Alerts

On September 13, The New England Fishery Management Council's (NEFMC) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) approved projections made by the Council's Scallop Plan Development Team to set the annual catch limit (ACL) for scallops in fishing year 2013 at 21,000 metric tons.

September 25, 2012 — While this value is less than the previous year's 27,000 metric ton ACL, the basis for this reduction is founded in a series of scientific survey data including that conducted via cooperative research with industry "research set aside" funds. This array of information sources distinguishes the scallop fishery from many other Atlantic fisheries.

Three independent surveys were conducted in order to assess scallop biomass: a drop camera survey conducted by the School for Marine Science and Technology at the University of Massachusetts; another from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Northeast Fisheries Science Center, which combined dredge survey data with a HabCam survey also conducted by the Science Center; and dredge survey data from a Virginia Institute of Marine Science study. These surveys examined parts or all of the same stock, but relied on different methodologies. Nonetheless, they produced nearly comparable findings.

Scallop abundance has remained at historically high levels the past three years, but many within the species are currently juvenile, necessitating the lower catch limit until the many new "recruits" in the mid-Atlantic are able to grow.

Although industry members understand how the 21,000 metric ton limit was derived, there is widespread concern that current regulations may prevent the scallop fishery from landing the full 21,000 metric tons allocated to it by the NEFMC.

Unless things change, the scallop industry will only be able to catch 17,000 metric tons of the 21,000 metric tons allotted to them by the SSC because 30% of the scallop's exploitable biomass is locked up in "Essential Fish Habitat" (EFH) closures, whose merit is a matter of dispute. 

The Council originally established closures nearly 15 years ago as a means to reduce fishing mortality on groundfish. In the intervening years, habitat-related closures were overlaid on these groundfish mortality closures. But research conducted by the Council, in relation to the EFH Omnibus Amendment 2, which was established to review and revise EFH provisions, found that some of these closures are not optimally located for purposes of habitat protection.

Unless access to these areas is granted, the scallop industry will be unable to harvest 4,000 metric tons, or $75 million dollars worth of scallops, that could otherwise be harvested in a sustainable and responsible manner. As a point of comparison, to make clear the magnitude of the value of these potential landings to the Atlantic coast economy, the value of landings for the entire Northeast multispecies groundfish industry in 2010 was approximately $90 million.

An amendment to reassess these habitat areas is in its eighth year of consideration. It is essential that the Council take final action on this long-delayed amendment at its February meeting, as well as adjusting the ground-related element of these closures.  

Read a PDF of the issue brief here

 

 

Sen. John Kerry, in a letter to Samuel D. Rauch, NOAA's Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, called on him to organize a meeting with scientists from NOAA and Northeast experts and fisherman to discuss groundfish stock assessments.

The following was released by the office of  Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.):

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sept. 24, 2012 — Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), in a letter sent today to Samuel D. Rauch, Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries at the National Marine Fisheries Service, called on him to organize a meeting with scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Northeast experts and fisherman to discuss groundfish stock assessments.

"I can't stress enough how important it is that fishermen who fish our waters every day are at the table for the discussions that shape rules that shape their economic fortunes," said Sen. Kerry. "Northeast fishermen have a vested interest in making the system work. The jobs of more than 77,000 folks in Massachusetts depend on the fishing industry and my job is to make the rules of the road work for them from start to finish."

By engaging local scientists, members of the New England Fisheries Management Council and our fishermen to discuss the complexities of accurately assessing stocks, regulators will gain a more complete picture of the realities of the fishing industry in Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine. In his letter to Rauch, Kerry explained:

"It is critical that NOAA provide fishermen and others the opportunity to engage in the process, provide feedback, and share ideas about existing methods used by NOAA and other federal agencies and how they can be improved."

Senator Kerry is working to ensure that fishermen and industry stakeholders have a voice in any further actions regulators take to reduce catch limits in Northeast fisheries. Groundfish stock assessments are a key factor in changes to Adjusted Catch Limits, and the accuracy of those assessments is critical to the future of the fishing industry in Massachusetts and the jobs it supports.

The full text of Senator Kerry's letter is below:

September 24, 2012

Mr. Samuel D. Rauch
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries
National Marine Fisheries Service
Room 14636
1315 East-West Highway
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Dear Acting Assistant Administrator Rauch:

I am writing to you to follow up on our recent meeting concerning fishery science.  While the recent securing of a disaster declaration will provide much needed assistance at this difficult time, it is not a solution to the many and complex underlying causes of the problem. As you know, fishermen and fishing-related businesses in coastal communities around New England are bracing for additional limits on fishing in both Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine due to a recent National Marine Fisheries Service interim report, which showed dramatic declines in the six major groundfish stocks in the New England fishery and included potential changes in the Adjusted Catch Limits (ACL) as a result of these declines.

The severity of the potential consequences of these proposed cuts demands that every possible step is taken to ensure that the data and methodology used to set catch limits is as robust and accurate as possible, with buy-in from the people whose livelihoods are most impacted by the results. I strongly believe that credible science is the keystone of a sustainable and successful fishery and for this reason, I am requesting that you organize a meeting within the next month with NOAA scientists, local scientists, members of the New England Fisheries Management Council, and our fishermen and industry participants to collaboratively discuss and review the complex stock assessment process.

I am hopeful this meeting will be an important first step forward in improving fisheries science in New England and in improving NOAA's engagement with stakeholders.  It is critical that NOAA provide fishermen and others the opportunity to engage in the process, provide feedback, and share ideas about existing methods used by NOAA and other federal agencies and how they can be improved.  This meeting and this type of close collaboration is needed so that fishermen have science they can trust and rely on.  This is vital to the future of the New England fishery.

Thank you for your consideration and for your ongoing efforts to work with me to ensure a sustainable and successful groundfish fishery in New England.

Sincerely,

John F. Kerry

 

 

The scallop fishery has reached 81 percent of its yearly yellowtail flounder by-catch allocation, with only 54 percent of access area trips to Closed Area II taken, according to an alert issued yesterday to the New England scallop fleet by SMAST

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) Sept. 20, 2012 – To avoid reaching the yellowtail limit prematurely, the Fisheries Survival Fund, an industry group that includes the majority of full-time, limited-access scallop permit holders, urged scallopers to avoid yellowtail by-catch by utilizing SMAST’s by-catch avoidance program. 

The program, a voluntary initiative between SMAST and the industry, tracks the amount of yellowtail by-catch reported in the scallop closed areas: Closed Area 1, Closed Area 2, and Nantucket Lightship. SMAST collects by-catch data reported by fishermen, and releases the information on sections of the closed areas where yellowtail by-catch is high, allowing fishermen to avoid these locations. Through cooperation with SMAST on the by-catch avoidance program, the scallop fleet is able to responsibly harvest all of its available scallop catch, while also helping to conserve the yellowtail flounder population.

Cate O’Keefe, a research technician and graduate student at SMAST, summarized the situation: "By-catch has remained consistently higher in the central portion of Closed Area II and low in the eastern portion. Scallop catch rates in Closed Area 2, as reported through the by-catch avoidance system, have not varied greatly throughout the area, indicating that areas with low by-catch have similar scallop catch rates as areas with high by-catch rates."

To view SMAST’s yellowtail advisory, which contains a graphical summary of the closed areas and areas of high yellowtail by-catch, click here

 

 

 

 

For the 12th consecutive year, New Bedford, Mass. had the highest valued catch, due mostly to the sea scallop fishery. The Alaska port of Dutch Harbor-Unalaska led the nation with the highest amount of fish landed – primarily pollock – for the 15th consecutive year.

WASHINGTON — September 19, 2012 — Scallops are a bright spot in New England fishery: despite fishermen staying within catch limits, several key groundfish stocks have declined unexpectedly, leading the Department of Commerce to declare a disaster for groundfish fishermen on Sept. 13. Similar announcements were made that day for chinook salmon in Alaska's Yukon and Kuskokwin rivers and Cook Inlet, and for the oyster and blue crab fisheries in Mississippi.

The following was released by NOAA:

U.S seafood landings reached a 17-year high in 2011, thanks in part to rebuilding fish populations, and the value of landings also increased, according to a new report released today by NOAA.

According to the report, Fisheries of the United States 2011, U.S. commercial fishermen landed 10.1 billion pounds of fish and shellfish in 2011, valued at $5.3 billion, an increase over 2010 of 1.9 billion pounds and more than $784 million. Much of the increase is due to higher catches of Gulf menhaden, Alaska pollock, and Pacific hake, also known as whiting.

"Commercial and recreational fishing are integral to the nation's social and economic fabric," said Sam Rauch, deputy assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA's Fisheries Service. "To see landings and value climb again this year shows we're moving in the right direction and that the fishing industry is strengthening as fish populations rebuild. Our goal is to support a thriving, sustainable seafood industry that is competitive in the global marketplace, and to enjoy the benefits of recreational fishing in our own waters."

More than 10 million recreational saltwater anglers in the United States took 69 million marine fishing trips in 2011 and caught 345 million fish, releasing nearly 60 percent of them alive. Spotted sea trout remained the top catch for recreational anglers, with 41 million caught in 2011. Atlantic croaker, sand sea trout, spot, and kingfishes were the other most common catches for saltwater anglers last year.

Today's report shows that the Alaska port of Dutch Harbor-Unalaska led the nation with the highest amount of fish landed – primarily pollock – for the 15th consecutive year. For the 12th consecutive year, New Bedford, Mass. had the highest valued catch, due mostly to the sea scallop fishery. However, scallops are a bright spot in New England fishery: despite fishermen staying within catch limits, several key groundfish stocks have declined unexpectedly, leading the Department of Commerce to declare a disaster for groundfish fishermen on Sept. 13. Similar announcements were made that day for chinook salmon in Alaska's Yukon and Kuskokwin rivers and Cook Inlet, and for the oyster and blue crab fisheries in Mississippi.

Catches throughout the Gulf of Mexico rebounded in 2011 to the highest volume since 1999, following a curtailed 2010 season due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The full fishing season in 2011 produced commercial landings of Gulf menhaden that were 66 percent higher than 2010 landings, with Gulf fishermen bringing in more than 1.6 billion pounds of menhaden valued at $110 million. Gulf shrimp landings rose 20 percent, from 176 million pounds valued at $338 million in 2010 to 212 million pounds valued at $418 million in 2011.

The report also shows that the average American ate 15 pounds of fish and shellfish in 2011, less than the 2010 figure of 15.8 pounds. Altogether, Americans consumed 4.7 billion pounds of seafood, making the U.S. second only to China in seafood consumption.

In 2011, about 91 percent of seafood consumed in the U.S. was imported, up five percent from 2010. However, a portion of this imported seafood is caught by American fishermen, exported overseas for processing and then re-imported to the U.S. The top three imports are shrimp, canned tuna, and tilapia fillet.

Almost half of imported seafood comes from aquaculture, or farmed seafood. America's aquaculture industry currently meets less than five percent of U.S. seafood demand, producing primarily oysters, clams, mussels, and some finfish, including salmon.

"By promoting sustainable domestic aquaculture to complement rebuilt wild fisheries, we can create more jobs and provide additional local sources of seafood that meet the highest standards for environmental protection and food safety," said Rauch. 
 
Read the Fisheries of the United States 2011 report here  
 
Read the NOAA fact sheet on the report here
 
Read the official NOAA press release on the report here

 

 

Harshbarger will conduct an independent assessment of the governance, policies and operations of the five year old organization.

GLOUCESTER, Mass. – September 18, 2012 — The following was released by the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund:

The Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund has retained Scott Harshbarger, the former Massachusetts Attorney General and national president of Common Cause, to conduct an independent assessment of the governance, policies and operations of the five year old organization. 

The nonprofit Fund, which since its founding in 2007 has worked diligently to safeguard and enhance the economic engine of Gloucester and Cape Ann, asked Harshbarger to perform a rigorous, independent review to fully address questions and insinuation raised regarding potential conflicts of interest or an appearance of a conflict, among its board and leadership and the Fund's relationships with other like-minded organizations.

Harshbarger and his team at Proskauer, which specializes in such independent reviews of nonprofit organizations, were chosen by the fund after they received a letter from state Senator Bruce Tarr and state Representative Ann Margaret Ferrante concerning alleged complaints by "some in the industry."

"We are going to get to the bottom of these vague but serious allegations made by some in the community about the governance of the Fund and the perceptions they have created," said Harshbarger, senior counsel to Proskauer, the global law firm with offices in Boston. "We will work with the Board to analyze their governance to ensure they have the strongest possible structure, best practices and policies, consistent with their role and mission and ensure the Board and the Fund function effectively with best practice conflict policies, including the least possible appearance of conflict."

Fund board member Dale Brown, said. "We look forward to working with such a noted and respected expert in this field and to moving forward with a better public understanding of the operations of the Fund."

As part of his independent review, Harshbarger has already begun analyzing internal operations of the Fund and interviewing Board members. The review will also include interviews with community leaders and others in the fishing community.

The Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund was created in 2007 to oversee a fishing permit bank to benefit the historic and vital economic mainstay for Gloucester and Cape Ann. The proponents for two offshore liquefied natural gas terminals were directed by the Commonwealth to fund the novel community permit bank concept with $6 million each ($12 million total) as a condition of the necessary Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection permits.

 

 

During the first six months of 2012, sea surface temperatures in the Northeast Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem were the highest ever recorded, according to the latest Ecosystem Advisory issued by NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC).

WOODS HOLE, Mass. — September 18, 2012 — Above-average temperatures were found in all parts of the ecosystem, from the ocean bottom to the sea surface and across the region, and the above average temperatures extended beyond the shelf break front to the Gulf Stream.
 
"A pronounced warming event occurred on the Northeast Shelf this spring, and this will have a profound impact throughout the ecosystem," said Kevin Friedland, a scientist in the NEFSC's Ecosystem Assessment Program. "Changes in ocean temperatures and the timing of the spring plankton bloom could affect the biological clocks of many marine species, which spawn at specific times of the year based on environmental cues like water temperature."

Friedland said the average sea surface temperature (SST) exceeded 10.5 degrees C (51°F) during the first half of 2012, exceeding the previous record high in 1951. Average SST has typically been lower than 9 degrees C (48°F) over the past three decades. Sea surface temperature in the region is based on both contemporary satellite remote-sensing data and long-term ship-board measurements, with historical SST conditions based on ship-board measurements dating back to 1854.

Atlantic cod distribution in the Gulf of Maine continues a northeasterly shift, with the spring 2012 data consistent with a response to ecosystem warming. Warming ocean temperatures and the resulting impact on the distribution of 36 fish stocks was reported by the Center in a 2009 study published in Marine Ecology Progress Series. That study analyzed annual NEFSC spring survey data from 1968 to 2007 and other information and found that about half of the 36 fish stocks studied in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, many of them commercially valuable species, have been shifting northward over the past four decades, with some disappearing from US waters as they move farther offshore.
 
 
Read the full article from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center

 

 

Industry members and supporters in the Hampton / Norfolk / Virginia Beach area are urged to attend and ask questions September 18, 2012 –In an announcement for a talk to be given by Chris Moore, a Senior Scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation headlined "Decades of Menhaden Overfishing Takes Toll," the Williamsburg (Virginia) Climate Action Network states the following:

"The menhaden is a diminutive fish that is rich in protein. Each year tens of thousands of tons of this fish are harvested and processed in Reedville, Virginia, then turned into fish oil for human food supplements and food for livestock."

"This small resident of the Chesapeake Bay plays an important role in the food chain that supports local wildlife including osprey and striped bass. As industrial fishing practices continue to diminish the menhaden population, the health of the Bay ecosystem and those species that depend on the menhaden to survive are adversely affected"

This event is hosted by the York River Group of the Sierra Club. It is free, and open to the public, and will be held at the Sandy Bottom Nature Park Nature Center at 1255 Big Bethel Road, in Hampton, Virginia, starting at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 19th.
 
Read the announcement at the Williamsburg Climate Action Network
 

Analysis:

While the post's headline references "decades of menhaden overfishing," this is an oft-repeated but misleading statement derived from an equally misleading observation recently promulgated in an online petition by the Pew Environment Group. In the petition, Pew stated for dramatic effect, "overfishing has occurred in 32 of the last 54 years," but failed to mention that 30 of those 32 instances occurred between 1954-1993. 

According to the 2010 menhaden stock assessment, issued by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), menhaden are not considered to be overfished, meaning that the stock is producing the target number of eggs to sustain itself. Overfishing of menhaden has become increasingly rare, occurring only twice from 1994-2008 (the last 15 years for which there is data), most recently in 2008 and only by 0.4%.

NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Office states, "menhaden recruitment appears to be independent of fishing mortality and spawning stock biomass, indicating environmental factors may be the defining factor in the production of good year classes." This means that the most important factor determining the size of the menhaden stock is more likely environmental factors, rather than pressure from commercial fishing.

The post also includes reference to menhaden as "the most important fish in the sea." This qualitative judgement is derived from the book The Most Important Fish in the Sea, by Rutgers English professor H. Bruce Franklin. There is no scientific evidence supporting the hyperbolic statement that any one species of fish is "most important," and promulgating this idea represents only the authors' opinion rather than any scientific consensus.

After last week's declaration of a fishery failure for the Northeast by the Department of Commerce, a group of 23 Senators and Members of Congress wrote to the House and Senate leadership requesting the appropriation of $100 million in disaster relief funding.

Writing that the Northeast fishery is facing a "perfect storm" of new federal regulations and expected cuts in quota as high as 72 percent in critically important species such as cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder, the letter requests economic relief be made available to Northeast fishermen, specifically, "support for economic development programs including financial counselling and job training assistance." The letter also asks that the relief package include coverage of at-sea monitoring costs, sector operating costs, and additional resources to improve the quality and frequency of stock assessments.

In requesting the relief funds, the letter notes that the new fishing limits, "have the potential to force a significant portion of the industry out of business," even though fishermen have followed all federal regulations and the decline in fishing stocks is not due to overfishing. It views the proposed $100 million in assistance is an essential part of keeping the fishery running.

The full text of the letter follows:

September 17, 2012

The Honorable Harry Reid
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
The Honorable John A. Boehner
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

Dear Majority Leader Reid, Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker Boehner, and Minority Leader Pelosi:

Last Thursday, the Department of Commerce declared a fishery failure for the Northeast multispecies fishery for the 2013 season. As such, the federal government must take timely action to assist fishermen and fishing communities across the Northeast and pursue management policies that both address the long-term situation and the immediate difficulties in the industry. Therefore, working within our fiscal constraints, we request your assistance in providing $100 million in federal economic disaster assistance for the Northeast multispecies fishery.

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, once the Department has determined that a commercial fishery failure has occurred, Congress may provide assistance by allocating federal funding to the affected states and providing oversight. We are writing in support of providing such economic relief to assist fishermen and fishing communities in the Northeast as they work to adjust to a perfect storm of events that threatens the future one of our nation's oldest and most storied industries. The assistance would be used to help ease the economic effects of federal regulations imposed to stop what the Department and fishermen anticipate will be dramatic declines in groundfish stocks in the Northeast multispecies fishery, while also providing critical investments to make the industry more sustainable in the long term.

In recent years, our fishermen and fishing communities have been struggling to survive amid federal regulations that have limited fishing opportunities. As a result, many fishermen are drawing on personal income or extended credit, shifting more fishing costs to crew, shrinking crew size, or postponing vessel maintenance.

The problems facing our fishermen and fishing related businesses have been exacerbated by a significant reduction in the 2012 Annual Catch Limit (ACL) for Gulf of Maine cod, an important stock for the Northeast industry. This reduction was precipitated by a 2011 National Marine Fisheries Service (''NMFS'') stock assessment that determined that the stock may not be as healthy as previously thought. Preliminary indications are that ACL may be further reduced next year- potentially by as much as 72 percent – and other critical stocks of cod, yellowtail, haddock, and plaice may see similarly dramatic reductions. It is likely that these reduced ACLs would be in place for several years, further compounding the impact of these cuts to the industry. That these cuts would come after Northeast fishermen have already implemented considerable changes to make the fishery more sustainable, changes to which ample evidence suggests stocks are not responding as predicted, has seriously eroded confidence in the science behind the management.

Therefore, we respectfully request that you work with us to ensure adequate economic relief is available to help Northeast fishermen and fishing communities endure what is becoming one of the most challenging situations in the history of the Northeast groundfish fishery. This includes support for economic development programs including financial counseling and job training assistance.

Specifically, we ask that funds be set aside to cover fully the at-sea monitoring costs for the next two fishing years and that you work with us to ensure a longer term federal commitment on these costs. We are concerned that the at-sea monitoring costs for our fishermen would represent an out of pocket expense that could force many fishermen out of business and reduce profitability of other fishermen at a time when they already face severe economic challenges. Increased observer coverage is critical to strengthening the science, but we also need to investigate options that could reduce costs. Similarly, funds should be set aside to support sector operating costs, which represent another strain on the industry.

In addition, it is critically important that funds be used to improve the quality of – and confidence in – stock assessments. Additional resources are needed for more timely assessments, using the best available technology and new research to determine the causes of recent stock declines. New assessments must be done in the closest collaboration with both local scientific experts and our fishermen. Involving fishermen in the collection of this data through cooperative research could go a long ways toward not only improving our understanding of the status of the stocks but also fishermen's degree of confidence in the reliability ofNMFS data. The severity of the potential consequences demand that every possible step is taken to ensure that the data used to set catch limits is as robust and accurate as possible, with buy-in from the people whose livelihoods are most affected by the results. This new assessment approach is essential for building trust and support in the data used to make important management decisions going forward.

Fishermen and fishing related businesses in coastal communities around the Northeast are bracing for these additional limits on fishing, which have the potential to force a significant portion of the industry out of business. It is our understanding that these declines are not related to any recent inappropriate levels of harvest by fishermen who have followed federal management plans and that environmental variables could be affecting stock recovery.

Thank you for your attention and your support for improving conditions for the fishermen throughout the Northeast. We remain committed to preserving and promoting our fishing industry and to lessening the burden of federal regulations on our fishermen and their families. We look forward to continuing to work with you to quickly and effectively address this very concerning development to this critical industry.

Sincerely,

John F. Kerry, United States Senator
Olympia J. Snowe, United States Senator
Scott P. Brown, United States Senator
Susan M. Collins, United States Senator
Sheldon Whitehouse, United States Senator
Jeanne Shaheen, United States Senator
Charles E. Schumer, United States Senator
Kirsten E. Gillibrand, United States Senator
Jack Reed, United States Senator
Kelly Ayotte, United States Senator
Joseph I. Lieberman, United States Senator
Richard Blumenthal, United States Senator
Barney Frank, Member of Congress
Edward J. Markey, Member of Congress
Michael H. Michaud, Member of Congress
Joe Courtney, Member of Congress
David Cicilline, Member of Congress
William R. Keating, Member of Congress
Chellie Pingree, Member of Congress
Frank Guinta, Member of Congress
James R. Langevin, Member of Congress
John F. Tierney, Member of Congress
David Cicilline, Member of Congress
Timothy H. Bishop, Member of Congress

View a PDF of the original letter here

 

 

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold meetings in New Bedford today and tomorrow on Scallop and Groundfish issues. Industry members in the area are urged to attend and participate.

September 18, 2012 — Saving Seafood will report on developments and make audio clips from the meetings available online

Today, starting at 9 a.m. the Scallop Committee will address the Scallop Advisory Panel's recommendations on:

1) possible modification of Georges Bank access area opening dates;

2) measures to address sub-Annual Catch Limits of yellowtail flounder for the Limited Access General Category (LAGC) trawl fishery;

3) modification of the effective date of Yellowtail Sub-Annual Catch Limit Accountability Measures (ACL AM) from Year 2 to Year 3;

4) leasing LAGC Individual Fishing Quota mid-year;

5) expanding the observer set-aside program to include LAGC open area trips; and

6) the overall findings of the recent biological opinion of the sea scallop fishery
related to sea turtles and Atlantic sturgeon.

Tomorrow, starting at 9 a.m., the Groundfish Oversight Committee will continue development of Framework Adjustment 48 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan that will include:

* Continued development of options to improve sector monitoring, including both at-sea and dockside monitoring. They may discuss appropriate monitoring coverage levels and full retention of allocated  groundfish species.

* The Committee will develop measures that may help mitigate expected low catch levels in fishing year 2013. These measures could include modifications to groundfish closed areas (including habitat areas) and further review of a motion passed at the last committee meeting that would provide increased access to most groundfish closed areas, and may consider modifications to that motion that will be forwarded to the Council.

* Consideration of other modifications to the sector program, such as creating areas for fishing on Georges Bank (GB) that are not subject to the GB yellowtail flounder Annual Catch Entitlement limits.

* Consider options for addressing catches of groundfish stocks (primarily Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic Bight windowpane flounder) by other fisheries (such as the fluke, scup and squid fisheries), and may either develop options for additional sub-ACLs or may propose changes to accountability measures to control those catches.

* The Committee may also discuss other issues that may be incorporated into the framework. Options identified by the Committee will be included in a future management action (Framework Adjustment 48) that will be considered by the Council in the fall of 2012.

* An expected receipt of a preliminary report on catch advice developed for Eastern Georges Bank cod and haddock, and Georges Bank yellowtail flounder that will be developed by the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee.  The Committee may provide comments for consideration by the Council when it considers these FY 2013 quotas.

* Possible discussion of scallop/groundfish management issues, such as yellowtail flounder allocations and the timing of scallop vessel access to groundfish closed areas.

Location:

Fairfield Inn & Suites
185 MacArthur Drive
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (774) 634-2000; Fax: (774) 634-2001

Directions: 

From the South – I-95 North to I-I95 East. Take Exit 15 to merge onto MA 18 South. Turn left at Union Street. Turn right on MacArthur Drive.

From the North – I-95 South to I-93 South toward Boston. Take Exit 4 onto Route 24 South toward Brockton.  Take Exit 12 onto Route 140 South towards New Bedford. Take Exit 2A to I-I95 East towards Cape Cod. Take  Exit 15 onto Route 18 South. Turn left at union Street. Turn right onto MacArthur Drive.

 

The Northeast Seafood Coalition ("NSC") supports the disaster declaration and is grateful to the support of our diligent Members of Congress and other elected officials including Governors of the affected states for their ongoing and relentless push for a declaration.

Gloucester, Mass. — September 13, 2012 –The following was released by the Northeast Seafood Coalition:

Today, the Acting U.S. Secretary of Commerce declared commercial fishery failure for the Northeast groundfish fishing industry. The Northeast Seafood Coalition ("NSC") supports the disaster declaration and is grateful to the support of our diligent Members of Congress and other elected officials including Governors of the affected states for their ongoing and relentless push for a declaration. 

In March 2012, NSC wrote to Governors of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey to urge them to submit a request to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce for a coordinated fisheries disaster in light of pending reductions for this current fishing year and the upcoming fishing year.  Since our request, there has been a well-coordinated regional effort by the Governors and Congressional leaders for which we are extremely appreciative.

At this time, there are significant short and long-term challenges that lie ahead and this declaration is a significant leap forward. Despite the combined effort from fishermen and managers to respond and rebuild groundfish stocks, according to recent scientific assessments, several key stocks in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank are not achieving anticipated results.  It is unfair to hold fishermen exclusively accountable for natural cycles of complex ecosystems.  NSC believes it's time to review and understand the larger picture of this ecosystem and develop management strategies that are more reflective of this reality.

Today's disaster declaration makes it possible for Congress to appropriate money toward assisting fishermen and directly impacted parties.  NSC views federal disaster relief as being an important component of a plan for 2013 and beyond.

NSC-the largest membership organization in the northeast groundfish fishery, which represents a majority of the active fishermen in the region-looks forward to working with our membership, the New England Fishery Management Council, NOAA Fisheries, States and the U.S. Department of Commerce through our elected officials on steps moving forward.

View a PDF of the NSC release here