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MASSACHUSETTS: Federal Grant To Boost Gloucester Seafood Processing

October 14, 2015 — GLOUCESTER, Mass. — A $550,500 matching grant from the federal government will help the city carry out a $1.11 million water and sewer project aimed at boosting the water capacity for a growing number of high-volume commercial users in the city’s Blackburn Industrial Park.

The grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, announced Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton at a gathering of city and area business leaders at the Gloucester Seafood Processing Inc. plant, the former Good Harbor Fillet facility, will allow companies like Gloucester Seafood, nearby Intershell and others within the park to grow, Moulton said.

It will also open the door to an estimated 150 new jobs within Gloucester’s “seafood processing innovation cluster,” Moulton’s announcement indicated.

Dave Anderson, manager for Gloucester Seafood Processing LLC — a division of the Illinois-based Mazzetta Corp., said his facility already has 180 full-time employees processing 40,000 to 50,000 pounds of lobster and up to 15,000 pounds of other home-caught seafood a day in a renovated plant that began production over the summer.

“This project is a project that means a lot for the city of Gloucester,” interim Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken told the gathering of more than two dozen in a Gloucester Seafood conference room. “This is not just about Gloucester Seafood, it’s about all of the business along this road (Great Republic Drive). It’s about economic development, jobs — it’s about ensuring that this industrial park brings in jobs to our city.”

Read the full story from the Gloucester Daily Times

Mobile Seafood Quality Training Lab Developed to Address Refrigeration Issues

October 14, 2015 — LOUISIANA — Premium Gulf seafood has one common challenge: antiquated handling techniques used by generation after generation of fishermen, especially when it comes to onboard refrigeration. For years, processors across the Gulf have had to source higher volumes of premium product, be it shrimp, oysters, crabs or finfish. To meet this demand, a unique mobile “Seafood Quality Training Lab” has been developed to educate Louisiana fishermen on the latest in onboard seafood refrigeration and cold chain management.

The Louisiana Fisheries Forward (LFF) initiative is a seafood industry enhancement effort in partnership with Louisiana Sea Grant and LSU AgCenter. The mobile teaching lab was engineered and built by LeBlanc and Associates, a specialty marine refrigeration company.

“We looked at industry issues where we could offer fishermen solutions to produce a higher quality product,” said Thomas Hymel, a Sea Grant fishery expert. “One of the main issues required of fishermen to improve their catch quality is improved refrigeration. This needs to be a priority of Gulf seafood if our fishermen are going to become a top player in the global seafood industry.”

Members of the Fisheries Forward team researched training needs to address the issue. A fact-finding trip was made to Alaska to see first-hand how technology turned the largest U.S. seafood harvester into a premium vendor.

Read the full story at the Gulf Seafood Institute

3 theories on why lobster babies are disappearing and what they mean for the industry

October 13, 2015 — Where are all the baby lobsters? And if Maine’s baby lobsters are disappearing, does that mean there won’t be any adults in a couple years?

The publication Quartz earlier this month released a long-form research piece on Maine’s lobster boom, which reached another record haul last year with 124 million pounds, a pile of crustaceans worth $456 million and one six times bigger than the state’s lobstermen caught in 1984.

This explosion of lobster over the last couple decades has been well-documented and thoroughly covered.

The adult lobster population off the coast of Maine has skyrocketed as the state’s lobstermen have employed a range of practices to sustain the fishery (see the video above). Lobstermen throw back female lobsters bearing eggs and larger males — the ideal fathers — as part of a multifaceted plan to encourage future generations of lobsters.

By all accounts, this is not a case of lobstermen irresponsibly taking advantage of a freak boom and setting their industry up for future failure.

Read the full story and watch the video from the Bangor Daily News

MASSACHUSETTS: 15th Annual Wellfleet Oysterfest

Saturday and Sunday
October 17 & 18 2015
10 a.m – 5 p.m.

The 15th annual Wellfleet OysterFest is next weekend. Come join us for a weekend full of hometown flavor and big time fun!

Highlights this year include:

84 Artisans, 32 food vendors and 17 marine, environmental non-profits and community organizations.
Live Music performed by CrabGrass; The Daggers; the Rip it Ups with special guests like Steve Shook, Jordan Renzi, Rayssa Rabeiro, Sarah Burrill and Mac Hay; The Catie Flynn Band; Chandler Travis Philharmonic; and Sarah Swain and the Oh Boys.
The Family Fun Area will feature educational activities, crafts, moon bounces, clowns, face painting and performances geared for the young at heart – Cape Cod African Dance and Drum, Treavor the Juggler, The Elbows, the Keltic Kids and fortune teller Sufi Lin!
The event’s signature tasting program, Taste the Terroir and Merroir, and cooking demos by local chefs such as Philippe Rispole and Sarah Chase, and featuring the beloved oyster will be held at Wellfleet Preservation Hall.
Educational programs will be held at the Wellfleet Public Library and offered by our partners, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service, Green Harbors Boston, and Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.
Walking tours will be offered by Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary staff. A tour of the Wellfleet Oyster Propagation site will also be offered by the lead research scientist.
Thanks to a partnership with Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater (WHAT) and the Woods Hole Film Festival, film screenings will be held at WHAT on Friday and Saturday evenings.
The Wellfleet Recreation Department will host activities such as the popular Shuck n’ Run, the Tennis and Pickle Ball Round Robin, the SK8 Competition and a sunset a dance party.
And of course, the Annual Oyster Shucking Competition!

Admission is $5 for one day, $8 for two days and children 12 and under are free. Tickets may be purchased at the event or in advance online. Click here to purchase tickets now!

Click here to register for one of the exciting culinary programs or for a detailed Schedule of Activities.

Learn more about the Wellfleet Oysterfest

North Carolina: Weekly Update for Oct. 12, 2015

October 12, 2015 — The following was released by the North Carolina Fisheries Association:

COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN NEEDED TO REMOVE MARINE DEBRIS

The North Carolina Coastal Federation is currently accepting applications for its annual Derelict Fishing Gear Recovery Project. This project is open to commercial fishermen in northeastern North Carolina.

Watermen are accepted to this program annually to help N.C. Marine Patrol on select days during the “no-potting” period, typically from Jan. 15 – Feb. 7. The collection will take place in selected areas of Marine Patrol’s District 1, which includes the Northern coast from the Virginia state line, Manteo to Swanquarter, including the Outer Banks to Ocracoke. Local fishermen with knowledge of these waters will be given preference.

To qualify, fishermen must adhere to the following conditions: (1) have a valid Standard Commercial Fishing License (SCFL), (2) guarantee availability for work during the weeks of Jan. 18 and Jan. 25, 2016, (3) attend a mandatory training session to learn how to use project equipment (side-scan sonar and data collection tablets), as well as general project protocol.

Payment is $400 per boat, per day, and a captain and one mate is required. Three days of work are guaranteed with acceptance to the program. Approximately 12 boats (12 captains and 12 mates) will be accepted for the 2016 cleanup.

Funded by the NOAA Marine Debris Program, this project is intended to improve habitat and water quality, as well as support commercial watermen. Applications are due Friday, Nov. 13, 2015. Applications are available at www.nccoast.org/ and can be mailed to 128 Grenville Street, Manteo, NC 27954 or faxed to 252-473-2402. For more information contact Ladd Bayliss at 252-473-1607 or laddb@nccoast.org.

STATE SEEKS FOR-HIRE STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY GROUP APPLICANTS

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is seeking members for a For-Hire Stakeholder Advisory Group. The group will be tasked with studying whether the state should require charter and guide boat operators to submit logbooks summarizing their catch. The division is required to submit findings of the study to the N.C. General Assembly in January.

The Division of Marine Fisheries is no longer considering a requirement for a for-hire logbook at this time. However, the group will be asked for input as to what type of logbook, if any, they might like to see in the future.

By law, the For-Hire Stakeholder Advisory Group is limited to those people who hold a For-Hire Coastal Recreational Fishing License or a Standard Commercial Fishing License and division staff. The membership should represent all major recreational fishing areas on the North Carolina coast.

Those who would like to serve on the stakeholder group should contact Don Hesselman, License and Statistics Section chief with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, at 252-808-8099 or Don.Hesselman@ncdenr.gov by 5 p.m. Oct. 19.

As the timeframe for the study is short, the division has tentatively scheduled a first meeting for Nov. 10. The location and time of this meeting will be announced later.

NMFS ANNOUNCES PROPOSED RULE TO IMPLEMENT ICCAT ELECTRONIC BLUEFIN TUNA CATCH DOCUMENTATION SYSTEM

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposes to implement recommendations by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to transition the current paper-based bluefin tuna catch documentation program (BCD program) to an electronic bluefin tuna catch documentation system (eBCD system). Comments are due Nov. 9, 2015. For more information see the news release.

NCFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS RESCHEDULED

The NCFA board meeting scheduled for today was canceled due to inclement weather. It has been rescheduled for Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. at the Washington Civic Center located at 110 Gladden St. in Washington. As a reminder, members are welcomed and encouraged to attend, however, the board will be discussing the southern flounder management crisis at this meeting, and so we strongly urge all the fishery’s participants who are able to attend. We need your input on this critical issue.

INTERESTED CANDIDATES FOR SAFMC SEAT EXPIRING IN 2016

Members interested in serving in the obligatory seat for the South Atlantic Marine Fishery Commission, please let Lauren know. You can email or give her a call at 252-725-2468.

REGULATION AND RULE CHANGES:

–Commercial Scup Winter II quota and possession limits increase effective Nov. 1

DEADLINES:

Oct. 19 – For-Hire Advisory Group Applications

Oct. 29 – NMFS Proposed Rules for Snapper-Grouper, Dolphin and Golden Crab Comments

Nov. 4 – Atlantic HMS SEDAR Pool Nominations

Nov. 9 – NMFS Proposed Rule on ICCAT Bluefin Electronic Documentation Comments

Nov. 19 – Derelict Fishing Gear Recovery Project Applications

Dec. 16 – NMFS Draft Ecosystem-based Fishery Management Policy Comments

MEETINGS:

If you are aware of ANY meetings that should be of interest to commercial fishing that is not on this list, please contact us so we can include it here.

Oct. 15 at 9 a.m. – Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel Meeting, Radisson Hotel Providence Airport, 2081 Post Road, Warwick, RI

Oct. 21 at 10:30 a.m. – Standard Commercial Fishing License Eligibility Board Meeting, Department of Environmental Quality Regional Office, 127 N. Cardinal Dr. Ext., Wilmington, NC

Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. – Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel Meeting via webinar

Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. – Marine Fisheries Commission Nominating Committee Meeting, Division of Marine Fisheries Headquarters, 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City

Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. – NCFA Board of Directors Meeting, Washington Civic Center, 110 Gladden St., Washington, NC

PROCLAMATIONS:

No proclamations have been issued.

View a PDF of the Oct. 12 Weekly Update

An ‘explosion’ of menhaden

October 13, 2015 — Here’s a statistic, which is a best-guess estimate, but nonetheless difficult to wrap one’s head around: On Tuesday, Oct. 6, there were 5.8 million pounds of menhaden swimming in the bay.

That isn’t too hard to imagine if you looked down from the Pawtuxet River Bridge the following day, or actually, as it turns out, just about any time in the last two weeks. What you would have seen are thousands upon thousands of fish. Most of them were juvenile menhaden averaging about three inches long. Mixed in the schools – so thick that they looked like carpets – were a few adults of about 11 inches. And then there were the predators – the cormorants, sea gulls, terns and bluefish and stripers – gorging themselves.

“The menhaden population has absolutely exploded this year,” says Christopher Deacutis.

Deacutis, supervisor of environmental science for the Department of Environmental Management, said large schools of the fish have been seen up and down the eastern seaboard, and there have been reports of humpback whales feeding off them last month in Long Island Sound. The whales haven’t been reported in Rhode Island waters, but Deacutis suspects the menhaden are the reason why schools of common dolphins have been spotted at the mouth of Narragansett Bay.

Read the full story from the Warwick Beacon

NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office: Strategic Plan 2016-2020

October 13, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office:

The National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NOAA Fisheries) mission is the science-based stewardship of the nation’s living marine resources and their habitat. The Alaska Region is one of five regional offices that together support marine resource management in all Federal waters of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (US EEZ: 3-200 miles offshore). The Alaska Region is a bureau of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is housed in the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). The stepped strategic approach (figure 1) of DOC, NOAA, and NMFS informs and reinforces the Region’s science based stewardship mission.

NOAA Fisheries relies on a number of statutory authorities to define its mandate and authorize the execution of its mission. The principal statutes are the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

A study in 2000 reported that NOAA Fisheries is the fourth largest promulgator of regulations in the Federal Government. A proportionally significant amount of this regulatory workload originates from the North Pacific, the overwhelming majority of which are developed under a uniquely participatory management system involving representatives from affected states and stakeholders, including the commercial and recreational fishing sectors. In the case of Alaska, the Region relies on the work of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to ensure sustainable fishery harvest levels, establish conservation measures, and allocate resources among often competing user groups. Fishery management, along with the conservation of marine mammals and habitat, is supported by a robust scientific enterprise led by the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center. It is within this governance and scientific framework that the Region executes its stewardship mission.

Read the full release from NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office

New Bedford, Mass. waterfront development sparks optimism — and skepticism

October 7, 2015 — Could the former NStar site be home to the East Coast’s first flume tank for fisheries, a New Bedford Harbor Hotel or a state-of-the-art center and tech museum? What if State Pier had retail shops mixed in with a busy farmers and fish market to draw in tourists?

These ideas were among those floated at a public meeting Wednesday night on the future of New Bedford’s waterfront as part of a master planning process that is designed to help residents envision where growth should happen.

While there were some positive ideas, planners also were met with skepticism as some residents said they doubted progress would be made.

The planning process began last fall and will culminate at the end of this year with draft plans followed by several public meetings and approvals at the city level.

“This whole process is about the whole waterfront from Coggeshall Street to Cove Street. It is a plan that is about the future vision of the waterfront,” said Ed Anthes-Washburn, acting port director for the Harbor Development Commission.

The public meeting was the second of two meetings following a year’s worth of planning and public interviews along the waterfront by a waterfront steering committee and representatives of Boston consulting firm Sasaki Associates.

While residents and community members filled the conference room at the Fairfield Inn & Suites’ Waypoint Event Center to weigh in on the future of the waterfront, there was clearly skepticism. Many people said they already considered the prospects of development unlikely, questioned where money would come from and others speculated that the entire process was a Nov. 3 election stunt.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Commissioner names conduit to state, federal fishery officials

October 8, 2015 — State Fish & Game Commissioner George Peterson wasn’t able to land his first choice as the new director of the state Division of Marine Fisheries back in July, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t able to find a state position for his preferred candidate.

Peterson, in Gloucester for Thursday’s meeting of the state Marine Fisheries Commission, announced Gov. Charlie Baker has given him the green light to create a new position — special assistant to the commissioner’s office for marine fisheries issues — and place Douglas Christel in that new job.

“He will report directly to me,” Peterson said of Christel, who is set to begin work in his new job during the first week of November. “I believe he will be an asset to this agency [DMF] and this commission.”

Peterson said Christel, a longtime National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries staffer and Peterson’s first choice to succeed Paul Diodati as director of DMF, will serve as a conduit of information from various elements in the state’s marine fishery regulatory and scientific apparatus — as well as their federal counterparts — to enable Peterson, Secretary for the Environment Daniel Sieger and Baker to formulate more informed policy.

“For instance, the governor has raised some questions about the science being used to perform the stock assessments,” Peterson said. “We see this as a way of helping get new information into the system.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Fishermen walk out of Fisheries Management Council meeting

PLYMOUTH, Mass. — October 6, 2015 — They called it a “fisheries policy action,” but in the Radisson Hotel Plymouth Harbor lobby, where they gathered, it was clearly a cry for help.

Dozens of local fisherman, from Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and even New Orleans – most wearing bright orange “Who Fishes Matters” shirts – joined voices to produce a wail of dismay over regional fishing policies that they believe are eradicating both the fish and community-based fishing. “Who Fishes Matters” is a slogan of the North Atlantic Marine Alliance.

Fishermen like Ed Barrett, skipper of the Plymouth-based fishing vessel (F/V) Phoenix, whose voice cracked as he spoke outside the conference room after a large group of fisherman had walked out of a meeting of the New England Fisheries Management Council (NEFMC).

“A stock that was almost fully recovered in 2009 was a disaster in 2012. It took two years to turn 15 years of hard sacrifices to rebuild stocks to put them in the toilet,” Barrett said, stammering with emotion.

Barrett said that when he began fishing out of Plymouth, 36 years ago, the harbor was filled with fishing vessels, including many federally permitted ships. But today, after more than 15 years of management the harbor is very different.

Read the full story from Wicked Local Plymouth