Saving Seafood

New advisors for NOAA marine fisheries

April 13, 2022 — Seven new members from fisheries and environmental groups were recently appointed to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee.

The new appointments by Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo brings the panel up to its full complement of 21 members, who advise the Department of Commerce and NOAA on living marine resources.

The seven new members are:

• Natasha Hayden, Kodiak, Alaska: Vice President of Lands & Natural Resources, Afognak Native Corporation

• Meredith Moore, Washington, D.C.: Director, Fish Conservation Program, Ocean Conservancy

• Linda O’Dierno, Somers, N.Y.: Fish and seafood development specialist

• Jocelyn Runnebaum, Ph.D., Bath, Maine: Fisheries Project Manager, Nature Conservancy

• Sarah Schumann, Warren, R.I.: Owner/principal, Shining Sea Fisheries Consulting, LLC

• Clayward Tam, Kailua, Hawaii: Cooperative Fisheries Research Coordinator, Pacific Islands Fisheries Group

• Brett Veerhusen, Seattle, Wash.: Principal, Ocean Strategies, Inc.

“These new members have such a rich and diverse background working across a wide range of fisheries, seafood, and marine resource issues,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Nominations Sought for Positions on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee

June 17, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is seeking nominations to fill vacancies on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee. MAFAC advises the Secretary of Commerce on all living marine resource matters that are the responsibility of the Department of Commerce. The Committee researches, evaluates, and provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary and NOAA on the development and implementation of agency policies that address science and regulatory programs critical to the mission and goals of the NOAA Fisheries Service.

MAFAC members are highly qualified, diverse individuals with experience across the wide spectrum of:

  • Commercial, recreational, aquaculture, and subsistence fisheries
  • Seafood industry, including processing, marketing, working waterfronts, and restaurants
  • Marine, ecosystems, or protected resources management and conservation
  • Human dimensions or social sciences associated with living marine resources.

Members may be associated with tribes and indigenous peoples, environmental organizations, academia, consumer groups, and other marine life interest groups.

Nominees should possess demonstrable expertise in one of these areas. They must also be able to fulfill the time commitments required for two in-person annual meetings, one to two virtual meetings, and between-meeting subcommittee work. Membership is balanced geographically across states and territories, ethnically, and on the basis of gender, in addition to the range of expertise and interests listed. Individuals serve for a term of 3 years and may serve a second consecutive term, if re-appointed.

Read the full release here

Reports raise questions regarding impact of offshore wind on seafood industry

August 4, 2020 — A pair of new reports from NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) and the Science Center for Marine Fisheries  has raised more questions about how big offshore wind projects – planned for areas of water off the coast of New England in the Northeast U.S. – will impacts the fishing industry in the region.

The science center report calls into question the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s investigations of wind energy impacts on seafood, particularly the supplement to the draft environmental impact statement (SEIS) that the bureau released on June. That supplement was intended to examine all of the potential impacts wind energy development – both current and future – could have on the surrounding area.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NOAA Committee: Public Engagement on Wind Development ‘Not Sufficient’; Reforms Needed

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — July 30, 2020 — NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) has offered new recommendations to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on how to improve community engagement and address other long-terms potential impacts of offshore wind development. The recommendations come as the MAFAC, which regularly provides advice to the Secretary of Commerce on marine issues, has raised concerns about the “rapid pace” of development and questions about its long-term consequences.

In its report, the MAFAC calls for, among other changes, the offshore wind development process to be reformed to allow for early, meaningful engagement from fishermen and affected communities; greater analysis of the long-term impact of wind energy projects on fish species and marine environments; and additional funding for scientific research on wind projects and surrounding habitats.

“The Committee’s work demonstrates clearly the urgent need to address the issues that have resulted from the rapid expansion of offshore wind energy development on the East Coast, and the reality that the federal government’s BOEM has initiated planning for a similar scale of development on the West Coast, Hawaii, and the Gulf of Mexico,” said MAFAC Committee Co-Chair Peter Moore, a former commercial fisherman and marine fisheries consultant. “We’re hopeful that Commerce Department leadership will closely follow the recommendations and will continue to be responsive to the needs of fishermen and coastal communities.”

The MAFAC has been developing these recommendations since last year, when a working group was formed in spring 2019 following concerns from affected groups that offshore development was moving too quickly, and that the views of coastal communities were being left out of the process. The Committee had earlier expressed its concerns in a November 2019 letter to Secretary Ross. The new report expands on these concerns and offers ways to address them in future wind development projects.

The report notes that offshore wind is poised for a massive expansion: 10 percent of the offshore shelf from Massachusetts to North Carolina is currently under some stage of consideration for development. Citing this potential expansion, MAFAC writes that they are concerned that development is “racing forward” without addressing critical scientific, economic, and engagement issues.

Among these issues is how the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and other agencies deal with public engagement. The MAFAC report states current engagement efforts “have not been sufficient” in engaging fishermen and other ocean users, and as a result there is “distrust and anger based on a perceived lack of transparency and input into the planning process.”

“After months of work and research we came to the conclusion that most of the fishing industry impacted felt left out of the process, and their concerns were not being addressed. This has the potential to greatly diminish fishery revenues, and the impacts to ecosystems and habitat remains a big question,” said Mike Okoniewski, the West Coast co-chair on the MAFAC Offshore Wind Ad Hoc Working Group. “We do not wish to lose our sustainable fisheries to another sustainable resource. Nor do we want to see these projects take place without a transparent and comprehensive environmental scoping.”

Lack of information on the long-term effects of wind energy construction is another key issue highlighted in the report. Officials need a better understanding of how wind projects affect habitats, what changes will need to be made to scientific surveys to account for wind energy construction, and the cumulative impact that the construction will have on the marine environment.

“Like a pebble in a pond, these impacts are likely to ripple throughout the ecosystem and affect the lives and livelihoods of all ocean users,” the report states.

The report also raises concerns about how expanding wind energy will impact NOAA’s ability to conduct scientific surveys. Construction will potentially impact how current surveys are conducted, which may increase uncertainty in the assessment results and impact how quotas are set.

This will also create the need for new surveys to make sure that wind projects are developed appropriately and their potential impacts are measured, increasing the amount of resources that NOAA scientists and personnel need to dedicate to wind-related issues. The report labels this a “multi order-of-magnitude increase of demand on the agency’s resource base,” and warns that an increase in funding and available resources will be needed.

The full report, including all of the MAFAC’s recommendations, is available here.

 

Momentum building for a National Seafood Council resurrection

May 27, 2020 — Just over one year ago, the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee held a panel discussing the idea of reviving a dormant portion of the U.S. Fish and Seafood Promotion Act that would establish a National Seafood Council.

The act was put in place back in 1986, with the intention of promoting domestically harvested seafood in the U.S. It established the National Seafood Council in 1987, an entity that ran for five years before it dissolved. Hampered by a low budget, the council was, in some senses, doomed from the start.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Secretary of Commerce Appoints Three New Committee Members to NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee

May 3, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has appointed three new advisors to NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, bringing the group’s membership to the full complement of 21. Terms for the three members commence immediately. The Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, or MAFAC, advises the Secretary of Commerce and NOAA on all living marine resource matters that are the responsibility of the Department of Commerce. These three individuals were chosen from a pool of highly qualified applicants who submitted nomination packages during an open, publicly announced process. A nomination process is announced when vacancies occur.

MAFAC members draw on their expertise to evaluate and make recommendations on national living marine resources policies.  The members represent a wide spectrum of fishing, aquaculture, protected resources, environmental, academic, tribal, state, consumer, and other related national interests from across the U.S., and ensure the nation’s living marine resource policies and programs meet the needs of these stakeholders.

The three new members are:

  • Thomas Fote, Toms River, New Jersey
    Retired veteran and longtime recreational fisherman advocate         
  • Don McMahan, Pensacola, Florida
    Owner, Pensacola Bay Oyster Company, LL, and Pensacola Bay Oyster Hatchery, LLC  
  • Patrick Sullivan, PhD, Ithaca, New York
    Professor and Chair, Department of Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University

MAFAC provides advice and recommendations on NOAA and Department initiatives and programs. MAFAC recently identified priority initiatives for incoming NOAA and Commerce leaders to improve seafood businesses and trade, support recreational opportunities, strengthen science and fishery data, enable adaptive management, and recover protected species.

In recent years, MAFAC has also provided advice and input on:

  • Enhancing seafood production and promotion, and identified major challenges to healthy oceans and thriving industries that need addressing.
  • The NOAA Aquaculture Strategic Plan for 2016-2020, highlighting the need to substantially increase domestic aquaculture production, and supported the development of an effective national aquaculture initiative.
  • Implementation of the Recreational Fisheries Policy.
  • Improving species recovery and section 7 pre-consultation processes;
  • How NOAA can best meet resource, habitat, and socio-economic resilience needs of fishing communities and sectors, particularly in a changing climate.
  • Long term salmon and steelhead conservation and recovery through its Columbia Basin Partnership Task Force.

For more information about the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, visit this web page.

Read the full release here

Selling more seafood: Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee floats idea of national seafood marketing effort for US

May 1, 2019 — Over 30 years ago, in 1986, the U.S. Fish and Seafood Promotion Act was enacted to do exactly what its title implies: Promote the consumption of the country’s domestically harvested seafood by establishing Seafood Marketing Councils.

Soon after U.S. Congress enacted it, a National Seafood Council was established in 1987. The council ran for five years, before desolving at the end of its funding cycle. While a few marketing efforts it pursued may have gained some attention – some still recall the “Sturgeon General” – a relatively low budget kept the council from ever realizing its potential.

Now, a panel discussion at a Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee meeting has brought the concept of a national seafood marketing effort, funded by the industry and assisted through partnerships with the federal government, back.

The concept of an industry-funded marketing service isn’t new, said Megan Davis, the MAFAC council member who has led the investigation into whether a national seafood board is feasible. Other similar food-related industries already have established marketing efforts.

“The agriculture marketing service is 100 percent supported by industry, and they have what they call 22 check-off programs,” Davis said. Those programs cover everything from dairy, to beef, to popcorn; are supported by industry funding; and have budgets of millions of dollars.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NOAA Fisheries Seeking Nominations for Committee

November 26, 2018 — HYANNIS, MASS. – NOAA Fisheries is accepting nominations to fill vacant positions on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC).

The committee advises the Secretary of Commerce and NOAA on developing and implementing regulations, policies and programs critical to the mission and goals of the NOAA Fisheries Service.

Committee members represent commercial, recreational, subsistence, and aquaculture fisheries interests; tribes; seafood industry; protected resources and habitat interests; environmental organizations; academic institutions; consumer groups; and other living marine resource interest groups.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

Nominations Sought for Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee

October 17, 2017 — The following was released by the NOAA Fisheries 

Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee nominations accepted through November 27, 2017.

NOAA Fisheries is seeking nominations to fill current and pending vacancies on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) due to term limits. MAFAC advises the Secretary of Commerce on all living marine resource matters that are the responsibility of the Department of Commerce. The Committee draws on its members’ expertise and other sources to evaluate and make recommendations to the Secretary and NOAA on the development and implementation of agency regulations, policies, and programs critical to the mission and goals of NOAA Fisheries.

MAFAC members represent the wide spectrum of commercial, recreational, subsistence, and aquaculture fisheries interests; tribes; seafood industry; protected resources and habitat interests; environmental organizations; academic institutions; consumer groups; and other living marine resource interest groups.

Nominees should possess demonstrable expertise in one of these fields and be able to fulfill the time commitments required for two in-person annual meetings and between-meeting subcommittee work. Membership is balanced geographically across states and territories, ethnically, and on the basis of gender, in addition to the range of expertise and interests listed. Individuals serve for a term of three years. Members may serve a second consecutive term, if re-appointed.

A MAFAC member cannot be a federal employee, a member of a Regional Fishery Management Council, a registered federal lobbyist, or a state employee.  Membership is voluntary, and except for reimbursable travel and related expenses, service is without pay. The committee functions solely as an advisory body (complying fully with the Federal Advisory Committee Act) that reports to the Secretary.

Full nomination instructions and guidelines are described in this Federal Register notice.

For questions or more information, please contact Jennifer Lukens, Executive Director of MAFAC, jennifer.lukens@noaa.gov or Heidi Lovett, heidi.lovett@noaa.gov.

RESPONSES NEEDED: MAFAC Survey on Fisheries & Aquaculture Climate Requirements

October 31, 2016 — The following was released by the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee and is being distributed by Saving Seafood at the request of an MAFAC member:

The Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) is conducting a short survey, and feedback from stakeholders interested in fisheries and aquaculture and others is important!  MAFAC needs your help.

The purpose of this survey is to help us learn more about the information resources fishery stakeholders need and use regarding the effects of large-scale environmental change on fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal communities.  This is a voluntary survey.

This survey includes 14 questions and will take about 10 minutes to complete. We would like to hear from stakeholders about the types of information resources they need and use, the leaders they trust, and what information formats they find useful.  MAFAC will use the information gathered in this survey to formulate recommendations for NOAA regarding the information needs of stakeholders, how NOAA communicates with stakeholders, and which tools or methods are most useful.  If you have a question about the survey or how the information will be used, you can contact MAFAC.info@noaa.gov.

Please fill out this survey and share the survey link with other stakeholders.  It will be open until Friday, November 25, 2016. The survey can be found here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MAFACresilience

Thank you!