Saving Seafood

New Jersey Beach Walkers – Please Keep an Eye Out for Sea Turtles!

November 18, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The recent cold snap has caused a sudden uptick in the number of cold-stunned sea turtles washing up on beaches in northern, NJ – particularly Sandy Hook and Long Beach Island. We are asking all individuals walking these beaches, and beaches throughout the northeast, to report stranded turtles immediately to our stranding hotline at 866-755-6622. Responders from our Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network are standing by to help!

Please keep pets away from these turtles since they are in a severely distressed state. If possible, please move them above the high tide line and cover lightly with seaweed and stand by the animal until a trained responder arrives. We greatly appreciate your assistance in helping us save these endangered animals.

Dungeness crab fishing season delayed due to whale and sea turtle entanglement risk

November 12, 2019 — State Fish and Wildlife officials are delaying the start of the Dungeness crab fishing season due to a threat of whale and sea turtle entanglements.

Charlton Bonham, director of the Fish and Wildlife department, issued a decision to postpone the start date for California Dungeness crab fishermen south of the Mendocino/Sonoma County line for one week — from Nov. 15 to Nov. 22. The decision was based on data indicating the prevalence of whales in the area.

Bonham’s decision to minimize entanglement risk follows a court-approved agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity, a Phoenix-based environmental nonprofit that in 2017 sued the wildlife agency, claiming it had fallen short in preventing Dungeness crab fishing gear from killing humpback, blue whales and leatherback sea turtles. Fish and Wildlife is responsible for granting the fishery its permits.

Bonham originally delayed the start of the season until Nov. 23, but moved it up one day after receiving input from the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group. The group, made up of commercial and recreational fishermen, environmentalists, members of the disentanglement network, and state and federal agencies explores ways to minimize whale entanglements in crab fishing gear.

Read the full story at The Daily Democrat

Western Pacific Council Urges NMFS Use New Model for Swordfish Fishery; Reference Point for Albacore

November 4, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council discussed changes related to the interaction of sea turtles in the swordfish fishery and the South Pacific albacore fishery when it met in American Samoa last week. Both require the National Marine Fisheries Service to agree with Council’s action to move forward.

The Council urged NMFS, on the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery consultation under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) consider all anticipated scientific information in the biological opinion. This should include the new model developed by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center that evaluates the impacts of fishery interactions on the North Pacific loggerhead and Western Pacific leatherback sea turtle populations.

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee, prior to last week’s Council meeting, endorsed the new model as best scientific information available for evaluating the fisheries’ impacts. The results of the model for the shallow-set (swordfish) longline fishery showed no discernible impact of the fishery’s interactions on the population trend of loggerhead turtles over the next 100 years. For leatherbacks, it showed a small change in the long-term population trend, indicating that the population impact from the fishery would occur five years earlier at the end of the 100-year period.

The NMFS scientist noted the primary impacts to the leatherback population include directed fisheries and nesting predation where the turtles nest in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

The Council also urged NMFS to apply the model to the Hawai’i deep-set (tuna) and American Samoa longline fisheries so they may be considered in the ongoing consultations. It also recommended NMFS work with the Council to develop only necessary sea turtle protection measures under the ongoing consultations for the Hawai’i deep-set and American Samoa longline fisheries that are appropriate and practicable and ensure the sustainability of the fisheries.

Additionally, the Council will work with NMFS to evaluate the impact of any management actions for reducing turtle interactions on the economic performance and socioeconomic effects of the shallow-set and deep-set longline fisheries, including consideration of the effect on protected species being transferred to foreign fisheries should the U.S. longline fishery close.

Regarding South Pacific albacore tuna, the Council requested NMFS compile and evaluate the catches of albacore from Chinese-flagged longline vessels operating in the southwest Pacific and compare them to the catches and performance of the American Samoa longline fleet.

The Council also wanted to move forward on creating a reference point for South Pacific albacore. It requested NMFS and the U.S. delegation to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission work with other international delegations to develop the reference point. It should include the catch per unit effort of small island developing states and participating territories to reach historical levels, in addition to a biomass target reference point.

Furthermore, they should also work with other international delegations to develop:

a) a harvest plan for South Pacific albacore to achieve its target reference points “soonest” and under 20 years; and

b) an allocation scheme for countries and cooperating members in which small island developing states and participating territories are exempt from annual catch reductions to reach the target reference point or that they can maintain catches commensurate with historical optimal levels. The allocation scheme must take into consideration charter arrangements and allocations should be accounted by fishing vessel registry, such that conservation benefits are not undermined.

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

Hawai’i Shallow-Set Longline Fishery Has No Discernable Impact on Sea Turtle Populations

October 17, 2019 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Scientists from throughout the Pacific meeting this week in Honolulu found that mortality by the Hawai’i shallow-set longline fishery on loggerheads and leatherbacks are “trivial” and have no impact on their population levels. The fishery, which produces 55 percent of the domestic US catch of swordfish, was shut down on March 19, 2019, after it reached the annual limit of 17 physical interactions with North Pacific loggerhead sea turtles. All 17 were released alive. Since 2004, more than 99 percent of the turtles with which the fishery have interacted were released alive.

The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council made its conclusion after reviewing the assessment of population level impacts of loggerhead and leatherback turtle interactions in the Hawai’i shallow-set longline fishery presented by T. Todd Jones and Summer Martin of the NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) and Zachary Siders of the University of Florida. The assessment is a post-interaction mortality model for the shallow-set longline fishery that evaluates the fishery’s impact on the population trend. The model was developed by PIFSC and based on a population vulnerability assessment for the species conducted in 2018.

The model predicted that the anticipated annual take by the Hawaii shallow-set fishery would have no significant impact on the long-term abundance of these two marine turtle species over the next 100 years. The model also indicated that the past take made no discernable difference on the historical population trend. The model is considered to be conservative because the take is only applied to index beaches, which accounts for about 52 percent of the loggerhead population and about 75 percent of the leatherback population.

The SSC endorsed the take model developed for the shallow-set longline fishery as the best scientific information available for evaluating the impacts of the fishery on loggerhead and leatherback turtle populations. It recommended that PIFSC apply the model to the take data for the Hawai’i deep-set longline fishery (which targets bigeye tuna) and the American Samoa longline fishery (which targets albacore tuna) to provide a robust scientific assessment to be considered in ongoing Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultations. The SSC further encouraged consideration of transferred effect of the US longline fishery closure on target species as well as protected species. [Note: Markets seek foreign imports, which have less stringent regulations and monitoring, when domestically caught fish is unavailable.] The SSC reiterated that the 25 percent reduction goal in the shallow-set longline fishery biological opinion (BiOp) completed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in June 2019 as “aspirational, overly conservative and not supported by the scientific information presented in the final BiOp, especially in light of the results of the new take model.” The BiOp would allow the fishery up to 16 leatherback sea turtle interactions annually. The SSC recommended that the Council reevaluate its position on the reasonable and prudent measures in the BiOp in light of the model results.

The Council will consider these and other recommendations by the SSC and its other advisory bodies when it meets Oct. 22 to 24, 2019, at the Tauese P. F. Sunia Ocean Center in Utulei, American Samoa. For more info, go to http://www.wpcouncil.org/public-meetings/ or contact the Council at info@wpcouncil.org or call (808) 522-8220.

World’s Most Ambitious Satellite Telemetry Study of Foraging Green and Hawksbill Sea Turtles

September 25, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is pioneering what has become the most rigorous satellite tagging study of foraging green sea turtles and hawksbill sea turtles in the world. NOAA researchers Drs. Alexander Gaos, Summer Martin, and Camryn Allen recently returned from their latest expedition to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). When they see a turtle, they free dive and attempt to hand-capture it. Local resident and freediving expert Jessy Hapdei leads the hand-capture effort. He has been involved in the project since its inception.

The most recent survey trip took place in early September 2019. The research team planned the mission to coincide with good weather dates. The eastern and northern coasts of the islands of Guam and Saipan have been impossible to access in the past, because challenging weather conditions persist during much of the year. These areas are important to the regional study of sea turtle movement ecology. The team’s planning efforts were rewarded with six outstanding field days—they captured, measured, and tagged 19 green turtles and two hawksbill turtles. They used flipper tags as well as satellite tags. Satellite tags give information on the fine-scale movements of turtles for several months. Flipper tags can last years or even decades and allow scientists to identify turtles long after the satellite tag has fallen off.

Since 2011, the research team has observed more than 600 turtles. They have hand-captured more than 200 and equipped 125 with satellite tags. Of the turtles equipped with satellite tags, 111 have been green turtles and 14 have been hawksbill turtles.

Read the full release here

Sea Turtles For Swordfish? Feds May Lift Cap On Endangered Species

September 10, 2019 — Endangered turtles are at the center of a dispute between fishing regulators and environmentalists over how many turtles are too many to lose each year to fishermen on the hunt for swordfish in the waters off Hawaii.

Hawaii’s shallow-set longline fishery has been closed since March after fishermen accidentally caught the federal limit of 17 endangered North Pacific loggerhead sea turtles while targeting swordfish. That’s one of two species of sea turtles — the other is leatherbacks — that have shut the fishery down over the past decade when fishermen hit their caps. 

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has proposed new rules for both species in an effort to get fishermen back out on the water while considering the latest science. The final decision lies with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is expected to open up a public input session soon.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat

Climate Change Will First Benefit, Then Hurt Loggerhead Sea Turtles

September 9, 2019 — For some animals, climate change is expected to become a major threat to their survival. For others, a warmer world may actually be beneficial. For the loggerhead sea turtle, it’s a little bit of both.

The loggerhead sea turtle’s vast range stretches across the globe and is composed of nine ‘distinct population segments’ according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Despite the loggerhead’s expansive range, five of the population segments are considered endangered, while the remaining four are considered threatened.

Given the poor state of loggerhead sea turtle populations worldwide, researchers want to understand how predicted changes in climate will further harm, or benefit, the species.

Read the full story at Forbes

Environmental groups say they’ll sue over green sea turtle habitat

August 15, 2019 — The United States should designate more critical habitat for the endangered green sea turtle, according to three environmental groups that say they will sue the government to force it to declare additional protected areas.

The groups filed a formal notice of intent Tuesday to sue the Fish and Wildlife Service and Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. The plaintiffs are the Center for Biological Diversity, Sea Turtle Oversight Protection and Turtle Island Restoration Network.

The lawsuit notification comes as the Trump administration announced major changes to the enforcement and rule-making surrounding the Endangered Species Act. The new rules are to take effect 30 days after the administration publishes them in the Federal Register, but they only will impact new decisions.

Read the full story at UPI

Federal Managers Finalize Turtle Interaction Measures with Hawai’i Swordfish Fishery

August 13, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Hawai’i swordfish fishermen finally have a plan for loggerhead and leatherback sea turtle bycatch. The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council finalized new mitigation measures last week for the shallow-set longline fishery, after waiting for the completion of a new biological opinion for more than a year.

Hawai’i-based longliners provide nearly half of the domestic swordfish to the U.S. market.

The amendment to the Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan sets an annual fleet-wide hard cap limit on the number of leatherback turtle interactions (hooked or entangled) at 16. The Council did not recommend setting an annual fleet-wide hard cap for loggerheads in light of that species’ improving population trends and other mitigation measures, but the Council retains the authority to set a hard cap limit in the future if necessary. The Council noted that few interactions lead to serious injury or mortality of the animal, which is normally released unharmed.

To limit the impact of interactions on sea turtles and to promote year-round fishing opportunities, the Council further recommended the establishment of individual trip interaction limits of five loggerheads and two leatherback turtles. Once a vessel reaches either of these trip limits, the vessel is required to return to port and will be prohibited from engaging in shallow-set longline fishing for five days after returning. This action is expected to allow sea turtle “hot spots” to disperse, while encouraging fishermen to take action to avoid sea turtle interactions before the trip limits are reached, the Council said in a press release.

Additional restrictions set trip limits on each vessel. Any vessel that reaches the trip limit twice for either leatherback or loggerhead sea turtles in a calendar year will be prohibited from shallow-set longline fishing for the remainder of that year. The following calendar year, these vessels will have an annual vessel limit equivalent to a single trip limit – either five loggerheads or two leatherbacks. These additional vessel restrictions are measures required under the new BiOp prepared by NMFS.

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee noted in its report that in light of the BiOp finding that the fishery does not jeopardize the continued existence of these sea turtles, the additional restrictions are punitive. Furthermore, they are not supported by the scientific information that show the fishery has no adverse impacts to the overall loggerhead and leatherback populations.

NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office Regional Administrator Michael Tosatto reminded the Council that it is the Council’s “mandate to minimize interactions with protected species … minimize means approach zero,” according to the press release.

“You’ve heard the expression barking up the wrong tree – we’re swimming in the wrong ocean,” Council member Ed Watamura, said in the statement. He noted the disproportionate impact the Hawai’i fleet experiences due to the U.S. government’s strict regulations, while foreign fleets have much more impacts to sea turtles. With almost 100 percent of the incidentally hooked turtles returning to the ocean alive, the Hawai’i swordfish fishery has had negligible impact on the leatherback and loggerhead turtle populations in the Pacific Ocean.

Furthermore, threats to loggerhead and leatherback turtles in other parts of the populations’ range include bycatch in artisanal and coastal fisheries in the Western Pacific, direct harvesting of eggs and adult turtles, nest predation by feral animals, beach nesting habitat alteration, and climate change.

The Council did not recommend setting a fleet-wide interaction limit for loggerhead turtles, recognizing that the status of the population has improved since the Council first recommended implementing hard caps for the shallow-set longline fishery in 2004, according to the press release. A recent population assessment of the North Pacific loggerhead turtles showed the population is growing at an annual rate of 2.4 percent, and the total is estimated at 340,000 individuals. Considering this population growth and the additional restrictions on trip limits, the Council found the fleet-wide hard cap limit for loggerhead turtles is no longer necessary or appropriate to conserve the species.

Final action taken yesterday by the Council was a culmination of a nearly two-year process to improve measures for managing loggerhead and leatherback turtle interactions in the shallow-set longline fishery. The process was stalled for nearly a year due to NMFS’ delay in completing the new BiOp, which was originally scheduled to be completed in October 2018. The Council’s final recommendation will be forwarded to the Secretary of Commerce, followed by a rule making process including a public comment period.

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

Federal Managers Finalize Turtle Interaction Measures with Hawai’i Swordfish Fishery

August 12, 2019 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council met on Thursday, August 8 to amend the Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan with revisions to the loggerhead and leatherback turtle mitigation measures for the Hawai‘i shallow-set longline fishery. The amendment sets an annual fleet-wide hard cap limit on the number of leatherback turtle interactions at 16. An interaction occurs whenever a sea turtle becomes hooked or entangled in longline gear.  Few interactions lead to serious injury or mortality of the animal, which is normally released unharmed.  The Council did not recommend setting an annual fleet-wide hard-cap for loggerheads in light of that species’ improving population trends and other mitigation measures, but the Council retains the authority to set a hard cap limit in the future if necessary.

To limit the impact of interactions on sea turtles and to promote year-round fishing opportunities, the Council further recommended the establishment of individual trip interaction limits of five loggerheads and two leatherback turtles. Once a vessel reaches either of these trip limits, the vessel is required to return to port, and will be prohibited from engaging in shallow-set longline fishing for five days after returning.  This action is expected to allow sea turtle “hot spots” to disperse, while encouraging fishermen to take action to avoid sea turtle interactions before the trip limits are reached.

Additional restrictions set trip limits on each vessel – any vessel that reaches the trip limit twice for either leatherback or loggerhead sea turtles in a calendar year will be prohibited from shallow-set longline fishing for the remainder of that year. The following calendar year, these vessels will have an annual vessel limit equivalent to a single trip limit – either 5 loggerheads or 2 leatherbacks. These additional vessel restrictions are measures required under a new biological opinion (BiOp) prepared by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Read the full release here