Washington

The Office of Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) released the following:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 9, 2012  — U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard Ranking Member Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) today received a response to her December 6, 2011, letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) urging the agency to maintain stability within New England’s historic Gulf of Maine cod fishery.  Her letter followed the release of an assessment showing that the Gulf of Maine cod are not, as previously thought, on target to meet the rebuilding requirements as mandated by federal law.  In his response, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eric Schwaab promised continued engagement and communication between the agency and key stakeholders, and noted that NOAA is “…doing everything possible to manage this situation effectively and look[s] forward to continuing to work closely with [Senator Snowe] and the fishing community” in this endeavor.

“The groundfish industry has been living within its means according to the best available science until, through no fault of its own, the best available science changed,” said Senator Snowe.  “NOAA must explore all possible options to find latitude within the existing law, allowing an extension of the rebuilding period and further examination of the scientific questions raised by this assessment.  I am pleased that my staff has worked so closely with NOAA, the New England Fishery Management Council, and fishermen from across Maine and New England in attempting to forge a resolution to this ongoing uncertainty.  At the end of the day, it is absolutely critical that we reach a solution that will support a viable commercial and recreational fishery for Gulf of Maine cod, which is a central component of New England's historic groundfishery.  I am committed to working with the industry and the agency in order to achieve this outcome for the short term, as well as to continuing to champion improved fisheries science in the future.”

Additionally, Senator Snowe praised the selection of Mr. Schwaab to be Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Conservation and Management, effective January 17th, and Sam Rauch, presently NOAA Fisheries Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, who will serve as Acting Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries.

“I am grateful for Eric and Sam’s early outreach in New England to address concerns around the Gulf of Maine cod stock assessment, and hope they will both continue to demonstrate effective leadership by actively engaging the industry and other stakeholders in the development of a long-term solution to this difficult challenge.  They have proven valuable partners thus far, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them to enable the survival of this historic fishery.”

Read NOAA's response to Senator Snowe's Letter

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON – January, 5 2012 — Today, I’m pleased to announce that I’ve chosen Eric Schwaab, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, to serve as NOAA’s acting assistant secretary of commerce for conservation and management, a position left vacant by the departure of Dr. Larry Robinson in November 2011. Eric’s official start date is January 17.

The assistant secretary of commerce for conservation and management drives policy and program direction for NOAA’s stewardship responsibilities, including ocean resource management, coastal management, and protected resources.

I’m pleased that Eric agreed to shoulder this new responsibility. I’ve been grateful for his leadership as the head of NOAA Fisheries, leading efforts with fishery councils and the fishing industry to meet deadlines to establish annual catch limits, fostering new, productive relationships with commercial and recreational fishermen and women and working to effect significant reform of NOAA’s enforcement program. Eric brings more than 25 years of experience in local, state and federal natural resource management to this new role.

Eric has also been working closely with David Kennedy, the assistant administrator for NOAA’s National Ocean Service, on a number of cross-line priorities — including the response and recovery effort for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster, NOAA’s work in support of the president’s National Ocean Policy and recent NOAA wide efforts to better focus coastal and ocean habitat science and conservation effort. In addition to continuing to work closely with the fisheries team on priority fisheries issues, Eric tells me he is looking forward to further strengthening the connections among NOAA’s many coastal and ocean stewardship programs.

With Eric assuming this new NOAA role, Sam Rauch, currently NOAA Fisheries deputy assistant administrator for regulatory programs, will serve as acting assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. Since 2006, Sam has led efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of our nation’s fisheries. He has also been instrumental in development of the new NOAA Habitat Blueprint and on a variety of critical protected resource issues. I am grateful to Sam for his willingness to shoulder broader responsibilities, and I look forward to his leadership.

Read the complete statement from NOAA

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOSTON — Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic U.S. Rep. Barney Frank may disagree on many issues, but Brown says Frank's retirement from Congress will deal a blow to the Massachusetts' fishing industry.

Brown says he agrees with fishermen who believe Frank's knowledge and advocacy will be sorely missed.

During an interview with the Associated Press on Wednesday, Brown said he has made support for fishermen one of his top priorities in Washington.

Read the complete story by The AP at The Republic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underscoring and expanding on arguments made by fishing industry plaintiffs, two congressmen and a consumer advocacy group are pressing the case that the government ignored a statutory requirement for a participants' referendum to create a limited-access groundfishery that is driving out the weak and enriching the powerful among fishing boats and businesses.

The amicus briefs of Congressmen Barney Frank and John Tierney — written and filed by Eldon C.V. Greenberg, a Washington, D.C., lawyer and former chief counsel at NOAA, the defendant agency — and briefs from Food & Water Watch, were filed Tuesday and Wednesday with the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.

The Court of Appeals has been asked to vacate a federal judge's ruling last summer upholding Amendment 16, the radical reorganization of the New England groundfishery into a catch share system that functions as a commodities market, with participants allocated tradeable "shares" of a government-limited catch.

Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.

 

 

 

 

 

Bipartisan congressional pressure continues to build on Secretary of Commerce John Bryson for emergency action buffering New England's fishing fleet from potential drastic catch limits some fear could emanate from a dire new assessment of the status of Gulf of Maine cod.

In the aftermath of the peer-reviewed assessment released Dec. 1 in near final draft form, seven U.S. representatives — including Massachusetts fishing port Democrats John Tierney, who represents Gloucester, and Barney Frank, whose district includes New Bedford — have now joined U.S. Sens. John Kerry and Olympia Snowe of Maine in urging emergency action authorized by the Magnuson-Stevens Act and questioning the cod survey results.

Others to join their call are Rep. Bill Keating for Cape Cod, and Reps. Frank Guinta of New Hampshire, and Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree of Maine. All signed onto a letter sent to Bryson last Friday implying that the new cod results, which contradict a three-year old benchmark assessment using the same methodologies and the empirical reports of fishermen, are wrong.

"Yes, we have received letters from Sen. Kerry, Sen. Snowe and other members of the New England delegation," NOAA spokesman Justin Kenney said Tuesday in an email to the Times. "We are currently preparing our responses to these letters, including the request to conduct a new stock assessment for Gulf of Maine cod.

Read the complete story by Richard Gaines in The Gloucester Times

 

 

 

 

 

The following was released by Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins: WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 21, 2011 — U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard, and Senator Susan Collins today received a response from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on their request to extend the public comment period deadline for river herring. The National Marine Fisheries Services is currently conducting a formal review of river herring population, including alewife and blueback herring, and considering whether the species should be listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Public comments were originally due by January 3, 2012, but have now, as the Senators requested, been extended to February 3, 2012.

 
In a letter to Eric Schwaab, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries at the National Marine Fisheries Service, on December 14th, Senators Snowe and Collins wrote such a listing “would have a very costly, burdensome, and unnecessary effect on many entities in Maine, including Maine lobstermen and fishermen who use river herring as bait…”  The Senators requested the deadline be extended to provide affected stakeholders with additional opportunity to comment, and that the agency consider the success that Maine has had in river herring recovery before reaching a decision.
 
Senators Snowe and Collins said:
 
“We are pleased the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has responded to our request and extended the public commenting period for the possible listing of river herring as an endangered species. Maine programs are already producing results in river herring population and habitat recovery, and the Maine Department of Marine Resources currently has a sustainable river herring management plan in place that has proven effective in increasing river herring populations.  We will continue to work with officials at the federal level to ensure NMFS has comprehensive picture of the role river herring play in Maine’s ecosystem and economy.”
 
The text of the Senators’ December 14th letter is as follows:
 
 
Eric C. Schwaab
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries
National Marine Fisheries Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
1315 East-West Highway, Room 14636
Silver Spring, MD 20910
 
Dear Assistant Administrator Schwaab:
 
We are writing to express our concern with the potential listing of alewife and blueback herring, collectively known as river herring, as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
 
We understand that the NMFS was petitioned to list river herring as threatened under the ESA, and that in response NMFS “find[s] that… the petitioned action may be warranted.”  Such a finding would have a very costly, burdensome, and unnecessary effect on many entities in Maine, including the Maine lobstermen and fishermen who use river herring as bait, and any public or private entities that may “touch” water where river herring are present.
 
Maine programs are already producing results in river herring population and habitat recovery.  The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) currently has a sustainable river herring management plan in place that has proven effective in increasing river herring populations.  This management plan, approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, includes ongoing habitat restoration and improvement, fish passage construction, stocking, transfer programs, and catch limits.  Maine is regarded as having the best model for managing river herring, as the populations are recovering at a stable rate.  For example, in the Kennebec River alone, the river herring population has expanded to three million and continues to grow.
 
When considering the successes Maine has had in river herring recovery, we have serious concerns with a potential ESA listing for this precious fish resource.  River herring are an effective source of bait for Maine fishermen who already adhere to river herring catch restrictions, as prescribed by the Maine DMR management plan.  In addition, 18 river fish-runs are currently managed by the Maine DMR where river herring are sustainably harvested by commercial fishermen.  A listing of river herring will eliminate these commercial fisheries that supply a very valuable bait source for commercial lobstermen and fishermen, and would mean certain economic hardship for an already struggling Maine fishing industry.
 
Given the economic impact that a listing would have, we respectfully ask that you extend the period for public comment to provide affected stakeholders with additional opportunity to comment.  This is an appropriate precaution that will not affect the agency’s ultimate determination, but will result in the agency’s ability to consider a more comprehensive picture of the role river herring play in Maine’s ecosystem and economy.
 
River herring are thriving in Maine and are assisting in keeping a vital industry alive.  As you review the status of river herring, we ask that you carefully consider the successes of existing safeguards in states like Maine and assess the potential economic impact and regulatory burden that listing river herring may have in this region.

 

Contact:

Brandon Bouchard (Snowe), 202-224-5344

Kevin Kelley (Collins), 202-224-2523

WASHINGTON – Dec 16, 2011 — Six New England lawmakers joined Congressman Barney Frank in asking Commerce Secretary John Bryson for an emergency assessment of Gulf of Maine cod. 

John Tierney, Frank Guinta, Bill Keating, Michael Michaud, and Chellie Pingree joined Congressman Barney Frank in writing to Commerce Secretary John Bryson to ask that the National Marine Fisheries Service conduct an emergency assessment of Gulf of Maine cod, and that the secretary exercise his emergency powers to freeze the Gulf of Maine cod allocation until a new stock assessment has been completed.

Read the letter to Secretary Bryson

 

 

 

 

 

The following was released by Congressman Jones' office:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In two separate letters sent today, Congressman Walter B. Jones urged the House Natural Resources Committee to quickly move several fisheries reform bills through the Committee and on to the House floor.  These bills include Congressman Jones’ H.R. 2753 – the Fishery Management Transparency and Accountability Act, in addition to other bills that Congressman Jones is a lead cosponsor of such as H.R. 2772 – the Saving Fisheries Jobs Act; H.R. 3061 – the Flexibility and Access in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act; and H.R. 2610 – the Asset Forfeiture Fund Reform Act.  These bills were the subject of a committee hearing on December 1st, at which Congressman Jones testified.
 
“Every fisherman I talk to believes there are major problems with the way our fisheries are managed,” said Congressman Jones.  “Many of the bills examined at the December 1st hearing would – if passed – go a long way toward fixing those problems. Everyone acknowledges that this country needs jobs, and that’s exactly what these bills are about. Fishermen in this country are hurting badly.  They can’t afford to wait years for relief; they need it now.”
 
H.R. 2753 – The Fishery Management Transparency and Accountability Act – would require the federal Regional Fishery Management Councils to broadcast their meetings live over the Internet and to make recordings of their proceedings available to the public for three years.

H.R. 2772 – The Saving Fisheries Jobs Act – would mandate that no new catch share program could be imposed on any fishery on the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico unless a two-thirds majority of fishermen in that fishery approve the program, and would close any newly established catch share program if it puts 15% or more of fishermen out of business.

H.R. 3061 – The Flexibility and Access in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act – would amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management Act to allow the 10-year time period for rebuilding fisheries to be extended under certain common-sense circumstances. In allowing such flexibility, the bill would provide for timely restoration of healthy fisheries while also preventing fishermen from being put out of business because of the rigid, arbitrary timelines contained in the Magnuson Act.

H.R. 2610 – The Asset Forfeiture Fund Reform Act – would compensate and protect the fishing industry from excessive fines, reform the Asset Forfeiture Fund, and increase the role of the states in providing scientific research.

Read the letter from Congressman Jones and several others to Chairman Hastings on H.R. 2772

Read the letter Congressman Jones sent to Chairman Hastings on H.R. 2753 and the other bills

 

 

 

 

 

The environmental risk associated with the production of genetically engineered (GE) fish is “as low as can be reasonably expected,” Dr. Ronald Stotish, president and CEO of AquaBounty Technologies, testified at a congressional subcommittee hearing on Thursday.

The hearing was scheduled to address the environmental risks surrounding GE fish, including the impact on wild fish stocks, fisheries and the marine ecosystem. U.S. Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska — chairman of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard and a staunch opponent of GE fish who has introduced legislation targeting GE fish — lead the hearing. U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine also participated and asked questions.

Stotish testified that production of AquAdvantage Salmon — the eggs would be produce in Canada and then delivered to Panama for grow-out to market size and processing — will involve “simultaneous, multiple and redundant” containment strategies to adequately mitigate the environmental risk. “These measures consist of producing triploid, all-female salmon that will be reared in a land-based aquaculture system itself possessed of redundant physical containment measures engineered and managed to confine the fish to the culture systems,” he said. “Furthermore, the facilities are located in geographical areas that are highly unfavorable to the survival, establishment and spread of AquAdvantage Salmon should there be an escape.”

Last September, U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists preliminary determined that AquAdvantage Salmon is safe for human consumption, but an FDA advisory committee subsequently determined that more research is needed. It’s been 16 years since AquaBounty submitted its first GE fish study to the FDA.

Read the complete story from Seafood Source

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are recreational anglers who have taken a long look at the Fishery Science Improvement Act and believe there is nothing in it that will improve fishing.

Some say tackle and boating industry professionals around the country are being led to believe the new bill in the House and Senate (HR2309/S1916) would actually improve science and help keep anglers on the water in 2012.

However, Atlantic coastal fishermen who HAve read the legislation agree the bills promoted by the national sporting media and their industry lobbyists do nothing to actually fix the science, nor will they truly keep important recreational fisheries open to coastal anglers.

"It doesn't do anything to improve the science," said Capt. Mark Brown of South Carolina. "It seems to lack any real direction and is very confusing to people who think there's some type of scientific requirement written in.

Read the complete story in The New York Post