Saving Seafood

Conservation & Environment

Two Pacific cod fisheries gain MSC certification

Two Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) fisheries, one located in the Gulf of Alaska (GoA) and the other in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI), have earned Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification having been independently assessed and found to be sustainable and well managed. The certification covers four methods of fishing for Pacific Cod in the GoA and the BSAI longline, trawl, pot and jig. Pacific cod is sold internationally, with North America, Europe and Asia being the primary markets. This popular whitefish is used to produce fillets, salted cod (bacalau) and frozen headed and gutted fish blocks that are reprocessed into various products all around the world.

Both the GoA and the BSAI Pacific cod fisheries are managed primarily by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) in federal waters, and Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) in state waters.

The client for both fisheries is the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF). AFDF is a non-profit foundation that has worked in support of the commercial fishing industry in Alaska since 1978. For 32 years, it has focused on sustainable harvest and full utilization of the harvested fishery resource. The total allowable catch of Pacific cod in the BSAI management area for all gear types in 2010 is 168,780 tonnes. The total allowable catch of Pacific cod in the GoA for all gear types in 2010 is 59,563 tonnes.

Read the complete story at World Fishing Today.

NOAA would receive $5.6 billion under Obama’s FY 2011 budget proposal

With the release of the President’s FY 2011 Federal Budget, NOAA announced today that President Obama had requested $5.6 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for FY 2011. In a statement released today, NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco said “This budget reflects the commitment of the president and secretary of commerce to job creation, science and the environment.” Dr. Lubchenco is inviting public comment at her Facebook Fan Page.

Over $1 billion of the total $5.6 billion requested for NOAA in the president’s FY 2011 budget is allocated toward the National Weather Service and weather related research. This figure includes $26.7 million for the enhancement of aviation weather forecasts to make our nation’s airways safer. A total of $464.9 million was requested in the FY 2011 Federal Budget proposal for NOAA’s research office. This figure includes $11.6 million to monitor and assess the effects of ocean acidification. Dr. Lubchenco commented, “NOAA’s innovations in science and technology have been instrumental in ensuring that a strong economy and a healthy environment go hand in hand.”

While noting that coastal communities provide 42% of the nation’s economic output despite occupying only 16% of our country’s land area, NOAA’s statement on the budget included an intent to spend $580.6 million in support of coastal communities and their economies. $992.4 million would be dedicated to rebuilding fisheries and supporting fishing jobs and communities.

Read the complete story at The Examiner.

EDITORIAL: Scallop deal positive, but don’t lose sight of how it came about

Last week's landmark deal between the groundfishing and scallop industries is being seen as a sure sign that the so-called "catch share" system being pushed by the Obama administration's National Oceanic and Atmospheric chief Jane Lubchenco can work for the overall New England fishery.

And it does offer evidence of how catch share bartering can work.

But it is important — very important — to take note of why the deal came about, and why it even surfaced in the first place:

It made sense only because groundfishermen and scallopers had a viable trade to make to give scallopers the added quota they needed — and deserve. And the opportunity only rose because of enormous pressure from political leaders, ranging from Congressman Barney Frank and Gov. Deval Patrick to New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang, placed on the New England Fishery Management Council, and its chairman, John Pappalardo.

The agreement calls for the groundfishermen to give about 200,000 pounds of their yellowtail flounder allocation to the scallopers in exchange for financial consideration that has not yet been determined.

Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.

Scallop deal seen as sign of catch-share trade

Struggling groundfish interests have agreed to give the thriving scallop industry about 200,000 pounds of yellowtail flounder from its allocation for 2010 for future considerations.

It was a deal — consummated last week and based on trust the scallopers will compensate groundfish interests financially for their sacrifice — that will allow the scallopers to take advantage of a very large windfall, according to key industry involved in the secret business discussions that occurred in Gloucester and New Bedford.

But the arrangement — a trade of allocation for cash within the industry — is also being viewed as an example of how the catch share system, which commodifies the common wealth of the seas, can work. Advocates of the system argue that catch shares will help align capital and conservation interests.

Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.

Oceana: Fish catches could be 80% higher

A scientific report, published today, January 21, reveals that Europe will fail to reach the Johannesburg commitment of managing fisheries sustainable until 2015 by decades.

Failed fisheries management in Europe does not comply with International law and may constitute a breach of the European treaty.

Today, renown fisheries scientists published a scientific study, showing that the reason for the disastrous situation of European fish stocks is an entirely failed fisheries management over the last decades. In fact, catches could be 80% higher with a sustainable fisheries management. In European waters, almost 90% of fish stocks evaluated are overfished. Managing fish stocks sustainably is a legal obligation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and has been given the deadline of no later than 2015 in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, that has been agreed by the European Union.

The scientists found that Europe will fail to reach this aim by decades: Rainer Froese, leading scientists for the study, confirms "With a business-as-usual approach, rebuilding of European stocks will take more than 30 years". The scientists found, even if fishing were halted in 2010, 22% of the stocks are so depleted that they cannot be rebuilt by 2015. With their failing to set fishing quotas at a level that prevents overfishing, European Union fisheries ministers act also in contradiction to the “precautionary approach”, a legally binding principle of the European Union treaty.

Read the complete story at eBlue Magazine.

Recreational Fishing Alliance Pushes for Flexibility Bill

When the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) closed the recreational amberjack fishery on October 24, it was essentially the shot heard round the American docks.  NMFS had made a similar emergency closure on the black sea bass fishery in federal waters north of Cape Hatteras, NC just three weeks prior – a fishery which remains closed to recreational fishermen to this day – while the decision had already been made through NMFS and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to close all bottom fishing in over 1000 square miles of coastal waters from North Carolina to Florida to protect and rebuild the red snapper populations.

In 2006, the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act (MSA) was passed in the Senate by "unanimous consent" – and signed into law by then President G.W. Bush soon after.  The act of unanimous consent on the floor of the Senate officially sets aside rules of procedure so as to expedite proceedings.  The quick passage of MSA in the Senate helped to memorialize Sen. Ted Stevens in the naming of our federal fisheries law before his departure from office, and it also facilitated the rapid progression of this broken federal fisheries law without any debate on the floor.

For the past five years, the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) has been quite vocal in its opposition to "time-specific" deadlines and the arbitrary, non-scientific provisions contained within MSA.  The inflexibility of the fisheries law to respond to an ever-changing marine ecosystem coupled with grossly inadequate management information systems within our federal fisheries service is contributing to a major industry collapse which has been felt throughout our coastal communities.  Through strict enforcement of the provisions of MSA, and the rapidly expanding denial of public access to rebuilt and rebuilding fisheries, it has become extremely clear to the majority of anglers and fishing organizations that the federal fisheries law must be fixed. 

Read the rest of the email at The Pensacola Fishing Forum

Fisheries Managers Pick Area for Bottom-Fishing Closure

A huge swath of offshore waters from Georgetown to the middle of Florida would be closed to bottom-fishing under a plan tentatively approved last month by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

A number of environmental advocates, led by the Pew Environment Group of the Pew Charitable Trusts, have pushed for strong restrictions on bottom-fishing. Snapper populations may be just 3 percent of what’s needed for the species to breed in sustainable numbers, they say.

The leader of Pew’s red snapper campaign said last month that regulators should make certain whatever rules they adopt are strong enough to be effective. In planning how to preserve the species, “I think they need to make assumptions grounded in reality, showing that this plan has a high likelihood of success,” said Holly Binns, who runs Pew’s campaign against overfishing for the Southeast.

Read the entire article at Pew Charitable Trusts.

Ocean Conservancy Calling for a “Responsible Increase” in Red Snapper Catch Levels in the Gulf of Mexico

First Gulf Council Meeting of the Year to Focus on Continued Red Snapper Rebuilding

Media Contact: Tim McHugh

January 29, 2010

What: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional councils responsible for co-managing our nation's fishery resources. The Council meets throughout the year to establish management measures for Gulf fisheries such as red snapper, grouper, and shrimp. The Scientific and Statistical Committee will present a new population assessment for red snapper the first assessment since a science-based rebuilding plan was implemented in 2007. To view the full agenda visit: www.gulfcouncil.org

When: Monday February 1st through Thursday February 4th, beginning at 8:30 each morning.

Where: The Battle House – 26 North Royal House, Mobile, Alabama.

Read all the details at Ocean Conservancy.

Environmentalists Target Brown in New Ad

Scott Brown hasn't even been sworn in yet, but environmentalists are already preparing Web ads targeting the incoming GOP senator on climate change legislation.

In Internet ads set to begin running on Monday on Boston.com and other sites, Clean Energy Works — a compendium of 60 national security, business, labor, faith, agriculture, scientific, economic and environmental groups — calls on Brown to keep his "word'' in controlling polluting carbon emissions.

The ad opens with a quote from Brown in which he says that "reducing carbon dioxide emissions in Massachusetts has long been a priority of mine,'' then flashes to a photo of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, former Republican Governor Sarah Palin and conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, overlaid with the word "no,'' according to a draft of the spot provided to the Globe.

Read the complete story at The Boston Globe.

New fishing rules open up monitor jobs

New regulations intended to rebuild groundfish stocks in the Northeast will also result in the creation of up to 100 new jobs in the fishing industry.

"Starting May 1st there is going to be a need for a lot of monitors for groundfishing boats," said Jo Michaud, a manager at AIS Inc., which currently supplies trained observers to both commercial fishing vessels and dredges. Monitoring, however, is a new development, she said.

The new measures, developed by the New England Fishery Management Council and known as Amendment 16, create fishing "sectors" allowing members of a designated group of fishermen to share in the allowable yearly catch.

Read the complete story at The South Coast Today [subscription]