Saving Seafood

Assessing Potential Impacts of Offshore Wind Farms in the Northeast Region

November 18, 2015 — The following was released by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF):

CFRF is proud to announce the availability of a new report regarding fisheries research and monitoring protocols.  The report, Identifying Information Needs and Approaches for Assessing Potential Impacts of Offshore Wind Farm Development on Fisheries Resources in the Northeast Region, is the result of work conducted by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation and the Cornell Cooperative Extension program. Together we canvassed fisheries managers, scientists, and fishermen to provide Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recommendations for fishery resource research and monitoring specific to the Southern New England/New York Bight area. One of the principle recommendations of the report was to improve communication between BOEM, fishermen, and offshore wind developers in order to develop, prioritize, and review BOEM’s and lessees’ fisheries research and monitoring efforts.

View a PDF of the report

Lobster Catch Up In Maine, Down In Southern New England

August 7, 2015 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has released a preliminary assessment of the U.S. Atlantic coast lobster stock, and it presents a mixed picture. The Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank has seen a record high abundance of lobster, while Southern New England’s stock has diminished, due in part to rising water temperatures, a report indicates.

“The Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank stock is not overfished and not experiencing overfishing,” according to a panel assessment representing the Commission, in an Aug. 5 news release. “The Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank were previously assessed as separate stock units and are now combined into one stock unit due to evidence of seasonal migratory patterns and connectivity between the two areas. Conversely, the Southern New England stock is severely depleted with poor prospects of recovery, necessitating protection.”

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is an interstate compact, working with the federal government. The Commission was established in 1942 to sustain healthy fisheries along the U.S. coastline.

Read the full story at Penobscot Bay Pilot