Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Cancels 2021 Belugas Count!

August 23, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

After careful consideration regarding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, NOAA Fisheries and partners have decided to cancel the 2021 Belugas Count! event.

Belugas Count! is a citizen science opportunity and festival event usually held in September, when viewing of endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales near Anchorage and Kenai is optimal.

“Belugas Count! is a family-focused event that brings together people of all ages,” said Jon Kurland, director of NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region’s Protected Resources Division. “Regrettably, due to the status of the pandemic, NOAA Fisheries and our partners decided to cancel the 2021 Belugas Count! event, as we did in 2020, out of an abundance of caution.”

Read more.

NMFS planning new whale protections for Atlantic gillnet and trap fisheries

August 20, 2021 — NMFS officials are beginning a second phase in their drive to reduce fishing gear entanglement risks to endangered Atlantic right whales, fin whales and humpback whales, focusing next on East Coast pot and gillnet fisheries.

The first phase, focused on the Northeast lobster and Jonah crab trap fisheries, is under review is currently at the NOAA Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and agency officials say it will be finalized soon. That part of the plan will bring new requirements for weak links, gear marking, seasonal area closures and minimum number of traps per trawl.

Similar measures would be developed for the other fixed gear fisheries, and NMFS is opening a scoping period Sept. 9 through Oct. 21 to solicit input and information from fishermen and other stakeholders. A schedule released this week sets dates for 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. online webinars.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

THE POST AND COURIER: The feds told us to slow down for right whales; federal vessels should, too

August 20, 2021 — Here’s an instance of the hypocrisy that too often gives the federal government a bad name, and it’s a whale of an example.

On one hand, the federal government has established the vessel speed rule that limits the speed of vessels in certain parts of the Atlantic Ocean to lessen any chance that these ships will strike and harm a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. On the other hand, the federal government has exempted its own fleet.

In other words, Uncle Sam is telling us: Do as I say, not as a I do. It might seem like a small matter, but it would be easy to change. And important to change, too. Because it’s clear more must be done to protect these creatures.

A recent report from the nonprofit conservation group Oceana found that almost 90% of all vessels passing through the ocean between Wilmington, N.C., and Brunswick, Ga., exceeded the 10-knot speed limit. That was the highest percentage along the East Coast. (The area off the Port of New York and New Jersey was next, with almost 80% of vessels there going more than the speed limit.)

While it’s unclear exactly how many of these speeding vessels are federally owned, some certainly were. The fastest one clocked was a U.S. Navy ship going almost 40 knots.

This much is clear: The faster the vessel, the greater the chance of it colliding with a right whale. Such collisions are among the leading causes of injury and death for the species (another being entanglement with fishing gear).

Read the full opinion piece at The Post and Courier

Body Condition of Endangered Killer Whales Reflects Salmon Numbers and Odds of Survival

August 19, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The body condition of endangered Southern Resident killer whales reflects changes in Chinook salmon numbers in the Fraser River and the Salish Sea. This is according to new research using aerial photogrammetry from drones to track changes in their body condition over time.

The study, titled “Survival of the Fattest: Linking body condition to prey availability and survivorship of killer whales,” also found that poor body condition makes the whales more likely to die.

The new findings published today in Ecosphere highlight the value of monitoring these endangered whales through aerial photogrammetry. This method can detect individual whales declining in condition, which can provide an early warning system that they may die.

The 74 Southern Resident orcas make up three pods known as J, K, and L. Each pod is made up of distinct social and family groups.

The research showed that the body condition of J pod whales improved when Chinook salmon abundance was higher in the Salish Sea and in Fraser River tributaries. L pod body condition improved when Chinook salmon abundance was higher in Puget Sound tributaries, although that relationship was weaker than J pod and Fraser River Chinook. K pod whales had no clear relationship to the salmon populations examined in the study. However,  whales in K pod also experienced little change in their body condition during the study period.

K and L pods spend more time foraging on the outer coast of Washington and Oregon than J pod. Their more varied diet is more challenging to relate to changes in their body condition. In contrast, J pod depends to a greater extent on Chinook salmon. Differences in body condition between the three pods reflects distinct foraging patterns, while the condition of individual whales provides insights into their health, researchers found.

Read the full release here

MAINE: Commerce secretary asked to reject lobster fishery closure

August 19, 2021 — Maine’s congressional delegation is calling on the U.S. secretary of commerce to reject a petition calling for seasonal closures in parts of Maine’s lobster fishing industry.

They sent a letter Wednesday asking the secretary to reject a petition that was recently submitted by the Pew Charitable Trusts for interim regulations to protect right whales.

The delegation’s statement said for the Downeast Maine closure alone, Pew’s proposal is estimated to reduce the risk to whales by just 1.7 percent, while causing $22 million in losses for local lobstermen.

Read the full story at WFVX

Phase 2 of Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Modifications

August 18, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are proposing to modify the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (Plan) to reduce the incidental mortality and serious injury to North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in U.S. East Coast gillnet, Atlantic mixed species trap/pot, and Mid-Atlantic lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot fisheries to meet the goals of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. These modifications are Phase 2 of our efforts to reduce risk to North Atlantic right whales and other large whales from U.S. commercial fisheries.

Phase 1 addresses the Northeast lobster/Jonah crab trap/pot fishery, and is currently in review at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. We expect it to be finalized shortly. Please check the Plan page for updates.

We are requesting input and ideas for Phase 2 of our efforts to reduce the risk of entanglement to right, humpback, and fin whales in U.S. commercial fisheries managed under the Plan. As detailed below, stakeholders can participate by attending virtual meetings, calling in by phone on certain days, or sending written comments by email.

The scoping period runs through October 21, 2021.

Find out more about scoping.

Scoping Meetings Begin September 9, 2021

Scoping meetings will be held via webinar, and will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on the days listed below. Days are designated for areas and gear types, though anyone is welcome to attend any meeting and may submit input on any regions/gear types at each meeting. Meetings will be recorded. To register for a webinar, visit our events page.

  • Thursday, September 9, 2021: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Northern North Carolina Trap/Pot Fisheries
  • Tuesday, September 14, 2021: Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey Trap/Pot Fisheries
  • Tuesday, September 21, 2021: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island Trap/Pot Fisheries
  • Thursday, September 23, 2021: Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey Gillnet Fisheries
  • Tuesday, October 5, 2021: Southern North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida Trap/Pot and Gillnet Fisheries
  • Tuesday, October 12, 2021: Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Northern North Carolina Gillnet Fisheries
  • Thursday, October 14, 2021: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island Gillnet Fisheries

Read the full release here

More fishing rules may change to protect whales

August 18, 2021 — In its first phase of recommended actions to help protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale, the federal Large Whale Take Reduction Team instituted sweeping changes in the rules governing the Northeast lobster and Jonah crab fisheries to help reduce gear entanglements.

Now, the team is turning its attention to other fisheries in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic as its begins the second phase of rule-making to establish wide protections for right whales, other whales and sea turtles.

NOAA Fisheries filed notice on Aug. 11 of its intent to prepare an environmental impact statement and request public comment as vanguard steps toward amending the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan to help the species rebound from its current decline.

The second phase is expected to significantly impact a number of commercial gillnet fisheries in New England and elsewhere along the East Coast, including monkfish, spiny dogfish, skate and other groundfish fisheries.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Lobster boat tracking coming to protect whales, fishery

August 16, 2021 — America’s lobster fishing businesses could be subjected to electronic tracking requirements to try to protect vulnerable right whales and get a better idea of the population of the valuable crustaceans.

An arm of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate regulatory authority, said this month it is considering implementing the tracking requirements for lobster boats that have federal permits. The rules would also apply to boats that harvest Jonah crabs, which are the subject of another important New England fishery.

The tracking devices would record the location of the vessel while it is fishing, said Caitlin Starks, a fishery management plan coordinator with the commission. That would provide regulators with better data to get an idea of where in the ocean lobsters are located, she said.

The new rules could also help protect North Atlantic right whales, which number only about 360, Starks said. The whales are vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear, which can cause them to drown. They’ve been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act for more than 50 years and have suffered poor reproduction and high mortality in recent years.

New federal rules are coming to the lobster fishery soon to help protect the whales. Federal officials have said they will focus on reducing the number of vertical ropes in the water. They’re also expected to modify restricted areas of ocean.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Seattle Times

Critical habitat for killer whales extended south along California coast

August 12, 2021 — The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has extended critical habitat designations for the highly endangered Southern Resident orca population, to cover nearly 16,000 square miles of Pacific waters from Washington south to Point Sur, California.

The whales currently have had critical habitat protected in the inland waters of Washington state, where the Southern orca population of just 75 animals is highly dependent on chinook salmon – stocks that themselves are in danger from habitat loss and pollution in the region.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Safe Boating Means Safe Fishing. Avoid Whales.

August 12, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network has received an uptick in reports of humpback whales hooked or entangled in monofilament and tuna fishing gear. This notice is to remind boaters and fishermen that fishing too closely to whales is dangerous for you, your passengers, and the whales. Getting too close can result in whales being struck, vessels damaged, and gear loss when whales get entangled or hooked in fishing gear. Additionally, injuring or potentially injuring a whale is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the federal law that protects all marine mammals from human activity that negatively impacts their ability to live and thrive naturally.

While many monofilament entanglements are shed over time, some of these entanglements can be detrimental to the animals. Any puncture of the skin in the marine environment leaves vulnerable animals open to infection— particularly stressed animals that have had previous entanglements or injuries, and calves.

Experienced fishermen don’t troll or cast near feeding whales, because they know tuna aren’t going to get caught up in the bubble clouds or aggregations of feeding whales. These fishermen know that approaching humpback whales* closer than 100-300 feet is not worth the risk.  If you happen to hook a whale with your gear or hit one with your boat, report it right away to NOAA’s Greater Atlantic Marine Animal Reporting Hotline: 866-755-NOAA (6622) or to the US Coast Guard.

*North Atlantic right whales are protected by federal regulations that prohibit vessels from approaching within 500 yards (1500 feet) of right whales, with limited exceptions. If a right whale is sighted within the 500 yard buffer, then the vessel must depart the area immediately unless they are a commercial fishing vessel in the act of hauling back gear.

Read the full release here