Saving Seafood

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.

Meeting Materials for the August 18th meeting of the ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section Now Available

August 10, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Meeting materials for the August 18th meeting of the Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section are now available athttp://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 at http://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.

Atlantic menhaden not overharvested, fisheries commission concludes

August 8, 2022 — An updated menhaden population assessment that takes into account the ecological role of the species as a popular food for other fish deems the coastwide stock to be in good shape.

The latest assessment, presented to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Aug. 3, incorporates data collected through last year. It concluded that “overfishing is not occurring, and the stock is not considered overfished.”

Menhaden are a small fish but have long stoked big controversies, especially in the Chesapeake Bay, where conservation groups contend commercial harvests leave too few of the “forage” fish in the water to support striped bass and other fish.

That concern spurred the ASMFC, an organization made up of fishery managers from East Coast states and federal agencies, to make adjustments to their assessment methodologies two years ago to better account for the role of menhaden in the food chain.

But even with the new methodology, the latest assessment concluded the overall stock was healthy — a finding immediately touted by the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition, a group representing commercial harvesters.

“Using these stricter standards that incorporate the forage needs of predators, the new assessment has found that the menhaden fishery is sustainable, and that menhaden fishing does not negatively affect predator populations,” it said in a statement.

Some conservation groups contend the assessment evaluates the menhaden stock coastwide and does not necessarily reflect what is happening in the Bay, where much of the harvest takes place.

Read the full article at Bay Journal

ASMFC 2022 Summer Meeting Press Release, Summaries, and Motions Now Available

August 5, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Press releases, meeting summaries and motions from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2022 Summer Meeting are now available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2022SummerMeeting/2022SummerMeetingSummary.pdf. The document can also be obtained on the Commission website on the Meeting Archives page athttp://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive.

 
The presentations and recordings from this week’s meetings will be available early next week athttp://www.asmfc.org/home/2022-summer-meeting (under the respective Board header).

Atlantic Menhaden Board Approves Draft Addendum I for Public Comment & Assessment Update Finds Resource is Not Overfished or Experiencing Overfishing

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

Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board approved Draft Addendum I to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden for public comment. The Draft Addendum considers potential changes to Amendment 3 provisions for commercial allocations, the episodic event set aside (EESA) program, and the incidental catch and small-scale fisheries (IC/SSF) provision.

 
The Board initiated Draft Addendum I in August 2021 in response to the recommendations of a Board work group charged with evaluating provisions of the current management program and providing strategies to refine those provisions. Since Amendment 3 was adopted in 2017, the EESA and IC/SSF provisions have been impacted by recent trends in landings. The impacts have been most notable in New England, which has seen an increase in abundance of menhaden and demand for bait in recent years. New England states rely on the EESA to keep their commercial fisheries open while working to secure quota transfers. In addition the increases have led to a rise in landings under the IC/SSF provision once commercial quotas have been met. The options in the Draft Addendum aim to align state quotas with recent landings and resource availability while maintaining access to the resource for all states, reduce dependence on quota transfers, and minimize regulatory discards.


 
The Draft Addendum’s proposed options consider changes to the baseline quota of 0.5% and the time series that apportions the remaining quota to each jurisdiction, which is currently historic landings from 2009 to 2011. Furthermore, options within the Draft Addendum consider giving the Board the ability to change the proportion of the EESA from 1% up to 5%, with the option to make the potential change static with the approval of the Draft Addendum or dynamic such that the Board can reset it during the specification process. The Draft Addendum proposes a number of options to modify the IC/SSF provision in four major categories: the timing of the provision, permitted gear types, trip limits for permitted gear types, and catch accounting for the provision. 
 
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 November at the Commission’s Annual Meeting in New Jersey.
 
Stock Assessment Update
The Board also reviewed the results of the 2022 Atlantic Menhaden Stock Assessment Update, which indicates the resource is not overfished nor experiencing overfishing relative to the current ecological reference points (ERPs). In 2021, population fecundity, a measure of reproductive capacity, is above both the ERP threshold and target and total fishing mortality is below both the ERP threshold and target. The stock assessment update extended the 2019 Atlantic Menhaden Single-Species Benchmark Stock Assessment model with additional years of data from 2018-2021 and made some changes to the model structure. Work is also underway for an Atlantic Menhaden-specific ERP Benchmark Assessment, which is scheduled for completion in 2025.