Saving Seafood

Sea Turtle Week 2021

June 17, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Celebrate Sea Turtle Week with NOAA Fisheries! Sea turtles have been swimming in Earth’s oceans for hundreds of millions of years. These marine reptiles lead incredible lives, surviving for many decades at sea. They travel thousands of miles in search of food, eventually returning to the beaches where they were born to nest.

They are a key part of marine ecosystems worldwide, but they face many threats today. Six sea turtle species are found in U.S. waters and all are threatened or endangered. The largest among them—the Pacific leatherback—is critically endangered. Of all the species NOAA Fisheries protects under the Endangered Species Act, we consider the Pacific leatherback to be one of the nine species most at risk of extinction in the near future.

Explore turtle features and videos below. Stay tuned all week to learn how we conserve and protect sea turtles and how you can help too.

Read the full release here

NORTH CAROLINA: Fisheries service to hold webinars, workshops on turtle excluder devices

June 9, 2021 — Local skimmer trawl fishermen and others have several opportunities to learn more about putting turtle excluder devices, or TEDs, on their trawls.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service is offering several webinars to assist skimmer trawl fishermen with TED installation. Fishing gear specialists with the NMFS Southeast Fishery Science Center’s gear monitoring team will host question-and-answer webinar sessions and virtual workshops summarizing upcoming skimmer trawl TED requirements and assist participants with program information and compliance.

These webinars and workshops will be held at 10 a.m. on select Tuesdays and Fridays. The case sensitive password for all these webinars is “noaa.” An audio conference call will also be available at the webinar times at 415-527-5035. The event number for each webinar is the access code for each audio conference call.

Each webinar will be recorded.

Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times

Study seeks origins of ghost nets that haunt Hawaii’s shores

May 27, 2021 — Ghost nets” from unknown origins drift among the Pacific’s currents, threatening sea creatures and littering shorelines with the entangled remains of what they kill.

Lost or discarded at sea, sometimes decades ago, this fishing gear continues to wreak havoc on marine life and coral reefs in Hawaii.

Now, researchers are doing detective work to trace this harmful debris back to fisheries and manufacturers — and that takes extensive, in-depth analysis on tons of ghost nets.

The biggest concern is that derelict gear keeps killing fish and other wildlife such as endangered Hawaiian monk seals, seabirds and turtles long after it’s gone adrift, said Drew McWhirter, a graduate student at Hawaii Pacific University and one of the study’s lead researchers.

“These nets bulldoze over our reefs before they hit shore,” McWhirter added. “They leave a path of destruction, pulling coral heads out, and can cause a lot of ecological damage.”

Ghost nets foul oceans throughout the world, but the Hawaiian Islands — with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to the east and another gyre of floating trash to the west — are an epicenter for marine waste.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at ABC News

8 Things You Might Not Know About Threatened & Endangered Species in the Pacific

May 24, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

It’s Endangered Species Day! This is a time to celebrate the threatened and endangered species in the Pacific Islands region and renew our dedication to protecting and conserving them! With that in mind, we’re bringing you some interesting—and perhaps surprising—facts about our protected species. We’re and sharing how you can help make sure they’re around for future generations to enjoy.

Here’s why we think the threatened and endangered species in the Pacific Islands region are some of the most interesting animals on the planet!

1. False killer whales like to share!

These closely bonded animals not only share their prey with one another, but they’ve also been known to approach human snorkelers and divers with offerings from their fresh catch.

False killer whales are the least abundant species of toothed whale in Hawai‘i. And of the three populations that live here, the main Hawaiian Islands insular population is listed as endangered with fewer than 200 individuals remaining. While encounters are rare, we encourage you to report sightings at the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline: (888) 256-9840.

Check out the 2020 field update from our partners at Cascadia Research Collective

2. Male hawksbill sea turtles spend their lives at sea and are rarely observed or tagged.

The hawksbill population of Hawaiʻi may be the most endangered turtle population in the world. There are fewer than 200 known adult female hawksbill sea turtles (honuʻea) in Hawaiʻi, but scientists don’t know how many males are out there. They suspect the number may be small because only around 20 percent of Hawaiʻi hawksbills that strand (are dead or injured) on the beach are male. What’s more, incubation temperature determines a hatchling’s sex: high temperatures produce females, suggesting fewer males will be born as global temperatures increase. Report all honu‘ea sightings to RespectWildlife@noaa.gov.

Learn to distinguish honu‘ea from the more common honu (green sea turtle) by their narrow heads and pointed beaks

Read the full release here

Feds raise protections for North Atlantic right whales, but sea turtles may suffer

May 17, 2021 — North Atlantic right whales have gained protections and sea turtles are more imperiled under a new federal calendar for harbor dredging that came to light May 14 in a federal lawsuit that seeks to protect sea turtles.

The entire calendar for dredging at some seaports along the East Coast has been modified in an effort to increase protections for North American right whales, according to a federal report with the new calendar. This species has been reduced to a population of some 360 animals.

The change allows harbors to be dredged in warmer months in North Carolina and continuing south through Georgia and Florida, to the islands of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Dredging is routine maintenance and typically involves vacuuming up debris that has filled a shipping channel and impedes ships as they use a port. The process has a history of harming certain sea life.

Read the full story at The Saporta Report

New low-cost solutions could save sea turtles from a climate change-induced sex crisis

May 10, 2021 — Because of global warming, most newborn sea turtles are female, which could put their long-term survival at risk. New research reveals that in addition to more widely used techniques such as shading and irrigation, the splitting of the turtle nests, which has not been tried before, could even out the sex ratio of turtle hatchlings.

Scientists also argue that to increase the resilience of sea turtles, turtle conservation must address threats beyond climate change, including ocean pollution, unsustainable fishing and illegal wildlife trade.

Understanding turtle reproduction

While the sex of mammal offspring is determined genetically, certain reptile groups such as crocodilians, lizards and turtles rely on temperature-dependent sex determination, or TSD, meaning that the gender of the hatchling would depend on the egg’s incubation temperature.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), sea turtle eggs which incubate below 81.86 Fahrenheit – around 28 Celsius degrees – will typically hatch into a male baby, while incubation temperatures above 87.8 Fahrenheit – 31 Celsius degrees – would tend to produce female hatchlings.

Temperatures that fluctuate between the two would result in a mix of female and male baby turtles, while extreme temperatures beyond this range could lead to embryo malformation and higher mortality rates. The exact range might also vary slightly based on the type of sea turtle or the location of the nesting beach.

Read the full story at The Hill

NOAA Fisheries Offers Webinars to Assist Skimmer Trawl Fishermen with Turtle Excluder Device (TEDs) Installation

May 10, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Key Message:

Fishing gear specialists with NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fishery Science Center’s Gear Monitoring Team will host question and answer webinar sessions and virtual workshops summarizing upcoming skimmer trawl Turtle Excluder Device (TED) requirements and assist participants with program information and compliance.

When:

  • The webinars are scheduled twice a month on Tuesday mornings starting at 9:00 AM through 10:30 AM CST. Webinars are scheduled for May 18, June 1, June 15, July 13, and July 27, 2021.
  • In addition, virtual workshops will be held one Friday a month starting at 9:00 AM through 10:30 AM CST. Virtual workshops are scheduled for May 14, June 25, and July 30, 2021. The full schedule and registration information are listed below.

TED Tuesday Webinars:

Read the full release here

Continuing Species in the Spotlight Initiative Empowers NOAA Fisheries’ Endangered Species Conservation Efforts

April 22, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has released nine new Species in the Spotlight Priority Action Plans. These plans highlight the most vital actions that NOAA Fisheries and our partners can take to reverse the declining populations of nine endangered marine species that are most at risk of extinction. Building on the successes of the past five years, NOAA Fisheries is renewing the initiative through 2025 to sustain momentum toward recovery.

The Species in the Spotlight initiative, launched in 2015, focuses time, energy, and resources on the most imperiled marine species. It motivates partners and community members to join the effort to save these species from extinction. The nine species are all listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act:

These species are at high risk of extinction in the near future because of a rapid population decline or habitat destruction. They face human-caused threats such as construction, development, or other economic activity.

“The Species in the Spotlight initiative is a critical effort by NOAA Fisheries and our partners to leverage our resources and make the greatest impact to reverse the decline of these endangered species. I’m pleased to build upon our successful efforts to date with the renewal of these Species in the Spotlight Priority Action Plans,” says Sam Rauch, Deputy Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries Regulatory Programs.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Announces an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Consider the Use of Turtle Excluder Devices by Skimmer Trawl Vessels Less than 40 feet in Length in the Southeastern U.S. Shrimp Fisheries

April 22, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

  • NOAA Fisheries is publishing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to request comments on requiring Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) on skimmer trawl vessels less than 40 feet in length.
  • As part of our efforts to conserve and recover threatened and endangered sea turtle populations, an existing final rule that becomes effective August 1, 2021 will require TEDs that allow the release of small turtles to be used by skimmer trawl vessels 40 feet and greater in length in the Southeastern U.S. shrimp fisheries.
  • An abundance of small sea turtles in shallow, coastal waters is attributed to numerous ongoing conservation efforts, such as the protection of sea turtle nesting beaches and the required use of TEDs in otter trawls participating in the shrimp fisheries.
  • We have continued testing and analysis of TED designs and use on small skimmer trawls, and now have effective designs that would reduce sea turtle bycatch.
  • We are seeking comments on the potential expansion of TED requirements for skimmer trawl vessels less than 40 feet (12.2 meters) in length, the feasibility of employing these TEDs on smaller length vessels, input on the associated costs of any new TED requirements, and other potential environmental impacts. Comments are due by May 20, 2021.
  • Skimmer trawl operators are currently allowed to use tow times instead of turtle excluder devices, but tow times are not as effective at reducing sea turtle mortality and are difficult to enforce.

HOW TO COMMENT ON THIS ADVANCED NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING:

The Comment period is open now through May 20, 2021. You may submit comments by electronic submission (described below) or by postal mail. Comments received after the end of the comment period may not be considered by NOAA Fisheries.

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NAME/NUMBER: 86 FR 20475 published April 20, 2021.

Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.

  1. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/search?filter=2021-08108
  2. Click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields.
  3. Enter or attach your comments.

Mail: Submit written comments to Michael Barnette, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. 

Where can I find more information on TEDs, the TED rules, and how to comply with them?

Steep decline in giant sea turtles seen off US West Coast

April 9, 2021 — Scientists were documenting stranded sea turtles on California’s beaches nearly 40 years ago when they noticed that leatherbacks — massive sea turtles that date to the time of the dinosaurs — were among those washing up on shore. It was strange because the nearest known population of the giants was several thousand miles away in the waters of Central and South America.

Their mysterious presence led researchers to a startling discovery. A subset of leatherbacks that hatches on beaches in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands were migrating 7,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean to the cold waters off the U.S. West Coast, where they gorged on jellyfish before swimming back. The epic journey stunned scientists.

“There are birds that go farther, but they fly. There’s a whale shark that might swim a little further, but it doesn’t have to come up for air. This animal is actually pushing water all the way across the Pacific Ocean,” said Scott Benson, an ecologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries service in Monterey, who has studied the turtles for decades. “It’s just a majestic animal.”

But now, just as scientists are beginning to fully understand the amazing odyssey, the turtles are disappearing — and fast.

Read the full story at the Associated Press