Management & Regulation

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has decided to discontinue funding for the dockside monitoring program in the groundfish industry. NOAA said it will phase out the program by Sept. 19 and redirect the funds — around $1 million — to help fishermen defray some of their operational costs under the sector management system.

"The sectors will be able to use that money for expenses, such as office space rental or salaries for sector managers. They can also use it for monitors if they wish to continue using them voluntarily," said Maggie Mooney-Seus, communications officer with the National Marine Fisheries Service. "I know a couple of sectors were using them to gather data."

The money will be disbursed by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, a research and education center located in Portland, although the details of how it will be allocated have yet to be determined, Mooney-Seus said.

The catch share system introduced in May 2010 to regulate the New England groundfish industry mandated the use of observers onboard boats at sea, in addition to using dockside monitors to tally the catch as it came ashore. In 2010, the rules called for 50 percent of sector vessels to be monitored at the pier, dropping to 20 percent for the current fishing year. That rule was later modified by the New England Fishery Management Council, which wanted all vessels without an at-sea observer to be monitored as they off-loaded their catch

In New Bedford, Stephanie Rafael, who manages the vessels in Sector 10, questioned why the decision was not taken earlier, before the beginning of the fishing year on May 1.

"It makes it a little difficult because we already have contracts with our (monitor) providers," she said. "If NOAA is dropping the program, I think we'll be able to get out of them. But it makes it a little hairy. And for those providers who only do dockside monitoring, this is obviously pretty bad news. I feel sorry for people who thought they had a job for the year and now they won't." Rafael also doubted that the majority of sectors would continue with the monitors voluntarily. "There are already so many costs that if it's not a requirement, I can't see anyone keeping them."
 

 

Read the complete story from The South Coast Today

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each week on WBSM in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Bob Vanasse of Saving Seafood joins host Phil Paleologos to discuss issues related to the fisheries with news-making guests.

Cate O'Keefe, Program Manager of the SMAST Scallop Research Group — and Greg DeCelles, a SMAST research scientist — describe their cutting-edge program that provides real-time data to help fishermen avoid bycatch of unwanted species when harvesting scallops, a highly lucrative catch. Fleet participation in this unique academia-industry collaboration continues to grow while benefiting the New Bedford economy.

[listen to this recent episode at Saving Seafood Radio]

 

 

 

NEW BEDFORD – July 19, 2011 — The National Marine Fisheries Service has proposed an increase in the permissible haddock bycatch for the Atlantic herring fishery — a move that one fishing company in New Bedford says was a long time coming.

Severe restrictions on haddock caught unintentionally, imposed on midwater trawlers fishing for herring, were blamed for the April shutdown of the NORPEL fish processing plant on Fish Island in New Bedford with the resulting loss of 80 jobs. One of the company's two boats, the 115-foot Nordic Explorer, subsequently left New Bedford to fish on the West Coast.

The new proposal, announced Monday afternoon by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service, would increase the bycatch limit to 2 percent of the acceptable biological catch for haddock. The herring industry has been fighting for just such a ruling since last fall.

Despite opinions from National Marine Fisheries Service scientists that a 2 percent limit was appropriate, the New England Fishery Management Council fixed the limit at 0.2 percent last year, a decision that has been heavily criticized by the industry and local officials.

Read the complete story from The South Coast Today

 

 

 

 

 

Each week on WBSM in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Bob Vanasse of Saving Seafood joins host Phil Paleologos to discuss issues related to the fisheries with news-making guests.

Earlier this month, New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang hosted a conference call of the key stakeholders in a Federal lawsuit filed against the Commerce Department by fishing families and the port cities of New Bedford and Gloucester.  The suit, which sought relief from 'flawed and unjust' fishing regulations enforced by NOAA, did not receive a favorable ruling.  But as Mayor Lang explains, there are several potential grounds for appeal, which are being actively researched and explored.

[listen to this latest episode at Saving Seafood Radio]

 

 

 

NOAA announced that it plans to redirect roughly $1 million in federal funding for its groundfish dockside monitoring program to help sectors defray some of their costs.

In the groundfish fishery, individual vessels can form groups called sectors and each sector is allocated a share of the year’s allowable catch. Individual sectors then manage their respective harvests as a group, according to an annual plan.

By providing funds directly to sectors, managers and members can determine how best to use the money to develop their respective operations. Sectors may use funds for approved operating costs such as sector manager salaries, office space rental and communications costs.

Effective September 19 until the end of the 2011 fishing year and for the entire 2012 fishing year, there will be no centralized NOAA funded dockside monitoring program. Any sector that chooses to continue dockside monitoring, after September 19, may do so on a voluntary basis  at their own cost.

To ensure a smooth transition for sectors and dockside monitoring providers, NOAA will provide funding for a 50 percent coverage rate for sector vessels through September 18.

While NOAA has decided not to centrally fund dockside monitoring for sectors during the 2011 and 2012 fishing years, as it did in 2010, the requirement for the fishing industry (both common pool and sectors) to pay for dockside monitoring beginning in 2013 technically remains in place. The New England Fishery Management Council can recommend that this requirement be eliminated or further modified.  The Council is a multi-stakeholder body that develops fishery management plans in the Northeast.

Read this article from NOAA News.

 

 

 

 

PORTLAND, Maine — Forty stocks of fish populations are subject to overfishing in U.S. waters, but progress is being made to rebuild stocks and reduce overfishing, federal officials said Thursday.

The number of fish populations being fished at too high of a level at the end of 2010 was up by two from 2009, according to an annual report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Among the stocks being overfished are cod in the Northeast, red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific bluefin tuna off the West coast.

But officials said many key populations of fish have shown improvement over the years. Twenty-one stocks have been rebuilt to healthy levels since 2000, and three key stocks in the Northeast — Georges Bank haddock, Atlantic pollock and spiny dogfish — reached healthy levels in 2010, said Eric Schwaab, the head of NOAA's Fisheries Service.

"We are turning a corner as we see important fish stocks rebounding," Schwaab said in a statement.

Read the complete story by the AP at The Gloucester Times.

 

 

 

 

 

July 14, 2011 – Three fisheries stocks from the Northeast – Georges Bank haddock, Atlantic pollock and spiny dogfish – have now been rebuilt to healthy levels, bringing to 21 the number that have been rebuilt nationwide since 2000, according to a report to Congress from NOAA’s Fisheries Service issued today.

“We are making great progress ending overfishing and rebuilding stocks around the nation,” Eric Schwaab, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service said. “We are turning a corner as we see important fish stocks rebounding.”

NOAA’s Status of U.S. Fisheries reports on the fishing activity and population level for fish stocks in the country. Scientists announced today that in 2010, 84 percent of the stocks examined for fishing activity (213 of 253 stocks) were free from overfishing, or not fished at too high a level, and 77 percent of the stocks with known population levels (159 of 207 stocks) were above the overfished level, that level too low to provide the maximum sustainable yield.

“Commercial and recreational fishing depend on healthy and abundant fish stocks and marine ecosystems to provide lasting jobs, food and recreational opportunities,” Schwaab said. “By working with the nation’s eight regional management fishery councils and commercial and recreational fishermen, we are making steady progress each year to fully rebuild overfished stocks.”

Beyond the three rebuilt northeastern stocks, there were other positive changes since last year:

-Four stocks were removed from the low-population list, all from the Northeast: Gulf of Maine haddock, American plaice, Gulf of Maine cod and southern New England windowpane.

-Two stocks were removed from the list of stocks being fished at too high a level: Georges Bank yellowtail flounder and Southern Atlantic Coast black grouper.

Scientists examined more stocks than ever before in 2010, and findings on these stocks with a previously unknown status were mixed:

-Gulf of Mexico black grouper was found to be free from overfishing, and had a population above the low-population level.

-Southern Atlantic Coast black grouper was found to have a population above the low-population level.

-Pacific bluefin tuna was found to be fished at too high a level, though its population was above the low-population level.

-Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Atlantic wolffish was found to have a low population.

A handful of other stocks were moved onto the overfishing and overfished lists this year: 

-Added to the list of stocks experiencing fishing at too high a level were Northwestern Atlantic witch flounder, Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank windowpane flounder, and Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic windowpane flounder.

-Added to the list of low-population stocks were Northwestern Atlantic Coast witch flounder, Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank windowpane flounder, Georges Bank winter flounder, Southern Atlantic Coast red grouper, California Central Valley Sacramento (fall) chinook salmon, and Bering Sea southern Tanner crab.

Although it is often assumed that a stock has a low population due to too much fishing, other factors influence the health and abundance of fish stocks, including environmental changes, disease, and habitat degradation. Scientists believe that one of the stocks added to the overfished list, the Tanner crab in Alaska, may have been affected by environmental factors.

The report, which has been issued annually since 1997, summarizes the best available science for the 528 federally-managed fish stocks. Since not all stocks are targeted by commercial and recreational fishermen, NOAA prioritizes collecting information on the commercially and recreationally important species that constitute most of the domestic fishing activity in the country. Stocks are added or removed from the lists only when new information becomes available. Knowing the status of stocks allows fishery managers to identify and address problems, and effectively rebuild and maintain healthy stocks.

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, NOAA and the eight regional fishery management councils are required to end overfishing, use annual catch limits and accountability measures to prevent future overfishing, and rebuild stocks to levels that can provide the maximum sustainable yield. NOAA’s Fisheries Service works with the regional fishery management councils around the country to end overfishing for all stocks. Annual catch limits and accountability measures are already in place for 203 of the 528 federally-managed fish stocks, including all stocks that are identified as being fished at too high a level.

Fully rebuilt, U.S fisheries are expected to add $31 billion to the economy and an additional 500,000 jobs. Commercial and recreational fishing currently generate $72 billion per year and support 1.9 million full and part-time jobs.

To complete the annual report, NOAA examines a variety of sources, including landings data and log books, and conducts its own surveys. The 2010 Status of U.S. Fisheries, which contains data and analysis nationally and by region, is available online at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2011/07/docs/report.pdf.

Listen to the press conference.                  

 

 

 

 

 

While the Maine lobster industry is known for self-regulation and environmentally sustainable practices, it also poses one of the biggest threats to endangered whale species — which can become entangled in the thousands of miles of ropes used by the industry to trap lobsters, according to federal regulators.

Two years ago, lobstermen were required to make a costly switch in their ground lines — those linking traps to one another — from floating rope to lines that sink to the ocean bottom. Now lobstermen are facing more rule changes, this time concerning their vertical lines, the ropes that connect the traps to their lobster buoys on the surface.

At a series of four meetings from Machias to Portland this week, regulators will seek practical solutions from the public. The meetings will continue along the entire Atlantic coast through the summer.

While Maine lobstermen say they are ready to help protect whales, they are skeptical of what they call the one-size-fits-all federal regulatory process.

Read the complete story from The Portland Press Herald.

 

 

 

 

BOSTON — Rulemakers who protect the fish off New England's crooked coastline are considering ways to make sure the small-boat fishermen who chase those fish don't vanish in the meantime.

The New England Fishery Management Council is beginning to devise so-called "accumulation limits" to restrict what any single fisherman or fishing business can haul home annually.

The idea is to keep the wealthiest fishing interests from accumulating such a dominant share of the catch that they swallow the small, independent boat owners who've sustained New England's fishing communities for centuries.

This persistent industry fear heightened last year, when a new management system was installed that allots each fisherman a transferrable share of the total catch, which they can lease or sell. Some say that makes it far easier for well-moneyed fishing interests to accrue catch shares from smaller, less profitable fishing businesses.

Read the complete story by Jay Lindsay of the AP at The Huffington Post.

 

 

 

 

 

Patricia Kurkul, NOAA's Gloucester-based Northeast regional administrator for the last 11 years, has signaled her decision to step down at the end of the year, the Times learned today.

Kurkul announced her plans in an internal email sent last week to the 265 employees of the regional office, ensconced in the $12 million brick complex that overlooks Gloucester Harbor from Blackburn Industrial Park — and from which have come mountains of regulation and enforcement mandates.

"Now, with the first full year of groundfish sector management complete," she wrote to colleagues and friends, "the time is right."

No announcement of Kurkul's planned departure has been made via NOAA communications.

Kurkul has presided over a fishing industry in tumultuous transformation, being converted to catch share management as the resource recovered from centuries of overfishing and grew toward sustainability, even as the size of the fleet was systematically reduced, triggering resistance and protests.

Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.