State and Local

MATTAPOISETT, Mass. — March 2, 2014 — After seeing a small but steady increase in river herring populations in the Tri-town area the last few years, herring inspectors say there is a decline this year.

The trio of inspectors representing Mattapoisett, Rochester, and Marion, came together last week and met with town selectmen for their annual Tri-town Herring Meeting.

The inspectors told selectmen that the river herring population is down 8,000 from an estimated 28,000 reported last year.

Mattapoisett Herring Inspector Bob Martin estimated that in 2000 there was a population of close to 150,000 herring.

Since peaking in 2000, the herring population in the Mattapoisett River has been in a steady decline, bottoming out in 2007. Herring populations since then have seen a small, but steady increase in the river until this year, the inspectors said.

Read the full story from the New Bedford Standard-Times

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Februray 28, 2014 — The following was released by Bristol Bay United:

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it would begin a process under section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act to protect Bristol Bay from harmful mining development. Shoren Brown, Executive Director of Bristol Bay United, issued the following statement in support of the EPA’s decision to use the Clean Water Act in Bristol Bay:

“The EPA’s announcement that it is formally evaluating options to protect Bristol Bay from the risks associated with mining the Pebble deposit is welcome news for Bristol Bay. What is clear from the EPA’s scientific assessment is that mines like Pebble unacceptably threaten the habitat and communities that make Bristol Bay the world’s largest wild salmon fishery, a destination for sportsmen everywhere, and the home to subsistence cultures for millennia. EPA’s announcement is an appropriate and measured step to protect this extraordinary place and we trust the agency will follow the science as it makes its final determination.

"The people of Bristol Bay have been coping with the economic and social uncertainty posed by the potential development of a mine like Pebble for the last decade. We need to move past this threat and continue creating economic growth and opportunities for the region consistent with the world-class fishery that already exists.”

Bristol Bay United is an unprecedented coalition of Alaska Natives, commercial fishing industry members, and sport-fishing interests who are unified in opposition to the proposed Pebble Mine.

 

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — February 27, 2014 — The start of Maine’s lucrative elver season next month could be delayed by two weeks or more as the state resolves an ongoing dispute with the Passamaquoddy tribe, the commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources said Friday.

Commissioner Patrick Keliher said there is a ‘‘fifty-fifty’’ chance the season will not start on time on March 22 because the state will need time to validate tribal licenses following approval of an emergency bill addressing conservation efforts.

‘‘It would be my hope that we will not have to delay the start of the season by more than two weeks,’’ he told The Associated Press.

Elvers, as the baby eels are known, have come under scrutiny since prices ballooned to $2,000 a pound amid increased demand from overseas operations that raise them and sell them for food.

The state and the tribe are in agreement on the size of the limits to be imposed as the state aims to reduce the amount of elvers caught by fishermen. But they've yet to agree on how the limits would be imposed on tribal fishermen.

The emergency bill outlines that tribes in Maine must allocate their fishermen individual quotas from the 1,650 pounds they are allowed to catch. Previously, the state had reached an agreement with the tribes that they did not need to issue individual quotas as long as they didn’t exceed the overall limit.

But the attorney general raised constitutional concerns over having different sets of regulations for two groups of fishermen, and the commissioner withdrew support of the agreement.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Boston Globe

February 27, 2014 — An eight-legged mollusk with a big appetite has once again threatened to wreck Lee County’s commercial stone crab season.

Hordes of octopuses have invaded the area and are turning trapped stone crabs into piles of shell fragments.

“They’re real thick offshore; past 30 feet deep, we’re catching a lot of them,” commercial fisherman Shane Dooley said. “Some traps have two or three in them. They eat the crabs as soon as they get in, and they go from trap to trap.”

All of Island Crab Co. owner Jeff Haugland’s traps are in 40 to 55 feet of water.

“It’s like a desert out there,” he said. “My boats are seeing plenty of octopus, and they’re seeing no stone crab, almost less than none. They brought in 100 traps yesterday and four pounds of claws. Two days before that, they pulled 98 traps and got one claw.”

Octopuses are a stone crab’s and a commercial stone crabber’s worst nightmare.

They’re voracious predators; they love stone crabs; they can easily crawl into and out of stone crab traps; and they’re smart.

“I have thousands of hours working with them; they’re amazing animals,” said octopus expert Ron Toll, provost and vice president for academic affairs at FGCU. “They’ll go where the food is. They’ll also go where the shelter is. If they find a place where they can grab a crab in a pot, they will. Then they’ll move 20 meters away, hunker down, and wait for the next round of crab. These are very bright animals.”

Read the full story at the Fort Meyers News-Press

SEABROOK, N.H. — February 28, 2014 — Officials at Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative are pleased about the nearly $33 million in fishery disaster relief funds allocated to those in the Northeast who make their livings on the sea, but they have yet to learn how much of the money will trickle down to New Hampshire’s commercial groundfishing fleet owners.

“It’s good news and we want to thank all of New Hampshire’s congressional delegates who fought with us on this,” said Peter Kendall, manager of Yankee Fisherman’s Co-op and a member of the New England Fishery Management Council. “We know New Hampshire will get some of the money, but we won’t know how much for a couple of weeks.”

Kendall said the money should come down through the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department to groundfishermen, but it’s unclear exactly how it will be distributed.

“Some money could be set aside in a buy-back plan, to buy back (groundfishing) permits and boats from commercial fishermen,” Kendall said. “And what’s left, hopefully, could go to help offset the income lost by New Hampshire groundfishermen over the past year, and perhaps for the next year or two. But we don’t know if it will save the New Hampshire groundfish industry.”

Read the full story at the Newburyport Daily News 

 

WASHINGTON — February 28, 2014 — The following was released by the offices of Congressman Joe Courtney and Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy:

Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) and Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will award $32,847,955 in disaster declaration funds to the New England Multispecies Groundfish Fishery. The funding, part of $75 million in congressionally-allocated assistance for nationwide fisheries disaster declarations, was authorized under the 2014 Omnibus Appropriations Act.  The funding will go to Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York to support efforts to improve fish stocks and aid local fishing communities affected by reduced stocks.

“This funding will bolster shoreline communities that rely on fishing as a pillar of their local economies,” Congressman Courtney said. “Our fishing communities have complied time after time with revised federal requirements only to see their livelihoods slowly erode. I am pleased that the Administration has allocated this funding in a timely manner so that we may provide Connecticut fishermen the assistance they deserve and ensure the continuance of our state’s proud fishing tradition.”

“This funding is critical for Connecticut coastal communities and the small, family-owned businesses that make up our fishing community,” Senator Blumenthal said. “I applaud the Administration for awarding this funding without delay so Connecticut fishermen impacted by disaster can more quickly get back on their feet.”

“This funding will help Connecticut’s fishermen get back on their feet after several years of reduced catch shares,” Senator Murphy said. “Their livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this situation, which was entirely out of their control. There’s no doubt that this funding will help make these men and women whole, and I applaud NOAA for stepping up to support our local economies.”

Over the past two years, the Connecticut and New England congressional delegations have sent a series of letters in support of a disaster declaration and necessary funding to the House Appropriations Committee leadership, House and Senate Leadership, and President Obama. At the urging of Congress, funding recipients will have broad latitude in determining the most appropriate use of disaster funds.  Such flexibility will allow states to adapt to specific business and community needs that vary from state to state.  Funds will be used for activities that restore the fishery or prevent a similar failure in the future and to assist a fishing community affected by such failure.

 

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS by John Sackton Feb 28, 2014 — The EPA announced today it is going to begin the process to block the Pebble Mine from being developed under legal authority it has from the Clean Water Act.  Their review process, which will take over a year, may culminate in a preemptive determination that the project would irreparably harm water quality in Bristol Bay, and cannot go forward.

In a statement today EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said the agency is initiating a process under the Clean Water Act to identify appropriate options to protect the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska from the potentially destructive impacts of the proposed Pebble Mine. The Pebble Mine has the potential to be one of the largest open pit copper mines ever developed and could threaten a salmon resource rare in its quality and productivity. During this process, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cannot approve a permit for the mine.

This action reflects the unique nature of the Bristol Bay watershed as one of the world’s last prolific wild salmon resources and the threat posed by the Pebble deposit, a mine unprecedented in scope and scale. It does not reflect an EPA policy change in mine permitting.

"Extensive scientific study has given us ample reason to believe that the Pebble Mine would likely have significant and irreversible negative impacts on the Bristol Bay watershed and its abundant salmon fisheries," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "It’s why EPA is taking this step forward in our effort to ensure protection for the world’s most productive salmon fishery from the risks it faces from what could be one of the largest open pit mines on earth. This process is not something the Agency does very often, but Bristol Bay is an extraordinary and unique resource."

The EPA is basing its action on available information, including data collected as a part of the agency’s Bristol Bay ecological risk assessment and mine plans submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Today, Dennis McLerran, EPA Regional Administrator for EPA Region 10, sent letters to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Alaska, and the Pebble Partnership initiating action under EPA’s Clean Water Act Section 404(c) authorities.

"Bristol Bay is an extraordinary natural resource, home to some of the most abundant salmon producing rivers in the world. The area provides millions of dollars in jobs and food resources for Alaska Native Villages and commercial fishermen," McLerran said. "The science EPA reviewed paints a clear picture: Large-scale copper mining of the Pebble deposit would likely result in significant and irreversible harm to the salmon and the people and industries that rely on them."

Today’s action follows the January 2014 release of EPA’s "Assessment of Potential Mining Impacts on Salmon Ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska," a study that documents the significant ecological resources of the region and the potentially destructive impacts to salmon and other fish from potential large-scale copper mining of the Pebble Deposit. The assessment indicates that the proposed Pebble Mine would likely cause irreversible destruction of streams that support salmon and other important fish species, as well as extensive areas of wetlands, ponds  and lakes.

Bristol Bay produces nearly 50 percent of the world’s wild sockeye salmon with runs averaging 37.5 million fish each year. The salmon runs are highly productive due in large part to the exceptional water quality in streams and wetlands, which provide valuable salmon habitat.

The Bristol Bay ecosystem generates hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity and provides employment for over 14,000 full and part-time workers. The region supports all five species of Pacific salmon found in North America: sockeye, coho, Chinook, chum, and pink. In addition, it is home to more than 20 other fish species, 190 bird species, and more than 40 terrestrial mammal species, including bears, moose, and caribou.

Based on information provided by The Pebble Partnership and Northern Dynasty Minerals, mining the Pebble deposit may involve excavation of a pit up to one mile deep and over 2.5 miles wide — the largest open pit ever constructed in North America. Disposal of mining waste may require construction of three or more massive earthen tailings dams as high as 650 feet. The Pebble deposit is located at the headwaters of Nushagak and Kvichak rivers, which produce about half of the sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay.

The objective of the Clean Water Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. The Act emphasizes protecting uses of the nation’s waterways, including fishing.

The Clean Water Act generally requires a permit under Section 404 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before any person places dredge or fill material into wetlands, lakes and streams. Mining operations typically involve such activities and must obtain Clean Water Act Section 404 permits. Section 404 directs EPA to develop the environmental criteria the Army Corps uses to make permit decisions. It also authorizes EPA to prohibit or restrict fill activities if EPA determines such actions would have unacceptable adverse effects on fishery areas.

The steps in the Clean Water Act Section 404(c) review process are:

Step 1 – Consultation period with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and owners of the site, initiated today.

Step 2 – Publication of Proposed Determination, including proposed prohibitions or restrictions on mining the Pebble deposit, in Federal Register for public comment and one or more public hearings.

Step 3 – Review of public comments and development of Recommended Determination by EPA Regional Administrator to Assistant Administrator for Water at EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Step 4 – Second consultation period with the Army Corps and site owners and development of Final Determination by Assistant Administrator for Water, including any final prohibitions or restrictions on mining the Pebble deposit.

Based on input EPA receives during any one of these steps, the agency could decide that further review under Section 404(c) is not necessary.

Now that the 404(c) process has been initiated, the Army Corps cannot issue a permit for fill in wetlands or streams associated with mining the Pebble deposit until EPA completes the 404(c) review process.

EPA has received over 850,000 requests from citizens, tribes, Alaska Native corporations, commercial and sport fisherman, jewelry companies, seafood processors, restaurant owners, chefs, conservation organizations, members of the faith community, sport recreation business owners, elected officials and others asking EPA to take action to protect Bristol Bay.

This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

February 28, 2014 — New England fisheries are set to benefit from $32.8 million in federal disaster funds that would help bolster reduced fish stocks and help fishing businesses that have been impacted, according to an announcement from Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Chris Murphy and Rep. Joe Courtney.

The funding is part of a total of $75 million in assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help fishing industries hurt by depleted stocks, Hurricane Sandy, flooding and other problems.

Read the full story at the Hartford Business Journal 

 

 

February 28, 2014 — A trade group of North Carolina commercial fishermen has proposed that the General Assembly raise their fishing license fees to pay for regulatory measures.

Flounder fishermen sometimes get endangered sea turtles caught in their gillnets, so federal law requires that the state hire trained "observers" to check nets regularly. The General Assembly only funded the observer program until next summer, but if there's no observer at all, the state will be required to stop all gillnet fishing.

Jerry Schill of the NC Fisheries Association said the group now wants the state to double the cost of commercial fishing licenses to $400 per year. He said it's "bittersweet" for the fishermen.

Read the full story at WUNC

BOSTON — February 27, 2014 — The following was released by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs:

The Patrick Administration today announced that nearly $33 million will be allocated to the New England Multispecies Groundfish Fishery by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) following the federal disaster declaration for the region’s ground-fishermen. The Massachusetts groundfish industry makes up approximately 90 percent of the New England groundfish fishery.

“We are extremely pleased NOAA is allocating this money for our fishermen and fishing communities who have been struggling due to the transition to catch shares and declining groundfish stocks,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “We have worked closely with our congressional partners for years to obtain the disaster declaration and secure the financial assistance our fishermen need to sustain this vital industry. We look forward to continuing that partnership and working with the Obama Administration to develop the best use of this funding, and get this money to the fishing community as quickly as possible.”

The funding is part of $75 million appropriated by Congress for six fishery disasters nationwide declared by the Secretary of Commerce in 2012 and 2013. The U.S. Department of Commerce declared commercial fishery failure for the Northeast groundfish fishing industry in September 2012.

“Governor Patrick has vigorously advocated for the Massachusetts fishing industry, an important piece of the Commonwealth’s economic vitality and heritage,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rick Sullivan. “We must protect the sustainability of our fishermen, and this financial assistance will help guarantee the survival of our fishing industry for years to come.”

In its decision, NOAA waived the state 25 percent match requirement for states receiving disaster relief. It also determined that spending plans can cover a wide range of activities in support of commercial or recreational fisheries, support industries like processors and fish houses, or communities affected by the disaster. Funds will be allocated through the federal grant process.

Governor Patrick first made a request to the Department of Commerce in November 2010, asking for direct economic relief to the Massachusetts groundfish fleet for the impact caused by the transition to the catch shares system. In November 2011, Governor Patrick renewed his request for federal aid to after being denied in January of that year.

In November 2013, the Small Business Administration approved Governor Patrick’s request for an economic injury disaster declaration, making subsidized loans available to Massachusetts fishermen and fishing-related businesses. Eligible applicants can still qualify for loans up to $2 million. The filing deadline is August 1, 2014.
Massachusetts has held a series of four public meetings to date to engage fishermen and other stakeholders on developing spending plans that will ensure the groundfishing industry continues to be sustainable for future generations.

Congressional Statements of Support

“It is critically important that disaster relief aid finally reach Massachusetts’ neediest fishermen, and I applaud Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and NOAA acting Administrator Kathryn Sullivan for recognizing the dire situation our fishermen are facing and heeding our calls to waive the state 25 percent match requirement,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “I remain disappointed that the overall Senate allotment of $150 million was cut to $75 million in order to reach an agreement with Republican leadership in the House, but this funding will provide much needed relief to our fishing families and I am grateful to Senator Mikulski for her leadership and support to secure this critical relief. I know this aid will not solve all of the problems facing our fishing industry, and I will continue fighting in Washington on behalf of our hardworking fishing families.”

“The fact that the Northeast region received the most money for their fishing disaster shows just how bad it really has been in Massachusetts and across New England for our fishermen and their communities,” said Senator Edward Markey. “The task now is to make sure that Massachusetts fishermen and their families receive as much of the money as possible, as quickly as possible. Waiving the requirement that states match the funding is a crucial decision that will help speed up this process without putting additional burdens on the Commonwealth. I look forward to working with our fishermen, Governor Patrick, the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation, and NOAA to ensure Massachusetts’ proud fishing tradition will continue for another four centuries and beyond.”

“Today’s announcement that the New England groundfish fishery will be receiving $32.8 million in federal disaster assistance and that states will not be unduly burdened by a requirement to provide matching funds is the critical next step in this process. In the days and weeks ahead, I will be working with state officials and industry stakeholders to ensure that Massachusetts receives its appropriate share and this long-overdue  assistance is delivered to fishermen and their families as quickly as possible,” said Congressman John Tierney.

“I am very pleased that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced today that they will award $32.847 million in funding for fisheries disaster relief to the New England region, and that the Department of Commerce will waive the requirement that states match 25 percent of any funding awarded to them,” said Congressman Stephen Lynch. “The Northeast Multispecies Groundfish Fishery was declared a federal fisheries disaster area in September of 2012, and has long been in need of economic relief. The economic well-being of the fishing industry is vital to the coastal communities in my district, the Commonwealth and the entire New England region. This is a critical step towards ensuring that the fishing industry is provided the relief and support that it needs and continues to remain a viable industry for Massachusetts and New England.”

“Massachusetts’ fishing families are a cornerstone of our state’s economic and cultural foundation, with a grit and determination reflective of the New England spirit,” said Congresswoman Niki Tsongas. “This much needed assistance will support these hard-working men and women and their local economies that were hit hard in the wake of a federally declared economic disaster.”

“Today’s announcement marks a critical step toward providing Massachusetts’ fishing communities with long-awaited disaster assistance needed to alleviate the hardships our fishermen have been facing,” said Congressman William Keating. “This funding will also provide an opportunity for investment in the continued vitality of this historic industry. At the behest of the entire Northeast congressional delegation, NOAA has also announced the decision to waive the matching requirement for states. I am hopeful that this will allow for focus on the urgent issue at hand: finding effective uses for this overdue financial assistance.”

“Along the coast of our Commonwealth, fisheries have been and will continue to be a critical industry in the state’s economy,” said Congressman Joseph Kennedy III. “As our fisheries rebuild and recover, these funds will help strengthen and sustain fisherman and their families, their businesses, and the fishing communities that rely on the industry as a major source of income and vitality.”