Regulations

October 11, 2013 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today NOAA Fisheries announces the closure of the Atlantic Herring Fishery in Area 1A effective 0001 hours, October 15, 2013. Vessels issued Federal Atlantic herring permits may not fish for, catch, possess or land more than 2,000 lb of herring from Area 1A per trip or calendar day, beginning October 15, 2013, until June 1, 2014. However, vessels that have entered port before 0001 hr on October 15, 2013, may offload and sell, from that trip, more than 2,000 lb of herring from Area 1A after the closure.

View the Fishery Bulletin for more information

October 10, 2013 — Federal fishing regulators have deep-sixed a strategy that sought to protect the harbor porpoise by closing more New England fishermen out of certain areas.

The so-called “consequence closures” were enacted if too many porpoises were caught in fishermen’s stationary gillnets — a plan that threatened to pose dire new consequences to the groundfishing gillnet fleet, which includes many of the boats out of Gloucester.

The Northeast Seafood Coalition, the Gloucester-based industry group, had pushed for a re-analysis of federal harbor porpoise data, which it said found a healthier porpoise population than believed. In addition, coalition officials said, fewer porpoises are getting caught in nets.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

GLOUCESTER, Mass. — October 9, 2013 — Federal fishing regulators have eliminated a strategy that aims to protect the harbor porpoise by closing New England fishermen out of certain areas

The so-called ‘‘consequence closures’’ were enacted if too many porpoise were caught in stationary nets, called gillnets.

Harbor porpoise aren’t endangered, and gillnet fishermen said being shut out of entire areas to protect the animals was financially crippling and unnecessarily restrictive.

Read the full story by the Associated Press at The Boston Globe

 

October 1, 2013 — NOAA Fisheries today announced that it will temporarily remove the 2,000-lb trip limit for the Atlantic herring fishery in Management Area 2 because catch data indicate that 95 percent of the total sub-annual catch limit threshold in Area 2 has not been fully attained. Vessels issued a Federal permit to harvest Atlantic herring may resume fishing for and landing herring in amounts greater than 2,000 lb, consistent with their respective Atlantic herring permit categories, effective 0001 hrs, October 1, 2013.

October 1, 2013 — Today NOAA Fisheries announced revisions to the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan. Amendments include removal of the consequence closure strategy, including the Coastal Gulf of Maine, Eastern Cape Cod, and Cape Cod South Expansion Closure Areas. Therefore the previously triggered Coastal Gulf of Maine Closure Area will NOT go into effect October 1.

September 27, 2013 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The 2013 commercial summer flounder quota allocated to New York has been harvested. Effective 0001 hours, October 1, 2013, fishing vessels issued a Federal moratorium permit for the summer flounder fishery may no longer land summer flounder in New York for the remainder of the 2013 calendar year. This closure is concurrent with the State of New York’s closure of its commercial summer flounder fishery to state permitted vessels and dealers effective October 1, 2013.

Vessel owners issued Federal permits must continue to complete and submit vessel logbooks for all other species landed. Additionally, dealers issued Federal dealer permits for summer flounder may not purchase summer flounder from federally permitted vessels that land in New York for the remainder of the calendar year. Federally permitted dealers must also continue to report all fish purchases from any vessel.

 

September 27, 2013 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries: Today NOAA Fisheries announces the availability for public comment of a draft amendment to the standardized bycatch reporting methodology (SBRM) used to assess the amount and type of bycatch occurring in Mid-Atlantic and New England fisheries.

Anyone wishing to submit comments for consideration may do so by October 27, 2013, through nmfs.ner.draftSBRM@noaa.gov . 

For more information including supporting documents, click here.

September 19, 2013 — NOAA announced today that it is proposing revisions to the accountability measures for the Atlantic mackerel, Atlantic bluefish, summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass recreational fisheries, as recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

The proposed measures are intended to improve flexibility in the way accountability measures are set to address catch overages in the recreational fisheries for these species.

Public comments will be accepted on the proposed measures until October 18, 2013. 

For a copy of the Federal Register notice that provides detailed information about this action

 

 

August 8, 2013 — The following was released by NOAA's Northeast Regional Office If you fish under one of the days-at-sea (DAS) programs in the Northeast region (multispecies, monkfish, or sea scallop), NOAA Fisheries wants you to know that, effective immediately, the phone number to call for all DAS services (usage, corrections, etc.) is now 978-281-9234.

Read the full release from NOAA's Northeast Regional Office

Saving Seafood works with industry members and scientists to cover issues important to American fisheries. Please see below to learn more about Saving Seafood's coverage of pressing issues affecting the commercial fishing industry.

Success of the Scallop Fishery

Bob Vanasse, Saving Seafood Director: What the U.S. can learn from a thriving scallop fishery

NOAA's Fisheries Economics of the United States fails to credit cooperative research and industry contributions to the rebuilding of the successful scallop fishery

Groundfish Stocks

Groundfish numbers have "swung wildly" due to deficiencies in stock assessments 

National Research Council study finds rebuilding timelines for fish stocks inflexible and inefficient

Yellowtail Flounder Assessments

Scientists and industry leaders question the validity of yellowtail flounder assessments

Scallop industry writes to NOAA over lack of progress and accuracy in yellowtail flounder assessments

SMAST video technology shows promise to improve groundfish and flat fish stock surveys

Saving Seafood Radio: SMAST scientists discuss innovativations to help fishermen minimize bycatch and maximize scallop yield

NOAA Corruption in New Bedford 

NOAA attorneys still employed after investigator finds them guilty of coercing and intimidating New Bedford fishermen 

Dale Jones, Director of NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement, and Attorney Chuck Juliand removed from positions but still employed by NOAA following investigation

Following the reassignments of Dale Jones and Chuck Juliand, Senator Scott Brown asks NOAA: What does it take to get fired? 

 

Take action now to preserve New England's fishing industry. Sign our petition today:

http://www.blastroots.com/UpdateClosedAreas/petition