Washington

A one page summary of NOAA Fisheries Service (NMFS) budget request for 2012 is available online.

Read a summary of the budget request.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), Ranking Member of the Commerce subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, welcomed the final 2011 groundfish fishing rules, which would increase catch limits and access for small-vessel fishermen under the sector-based management system.  Senator Snowe said the finalized rules announced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – Framework 45 and the Sector Operation Plan – would remove various arbitrary restrictions on allowable catch limits in New England fisheries.

"NOAA's final rule for the 2011 season is encouraging news for our fishermen and coastal communities, who have overcome significant challenges from unnecessarily restrictive catch limits in the past," said Senator Snowe.  "Higher catch limits are appropriate in light of encouraging catch-data from the first year of the sector-based management system, and I will continue working with the administration and our fishermen to ensure this trend continues.  It is critical our fisheries management system is based upon the most recent and accurate data possible to ensure the competitiveness of our fishermen and the health of our fish stocks."
 
BACKGROUND: Higher catch limits will apply to Georges Bank cod, Gulf of Maine cod, Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder, Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder, American plaice, witch flounder, Georges Bank winter flounder, Southern New England winter flounder, redfish, white hake, and halibut.  Increased catch limits for George's Bank yellowtail flounder come in the aftermath of legislation sponsored by Senator Snowe that reopened negotiations with Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand issued the following press release:

WASHINGTON – April 15, 2011 — NOAA initiative would have put in place highly restrictive catch share program for fishermen, based on flawed management scheme that would have driven fishermen out of business.  
Schumer, Gillibrand successfully worked to strip the program from budget bill; the catch share program, based on shaky science, would have endangered struggling fishing industry by reducing revenue and limiting fishermen's’ flexibility.  NOAA should take the hint, and abandon the flawed catch share models and get serious about accurately assessing local fishing stocks.

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand today announced that the 2011 Continuing Resolution will protect the Long Island commercial and recreational fishing industry and the thousands of jobs that come with it, by prohibiting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from using federal funds to implement any new flawed catch share programs in the Mid-Atlantic or New England fisheries. In a February letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Schumer and Gillibrand expressed their concern that NOAA was attempting to invest $54 million to encourage the adoption of flawed catch share programs that will severely limit Long Island’s commercial and recreational fishermen and further endanger the already-struggling industry. Schumer and Gillibrand said that the budget deal represents a vital step towards stopping flawed catch shore programs from being implemented on Long Island, and urged NOAA to instead better assess fishery stocks as required by law.   

“Long Island’s struggling fishing workers can breathe a sigh of relief today because we deep-sixed the flawed catch share program that would have made it even more difficult to make a living – without improving fishing stocks,” Schumer said.  “The industry is hurting, and this faulty catch share program would only have made things worse. Instead of continuing to try to implement these flawed, unproven catch share programs that will only further endanger our struggling fishing industry, NOAA should take the hint, abandon catch shares, and get serious about accurately assessing local fishing stocks. We shouldn’t be auctioning off shares of fishing stocks to corporate and foreign interests at the expense of small fishing businesses.” 

“We are finally making progress towards abandoning these flawed programs which will allow us to focus on real solutions for our fishing communities,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.  “When you speak to local fisherman, it is clear – catch shares are not the answer to rebuilding our fisheries. We must have better science and data collection to provide them with a better future and I will continue to fight for both.”

A catch share program differs from traditional fishery management by dividing up the total allowable catch in a fishery into shares. These shares are typically allocated based on historical participation in the fishery. They may be assigned to individuals, cooperatives, communities or other entities, who would be allowed to fish up to their assigned limit. Catch share participants also agree to stop fishing when they have caught as much as they are allowed.

NOAA had requested $54 million to encourage the adoption of catch share programs but has not committed the necessary funds to accurately assess fishing stocks, as it is required to do under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The Magnuson-Stevens Act expressly calls on NOAA to assess the health of fishing stocks, but NOAA has not committed significant funding to fulfill this requirement. Schumer and Gillibrand said NOAA should first commit sufficient funding to carry out this important duty before providing funding for a new fishery-management tool based on flawed data that requires – and currently does not have – broad-based support from the fishing industry. 

Adoption of a catch share program could further reduce the ability of fishermen to generate revenue because success in fishing has traditionally depended upon the ability to choose among various fisheries as conditions warrant. Such flexibility may be lost if a significant number of fisheries are regulated by catch share programs. Catch share programs could deter future generations’ interest in becoming fishermen and threaten what is a staple industry on Long Island. Catch share programs increase capital expenditures and raise the barriers of entering the business, which discourage young people from considering a career in the fishing industry.

 

Schumer and Gillibrand noted the very real threat faced by commercial fishers who are seeing significant portions of their industry shut down because of overly stringent caps on catches that are not based on the best available and most accurate data.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON –  April 15, 2011 — Massachusetts Congressmen Barney Frank, John Tierney and Bill Keating together with Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC) released a letter they sent jointly on Thursday to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, asking Commerce to exercise its jurisdiction over growing private markets in Allowable Catch Entitlements.

Recently, a private market for catch share allocations, ACExchange has mailed advertisements to fishermen to promote its service, which facilitates the online sale, purchase or transfer of fishing rights.  This novel marketplace for scarce catch share allocations currently seems to be unregulated.
 
In their letter, the legislators express their concern that an unregulated market for catch shares could take advantage of buyers and sellers, and that without proper rules in place fishermen would have no mechanism for voicing complaint or gaining restitution.  They ask Secretary Locke to move quickly to investigate such markets in order to prevent abuse.
 
The letter also calls into question the Commerce Department’s overall vision for the catch share program and how it would ultimately function.  The authors ask the Secretary, “Did the Department envision such a marketplace when it created the catch share system in the Northeast fishery?”

Read the letter from the Congressmen to Secretary Locke.          

View the postcard solicitation from ACE Exchange to fishermen  (Front)

View the postcard solicitation from ACE Exchange to fishermen  (Reverse)

   

 

 

Tucked into the compromise federal budget for the remainder of fiscal 2011, a somewhat watered down version of the so-called Jones amendment would bar the Obama administration from initiating any new catch share programs on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts during the spending cycle that ends Sept. 30.

New language was added last weekend to the bipartisan bill, launched by Congressman Walter Jones, that would allow the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to continue spending on development of the controversial fishery management regimens. The changes were added by staffs of the House and Senate Appropriations committees.

But the dispute over catch shares creates for the president a discomforting intra-Democratic Party clash between green interests — investment bankers allied with some environmentalists — and the small fishing boats and waterfront businesses who are supported by big cogs in the Democratic coalition, including U.S. Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Chuck Schumer of New York.

The catch share budget is $36 million, a small fraction of the scale of modern American government spending. However, the anti-catch share amendment written by Jones, a coastal North Carolina Republican, and co-sponsored by Congressmen Barney Frank of Massachusetts and Frank Pallone of New Jersey, both Democrats, was more about flagging down the administration's rush to steer fisheries toward a commodities market, with fishermen buying, selling, leasing or trading "shares" of tightly allocated catch limits among themselves or to larger boat and corporations and outside investors.

Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assistant Administrator Schwaab for Fisheries Talks about the Cornerstone of Sustainable Fisheries

As we look toward Earth Day next week, I want to acknowledge and highlight the 35 th anniversary of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Simply called “the Magnuson Act”, this law, its regional framework and goal of sustainability, has proven to be a visionary force in natural resource management – both domestically and internationally. The Magnuson Act is, and will continue to be a key driver for NOAA as we deliver on our nation’s commitment to ocean stewardship, sustainable fisheries, and healthy marine ecosystems

Because of the Magnuson Act, the U.S. is on track to end overfishing in federally-managed fisheries, rebuild stocks, and ensure conservation and sustainable use of our ocean resources. Fisheries harvested in the United States are scientifically monitored, regionally managed and legally enforced under 10 strict national standards of sustainability. This anniversary year marks a critical turning point in the Act’s history. By the end of 2011, we are on track to have an annual catch limit and accountability measures in place for all 528 federally-managed fish stocks and complexes. The dynamic, science-based management process envisioned by Congress is now in place, the rebuilding of our fisheries is underway, and we are beginning to see real benefits for fishermen, fishing communities and our commercial and recreational fishing industries.

But, we did not get here overnight. Our nation’s journey toward sustainable fisheries has evolved over the course of 35 years. At this particular moment it is important to take time and reflect back on where we have been to understand where we are and fully appreciate the historic visions and strategic investments that got us here, particularly by the Act’s principal architects, the late U.S. Senators Warren G. Magnuson of Washington State and Ted Stevens of Alaska.

To appreciate the history of Magnuson Act is to appreciate the history of environmental stewardship in the United States and the progress made in conservation over the last three decades. The Magnuson Act was ushered in during the era of environmental consciousness that still defines our nation’s stewardship ethic today. Signed into law on April 13, 1976, the Magnuson Act followed passage of other laws dedicated to addressing the environmental damage incurred after decades of unfettered industrialization. These laws include the National Environmental Policy Act (1969), the Clean Air (1970) and Clean Water (1972) acts, and the Marine Mammal Protection (1972) and Endangered Species (1973) acts. Along with newly established agencies to implement them — the Environmental Protection Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It was the beginning of a new era.

In 1976, federal management of marine fisheries was virtually non-existent. With the exception of state managed waters, federal activities were limited to supporting a patchwork of fishery-specific treaties governing international waters, which at that time existed only 12 miles off our nation’s coasts. A primary impetus of the Magnuson Act was to extend the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) out to 200 miles and eliminate competition from the foreign fishing fleets off our coasts.

However, even in its initial form, Senator Magnuson saw fit to focus on conservationas a centerpiece of the new law. Modeled on the basic principles of scientific management, including the notion of standards and catch limits, the law also included an innovative regional public-private management framework – creating the fishery management council system. The Magnuson Act laid the foundation for what has matured into the regional, science-based, and transparent fishery management process which exists in the U.S. today.

We all know too well the initial victory for conservation was short lived. Without effective regulatory restraints in place, by the late 1980s Americanization of the fleet and advancements in fishing technologies over ran the slower-growing science and management infrastructures, exploding the rate of domestic driven overfishing and quickly leading to the depletion of some of our nation’s most iconic fisheries – perhaps the most painful being the historic collapse of our nation’s oldest fishery, the New England groundfish fishery. The Magnuson Act was at a turning point. The 1996 amendments to the Act provided needed adjustments, including a new focus on habitat and the requirement for a 10 year rebuilding timeline.

Since that time, the Magnuson Act has undergone several reauthorizations – each one building upon and strengthening the previous. The most recent and transformative change was in 2007, under the leadership of Senator Stevens whose commitment to sustainable use – and growing concern over unsustainable fishing practices internationally – helped galvanize the earlier vision of Senator Magnuson. In 2007, Congress gave NOAA and the regional fishery management councils a clear mandate, new authority, and new tools to achieve the goal of sustainable fisheries within measureable timeframes. Notable among these were the requirements for annual catch limits, and accountability measures to prevent, respond to, and end overfishing – real game changers in our national journey toward sustainable fisheries, and ones that are rapidly delivering results.

Today, many stocks that were overfished are rebuilt or actively rebuilding. Successes include summer flounder, monkfish, scallops, ling cod, sablefish, North Atlantic swordfish, vermillion snapper, and gag grouper to name a few. Even the iconic Northeast groundfish fishery is turning the corner with anticipated higher catch levels allowed for 12 of the 20 groundfish stocks in the 2011 fishing season – the first time this has happened in over a decade.

Much of this progress has been due to the collaborative involvement of our U.S. commercial and recreational fishing fleets and their commitment to science based management, improving gear-technologies, and application of best-stewardship practices. Supported by the hard work of the regional fishery management councils whose innovative, management strategies have allowed fishermen to grow with stocks. One notable new development, emphasized in the 2007 reauthorization, was a focus on consideration of catch share programs. Catch share programs promote fishing based on good business decisions and stewardship practices rather than on the earlier years of ‘race-to-fish’ or ‘days-at-sea’ strategies that were often as dangerous for crews as they were unsustainable for the resource.

The success of the regional fishery management framework – and its ability to reflect the ecological and socio-economic needs unique to each region – is also influencing growth and improvement in management of international fisheries that now organize as ‘regional fishery management organizations’.

Today, the Magnuson Act – at 35 years of age – is at another turning point in its journey – one involving a more inclusive collaboration between fishing industries, conservationists, consumers and the broader seafood supply chain. At this point, we are turning the corner toward a future when ending overfishing can be a concern of the past, and where maintaining sustainable fisheries is a shared commitment to our future. And, as we turn this corner, we can turn more of our collective energies to more effectively address the far more difficult challenges of habitat degradation and international illegal fishing practices that are undermining the health and abundance of our global ocean resources. The success of the Magnuson Act and the visions of its architects have placed us on solid ground for this continuing journey. But we need to continue to work together to get there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOAA seeks Director of Office of Enforcement

Job Title: Director, Office of Enforcement

Department: Department Of Commerce

Agency: Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Sub Agency: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

Job Announcement Number: NOAA#11-03A.TNL

SALARY RANGE:
$119,554.00 – $179,700.00 /year

OPEN PERIOD:
Monday, April 04, 2011 to Monday, April 18, 2011

SERIES & GRADE:
ES-1801-00/00

POSITION INFORMATION:
Full-Time  Permanent

DUTY LOCATIONS:
1 vacancy – Silver Spring, MD

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:
Applications will be accepted from all groups of qualified individuals who are U.S. citizens.

JOB SUMMARY:

This position is located in the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Enforcement.  NMFS administers NOAA's program to manage living marine resources for commercial and recreational use. The program provides law enforcement services and products to support fisheries management operations; international fisheries affairs; fishery development, trade, and industry assistance activities; protected resources and habitat conservation operations; and NOAA's marine sanctuaries.  The Office of Enforcement supports the Office of the Assistant Administrator in the management and coordination of the marine fisheries programs throughout NOAA.  The Office's ability to ensure compliance with U.S. laws and regulations supports NMFS ability to implement programs to assist U.S. fishing industry to enhance production and marketing; develop positions on international fisheries issues; assess and provide guidance on conservation and protection of marine mammals, their habitats, and matters related to the environmental impact of human activities on living marine resources; coordinate aquaculture research; and contribute advice on the socio-economic condition of fisheries and their product quality, safety, and use.   It enforces those criminal and civil laws of the United States which are concerned with conservation and protection of ocean fisheries, marine mammals, and endangered species of fish and wildlife.  The Office coordinates actions with other Federal agencies, e.g., the Coast Guard, FDA, Customs, Immigration, and state and local law enforcement organizations; it works with the Department of Justice in the prosecution of alleged violations; it oversees the implementation and results of more than twenty joint enforcement agreements with the States; and provides advice and counsel to the Fishery Management Councils and to NMFS on domestic and international fisheries management.  It conducts investigations of reported and/or suspected illegal activities. The Office enforces compliance with the schedule of fees and penalties adopted by the Agency and the Councils and works cooperatively with the Offices of General Counsel in Fisheries, NOAA, DOC, and DOJ to adjudicate alleged violations of laws and regulations.  The Office of Enforcement is located in all Regions, and covers all coastal states, the Caribbean, and the Western Pacific Islands.    

 

 

 

NOAA seeks Chief Administrative Officer

Job Title: Chief Administrative Officer

Department: Department Of Commerce

Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Sub Agency: Office of Chief Administrative Officer (OCAO)

Job Announcement Number: NOAA#11-14.TNL

SALARY RANGE:
$119,554.00 – $179,700.00 /year

OPEN PERIOD:
Tuesday, March 08, 2011 to Monday, April 18, 2011

SERIES & GRADE:
ES-0301-00/00

POSITION INFORMATION:
Full-Time Permanent

DUTY LOCATIONS:
1 vacancy – Silver Spring, MD

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:
Applications will be accepted from all groups of qualified individuals who are U.S. citizens.

JOB SUMMARY:
The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (OCAO) located at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is seeking to fill the Career Reserved Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) position.  The OCAO provides policy and program direction for facilities and several administrative support services across NOAA, including the following:  Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity programs, deemed exports and visitor access controls, audit liaison activities including all Government Accountability Office and Office of the Inspector General audits of NOAA activities, real property lease acquisition, logistics, and safety and environmental compliance.  The OCAO ensures efforts to modernize NOAA facilities and create sustainable, energy-efficient, safe, and secure work environments.  The office leads efforts to reduce NOAA's energy costs through the use of sustainable design of new facilities and investments in energy-efficient building systems for more effective energy stewardship of NOAA facilities.    

 

 

 

 

 

NOAA Advertises for new Deputy General Counsel

Job Title: Deputy General Counsel for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Department: Department Of Commerce

Agency: Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Sub Agency: Office of the General Counsel (OGC)

Job Announcement Number: NOAA#11-15.TNL

SALARY RANGE:
$119,554.00 – $179,700.00 /year

OPEN PERIOD:
Tuesday, March 08, 2011 to Thursday, April 07, 2011

SERIES & GRADE:
ES-0905-00/00

POSITION INFORMATION:
Full-Time Permanent

DUTY LOCATIONS:
1 vacancy – Washington DC Metro Area, DC

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:
Applications will be accepted from all groups of qualified individuals who are U.S. citizens.

JOB SUMMARY:

Become a leader of Science, Service, and Stewardship – Join our Senior Executives to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources.

Reporting to the General Counsel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Deputy General Counsel oversees legal services provided with respect to assigned NOAA programs that are of national and international importance.  The Deputy General Counsel advises the appropriate Assistant Administrator on the legal context and the requirements affecting his or her operations.  The Deputy General Counsel provides policy guidance and supervision to the Assistant General Counsels, the Senior Counselors, and Regional Attorneys, and carries out other managerial and representational responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time by the NOAA General Counsel and other responsible senior Department of Commerce officials.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sen. John Kerry and U.S. Representatives Barney Frank and Bill Keating asked U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke yesterday to allow fishermen to catch more fish next year – but stay within overall catch limits.

Fishermen are under a new management regime coupled with stricter catch limits on many species, and some say they are being forced out of New England’s historic fishing industry at a time when fish are finally coming back.

Fishermen can already carry over ten percent of unused quota from year to year, but Keating, Frank and Kerry are asking if fishermen can use more than ten percent of their unused quota next year.

Read the complete story from The Boston Globe.