Janice Plante Archives - Page 4 of 5

New England fishing panel votes to protect more sea corals

January 31, 2018 — New England fishing officials approved a proposal Tuesday aimed at protecting large swaths of deep-sea corals in the Atlantic from harmful fishing gear.

The New England Fishery Management Council approved the protection of deep-sea corals located in more than 25,000 square-miles located south of Georges Bank, an area that includes four seamounts and 20 deep-sea canyons, said Janice Plante, a spokeswoman for the council.

The council, which met in Portsmouth, N.H., is charged with managing fishery resources from 3 to 200 miles off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

If the measure is implemented, the entire zone would be closed to nearly all bottom-tending fishing gear, which includes trawls, dredges, traps, and gillnets, with one exception. The council allowed an exemption for the Atlantic deep-sea red crab pot fishery, said Plante.

The council had already adopted coral protection zones for the Gulf of Maine last June.

Now, the National Marine Fisheries Service will review the proposed coral protection zones in the Gulf of Maine and the area south of Georges Bank. The service still has to approve and implement the coral protection proposal, a process that could take several months.

“Given the ecological importance and vulnerability of corals, the overarching objective of this amendment is to identify and protect deep-sea corals in the New England region,” said Plante in a statement. “The council’s desire is to balance coral conservation with commercial fishing usage of coral management zones.”

The moves would help “freeze the footprint of destructive fishing as well as protect deep-sea coral areas from current fishing efforts,” according to a statement from the conservation group Oceana.

Read the full story at the Boston Globe

Council to talk deep-sea coral, at-sea monitors

January 23, 2018 — The New England Fishery Management Council kicks off its 2018 calendar with meetings in New Hampshire on the final two days of January that will include discussions on its deep-sea coral amendment and industry-funded at-sea monitoring.

The latter, however, will come with a twist.

The discussion on mandated industry-funded monitoring, set as the second agenda item for the first day of meetings on Jan. 30, is expected to include an update on electronic monitoring projects aboard midwater trawl vessels in the region’s herring and mackerel fisheries.

On the same day in the hotel, NOAA Fisheries — with the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center — will hold a free monitoring service provider vendor show to give fishermen and stakeholders the opportunity to meet and question vendors providing monitoring services.

“This is a great opportunity for herring and groundfish fishermen in particular to interact one-on-one with all of these providers,” said Janice Plante, a council spokeswoman.

Herring fishermen, she said, will be subject to new monitoring requirements under the industry-funded monitoring omnibus amendment and groundfishermen may see new monitoring requirements in the groundfish monitoring amendment currently before the council.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

NEFMC SSC Webinar, Monday, December 18, 2017 regarding Atlantic halibut

December 13, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet via webinar on Monday, December 18, 2017 to address Atlantic halibut issues. The public is invited to listen via webinar or telephone. Here are the details.

START TIME: 1:30 p.m.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION: Online access to the meeting will be available at:

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1474214582272609539.

There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

CALL-IN OPTION: To listen by telephone, dial +1 (213) 929-4212.

The access code is 823-584-672.

Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA: The SSC will (1) review the 2017 Plan B Operational Assessment for Atlantic halibut and the work provided by the SSC sub-panel review team and Groundfish Plan Development Team; and (2) recommend the Atlantic halibut overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) for fishing years 2018, 2019, and 2020, taking into account the Council’s Risk Policy Statement. The Risk Policy Statement begins on page 4 of the Risk Policy Road Map.

MATERIALS: Meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at SSC December 18, 2017 documents.

FRIENDLY REMINDER: Please be sure to mute your phone when joining the call to avoid interference with the SSC discussion.

QUESTIONS: Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492 ext. 106, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

For more details about the webinar click here.

NEFMC SSC Meeting, October 12, 2017, Live Streaming Information

October 4, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet on Thursday, October 12, 2017. The public is invited to listen via webinar or telephone. Here are the details.

MEETING LOCATION: Hilton Garden Inn, Boston Logan Airport, 100 Boardman Street, Boston, MA. Hotel information is available here.

START TIME: 10:00 a.m.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION: Online access to the meeting will be available at: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3726401422414349827.

There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

CALL-IN OPTION: To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8321.

The access code is 818-682-657.

Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA: The SSC will (1) review information provided by the Council’s Scallop Plan Development Team (PDT) and recommend overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) levels for Atlantic sea scallops for fishing year 2018, as well as default OFL and ABC levels for 2019; (2) review information provided by the Council’s Whiting PDT and recommend OFLs and ABCs for the northern and southern stocks of silver hake and, separately, for red hake for fishing years 2018-2020; and (3) discuss other business as necessary.

MATERIALS: Meeting materials, as they become available, will be posted on the Council’s website at SSC October 12, 2017 documents.

QUESTIONS: Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492 ext. 106, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

New England Council Seeks Applicants for Scallop Advisory Panel Vacany

August 11, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is soliciting applications to fill a vacancy on its Scallop Advisory Panel. The application deadline is Tuesday, September 12, 2017.

PURPOSE: The Scallop Advisory Panel provides information and guidance to the Council and its Scallop Committee on scallop management actions and fishery-related issues. Visit the Council’s scallop webpage at http://www.nefmc.org/management-plans/scallops.

NOTE: This solicitation notice is related to a recent vacancy. Anyone who applied to serve as a scallop advisor within the past year need not reapply if the original application form does not need to be updated. The appointed advisor will serve through 2020.

APPLICATION FORMS: Copies of the solicitation announcement, application form, and advisory panel policy can be found at http://www.nefmc.org/news/scallop-advisory-panel-vacancy-announcement.

DEADLINE: Completed application forms must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 12, 2017. Paper forms should be mailed to: Tom Nies, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. Faxed copies can be sent to (978) 465-3116. Electronic copies can be emailed to Joan O’Leary at joleary@nefmc.org.

QUESTIONS: For more information, call or email Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

Shuckin’ and thrivin’: Scallop futures in the Gulf of Maine

March 2, 2017 — The niche northern Gulf of Maine scallop fleet brought its territory back from the brink and now hopes to keep it that way.

New England’s small-boat scallopers are not just diving and dragging for their catch. They’re driving to change the way it’s managed.

“My biggest worry is that we just have a fishery to work on,” says Kristan Porter, 46, a scallop fisherman and advisory panel member from Cutler, Maine.

In Maine, the state scallop season opens in the early winter, on or around Dec. 1, and typically stays open through March. Just outside the three-mile line is the federal northern Gulf of Maine scallop fishery, which is managed by the New England Fishery Management Council and extends about halfway down the coast of Massachusetts. The territory is vast, but the productive areas are small compared to the prolific array of scallop grounds to the south.

“If we manage our fishery correctly here [in Maine state lines], then those scallops will work their way outside the 3-mile line,” says Porter, who drags for scallops on the 40-foot Brandon Jay.

The sector was established when the New England Fishery Management Council adopted Amendment 11 to the Atlantic sea scallop fishery management plan, effective June 1, 2008, initially creating two federal permits — IFQs and limited access days at sea.

“We had a bunch of people from Maine who didn’t qualify at all. So they created this northern Gulf of Maine permit,” says Mary Beth Tooley, at an at-large member of the council and the chairwoman of the scallop advisory panel.

In New England, the IFQ and days at sea (limited access) fleets historically fished Georges Bank and down to the Mid-Atlantic on scallop grounds that had been rebounding since 2004, with more areas being opened thanks to video mapping that showed they were burgeoning with biomass and healthy enough for a directed fishery. Since then, the New Bedford fleet’s lucrative landings have kept their home port at the top of the list of the nation’s ports by value.

At the time of the Amendment 11 adoption, the northern Gulf of Maine territory was not worth much. But those few fishermen with history in the area believed they might be able to bring it back with good stewardship. They asked for and were granted a low hard TAC of 70,000 pounds (compared with a fleetwide limit of about 40 million pounds) with a limit of 200 pounds a day and a 10-1/2-foot dredge.

“The people who have traditionally fished there, they want it to stay carefully managed,” says Janice Plante, public affairs officer for the New England council.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Overfished halibut under scrutiny as catch increases

December 13th, 2016 — Federal fishing regulators say they are looking to change the way they manage Atlantic halibut in the wake of a surge in catch of the fish.

The government lists Atlantic halibut as “overfished” and conservationists want to protect it. But many fishermen say the catch is up because the stock has been rebuilt over recent years.

East Coast fishermen caught more than 215,000 pounds of Atlantic halibut in 2015 in the most productive year of fishing for the flatfish since 1972. Catch of the fish in nearshore Maine waters is helping drive the increase, regulators say.

The regulatory New England Fishery Management Council decided last month to review management of halibut, which is popular with diners and chefs for its thick, meaty steaks. Exactly what form regulation changes could take isn’t yet known.

“We’ve identified that this is an issue, and this will be a priority for 2017,” said Janice Plante, a spokeswoman for the council.

The council has also asked that Maine’s state fishing managers adjust the way they oversee halibut. Part of the issue is that if fishermen exceed their quota for the fish, it can trigger restrictions on fishing that impact fishermen who operate in federal waters. About 40 percent of the halibut catch for the 2015 fishing year was taken in state waters, mostly in Maine.

Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, said Maine should consider limiting the amount of halibut fishing in state waters. Otherwise, federal fishermen will be negatively affected by the surge in state catch, he said.

Read the full story at The Gloucester Times

Overfished halibut under scrutiny as catch increases

December 12th, 2016 — Federal fishing regulators say they are looking to change the way they manage Atlantic halibut in the wake of a surge in catch of the fish.

The government lists Atlantic halibut as “overfished” and conservationists want to protect it. But many fishermen say the catch is up because the stock has been rebuilt over recent years.

“We’ve identified that this is an issue, and this will be a priority for 2017,” Janice Plante, a spokeswoman for the council, said.

Read the full story at The New Bedford Standard-Times

Atlantic Herring MSE Workshop – Dec. 7-8

December 5th, 2016 — The following was released by The New England Fishery Management Council:

Dear Interested Parties,

Please note that registration for the The New England Fishery Management Council’s Dec. 7-8 Atlantic Herring Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) Control Rule Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) Workshop is closed. We are at room capacity at the meeting venue.

However, the Council is inviting anyone who wants to listen to the general workshop presentations to participate via webinar or telephone. Small-group break-out discussions will not be broadcasted through the webinar. Here are the details.

MEETING LOCATION: Sheraton Harborside Hotel, 250 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03810. Hotel information is available here.

START TIME: 9:00 a.m.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION: Online access to the meeting will be available at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9126766025519717123

There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

CALL-IN OPTION: To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8422.

The access code is 257-927-141.

Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply, and please be sure to mute your telephone or microphone upon joining the meeting.

MATERIALS: The agenda, a workshop overview, and all meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at Atlantic Herring MSE Workshop.

QUESTIONS: Call Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492 ext. 106 or email her at joleary@nefmc.org. Or contact Janice Plante using the information below.

Janice M. Plante

Public Affairs Officer

New England Fishery Management Council

(607) 592-4817

Email: jplante@nefmc.org

Web: www.nefmc.org

NEFMC Nov. 15-17 Meeting, Live Streaming Information

November 9th, 2016 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting that begins Tuesday, Nov. 15 and runs through Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. The public is invited to listen-in via webinar or telephone. Here are the details.

MEETING LOCATION: Hotel Viking, 1 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840

START TIME: The webinar will be activated at 8 a.m. each day. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and 8:30 p.m. on Thursday. The webinar will end at approximately 6:00 p.m. EST or shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION: Online access to the meeting is available at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5076443364503342594

CALL-IN OPTION: To listen by telephone, dial +1 (631) 992-3221.

The access code is 752-565-833.

Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA: The agenda and all meeting materials are available on the Council’s website at:

http://www.nefmc.org/calendar/november-2016-council-meeting.

THREE MEETING OUTLOOK: A copy of the New England Council’s Three Meeting Outlook is available here.

QUESTIONS: If you have questions prior to or during the meeting, call or email Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

Janice M. Plante

Public Affairs Officer

New England Fishery Management Council

(607) 592-4817

Email: jplante@nefmc.org

Web: www.nefmc.org