvin has been picking them from the mudflats here, off and on, for more than four decades. Steering a beat-up aluminum outboard downstream from Waldoboro, Melvin sports a multi-colored bandana and mirrored sunglasses.

The boat flies past cove after cove, which in recent years have been frequently shut down to clamming because of pollution by fecal coliform.

Read the full story at Maine Public Radio

Ocean Moment with Congressman Rob Wittman

August 9th, 2019 — When you hear from residents in your district or state about ocean-related issues, what concerns them most? Why do these issues matter so much to them?

The number one issue I hear from constituents on oceans/marine ecosystems issues is marine resource sustainability. As more and more folks enjoy recreational fishing, they have developed a greater interest in protecting fish stocks for themselves and generations to come. They have an interest in fisheries management, water quality, and access to marine resources. These issues matter because of the connection they feel to these marine ecosystems and the resources within; they enjoy the experience of pursuing the capture and catch and release of the finfish, shellfish, and crustacea.

We have worked hard to protect, preserve and enhance the marine resources folks hold dear. The Chesapeake Bay is the life-blood of our region’s economy, the home to countless species of fish and other wildlife, and a true natural treasure that needs to be maintained and protected. I grew up enjoying the natural wonders of the Bay and the watershed area and know countless people, including my son, who make their living on the water.

During my time in Congress, I’ve authored bipartisan legislation, now signed into law, The Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act. Aimed at preserving the environmental health of the Chesapeake Bay, this legislation increases coordination and transparency within Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts. I’ve also worked with my colleagues to introduce The Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act. The program coordinates data collection and distributes grants to states for Bay restoration efforts, of which a majority goes to states in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to help control pollution and manage runoff into the tributaries that feed into the Bay.

Read the full interview at Marine Fish Conservation Network

ASMFC Awards Grants to 5 Aquaculture Pilot Projects

August 8, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) has selected five aquaculture pilot projects to receive funding. Through these pilot projects, emphasis is being placed on promising but less commercially developed technologies for finfish and shellfish, and other industry needs like increased permitting efficiency. As part of its efforts to foster responsible aquaculture and seafood security in the US, NOAA Fisheries provided $575,000 in funding to the Commission to support these projects. Following a rigorous review, which included an evaluation of the technical aspects of the proposals as well as their compliance with environmental laws, the following five projects were selected.  The projects, ranging from black sea bass production to aquaculture workforce development, will begin in August and are scheduled for completion in 2020.

Read the full release here

North Carolina streamlines shellfish aquaculture permit process

July 31, 2019 — North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper recently signed into law Senate Bill 648, the Support Shellfish Aquaculture program, which establishes new large-scale leasing rules and a newly streamlined permitting process.

The “enterprise” areas proved to be one of the key reasons why this year’s effort on aquaculture was successful. The House passed Senate Bill 648, Support Shellfish Aquaculture, on June 12 in a 116-0 vote. In early May, the Senate approved the bill in a 47-0 vote, according to local press reports.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

MASSACHUSETTS: Despite red tide, some still clamming

July 8, 2019 — The Gloucester shellfish warden is urging the public to refrain from all shellfish harvesting at city beaches and flats during the current red tide closure to guard the health of both the public and the city’s commercial shellfish industry.

Shellfish Warden Peter Seminara said his staff documented 16 violations in just the past week — including one on July 3 that involved 70 pounds of illegally harvested surf clams and another on the Fourth of July involving 40 pounds of surf clams. Both incidents occurred at Wingaersheek Beach.

“We’re really trying to alert all beachgoers to the health dangers of taking shellfish during the closure,” Seminara said Friday. “It presents a danger to the public’s health and it does have an economic impact on our commercial clamming industry if people start getting sick from shellfish harvested in Gloucester.”

The portion of the city’s shellfish areas in Essex Bay was closed June 18 because of the red tide, or algal blooms, that occurs when pollution causes toxin-producing algae to proliferate, posing a serious threat of illness or death if ingested. The remaining city shellfish areas followed suit on June 20.

Waters, tributaries and flats off Essex, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Newburyport and Salisbury are also closed due to red tide.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Shellfish growers are feeling climate change’s effects now

July 3, 2019 — Shellfish farming in Washington is a multimillion-dollar industry with a history as deep as Puget Sound. However, recent decades of warming oceans and higher levels of ocean acidification continue to challenge shellfish farming practices.

In and around Whatcom County there are several aquaculture farms, such as Lummi Shellfish Hatchery, Drayton HarborOyster Co., Blau Oyster and Taylor Shellfish in Samish Bay. Each farm varies in size, number of employees and type of shellfish produced, but they share one thing in common: the water quality of Puget Sound.

There are more than 300 aquaculture farms across Washington, according to the Pacific Shellfish Institute. A WashingtonState Maritime Sector Economic Impact Study in 2017 found that the industry directly supports 15,900 jobs. Samish Bay shellfish farms alone include $2 million annual payroll and $6 million in wholesale oysters, clams and geoduck.

In June, four ocean acidification bills made bipartisan progress, in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, to becoming law. The bills are designed to encourage research and spur new ideas for adapting to the affects of ocean acidification. The bills include the COAST Research Act of 2019, the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2019,the Ocean Acidification Innovation Act of 2019 and the NEAR Act of 2019.

As carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere a certain percentage is absorbed into the water, causing a chemical reaction that makes the water more acidic. According to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, roughly 25%of carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed into the worlds oceans. The process is similar to bubbles escaping from a soda can, but in reverse. Since the industrial revolution ocean acidification has increased by 30% and reduced carbonate ions by16%, said Bill Dewey, director of public affairs for Taylor Shellfish. By the end of the century it is predicted that ocean acidification will increase by 100% to 150% and reduce carbonate ions by 50%, said Dewey.

Read the full story at The Bellingham Business Journal

Baby lobster numbers spell trouble for shellfish population

July 1, 2019 — Baby lobsters are continuing to appear in high numbers off some parts of Canada while tailing off in New England, raising questions about what the valuable shellfish’s population will look like in several years.

University of Maine scientist Rick Wahle has documented trends in baby lobster density for years, and released new data for 2018 this month. The new data reinforce recent trends about lobsters that show upticks off sites in Atlantic Canada, such as some areas in Nova Scotia, Wahle said. Meanwhile, the Gulf of Maine reported below average numbers from Bar Harbor to Cape Cod, he said.

Young lobsters settle into the ocean bottom, where they take shelter as they grow. Wahle tracks where lobsters are settling in 23 areas from Rhode Island to Prince Edward Island, Canada. This year’s data showed high totals in Canadian locations such as St. Mary’s Bay, Nova Scotia, and the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, but low numbers in Maine fishing areas such as the Midcoast region and Casco Bay.

American fishermen compete with Canada for the same species of lobster, which anchors one of the most lucrative fisheries in either country. Some scientists have said the shellfish appear to be moving north as waters warm.

“It’s as if this wave that has crested in Maine is now increasing in Atlantic Canada,” Wahle said.

New England’s commercial harvest of lobster has been strong in recent years, but it’s dependent on young lobsters growing to maturity. Some New England sites, such as those off Rhode Island, show few baby lobsters at all.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Washington Post