Saving Seafood

Alaska pollock giant American Seafoods lands former top NOAA fisheries official

June 11, 2021 — Alaska pollock supplier American Seafoods has hired Chris Oliver, a former top administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as special advisor on government affairs in the company’s regulatory division.

Oliver has has a long career in fisheries. In 2017, he was designated by presidential appointment as Assistant Administrator for Fisheries at NOAA, where he was responsible for the management of commercial and recreational marine fisheries and protected species throughout the US Exclusive Economic Zone, which encompasses the Alaska pollock fishing grounds.

Oliver worked at the North Pacific Fishery Management Council — the government agency charged with managing the Alaska pollock fishery and setting its annual catch quotas– for more than 30 years, as a fisheries biologist, a deputy director, and finally as executive director for 16 years.

Read the full story at IntraFish

After years of inaction, federal regulators are on the cusp of imposing new rules to protect right whales

March 1, 2021 — Nearly two years ago, federal regulators declared that North Atlantic right whales were facing an existential crisis. They convened a wide-ranging team of experts — state officials, scientists, fishermen, and conservation groups — in what they said was an effort to save the species from extinction.

Since then, 14 whales have been found dead and another 14 have been so seriously injured — either from entanglements in fishing gear or vessel strikes — that they’re considered “swimming while dead.” As the estimated right whale population plunged by a quarter, a federal judge ruled last spring that the US government was violating the Endangered Species Act by failing to adequately protect them.

Now, after the Trump administration slow-walked regulations to protect right whales that could harm the powerful lobster industry, the National Marine Fisheries Service is finally on the cusp of issuing the controversial new protections, which are drawing opposition from both the fishing industry and environmentalists.

“Developing these proposed modifications was challenging for everyone involved,” wrote Chris Oliver, the agency’s assistant administrator for fisheries, in a letter that accompanied the release of the draft regulations in late December.

The proposed rules — likely to take effect this summer — are estimated to cost the lobster industry as much as $61 million over six years, or about 10 percent of its annual revenues in recent years.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe

Paul Doremus takes over as acting head of NOAA Fisheries after Chris Oliver departs

January 25, 2021 — Paul Doremus has taken over as acting assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries following the departure of Chris Oliver, who had served as NOAA Fisheries’ assistant administrator since June 2017.

Doremus has worked at NOAA for the past 16 years, including as chief strategy officer from 2005 to 2011, assistant secretary for conservation and management from 2017 to 2018, and chief of strategy and operations, as well as lead for seafood production and aquaculture from 2011 until his recent promotion.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

U.S. Fishing and Seafood Industries Saw Broad Declines Last Summer Due to COVID-19

January 19, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The U.S. fishing and seafood sector generated more than $200 billion in annual sales and supported 1.7 million jobs in recent years. It experienced broad declines in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 public health crisis, according to a new NOAA Fisheries analysis released today. While losses vary by sector, by region and by industry, data and information from this report may help businesses and communities assess losses and inform long-term recovery and resilience strategies.

According to analysts, COVID-19 protective measures instituted in March across the United States and globe contributed to an almost-immediate impact on seafood sector sales. There was a strong start to the year, with a 3 percent increase in commercial fish landings revenue in January and February. However, revenues declined each month from a 19 percent decrease in March to a 45 percent decrease by July. This translates to a 29 percent decrease across those 7 months, as compared to 5-year averages and adjusted for inflation.

Restaurant closures, social distancing protocols, and other safety measures also contributed to losses in other sectors of the seafood economy. By the end of second quarter 2020, 78 percent of aquaculture, aquaponics, and allied businesses reported COVID-19 impacts with 74 percent experiencing lost sales. The analysis noted outdoor seating at restaurants in warm months and a pivot to direct delivery at some supermarkets provided an outlet for some aquaculture sales. Also, the recreational charter/for-hire fishing industry was completely shut down in the spring with some phased reopenings in the early summer. The new analysis contains regional snapshots to help industries understand local impacts to key fisheries.

The protective measures that shuttered restaurants also impacted charter fishing operations. Charter operations were completely shut down in most coastal states beginning in mid-March, with phased re-openings starting in May. NOAA Fisheries estimates that in the Southeast, charter revenues relative to the preceding 3-year period fell 72 percent in March through April due to local and state COVID-related closures and protocols. In May-June, revenue was down 4.5 percent as businesses began to re-open. In contrast, charter operations in Alaska and Hawaiʻi, which rely heavily on out-of-state tourism, continue to experience severely depressed sales due to the sharp decrease in tourism. Hawaii is estimated to have lost 99 percent of charter trips between April and July. In addition, many fishing tournaments have been postponed or cancelled. About 50 fewer Atlantic HMS tournaments registered this year compared to 2019. Hawaiʻi sportfishing tournaments have been similarly impacted.

“In the coming months and years, scientists and economists will work to obtain a more complete picture of COVID-19’s impact on U.S. seafood and the Blue Economy. It is our hope that this initial analysis provides a foundation that the industry researchers and planners can draw upon as they plan for the future,” said NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Chris Oliver.

Read the full release here

NOAA proposes new regulations to protect North Atlantic right whales

January 5, 2021 — NOAA has proposed new modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan that are intended to address entanglements in fishing gear, one of the leading causes of death in the highly endangered animal.

The regulations are targeting pot and trap fisheries – specifically the Northeast Jonah crab and lobster fisheries – which according to NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Chris Oliver “deploy about 93 percent of the buoy lines fished in areas where right whales occur.” The plan would require gear modifications to reduce the number of vertical lines by requiring more traps on each line, in addition to the insertion of weaker parts of the rope; modify existing seasonal restrictions; add “up to two” new seasonal buoy line closures; and modify gear markings to include state-specific marking colors, along with increasing the number and area of marked lines.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Fishery council to finalize priorities for 2021

October 21, 2020 — The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled a special meeting for next week to finalize its priorities for 2021, as well as approve recommendations that fit within the executive order promoting U.S. seafood competitiveness and economic growth.

The special meeting, set for Oct. 27, will be held as a webinar. It is set to begin at 12:40 p.m. Deadline for submitting written comments is Thursday at 8 a.m.

The council, which usually finalizes its next-year priorities at its December meeting, moved up final action on its priorities so it may identify which of those may also directly respond to Executive Order 13921 issued in May by President Donald Trump.

“The council will first adopt its priorities for 2021 related to every fishery management plan and every action,” Janice Plante, council spokeswoman, said Tuesday. “The council has to decide which of those priorities will make the cut.”

Plante said the development of the master list of 2021 council priorities should naturally help inform the council when it turns to crafting its recommendations for the executive order.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

‘Great Red Snapper Count’ finds abundance in Gulf

October 5, 2020 — Scientists have presented findings to Congress that report there are more red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico than previously known, information that could affect future management of the fishery.

According to a summary by Chris Oliver, assistant fisheries administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the new information comes from the Great Red Snapper Count, a survey conducted by the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University. On Thursday, a team from the Harte Institute briefed members of Congress on their findings.

“First, the welcome news,” wrote Oliver. “(B)ased on this study, there are more red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico that previously thought, possibly up to three times as many. We can all agree that’s a good thing.”

The Great Red Snapper Count began in 2016 when $10 million in federal funding was made available for a study. The goal for the two-year project was to create an independent estimate of the snapper population in the Gulf. The Harte Institute summed up the problem:

Read the full story at AL.com

NMFS plans for first federal offshore aquaculture zones

August 26, 2020 — Unfazed by a recent setback in federal appeals court, the National Marine Fisheries Service is moving ahead on planning “aquaculture opportunity areas” in federal waters off southern California and in the Gulf of Mexico.

Still in the very early stages, the planning process will evaluate the potential in those regions and map out what NMFS planners envision as clusters of three to five fish farming operations. The gulf and Pacific coast areas were selected “based on the already available spatial analysis data and current industry interest in developing sustainable aquaculture operations in the region,” according to agency officials.

“Naming these areas is a big step forward,” said NMFS administrator Chris Oliver in announcing the move toward implementing the Trump administration’s May executive order on promoting U.S. seafood industry development. “The creation of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas will foster the U.S. aquaculture industry as a needed complement to our wild capture fisheries. This type of proactive work creates opportunities for aquaculture farmers and maintains our commitment to environmental stewardship.”

The long-range plan calls for 10 development areas around the coasts that would support finfish, shellfish, seaweed and combinations of those maricultures. NMFS officials say they will “use scientific analysis and public engagement

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Feds select Gulf of Mexico as potential zone for fish farming

August 21, 2020 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday chose the Gulf of Mexico as one of two places where it will look to grow offshore fish farming.

The gulf joins Southern California in becoming a region for “Aquaculture Opportunity Areas,” the first two in the United States. President Donald Trump issued an executive order earlier this year outlining the concept as a way of boosting the country’s seafood industry and reducing its reliance on imported fish. The selection covers federal waters but does not identify more specific locations.

“The creation of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas will foster the U.S. aquaculture industry as a needed complement to our wild capture fisheries,” said Chris Oliver, the assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, in a statement. “This type of proactive work creates opportunities for aquaculture farmers and maintains our commitment to environmental stewardship.”

Read the full story at the Tampa Bay Times

Senators Markey, Warren Question NOAA’s Lack of Consistency When it Comes to Northeast Observer Cove

August 21, 2020 — Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren are adding their names to the list of politicians questioning NOAA over their decision to reinstate at-sea monitors and observer coverage in the Northeast.

Observers and at-sea monitors for those in the Northeast were reinstated this past Friday, August 14. The requirement to carry observers on board had been waived for months due to health and safety concerns surrounding the coronavirus. However, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Chris Oliver announced last month that the waiver would be lifted because “observers create no more risk than crew members.”

Read the full story at Seafood News