Saving Seafood

State and Local

Anglers take closer look at limited permits

As offshore anglers snarl at tightening catch restrictions and large area bottom closures, federal agencies are moving to regulate prized species like snapper and grouper in part by limiting the number of people who can go after them.

The system, called catch shares, restricts the number of permits issued and fish caught to make sure enough of the species survives to repopulate. The idea hasn't been popular here: Try divvying up a limited number of permits among more than 100,000 recreational, charter and commercial anglers in South Carolina alone.

Anglers of all stripes have bristled at the suggestion of it for years. But times have changed.

Faced with the threat of losing vast areas of prime fishing offshore, anglers have now petitioned the federal South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to take another look. What's at stake is a saltwater industry that's estimated to be worth $600 million per year in the state and the ability to put fresh, local sea fish on the plate in the Lowcountry.

Read the complete story at The Sun News.

 

Lawmakers seek strategy to limit red tide damage

Algae blooms that create the "red tide" known for killing fish and tourism in Florida would become a focus of government study under legislation the U.S. House approved Friday.

Lawmakers voted 251-103 for the bill, which calls on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a strategy for dealing with algal blooms and coordinate research on the subject.

The ocean studies could cost up to $34 million a year, with another $7 million per year for freshwater studies, although specific funding would be determined in later legislation. The goal is to monitor or control the outbreaks.

"Red tide is not a Florida problem. It is a national problem with far-reaching implications for the health of our oceans, lakes and waterways," said Rep. Connie Mack IV, R-Fort Myers.

Read the complete story at Pensacola News Journal.

EDITORIAL: Intimidation tactics at fed’s fishing agency

The conduct of enforcement agents for the National Marine Fisheries Service should be a target of more than an audit or a civil inquiry by the U.S. Department of Commerce Inspector General.

It deserves a criminal investigation.

The evidence continues to pile up that the agency, which is under the oversight of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has been functioning as a law unto itself. It is not just a pattern of disproportionate enforcement. It now includes things like unauthorized entry and, most recently, an allegation that agents may have tried to coerce a witness before the start of a trial.

The blatant, ongoing disproportionate enforcement is bad enough. IG Todd Zinser, in a recent report, found that fines and other penalties assessed against fishermen in the New England region were more than double those in other regions of the country.

Read the complete story at The Daily News of Newburyport.

LETTER: Imprecise science puts fishermen out of business by Jim Odlin

Imprecise science puts fishermen out of business

Thank you for covering the Northeast Fisheries Summit held on March 8 in New Bedford. It is very important that the media continue coverage of the northeast fishing industry issues, but I would also ask that your coverage be as accurate as possible.

I wish to correct your characterization of my statement about the stock assessment science used in our region's fisheries management.

The story said, "Maine fisherman Jimmy Odlin, a member of the New England Fishery Management Council, joined those who accused NOAA of being 'arrogant' by making policy based on flawed science — and, in doing so, harming fishing families and communities. He drew applause when he said that he is angry at the idea that 'unsound science should be used to get people out of the business.'"

Read the complete letter at The South Coast Today [subscription site]

NOTE: The Standard-Times is a subscription site.  Unregistered visitors are able to read three stories per month, and registered visitors may view ten.  For unlimited access, please follow the subscription instructions on the site.

EU Says It Will Back Bluefin Tuna Trade Ban – And Then There Was Japan…

The US has agreed to back an international ban on trade in critically endangered bluefin tuna, and now the European Union nations will do so as well, with Malta being the only dissenting vote. That still leaves us with Japan, which consumes about 80% of the world's bluefin tuna, saying it won't participate when CITES votes to ban trade next week.

That said, the European Union will back exemptions for traditional fishermen (though hasn't specified what that exactly is), as well as deferring participating in the ban for one year. The United States has supported no such conditions.

WWF's Sergi Tudela was quick to praise the move, with some conditions of its own:
     -With the two largest holders of bluefin tuna fishing quota on either side of the Atlantic now supporting the trade ban, other countries should follow suit.
     -Our only remaining concern is that we do not understand the need on the part of the EU for conditions to be attached… WWF believes this trade ban should be implemented without conditions or delay.

Read the complete story at Tree Hugger.

Japan tuna brokers rally against bluefin trade ban

TOKYO—Tuna brokers at Japan's largest fish market protested a proposed international trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna Thursday, saying it would unfairly hit Japan and its massive tuna market.

Raw tuna is a key ingredient in traditional dishes such as sushi and sashimi, and the bluefin variety — called "hon-maguro" here — is particularly prized.

"This is like telling the U.S. to stop eating beef," said Kimio Amano, a 36-year-old broker who has worked at the market for 20 years.

But global stocks of bluefin are dwindling, especially in the Atlantic, and governments around the world are increasingly supporting a complete trade ban to let the fish recover. About 80 percent of the species ends up in Japan.

Read the complete story at The Boston Globe.

Kerry, Frank back emphasis on New Bedford harbor in use of trust money

NEW BEDFORD — Sen. John Kerry and Rep. Barney Frank have thrown their support behind the city’s applications to the New Bedford Harbor trust, arguing more emphasis should be placed on projects in the harbor and its immediate vicinity.

Kerry and Frank laid out their case in a letter sent last week to officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

“Contamination in New Bedford Harbor has adversely impacted many natural aspects of the harbor environment, as well as how residents utilize the harbor and surrounding areas,” wrote Kerry and Frank.

“We (are) concerned that of the $19.1 million of the funds expended from the trust to date, only about a third has gone to projects in New Bedford or the harbor.”

Read the complete story at The South Coast Today [subscription site]
NOTE: The Standard-Times is a subscription site.  Unregistered visitors are able to read three stories per month, and registered visitors may view ten.  For unlimited access, please follow the subscription instructions on the site. 

Obama Admin Jumps to Squelch Rumors of U.S. Fishing Ban

The Obama administration is trying to dash rumors that it planned to ban recreational fishing in marine waters and the Great Lakes in the wake of a series of Internet posts warning that such a prohibition was imminent.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco told a House panel yesterday that her agency had no plans to halt fishing. And National Marine Fisheries Service chief Eric Schwaab released a statement last night saying NOAA "is committed to adopting policies that will ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to enjoy the great tradition of recreational fishing."

The rumors apparently started with an online column Tuesday on ESPN's outdoors Web site, which said the administration's new oceans policy could prohibit fishing in oceans, Great Lakes and inland waters. Robert Montgomery's column questioned whether environmental groups have had undue influence on the plan.

The news blog Drudge Report reposted the column, and dozens of right-wing bloggers wrote yesterday that President Obama would ban recreational fishing.

Read the complete story at The New York Times.

NEW YORK: NY calls for fish-friendly power plant upgrades

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Power plants that suck millions of gallons of water daily out of New York rivers will have to switch to costly fish-friendly cooling towers under new rules proposed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Entergy Corp.'s Indian Point nuclear plant on the Hudson River north of New York City is among the facilities potentially affected by the regulations proposed Wednesday.

Environmentalists have long pushed regulators to make Entergy install new technology, saying the plant kills billions of fish and fish eggs annually.

Read the complete story at WCAX.