Saving Seafood

News for the South Atlantic Region

Mid-Atlantic Council Seeks Public Input for Next Five-Year Strategic Plan

February 12, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking public input on the future of fisheries management in the Mid-Atlantic. A survey released today provides an opportunity for stakeholders to weigh in on how the Council has performed under its current strategic plan and what issues should be addressed in the Council’s 2020-2024 Strategic Plan.

All interested stakeholders are invited to take the survey, which is designed to take about 15 minutes. The survey includes opportunities to comment on the Council’s vision and mission as well as the specific goals and objectives that will guide the Council’s management activities over the next five years.

The Council encourages everyone to visit www.mafmc.org/strategic-plan to access the survey. Paper copies can be obtained by contacting the Council office at 877-446-2362. The survey will be available through February 28, 2019.

All responses are anonymous and will be aggregated for analysis and presentation. The public will have another opportunity to provide comments on the draft strategic plan later in 2019.

For additional information and updates on the strategic planning process, please visit www.mafmc.org/strategic-plan or contact Michelle Duval at michelleduval22@gmail.com or 919-601-3798.

Mark Your Calendar – SAFMC Meeting March 4-8, 2019 in Jekyll Island, GA

February 11, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold their next meeting March 4-8, 2019 at the Westin Jekyll Island, 110 Ocean Way, Jekyll Island, Georgia. The meeting week begins with a series of committee meetings and concludes with a meeting of the Full Council. A public comment session will be held on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at 4:00 PM. An online comment form will also be available for written comments, and the meeting will be available via webinar as it occurs.

Agenda Highlights:

  • Red Snapper – The Snapper Grouper Committee is expected to receive an update from NOAA Fisheries on the status of the 2019 red snapper season.
  • Species Movement Northward – An Atlantic coast-wide discussion will take place during the Habitat Committee meeting. Members of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, New England Fishery Management Council, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will participate.
  • Sea Turtle Release Gear – The Council is scheduled to approve Snapper Grouper Amendment 42, allowing commercial and for-hire fishermen additional choices for turtle release gear.
  • Best Fishing Practices and Use of Powerhead Gear – The Snapper Grouper Committee will continue to discuss proposed requirements for the use of descending devices, venting tools, and circle hooks, as well as changes to restrictions on powerhead gear.
  • Dolphin Wahoo – The committee will continue to discuss management options for both dolphin and wahoo to include in draft Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan.
  • Allocations – The Council will meet as a Committee of the Whole to begin discussions of allocations between recreational and commercial sectors. In addition, the Committee of the Whole will also discuss the ABC Control Rule Amendment and an amendment to address Recreational Accountability Measures.

Additional Information:

A meeting Schedule-at-a-Glance, links to webinar registration, and additional meeting information is currently available from the March 2019 Council Meeting page. Briefing book materials, including the meeting agenda, committee agendas/overviews, and the public comment form will be available on February 15, 2019.

Congressmen Van Drew and Rutherford Introduce ACEPA

February 11, 2019 — The following was released by the office of Congressman Jefferson Van Drew:

In response to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issuing five Incidental Harassment Authorizations (IHAs) which would advance permit applications for seismic air gun blasting off the Atlantic Coast, Congressmen Jeff Van Drew and John Rutherford have introduced the bipartisan Atlantic Coastal Economies Protection Act to prohibit or stop seismic air gun testing in the Atlantic Ocean. Seismic air gun testing is the first step towards offshore oil and gas exploration and a direct threat to the coastal fishing and tourism economies dependent on healthy ocean ecosystems.

Congressman Jeff Van Drew has a history of working to protect the coastal economy and environment. In 2018 during his time in the New Jersey state legislature, he introduced and passed Senate Bill No. 258 which prohibited offshore oil or natural gas exploration, development, and production in state waters. “Our local economy is dependent on fishing, tourism and wildlife watching – the bottom line is offshore oil and gas drilling isn’t worth the risk,” said Van Drew.

“The waters off the East Coast are home to vulnerable mammal populations, military operations, tourist destinations, and a vibrant maritime economy. Allowing seismic testing in the Atlantic is unnecessary and potentially hazardous to the coastal communities that rely on a healthy ecosystem. The U.S. should not jeopardize our coastal economy by expanding seismic testing and offshore drilling, particularly when our energy needs continue to be met,” said Congressman John Rutherford.

Van Drew and Rutherford were joined in the effort by Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ), Joe Cunningham (D-SC), Brian Mast (R-FL), and Donna Shalala (D-FL). The bill was also endorsed by a variety of stakeholders ranging from local chambers of commerce and fisheries organizations to conservation and environmental groups.

Endorsements: Oceana, League of Conservation Voters, Surfrider Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Environment America, Earthjustice, Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, Hands Across the Sand, American Littoral Society, Ocean Conservation Research, Recreational Fishing Alliance, American Sportfishing Association, International Game Fish Association, Center for Sportfishing Policy

Read the release here

NOAA Seeking Volunteers in Tagging Tuna

February 8, 2019 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is looking for help in tagging tuna.

The Atlantic Ocean Tropical Tuna Tagging Program was established by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas in 2015 to study key aspects of bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean.

As part of the AOTTP, Dr. Walt Golet from the University of Maine and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute will be working with colleagues at the New England Aquarium, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, University of Miami, and NOAA Fisheries to deploy 5,000 conventional tags on tuna in the western North Atlantic Ocean.

The effort will stretch from Canada to Venezuela and also includes the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

Those interested in participating in the AOTTP project and would like to volunteer to tag bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna, can contact Dr. Walt Golet at walter.golet@maine.edu.

NOAA says every fish tagged will give participants a chance to win one of 20 individual cash prizes, totaling more than $39,000, to be awarded at the end of the project.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

ASMFC 2019 Winter Meeting Press Releases, Summaries and Motions Now Available

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

Press releases, meeting summaries and motions from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2019 Winter Meeting are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2019WinterMeeting/2019WinterMeetingSummary.pdf. The document can also be obtained on the Commission website on the Meeting Archives page at http://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive. Presentations and audio files from this week’s meetings will be posted to the 2019 Winter Meeting page (http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-winter-meeting) early next week.

Omega Protein Applauds ASMFC Vote to Not Penalize Virginia for Failure to Adopt Chesapeake Bay Cap

February 8, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted to indefinitely postpone a motion that would have found Virginia and its menhaden fishery out of compliance.

The issue of non-compliance stems from the fact that Virginia has not codified a reduced cap on Omega Protein’s menhaden harvest in the Chesapeake Bay, which was slashed by 41 percent in 2017. Omega Protein claims the Bay Cap is not scientifically derived, but rather is a political compromise and a precautionary measure adopted by the Commission. The lack of scientific evidence supporting the cap has been well documented, according to the company.

“Bluntly, we’ve outkicked our coverage with this particular action,” said ASMFC Commissioner Robert Boyles, head of South Carolina’s Marine Resources Division, during the meeting. “The law doesn’t support a non-compliance finding here. That is the hard and fast fact.”

The menhaden fishery is currently being managed sustainably. In its most recent stock assessment in 2017, the Commission found that menhaden is not overfished, nor is it experiencing overfishing. The stock is healthy enough that the Commission raised the coastwide quota each year from 2015 to 2017.

Declaring a healthy fishery non-compliant would have been unprecedented, as noted by NOAA attorney Chip Lynch at the Commission’s August 2018 meeting on menhaden. At that meeting, Mr. Lynch said a non-compliance recommendation would be “the first time ever…that the federal government would receive a non-compliance referral for a fishery that is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. And there is record evidence from the leadership of the Commission that the measure is not related to conservation.”

“The Commission made the right decision today because the Bay Cap is not ‘necessary for the conservation of the fishery,’ as is required in a non-compliance finding,” said Ben Landry, Director of Public Affairs for Omega Protein. “The Commission’s decision to press pause on this motion signals their acknowledgement that the basis for the reduced Bay Cap was not going to meet federal standards.”

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

King Mackerel Trip Limit Increases to 75 Fish per Day for Commercial Hook-And-Line Vessels Fishing in Federal Waters off Florida Between the Flagler/Volusia and Miami-Dade/Monroe County Lines

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

WHAT/WHEN:

  • On February 7, 2019, the daily vessel trip limit increased from 50 to 75 fish for commercial hook-and-line vessels fishing for Atlantic migratory group king mackerel in federal waters off Florida between the Flagler/Volusia and Miami-Dade/Monroe County lines.
  • The 75-fish daily vessel trip limit will remain in effect through February 28, 2019, unless the Southern zone’s quota is reached and the fishery is closed earlier.
  • On March 1, 2019, the new fishing year begins and a commercial trip limit of 50 fish will again be in effect for this area.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov.

Rep. Dan Webster Brings Back Sustainable Shark and Fisheries Trade Act

February 7, 2019 — U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla., has brought back his proposal for the U.S. Commerce Department to increase regulation on the international shark trade.

Towards the end of last month, Webster brought back his “Sustainable Shark and Fisheries Trade Act” proposal which is being backed by cosponsors from both sides of the aisle including fellow Florida Republican U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Matt Gaetz and Ted Yoho.

“As a Floridian and member of the House Natural Resources Committee, responsible oversight of our nation’s wildlife, environment, and fishing industry is one of my priorities,” Webster said when he unveiled the proposal. “American fishermen have made sacrifices to rebuild and sustain our shark populations. In the United States, we hold high standards for conservation and fishery management. ”

The bill “would require any country that seeks to export shark, ray, and skate to the US to first demonstrate it has a system of science-based management to prevent overfishing and a prohibition on the practice of shark finning” and ensure other nations “must also receive certification from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that its fisheries management policies are on par with US practices” and  modifies the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act.

“By holding imports to the same standards that domestic fisheries already meet, this bipartisan legislation levels the playing field for our fishermen and helps maintain vibrant and economically-viable fishing communities, both on U.S. shores and around the world,” Webster’s office insisted.

Read the full story at the Sunshine State News

MyFishCount Winter Webinar Series

February 5, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Spring is around the corner and now is a great time to learn how to use MyFishCount, an app that allows anglers to create a personal fishing log of their offshore catch. The MyFishCount team will be continuing to host a series of webinar training sessions this winter to prepare anglers for spring fishing. The app is being developed as part of a pilot project to allow anglers to electronically share information about their fishing trips, including catches (and those fish released). The information collected will be reviewed by managers and scientist to help improve information on offshore fisheries.

We welcome recreational anglers to register for a webinar by clicking the link below.

Click Here to Register for a Webinar

The webinar series will feature information on:

  • How to use the MyFishCount App and web-portal
  • How MyFishCount can benefit you as an angler
  • How information from MyFishCount can be used in management and science

Registrants are welcome to ask questions about the project and app.

WEBINAR DATES:

  • February 6
  • February 21
  • February 26
  • March 6

To Learn More Visit

www.myfishcount.com

SAFMC Private Recreational Electronic Reporting

VIMS: Antarctic krill declines as South Atlantic Ocean warms

February 4, 2019 — When biological oceanographer Deborah Steinberg bundles up and steps onto the deck of the Laurence M. Gould research vessel, this is what she sees: ice, ice and more ice.

“I see icebergs, I see sea ice, I see crabeater seals floating by on ice floes, the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula,” Steinberg said in a shipboard phone interview Friday. “It’s gorgeous.”

But it’s what she can’t see, what lies beneath the icy waters of the South Atlantic Ocean off northwestern Antarctica, that concerns Steinberg and an international team of marine researchers: krill.

Read the full story at the Daily Press