Mid-Atlantic Archives - Page 329 of 338

$1.7 Million Granted for 15 Projects to Improve Coastal Fishing and Access Areas

January 26, 2016—Each year, a portion of money generated through the sales of North Carolina’s coastal recreational fishing licenses is set aside to fund projects to benefit anglers, fish species, and fishing access points. This year, more than $1.7 million will be split between 15 projects.

The money will be used to fund projects across three different focus areas. The People Focus Area is made up of education projects and public water access projects. The Fish Focus Area funds fisheries research projects. Finally, the Habitat Focus Area will pay for projects that protect or enhance the habitat of fish.

The majority of the $1.7 million has been approved for the People Focus Area, which is made up of six different projects to benefit anglers. These total $983,505, and include the following projects, along with the dollar amount set aside for each:

$77,750 has been earmarked for the fourth update and printing of the North Carolina Coastal Recreational Angler’s Guide.

$11,800 will be used to continue funding the Marine Patrol Education Team, providing educational equipment and resources to the N.C. Marine Patrol.

Read the full story at the North Carolina Sportsman

What It’s Like to Be an Oyster Farmer

January 25, 2016— The plot Annie McNamara takes us to first is Skip Bennett’s newest project: He’s growing a crop of oysters here that he calls Aunt Dotties, named for his great aunt, who loved the Red Sox, kept lobster traps well into her 70s, and lived year round (without electricity) in the cottage at Saquish’s very tip—a piece of land that has been in Skip’s family since the 1600s. It’s here that Annie parks the car and we get out. From where we’re standing, we can see Skip several hundred meters out on the mudflats, mucking around in a sweatshirt and rubber waders and picking through large, flat wire cages.

Inside those wire cages are about a million Aunt Dottie oysters. They spend their whole lives there, never touching the mud; in nature, oysters will nestle down, covering and insulating themselves with mud. Of Island Creek’s three oyster crops—Aunt Dottie, Island Creek, and Row 34—only the Island Creeks are grown that way, or “bottom-planted.” (The Row 34s are grown on the same plot of land as the Island Creeks, but using the same “tray” method as the Aunt Dotties.) Here on Saquish, the cages, woolly with seaweed, protect the Aunt Dotties from crabs and birds, and sit in the open air all day until the tide rolls in over them.

Read the full story at Food 52

NOAA Expands Critical Habitat for Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales

January 26, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Using new information not previously available, NOAA Fisheries is expanding critical habitat for endangered North Atlantic right whales to cover its northeast feeding areas in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank region and southeast calving grounds from North Carolina to Florida.

This final rule, which was initially proposed in February 2015 and received 261 general comments over a 60-day comment period, does not include any new restrictions or management measures for commercial fishing operations.

North Atlantic right whale mother and calf. Credit: Christin Khan/NOAA

“With two decades of new information and improved understanding since we first designated critical habitat for the species, we believe the expansion will further protect essential foraging and calving areas to further improve recovery of this animal,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “We’re making significant progress in reversing the population decline of the species, and are seeing signs of recovery – up to about 500 animals from the estimated 300 in 1994. But we still have a long way to get to complete recovery. “This rule is based on 35 years of aircraft and ship borne surveys of right whale distribution, research into foraging and prey availability to better understand right whale movements and life history. Together, these data provide a far more robust understanding of the factors critical to species recovery. Based on this information and public comments, NOAA scientists and managers determined a critical habitat expansion associated with feeding in the North and calving in the South is necessary for species recovery.

Under the Endangered Species Act, critical habitat within the range of the species consists of areas that contain physical or biological features essential to conservation of the species. The new designation does not create preserves or refuges or any other restrictions that directly affect the public. However, federal agencies conducting, funding or permitting activities in these areas, and project proponents that need federal permits or funding for such activities, are required to work with NOAA Fisheries to avoid or reduce impacts on critical habitat.

Figure 1: Comparison of 1994 and 2016 Right Whale Critical Habitat Designations

Read the final rule, along with comments and responses, as filed in the Federal Register this morning.

Read the whole press release on our website.

NOAA Fisheries Announces New Regulations for Snapper-Grouper and Golden Crab in the South Atlantic, and Dolphin and Wahoo in the Atlantic Region

January 25, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

The final rule for the Generic Accountability Measures and Dolphin Allocation Amendment including: Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, Amendment 9 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Golden Crab of the South Atlantic Region, and Amendment 8 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic published in the Federal Registrar on January 22, 2016 (81 FR 3731). Regulations will be effective on February 22, 2016.

The final rule:

Revises commercial and recreational sector allocations, and annual catch limits for dolphin in the South Atlantic. The commercial sector allocation for dolphin will increase from 7.54% to 10%, and the commercial annual catch limit will increase from 1,157,001 to 1,534,485 pounds whole weight. The recreational sector allocation for dolphin will change from 92.46% to 90%, and the annual catch limit will change from 14,187,845 to 13,810,361 pounds whole weight.

Revises the accountability measures for black grouper, mutton snapper, yellowtail snapper, greater amberjack, red porgy, gag, golden tilefish, red grouper, snowy grouper, gray triggerfish, hogfish, scamp, Atlantic spadefish, bar jack, the other snappers complex, the other jacks complex, the other shallow-water grouper complex, the other porgies complex; wreckfish (recreational), and golden crab (commercial).

Accountability measures are ways fishery managers prevent annual catch limits from being exceeded and to correct overages of the catch limits if they do occur. These measures can include in-season closures, and post-season paybacks, such as reducing the length of the next fishing season or reducing the annual catch limit in the next fishing season. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more detailed information on accountability measures for the commercial and recreational sectors.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

For more information on the final rule for the Generic Accountability Measures and Dolphin Allocation Amendment, please follow this link to the Frequently Asked Questions.

Congressman Frank Pallone Calls for Less Restrictive Policies for Summer Flounder and Sea Bass

January 25, 2016 – The following was released by the office of Congressman Frank Pallone:

LONG BRANCH, NJ – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) sent a letter to Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, regarding the Commission’s Draft Addendum XXVII to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. In the letter, Pallone called for fair and less restrictive policies relating to two important fisheries in New Jersey: summer flounder and sea bass.

“My district has thousands of private anglers and attracts individual anglers from all over the nation. These anglers support local small businesses and drive the coastal economy of my home state,” Pallone wrote in the letter. “It is critical for New Jersey to receive fair treatment in the development of restrictions placed on key recreational species.”

Regarding summer flounder, Pallone requested that the Commission enable New Jersey to become its own region and allow anglers to have a more equitable size limit within the Delaware Bay area. With respect to sea bass, he expressed his support for a less restrictive quota than the proposed 23% reduction included in the draft addendum for recreational harvest. He also once again called for more reliable data collection to ensure that recreational anglers in New Jersey and along the Atlantic Coast have fair quotas based on sound science.

Read the full text of the letter here.

NORTH CAROLINA: Fisheries meetings this Monday in New Bern!

January 23, 2016 — The following was released by North Carolina Fisheries Association:

NCFA’s Annual Meeting is this coming Monday, January 25th, at the Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern.

The day’s agenda will include the Bycatch reduction workshop at 10:00, the Southern Shrimp Alliance at 2:00 and our Annual Meeting at 3:00.

At the very top of this note, you will see a link to print out a proxy form if you cannot attend. You can either email the form to David Bush, davidbush@ncfish.org, or fax it to us at 252-633-6233.

NCFA will celebrate its 64th anniversary this summer. I’ve been involved for almost 30 of those years. Every year since 1987, I have heard some fishermen and some dealers complain about what we do or what we don’t do. Some of those criticisms have been valid and some absolute bull. Regardless, there is no doubt that we can learn from those comments to make us more effective.

Some who criticize do it for the right reason and some are just chronic complainers. NCFA gives one vote to each member in good standing regardless of what they do. Our meetings are not closed but open to anyone, although only members in good standing can vote. If you are a regular member in good standing of one of our affiliates, you are automatically a member of NCFA.

We remain in a rebuilding mode at NCFA. We need your help to make that effort successful and once again, ask you to make a very strong attempt to attend the Annual Meeting this Monday. If you cannot, please send in your proxy.

View the Annual Meeting Proxy Form

Removal of derelict fishing gear has major economic impact

January 22, 2016— A new study by researchers at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science shows that removal of derelict fishing gear could generate millions of dollars in extra harvest value for commercial fisheries worldwide.

The study focused on a 6-year, collaborative program to remove derelict crab pots from Chesapeake Bay, showing that the effort generated more than $20 million in harvest value for area watermen.

Extending their methodology to estimate the economic benefits of removing derelict crab pots and lobster traps on a global basis, the researchers showed that removal of even 10% of derelict pots and traps from major crustacean fisheries—the percentage of the Bay’s derelict pots they estimate were removed by the VIMS program—could increase landings by 293,929 metric tons, at a value of $831 million annually.

Read the full story at Phys.org

Blue Fin Tuna, Once Bountiful, Now in Peril, Scientists Say

January 22, 2016 — NEW YORK — When you mention tuna, most minds probably swim to the ubiquitous cans of the fish, or maybe a delectable piece of sashimi decked out with roe and wasabi.

But when Stanford biology professor Barbara Block contemplates tuna, her mind goes to images of bluefin tuna — the massive, speedy fish that regularly traverse oceans in a single year.

“Over a lifetime they might travel tens of thousands of miles,” Block said, flanked by California’s Monterey Bay.

Block is warning that the bluefin, once thought to be incredibly bountiful, is now facing peril because of decades of overfishing.

Read the full story at NBC New York

NORTH CAROLINA: Fishermen meet to determine disbursement procedures

January 21, 2016 — Work will begin today to establish procedures for authorizing the disbursement of money collected through a new state fund created to meet requirements for the protection of sea turtles while also supporting projects that enhance the state’s commercial fishing industry.

The funding committee of the North Carolina Commercial Fishing Resource Fund and a corresponding committee of the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission will hold their first meeting today at 2 p.m. at the division headquarters, 3441 Arendell St. in Morehead City.

Jerry Schill of the North Carolina Fisheries Association said the meeting will be organizational as work begins to establish a Memorandum of Understanding.

“We’re getting together to initiate an MOU that will outline how we go about doing what we’re charged to do,” Schill said.

Specifically, the Memorandum of Understanding will set forth the procedure for authorizing the disbursement of funds from the Commercial Fishing Resource Fund.

Read the full story at Jacksonville Daily News

MAFMC Meeting, February 9-11 in New Bern, North Carolina

January 21, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Double Tree by Hilton New Bern

100 Middle Street

New Bern, NC 28560

Telephone 252-638-3585

Webinar:

For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/february2016/

Briefing Materials:

Briefing materials will be posted on the February 2016 Meeting page as they become available.

Agenda

Tuesday, February 9th

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Executive Committee – CLOSED SESSION

SSC membership and process

10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Collaborative Research Committee

Review and discuss preliminary alternatives for long-term collaborative research

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. Council convenes

1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Unmanaged Forage Fish

Consider comments from the Fishery Management Action Team, Ecosystems and Ocean Planning Advisory Panel, and Ecosystems and Ocean Planning Committee meetings on list of species, management alternatives, and other aspects of the amendment
Review and approve public hearing document

4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. NROC Party/Charter Electronic Reporting Project

George Lapointe

Wednesday, February 10th

9:00 a.m. Council convenes

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management

Review Interactions White Paper Discuss EAFM Guidance Document (First Draft)

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Fisheries Dependent Data Project

Jen Anderson – GARFO

12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m. Ricks E Savage Award

12:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Law Enforcement Report

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Scup Gear Restricted Areas – Framework Meeting 2

Review AP input
Review analysis of impacts
Select final alternative

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Omnibus Industry Funded Monitoring Amendment

Select preferred alternatives for standard cost responsibilities, framework provisions for IFM programs, service provider requirements, a prioritization process to allocate federal funding, and monitoring set-asides

Thursday, February 11th

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Marine Recreational Information Program

Update on implementation activities

9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Naming the Deep Sea Coral Protection Areas

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Business Session

Organization Reports
Liaison Reports
Executive Director’s Report
Science Report
Committee Reports
Continuing and New Business

View a PDF of the Agenda

News for the Mid Atlantic Region