Saving Seafood

Fishing Regulator Rejects Lifting Ban on Female Crab Harvest

November 11, 2022 — A fisheries regulator on Thursday unexpectedly extended a ban on harvesting female horseshoe crabs from the Delaware Bay to help protect a vital food source for the red knot, a threatened shorebird that migrates via the bay’s beaches.

A board at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted to maintain a decade-old zero-quota on female crabs at a closely watched meeting that set next year’s crab catch by the fishing industry in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

The decision rejected a plan that would have allowed the industry to catch about 150,000 female crabs in 2023, the first proposed female harvest in 10 years.

The plan had been attacked by conservationists who argued that resuming the female harvest would further reduce food for the red knot and other migrating shorebirds that depend on the bay’s crab eggs to complete a long-distance flight each spring from South America to breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic.

Read the full article at the New York Times

Striped Bass Fishery Managers Deliver Cautious Good News

November 9, 2022 — The fishery managers responsible for steering the Atlantic coast’s rockfish population to safe levels announced some positive news—something we haven’t heard lately in relation to rockfish.

On Tuesday the Striped Bass Board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) accepted an updated stock assessment by its Technical Committee (TC), which finds the population looks promising enough that no additional harvest cuts will needed to be made. (Different conservationists have, at times, called for a striped bass fishing moratorium).

The bad news first: The stock assessment finds that in 2021, the rockfish stock was still overfished but no longer actively experiencing overfishing.  The female spawning stock biomass was estimated to be 143 million pounds, below the 188-million-pound threshold at which fishery managers must take action. However, ASMFC’s committee notes that the female spawning stock has, at least, been trending modestly upward for the past three years.

Read the full article at Chesapeake Bay Magazine 

Douglas Grout and Jason McNamee Named ASMFC Captain David H. Hart Award Recipients for 2020 and 2022

November 9, 2022 — The following was released Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

At its 80th Annual Meeting in Long Branch, New Jersey, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission presented Douglas Grout, New Hampshire’s Governor Appointee, and Dr. Jason McNamee, Rhode Island Administrative Commissioner, the Captain David H. Hart Award for 2020 and 2022, respectively. The Commission instituted the Hart Award in 1991 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding efforts to improve Atlantic coast marine fisheries. The Hart Award is named for one of the Commission’s longest serving members, who dedicated himself to the advancement and protection of marine fishery resources, Captain David H. Hart, from the State of New Jersey.

 
“Having just returned to in-person meetings this May, we have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to acknowledging the achievements of those who have contributed to the success of the Commission and fisheries management along the Atlantic coast,” stated ASMFC Awards Committee Chair Jim Gilmore from New York. “This week we have the privilege of honoring two outstanding recipients for the Captain David H. Hart Award – Douglas Grout as the 2020 recipient and Dr. Jason McNamee as the 2022 recipient. I cannot think of a better way for us to celebrate our first Annual Meeting together since 2019 by honoring these two worthy gentlemen.“


 
Douglas Grout, New Hampshire Governor Appointee to the Commission
For nearly four decades, Douglas Grout has worked across all levels of government in the fields of marine fisheries science, management, and policy. A longstanding Commission participant, Doug has played a role in nearly all aspects of the Commission’s science and management programs – from his early work as a member of the Management and Science Committee and numerous technical and stock assessment committees, to his involvement and leadership on several species management boards including northern shrimp, striped bass, and American lobster. As Commission Chair from 2015-2017, Doug oversaw the development of the Commission’s Stock Assessment and Peer Review Process, leading the way for external peer reviews of benchmark stock assessments for Atlantic sturgeon, American shad, horseshoe crab, and many more since.
 
Through his extensive involvement with the New England Fishery Management Council, Doug led the Council in the development of an amendment to improve catch monitoring and bycatch caps for shad and river herring. He also served in a leadership role on the Council’s Habitat Committee as it developed new protection measures, including those contained in the Omnibus Deep Sea Coral amendment.
 
­­Back in his home state, Doug devoted 36 years working for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, starting as a fish culturist and ultimately serving as Chief of Marine Fisheries from 2008-2020. During his time as Chief, he oversaw programs that included marine and anadromous resource management, monitoring, and education. He was also actively involved with the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership, with the goal of protecting and enhancing these nationally significant estuarine resources. 
 
Doug’s full body of work clearly highlights his commitment to fisheries science, management, and environmental policy. Throughout it all, he has maintained a steadfast manner, collaborative nature, and relentless work ethic which make him a treasured colleague and a cherished member of the fisheries science and management community.
 


Dr. Jason McNamee, Deputy Director of the Marine Fisheries Division for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM)
Dr. Jason McNamee is being recognized for his longstanding technical contributions, exceptional leadership, and commitment to sound fisheries management along the Eastern Seaboard. Since joining the RI DEM over two decades ago, Jason has advanced the quality of stock assessments and promoted the use of sound fisheries science in the management decision-making process. Jason has served in several positions within his agency and the Commission, and has been a contributing member, often in leadership positions, on numerous Commission species technical committees, stock assessment subcommittees, science advisory committees, and, more recently, species management boards.
 
Jason played a key role in a number of benchmark stock assessments, including those for Atlantic menhaden, summer flounder, tautog, and black sea bass. Notably, he led the Tautog Stock Assessment Subcommittee in developing an assessment that incorporated regional structure to address management board concerns. Further, he helped develop and implement a novel model approach to provide a method to assess this data-poor stock and further corroborate assessment results. As Atlantic Menhaden Technical Committee Chair, Jason took a leadership role in the development of modeling approaches and ecosystem-based reference points. He also played a lead role in the development of management strategy evaluation, now being used by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council for summer flounder, as well as the Commission’s risk and uncertainty policy.
 
In all the groups Jason has been a part of, he has consistently provided thoughtful and unbiased insights during committee discussions and has gone above and beyond to apply his technical knowledge and analytical skills to address challenging issues. Jason’s leadership in developing new models and reference points for stock assessments has made him an enormous asset to the Commission and to science-based fisheries management in general. 
 
In addition to his leadership and analytical support, Jason is an outstanding colleague, who is enthusiastic about his work, considerate of others’ viewpoints, and able to maintain a calm demeanor even under the most adversarial conditions.

Atlantic Striped Bass Assessment Update Finds Resource No Longer Experiencing Overfishing but Remains Overfished

November 8, 2022 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Long Branch, NJ – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board reviewed the results of the 2022 Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Update, which indicates the resource is no longer experiencing overfishing but remains overfished relative to the updated biological reference points. Female spawning stock biomass (SSB) in 2021 was estimated at 143 million pounds, which is below the SSB threshold of 188 million pounds and below the SSB target of 235 million pounds. Total fishing mortality in 2021 was estimated at 0.14, which is below the updated fishing mortality threshold of 0.20 and below the updated fishing mortality target of 0.17.

 
The 2022 Assessment Update used the same model from the approved peer-reviewed 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment. Data through 2021 were added to the model, and the model structure was adjusted for 2020-2021 to account for the regulation changes implemented through Addendum VI to Amendment 6. The assessment model was able to handle missing data due to COVID-19, but overall, COVID-19 increased uncertainty in the 2020 and 2021 data.
 
The 2022 Assessment Update also included short-term projections to determine the probability of SSB being at or above the SSB target by 2029, which is the stock rebuilding deadline. Under the current fishing mortality rate, there is a 78.6% chance the stock will be rebuilt by 2029, indicating a reduction in catch is not necessary at this time. The projections and the updated fishing mortality reference points took into account the period of low recruitment the stock has experienced in recent years.
 
“This 2022 assessment was the first check-in point for progress toward stock rebuilding by 2029,” said Board Chair Marty Gary with the Potomac River Fisheries Commission. “It is extremely important that we continue to monitor fishery removals and conduct regular stock assessments to keep evaluating rebuilding progress and stay on track.” The next stock assessment update is scheduled for 2024, and the Board will review the 2022 removals as soon as the data are available to evaluate whether catch remains at sustainable levels.


 
The Assessment Update will be available next week on the Commission’s website athttp://www.asmfc.org/species/atlantic-striped-bass under Stock Assessment Reports. An overview of the assessment is available athttp://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/636967f9AtlStripedBassStockAssessmentOverview_2022.pdf.


 
Draft Addendum I
The Board also approved Draft Addendum I to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass for public comment. The Draft Addendum considers allowing for the voluntary transfer of striped bass commercial quota in the ocean region between states that have ocean quota.
 
The Board initiated Draft Addendum I in August 2021 after deciding that changes to the striped bass commercial quota system would not be considered during the ongoing development of Amendment 7. With the adoption of Amendment earlier this year, the Board re-initiated discussions on, and ultimately approved, Draft Addendum I for public comment to consider voluntary quota transfers which could provide some relief to states seeking additional quota. The Draft Addendum proposes a range of options that would permit voluntary transfers of commercial quota, including options based on stock status and options allowing the Board to set criteria for transfers on a regular basis.
 
The Draft Addendum will be posted to the website next week at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. A subsequent press release will provide the details on the public hearing schedule and how to submit written comments. The Board will meet to review submitted comment and consider final action on the addendum in February 2023 at the Commission’s Winter Meeting in Arlington, VA.
 
For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, atefranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Final Supplemental Materials Now Available for ASMFC 80th Annual Meeting

November 4, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Final supplemental materials for ASMFC’s 80th Annual Meeting are available for the Shad and River Herring Management Board and the Horseshoe Crab Management Board can be found in the below links or at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2022-annual-meeting.

 
 
 

As a reminder, the Commission’s Public Comment Guidelines are:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide an opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

ASMFC Seeks Proposals for Regional Pilot Projects in Support of Sustainable Aquaculture

September 29, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission), in partnership with NOAA Fisheries, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking marine aquaculture pilot projects focused on sustainable aquatic farming techniques and regional business practices to grow U.S. domestic seafood. The geographic scope of the proposed projects is the U.S. East Coast states from Maine to Florida. The primary location of the proposed projects must be in the marine/estuarine environment.  Examples of the types of pilot projects being sought through the RFP follow:

 
•Research and development related to the production and distribution of shellfish (other than oyster*) seed stock. 
•Finfish, shellfish (other than oyster*), and seaweed farming systems, especially for those species new to aquaculture in the region or that use novel production systems.
•Identification and development of Aquaculture Development Zones with pre-planning and pre-permitting for a range of aquaculture activities.
•Resolution of issues (e.g., enforcement, water quality, public trust concerns or impacts) related to open water finfish farming in state waters.  
•Business incubators
•Regional market and economic impact studies
 
*Note: Proposals for oyster projects were already requested in a separate RFP (2019 Regional Oyster Aquaculture Research Consortia) 
NOAA Fisheries, through the Commission, is planning on issuing approximately $570,000 for the funding period of January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023. Individual proposals should not exceed $200,000 or be less than $75,000. It is anticipated that approximately 3-5 projects will be funded. Eligible applicants include researchers at U.S. academic institutions, research laboratories, for-profit companies/firms, nonprofits, Tribal and state agencies.  Proposals from foreign entities are not eligible. Proposals involving multiple investigators are welcome. U.S. federal government agencies, including Regional Fishery Management Councils, are not eligible to receive funding through this solicitation. Federal staff may be collaborators on proposed projects, as long as they are not compensated for their contribution to the project.


 
Applicants seeking to apply to the RFP must submit, as a single file, an electronic proposal by email no later than midnight EST on November 1, 2022. Please see the RFP for complete proposal details, qualifying requirements, and submission instructions. The RFP is available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/RFPs/ASMFC2023PilotAquacultureRFP.pdf.

ASMFC Awards Grants to Five Aquaculture Pilot Projects

September 22, 2022 — The following was released by the The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, with the support of approximately $610,000 from NOAA Fisheries, has selected five aquaculture pilot projects along the Atlantic coast to receive funding. NOAA Fisheries provided the funds as part of its efforts to foster responsible aquaculture and seafood security in the U.S. After rigorous review, which included an evaluation of the technical aspects of the proposals as well as their compliance with environmental laws, the following projects were selected.  All five projects explore promising, but less commercially-developed, technologies for finfish and shellfish aquaculture, with projects ranging from lobster to shellfish aquaculture. The projects began in July and are scheduled for completion in 2023.

To date, $2.86 million has been distributed or committed through five grant opportunities made available by NOAA and the Commission. To find out more information on previously funded projects please visit our story map at https://arcg.is/Hab100.

ASMFC Releases Request for Applications for Type Approval for American Lobster and Jonah Crab Electronic Vessel Tracking Devices

September 6, 2022 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) is seeking applications for type approval of electronic vessel tracking devices (devices) for federally permitted American lobster and Jonah crab fishing vessels. Specifically, the Commission will approve a list of vendor(s)/device(s) in which state agencies and the Commission can order in bulk, or fishing industry members can purchase individually to meet the requirements of Addendum XXIX to the American Lobster Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and Addendum IV to the Jonah Crab FMP. High quality devices are fundamental for many critical monitoring and enforcement activities in the federal American lobster and Jonah crab trap fishery and the Commission anticipates over 1,700 devices will be needed. Some vessels will start to install devices prior to the beginning of the 2023 fishing year (May 1 start date), but all federal American lobster and Jonah crab trap vessels will be required to have installed a fully operational device by December 15, 2023.

Federal lobster and Jonah crab vessels issued commercial trap gear area permits will be required to install an approved device to collect and transmit spatial data in order to participate in the trap gear fishery. This means any federally-permitted vessel without an approved device will be prohibited from landing lobster or Jonah crab taken with trap gear. Federal vessels are required to install and activate an approved device prior to beginning a lobster or Jonah crab fishing trip with trap gear. The device must remain on board the vessel and powered at all times when the vessel is in the water, unless the device is authorized to power down by the principal port state. For this reason, timely and accurate production and delivery of devices is of critical importance, and the approved vendor(s)/device(s) must be capable of ensuring the Commission’s performance standards will consistently be met.
 
The RFA can be found at http://www.asmfc.org/files/RFA/VesselTrackerRFA_Sept2022.pdf. The RFA, as well as the Question & Answer Summary and all amendments related to the RFA, can also be found athttp://www.asmfc.org/jobs/.  Applications must be submitted to the Commission, via email, atLAubart@asmfc.org. Application submissions must be received no later than 11:59 p.m., local time, on October 3, 2022. Applications not submitted to the Commission’s aforementioned email address by the aforementioned deadline will not be considered for device type approval.

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Menhaden Draft Addendum I

August 29, 2022 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic coastal states of Maine through North Carolina have scheduled hearings to gather public input on the Draft Addendum I to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan, which considers potential changes to current provisions for commercial allocations, the episodic event set aside (EESA) program, and the incidental catch and small-scale fisheries (IC/SSF) provision. Some hearings will be conducted via webinar and some hearings will be conducted in person. The details of those hearings follow.

Read the full release here

Webinar Information for August 18 ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section Meeting

August 17, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: 
Tomorrow’s in-person Northern Shrimp Section meeting in Portland, Maine will also be live streamed via webinar at  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5160631917396203278 (Webinar ID: 761-516-075). After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over internet protocol (VoIP), you can may also call in at +1 (562) 247-8421, access code 673-208-288. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN. Additional information on the meeting can be found below.
Meeting materials are available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/NorthernShrimpSection_Aug2022/NorthenShrimpSectionMtgMaterials_Aug2022.pdf. This in-person only meeting will take place at The Westin Portland Harborview, 157 High Street, Portland, Maine from 9:00 AM-1:00 PM. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the possibility of the Commission relinquishing management authority of the Northern Shrimp Fishery Management Plan. The Section will also review a sensitivity analysis that explores the potential scientific effects of eliminating the northern shrimp summer survey and will discuss management implications. The details of the meeting can also be found athttp://www.asmfc.org/calendar/8/2022/Northern-Shrimp-Section-Meeting/1989.
The Section will provide the public the opportunity to bring matters of concern to the Section’s attention at the start of the meeting. Depending upon the number of commenters, the Section Chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda to the number of people who want to speak.
Public Comment Guidelines
With the intent of developing policies in the Commission’s procedures for public participation that result in a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:
For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards/sections will continue to provide opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board/section chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.
For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.
In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).                                                    
1.       Comments received by 5 PM on Friday, August 5 will be included in the meeting materials.
2.       Comments received by 10 AM on Wednesday, August 17 will be distributed electronically to Section members prior to the meeting.
The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail, fax, and email.