Saving Seafood

Feds: Eels prized by fishermen aren’t a threatened species

October 7, 2015 — PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — American eels will not be listed under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday, a victory for fishermen who catch the increasingly valuable species.

The wildlife service rejected a petition from the California-based Center for Environmental Science, Accuracy & Reliability to list the eels — prized in Asian cuisine — as threatened.

The petitioners argued that the eels have lost more than 80 percent of their habitat and that the stock is jeopardized by commercial fishing. But the wildlife service issued a report Wednesday saying that “there have been large declines in abundance from historical times,” but the species “currently appears to be stable.”

Fishermen and fishing advocacy groups campaigned against additional protections for eels. Listing them under the Endangered Species Act would have severely limited the ability to harvest them as a commercial species, and they can be of high economic value because of their use in sushi.

Maine baby eels were worth more than $2,100 per pound in 2015, up from less than $100 per pound in 2009. The baby eels, called elvers, are sold to Asian aquaculture companies that raise them to maturity and use them as food.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at SFGate

 

AESA Urges U.S. Government to Reject ESA Listing for American Eel

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — September 21, 2015 — The following was released by the American Eel Sustainability Association:

Following a petition from the Council for Endangered Species Act Reliability (CESAR), the U.S. government this month will once again consider calls to list the American eel as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The American Eel Sustainability Association (AESA) reiterates its position that the American eel does not require either a “threatened” or “endangered” designation. AESA cites ample scientific study from a Federal agency and strict regulations already in place as support for this stance.

Substantial scientific evidence demonstrates that American eels are being harvested sustainably and are not under threat, according to AESA. The organization notes that CESAR’s petition does not consider the current, responsible management structures in place for American eel, and ignores previous rulings on the issue that further verify the species’ health.

The American eel stock has already been the subject of a comprehensive review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as to whether it requires protection under the ESA. In 2007, FWS conclusively determined that American eels were not endangered, and that extending ESA protections to the species were not warranted. Specifically, the Service found “the species’ overall population is not in danger of extinction or likely to become so in the foreseeable future.”

Because there has been no significant increase in the amount of fishing pressure being exerted on the eel population, AESA contends that the 2007 ruling should stand.

Independent estimates support the FWS’s 2007 conclusion, according to AESA. Young-of-the-year recruitment, the measure of eels born into the population, has been stable for much of the last 30 years. And, according to a 2013 study, recent estimates place the annual breeding population of the species somewhere between 50 and 100 million eels.

AESA remains confident that the stock is being sustainably fished under the responsible, precautionary management of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). In 2014, the Commission established a coastwide quota for the species, with the support of its Eel Management Board, including representatives from the FWS.

In tandem with other effort restrictions and controls against illegal fishing, existing regulations ensure that eel quotas are not exceeded and the species is not overharvested. The fishery finished under its quota for the 2015 fishing year, indicating that overfishing is not currently a problem in the eel fishery.

AESA is committed to a sustainable future for American eel, and is an advocate for responsible management, strong law enforcement, reliable science, and other initiatives that strengthen the health of the species. An ESA listing for eels is not necessary.

The American Eel Sustainability Association (AESA) is a leading industry organization focused on the science and management of American eel.

Read the release from the American Eel Sustainability Association

Decision soon on listing eels under Endangered Species Act

September 14, 2015 — PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Fishermen benefiting from booming prices for American eels are squirming about a decision expected this month on whether to list the fish under the Endangered Species Act.

An environmental advocacy group wants the federal government to list the American eel as threatened, giving the fish protections that would greatly limit fishermen’s ability to pursue and catch them.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service‘s decision about protecting the eels will likely come toward the end of September, said Steven Shepard, a spokesman for the agency.

The decision will come as the market for baby eels, called elvers, is booming. In Maine, which has by far the most lucrative eel fishery in the country, elvers were worth more than $2,100 per pound in 2015 after being worth less than $100 per pound in 2009. The elvers are sold to Asian aquaculture companies that raise them to maturity and use them as food, including sushi.

The Fresno, Calif.-based Center for Environmental Science, Accuracy & Reliability says the eels have lost more than 80 percent of their habitat, largely due to dams that impede migration, and suffer from too much commercial fishing pressure. The group, which was called the Council For Endangered Species Act Reliability at the time of the petition, also states that the eels’ population is “declining catastrophically,” as are other eel species worldwide.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at SFgate

 

Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership & U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Seek Habitat Projects for FY2016 Funding

July 23, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP):

The Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) is requesting project applications to restore and conserve habitat necessary to support coastal, estuarine-dependent, and diadromous fish species along the Atlantic Coast. Federal funding available under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will be used to support the top ranked proposals. To ensure available funding is being directed most effectively, projects should be geared toward meeting ACFHP’s protection and restoration objectives described in its Conservation Strategic Plan. The maximum amount available for an individual project is $50,000.

Guidelines for the use of NFHAP funds by the Service can be found here. All applicants are encouraged to review this guidance. These funds can only be used for on-the-ground habitat conservation projects and related design and monitoring activities. They may not be used for acquisition in fee or easement. All projects must have a minimum of a 1:1 funding from partner contributions.

For complete information and guidelines please review the Funding Instructions.

The following is required to apply:

1. FY16 Funding Application
2. Photographs and Photograph Release Form
3. Coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sponsoring Office by Friday, August 28, 2015. 

The following is suggested but not required:

4. Letter of Support

Applications must be received by Applications must be received by Monday, September 21, 2015 at midnight. Applications in electronic format (MS Word format only) should be e-mailed to Lisa Havel at lhavel@asmfc.org, and to the USFWS Fisheries Sponsoring Office.

To view the criteria that will be used to evaluate project applications, please click here: Evaluation Criteria FY2016.