Saving Seafood

Management & Regulation

National Fisheries Institute Statement on the Food and Drug Administration’s Draft Labeling Guidance

February 24, 2023 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) newly issued draft guidance to help ensure appropriate labeling of plant-based beverages, marketed as milk alternatives, is a solid step in the right direction for regulators and consumers.  Highly processed, plant-based products masquerading as seafood for too long have contributed to consumer confusion and openly flouted existing regulations. Guidance for these products should mirror those now under consideration for “milk” products.

 
In the case of “milk,” FDA explains that use of the term “plant-based” does not exempt the producer from describing the actual plant source as part of the product name. This is in lockstep with prevailing policies on Statement of Identity. The guidance further affirms labels that promote things solely as “vegan shrimp” or “plant-based fish alternatives” do not accurately provide American consumers and families with the labeling information they need to make buying decisions.
 
What’s more, simply adding “fish-less” or “fish-free” would be a further violation of the labeling principles outlined in this guidance. FDA writes, “the term ‘dairy-free milk’ is not an adequate name for any plant-based milk alternative.”
 
We look forward to FDA releasing draft guidance for plant-based seafood alternatives that aligns with the structure it has applied to milk in this draft guidance. Enforcing long-standing regulations and preventing consumer confusion is of paramount importance.
 
Lisa Wallenda Picard
President & CEO

Biden administration proposes offshore wind auction in the Gulf of Mexico

February 23, 2023 — The U.S. Department of the Interior on Wednesday proposed the first offshore wind auction in the Gulf of Mexico.

The proposed auction includes an area of more than 100,000 acres in the waters off Lake Charles, Louisiana, and two similarly sized areas off Galveston.

The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management seeks public comment on which of the two areas offshore from Galveston should be included in the final sale.

“This proposed lease sale will continue the legacy of energy production in the Gulf of Mexico, providing Americans with an affordable clean energy supply. It will also help secure our nation’s energy independence while reducing costs for consumers,” said Josh Kaplowitz, vice president for offshore wind for the American Clean Power Association.

Read the full article at Texas Public Radio

Feds slash Gulf’s first wind farm areas to make room for drilling, shipping, fishing

February 23, 2023 — The Gulf of Mexico’s first slate of offshore wind farms will have much less space than the federal government proposed late last year.

A new wind energy lease sale plan released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management slashes the Gulf’s offshore wind energy development areas by two-thirds, potentially reducing the amount of jobs and clean energy the region’s leaders had hoped wind farms would generate in the coming years. BOEM’s decision to cut the size of wind energy areas is aimed at easing potential conflicts with the Gulf’s many other users, including the oil and gas industry, shipping companies and the military.

The new boundaries include a 102,000-acre area south of Lake Charles, and two areas near Galveston, Texas that will likely be trimmed to one zone stretching across about 100,000 acres. The Gulf’s total combined area will likely be just under 200,000 acres, according BOEM officials. That’s a substantial reduction from the 682,000 acres BOEM proposed in October.

It’s unclear how much the smaller areas may dampen the prospects for offshore wind development, which has been promoted as a potent force for job creation and clean energy in a region with deep but fading ties to the oil and gas industry.

BOEM had estimated the larger, 682,000-acre area could generate power for almost 3 million homes or enough electricity for all the residents of Houston, New Orleans and Baton Rouge. On Wednesday, BOEM cut its estimate down to 1.3 million homes, but that number could be cut again after the two Galveston zones are reduced to a single area.

U.S. Leadership Key to Achieving Improved Monitoring and Control of Fishing in the South Pacific

February 23, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization took a historic decision to adopt a U.S. proposal to establish comprehensive SPRFMO-specific high seas boarding and inspection procedures. This was one of 13 proposals adopted at the 11th annual meeting this month in Ecuador, where U.S. leadership was on full display.

Combating Illegal Fishing: High Seas Boarding and Inspection

Members adopted a U.S. proposal to establish SPRFMO-specific procedures in a comprehensive measure governing high seas boarding and inspection in the South Pacific. It is the culmination of efforts by the United States to achieve greater surveillance and monitoring over fishing activities in the Convention Area.

“This is a big step forward for SPRFMO. Negotiations on this measure have been ongoing for more than 5 years,” says Alexa Cole, Director of the Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce for NOAA Fisheries, who serves as the U.S. Commissioner to SPRFMO. “This puts in place important detailed procedures for high seas boarding and inspections that will facilitate efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the South Pacific.”

Promoting Sustainability: Limits Imposed on Effort in the Jumbo Flying Squid Fishery

The organization also took an important step towards controlling fishing levels in the jumbo flying squid jigging fishery. A working group chaired by the United States reconciled five competing proposals. Members adopted a measure that will, for the first time, limit the number and size of vessels flagged to China, Taiwan ( participating as Chinese Taipei), and Korea that target squid in the eastern Pacific. Three of the five proposals, including the one from the United States, also advocated for an increase in the observer coverage to at least 10 percent of fishing days. The organization could not reach consensus on an increase in observer coverage despite support from the United States and most coastal states. There is a clear need to improve monitoring of this fishery for scientific and compliance purposes. The United States is disappointed that Members representing distant-water fishing interests blocked more ambitious action and is committed to working with members to achieve this in the future.

Commitment to Future Action: Addressing Climate Change Impacts

The United States proposed that the Commission and its science and compliance committees consider climate change as a standing agenda item in all future meetings and make recommendations for the Commission. The organization adopted this document with broad vocal support from its membership. The adoption of the U.S. proposal is an important step for SPRFMO to help address climate change and ensure that the organization considers this issue in its decision making.

Advancing Conservation: Strengthened Protection of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems

Members adopted a measure to enhance the conservation of vulnerable marine ecosystems in the South Pacific and take other steps to improve the management of bottom fishing on the high seas. The measure will implement a minimum level of 70 percent protection of suitable habitat for vulnerable marine ecosystems. While the United States advocated for an even higher level of protection, the new measure represents a significant step forward towards greater protection of deep-sea resources. Scientific uncertainty surrounding whether further protection may be needed will be addressed by the Scientific Committee in the coming year. The United States will continue advocating for action to prevent significant adverse impacts of fishing activities on VMEs consistent with the best available scientific information and the precautionary approach.

Unprecedented 10-Year Deal on Jack Mackerel

The United States chaired a working group developing a proposal for the allocation  of jack mackerel among current and new participants in this important fishery. The organization adopted by vote an allocation that will strengthen management and sustainable use in this fishery for the next decade. It will also promote more stability for the organization and the fishing industry. The rebuilding of jack mackerel from its depleted state a decade ago to the thriving, sustainably managed fishery it is now is a significant accomplishment for SPRFMO. It is an example of the success that can be achieved through international cooperation in regional fisheries management organizations.

New York’s Wind Power Future Is Taking Shape. In Rhode Island.

February 22, 2023 — When Gov. Kathy Hochul laid out her plan for accelerating the development of New York’s offshore wind industry a year ago, she promised thousands of jobs for state residents.

Today, New York’s first wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean is under construction. Crews in hard hats are assembling platforms for giant turbines and building boats that will ferry technicians onto the water to ensure the massive blades keep rotating.

But the work is not being done in New York. It is happening more than 150 miles away in Rhode Island.

States and cities all along the East Coast are vying with New York to be hubs for the fast-growing business of harnessing wind power offshore. But Rhode Island took the lead by building the first offshore wind farm in the United States several years ago. Centrally located among projects planned from New York to Massachusetts, the nation’s smallest state has held on to many of the jobs and economic benefits that go with being first.

Read the full article at The New York Times

The $100 Billion Offshore Wind Industry Has a Whale Problem

February 21, 2023 — The offshore wind industry has a 40-ton problem on its hands.

Since early December, close to two dozen large whales have washed up on or near beaches on the US Atlantic coast, and about a third of the so-called strandings have occurred on the shores of New Jersey. It’s unclear what exactly is fueling the deaths, but an unlikely coalition of wind opponents, local environmental groups and conservative talk show hosts have zeroed in on offshore wind as the culprit. They argue that projects in development are disrupting marine life and contributing to the unusually high number of deceased whales.

Read the full article at Bloomberg

New Jersey congressman wants GAO to investigate offshore wind

February 21, 2023 — A coastal New Jersey congressman introduced a bill Friday for the Government Accountability Office to investigate how federal agencies conduct environmental reviews of offshore wind energy projects.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ, filed bill H.R. 1056 calling for “an immediate, comprehensive investigation into the environmental approval process for offshore wind projects” by the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management and National Marine Fisheries Service, amid continuing demands from wind power opponents in his district to suspend work on the projects after a string of recent whale strandings.

“Nine dead whales have washed up on our beaches since early December, and we still have no meaningful answers from (New Jersey) Governor (Phil) Murphy or the Biden Administration on the broader impact of these projects on the marine environment as they rush to build the largest offshore wind farm in the nation,” Smith said in a prepared statement.

“As part of a full-court press for answers, my legislation will investigate the level of transparency from federal agencies that greenlighted this aggressive offshore wind development and determine how much scrutiny was implemented in reviewing the environmental and maritime safety of this project, especially given its unprecedented size and scale,” said Smith.

Offshore wind critics contend ongoing work to survey wind turbine sites could have contributed to the repeated strandings of humpback whales since December. Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration strongly dispute the claim, saying there is no evidence that the projects are adding to an “unusual mortality event” of  humpback strandings the agency has tracked since 2016.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Hundreds of NJ residents rally against green energy over environmental concerns

February 21, 2023 — Hundreds of local residents in a coastal New Jersey town rallied over the weekend, calling for a federal moratorium on offshore wind energy development until the recent uptick in whale deaths was determined.

During the rally in Point Pleasant Beach, lawmakers, local officials and environmentalists expressed concern that offshore wind construction played a role in the deaths of at least 10 whales that have been discovered over the last two months in New Jersey and New York. Additional dead whales have been found beached in other East Coast states, including Maryland and Virginia, since December.

“Today, the whales are sending us a tragic message that demands transparency and accountability — both of which has been sorely missing from Governor Murphy’s plan to use New Jersey’s coast as the prime location for the offshore wind industry in the U.S.,” Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said during the rally on Sunday. “Questions and concerns raised by me and many others have gone unanswered concerning the unexplained deaths of at least 10 whales.”

Read the full article at Fox News

NOAA releases draft of National Seafood Strategy document

February 17, 2023 — NOAA has released its draft National Seafood Strategy, which will outline how the administration supports the domestic U.S. seafood economy and seafood sector in the coming years.

The strategy, released 14 February, focuses on NOAA Fisheries’ work on managing the country’s marine fisheries “based on sound science.” It also addresses a number of other factors affecting the seafood industry, including the financial viability of the industry, the resilience of coastal communities that depend on fishing, the effects of international trade – and the opportunities it can present, and the importance of seafood as a source of nutrition and food security.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA extends deadline for nations seeking to validate marine mammal bycatch criteria

February 17, 2023 — NOAA Fisheries extended the deadline to evaluate applications from nations seeking to prove their fishing practices meet U.S. standards for marine mammal bycatch.

Nations wishing to send wild-caught seafood products to the U.S. need a comparability finding for commercial fishing operations. Provisions contained within the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) require fisheries outside the U.S. to meet the U.S. standards on conserving marine mammals.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource