WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) April 30, 2013 — NOAA Fisheries has advised Members of Congress of its intention to file in the Federal Register catch limits for 2013 to 2015 for Northeast groundfish stocks, including 2013 total allowable catch for both US and Canadian fishermen on Georges Bank. The Federal Register notice is expected at approximately 4:15 p.m. today. A press release (see below) was released by the NOAA Fisheries office in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
The following information was provided to Members of Congress at noon today:
Reductions
– Many of the catch limits are substantial reductions from 2012, and are necessary to ensure stocks are not subject to overfishing.
– Final Fishing Year 2013 catch limits for Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank cod are 78 percent and 61 percent lower than the FY 2012 catch limits, respectively. Substantial reductions in the FY 2013 catch limits for other key stocks including Gulf of Maine haddock, Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, American plaice, witch flounder, Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder, and Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder. However, for 4 of these stocks, 2013 catch limits are higher than what has been caught so far by the fishery in 2012.
– We are implementing a quota of 500 mt for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, which was recommended by the joint US/Canada management body for fishing year 2013 based on the most recent assessment.
– The New England Fishery Management Council recommended a 2013 catch limit of 1,150 mt for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, which is inconsistent with scientific advice from US and Canadian scientists and is nearly twice the quota level recommended during joint discussions with Canada.
– We are also modifying recreational fishing measures to reduce recreational catch of Gulf of Maine haddock (i.e., increasing size limit from 18 to 21 inches).
Increases
– We are either increasing catch limits or catch limits will be the same in 2013 as they were in 2012 for several other stocks including healthy redfish, pollock and white hake.
– For white hake, knowing the challenges facing groundfish fishermen, when we received new science, we immediately took emergency action to increase the 2013 white hake quota.
– The 2013 quota is a 15 percent increase over what was initially proposed in Framework 50 (from 3,638 mt to 4,177 mt).
– We are revising the rebuilding program for Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic winter flounder in 2013, which will allow more than a 150-percent increase to the catch limit compared to 2012.
– We are allocating Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic winter flounder to sectors beginning in 2013, and allowing groundfish vessels to land this stock, which has been prohibited since 2009.
– According to Council analysis, this could generate an estimated $5.4 million in additional ex-vessel revenue for the fishery.
Mitigation and Other Measures contained within these three actions
– We are allowing sectors to continue to carryover up to 10 percent of their 2012 uncaught quota into the 2013 fishing year for all stocks except Gulf of Maine cod, for which we are only allowing a carryover of just under 2 percent.
– The reason for only allowing a 1.85 percent carryover for Gulf of Maine cod is because allowing a higher percentage would result in overfishing of this stock.
– We are reducing the minimum fish sizes for most fish stocks to turn fish that would have otherwise been discarded into landed revenue.
– We are revising the administration of recreational and common pool accountability measures, which gives the Northeast Regional Administrator the authority to adjust measures proactively to facilitate the recreational fishery catching but not exceeding its quota and to relieve in season common pool accountability measures for small vessels using handgear.
– We are eliminating the dockside monitoring program that would have otherwise returned in FY 2013. This will reduce operating costs for the commercial fishery.
– We have approved 23 regulatory exemption requests submitted by sectors for 2013. For some of these exemptions we will be requiring 100 percent industry-funded at-sea monitoring coverage to gather more data on the impacts of activities and enable us to respond quickly should adjustments need to be made in these exemptions.
– We denied a previously approved seasonal Gulf of Maine sink gillnet mesh exemption which was designed to target Gulf of Maine haddock, given that this stock is experiencing overfishing and is approaching an overfished condition.
– We also disapproved a measure to allow multiple mesh sizes to be fished on the same trip due to concerns for enforcing minimum fish sizes and mesh sizes.
– At the Council’s request we removed a prohibition so that now sectors can request through their annual sector operations plans access for their vessels to portions of year-round groundfish closed areas.
– With this prohibition now removed, we will be able to consider sector access requests on a case by case basis through a separate rule.
– We expect to complete our analysis on these requests and make available a proposed rule in June.
– During the Framework 48 proposed rule comment period, we received a substantial number of public comments (about 75,000) on the issue of granting access to closed areas, which we are currently reviewing.
– We share the concerns raised over the importance of protecting spawning and juvenile fish, sensitive habitats and protected species.
– That is why when the issue of potentially granting access was first raised during the council meeting last fall, we clearly stated that areas established for habitat protection would not be reopened and requests for access to other sensitive areas such as the western Gulf of Maine closure and Cashes Ledge would probably not be viable.
– Should access be granted to these areas, it will be done in a responsible and sustainable manner providing protections for spawning fish, vulnerable groundfish stocks, habitat and protected species.
– At the Council’s request we are also correcting and simplifying reporting requirements for Georges Bank groundfish stocks.
Other Important Mitigation Measures
– We intend to cover at-sea monitoring costs in 2013 for the groundfish fishery.
– We are allowing groundfish fishermen participating in sectors to use smaller mesh trawl gear to more effectively target redfish, a healthy groundfish stock in some areas.
– We are implementing emergency measures to temporarily suspend monkfish trip limits into the Northern Management Area to allow more fishing of this healthy stock.
– Potentially landings and revenue would increase as a result of this action. Projected landings in 2013 potentially could be up by nearly 542,000 lb. generating about $661,000 more revenue than under existing trip limits.
– If fishermen catch the entire annual monkfish allocation in 2013, revenue would increase by about $1.9 million. This assumes that recently observed landing rates and average ex-vessel prices continue throughout fishing year 2013.
– We are establishing a new exempted fishery so that sectors don't have to use a groundfish day-at-sea to target spiny dogfish in some areas where they only catch a small amount of groundfish.
– Proposed quota increases for dogfish will also provide more opportunity. Proposed quota increases over 2012 levels: 40.842 million lb. in 2013 (+14%), 41.784 million lb. in 2014 (+17%), and 41.578 million lb. in 2015 (+16%).
The following media advisory has been released by the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Regional Office:
NOAA Fisheries announces catch limits for 2013-2014 Northeast groundfish stocks; remains committed to mitigating effects on New England fishermen
GLOUCESTER, Mass. — April 30, 2013 — Based largely on advice from the New England Fisheries Management Council, NOAA Fisheries announced today final management measures for the Northeast groundfish fishery, including much lower quotas for some key groundfish stocks, and actions that will help fishermen better manage and adjust to these quotas. In anticipation of these cuts, the Department of Commerce pre-emptively declared a fishery disaster in the fall of 2012 and continues to work with Congress to help mitigate impacts to the region and maintain the long-standing culture of fishing in these communities.
"We know that for some fishing communities that have relied heavily on cod, haddock and flounder, the next several years are going to be a struggle," said John Bullard, NOAA Fisheries northeast regional administrator. "We've done everything we can to include measures that may help soften the blow of quota cuts, but it's going to take a collective effort to find more ways to keep both the fishery and the businesses that support it viable while these stocks recover."
Quotas will be reduced on nine stocks of cod, haddock, and flounder. For nearly half of these stocks however, the 2013 quotas are higher than what fishermen actually caught in the last fishing year. The majority of these management measures are in line with recommendations from the Council, a body comprising federal and state members, fishermen and other industry representatives. NOAA Fisheries is also pursuing one additional measure by using its emergency authority to set a lower quota for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder to prevent overfishing on this stock for 2013. This limit is in line with the recommended catch limit provided by a joint U.S. and Canadian working group.
NOAA Fisheries is taking a series of steps to help fishermen adjust to these measures, including:
– Implementing an increase in quota for healthier stocks such as redfish, white hake, and pollock. Knowing the challenges facing groundfish fishermen, NOAA Fisheries adjusted the 2013 white hake quota upward by about 15 percent over the proposed level, because recent analysis shows the stock condition has improved.
– Revising the rebuilding program for southern New England/Mid-Atlantic winter flounder, at the request of the council. As a result, the catch limit for this stock will be increased by more than 150 percent over 2012, and generate an estimated $5.4 million in additional ex-vessel revenue for the fishery.
– Allowing some uncaught quota from last year to be carried forward into this year, reducing minimum legal sizes to allow more of the fish that are caught to be landed, and reducing some requirements for reporting, monitoring, and on small handgear operations.
– Allowing sector vessels to submit requests to NOAA Fisheries to fish in portions of areas that otherwise have been closed to fishing.
"In considering requests from fishing vessels to access year-round groundfish closed areas, we also want to address public concerns," said Bullard. "That's why we've been clear that areas defined as essential to protect fish spawning, feeding and breeding will remain closed and that access to other sensitive areas such as the western Gulf of Maine closure and Cashes Ledge probably won't be viable. If we do grant access to any portion of these closed areas, we want to do it in a way that is both responsible and sustainable, so spawning fish, vulnerable groundfish stocks, habitat, and protected species are not put at risk."
The mitigation measures approved today build on a suite of management measures NOAA previously developed in coordination with the council and fishermen to help the industry adjust to lower catch limits. For instance, NOAA intends to continue to cover at-sea monitoring costs in 2013 for the groundfish fishery as the budget allows. Through cooperation with the council, NOAA Fisheries also is working to increase access to spiny dogfish and redfish – both healthy stocks and another source of revenue for the industry.