Council Actions

The New England Council’s Groundfish Committee, along with its Advisory Panel, Plan Development Team and socio-economic experts from the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee, will participate in a facilitated workshop on the subject of accumulation limits for the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan. The workshop format will replace the committee’s standard decision-making process. Fishermen and any interested parties are invited and will have opportunities to comment during the day.

When: Thursday, June 9, 2011, 9:00 a.m.

Where: Crowne Plaza Boston North Shore (formerly Sheraton Ferncroft), 50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 01923, Phone: (978) 777-2500; Fax: (978) 750-7991

Details: The purpose of the workshop is to explore issues associated with accumulation limits and relevant fleet diversity measures. This group will not revisit the allocation structure for Potential Sector Contributions determined in Amendment 16 to the Groundfish Plan. Recommendations to manage excessive shares in the fishery will be developed for Council consideration at its June 2011 meeting.

 

 

 

 

Newburyport, MA – May 16, 2011 – The New England Fishery Management Council leadership reacted to an interim report released last week about the performance of a 2010 program it developed to regulate catches of groundfish in the region. Prepared by the Social Sciences Branch of NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the report used standardized measures to evaluate the economic and social performance of fishing vessels during their first nine months of operations under the Amendment 16 “sector” system.

Commenting on the report’s findings, Rip Cunningham, the Chairman of the Council’s Groundfish Committee said, “For the first year of a new management system, these results are very encouraging.”

He added, “Given that fishing mortality reductions between 16 to 55% depending on the species were implemented along with the new sector management strategy, the information I see in the report shows that the industry had a successful year.” Fishing mortality is the scientific term that defines the rate at which fish in a particular stock are removed by fishing activities.

The report acknowledges three clear changes that occurred during the May 2010 through January 2011 period. When compared with the 2007, 2008 and 2009 fishing years, “revenues from all species landed were higher in 2010 than in 2008 or 2009, but were $4 million less than in 2007. Combined yearly average prices for all species were higher in 2010 than any other year in the time series,” leading the authors to conclude that “economic performance, as indicated by revenue per unit of effort, improved in 2010.”

This information was further broken down in the report: all species on all fishing trips made by groundfish vessels during the first nine months of 2010 were up about $24 million over the same period in 2009. Massachusetts ports and vessels generated most of the increase, with $16 million.

Other trends were included in the interim report. About 66% of revenues from groundfish sales during 2007-2009 resulted from landings by 20% of active groundfish vessels. In 2010, 75% of the revenues from groundfish sales resulted from landings by 20% of active groundfish vessels. Also, there were 18% fewer active vessels in 2010 than in 2007, 46% fewer groundfish trips, 38% fewer days absent on groundfish trips, and fewer crew positions, days, and trips.

A full year-end evaluation is scheduled for the fall and will detail all 12 months of fishing year 2010 (May 2010-April 2011). According to the report, preliminary numbers suggest the groundfish catch for the year will be nearly equal to 2009-10. In discussing the final report, the interim report authors note that information at the vessel ownership level, including vessel operating costs, could be used to better evaluate changes in financial performance and include estimates of crew earnings. Once it receives the final report, the Council plans to conduct a “lessons learned” review of the first year of sector operations with sector representatives. Rules for fishermen who harvest cod, haddock, pollock and flounders were significantly revised in May 2010 when the Council adopted and NOAA Fisheries approved the expanded use of “sectors” as a strategy to manage the east coast groundfish fishery.

To ensure that groundfish stocks continued to rebuild as each sector developed its own unique set of rules, the Council allocated a percentage of the total allowable groundfish catch to each group, based on the amount of catch history each sector member brought to the group. At that time, the Council acknowledged that sector formation is the first step in a process that could require many adjustments as the program evolves and reaches its potential.

Interim Report for Fishing Year 2010 on the Performance of the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery, May 2010 – Jan. 2011.

See the PDF of this news release.

 

 

 

 

 

At its late April meeting, the Council addressed issues related to scallops, herring, monkfish, groundfish and management area coordination. The NEFMC also received a number of reports and presentations, including a briefing by NMFS Director Eric Schwaab which summarized the agency’s management review of fisheries in the Northeast, with a focus on relationships among the NEFMC, the NMFS Northeast Regional Office and Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC).

Other presentations addressed a range of important issues: a summary of the Department of the Interior’s “Smart from the Start” offshore wind initiative; ecosystem-based fisheries management; NEFSC recommendations for observer sea-day allocations for 2011-2012; and several Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) – related reports: one about the peer review of the Swept Area Seabed Impact model, and another on approved methods that will be used to develop ABC recommendations for the skate complex and the five hake stocks harvested under the small mesh multispecies program rules.

The Council Report summarizes major issues voted on or discussed at each regularly scheduled NEFMC meeting. The Council met most recently on April 26-28, 2011 in Mystic, CT.

Read the report.

 

 

 

 

 

The following release is from the New England Fishery Management Council:

MYSTIC, Conn. – April 29, 2011 —   At its April 26-28, 2011 meeting, the New England Fishery Management Council took final action on Framework Adjustment 46 to the Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan to address concerns about the impacts of the current haddock catch cap for Atlantic herring vessels and the potential to prematurely close the herring fishery.  More specifically, the Council is proposing to increase the amount of haddock that herring vessels may catch from 0.2 percent to 1 percent of the acceptable biological catch for the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank stocks of haddock. This action should allow the herring fishery to fully utilize the available herring harvest while ensuring that haddock by-catch is adequately managed and controlled, a concern that has been raised by environmental organizations and groups of commercial and recreational fishermen.

Herring fishery revenues could increase by about $5.5 million per year. The Council is also proposing accountability measures that would close the herring fishery in the appropriate stock areas should either the Gulf of Maine or Georges Bank haddock catch cap be reached.  The changes are proposed by the Council to better allow the herring fishery to operate in offshore areas because the haddock resource is healthy and not fully utilized, and the biological impacts of the haddock catch in the herring fishery were determined to be insignificant.  As a result, the Council expects herring fishing to continue without interruption throughout 2011.

In addition to its importance in providing herring both for food in a variety of markets and for bait for the lobster and recreational fisheries, the herring industry provides valuable employment opportunities in economically hard-hit coastal communities. The Council believes its action addresses the needs of the herring industry and coastal communities as well as its responsibilities to manage fish stocks sustainably by providing opportunities to harvest the resource while managing and minimizing by-catch.

 

 

 

The following was released by Tom Nies of the New England Fisheries Management Council

Here is a summary of the major Council actions on groundfish at the April 26-28, 2011 meeting in Mystic, CT. As always, this brief summary does not capture the entire discussion. Sound files are available on our web page, and motions will be available in about a week.

1. Framework Adjustment 46: The Council selected a preferred alternative for FW 46, which proposes to modify the haddock catch cap regulations for the herring fishery. The Council selected Option 2 in the draft framework. Option 2 would change the cap to a stock-specific cap that applies to midwater trawl herring vessels. The cap would be set at 1 percent of the GB or GOM haddock ABC. Observed catches of haddock will be expanded to an estimate of total catch through in-season monitoring. If the cap is reached, MWT vessels would be limited to retaining 2,000 pounds of herring in a stock specific area. The option also modifies reporting requirements so that the cap can be monitored. The framework document will be completed by staff and submitted as soon as possible; if approved by NMFS we hope for implementation in late fall (~November).

2. Amendment 17: The Council provided an opportunity for public comment on Amendment 17, which if approved will authorize NOAA-funded state-operated permit banks. No public comments were made. The comment period ends May 18 (see the document on our web page for details on providing comments). A Council vote is expected at the June Council meeting.

3. Accumulation Limits: The Council did not approve a Groundfish Committee motion to delay further work on an accumulation limits and fleet diversity amendment until later this year. The Council approved a motion to establish an ad hoc Groundfish Accumulation Limit Committee made up of members of the Groundfish Committee, Groundfish Advisory Panel, Groundfish PDT, and select members of the SSC to conduct a facilitated meeting on accumulation limits. The Committee was tasked to provide a suite of options for Council consideration. Further details on this Committee will be developed over the next few weeks.

4. Sector Review Workshop: The Council considered Committee advice on planning and execution of a meeting to review the first year of sector operations. The Council directed the Executive Committee to schedule a Council meeting as soon as practicable to receive reports from sector managers. This will likely occur after August.

5. Trading of Quota at the TMGC: At present, the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee (TMGC) agrees on catches of three shared stocks with Canada. Once a total catch is agreed upon, each country’s share is determined through a formula based largely on resource distribution. There has been some interest at the TMGC in modifying the understanding to allow trading of quota between the two countries. The Council reviewed a Committee motion that proposed to pursue this idea, but ultimately rejected the motion. Council members stated they thought the benefits of trading were uncertain and the time necessary to develop this idea would be better spent on other groundfish issues.

6. SNE Cod Issue: The Groundfish Committee received reports of increased recreational cod catches in SNE in late winter and early spring. During the November priorities discussion, the Council will consider taking up this issue next year. There were some reports that state agencies may be addressing the issue.

7. The Council directed staff to submit a letter to NMFS opposing the requirement that dockside monitors board and inspect fishing vessels after offloading to verify catch. Council members are concerned that this practice is unsafe and unnecessary.

8. Management Area Coordination: While not specifically a groundfish decision, the Council discussed coordinating the EFH Amendment review and possible modification of habitat measures (including habitat closed areas) with management areas used in other FMPs (primarily groundfish closed areas).  Council staff presented a paper describing four alternative processes for reconciling these issues. The Council decided to expand Phase II of the EFH amendment to consider modification of groundfish closed areas. This will extend the current timeline for the EFH amendment into the future. Work on the groundfish closed areas is not expected to begin until late 2011/early 2012 due to the current workload of the Groundfish Committee and PDT.

 

 

 

 

 

MANSFIELD, Mass. – April 18, 2011 – In response to concerns that the haddock by-catch cap for the midwater trawl herring fleet is too restrictive, given the relative abundance of haddock, the NEFMC ground fish committee voted to raise the cap at its April 18th meeting.

On a vote of 8-4, an option was passed that would raise the current by-catch, set at 0.2 percent, by 10 times to 2 percent for the MWT fleet.   Committee members also discussed the possibility of expediting the NMFS process to promulgate the new cap in time for the summer herring season.  The full Council will address this issue at its April 26th meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

The public is invited to attend the New England Fishery Management Council's April 2011 meeting to be held at the Mystic Hilton Hotel, 20 Coogan Boulevard, Mystic, CT 06355; telephone 860.572.0731.

For online access to the meeting, please register by following the directions below. For information about meeting materials and a detailed agenda, consult the Council’s website www.nefmc.org. Also be aware that if you use the phone-in option, your regular phone charges will apply. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Council office at (978-465-0492, ext.10).

The first broadcast of the Council meeting from the Hilton Hotel in Mystic, CT
 
This Webinar will be held daily, from:
Apr 26, 2011 to Apr 28, 2011 7:30 AM – 7:00 PM EDT
 
Register at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/444100955
 
Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration with information you need to join the Webinar.
 
 
System Requirements
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Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
 
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

 

 

 

 

To Address NOAA-Sponsored, State-Operated Permit Banks This draft of Amendment 17 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP has been approved by the New England Fishery Management Council for the purpose of soliciting comments from the public on the action the Council is considering taking in this amendment.   Submitting Comments on Amendment 17: Comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. on May 18, 2011.   Written comments by mail: Patricia Kurkul, Regional Administrator National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Regional Office 55 Great Republic Drive Gloucester, MA 01930 Subject line: “Groundfish Amendment 17 Public Review Comments”   Written comments by fax: National Marine Fisheries Service, (978) 281-9135, Subject line: “Groundfish Amendment 17 Public Review Comments”**   Written comments by email: Send to GFAmendment17@noaa.gov Subject line: “Groundfish Amendment 17 Public Review Comments”   The Council will also accept oral comments during the following meetings: • April 18, 2011 – Groundfish Oversight Committee Meeting Holiday Inn, 31 Hampshire Street, Mansfield, MA 02048 • April 28, 2011 – New England Fishery Management Council Meeting Mystic Hilton Hotel, 20 Coogan Boulevard, Mystic, CT 06355     Read the complete draft from NMFS.                        

Please review the attached materials for the NEFMC Groundfish Oversight Committee meeting in Mansfield, MA. Please bring these documents with you to the NEFMC meeting next week as they are part of your Council binder.

Groundfish Oversight Committee Agenda
April 18, 2011
Holiday Inn, Mansfiled, MA

9:00 a.m. Welcome/Introductions/Approval of Agenda
9:15 a.m. Review of FW 46 and identification of a preferred alternative

Noon – Lunch

1:15 p.m. Sector review workshop planning, Anne Hawkins
2:45 p.m. Trading fish within the TMGC process, Tom Nies/Tom Warren
3:30 p.m. Amendment 17: State Operated Permit Banks – Opportunity for Public Comment
4:15 p.m. SNE recreational fishery issues/MRIP Update
4:45 p.m. Other business

Read the agenda notice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New England Fishery Management Council feels compelled to address several statements in the editorial "Fishing aid promises need independent monitoring, too".

On behalf of its 18 members, I am writing to express concern about the following paragraph: "… it's essential that any added allocation be funneled to the struggling small, independent boats — not the big-boat business of Maine, or the Cape Cod Hook Fishermen's Association, which have already gotten more than their share through the New England Council's shaky actions in the past."

It is a matter of public record that the fish allocations approved for the existing two "sectors," one of which was referred to in the editorial, were based on a different qualification time period than was used for other permit holders who chose to join a newly established "sector." As a result, the existing sectors received about 3.3 percent more of the Georges Bank cod quota than they would have if their allocation was based on the period used for other vessels (1996-2006).

Time frames were developed to be inclusive, and most of the fishing industry responses to the council supported the approach. Many believed that including landings over a long period would smooth out the effects of regulatory changes over time. It also meant that the allocation would not necessarily reflect recent fishing activity. Without question, there have been negative consequences for individuals who did not meet the qualification criteria.

Importantly, the allocation the two sectors received at that time applied to Georges Bank cod only. It did not involve the other species in the groundfish complex, such as haddock, pollock and several flounder species. 

Read the entire letter at The Gloucester Times.