Saving Seafood

Southeastern Fisheries Association: Who Gets the Fish Now?

May 17, 2018 — The following was released by the Southeastern Fisheries Association:

The American Sportfishing Association and other anti-commercial fishing groups told Congress that anglers only get 3% of the fish. They lie!

From the Virginia/North Carolina border through the Florida Keys, see how many pounds of fish are allotted for the non-fishermen? 

SEE HOW MANY POUNDS OF FISH ARE ALLOTTED FOR THE SPORT-FISHERMEN?

Is it legal to take so much fish away from non-fishing citizens?

National marine manufacturers, foreign outboard motor, gear, electronic companies and anglers clubs are pushing to privatize federal fish resources exclusively for sport fishing.

The following data is derived from NOAA’s listing of the Allowable Catch Levels (ACLs) for each of the following species. View the source material in its entirety here.

WHO GETS THE FISH NOW?

FISH Species #’s Non-fishing Consumers (Commercial) Anglers
Atlantic Spade Fish 150,552 661,926
Bar Jack 13,228 49,021
Black Grouper 96,884 165,750
Blueline Tile 87,251 87,277
Cobia NY to GA 50,000 620,000
Cobia East FL(Gulf) 70,000 860,000
Deepwater Complex 131,628 38,628
Dolphin 1,534,485 13,810,361
Gag grouper 335,188 348,194
Golden Tile 313,310 2,187 (Number of Fish)
Grey Trigger 312,324 404,675
Grunts 217,903 618,122
Hog Fish NC-GA 23,456 988 (Number of fish)
Hog Fish FLK-EFL 4,524 18,617 (Number of fish)
Jacks 189,422 267,799
Mutton 104,231 768,857
Porgies 36,348 106,914
Red Grouper 343,200 436,800
Red Snapper 0 0
Scamp 219,375 1,169,308
Shallow Grouper 55,542 48,648
Snapper (Exclud. R Snapper) 344,575 1,169,308
Snowy Grouper 144,315 4,983 (Number of Fish)
Vermillion Snapper 862,290 406,080
Wahoo 70,542 1,724,418
Wreckfish 385,985 20,315
Black Seabass 755,724 1,001,177
Greater Amberjack 769,388 1,167,837
King Mackerel 5,900,000 10,900,000
Spanish Mackerel 3,330,000 2,727,000
Yellow Tail Snaper 1,596,510 1,440,990
Total Allocations 17,912,450 40,000,785

 

SAFMC: Council Seeks Input on Proposed Changes for the Snapper Grouper Fishery

April 26, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council are soliciting public input on a number of measures proposed for both recreational and commercial fishermen targeting species in the snapper grouper management complex. The management measures are being proposed in two amendments to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan as part of the Council’s Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery.

Vision Blueprint Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 26 (Recreational):

The amendment proposes modifying the species composition of recreational aggregates to better reflect how fishermen are currently fishing and allow more focused management measures (i.e., for deep-water species). Alternatives for aggregate bag limits, minimum size limits and gear requirements are included. The regulatory amendment also proposes modification to the spawning season closure for red grouper off the North and South Carolina coasts, removing the minimum size limit for three deep-water snappers, and reducing the minimum size limit for gray triggerfish off the east coast of Florida to bring consistency with regulations in state waters.

Vision Blueprint Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 27 (Commercial):

The amendment addresses concerns over equitable access for commercial fishermen fishing in the snapper grouper fishery and proposes measures to help minimize discards. The regulatory amendment includes actions for split commercial seasons for blueline tilefish, snowy grouper, greater amberjack, and red porgy. The amendment also includes actions to modify the commercial trip limit for blueline tilefish, greater amberjack, red porgy, and vermilion snapper. Other measures include specifying a minimum size limit for almaco jack, implementing a trip limit for the Other Jacks complex, extending the seasonal closure for red grouper in federal waters off North Carolina and South Carolina, removing the minimum size limit for three deep-water snappers, and reducing the commercial minimum size limit for gray triggerfish off the east coast of Florida.

Additional information for each amendment, including public hearing summaries, video presentations, and other materials is available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/.

Public Hearings via Webinar with Listening Stations  

Public hearings will be held via webinar with Listening Stations in areas as noted below. Area Council members will be present at each of the Listening Stations. Members of the public will have an opportunity to go on record to offer their comments for consideration by the Council during the webinars.

Webinar registration is required for each public hearing. 

Webinar #1 – May 8, 2018 at 6 pm

Listening Stations

Haddrell’s Point Tackle

885 Ben Sawyer Blvd.

Mt Pleasant, SC

Southeast Regional Branch Library

10599 Deerwood Park Blvd

Jacksonville, FL

NC Division of Marine Fisheries

Southern District Office

127 Cardinal Drive Extension

Wilmington, NC 

Webinar #2 – May 9, 2018 at 6 pm

Listening Stations

Cocoa Beach Public Library

550 North Brevard Avenue

Cocoa Beach, FL 

NC Division of Marine Fisheries

Central District Office

5285 Hwy 70 West

Morehead City, NC 

Webinar #3 – May 10, 2018 at 6 pm

Listening Stations

Murrells Inlet Community Center

4462 Murrells Inlet Rd

Murrells Inlet, SC 

Marathon Government Center – BOCC

2798 Overseas Hwy, 2nd Floor

Marathon, FL

Hatteras Community Building

57689 NC Hwy 12

Hatteras, NC

Written Comments

The Council is also accepting written comments until May 11, 2018 at 5 p.m.Written comments may be submitted using the online comment form and also be viewed via the website. Additional information on how to submit written comments is available from the website.

 

Trump Drilling Plans Raise Concerns Over Discarded Poison Gas, Nuke Waste

April 24, 2018 — The Trump administration’s proposal to open large tracts of seabed off the South Carolina coast to oil and gas exploration has drawn a sharp rebuke from a statewide business advocacy group concerned about the thousands of unexploded bombs, poison gas and radioactive waste that were dumped in the planned exploration zone.

In a written a statement submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Frank Knapp of the South Carolina Business Chamber of Commerce, said oil and gas exploration off the coast would increase the risk of disturbing long-dormant hazards and contaminating marine life harvested by fisherman up and down the east coast.

“We have a tremendous stake in our coastal economy and environmental health of ocean and coast,” said Knapp, the chamber’s chief executive officer.

Read the full story at the Courthouse News Service

 

Experts: Seismic testing may release radioactive material from ocean floor

April 18, 2018 —  New fears of releasing toxic and radioactive materials buried in the ocean floor are fueling concerns about the affects of seismic testing for oil and natural gas in the Atlantic Ocean.

This is in response to the Trump administration’s new draft five-year program (2019-2024) for oil and gas development on the outer continental shelf, which proposes to expand future oil and gas leasing to nearly all U.S. waters including the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic and eastern Gulf of Mexico. This is the largest number of potential offshore lease sales ever proposed.

The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Department of Defense to obtain the facts about ammunition dumps in the Atlantic that contain conventional, chemical and radioactive weapons and materials, according to a press release. FOIA requests were also sent to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Commerce for information on radioactive waste disposed of in the Atlantic, the release states.

“For over 60 years our country has used the Atlantic Ocean as a trash can for all kinds of toxic materials,” said Frank Knapp Jr., president and CEO of the chamber. “According to a 2009 Defense Department report, ‘Prior to the 1970s … sea disposal was considered one of the safest alternatives available to dispose of munitions.’ That report indicates that over 17,000 tons of munitions with highly toxic materials have been dumped along the Atlantic Coast. In the 1950s the old Atomic Energy Commission approved the dumping of radioactive waste in 55-gallon drums in the ocean. Industries creating other kinds of toxic wastes did the same.”

The FOIA requests seek to identify the exact locations, types of toxic materials, containers used, weight of deposits and dates of the dumps, Knapp said. This information would be the basis for asking for mitigation strategies to prevent the disturbance of these toxic material dump sites should federal agencies approve seismic surveys, he said.

Read the full story at Southstrand News

South Atlantic Council to Offer Training Opportunities in SC and GA on Proposed Electronic Reporting Requirements for Federally Permitted Charter Captains

March 28, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is offering hands-on training sessions for federally permitted charter captains in South Carolina and Georgia over the course of the next week.  Informational webinars are also being offered in April and May. (See training and webinar schedule below.)

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: 

Charter captains with South Atlantic federal, for-hire permits (Snapper Grouper, Dolphin Wahoo, and/or Coastal Migratory Pelagic fisheries).

TRAINING TOPICS:

The training sessions will provide captains with an overview of the South Atlantic For-Hire Electronic Reporting Amendment that is under review by the Secretary of Commerce, proposed reporting requirements, the timeline for possible implementation, and how you can provide feedback on the proposed requirements during the anticipated 2018 public comment period.  Fishermen will also have the opportunity to try out some of the electronic reporting tools (website and tablet-based app) that may be used for submitting reports once the reporting requirements are implemented.

Training Session Schedule – South Carolina

All Meetings Begin at 6:00 PM 

March 28

SCDNR – Ft. Johnson

(training will be held in the

indoor classroom in the lab building)

217 Fort Johnson Rd

Charleston, SC 29412

 Click here to RSVP

 March 29

Hilton Head Boathouse,

405 Squire Pope Rd,

Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

Click here to RSVP

Training Session Schedule – Georgia

All Meetings Begin at 6:00 PM 

April 2

GADNR Coastal Resources Headquarters,

Susan Shipman Environmental

Learning Center,

One Conservation Way

Brunswick, GA 31520

Click here to RSVP

 April 3

Armstrong Campus (GSU),

University Hall, Room 111,

11935 Abercorn Street

Savannah, GA 31419

 Click here to RSVP 

(Note: Click here for campus map/directions; After parking, come directly to Rm. 111 to receive your parking pass.)

*Note: Additional training sessions will be scheduled for 

Florida in June and July 2018 and for North Carolina in the Fall 2018.

Informational Webinars

Can’t attend an in-person training? Council staff will also host informational webinars twice a month for federal for-hire permit holders to provide information about electronic reporting, the proposed amendment, and upcoming training sessions. Registration is required.

Below is the current schedule for informational webinars:

Learn more about the SAFMC by visiting their site here.

 

Trump’s plans to expand offshore drilling face headwind on Atlantic coast

February 22, 2018 — WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s bid to open Atlantic waters to offshore drilling has sparked bipartisan opposition in the states with the largest oil and gas reserves off their coasts, presenting unexpected obstacles to the long-held designs of the energy industry.

In recent years, political leaders in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina had supported oil and gas drilling off their coasts, envisioning high-paying jobs and increased tax revenues. But new governors in the three states – two Democrats and a Republican – have all reversed the positions of their predecessors, fearing the potential impact on beaches, fisheries and tourism industries.

“This last election we’ve seen a significant shift at the leadership level,” said David Holt, president of the Consumer Energy Alliance, a trade group representing large energy users and producers. “If you look at the last 10 years, the majority of the governors and the public had been supportive.”

For oil executives in Houston, an international center of the offshore oil and gas sector, the Atlantic coast is a new frontier that could potentially mean significant profits in the decades ahead. Most of the world’s biggest oil companies, including Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell, have a major presence here, employing thousands of people, as do firms specializing in offshore drilling and services, including TechnipFMC, National Oilwell Varco, McDermott International and Transocean.

But the recent shift in political and public sentiment represents a very real threat to their plans.

The oil and gas industry has sought access to U.S. Atlantic waters for years, hoping to find rich oil and gas fields similar to those off the coasts of Nigeria and Ghana. In Trump – who proclaims “energy dominance” almost as frequently as “Make America great again” – the industry believed it had found the key to achieving its goal.

Energy companies came close two years ago when former President Barack Obama considered allowing oil and gas development in Atlantic waters. They had the support of Republicans and Democrats, including Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2016, and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime friend and fund raiser for Hillary and Bill Clinton, but Obama ultimately decided against an expansion of offshore drilling.

Read the full story at the Houston Chronicle

 

Maine men indicted in New Jersey as part of ongoing elver sting operation

February 22, 2018 — Two men from midcoast Maine have been indicted in New Jersey as part of an East Coast baby eel trafficking scheme that so far has netted 19 guilty pleas.

Joseph Kelley of Woolwich and James Lewis of West Bath are charged in U.S. District Court in New Jersey with conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, two counts of violation of the Lacey Act and smuggling.

Prosecutors allege that during 2013 and 2014, the two men illegally harvested, transported and sold baby eels, also known as elvers.

Fishing for elvers is illegal in all states except Maine, where it is permitted along the entire coast, and South Carolina, where the practice is permitted only in the Cooper River.

Federal prosecutors charged Kelley and Lewis with conspiring with other named conspirators — including Albert Cray of Phippsburg; Mark Green of West Bath; John Pinkham of Bath; George Anestis of Boxborough, Massachusetts; Michael Bryant of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts; and Thomas Choi, who owned a seafood company in Cambridge, Maryland — who purchased, sold or exported elvers worth more than $1.5 million, according to court documents.

Choi was sentenced in December to serve six months in prison for his role in the scheme.

Woolwich resident Bill Sheldon, one of the country’s major elver dealers, pleaded guilty in October to elver trafficking, but his sentencing date has not yet been set.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

 

North Carolina governor seeks offshore drilling exemption in Zinke meeting

February 5, 2018 — North Carolina’s governor said he had a good conversation on Saturday with the interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, regarding plans to expand drilling for gas and oil off the state’s coast.

Roy Cooper, a Democrat, wants the Republican administration to give him an exemption similar to that offered to the Republican governor of Florida, Rick Scott.

Last month, Zinke told Scott Florida’s waters would remain closed under Donald Trump’s five-year plan, which would open 90% of the nation’s offshore reserves to development by private companies.

Interior officials later said Zinke’s promise was not a formal plan and the proposal was still under review.

At least 10 other governors from both parties have asked Zinke to remove their states from plans to expand offshore drilling from the Arctic Ocean to the Atlantic and Pacific.

Henry McMaster, the Republican governor of South Carolina, had a meeting on Friday with Zinke, his staff reported. Zinke did not meet with reporters after either meeting.

Cooper said he spent an hour talking to Zinke, telling him drilling could cause unrecoverable damage to the state’s $3bn tourism and fishing industries.

“We told him there is no 100% safe method to drill for oil and gas off the coast, particularly in our area off of North Carolina that sees nor’easters, that sees hurricanes,” Cooper said.

“We don’t call it the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’ for nothing, it would be catastrophic if there were to be an oil spill.

Read the full story at The Guardian

 

Effort underway to gauge population of shad

January 19, 2018 — Interstate fishing regulators are trying to get a better handle on the population health of a species of small fish that has been harvested on the East Coast for centuries.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission says it’s starting a stock assessment for American shad that it expects to be completed by summer 2019. Shad are members of the herring family that’ve been harvested for their meat and eggs since at least the Revolutionary War.

The commercial harvest of shad has dipped over the decades. Fishermen caught more than a million pounds of them as recently as 2005, but the harvest dipped to about 375,000 pounds in 2016.

They have been historically brought to land from Maine to Florida. Recently, most East Coast shad have come ashore in the Carolinas.

Shad is unusual in that its life cycle depends on where it is found along the coast. Fish native to Florida and the Carolinas are semelparous, that is they return to their natal rivers to spawn at 4 years old and die soon after. They lay between 300,000 to 400,000 eggs.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

 

SAFMC: Federal Waters Off South Carolina Closed to All Fishing for Brown, Pink, and White Shrimp

January 18, 2018 —

WHAT/WHEN:

  • No person may trawl for brown, pink, or white shrimp in federal waters off South Carolina.
  • The closure is effective 4:15 p.m., local time, January 17, 2018.
  • NOAA Fisheries will issue a new Fishery Bulletin announcing the re-opening to shrimp harvest in federal waters off South Carolina.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING

  • The purpose of the closure is to protect the white shrimp spawning population.
  • South Carolina closed its state waters to all shrimping on January 10, 2018, due to a prolonged period of water temperatures at or below 9°C in the region.
  • South Carolina requested NOAA Fisheries to close federal waters off South Carolina.

DURING THE CLOSURE:

  • Possession of brown, pink, or white shrimp is prohibited on board a vessel in federal waters off South Carolina unless the vessel is in transit through the area and all nets with a mesh size of less than four inches, as measured between the centers of opposite knots when pulled taut, are stowed below deck.
  • Any vessel trawling within 25 nautical miles seaward from the South Carolina shoreline must use trawl nets with a minimum mesh size of four inches or greater.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations.  Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register.

To learn more about the SAFMC visit their site here.