Saving Seafood

Gulf menhaden fishery has been confirmed sustainable

October 22, 2024 — The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) released a new report showing that the Gulf menhaden fishery has continued to be harvested sustainably and managed effectively. At its annual meeting this past week, GSMFC approved the 2024 Gulf of Mexico Stock Assessment, which confirmed that the Gulf menhaden stock is neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing.

According to sources, an updated stock assessment hasn’t been completed since 2021, but the newest assessment includes new data from 2021 to 2023. In addition to the conclusion showing no overfishing, the assessment showed positive news for other key metrics of the stock’s health. The spawning stock biomass, which is the combined weight of all fish capable of reproducing, has continued to rise steadily since the 1990s and remains at a sustainable level. The assessment also shared that fishing mortality rates decreased in the 1990s and 2000s and have remained at lower levels.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Latest Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission assessment finds menhaden stock is healthy

October 21, 2024 — The latest stock assessment of menhaden in the Gulf of Mexico has found the species continues to be healthy and is neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing.

The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission released a report at its annual meeting that includes the newest assessment data for the Gulf of Mexico from the years spanning 2021 to 2023. The last assessment in the region was completed in 2021, and the most recent data shows that the spawning stock biomass has increased since then.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Gulf Menhaden Population Confirmed Healthy

October 18, 2024 — The Gulf menhaden fishery continues to be harvesting sustainably and effectively managed, according to a new report by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC). Approved by the GSMFC at its annual meeting this week, the 2024 Update to the Gulf of Mexico Menhaden Stock Assessment once again confirms that the Gulf menhaden stock is neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing.

The updated stock assessment includes new data from 2021 to 2023, the years since the last Gulf menhaden assessment was completed in 2021. In addition to its primary conclusion showing no overfishing, the assessment has positive news for several other key metrics of the stock’s health. Spawning stock biomass (the combined weight of all fish capable of reproducing) has continued to rise steadily since the 1990s and remains at a high, sustainable level. Fishing mortality rates decreased in the 1990s and 2000s and have remained at lower levels ever since.

Read the full article at Seafood News

Update of the Gulf of Mexico Gulf Menhaden Stock Assessment (GDAR03)

October 22, 2021 — The following was released by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida – The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) has completed an update of the stock assessment of the Gulf Menhaden population in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The regional assessment has been completed through the GSMFC’s Gulf Data, Assessment, and Review (GDAR) Program as GDAR03. Each of the five state marine resource agencies provided the necessary data and expertise to develop abundance indices for use in the stock assessment model. This assessment provides an update to the 2018 Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) benchmark for the Gulf of Mexico (SEDAR63). The assessment was updated with recent data from 2018-2020. The final stock assessment report is available on the GSMFC’s website at:

2021 Gulf Menhaden Stock Assessment (GDAR03)

The stock status for the updated assessment remained the same as the stock status from the benchmark assessment (SEDAR63). The assessment indicates that fishing mortality rates decreased during the 1990s and have remained at a low level through today. Additionally, spawning stock biomass (measured as fecundity) has increased steadily since the 1990s and remains at a high level. In summary, the update concludes that the Gulf of Mexico Gulf Menhaden stock is not experiencing overfishing and is not overfished.

LOUISIANA: CARES deadline for fishermen is this week

August 23, 2021 — The application period for CARES relief funds ends next week, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says.

“Just a reminder that the application period for the CARES 2.0 relief funds is open for one more week. LDWF will accept applications through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 29, 2021. A total of $12.4 million is available to Louisiana fishermen and others in the industry who have been financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualified applicants will receive direct aid payments from Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission,” a post from the agency states.

For more information about the program, and to access the application, go to: www.wlf.la.gov/page/cares-act-assistance.

Read the full story at KATC

LOUISIANA: LDWF will begin accepting applications from commercial fishermen for COVID-19 relief funds on Aug. 9

July 28, 2021 — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will soon begin accepting applications for $12.4 million in financial assistance that will be available to Louisiana fishermen and others in the industry who have been financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications for these funds will open at 8 a.m., Monday, August 9.

Applications can only be submitted online. To access the application, please visit www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/cares-act-assistance. The application process will be open for a three-week period. The deadline to submit applications is 11:59 p.m. August 29. Funding allocation has been structured so that ALL applications submitted before the deadline will be considered. The funds, part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CARES 2.0), will be distributed as direct aid payments by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission to those applicants who qualify.

“These federal funds are another step in alleviating some of the financial impacts of the pandemic on our state,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “While we know these funds are not a cure-all, we are grateful for the relief they will provide to our hardworking fishing community.”

Read the full story at WAFB

Engaging Anglers to Improve Catch and Release Practices and Restore Reef Fish in the Gulf

June 14, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA’s Deepwater Horizon restoration partners at the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission selected three new partners to conduct studies on reef fish restoration in the Gulf of Mexico. They were chosen through a competitive process, and the awards total approximately $690,000.

These studies are contributing to a $30 million project to encourage anglers to use fish descending devices. These devices increase survival of reef fish experiencing barotrauma in the Gulf’s recreational fisheries approved by the Deepwater Horizon Open Ocean Trustees.

Barotrauma is damage caused by the rapid expansion of gases in fish that are caught in deeper water and quickly brought up to the surface. As the gases expand, they can damage the eyes, stomach, and other parts of the fish. This makes it difficult for them to swim back down and survive once released. Descending devices help fish by quickly releasing them at their normal depth, reducing the number of reef fish that die from catch and release fishing.

Read the full release here

Additional $255 MIllion in Fisheries Assistance Funding Being Allocated Through CARES Act

March 29, 2021 — Even more funding for fisheries assistance is being made available. NOAA Fisheries announced on Monday that an additional $255 million will be allocated to states and territories with coastal and marine fishery participants who have been negatively affected by COVID-19. The new funding will be provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and will support activities previously authorized under Sec. 12005 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

It’s been a year now since a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package, known as the CARES Act, was passed. For the seafood industry, Section 12005 gave the Department of Commerce the right to provide assistance to fishery participants who had been affected by COVID-19. A total of $300 million was set aside for the fisheries sector, with funds ultimately broken down by state, tribe and territory. NOAA turned to their partners – the Atlantic Marine Fisheries Commission, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission – to disburse the funds. Alaska and Washington came out on top with $50 million each in funding being allocated to them, while Massachusetts landed a little over $28 million and Florida over $23.6 million.

Read the full story at Seafood News

REPORT: Only $16.5 Million in CARES Act Funding Disbursed to Fishery Participants As of October 23

December 3, 2020 — In May 2020 Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the allocation of $300 million in fisheries assistance funding provided by Sec. 12005 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act. We’re less a month away from 2021 … so the funds have all been dispersed, right? Not quite. According to a recent report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), as of October 23, only about $16.5 million of the $300 million has been disbursed.

The CARES Act authorizes the Department of Commerce to provide assistance to eligible tribal, subsistence, commercial and charter fishery participants who have been affected by COVID-19. NOAA turned to their partners—the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission—to disburse the funds. However, before they could begin the payouts, the commissions had to work with the states, tribes and territories to develop spend plans for NOAA’s approval.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Storms extend Louisiana fisheries COVID-19 aid deadline

October 26, 2020 — Damage from Hurricanes Laura and Delta has prompted Louisiana to extend the deadline for fisheries’ workers and businesses to apply for help under a coronavirus pandemic program.

Instead of ending Monday, the application period will now last through Nov. 23, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said in a news release.

“After a closer look at the damage left by hurricanes Laura and Delta to the fishing community, the department wants to ensure that everyone impacted by those hurricanes has ample opportunity to apply,” Secretary Jack Montoucet said.

He said the extension will give those people more time to repair and get services to their homes and to take care of their families’ immediate needs.

The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission has $14.6 million in federal coronavirus relief money for Louisiana’s fishing industry.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at WBRZ