Saving Seafood

Atlantic Herring: NEFMC Conducts “Debrief” on MSE Process

June 27, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking public comment on the Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) process that was used to develop and analyze alternatives for a new acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule in Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The MSE process involved more public input through workshops and technical analysis earlier in the amendment development process than normal. Comments on the process are welcome until 8 a.m. on August 9, 2019.

This was the first time the Council used MSE in decision-making. The Council now is taking a step back to debrief and identify the benefits and/or drawbacks of the MSE process, as well as lessons learned. The Council especially wants to hear from: (1) stakeholders who were involved in the MSE process and attended a workshop; and (2) people who are invested in the future of herring management.

Read the full release here

Atlantic Herring Framework 6: NEFMC Discusses 2019-2021 Specs, Overfishing Definition

April 18, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has approved the range of alternatives for Framework Adjustment 6 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, which contains 2019-2021 specifications for the fishery and a new overfishing definition for Atlantic herring. The Council is expected to take final action on the framework during its June meeting with the goal of having updated 2020 specifications in place by the start of the new fishing year.

Key Factors Related to Framework 6

Here are three important points to be aware of with this framework:

  1. Fishing year 2019 specifications are in place already. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS/NOAA Fisheries) implemented an inseason adjustment at the request of the Council to ensure that appropriate catch limits were in affect for the current fishing year in a timely manner to prevent overfishing. These existing 2019 specifications will be included in the 2019- 2021 package without revisions.
  2. The primary focus of Framework 6 will be: (a) 2020 specifications; and (b) the updated overfishing definition.
  3. The framework will include 2021 specifications, but these numbers likely will be revised in a subsequent action to reflect the results of the next stock assessment, which now is scheduled for spring 2020. At that time, the 2018 Atlantic Herring Benchmark Stock Assessment will be updated to incorporate 2018 and 2019 resource survey and fishery catch data.

Read the full release here

New England Fishery Management Council Sends Atlantic Herring Amendment 8 to Public Hearing

December 6, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — On Tuesday the New England Fishery Management Council voted to send “Draft Amendment 8” to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan public hearing. The Council has no preferred alternatives and will be receiving feedback on the controversy about localized depletion and use of herring as forage fish.

The amendment features two major components: Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) control rule and potential localized depletion and user conflicts. The ABC Control Rule is supposed to be used to set specifications and annual catch limits. The Council has 10 options and did not select a preferred one at their September meeting in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Similarly, the Council also has a list of alternatives to address potential localized depletion and user conflict. Alternative options range from “no action” to a year-round prohibition on using midwater trawl gear in specific Atlantic Herring management areas.

The Council will make a final decision in 2018 after receiving feedback at the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management plan public hearing. Attendees will be presented with a fill list of likely costs and benefits associated with each option.

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

 

NEFMC Seeks Contractor for Atlantic Herring MSE Work

May 15, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is soliciting the services of an independent contractor to assist in developing and communicating the results of a recent Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) of Atlantic herring acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rules.  This is a temporary, three-month position, expected to begin on or around June 1, 2017.

The solicitation notice states, “Effectively communicating MSE output is a recognized challenge.  The New England Council is seeking a contractor to help synthesize data and translate MSE results to different audiences.”

The Council is developing a new Atlantic herring ABC control rule for Amendment 8 to the federal Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. The independent contractor is expected to:

  • Draft guidance narrative to help stakeholders and the Council understand how MSE results should be interpreted in general;
  • Develop infographics for the Amendment 8 document and meeting materials;
  • Draft detailed narrative describing MSE results, as well as key summery points and findings with captions and text boxes, either independently or with other MSE analysts;
  • Prepare presentation slides that can be used to summarize results at meetings;
  • Prepare detailed appendices of all results to be included in Amendment 8; and
  • Summarize MSE methods and results for general audiences.

POTENTIAL CANDIDATES:  Interested professionals are encouraged to submit a cover letter, current resume or CV, examples of similar work completed for other organizations or publications, and a budget with expected expenses no later than May 30, 2017.  Letters of interest and supporting materials should be addressed or emailed to:  Deirdre Boelke, New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950; dboelke@nefmc.org.

MORE INFORMATION:  Further details about the work statement, desired experience and skills, and expected deliverables are outlined in the solicitation notice, which is available at NEFMC Seeks Atlantic Herring MSE Contractor.

NEFMC Approves Atlantic Herring Alternatives for Analysis

April 24, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

During its April 18-20 meeting in Mystic, CT, the New England Fishery Management Council reviewed Draft Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and subsequently approved a wide range of alternatives for further analysis. The alternatives fall into two categories: (1) proposals to address potential localized depletion and user conflicts in the fishery; and (2) options to establish an acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule that would be used when setting specifications and catch limits. The Council advanced nine primary localized depletion/user conflicts alternatives for additional development:

  • Alternative 1 – No action, meaning no new measures would be implemented;
  • Alternative 2 – A June 1-August 31 closure to all vessels and gear types fishing for Atlantic herring within 6 nautical miles (nm) from shore in Area 114 (solid green area off the back of Cape Cod in map at right);
  • Alternative 3 – A year-round prohibition on using midwater trawl gear in Atlantic Herring Management Area 1A (red hatching in map);
  • Alternatives 4, 5, and 6 – Three “buffer zone” proposals that would prohibit midwater trawl gear inside of 12 nm, 25 nm, and 50 nm respectively in Herring Management Areas 1B, 2, and 3 year-round from Cape Cod to the North/South Carolina border (see map next page);
  • Alternative 7 – A prohibition on midwater trawl gear year-round within five different thirty minute squares – 99, 100, 114, 115, and 123 (green outlined blocks in map at right);
  • Alternative 8 – Revert to original boundary line between Area 1B and 3 (see map page 3);
  • Alternative 9 – Modify the Area 1B seasonal closure to open January 1 instead of May 1.

Read the full release here

Herring management plan to be considered

December 6th, 2016 — If you were planning to attend the New England Fishery Management Council’s herring workshop this week in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and have not registered, you might want to save yourself the trip.

The two-day workshop, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday to provide continued public input into the establishment of a “long-term control rule for specifying Acceptable Biological Catch for the Atlantic herring fishery,” is fully booked at the Portsmouth venue where the event is taking place.

To accommodate the overflow interest in the herring workshop, the NEFMC will make the proceedings available live to the public on a free online webinar and a corresponding dial-in option that requires an access code.

The website for the webinar and the phone number and access code for the dial-in option are available on the NEFMC website.

The two-day workshop at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel in Portsmouth continues the process begun in January, when the NEFMC voted to conduct a management strategy evaluation “to support the development of alternatives regarding the ABC control rule.”

The council currently is working to develop Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan.

Read the full story at The Gloucester Times 

Atlantic Herring Framework 5 and Amendment 8 Take Shape

November 17, 2016 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council today discussed two actions related to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan.

  • Amendment 8: The Council looked over the draft goals and agenda for its second Atlantic Herring Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) Workshop (see blue box). MSE incorporates more public input and technical analyses upfront before alternatives are selected. The approach is being used to establish an acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule for the Atlantic herring fishery under Amendment 8 that: (1) may explicitly account for herring’s role in the ecosystem; and (2) deals with biological and ecological requirements of the herring resource itself. The amendment also contains a set of still- evolving alternatives to address potential localized depletion and user conflicts in the herring fishery.
  • Framework Adjustment 5: The Council received an overview of the range of alternatives under consideration to modify the Georges Bank haddock accountability measures (AMs) that apply to the herring midwater trawl fishery. The Herring Plan Development Team will conduct additional analyses on the alternatives, and the Council is scheduled to take final action during its January meeting

The herring/haddock issue is being addressed through two channels – one groundfish action and one herring action.

The Council voted yesterday to increase the herring midwater trawl fishery’s Georges Bank haddock sub-annual catch limit (sub-ACL) from 1% to 1.5% through Framework 56 to the groundfish plan.

Herring Framework 5, on the other hand, is the vehicle being used to potentially modify the AMs to help keep the midwater trawl herring fishery from exceeding the haddock sub-ACL. The range of alternatives includes two options for implementing a “proactive” AM closure in addition to maintaining the existing “reactive” AM closure.

The reactive AM requires a shutdown of all green and red areas in the charts below to directed herring midwater trawl fishing – for the remainder of the groundfish fishing year – once the haddock sub-ACL is caught. Framework 5 proposes a proactive approach that would prevent midwater trawl fishing in Closed Areas I and II – either with or without a 15-nautical-mile buffer around the red areas – under three possible seasons: (a) a year-round proactive closure; (b) a May-October proactive closure; or (c) a June-August proactive closure.

The premise is that a seasonal proactive closure of Closed Areas I and II would help keep the midwater trawl fishery within its Georges Bank haddock sub-ACL and prevent a closure of the entire green/red area, which defines the reactive Georges Bank Haddock AM Area. In 2015, the reactive AM was triggered, and the whole AM area was closed to herring midwater trawling from Oct. 22, 2015 through April 30, 2016.

Framework 5 contains other alternatives, including one to seasonally split the Georges Bank haddock sub- ACL so that 80% of the quota is released on May 1 and then 20% is released on Nov. 1 to support a winter herring/mackerel fishery. Copies of the draft alternatives and other herring materials can be found at: http://www.nefmc.org/library/atlantic-herring-committee-november-2016.