Saving Seafood

State and Local

NEW JERSEY: Save LBI Stays Course Despite Trump’s Promise to Kill Offshore Wind

November 14, 2024 — While President-elect Donald Trump is expected to make sweeping changes to national energy policy, including doing away with offshore wind on Day 1 of his new term, a local grassroots organization isn’t letting that news get in its way of fighting the construction of what is poised to be the country’s largest wind farm some 9 miles off the coast of Long Beach Island.

“We will be filing major lawsuits by the end of the month to invalidate at least some of those prior federal approvals,” Bob Stern, president and cofounder of Save LBI, said just days after voters returned Trump to office for a second term. “In addition, we will be seeking to have the lease area itself canceled so that new projects will not be resurrected in the future.”

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind calls for 200 turbines in a lease zone that covers about 102,124 acres and is approximately 8.7 miles off LBI at its closest point. Projects 1 and 2 include roughly 10 offshore wind substations with subsea transmission cables that could make landfall in Atlantic City to the south and Sea Girt in the north.

“You’ll see these things all over the place. They destroy everything. They’re horrible and the most expensive energy there is. They ruin the environment,” Trump told supporters at his May rally in Wildwood, about an hour south of the Island. “They kill the birds. They kill the whales.”

Read the full article at The Sand Paper

New England herring fishery restricted through year’s end

November 14, 2024 — Federal fishing regulators are limiting the amount of herring that fishermen can catch off New England until the end of the year. The fish is used for food and bait.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it’s implementing a 2,000-pound herring possession limit per trip in the inshore Gulf of Maine through Dec. 31. The inshore Gulf of Maine, known as Atlantic Herring Management Area 1A, touches coastal Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.

The agency says it’s taking the step because 92% of the catch limit in the area will have been harvested Wednesday.

The catch limit goes into effect Thursday at 12:01 a.m. Vessels that enter port before 12:01 a.m. Thursday may land and sell more than 2,000 pound of herring from Management Area 1A from that trip, provided that catch is landed in accordance with state management measures.

Also effective Thursday at 12:01 a.m., federally permitted dealers may not attempt to or purchase, receive, possess, have custody or control of, sell, barter, trade, or transfer more than 2,000 pound of herring per trip or calendar day from Area 1A.

NOAA Fisheries has declared Atlantic herring as overfished and has created a plan that will require years for the stock to rebuild.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

NOAA Fisheries Announces Action Plan to Enhance the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program

November 14, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

In November 2023, NOAA Fisheries launched a comprehensive review of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) to explore opportunities for improvement. We engaged with a diverse set of more than 7,000 stakeholders, including seafood industry professionals, foreign governments, researchers, and civil society groups. We gathered feedback on how to enhance the program’s effectiveness. This input shaped an action plan designed to strengthen its impact, focusing on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and bolstering seafood traceability.

While implementing the action plan, we will continue to support industry to minimize disruptions in seafood supply chains, reduce compliance challenges, identify supply chain risks, and increase confidence in the process. NOAA Administrator and Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Dr. Richard Spinrad states, “Our goals are to strengthen the U.S. domestic seafood industry by promoting fair trade practices in the global seafood supply chain while building capacity to maintain and grow the Program.  Once implemented, the changes to our Seafood Import Monitoring Program that we are announcing will fundamentally improve our ability to prevent and deter IUU fish and fish products from entering our market and will contribute to U.S. government efforts to address labor abuses in the seafood supply chain.”

Key Action Plan Goals

We will begin to implement parts of its action plan now, while other components will take more time. “NOAA Fisheries remains committed to implementing an impactful tool in the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing while upholding the integrity of U.S. seafood imports,” said Alexa Cole, Director of the Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce at NOAA Fisheries. Throughout this process, the existing SIMP requirements and reporting obligations will remain in effect. The actions outlined in the plan aim to achieve several key goals:

Enhance NOAA Fisheries’ Ability to Combat IUU Fishing Through Improved Traceability and Risk Detection, Strengthening the Sustainability of Seafood Globally

We aim to improve seafood traceability and prevent IUU fish and fish products from entering U.S. markets. Key planned actions include:

  • Expanding SIMP traceability requirements to all U.S. seafood imports by creating a two-tier system that prioritizes species based on their risk level
  • Enabling pre-entry screening of SIMP imports
  • Developing a pilot program for a voluntary government-to-government import data program

Contribute to Government-Wide Efforts to Address Forced Labor in the Global Seafood Supply Chain

We will work with partner agencies to take a more proactive approach to identify and prevent products produced with forced labor from entering the U.S. market. This includes:

  • Strengthening partnerships with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Labor
  • Collecting additional data to address forced labor risks in seafood supply chains

“With improved data sharing, transparency, and traceability, SIMP will elevate U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s ability to protect the U.S. economy, global food security, and the sustainability of our shared ocean resources to a new level.  Having more information about seafood shipments earlier in the process will also strengthen our efforts to combat forced labor in the global seafood supply chain,” said AnnMarie R. Highsmith, Executive Assistant Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Trade.

Strengthen the Integrity and Fairness of Global Seafood Supply Chains by Promoting Fair Seafood Trade Practices Around the World

To promote fair trade, the program will address administrative challenges and simplify reporting procedures. This includes:

  • Updating permitting and reporting procedures
  • Modifying current data requirements
  • Developing additional SIMP compliance materials
  • Modernizing the National Permit System

Improve Implementation and Build Capacity to Maintain and Grow the Program

We are strengthening our internal operations by stabilizing and expanding the program team and enhancing data systems to better process and analyze seafood import information. These improvements will increase the program’s ability to identify risks and conduct more thorough reviews.

“The NOAA Fisheries action plan serves as a roadmap to bolster and enhance SIMP. We are fully committed to strengthening confidence in the process, driving greater transparency, and maximizing its overall effectiveness,” says Janet Coit, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator.

Next Steps

We are prioritizing the implementation of these changes, with plans to issue a proposed rule, with an opportunity for public comment. A final rule will follow thereafter, with internal improvements rolling out as resources allow.

We will host webinars to discuss the action plan and next steps on November 15 at 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT/9:00 AM HST and November 20 at 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT/9:00 AM HST. For those unable to attend a webinar, a podcast will be available on our website November 21, 2024.

For questions, contact: iuu.fishing@noaa.gov

NOAA unveils new action plan to expand SIMP after scrapping earlier proposal

November 14, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries has unveiled an action plan for its Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) that the agency said has a renewed focus on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, enhancing seafood traceability, and expanding traceability requirements to all U.S. seafood imports.

NOAA first created SIMP in 2016 under the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama as a means of imposing stricter monitoring of seafood imports, requiring at-risk seafood species to be tracked to its source and properly labeled. NOAA announced a major proposal on 28 December 2022 that would have doubled the species the program targets – a push that ultimately failed after NOAA decided to withdraw the additional rules in November 2023.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

SAFMC King and Spanish Mackerel Port Meetings Continue in the Mid-Atlantic Region

November 14, 2024 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

A series of port meetings are being hosted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and state partners along the Atlantic coast throughout 2024. The meetings are being held to gather input on Atlantic King Mackerel and Atlantic Spanish Mackerel fisheries, managed through the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Fishery Management Plan along the entire Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico. 

The November port meetings will be held next week in Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey. Meetings include discussion of a variety of issues related to the mackerel fisheries including changing environmental conditions, needed management changes, and commercial and recreational fishery dynamics. 

Attendees will have the chance to actively discuss their perspectives with other fishery participants and South Atlantic Council staff. The informal meetings allow stakeholders to share their insights and help determine the future of these fisheries. A list of goals and objectives for the port meetings is available from the South Atlantic Council’s website.

Meetings were held in North Carolina in April, New England in May, New York in June, Georgia in July, and Florida and South Carolina in early October. 

Upcoming Port Meetings

Note: All meetings will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

  1. Monday, November 18th, 2024 – Virginia Beach, VA. Brock Environmental Center – Oyster Conference Room, 3663 Marlin Bay Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455.
  2. Tuesday, November 19th, 2024 – White Stone, VA. Town of White Stone Town Hall Building, 433 Rappahannock Drive, White Stone, VA 22578.
  3. Wednesday, November 20th. 2024 – Berlin, MD. Worcester County Library Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Avenue, Berlin, MD 21811.
  4. Thursday, November 21st, 2024 – Manahawkin, NJ. Stafford Township Administration Building, 260 East Bay Avenue, Manahawkin, NJ 08050.

Those interested in attending a port meeting are encouraged to sign up using the online form. 

Questions? Contact Christina Wiegand at Christina.Wiegand@safmc.net. 

NORTH CAROLINA: Commercial watermen needed to help with annual Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project

November 14, 2024 — The North Carolina Coastal Federation is set to begin its 11th year of the Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project in January 2025. But before the effort can get underway, the Federation needs the help of commercial watermen and women along the northern and central coast to sign up to help us find and collect lost crab pots.

Every year, crab pots and other fishing gear are lost in our sounds in a variety of ways. Lost gear can get hung up or drift into channels, creating serious hazards for boaters, wildlife, and fishermen. Since 2014, the Federation has led the Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project to remove lost crab pots from North Carolina sounds and waterways.

Read the full article at the Island Free Press

Shrimp tops the U.S. National Fisheries Institute’s top 10 list of most consumed species

November 14, 2024 — The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) has released its annual top 10 list of most consumed species for 2022, showing that Americans ate 19.7 pounds of seafood per capita, down 0.8 pounds from 2021 when consumption reached record highs during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“The 2022 list reflects the correction that took place following the 2021 supply surge which saw a 9 percent increase in available seafood,” NFI Programs Director Richard Barry said. “Since the previous year experienced record high supply growth, a slight dip the following year was expected. The 2022 per capita number, however, remains higher than pre-pandemic consumption, an encouraging sign of retained seafood consumers.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Biden-Harris Administration announces plans to support seven multi-year projects to advance climate resilience in remote Alaskan communities

November 14, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced it will award $1 million for seven recommended multi-year projects supporting remote Alaska communities through the Alaska Fisheries Science Center Indigenous Engagement Program. This investment is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a crucial part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda.

The recommended projects will advance NOAA Fisheries’ ability to support climate resilience and food security in remote Alaska communities, engage Indigenous Knowledge holder voices in NOAA Fisheries’ science and management and strengthen collaborations with tribal governments and Indigenous communities. The first year of funding will be distributed in 2025 and totals approximately $500,000.

“Just treatment, respect for tribal sovereignty and climate resiliency benefits all people and communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Department of Commerce and NOAA will continue to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into our existing science and form partnerships, internships and educational opportunities that create equitable exchanges and help communities take action against climate change.”

NOAA Fisheries is recommending funding for the following projects:

  • The University of Alaska Fairbanks plans to support the Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub’s development of new education, outreach and communication strategies and products—such as a multimedia StoryMap—around Indigenous Knowledge and marine resources in a rapidly-changing Arctic. The project aims to facilitate knowledge-sharing workshops with Hub observers to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge in NOAA Fisheries’ management of marine resources. The University is expected to receive approximately $89,000 for the first year of this project.
  • The University of Alaska Fairbanks also plans to elevate Indigenous Knowledge and perspectives from underserved Alaska Native communities in ice seal co-management and recovery planning for ringed and bearded seals through the Ice Seal Committee and Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub. The project will leverage existing Indigenous Knowledge networks and build partnerships to guide NOAA Fisheries in the equitable engagement of Indigenous partners, and advance understanding of the climate resilience of ice seals. The University is expected to receive approximately $99,000 for the first year of this project.
  • Sealaska plans to use Indigenous Knowledge to document changes in the oceanographic processes and marine ecosystems from human and climate-related impacts, in order to understand their effects on subsistence resource systems in Native communities in Southeast Alaska. This knowledge could be used to develop a mapping and monitoring methodology and form a cohort of Indigenous Knowledge experts for future collaborations. Sealaska is expected to receive approximately $110,000 for the first year of this project.
  • The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska intends to add a relationship building and knowledge sharing component to their Southeast Tribal Environmental Forum and will be using funding to address several common barriers faced by tribal environmental professionals across Southeast Alaska. This will help encourage tribal support and representation in the Forum and work towards the goal of collectively addressing marine and coastal concerns and priorities. The Council is expected to receive approximately $67,000 for the first year of this project.
  • The Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association plans to implement a network of river water monitoring stations along the lower Yukon River to collect data important to the management of Pacific salmon and for the health and well-being of people in lower river communities. This research will document the winter habitat use of juvenile Chinook salmon. The Association is expected to receive approximately $54,000 for the first year of this project.
  • The University of Alaska Fairbanks plans to work with Indigenous partners to build their use of environmental DNA as a resource management tool. This will strengthen the existing research partnership in the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim region, support autonomy for Indigenous communities engaging with NOAA Fisheries and help with salmon research. The University is expected to receive approximately $47,000 for the first year of this project.
  • Kawerak, Inc and the Caleb Scholars Program intends to support an annual gathering so program participants can share insights related to conservation advocacy and facilitate engagement with peers, mentors, guest speakers and members of the community. The advocacy work of Caleb Scholars helps ensure Indigenous input is part of creating policy, management practices, climate-informed studies and research in the Arctic. This gathering is an opportunity for participants to strengthen and rejuvenate vital connections to their families, community and land. The program is expected to receive approximately $34,000 for the first year of this project.

“We are excited to support these important research projects, which advance equity and environmental justice while enabling NOAA Fisheries to meet our research mission,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to building climate resilience in communities on the front lines of climate change in the Arctic, and Indigenous Knowledge is essential to this effort.”  

Allocation of this funding is planned for fiscal year 2025. NOAA Fisheries first announced this funding opportunity in February 2024, stating there would be funding initially available and the remaining funding could potentially be available in future years for continuing work. This funding is part of the historic $3.3 billion in Inflation Reduction Act investments first announced in June 2023, which is focused on ensuring America’s communities and economies are ready for and resilient to climate change. 

Visit the Inflation Reduction Act website to learn about current and future funding opportunities.

SouthCoast Wind clears federal environmental hurdle

November 13, 2024 — A 147-turbine offshore wind project planned off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard will not harm local species and habitat any more than climate change already is, according to a federal review published on Friday.

One exception: North Atlantic right whales, which could face “moderate adverse” direct and indirect impacts from the SouthCoast Wind project that would not otherwise exist, according to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s report. The report specifically named vessel noise as potentially disruptive to marine mammals, especially fin and endangered right whales. However, it does not link these disruptions to whale deaths, a contention which has been largely debunked by scientists, including within the federal government. 

“There is no relationship between offshore wind and dead whales,” said Bob Kenney, an emeritus marine research scientist at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography.

The 2,400-page environmental impact statement on SouthCoast Wind marks a significant step — though not the final sign off — in the multilayered, multi-step regulatory process governing offshore wind. Project developers are still awaiting federal approval on a construction and operations plan — a date for which has not been set — alongside a host of state-level reviews, including several in Rhode Island.

Read the full article at the Rhode Island Current

Trump’s policy plans could shift seafood sourcing at US restaurants, retail

November 13 2024 — The recent election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency will have myriad effects on the U.S. restaurant and retail sectors, according to professionals in both industries.

According to Jennifer Bushman, co-founder and executive director of the San Francisco, California, U.S.A.-based nonprofit Fed by Blue, which supports the creation of responsible blue food systems, a Trump presidency will likely create a more volatile environment for seafood both at retail and on restaurant menus.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource