Saving Seafood

Hawaiʻi Scientists Bring Cutting-edge Analyses to the Stock Assessment of the Uku Snapper

June 19, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The ukupalu snapper, more commonly known as “uku,” is a popular fish among commercial and recreational fishermen in Hawaiʻi. They live at depths of 60 to 650 feet, and fishermen typically catch them using deep handlines with baited hooks. Fisheries harvest around 240,000 pounds of uku every year. Commercial fisheries catch around 109,000 pounds and recreational fisheries catch an estimated 131,000 pounds. Fishermen commonly consume them at home or sell them to restaurants where their clear, firm flesh and delicate taste make them a popular dish. Uku can be baked, steamed, or simply served fresh as sashimi.

Scientists first assessed the Hawaiʻi uku population along with 27 other reef fish in 2017. They used a relatively simple assessment model based on the average length of uku in the catch in recent years. This assessment determined that overfishing was not occurring for uku, but this simple model resulted in much uncertainty. It could not determine if the stock was overfished.

“Overfishing” means people are catching too many fish. This is different from “overfished,” which means there are not enough fish in the sea. If overfishing occurs for too long, a stock will eventually become overfished.

Read the full release here

Palau’s marine sanctuary backfires, leading to increased consumption of reef fish

March 5, 2020 — Palau’s much-touted marine sanctuary has backfired, with the fishing ban leading to an increased consumption of the reef fish in the western Pacific country – such as grouper, snapper and parrotfish – that the marine sanctuary promised to protect.

Palau introduced a new 500,000 sq km (193,000 sq mile) marine sanctuary on 1 January to much fanfare.

The establishment of the sanctuary, which is twice the size of Mexico and is the world’s sixth-largest fully protected area, saw Palau close 80% of its economic exclusion zone to commercial fishing as well as activities like drilling for oil.

While the closure of the EEZ to commercial fishing aimed to reduce pressure on the reef by encouraging sustainable domestic fishing of fish like tuna, the ban has actually led to a shortage as commercial fishing vessels have moved out of Palau’s waters.

As a result, shops and restaurants in Palau are serving up vulnerable reef fish instead of pelagic fish like tuna.

“It will be the opposite of what we wanted,” said Yimnang Golbuu, chief executive of Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) and administrator of the marine sanctuary, of reports of increased consumption of reef fish. “That’s why its important to develop that constant supply [of tuna].”

Read the full story at The Guardian

South Atlantic Vermilion Snapper Commercial Trip Limit Reduced to 555 Pounds Whole Weight on November 11, 2019

November 7, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN

  • The daily trip limit for the commercial harvest of vermilion snapper in federal waters of the South Atlantic is reduced from 1,110 to 555 pounds whole weight, or from 1,000 to 500 pounds gutted weight, effective
    12:01 a.m., local time, on November 11, 2019.

WHY THIS TRIP LIMIT REDUCTION IS HAPPENING:

  • When commercial landings of South Atlantic vermilion snapper reach or are projected to reach 75 percent of the quota, regulations are in place to reduce the daily trip limit.
  • The trip limit reduction is necessary to slow the rate of commercial harvest to avoid exceeding the quota.

AFTER THE TRIP LIMIT REDUCTION:

  • The 555-pound whole weight or 500-pound gutted weight trip limit will remain in effect until the end of the current fishing season on December 31, 2019, or when 100 percent of the quota is reached or projected to be reached, whichever occurs first. The 2020 January through June vermilion snapper fishing season in the South Atlantic will open at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2020, with a 1,110-pound whole weight or 1,000-pound gutted weight trip limit.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at:
http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=383bc195ccbeab4fd6bec1c24905df34&node=sp50.12.622.i&rgn=div6#se50.12.622_1191.

Correction – Mark Your Calendar – Upcoming SAFMC Meetings

October 1, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold several meetings in the coming weeks on topics affecting federal fisheries management off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida. Fishermen and others interested in offshore fisheries are encouraged to attend the meetings (in-person or via webinar) and provide their viewpoints and comments as the Council’s Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel, Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel, and Habitat Protection and Ecosystem-Based Advisory Panel meet to discuss issues, as well as the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee. Working groups for the Citizen Science Program and System Management Plan are also meeting.

All meetings are open to the public and available via webinar. Meeting materials, including agendas/overviews, public comment forms, briefing book materials, and presentations, are available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/ as noted below.

Read the meeting materials, provide comment, and mark your calendar to listen in!

Citizen Science Projects Advisory Committee
October 3, 2019
Webinar Only – Beginning at 3:00 PM
Briefing book, webinar registration, and public comment form now available at:
https://safmc.net/citizen-science-program/

Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel
October 7-8, 2019
Town and Country Inn
Charleston, SC
Briefing book, webinar registration, and public comment form now available at: https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/current-advisory-panel-meetings/

System Management Plan Workgroup
October 8-9, 2019
Town and Country Inn
Charleston, SC
Briefing book, webinar registration, and public comment form now available at:
https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/other-meetings/.

Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel
October 9-11, 2019
Town and Country Inn
Charleston, SC
Briefing book, webinar registration, and public comment form now available at:
https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/current-advisory-panel-meetings/.

Scientific and Statistical Committee
October 15-17, 2019
Crowne Plaza Charleston Airport – Convention Center
Charleston, SC
https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/scientific-and-statistical-committee-meetings/.

Habitat Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management Advisory Panel
October 22-24, 2019
FWC Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
St. Petersburg, FL
https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/current-advisory-panel-meetings/.

How Do I Chum You Up?: Dewey Hemilright, Long Line Fisherman of Wanchese

June 19, 2019 — Sitting in the wheelhouse of the 42-foot FV Tarbaby in Wanchese, NC, we found Captain Dewey Hemilright, pelagic longliner, member of one the most highly restricted fisheries in the U.S. if not the world. As his girlfriend’s dog Annie angled for back-scratches, Captain Dewey pointed to a large console of equipment that makes up his mandatory Video Monitoring System, recording his every move when in Bluefin territory. He flipped through a notebook containing swordfish, Atlantic tuna, snapper grouper, large coastal sharks, and Spanish mackerel permits. He listed all of his U.S. Coast Guard safety requirements, and showed us his federal sea turtle de-hooking certification.

“Every 3 years I’ve got to be re-certified or I don’t get my permits renewed,” he explained. “For this sea turtle class, we have to de-hook a cardboard box!”

Above and beyond all the permit requirements, monitoring, and fishing regulations, it takes much more to stay afloat in the fishing industry. To Captain Dewey, it comes down to an emphasis on “we”, not “me,” and active participation in management.

“Your fishery is on the agenda, like it or not. So we better be involved.” Hemilright has been involved in fisheries management since 1997. “I’ve had a few people enable me to go to meetings early on, and I don’t know whether to thank them or kick them in the ass.” He currently serves as one of three voting delegates from North Carolina on the federal Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and is on six Council advisory committees. He’s also a liaison to the South Atlantic Council, as North Carolina is a “swing state” ecologically, and is subject to federal management of northern and southern species.

Read the full story at Raising the Story

Early South Atlantic Snapper Closure Draws Ire

June 10, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Another early mandated closure of yellowtail snapper commercial fishery has local commercial fishermen again calling for a reallocation of that species because the recreational fishing side has not been meeting its annual allocation every year.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will close the fishery Friday, June 7, and will reopen it Aug. 1, which is the start of a new fishing year for yellowtail snapper. The fishing year for yellowtail runs from Aug. 1 to July 31.

The August 2018 through July 2019 commercial catch limit is 1,596,510 pounds whole weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial catch limit and harvest should close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded, according to the South Atlantic Fishery Management.

During the commercial closure, all sale or purchase of yellowtail snapper is prohibited, and harvest or possession of yellowtail snapper in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open, according to council.

This is the second straight year the council closed the commercial yellowtail fishery roughly two months early.

Yellowtail snapper is one of the most profitable commercial fin fisheries in the Keys. The Keys account for 90 percent of the yellowtail landings in the United States.

The top five communities with the highest levels of commercial landings of yellowtail snapper include the Florida communities of Key West, Miami, Marathon, Fort Lauderdale and Key Largo, according to the South Atlantic Council. The top Florida communities for recreational fishing also include communities in South Florida and the Florida Keys.

For the past several years, Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association Executive Director Bill Kelly has lobbied state and federal fishery managers to reallocate some of the unused yellowtail annual catch allocation from the recreational sector to the commercial sector.

The annual catch limit for commercially harvested yellowtail is about 1.6 million pounds and the recreational annual catch limit is roughly 1.4 million pounds.

The recreational side has not harvested 500,000 to 700,000 pounds of yellowtail in South Atlantic waters for the past six of seven years and 500,000 pounds in Gulf waters, according to Kelly.

“The recreational sector has not harvested more than 50 percent in the past 10 years, but still we have early closures,” Kelly said.

Reallocation is a hugely controversial issue when it comes to all fisheries. The federal General Accounting Office is currently taking input on fishery reallocation and is interviewing fishermen this week at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council this week at Gulf Council’s meeting in Florida.

The General Accounting Office will be at the South Atlantic’s meeting next week in Stuart, Florida to take input.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Reminder – Public Hearings on Best Fishing Practices, Powerhead Gear – Scheduled via Webinar Next Week

April 24, 2019 — The following was published by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is currently seeking public input on Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 29 that includes proposed requirements designed to help improve survival of released fish. The amendment would also modify current regulations for the use of powerhead gear. Public hearings on proposed measures and alternatives will be held next Tuesday, April 30 and Wednesday, May 1 via webinar beginning at 6:00 p.m.

The Council is also seeking public comment on a proposal to add two species of mackerel to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan as ecosystem-component species to recognize their importance as prey. Public scoping webinars are also scheduled in May as noted below.

PUBLIC HEARING AND SCOPING
Public Hearings (Webinar): Best Fishing Practices and Use of Powerhead Gear
(Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 29)
* Tuesday, April 30 at 6:00 PM Webinar registration
* Wednesday, May 1 at 6:00 PM Webinar registration

The draft amendment addresses use of best fishing practices to improve survival of released snapper-grouper species, including alternatives for the use of descending devices and/or venting tools to release fish experiencing barotrauma (injury due to the expansion of the gas when reeled up from depth) and modifications to current non-stainless steel circle hook requirements. The amendment also includes measures to modify powerhead regulations.

The public hearing summary and presentations are available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/. The online public comment form is also available and public comment will be accepted until 5 p.m. on May 10, 2019.

Public Scoping (Webinar): Bullet and Frigate Mackerels

(Option to add species to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan)
* Tuesday, May 7 at 6:00 PM Webinar registration
* Thursday, May 9 at 6:00 PM Webinar registration

The Council is considering adding bullet mackerel and frigate mackerel to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP as ecosystem component species, acknowledging the role the two currently unmanaged species play as important prey for both dolphin and wahoo.

Learn more and provide your comments!
http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/

Science on your side: The trappings of fish fraud

April 18, 2019 — Seafood fraud and mislabeled seafood is a permanent topic in the sustainable fisheries space and has been driving the demands for product traceability. Since 2011, Oceana has led the discourse on fish fraud by publishing sixteen reports on the subject.

Oceana Canada’s 2018 report exposed some important shortcomings in the Canadian seafood system and offered constructive, achievable mandates for reducing seafood fraud domestically, but the study collected data from a biased sample and only presented results that supported a narrative of rampant fraudulence.

Oceana collects seafood samples at restaurants and retail outlets, DNA tests them, then matches the DNA results to government labeling guidelines. The sampling focused specifically on cod, halibut, snapper, tuna, salmon and sole because these species historically, “have the highest rates of species substitution.” This nonrandom sampling is consistent with previous seafood fraud studies from Oceana.

Of the 382 seafood samples tested in Canada, 168 (44 percent) were found to be mislabeled.

None of the red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), yellowtail or butterfish tested was appropriately labeled. Tuna was mislabeled 41 percent of the time, halibut 34 percent, cod 32 percent and salmon 18 percent.

Fundamental to the interpretation of the Oceana Canada 2018 study’s results is the understanding that the samples were selected to find fraud, not to measure the actual extent of fraud across the entire seafood supply chain. Oceana disclosed this in the report. However the press release it issued for this report, and subsequent headlines from other news sources, such as “At least one quarter of the seafood you buy is a lie” from the site IFL Science, created a different narrative.

Aside from the sampling criticisms, the analysis of specific species was especially flawed.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

What is seafood fraud? Dangerous and running rampant, report finds

March 7, 2019 — If you order a filet of snapper at a restaurant, you probably expect to be served snapper. But a new report suggests there’s a strong chance you’ll be getting something else.

Oceana, a marine conservation nonprofit with a recent history of studying seafood mislabeling, today published a new report on the state of seafood fraud in the U.S.

They found that 20 percent of the 449 fish they tested were incorrectly labeled. Orders of sea bass were often replaced by giant perch, Alaskan halibut by Greenland turbot, and Florida snapper by lavender jobfish, to name a few.

Oceana made headlines in 2016 by publishing a report finding massive seafood fraud on a global scale. Since then, NOAA created the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), to track 13 species deemed at high risk of being fraudulently sold or sourced illegally.

None of the 13 SIMP monitored species were sampled.

“We wanted to highlight that there are other species other than the high-risk species,” says Kimberly Warner, a senior scientist at Oceana and one of the report’s authors.

Read the full story at National Geographic

FLORIDA: FWC meeting addressed sharks, snapper and nonnative species

February 22, 2019 — It was a busy two days at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission meeting in Gainesville.

By day’s end Thursday, the commission had approved changes to shark fishing regulations, no-take rules at a popular walk-in West Palm Beach dive site, hunting regulations, fishing regulations for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico and spotted seatrout in southwest Florida’s most heavily affected red tide zone, and had instructed staff to develop plans on how to better control aquatic plants in Florida’s numerous lakes.

The FWC also took steps to stop illegal trapping of Florida’s native songbirds and took steps to further protect the state from high-risk invasive species.

Read the full story at Treasure Coast Newspapers