Saving Seafood

Council Actions

Council Selects Cate O’Keefe to be Next Executive Director

June 3, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has chosen Dr. Catherine “Cate” O’Keefe of South Dartmouth, Massachusetts to be its next executive director. Cate will replace Tom Nies, who is retiring.

Cate has over 20 years of experience in fisheries science and management. She is the owner of Fishery Applications Consulting Team. As its principal consultant, she has provided technical, research, and facilitation services to a wide range of clients, including the New England Council for scallop and monkfish projects. She also has provided services to offshore wind energy companies, fishing industry organizations, global consulting firms, academic institutions, and research organizations. She currently serves as vice chair of the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee.

Cate earned her doctoral degree at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST). Her dissertation was titled: “An incentive-based, collaborative approach to maximize yield by avoiding bycatch in the US sea scallop fishery.” She earned a master’s degree through the Boston University Marine Program in Woods Hole and a bachelor of arts in biology and fisheries from Hampshire College.

Data & Methods Workshop Scheduled for Atlantic Menhaden Ecological Reference Point Benchmark Stock Assessment

May 22, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has begun work on the Atlantic Menhaden Ecological Reference Point (ERP) Benchmark Stock Assessment. The assessment will be used to evaluate the health of the stock and inform the management of the species in an ecological context. In order to ensure the incorporation of the most up-to-date information on Atlantic menhaden, a single-species menhaden stock assessment update will also be completed in 2025. The ERP assessment will be peer-reviewed in 2025.                                                       

The ERP Work Group will conduct a Data & Methods Workshop from October 2 – 6; details on the location will be released once they become available. The Workshop is open to the public, with the exception of discussions of confidential data*, when the public will be asked to leave the room.
The Commission welcomes the submission of data sources and alternate models that will improve the accuracy of the assessment. This includes, but is not limited to, data on commercial landings and discards, catch per unit effort and relative abundance, biological samples (length or age frequency), and life history information (growth, maturity, fecundity, natural mortality, spawning stock biomass) for Atlantic menhaden. As an ecological-based assessment, the Commission is also interested in information on major predators of Atlantic menhaden (e.g., predator diets, consumption rates, trends in abundance) and alternate prey species such as Atlantic herring or bay anchovies, including evidence for localized depletion or changes in abundance at finer regional scales. For data sets or models to be considered, the data must be sent in the required format with accompanying description of methods to Katie Drew, Stock Assessment Team Lead, at kdrew@asmfc.org by Friday, September 1, 2023.  Any models submitted without complete, editable source code and input files will not be considered.
For more information about the assessments, the submission and presentation of materials at the Data and Methods Workshop, or attending the Workshop, please contact James Boyle, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at jboyle@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

April 2023 NEFMC Meeting Highlights: Monkfish, Skates, EBFM, Sturgeon, Gear Conflict Working Group, Risk Policy, and More

May 9, 2023 — The following was released New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council met April 18-20, 2023 in Mystic, Connecticut and covered a dozen different topics ranging from monkfish to skates, scallops to habitat, groundfish to Atlantic sturgeon, Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management, and more. Here are the highlights.

MONKFISH: One of the Council’s 2023 priorities is to consider recommendations from the Research SetAside (RSA) Program Review and develop measures to improve the Monkfish RSA Program’s effectiveness. The charge is two-fold: (1) revisit the use of RSA days-at-sea and the ability to flip to an RSA day while at sea; and (2) form a workgroup of fishermen, NOAA Fisheries and Council staff members, Monkfish Committee members, and others as needed to “discuss the Monkfish RSA Program and identify potential improvements.” The Monkfish RSA Program has seen limited use for many years now, which prompted the Council’s request to undertake the review as a 2023 Council Priority

THE RESULT: The Council viewed this presentation and approved the proposal for establishing a workgroup to improve the Monkfish RSA Program. The workgroup will meet June 5, 2023.

PROTECTED RESOURCES – ATLANTIC STURGEON: The Council received an update on efforts underway to reduce bycatch of Atlantic sturgeon in the large-mesh monkfish and spiny dogfish fisheries. The New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils jointly manage the two fisheries. New England has the administrative lead for monkfish and the Mid-Atlantic Council has the lead for dogfish. The two Councils are collaborating on a joint sturgeon action as outlined in this draft 2023 work plan.

THE RESULT: For its part, the New England Council initiated Framework Adjustment 15 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan. The measures in the framework will be based on recommendations from NOAA’s Action Plan to Reduce Atlantic Sturgeon Bycatch in Federal Large-Mesh Gillnet Fisheries. Large mesh is defined as “greater than or equal to 7 inches” in this action.

Virtual Public Hearings Scheduled on 2023 Atlantic Striped Bass Emergency Action

May 9, 2023 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission has scheduled four public hearings on the emergency action approved on May 2, 2023 by the Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board for 2023 recreational management measures. The Board implemented a 31-inch maximum size limit for striped bass recreational fisheries, effective immediately for 180 days (through October 28, 2023). This action responds to the unprecedented magnitude of 2022 recreational harvest, which is nearly double that of 2021, and new stock rebuilding projections, which estimate the probability of the spawning stock rebuilding to its biomass target by 2029 drops from 97% under the lower 2021 fishing mortality rate to less than 15% if the higher 2022 fishing mortality rate continues each year.

The Commission will conduct four virtual public hearings via webinar to inform the public about this action and identify next steps for management. A summary of these hearings will be provided to the Board at its next meeting. Additional details on participating in the webinars can be found later in this release. All hearings are open to anyone from any state. If you are planning to attend multiple hearings, staff requests that you provide comments at only one hearing to allow time for all hearing participants to provide comments.

As outlined in the Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Charter, a management board can take emergency action to address circumstances under which public health or the conservation of coastal fishery resources or attainment of fishery management objectives has been placed substantially at risk by unanticipated changes in the ecosystem, the stock, or the fishery. The Board implemented the emergency 31-inch maximum size limit for 2023 to reduce harvest of the strong 2015-year class. The 31-inch maximum size limit applies to all existing recreational fishery regulations where a higher (or no) maximum size applies, excluding the May Chesapeake Bay trophy fisheries which already prohibit harvest of fish less than 35 inches. All bag limits, seasons, and gear restrictions will remain the same. Jurisdictions are required to implement the required measure as soon as possible but no later than July 2, 2023. If it deems necessary, the Board may extend the emergency action for two additional periods of up to one year each at a future Board meeting.

For 2024 management, the Board initiated Addendum II to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan to consider measures designed to reduce fishing mortality to the target. The Draft Addendum II process will include a public comment period and public hearings, likely later this year, regarding options for 2024 management measures.

Webinar Instructions

For all virtual hearings, please note that in order to comment during virtual webinar hearings you will need to use your computer or download the GoToWebinar app for your phone. Those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input. To attend the webinar in listen only mode, dial 914.614.3221 and enter access code 424-938-669.

For all virtual hearings, please click HERE and use the dropdown menu to select the hearing date you plan to attend to register for a public hearing webinar. Hearings will be held via GoToWebinar, and you can join the webinar from your computer, tablet or smartphone. If you are new to GoToWebinar, you can download the software by (clicking here) or via the App store under GoToWebinar. We recommend you register for the hearing well in advance of the hearing since GoToWebinar will provide you with a link to test your device’s compatibility with the webinar. If you find your device is not compatible in advance of the hearing, please contact the Commission at info@asmfc.org (subject line: GoToWebinar help) and we will try to get you connected. We also strongly encourage participants to use the computer voice over internet protocol (VoIP) so you can ask questions and provide input at the hearing.

For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, atefranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Council Seeks Contractor to Prepare Analysis of White Hake Recruitment Assumptions

May 7, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking the services of an independent contractor to prepare an analysis of recruitment assumptions used in stock projections for white hake. The application deadline is May 15, 2023.

This is a short-term, temporary contractor role, commencing on or about May 20, 2023. The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will review the analysis in the summer of 2023 (tentative date August 10, 2023). The analysis may be used to modify the white hake rebuilding plan and could be used to update Overfishing Limits (OFL) and Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) recommendations for future years. All work under this request for proposals (RFP) is expected to be completed by October 1, 2023.

White hake is a key component of the Northeast Multispecies fishery, commonly caught in gillnet and trawl gear. Revenues from white hake during the period 2017-2021 averaged $4.8 million per year, about nine percent of total groundfish revenues.

The stock underwent a Level 3 management track assessment in 2022. The Peer Review Panel concluded the stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. The same determination was made by NOAA Fisheries. Stock projections from this assessment were used to develop catch advice for future years.

The role of this project is to examine the recruitment time series used to establish white hake reference points and catch advice. The examination should focus on whether there is information in the time series that supports using a different assumption.

The response to this RFP should describe in detail the analytic approach that will be used to examine this issue. Analyses should be based on the existing assessment model and data stream for white hake. It should not explore different assessment models.

Desired experience, demonstrated skills, expected responsibilities, deliverables, and application submission details are outlined in the request for proposals.

Council to Consider if Change in Priorities is Needed to Expand Scope of Work on Inshore Midwater Trawl Exclusion Zone

May 7, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has charged its Atlantic Herring Committee with further developing two focused items related to 2023 herring work priorities. Both requests were the result of considerable discussion during the Council’s April 18-20, 2023 meeting in Mystic, Connecticut.

The Herring Committee’s recommendations will come back to the Council in June for further consideration and may involve a change in priorities for herring. A change would require a two-thirds majority vote by the Council. The topics at hand were related to the Council’s 2023 work plan to:

Revisit the Inshore Midwater Trawl Restricted Area, also known as a buffer zone or exclusion zone, that was: (1) developed by the Council in Atlantic Herring Amendment 8; (2) implemented by NOAA Fisheries; and (3) vacated by a U.S. District Court judge on March 29, 2022, meaning it is no longer in place (see map below); and

Conduct an analysis to investigate what combination of factors may have led to the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office’s (GARFO) low 2020 to The inshore area shaded in dark gray above was implemented in Herring Amendment 8 as a zone where midwater trawlers were prohibited from fishing year-round. A court vacated the measure. • 2022 river herring and shad by catch estimates in the Atlantic herring fishery.

Horseshoe Crab Board Approves Best Management Practices for the Biomedical Industry

May 4, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board approved revisions to a guidance document on Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Handling Horseshoe Crabs for Biomedical Purposes. The document recommends broadly applicable industry standards that are expected to minimize mortality and injury of horseshoe crabs associated with the biomedical process. It also provides background on the horseshoe crab biomedical fishery, information on current regulations in the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Horseshoe Crab related to biomedical collections, and research recommendations that could further inform the BMPs and potentially further reduce mortality or injury of biomedical horseshoe crabs.

 
The revised document is the product of a Board-appointed work group that was tasked with reviewing and updating the BMPs for handling biomedical catch since over a decade has passed since the BMPs were originally developed. The work group included technical committee and advisory panel members with expertise in horseshoe crab biology, ecology, and biomedical processing.
 
It is the Board’s intention to keep this document up-to-date, with periodic updates in the future. The final document will be posted to the horseshoe crab webpage at https://asmfc.org/species/horseshoe-crabunder quick links by the end of May.
 
For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, atcstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Acts to Support Stock Rebuilding through Emergency Action and Addendum II Initiation Addendum I Approved to Allow Ocean Commercial Quota Transfers Contingent on Stock Status

May 3, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved an emergency action to implement a 31-inch maximum size limit for striped bass recreational fisheries, effective immediately for 180 days (through October 28, 2023). This action responds to the unprecedented magnitude of 2022 recreational harvest, which is nearly double that of 2021, and new stock rebuilding projections, which estimate the probability of the spawning stock rebuilding to its biomass target by 2029 drops from 97% under the lower 2021 fishing mortality rate to less than 15% if the higher 2022 fishing mortality rate continues each year.

 
“Based on concern for the stock and the long-term interests of its stakeholders, the Board acted decisively to protect one of the few remaining strong year classes,” said Board Chair Marty Gary with the Potomac River Fisheries Commission. “The public is concerned about stock rebuilding and has urged the Board to expeditiously respond to the new stock projections. Striped bass is one of the flagship species of the Commission, and this action sends a strong signal that the Board is firmly committed to rebuilding the stock for current and future generations. At the same time, the Board recognizes that this action will have a profound impact on the for-hire industry and recreational anglers, however, it feels it is a necessary step to ensure rebuilding.”
 
As outlined in the Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Charter, a management board can take emergency action to address circumstances under which public health or the conservation of coastal fishery resources or attainment of fishery management objectives has been placed substantially at risk by unanticipated changes in the ecosystem, the stock, or the fishery.
 
The Board implemented the emergency 31-inch maximum size limit for 2023 to reduce harvest of the strong 2015-year class. The 31-inch maximum size limit applies to all existing recreational fishery regulations where a higher (or no) maximum size applies, excluding the May Chesapeake Bay trophy fisheries which already prohibit harvest of fish less than 35 inches. All bag limits, seasons, and gear restrictions will remain the same. Jurisdictions are required to implement the required measure as soon as possible but no later than July 2, 2023. If it deems necessary, the Board may extend the emergency action for two additional periods of up to one year each at a future Board meeting.
 
The Commission will hold at least four virtual public hearings in mid- to late May to inform the public about the emergency action and identify next steps for management. A subsequent press release will provide the details of the public hearing schedule and webinar information. 
 
Draft Addendum II Initiated
To address the concerns about increased removals and stock rebuilding beyond 2023, the Board initiated Addendum II to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan. The Draft Addendum will consider 2024 management measures designed to reduce fishing mortality to the target. Specifically, the Draft Addendum will propose options for the ocean recreational fishery, including modifications to the slot limit with harvest season closures as a secondary non-preferred option. It will also propose options for the Chesapeake Bay recreational fisheries, as well all commercial fisheries, including maximum size limits. Board members emphasized the importance of soliciting public input through the addendum process for 2024 measures following the 2023 emergency action. 
 
For measures beyond 2024, the Board intends to consider the results of the upcoming 2024 stock assessment update to inform subsequent management action. To enable an expedited management response to the 2024 stock assessment update, the Draft Addendum will propose a provision that would enable the Board to respond to the results of the stock assessment updates via Board action if the stock is projected to not rebuild by 2029. The Board will consider the Draft Addendum at the Summer Meeting, when it will either approve the document for public comment, or provide feedback for further development of the document.
 
Addendum I Approved 
The Board also approved Addendum I to Amendment 7. When the stock is not overfished, the Addendum enables the Board to decide every one to two years whether it will allow voluntary transfers of ocean commercial quota. The Board can also set criteria for allowable transfers, including a limit on how much and when quota can be transferred in a given year, and the eligibility of state to request a transfer based on its landings. When the stock is overfished, no quota transfers will be allowed.
 
To inform final action on this Addendum, the Board considered public comments, Advisory Panel input, and a Technical Committee report addressing the impact of additional quota utilization on stock rebuilding.
 
“The Board’s decision on Addendum I balances the commercial industry’s desire for a quota transfer mechanism with the need for caution when the stock is overfished,” said Board Chair Gary. “This was the most restrictive option for allowing transfers, giving the Board the ability to establish boundaries around quota transfers, as needed.”
 
Addendum I will be available by the end of May on the Commission website athttp://www.asmfc.org/species/atlantic-striped-bass under Management Plans and FMP Reviews. For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, atefranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Mid-Atlantic Council Seeks Contractor to Participate in Longfin Squid Stock Assessment

May 3, 2023 — The following was released by Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid‐Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) seeks a contractor to collaboratively participate in the upcoming longfin squid (Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii) research track stock assessment. 

Research track stock assessments are carried out over several years and can consider extensive changes in data, models, or stock structures. The contractor will work with the Longfin Squid Research Track Assessment Working Group (to be formed later this year). The contractor will participate in working group discussions, conduct relevant data analyses, and develop analytical models as appropriate in support of the workgroup efforts. The contractor will also collaborate on the development of technical working papers that advance the state of longfin squid assessment science, and which are independently peer reviewed at the conclusion of the assessment (March 2026).

See the Request for Proposals linked below for additional details and proposal instructions.

Request for Proposals: Longfin Squid Stock Assessment

American Lobster Board Approves Addendum XXVII Addendum Establishes Measures to Increase Protection of Spawning Stock Biomass of the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Stock

May 3, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s American Lobster Management Board approved Addendum XXVII to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. The Addendum establishes a trigger mechanism to implement management measures – specifically gauge and escape vent sizes – to provide additional protection of the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank (GOM/GBK) spawning stock biomass (SSB). It also implements changes to management measures for Lobster Conservation Management Areas (LCMAs) 1, 3, and Outer Cape Cod (OCC) to improve the consistency of measures across the GOM/GBK stock.

 
The Board initiated the Addendum as a proactive measure to improve the resiliency of the GOM/GBK stock. Since the early 2000s, landings in the GOM/GBK stock have rapidly increased. In Maine alone, landings have increased from 57 million pounds in 2000 to a record high of 132.6 million pounds in 2016. Maine landings have declined slightly but were still high at 97.9 million and 108.9 million in 2020 and 2021, respectively. However, since 2012, lobster settlement surveys throughout the GOM have generally been below the time series averages in all areas. These surveys, which measure trends in the abundance of juvenile lobsters, can be used to track populations and potentially forecast future landings. Persistent low settlement could foreshadow declines in recruitment and landings. In the most recent years of the time series, declines in recruitment indices have also been observed.
 
In response to these trends, Addendum XXVII establishes a mechanism where changes to the current gauge and escape vent sizes in LCMAs 1, 3 and OCC will be implemented automatically based on observed changes in recruit abundance indices. If the index of recruit abundance declines by 35% from the reference level (equal to the three-year average from 2016-2018), a series of gradual changes to gauge and vent size will be initiated in the following fishing year. These include two increases to the minimum gauge size in LCMA 1 (Gulf of Maine) and a single decrease to the maximum gauge size in LCMA 3 (offshore federal waters) and OCC. The gauge and escape vent size changes are intended to increase the proportion of the population that is able to reproduce before being harvested, and to enhance stock resiliency by protecting larger lobsters of both sexes.
 
Additionally, Addendum XXVII implements measures that resolve discrepancies between the regulations for state and federal permit-holders, provide a more consistent conservation strategy, and simplify interstate commerce and enforcement across management areas. Specifically, the Addendum implements a standard v-notch definition of 1/8” with or without setal hairs in LCMA 3 and OCC, and a standard maximum gauge size of 6 ¾” for LCMA 3 and state and federal permit holders in OCC. It also modifies the management program such that for LCMA 1 and 3 permit holders, states must limit the issuance of trap tags to equal the harvester trap tag allocations unless trap losses are documented. The implementation date for these changes is January 1, 2024.