Greater Atlantic Region Archives - Page 2 of 2

Fishing Report: Stricter summer flounder limits on the way

August 19, 2016 — This season some recreational anglers felt summer flounder (fluke) fishing was good, others felt it was way off. The truth is that there are fewer summer flounder in the water.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) announced on Monday that they modified specifications for summer flounder, reducing catch limits in 2017 for both recreational and commercial fisheries by about 30 percent.

The 2016 assessment update indicates that summer flounder has been on a downward trend. The summer flounder spawning stock biomass has been on a downward trend for the last six years. Fish managers have taken action with 30-percent reductions proposed for 2017, both recreational harvest limits and commercial quotas. How this will play out with Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts fishing regulations for 2017 remains to be seen, but no doubt more conservative regulations are on the way.

Previously implemented specifications for scup, black sea bass and bluefish were reviewed but essentially kept the same pending fishery changes and any new scientific information.

The ASMFC’s actions are final and apply to Rhode Island state waters but how they are implemented is to be determined. The council will forward its federal waters recommendations regarding summer flounder specifications to NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries administrator for final approval.

Read the full story at the Providence Journal

$240K grant supports leatherback sea turtle study

August 18, 2016 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries $240,398 to study leatherback sea turtles off Cape Cod in areas considered to be dense with fishing gear, according to NOAA.

The work is expected to provide critical animal behavior and habitat data needed to develop fishing gear that would help address significant leatherback entanglement problems in Massachusetts, according to a statement from NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

Fisheries grant program to top $10 million

July 28, 2016 — NOAA Fisheries estimates it will provide $10 million in funding for the 2017 Saltonstall-Kennedy grant program for projects concentrating on sustainable fisheries and coastal fishing communities, the federal fisheries regulator announced.

The $10 million is based on initial estimates of seafood import tariff revenues and could fluctuate higher or lower, according to Susan Olsen, who coordinates the Saltonstall-Kennedy program within NOAA’s Gloucester-based Greater Atlantic Region.

“It has the opportunity to grow or shrink, but based on our estimates, the $10 million figure was reasonable,” Olsen said.

In 2016, NOAA Fisheries recommended $11 million in funding for 50 projects nationally, which was about $1 million more than the agency initially said it expected to distribute as part of the grants program. Neither of the two applicants from Cape Ann — Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute and the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund — made the final cut for funding in 2016.

This year’s application process includes changes from years past that NOAA Fisheries said “will help applicants sharpen their submissions for greater success.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

JOHN BULLARD: Fishermen part of grant process

July 12, 2016 — I need to respond to Mr. Parisi’s June 28 letter expressing concern that academics receive the majority Saltonstall-Kennedy (SK) Grant Program funding, leaving a limited amount for local fishermen.

First, I would like to point out that competition for limited 2016 Saltonstall-Kennedy funds was stiff. Requests for SK funds always far exceed the resources available, and 2016 was no different. In 2016, $11 million was available for SK grants, but requests for funding exceeded $75 million. Of the 50 projects selected nationally, 22 projects were from our Greater Atlantic Region, totaling $4.6 million.

While it is true that few fishermen submit applications by themselves to this highly competitive program, this does not mean that they and other fishing industry representatives are not involved. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Frequently they are partners in grant applications. Grants funded through the SK program are provided to a wide variety of applicants working to address the needs of fishing communities, support economic opportunities along our coasts, and build and maintain resilient and sustainable fisheries.

Read the full letter at the Gloucester Times

Carlos Rafael’s Trial Puts One-Fifth of New Bedford’s Fishing Fleet, $80 Million in Permits at Stake

June 27, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Indicted fishing magnate Carlos Rafael controls nearly one-fifth of the harbor’s commercial fleet and had permits worth about $80 million last year, according to public records and local interviews.

He also has a fondness for Greek mythology.

Commercial fishing boats named Zeus, Hera, Hera II, Apollo, Athena, Poseidon, Hercules and Titan all are part of Rafael’s fleet. Many of his boats are painted with distinctive green-and-white coloring that makes them easily recognizable on local docks, such as Leonard’s Wharf, where the Sasha Lee – named after one of his daughters – and other of his vessels often float, behind the Waterfront Grille.

Boat names also honor Rafael’s native Portugal, and Cape Verde to the south. Those vessels include the Ilha Brava, after Brava Island in Cape Verde; Açores, for the Azores archipelago; Perola do Corvo, or “Pearl of Corvo,” after the smallest island in the Azores; Ilha do Corvo, for that island itself; and others.

The size and scope of Rafael’s fishing business indicate a significant chunk of New Bedford’s waterfront economy could be at stake should Rafael stand trial in January 2017. He faces federal charges tied to an alleged, multi-year scheme involving illegally caught fish, bags of cash from a wholesale buyer in New York City and a smuggling operation to Portugal, via Logan International Airport in Boston.

An initial survey of Rafael’s fishing permits, vessels and the corporations behind them, along with local data and interviews, provides a glimpse into an operation that has become a flashpoint for broader debates about industry regulation and oversight.

According to 2016 vessel permit data from NOAA Fisheries, for its Greater Atlantic Region, Rafael and his wife, Conceicao Rafael, control at least 36 local vessels with commercial fishing permits this year. Those vessels include a handful of skiffs or smaller boats, but all have permits for at least 10 species of fish, ranging from American lobster to Atlantic deep sea red crab, surf clam, monkfish and more.

Twelve of the Rafaels’ local vessels have high-value, limited-access scallop permits, according to the data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The values of those permits amount to tens of millions of dollars, making their future a vital question for the waterfront.

Rafael, a 64-year-old Dartmouth resident, faces 27 counts on federal charges including conspiracy, false entries and bulk cash smuggling, according to his indictment, filed last month.

Nothing about his trial next year is certain, including outcomes or penalties. Whether the waterfront could face the loss or seizure of any of Rafael’s boats, permits or properties is an open question, and will remain so until the case is resolved. Even whether the case actually goes to trial is uncertain, to a degree.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

NOAA Fisheries Announces Proposed Rules for Northeast Skate Fishery

June 6, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region:

Today, NOAA Fisheries proposes, and opens for public comments, new management measures for the northeast skate fishery.

These were developed through Framework Adjustment 3 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan at the recommendation of the New England Fishery Management Council.

The proposed measures are:

New quotas for the skate wing (8,372 mt) and bait (4,218 mt) fisheries for the 2016 and 2017.
All skate trip limits are proposed to remain unchanged from current levels.
Splitting the skate wing fishery quota into two seasons (May through August and September through April) to allow the directed fishery to be temporarily closed in-season if the seasonal quota is reached.

Read the proposed rule as filed in the Federal Register.

The comment period is open until 5pm on June 21.

Please submit your comments online or by mailing them to:

John Bullard, Regional Administrator

NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region

55 Great Republic Drive

Gloucester, MA 01930

Please mark the outside of the envelope “Comments on Northeast Skate Fishery Proposed Rule.”

NOAA announces more than $11 million in grants

June 3, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

Today, NOAA is recommending more than $11 million in funding for 50 projects across the nation.

Of the 50 projects selected nationally, 22 projects are in the Greater Atlantic Region requesting over $4.6 million in federal support.

The list of recommended projects are in the Greater Atlantic Region is now available. Read summaries of work to be performed under these recommended projects.

For more than 60 years, NOAA has awarded grant funding under the Saltonstall-Kennedy program to organizations across the country. Funds address needs of fishing communities, support economic opportunities, and build and maintain resilient and sustainable fisheries.

“These projects represent the best in cutting-edge science and research,” said NOAA administrator Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D. “They will help us better understand fish ecosystems, reduce bycatch, advance fish farming and improve fisheries management. All of these things help restore our fisheries and support economic growth.”

Demand for information, data, service and funding from federal agencies continues to grow. This year, NOAA received a record number of proposals—325 applications requesting nearly $77 million. In order to better match research and development proposals with mission needs and goals, this year’s recommended projects fall into seven priorities:

Aquaculture
Techniques to reduce bycatch
Adaptation to long-term climate and ecosystem change
Socio-economic research
Fishery data collection
Promotion, development and marketing
Science in U.S. territories

“NOAA continues to work with researchers, the fishing industry, coastal communities, and other stakeholders to build sustainable fisheries and we will continue to fund opportunities like these that help to preserve our ocean for future generations,” said Sullivan.

Proposals underwent a rigorous evaluation process, including extensive technical review both within the agency and by an external constituent panel before final agency review.

At this point in the selection process, the application approval and recommended funding is not final. Divisions of NOAA and the Department of Commerce, NOAA’s parent agency, must still give final approval before successful applicants receive funding near the end of the fiscal year.

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Feedback with Communications Survey

March 3, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is conducting a survey of our commercial and recreational fishing industry stakeholders in the Greater Atlantic Region to gain a better understanding of your communications needs.

From March 1 to March 30, the survey will be available on our website. It should take you only 5-10 minutes to complete.

Our goal in conducting this survey is to help ensure the fishing industry is informed about the actions we take that may affect you and your businesses. We want to make sure that you get the timely and accurate information you need to go fishing or plan your business activities.

If you have any questions, please contact Allison Ferreira of the Stakeholder Engagement Division at 978-281-9103 or allison.ferreira@noaa.gov.

Habitat Designation Key to Right Whale Recovery

February 2,2016— There is reason to be optimistic that the recent move by the federal government to expand the protected habitat of the North Atlantic right whale will protect the endangered species without harming its equally at-risk ocean neighbor, the commercial fishing industry.

The mammals and fishermen have historically been at cross purposes. The whales were given their name because they were the “right” whale to kill, thanks to their proximity to shore and the fact that they floated when dead, allowing them to be easily towed behind a whaler. The modern fishing industry no longer targets the whales, of course, but the mammals can get tangled in lost or discarded fishing line and gear, which often leads to their death.

Commercial whaling decimated the once-thriving right whale species in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Just a few decades ago, only 300 or so remained. Over the last three decades, however, conservation efforts have brought the number to around 500.

“We have made progress,” David Gouveia, the marine mammal and sea turtle conservation coordinator for the Greater Atlantic Region of the National Marine Fisheries Service, told the Associated Press. “We are on a positive trajectory but there is still plenty of work to be done.”

Last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced it was expanding its list of right whale habitat, adding calving grounds off the coast of the Carolinas and feeding grounds off New England. The move designates more than 30,000 square nautical miles as critical.

The designation, set to go into effect at the end of the month, means projects that require federal permits — such as dredging or building oil rigs or wind farms — will now be measured at least in part on how they affect the whales’ habitat.

“It’s a very important move,” Charles “Stormy” Mayo, director of right whale habitat studies at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, told the Boston Globe. “It’s pretty tough to put a small box around a wild animal, especially a whale that travels many thousands of miles each year of its life. … What we have here is an adjustment that recognizes the wide use of the environment that supports these whales.”

The measure is not expected to affect fishing or lobstering operations. Both industries have scrapped with the federal government in the past over how best to help the whales rebound while keeping hundreds of small businesses afloat. Those negotiations have often been complicated by lawsuits from environmental groups looking to force a solution, generally at the expense of fishermen.

“It’s a very real fear among the fishing industry,” Patrice McCarron of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association told the Bangor Daily News. “The right whale issue has been a very litigious issue — period.”

Read the full editorial at Gloucester Daily Times

NOAA Fisheries Awards More Than $2.5 million for Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program

October 1, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has awarded more than $2.5 million in grants to 16 projects under our Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program.

Working side-by-side with fishermen on their boats, NOAA Fisheries has developed solutions to some of the top bycatch challenges facing our nation’s fisheries.

As just one piece of NOAA Fisheries’ larger national strategy, the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program helps identify and foster the development of innovative technological solutions to increase collaborative research and partnerships for innovation.

NOAA Fisheries is proud to continue to partner with fishery managers, the fishing industry, and the environmental community to avoid and minimize bycatch.

In the Greater Atlantic Region, four projects received grants:

University of New England

Project Title: Quantifying and reducing post-release mortality for dusky sharks discarded in the commercial pelagic longline fishery

The Research Foundation for the State University of New York

Project Title: Development of an Analytical Tool to Allow Fishermen to Reduce Bycatch of Short-Finned Pilot Whales in the Mid-Atlantic Bight

New England Aquarium Corporation

Project Title: Identifying bottom trawl bycatch hotspots and capture-and-handling practices to reduce the incidental mortality of an overfished Species of Concern

— the Thorny Skate — in the Gulf of Maine

University of New England

Project Title: Determining the post-release mortality rate and best capture-and-handling methods for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) discarded in Gulf of Maine lobster industry

Visit our website to learn more about the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program and our other bycatch efforts.

Questions? Contact Kris Gamble, NOAA Fisheries Office of Sustainable Fisheries, at 301-427-8509 or Kris.Gamble@noaa.gov.

Introduced in November 2014, the BREP grant-funded collapsable-wing pot allows West Coast fishermen to catch lingcod, but exclude protected Pacific rockfish. Credit: NOAA