Washington

February 26, 2015 — The following was released by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth:

UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Divina Grossman and the Marine Fisheries Institute, a partnership of the UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), have invited federal, state, and local elected officials, representatives from the fishing industry, seafood industry, and environmental organizations, and state and federal agencies to a Sustaining Massachusetts Fisheries Summit March 2, 2015.
 
The stakeholder summit will be held to improve understanding of an issue critical to the economy and culture of Massachusetts. Topics will include the status of the cod and flounder fishery, the status of the scallop fishery and emerging issues, state-funded technology-driven research and other promising technology, supporting a productive multi-stakeholder dialogue, and improving fisherman safety.

Congressman Bill Keating, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, and State Representative Antonio F. D. Cabral will offer remarks at the summit. SMAST researcher Dr. Kevin Stokesbury will demonstrate his latest state funded research (VIDEO).
 
When/Where:
Monday, March 2, 2015
2 p.m.
UMass Club
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA
 
Participants include:
Congressman Bill Keating
New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell
State Representative Antonio F. D. Cabral
Paul Diodati, Director, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
Dr. Steve Lohrenz, Dean, SMAST
Dr. Kevin Stokesbury, SMAST Fisheries and Oceanography
Dr. Steve Cadrin, SMAST Fisheries and Oceanography
Dr. Brian Rothschild, SMAST (Ret.), President CEO Center for Sustainable Fisheries
Dr. William Karp, Research and Science Director, NOAA Northeast Fisheries
Matt Mullin, Northeast Regional Director for U.S. Oceans, Environmental Defense fund
Scituate, MA Fishing Captain, F/V Owner Frank Mirachi

 

February 26, 2015 — On Thursday morning in Washington, D.C., Michigan lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced legislation intended to protect the Great Lakes from invasive Asian carp. The bill was simultaneously introduced by Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Congressman Candice Miller, R-Mich.

The legislation isn't so much a specific prescription for solving the problem as it as a mandate for federal agencies — like the EPA, Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army Corps of Engineers — to get to work immediately. While the bill wouldn't allocate new funds, it would help clear bureaucratic hurdles and encourage federal officials to start working with state and regional entities to piece together a plan.

The name of the game remains hydraulic separation, keeping water contaminated with Asian carp — a term used broadly to refer to species including grass, black, ugly, silver, and bighead carp — from water free flowing into the Great Lakes.

That means locks and dams — both building new ones and bolstering old ones.

"We cannot afford to take a cavalier approach when it comes to protecting our Great Lakes from Asian carp," Miller said in a statement. "This destructive species is quickly migrating north, destroying nearly every ecosystem along the way."

Read the full story at UPI

February 26, 2015 — Two respected Gulf Congressmen have taken the lead on a letter addressed to the Secretary of Commerce ensuring NOAA acts swiftly on the distribution of Gulf recreational electronic data collection funding passed last year.

The U.S. Congress, the Gulf of Mexico Regional Fisheries Management Council, Gulf commercial fishermen and federally permitted Gulf recreational charter-for-hire captains know the importance of accurate and real time data collection based on electronic monitoring of Gulf fisheries, especially in the highly controversial and often explosive Gulf Red Snapper fishery.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Montrose, have taken the lead on a Congressional letter addressed to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and signed by 10 Members of Congress and Senators urging the Secretary to ensure that NOAA acts swiftly on these funds.

Rubio and Byrne were joined by other prominent Congressmen representing every Gulf State, including; U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, U.S. Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas), U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, R-Montgomery, U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, R-La., and U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla. The broad, Gulf-wide background of the Delegation’s support for this program helps to highlight the benefits to the entire Gulf fishery.

Read the full story at Gulf Coast News Today

February 24, 2015 — New Jersey Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jr. and Frank LoBiondo joined with colleagues on Tuesday, Feb. 24 to launch the Congressional Coastal Communities Caucus, a bipartisan group designed to highlight the unique concerns of those that live, work, and do business along America’s coasts, according to LoBiondo’s office.

The lawmakers, who both represent parts of the Jersey Shore, will serve as co-chairmen of the caucus.

“As a lifelong resident of the Jersey Shore, I know firsthand what a tremendous resource our coastal communities are to our state and to our country,” said Pallone. “From mitigating the effects of future storms, to ensuring a vibrant tourism sector, and protecting our fragile marine ecosystems, New Jersey’s coastal residents have a unique set of priorities and concerns.  I am proud to join Congressman LoBiondo to continue to advocate for the particular interests of all those who call the shore home, rely on it for their livelihood, or come to enjoy it year after year.”

“Living and working along America’s coastlines entail unique challenges that much of the country and our many of colleagues in Congress do not recognize. From shore erosion and flood insurance to seasonal tourism and fishing catch quotas, residents of the Jersey Shore and Bayshore face a wide-range of federal policies from Washington that could negatively impact their livelihood. I’m pleased to partner with Congressman Pallone and our fellow coastal representatives on behalf of the residents and businesses that call our coastlines home,” saidLoBiondo.

Read the full story at Shore News Today

February 20, 2015 — The Red Snapper Regulatory Reform Act is back on the table in the U.S. Congress.

Its sponsor, U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01) and long-time observers of management of the popular reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico say its passage is necessary to open the fishery to alternatives to the current restrictive quota system as created under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

This act is the umbrella under which all fisheries within federal water are managed. The act's authorization expired in 2013 and congress took up its reauthorization last year.

"I have made it a top priority to give more control to Gulf states and provide real relief to our red snapper fishermen," Byrne said. "The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service has failed to adequately account for the size and health of the red snapper stock in the Gulf of Mexico. They have continued to use outdated and ineffective methods to both sample for Red Snapper and measure how many fish are being caught once the season begins, and they have frankly lost all credibility.

"On the other side, individual Gulf states and public universities, like the University of South Alabama, have used new, innovative methods to track the size of the red snapper stock, and they are more than capable of handling the stock assessment and data collection responsibilities themselves.

Byrne introduced a similar bill last fall that passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee. The bill's language was then added into Magnuson-Stevens Act draft reauthorization language approved by the House.

The 113th Congress ended before the act was taken up by the full Senate, requiring Byrne to reintroduce his bill.

Read the full story at Al.com

February 20, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

For those interested, please hold Friday, March 6, from 3-4 PM EST for a NOAA Fisheries briefing on the FY 2016 budget with Assistant Administrator Eileen Sobeck. Next week, we will send out instructions for participating in the briefing.

 

February 18, 2015 — Two respected Gulf Congressmen have taken the lead on a letter addressed to the Secretary of Commerce ensuring NOAA acts swiftly on the distribution of Gulf recreational electronic data collection  funding passed last  year.

The U.S. Congress, the Gulf of Mexico Regional Fisheries Management Council, Gulf commercial fishermen and federally permitted Gulf recreational charter-for-hire captains know the importance of accurate and real time data collection based on electronic monitoring of Gulf fisheries, especially in the highly controversial and often explosive Gulf Red Snapper fishery.

With passage last year of the FY 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Act, Congress took a major step forward as the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) was provided with $2 million in funding for electronic data collection. Specifically, Congress directed NMFS to utilize the funding to support a voluntary electronic data collection program for the charter-for-hire fishing community in the Gulf and other regions.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council recently approved a measure dividing the recreational red snapper fishery into two distinct components: the charter-for-hire community and the private angling community. This action allows the for-hire community to operate under a separate management plan designed specifically to meet their distinct business needs for the next three seasons.

Read the full story from the Gulf Seafood Institute

February 12, 2015 — The following was released by the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers:

Alaska’s crab fishermen wish to once again thank Congressman Don Young for his refusal to stand idly by while pirates and international criminal conspiracies undercut Alaska’s commercial fishermen and their families. As co-Chair of the House Oceans Caucus and a member of both the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, Mr. Young has been a tireless champion of hardworking Alaskan fishermen who ask for nothing more than a level playing field when it comes to competition on the international market.

With the introduction of HR 774, The Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015, we are one step closer to achieving that level playing field. Building upon the effort led by Mr. Young during the 113th Congress, this bill has broad bi-partisan support and is the product of extensive negotiation and compromise between Republicans and Democrats. The legislation also enjoys tremendous support from a diverse range of stakeholders including commercial fishermen, Alaskan coastal communities, the law enforcement community, and conservation organizations.

We urge swift passage of this vital legislation in the House and encourage the Senate to pass a companion bill. While Congress delays, pirates continue to reap the illicit profits from trade in IUU fish and shellfish. A recent McDowell Group report estimated that 40% of the king crab on the world market comes from illegal Russian sources. Unfortunately this is not a new issue. According to a 2013 Wall Street Journal article, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sources estimate that illegal Russian crab has cost Alaskan crabbers $560 million since 2000. This translates to millions of dollars in lost tax revenue to Alaskan coastal communities. There is no reason why Alaskan crabbers and crab-dependent coastal communities should have to compete with Russian pirates. This bill is a major step in the right direction and we urge final passage without delay.

Read a PDF of the release here

SEAFOODNEWS.COM — February 12, 2015 — Henderschedt, in his third-term representing Washington State on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, has been the Executive Director of the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum.

His move to NOAA Fisheries was announced yesterday in an email to all NMFS employees from Paul Doremus, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations at NOAA Fisheries.

The recently merged Office of International Affairs and the Seafood Inspection Program will now include “NOAA’s core stewardship missions in the global economy” signaling a more active engagement in the “international marketplace of conservation policy, seafood production and trade.” 

Henderschedt has 25 years of experience working in the Alaska and West Coast groundfish fisheries, managing various aspects of seafood harvesting and production for domestic and international markets. Since 2011, he led the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, which facilitates communication between councils and experts in fisheries science, law, policy and economics. The Forum is a partnership between Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Stanford’s Woods Institute and Center for Ocean Solutions, and Environmental Defense Fund.

Henderschedt begins his new post on April 6, but will be introduced to the industry and NOAA leadership at the Seafood Expo North America in Boston in mid-March.

“In coming months,” Doremus wrote, “John will meet with staff and their programmatic expertise, as well as meeting with the broad spectrum of stakeholder communities to be served by the merged office to help better align services and priorities for fulfilling our agency’s stewardship missions.”

Henderschedt has a B.A. in Russian Studies from Muhlenberg College, and certificate in Russian Language and Literature from the Pushkin Institute in Moscow.

“His background in the international and trade arena make him the perfect person to lead the integrated office and move us forward in meeting mission priorities, “Doremus added. “Please join me in welcoming John to the NOAA Fisheries team.”

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

 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] — February 11, 2015 — Alaskan Congressman Don Young has joined Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU) in introducing H. R. 774, the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015, which would enhance the enforcement authority of the U. S. Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to regulate and combat IUU fishing.

"As a staunch supporter of our oceans and U. S. fishing industry, I've made serious efforts to deter and eliminate pirate vessels from stealing our resources and harming our economies. This important legislation, which imposes added sanctions on countries whose vessels engage in IUU fishing, would provide our authorities the tools they need to fight back against these global criminals and ensure millions of pounds of illegally caught product never reach market," said Congressman Young, House Oceans Caucus Co-Chair and Chairman of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs.
 
H. R. 774 would strengthen existing enforcement measures by increasing the capacity for inspection, identification, and monitoring of illegal foreign vessels. The legislation would also amend several international agreements to incorporate civil and criminal penalties, and broaden data sharing authority with foreign governments in order to identify and penalize nations that do not comply with fisheries management regulations.
 
H. R. 774 is the product of extensive negotiations between Republicans and Democrats in the House during the 113th Congress. The legislation, which previously passed the House Natural Resources Committee by unanimous consent on September 18, 2014, has received the support of a broad coalition of stakeholders from the fishing industry and conservation groups.
 
Congressman Young and the bill's original sponsor Congresswoman Bordallo were joined by Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Rob Wittman (R-VA), and John Garamendi (D-CA) in introducing H. R. 774.
 
Congresswoman Madeline Bordallo (D-GU), original sponsor of H. R. 774:
 
"Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing threatens the economic and social infrastructure of fishing communities and impacts national and regional security of the U. S. and our allies. IUU fishing poses a significant risk to local fishermen who engage in legitimate fishing practices, and to the long-term sustainability of our fishing stocks. Additionally, vessels engaged in IUU fishing have a high likelihood of engaging in other various trafficking activities.
 
Countries like Australia, Palau and now even Papua New Guinea have led the way in combating IUU fishing, and the U. S. must take immediate and forceful action as well.
 
This bill provides much-needed enforcement tools to the Coast Guard and NOAA to combat IUU fishing, and it implements a treaty ratified by the Senate last year to deny vessels port entry and services if they engage in IUU fishing."

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