Saving Seafood

Massachusetts: UMass placing sustainable fisheries professor at Hodgkins Cove

December 21, 2017 — The University of Massachusetts at Amherst embarked on recasting the role of its Gloucester Marine Station at Hodgkins Cove by hiring Gloucester resident Katie Kahl to serve as the liaison between research elements at the school and the Cape Ann community.

The university’s School of Earth and Sustainability is set to formally announce the appointment of Kahl on Thursday to the newly created position of extension assistant professor in sustainable fisheries and coastal resilience.

“I’m really excited and can’t wait to start,” Kahl said Wednesday. “This is really a great opportunity for the university to re-imagine its role at the Gloucester Marine Station.” Kahl’s mission, which begins Jan. 2, is a new one for the university’s research facility.

The university announced last January that it was establishing a permanent, full-time extension faculty position at the Gloucester Marine Station as the focal point for determining the future role of the facility.

Most recently, it housed the university’s Large Pelagics Research Center, which was nicknamed the “Tuna Lab.” Under the guidance of Molly Lutcavage, the center did internationally groundbreaking research on giant bluefin tuna and other highly migratory pelagic species.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

 

WCPFC members agree to increase bigeye limits

December 11, 2017 — Members of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission concluded a five-day conference in Manilla, The Philippines, earlier this week by increasing catch limits on tropical tunas. It’s a move at least one conservation group fears could threaten the bigeye stock.

Beginning next year, Japan will be able to catch up to 18,265 metric tons of bigeye tuna. South Korea was allotted a nearly 14,000-metric-ton limit, while Taiwan will be able to harvest nearly 10,500 metric tons. China received a limit of more than 8,200 metric tons, in addition to a one-time transfer of 500 metric tons from Japan in 2018. Indonesia received a provisional allotment of nearly 5,900 metric tons, and the United States, which won the right to use its Pacific territories to increase its limit, can catch more than 3,500 metric tons.

Those limits were set after the commission’s scientific committee concluded that the bigeye stock “appears” not to suffer from overfishing.

Amanda Nickson, who is the director of international fisheries for The Pew Charitable Trusts, called the decision to increase the limits by 10 percent disappointing. The commission’s decisions mean the bigeye stock have a greater than 20 percent chance of falling below its accepted biomass standards over the next 30 years.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

 

WCPFC members agree to increase bigeye limits

December 8, 2017 — Members of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission concluded a five-day conference in Manilla, The Philippines, earlier this week by increasing catch limits on tropical tunas. It’s a move at least one conservation group fears could threaten the bigeye stock.

Beginning next year, Japan will be able to catch up to 18,265 metric tons of bigeye tuna. South Korea was allotted a nearly 14,000-metric-ton limit, while Taiwan will be able to harvest nearly 10,500 metric tons. China received a limit of more than 8,200 metric tons, in addition to a one-time transfer of 500 metric tons from Japan in 2018. Indonesia received a provisional allotment of nearly 5,900 metric tons, and the United States, which won the right to use its Pacific territories to increase its limit, can catch more than 3,500 metric tons.

Those limits were set after the commission’s scientific committee concluded that the bigeye stock “appears” not to suffer from overfishing.

Amanda Nickson, who is the director of international fisheries for The Pew Charitable Trusts, called the decision to increase the limits by 10 percent disappointing. The commission’s decisions mean the bigeye stock have a greater than 20 percent chance of falling below its accepted biomass standards over the next 30 years.

Read the full story at Seafood Source 

 

ISSF Position Statement Calls for Better Management of Stocks and Non-entangling FAD Requirements in Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO)

December 4, 2017 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation: 

Reducing catches of yellowfin and bigeye tuna and adoption of a non-entangling FAD measure are among the changes advocated for Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) fisheries by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) in a position statement submitted for the 14th Regular Session Meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) in Manila, Philippines, on December 3-7.

The WCPFC, which oversees tuna stocks in the WCPO, is one of five tuna Regional Fishing Management Organizations (RFMOs). “As the region responsible for more than 60 percent of the global tuna catch, the Western and Central Pacific holds significant responsibility for the sustainable management of global tuna resources,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “But the region is not only a leader in tuna catches. It has also shown leadership in sustainability efforts to ensure that the fishery is properly managed and protected.

“While ISSF recognizes this leadership, there is still much work to do in the region, especially with regards to addressing the stock status of yellowfin and bigeye tuna and catching up to their tuna RFMO counterparts by adopting a measure for the use of non-entangling FAD designs.”

Tuna Conservation
While the results of 2017 WCPO bigeye stock assessment were more positive than in recent years, ISSF believes active management needs to continue because there is still a good chance that the stock is below the adopted Limit Reference Point (LRP). Further, the WCPFC Scientific Committee advised that— due to the inclusion of new information on bigeye growth and regional structures—the amount of uncertainty in the stock status results for the 2017 assessment is higher than for the previous assessment.

The 2017 yellowfin assessment indicates that the stock is not overfished or being overfished, but ISSF strongly believes that given uncertainties, the WCPFC should be precautionary and not allow the yellowfin catch rate to increase. 

FAD Management and Non-Entangling FAD Designs

Greater data collection is needed on the number of FADs being used and the details of fishing operations on individual FADs in order to better understand fishing capacity changes and likely impacts on WCPFC-managed stocks. That data should then be used to develop science-based FAD management measures.  

Jackson continued, “In the WCPO, FAD sets account for about 30 percent of tropical tuna catches. There is a need globally for measures that help better monitor and manage FAD usage in every ocean region. Shark mortality and other FAD-fishing ecosystem impacts in the WCPO also have to be addressed, for which the wide-scale adoption of non-entangling FAD designs is a critical step.”

Longline Observer Coverage

Comprehensive observer coverage is a critical component of monitoring and management for sustainable tropical tuna fisheries. For large-scale purse seiners, WCPFC implemented a 100 percent observer coverage requirement; the requirement for longline fisheries is only a minimum of 5 percent. The science committees for two other tuna RFMOs have recommended 20 percent longline observer coverage, a level appropriate to provide reasonable estimates of total bycatch. If human onboard observers are not possible for certain fleets or vessel sizes, including longliners, then guidelines for using electronic monitoring should be adopted. ISSF is pleased that in 2016, the WCPFC adopted operational logsheet data standards for electronic reporting and made progress in developing electronic reporting observer data standards.

ISSF is asking WCPFC to increase its observer coverage standards to 20 percent and to finalize the development of the electronic monitoring and reporting standards so that such tools can be used to achieve 100% observer coverage in the longline fishery.

Other priority improvements in the ISSF position statement include:

  • Adhere to the updated 2015 harvest strategy work plan and take the decisions necessary this year (e.g., a target reference point for yellowfin tuna and South Pacific albacore, and development of harvest control rules for skipjack, bigeye, South Pacific albacore and yellowfin tuna).
  • Reform the compliance assessment process to allow accredited observer participation.
  • Amend the transshipment measure in order to address gaps in its effectiveness due to lack of required reporting or advanced notifications.
  • Strengthen shark conservation and management by prohibiting the use of shark lines; adopt scientists’ recommended Shark Research Plan and future work plan and the safe release guidelines for rays; adopt a measure to require that sharks be landed with fins still naturally attached to improve compliance and species specific data collection; and direct the Scientific Committee to develop guidelines for the safe release of silky and oceanic whitetip sharks.

Read the full position statement here.

​About the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF)

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is a global coalition of scientists, the tuna industry and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) — the world’s leading conservation organization — promoting science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting ecosystem health. To learn more, visit https://iss-foundation.org/, and follow ISSF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 

NOAA Fisheries Reminds Permit Holders to Renew Permits Following Hurricane Season

December 1, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries: 

KEY MESSAGE:

  • With hurricane season over, the Southeast Permits Office reminds all permit holders, including those who may have been impacted by extreme weather events, that all limited access permits must be renewed by the termination date printed on the face of the permit or the permit will become non-renewable.
  • If you have lost your permitted vessel, you can transfer the permit to another vessel, or even a U.S. Coast Guard or state registered raft or dinghy, to keep the permit viable.  Permit holders may call the Southeast Permits Office toll free at (877) 376-4877 to ask about transfer provisions and what their opportunities are to retain their limited access permits.

MORE INFORMATION:

  •  The Southeast Region was impacted by a number of hurricanes in 2017, and those impacts may have resulted in a loss of property, including fishing vessels.
  • NOAA Fisheries reminds permit holders to ensure they renew their limited access permits before the termination date printed on the face of the permit or the permit will become non-renewable.
  • All limited access permits, except South Atlantic Golden Crab and Atlantic Tuna Longline, are renewable within one year of the permit’s expiration date.
    • Federal law requires the Southeast Regional Office receive renewal applications for South Atlantic Golden Crab no later than June 30 following the permit’s December 31 expiration.
    • There is no termination date printed on the face of the Atlantic Tuna Longline permit, and therefore, this permit can be renewed at any time.
  • Permit holders renew their permits by submitting an application with required documents to the Southeast Permits Office.  Permit holders can call the Southeast Permits Office and request an application or download one from  sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/permits.
  • An application postmarked within the renewal period but received by the Southeast Permits Office after the last day of the renewal period does not meet this requirement.
  • If the last day of the renewal period falls on a weekend or holiday, then the Southeast Permits Office must receive the application on the last business day before that weekend or holiday.
  • If the permit is not renewed before the termination date, the permit will be terminated and cannot be transferred or renewed.
  • Turnaround time, from the date the Southeast Permits Office receives an application to the date they mail out permits, varies.  Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received to ensure fairness to all applicants.  The regulations advise to allow at least 30 days for the review of the application.
  • Applicants cannot fish while waiting for the Southeast Permits Office to renew their expired permit.  Applicants fishing on an expired permit could be subject to penalties.
  • The number of limited access permits has been capped and no new permits can be issued for a specific fishery.  If a permit holder loses a limited access permit, they must transfer an existing permit to their vessel.

Access this and other Fishery Bulletins from NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office by clicking here.

Learn more about NOAA by visiting their site here.

 

Update to ISSF Participating Tuna Company Compliance Report Shows 100 Percent Conformance

November 30, 2017 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation: 

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has released its Update to ISSF Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report, which shows a first-ever conformance rate of 100 percent by 28 ISSF participating companies with all 21 ISSF conservation measures in effect as of December 31, 2016. ISSF Participating Companies account for about approximately 75% of the global canned tuna market.

As part of its commitment to transparency and accountability, ISSF engages third-party auditor MRAG Americas to assess ISSF Participating Companies’ compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures according to a rigorous audit protocol.

The November 2017 Update is based on audits conducted from May–November 2017 on measures where some companies had “minor” or “major” nonconformance. Improvements noted since the May 2017 ISSF Conservation Measures & Commitment Compliance Report include:

§  MRAG’s new audit showed 28 companies have corrected all non-conformances to become fully compliant with all 21 measures audited, compared to 22 fully-compliant companies in the May 2017 report.

§  None of the companies had minor non-conformances, as compared with five that did in May 2017. MRAG’s May report also showed that six companies had at least one major non-conformance, with a total of 12 major non-conformances found. As of the November 2017 update, all major non-conformances had been remediated.

§  Participating companies were able to close their compliance gap in 2016, moving from 97.5 percent (May 2017 report) to 100 percent full conformance.

§  The rate of full conformance has increased steadily each reporting period:

§  June 2015: 79.8 percent

§  June 2016: 87.2 percent

§  October 2016: 95.6 percent

§  May 2017: 97.5 percent

§  November 2017: 100 percent

The ISSF Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report is published annually to track ISSF participating companies’ progress in conforming with ISSF conservation measures like these:

§  Tracing tuna products by fishing and shipment vessels, fishing trip dates, fish species, ocean, and other factors

§  Establishing and publishing policies to prohibit shark finning and avoiding transactions with vessels that carry out shark finning

§  Conducting transactions only with purse seine vessels whose skippers have received science-based informationfrom ISSF on best practices such as reducing bycatch

§  Avoiding transactions with vessels that are on an RFMO Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) Fishing list

ISSF adopts new conservation measures regularly; four new measures were adopted in 2017, for example.

In addition to the summary compliance reports, third-party independent auditor MRAG Americas issues individual ISSF participating company reports that document in detail their compliance with conservation measures. Last year marked the first time that ISSF started publishing the individual company compliance reports on its website.

“Transparency and independence in the auditing process create the foundation for accountability that make our conservation measures effective, and each company’s actions influence and raise the bar for the other industry players,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “These companies have come a long way in making sustainability a part of their business strategy. They’re helping to make sure that they’re not only following the conservation measures on a path of continuous improvement individually, but that the companies as a group are also setting the tone for the entire tuna industry.”

More Information about ISSF Conservation Measures & Compliance

For long-term tuna sustainability, a growing number of tuna companies worldwide are choosing to participate with ISSF, follow responsible fishing practices, and implement science-based conservation measures. From bycatch mitigation to product traceability, ISSF participating companies have committed to conforming to a set of conservation measures and other commitments designed to drive positive change—and to do so transparently through third-party audits.

View ISSF Conservation Measures

View ISSA Compliance Policy

About the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF)

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is a global coalition of scientists, the tuna industry and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) — the world’s leading conservation organization — promoting science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting ecosystem health. To learn more, visit https://iss-foundation.org/, and follow ISSF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 

ISSF Report Analyzes Purse Seine Tuna Fishing Impacts on Sharks, Rays, and Other Species

November 28, 2017 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

Using data from Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), scientific observer programs, and its own at-sea research and skippers workshops, the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has published an updated report that documents purse-seine tuna fishing’s impact on “non-target” species. The bycatch species covered in the report are sharks, whale sharks, rays, finfish, sea turtles, and billfish. While they are not bycatch species, the report also touches upon catches of undesirably small bigeye and yellowfin tunas.

Organized by species and including graphics and a full bibliography, “ISSF 2017-06: A Summary of Bycatch Issues and ISSF Mitigation Activities to Date in Purse Seine Fisheries, with Emphasis on FADs”:

  • Identifies issues of concern for each species
  • Summarizes the effectiveness of different bycatch-mitigation practices — at different stages of fishing operations — for either avoiding non-target species or reducing their mortality when caught
  • Describes ongoing ISSF bycatch research activities
  • Lists existing RFMO measures for minimizing bycatch

“A Summary of Bycatch Issues” is intended to be a useful reference for fishers and tuna companies, scientists, regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), government agencies, nongovernment organizations (NGOs) including conservation groups, and others interested in helping fisheries to be more sustainable.

Report Data and Insights Can Guide Conservation Efforts
The November 2017 report, authored by ISSF staff and collaborating scientists Victor Restrepo, Laurent Dagorn, David Itano, Ana Justel-Rubio, Fabien Forget, and Gala Moreno, is an update of a 2014 publication.

Not all non-target species are equally vulnerable to becoming bycatch in purse-seine fisheries, and bycatch rates for a single species can vary across oceans. For some species, other fishing methods have higher bycatch than purse-seine fishing. Here are some key findings in the report:

  • SHARKS: 90% of sharks that become entangled in FAD nets in purse-seine fisheries are silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis); the oceanic whitetip shark ( longimanus) is another bycatch species. By avoiding setting on small schools of tuna (e.g. < 10 tons) around FADs, fishers could significantly reduce their catches of silky sharks by 20% to 40%, depending on the ocean.
  • WHALE SHARKS: Whale shark (Rhyncodon typus) interaction rates with purse seiners are very low: The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), for example, recorded a set encounter rate of 0.94%. But any whale shark fishing mortality is a concern due to their life history and ecological significance. Time/area fishing closures do not appear effective for avoiding catching whale sharks, but best practice guidelines for their release exist.
  • RAYS: Rays are not common bycatch in purse seine fisheries, at less than 0.1% by weight, and are mostly caught in free-school sets. Release from the deck is a viable alternative to release from the net. Fishers should avoid using hooks, wires or tightening slings and lifting or dragging by the gill slits or cephalic lobes.
  • SEA TURTLES: Sea turtles are caught in very small numbers by purse seiners, with most (> 90%) released alive relatively easily. Using non-entangling FADs can prevent turtle entanglement.
  • UNDESIRABLY SMALL BIGEYE AND YELLOWFIN TUNAS: Bigeye and yellowfin are not considered non-target species. Nonetheless, FAD fishing for skipjack stocks can result in higher catches of small bigeye and yellowfin, which can contribute to their overfishing. The species’ slower growth rates, higher longevity and higher age at maturity increase vulnerability to fishing. Mitigation efforts being evaluated include: adjusting the relative prices of small bigeye and skipjack tuna; setting species-specific quota; temporarily closing to fishing some areas of high concentrations; or managing the number of fishing sets on floating objects.

ISSF on Bycatch Mitigation
Since its inception in 2009, ISSF has dedicated resources and efforts to understanding bycatch issues in tuna fisheries (see “Related ISSF Activities” sections in the report). In addition to publishing scientific reports, ISSF hosts bycatch-mitigation workshops and publishes guidebooks and videos for skippers and other stakeholders. The Foundation also advocates science-based, mitigation measures to RFMOs through meetings and side events, position statements, and joint letters.

Commercial vessels catch about 4.7 million tons of tuna annually. Purse-seine vessels dominate large-scale tuna fishing, harvesting about 64% of the tropical tuna catch (skipjack, yellowfin, and bigeye tuna). Many purse seiners use Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) or other floating objects to attract tuna to their nets, although they also may pursue sets on free-swimming tuna schools. More than half of the total tropical tuna landings globally are made by sets on FADs or other floating objects.

Bycatch occurs across most major tuna fishing methods — including longline, gillnet, and troll — and all fishing methods can affect the marine environment in multiple ways beyond bycatch.

“ISSF 2017-06: A Summary of Bycatch Issues and ISSF Mitigation Activities to Date in Purse Seine Fisheries, with Emphasis on FADs” can be downloaded from the ISSF site.

For more information on tuna stock health, see ISSF’s Status of the Stocks. For more information on FAD fishing and bycatch, see ISSF’s Questions and Answers about FADs and Bycatch.

Nations decide to increase quota for Atlantic Bluefin tuna

November 22, 2017 — MARRAKECH, Morocco — Countries fishing the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean agreed Tuesday to expand the annual quota for prized bluefin tuna to reflect an improvement in their stocks. Environmentalists insisted the increase was excessive.

The 50-nation International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas agreed to increase the quota from 24,000 tons this year to 28,000 next year, with a further 4,000 tons added in each of the following two years.

The decision means the quota has more than doubled from five years ago, when once depleted stocks of bluefin tuna first started showing the potential of a recovery.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Boston Globe

Yellowfin and Bigeye Catch Limit, FAD Data Improvements, and Increased Observer Coverage Top Conservation Group’s “Asks” for Sustainable Atlantic Tuna Fisheries

November 14, 2017 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation: 

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has released its position statement in advance of the 25th Regular Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Marrakech, Morocco, on 14-22 November 2017.

“ICCAT made substantial headway last year by agreeing to maintain total allowable catch levels for yellowfin and bigeye tuna stocks, which have experienced overfishing in recent years,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “But ICCAT’s science committee estimates that catch limits for bigeye and yellowfin were still exceeded in 2017, by 11 percent and 16 percent, respectively. The situation must be addressed.”

ISSF is asking that ICCAT adopt stock-specific measures in line with its science committee’s advice and that it allocate the yellowfin catch limit by gear type so that ICCAT member countries can know their individual limits. ICCAT must also ensure that fishing capacity of purse seine fleets is in line with catch limits and adopt in-season catch monitoring to avoid exceeding those limits.

FAD Management

ISSF also asks that ICCAT immediately address persistent gaps in FAD data reporting and ensure that requirements for non-entangling FADs are met. Further, ICCAT should implement its FAD Working Group recommendation to extend 100 percent observer coverage on large-scale purse seine vessels to the entire year.

“FAD sets account for nearly 50 percent of tropical tuna catches in the Atlantic Ocean,” Jackson continued. “We have to improve the monitoring and management of FAD usage in all ocean regions, and that starts with RFMO contracting parties complying with required data reporting. ICCAT scientists cannot effectively analyze and provide management recommendations on FADs without access to the best information.”

Longline Observer Coverage

Troublesome data gaps also persist for the longline sector. ICCAT scientists have highlighted that the current 5% observer coverage requirement is inadequate to provide reasonable estimates of total bycatch. And data on observer coverage in longline fisheries indicates some fleets are not meeting even this 5% mandatory minimum. This lack of data on longline catches and interactions with non-target species hinders scientific input on effective conservation measures. It must be rectified.

ISSF urges ICCAT to implement its scientific staff’s recommendation to increase the minimum level of observer coverage to 20% for longline fleets, and other major gears. At the same time, ICCAT must strengthen compliance by identifying and sanctioning non-compliance through its Compliance Committee. ISSF is also recommends that ICCAT develop binding measures to ensure the safety of human observers.

Other priority improvements in the ISSF position statement include:

§  Adoption of interim Harvest Control Rules (HCRs) for North Atlantic Albacore that have been tested by the science committee and execution of an independent peer review of the management strategy evaluations set in place last year.

§  Adoption of measures to strengthen the region’s existing shark finning measures and reduce catches of northern shortfin mako sharks, and require that accurate data are collected and submitted on catches of all oceanic sharks.

§  Development of E-monitoring and E-reporting standards for longline vessels, as soon as possible.

§  Adoption of further amendments to modernize the ICCAT VMS measure and bring it in line with global best practices.

Read the full position statement in English, French or Spanish.

About the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF)

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is a global coalition of scientists, the tuna industry and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) — the world’s leading conservation organization — promoting science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting ecosystem health. To learn more, visit https://iss-foundation.org/, and follow ISSF on Twitter,Facebook and Instagram.

Headless 400-pound tuna found in Massachusetts woods

November 2, 2017 — GLOUCESTER, Mass. — Spotting a 400-pound tuna in the Massachusetts seaport of Gloucester, known as America’s oldest seaport, is not unusual. But finding a headless tuna in the woods is a bit odd.

State Environmental Police and federal fisheries regulators are trying to figure out who dumped the headless fish, which had to be hauled out of the trees by a tow truck.

Authorities won’t say exactly when the tuna was found or who tipped them off.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at Fox News