National Marine Sanctuary Archives

American Samoa legislators voice concern over proposal to expand Marine Sanctuary

December 4, 2024 — American Samoa’s Senate President and Speaker of the House wrote in late November on behalf of the Legislature to express to President Joseph R. Biden their concern and opposition to the proposed expansion of the National Marine Sanctuary within the Pacific Remote Islands.

“As you consider potential actions during the concluding months of your administration, we urge you to resist all proposals to create or expand any Marine National Monument within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Western Pacific,” they wrote.

They believe that as ocean ecosystems face increasingly rapid changes, the U.S. fisheries management system — particularly through the oversight of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council — provides a stronger and more enduring framework for sustainable, science-based conservation measures than does the Antiquities Act.

“The Council has effectively managed these natural resources for our region, balancing ecological priorities with the economic needs of the local communities that depend on fishing for survival.”

Read the full story at Samoa News

Biden administration to spend USD 50 million to bolster national marine sanctuary system

August 2, 2023 — The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced USD 50 million (EUR 46 million) in funding for projects designed to improve six national marine sanctuaries.

The funding will be used to expand and upgrade facilities at the sanctuaries, making them more climate resilient and expand their capacity for research and conservation activities.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Amata raises concerns about massive new National Marine Sanctuary

March 27, 2023 — U.S. Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is raising urgent concerns about President Joe Biden’s initiation of an enormous new National Marine Sanctuary or NMS for 777,000 square miles around the Pacific Remote Islands. She questions why the administration made no effort to discuss this issue with the Pacific delegations or to notify them even at the recent IGIA forum that such a drastic change to our way of life was even being considered.

“What changed? Why were we not given the courtesy of a discussion or even advance notice of this policy?” she asked in a letter Thursday to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “I strongly oppose any new National Marine Sanctuary designations in the Pacific, especially ones that are implemented by executive order without consultation with native Samoans and other Pacific Islanders who have cared for and relied on these waters for millennia. This action would destroy American Samoa’s fishing industry, which makes up about 80 percent of our local economy, contribute to regional food insecurity, and do nothing to address the predatory IUU fishing practices of the Chinese Communist Party.”

Presidential proclamations created the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument or PRIMNM initially, then tripled it in size, placing over 495,000 square miles of the Pacific off limits. Now, President Biden is setting in motion yet another huge expansion or new NMS designation to 777,000 square miles, some four times the size of California, a detrimental action to American Samoa and U.S. food security, with the perverse effect of mainly benefiting China’s fishing fleet.

“I also cannot see how destroying the economy of the southern-most U.S. territory and declaring vast sections of the Pacific unfishable for our neighbors in a time of strategic competition with China will help our diplomatic efforts in the region. This action is especially more concerning given that our law enforcement efforts and U.S. Coast Guard presence in the region are limited. This action is tantamount to the federal government tying our hands while CCP fishing vessels rob our house,” Congresswoman Amata said.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NEFMC June 28-30, 2022 Hybrid Meeting – Listen Live, View Documents

June 21, 2022 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day hybrid meeting from Tuesday, June 28 through Thursday, June 30, 2022. This will be an in-person meeting in Portland, ME, coupled with a webinar option for individuals who cannot or prefer not to attend in person.

COVID PROTOCOLS: The Council continues to follow all public safety measures related to COVID-19 and intends to do so for this meeting. Please participate remotely if you are experiencing COVID symptoms or do not feel well. Updates will be posted on the meeting webpage as needed.

START TIME: 9:00 a.m. each day. The webinar will end shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

HUDSON CANYON: Under Other Business on Thursday, June 30, 2022, the Council will receive a presentation from the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries on NOAA’s initiation of the scoping process to consider designating a national marine sanctuary in the Hudson Canyon area. The Council will discuss and approve scoping comments, which are due August 8, 2022.

PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES: The Council wants to hear from you. Here’s how you can let the Council know what you think.

WRITE A LETTER: The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 23, 2022. Please note that written comments mustaddress items listed on the agenda for this meeting.
TALK TO THE COUNCIL: You’ll be able to address the Council directly through two different avenues:

By commenting on motions at the discretion of the Council chair (if commenting remotely, raise your hand on the webinar and unmute yourself when called upon); and
By speaking during the open period for public comment. Here are the Guidelines for Providing Public Comment.

OPEN PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: On Thursday, June 30, 2022 at 2:45 p.m., the Council will offer the public an opportunity to provide comments on issues relevant to Council business but not listed on this agenda. Given the Council’s busy meeting schedule, we ask that you limit remarks to 3-5 minutes.
- SIGN UP: Interested in speaking? If attending in person, fill out the sign-up sheet on the table at the entrance to the Council meeting room. To speak remotely, email Janice Plante at jplante@nefmc.org to get on the list.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION: Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live. There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

Here are instructions in the Remote Participation Guide for successfully joining and participating in the webinar.
THIS IS KEY! If you want to speak during opportunities for public comment, you need to: (1) register for the webinar; and (2) actually “join” the webinar. People who call in by telephone without joining the webinar will be in listen-only mode. Those who take both steps – register and then join the webinar – will see the meeting screen and be able to click on a “raise hand” button, which will let the meeting organizer know you want to be unmuted to speak.
We have a Help Desk in case you get stuck joining the webinar or have trouble along the way. Phone numbers are listed on the Help Desk Poster, or just email helpdesk@nefmc.org and we’ll get right back to you.

CALL-IN OPTION: To listen by telephone without joining the webinar, dial +1 (562) 247-8422. The access code is 308-632-643. Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply. Remember, you will not be able to speak if you do not first join the webinar as described above. This phone number provides a “listen-only” option without the webinar component.

AGENDA: All meeting materials and the agenda are available on the Council’s website at NEFMC June 28-30, 2022 meeting. Additional documents will be posted as they become available.

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

COUNCIL MEETING QUESTIONS: Anyone with questions prior to or during the Council meeting should contact Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

Biden proposes making underwater canyon off New York a marine sanctuary

June 9, 2022 — Long ago, the retreat of ice age glaciers carved one of the largest underwater canyons in the world into the seabed about 100 miles from New York City. Now, hundreds of species live there, including sperm whales, sea turtles and deep-sea corals.

On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced that it intends to designate the area a new national marine sanctuary, which would give it some of the same protections afforded to national parks.

The Hudson Canyon — spanning nearly 7½ miles wide and more than two miles deep in some places — rivals the Grand Canyon in scale. The push to add it to the National Marine Sanctuary System reflects the Biden administration’s broader effort to safeguard critical habitat threatened by development and global warming by conserving 30 percent of the nation’s land and waters by 2030.

“A sanctuary near one of the most densely populated areas of the Northeast U.S. would connect diverse communities across the region to the ocean and the canyon in new and different ways,” Rick Spinrad, who heads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said in a statement. “As someone who grew up in New York City and went on to a career in ocean science, I am excited about how this amazing underwater environment can inspire shared interest in conserving our ocean.”

Read the full story at The Washington Post

Biden pitches Atlantic coast ‘Grand Canyon’ as marine sanctuary

June 8, 2022 — The White House today endorsed designating the Atlantic coast’s largest undersea canyon as one of the nation’s next underwater parks, but stopped short of enacting immediate protections that could guard the “ecological hotspot” from commercial fishing, energy development or other threats.

The Biden administration announced it will begin the process for safeguarding the Hudson Canyon — which sits 100 miles off the coasts of New York and New Jersey and rivals the Grand Canyon in scale — in a series of actions to mark today’s World Oceans Day.

In addition to kicking off the designation of a new national marine sanctuary, the White House vowed to develop a “whole-of-government Ocean Climate Action Plan” on ocean-based climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.

NOAA will oversee the designation process for the Hudson Canyon, which would become part of an existing group of 15 underwater parks that includes both freshwater and ocean sites.

But that process, which includes public comment, the drafting of environmental impact statements and management plans, and potential rulemaking, is not a swift one, with a final decision taking two to three years.

Bob Vanasse, executive director of industry group Saving Seafood, praised the decision to utilize the sanctuaries act rather than take executive action.

“I appreciate that they are using the Marine Sanctuaries Act to do this, which allows input from affected ocean users and will allow for actual science to be considered, which is exactly why we objected to and continue to object to the marine monument designation,” Vanasse said, referring to the ongoing legal battle over the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts site (E&E News PM, Oct. 8, 2021).

Last fall, Biden restored commercial fishing prohibitions to the Atlantic Ocean monument that former President Donald Trump had struck down in 2020.

Read the full story at E&E News

NOAA announces process to designate national marine sanctuary off central California

November 9, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA today announced it is seeking public comment on the first steps toward designating a new national marine sanctuary in a 7,000 square mile area off the central California coast, adjacent to San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

The designation of a Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would protect the region’s important marine ecosystem, maritime heritage resources and cultural values of Indigenous communities, while allowing NOAA to manage compatible uses within its boundaries. The National Marine Sanctuaries Act allows NOAA to designate and protect areas of marine and Great Lakes environments with special national significance.

As directed by President Biden’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, NOAA and other federal agencies seek to take a holistic approach to curbing and building resilience to climate change and its impacts. This includes conserving and restoring ocean and coastal habitats, supporting tribally and locally led stewardship, and advancing offshore wind and other clean energy projects. Advancing both the sanctuary designation process and wind energy development in the area, such as the proposed Morro Bay 399 Area, will demonstrate the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitments to these important and complementary goals.

“This Administration is committed to taking a holistic approach to addressing the climate crisis, said Gina M. Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce. “Together, the Department of Commerce, through NOAA, and the Department of Interior, along with many partners, are increasing resilience by conserving and restoring the natural and cultural resources that benefit our country and our planet; working to reduce emissions by fostering clean energy like offshore wind; and supporting frontline communities by helping them build back smarter and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Proposals like the Chumash Heritage sanctuary and Morro Bay 399 Area are great examples of how we can advance these goals in conjunction with each other.”

“This proposal demonstrates the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to lifting up community-led efforts to conserve our lands and waters and strengthen our economy,” said Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior. “Local voices, Indigenous knowledge, and collaborative stewardship will be integral to our efforts to bolster community resilience, protect our natural resources, and build a clean energy economy.”

“On California’s Central Coast, we have a chance to both harness the wind energy potential of our ocean and better protect the area’s extraordinary natural and cultural heritage,” said Gina McCarthy, National Climate Advisor. “To tackle the climate crisis we must – and we will – move ahead simultaneously with conservation and smartly-sited clean energy production.”

“The recent oil spill in California is a costly and harmful reminder that we need to do more to protect our coastal communities from the threats that our ocean is facing,” said Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “The Chumash Heritage sanctuary proposal and the Morro Bay wind energy area provide an opportunity for communities to help shape how we both protect the region’s extraordinary marine and cultural resources and harness the ocean’s clean energy potential.”

The Northern Chumash Tribal Council (NCTC), led by the late Chief Fred Harvey Collins, nominated the area in 2015offsite link asking NOAA to consider it for sanctuary designation noting that it was an important way to preserve and recognize tribal history, safeguard marine resources, and open new doors for research and economic growth.

The nomination, championed with broad community support, also identifies opportunities for NOAA to expand upon existing local and state efforts to study, interpret, and manage the area’s unique natural and cultural resources. The area encompasses tribal history and an internationally significant ecological transition zone, where cooler, nutrient-rich temperate waters from the north meet warmer waters of the subtropics, providing a haven for marine mammals, invertebrates, sea birds, and fish. It includes kelp forests, vast sandy beaches and coastal dunes, as well as wetlands. These ecosystems serve as nurseries for numerous commercially and recreationally fished species, and critical habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife such as blue whales, the southern sea otter, black abalone, snowy plovers and leatherback sea turtles. In addition, NOAA has documented more than 200 shipwrecks in the area, two of which the agency worked to have listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

NOAA is seeking public comment on a proposed designation that advances NCTC’s nomination, with the nomination’s boundaries adjusted to exclude the area that overlaps with the proposed Morro Bay 399 Area. On May 25, 2021, the Departments of the Interior and Defense, Gina McCarthy, Senior Climate Advisor to the President, and the State of California announced their agreement to identify 399 square miles near Morro Bay for wind energy development, which will contribute to towards the Administration’s goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.

“The proposed sanctuary will recognize and preserve Chumash tribal heritage, protect the area’s rich biodiversity, and build resilience to changing ocean conditions,” said Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA Administrator. “This special section of coast supports a way of life for many communities that rely on commercial fishing and enjoy recreational fishing, kayaking, surfing, diving, and wildlife watching. NOAA heard strong support from tribal leaders, a diverse set of groups, state officials, and several members of the California congressional delegation for moving forward with this proposed national marine sanctuary.”

NOAA requests specific input on the sanctuary name, sanctuary boundary, compatible uses, threats a new sanctuary would address, how best to promote marine science and education initiatives and other topics as described in the Notice of Intent.

The results of the scoping process will assist NOAA with the preparation of draft designation documents, which NOAA will also release for public comment. Multiple steps in the well-established, highly participatory designation process will follow as NOAA continues to determine if final designation is warranted and, if so, what NOAA program and management actions are necessary.

The public can comment on the proposed sanctuary designation until January 10, 2022 through the Federal eRulemaking Portal, www.regulations.gov. The docket number is NOAA-NOS-2021-0080. NOAA will also host virtual public meetings on December 8, December 13, and January 6, during which members of the public can offer oral comments.

A detailed description of the proposed sanctuary, as well as additional information about opportunities to provide comment, can be found at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/Chumash-heritage.

Remote and Vast, Our New Marine Monuments Are Difficult to Protect

November 23, 2016 — Unable to constantly patrol the waters, fishery enforcement agencies need new methods and technologies for monitoring [marine monument] areas.

Just west of the Hawaiian Islands sits one of the largest marine protected areas in the world. In August, President Obama tripled the size of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which now stretches across 582,578 square miles of ocean, an area nearly four times the size of California. The monument is home to colorful coral reefs teeming with marine life and encompasses rocky outcrops where some 5.5 million birds, including the Laysan Duck and Short-tailed Albatross, breed every year.

More than 5,000 miles east of the warm Pacific waters of Hawaii, in the frigid northern Atlantic Ocean, sits the 4,913-square-mile Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, which Obama designated in September. There, 130 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, underwater ravines deeper than the Grand Canyon contain cold-water coral reefs, among the world’s most delicate ecosystems, and the water’s surface serves as the winter home of Maine’s Atlantic Puffins.

The monuments are major victories for environmentalists—with a swipe of his pen, the President banned all commercial fishing within the monuments’ boundaries and outlawed all gas and oil exploration. Protecting marine life in both oceans will ultimately support fisheries and provide refuge for wildlife adapting to a changing climate.

But it’s one thing to designate a monument, and it’s quite another to actually enforce the promised protections. The two new monuments are vast and remote, and authorities already struggle to detect illegal activity in marine protected areas that are smaller and closer to land. In 1997 and 2004, nets and other commercial fishing gear were uncovered in the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of North Carolina. Even worse, evidence of fishing with explosives, bleach, and even cyanide has been found in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.

That the new monuments are so large and located in such distant waters presents an even bigger challenge for the federal agencies responsible for their monitoring. Ideally, crewed vessels would police the areas, says Lisa Symons, resource protection coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. A physical presence would deter illegal fishing or mining and allow authorities to arrest or capture violating vessels. But this is almost impossible considering the locations of the new monuments—offshore and hundreds of miles from cities, towns, or villages.

Read the full story at Audubon

NOAA Announces Proposals to Expand Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

June 9, 2016 — Building on more than 30 years of scientific studies, including numerous reports released in the last decade and in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster, NOAA today announced a proposal to expand Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary to protect additional critical Gulf of Mexico habitat.

The plan lays out five expansion scenarios, ranging from no expansion of the 56-square-mile sanctuary, to one bringing it to a total of 935 square miles. In NOAA’s preferred scenario, the sanctuary would expand to 383 square miles to include 15 reefs and banks that provide habitat for recreationally and commercially important fish, as well as a home to 15 threatened or endangered species of whales, sea turtles, and corals.

“These habitats are the engines of sustainability for much of the Gulf of Mexico and are critical to fish such as red snapper, mackerel, grouper and wahoo, as well as other protected species,” said John Armor, acting director, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “The proposed expansion also advances NOAA’s mission to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources that help sustain local communities and America’s economy.”

Read the full story at Ocean News

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update: February 8, 2016

February 8, 2016 — The Following is a weekly update from the North Carolina Fisheries Association:

Last week David Bush was at the ASMFC meeting in Alexandria VA.

This week, David is attending the Mid Atlantic Council meeting in New Bern. We both participated in a conference call earlier with some folks in DC about a media campaign that will address several issues. You’ll hear more specifics on that later.

I will be attending legislative meetings on Wednesday & Thursday. One is in Belhaven and the other in Raleigh.

Next week, February 17 – 19, David & I will both be attending the Marine Fisheries Commission meeting at the Blockade Runner in Wrightsville Beach. That meeting begins with a public comment session on Wednesday evening with the business portion of the meeting on Thursday & Friday. There will be another public comment session first thing Thursday morning.

The public may listen to the meeting on the Internet. Directions for participating in the webcast, including information on system requirements and testing, can be found at: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/listen-online.

The commission is scheduled to:

Receive a presentation on and select preferred management options for amendments to the Oyster and Clam fishery management plans;

Select replacement candidates for the governor’s consideration for North Carolina’s obligatory seat on the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council;

Consider a request for a declaratory ruling from American Eel Farm;

Receive a presentation on the 2015 Coastal Habitat Protection Plan Update and give final approval of the plan;

Discuss the Standard Commercial Fishing License criteria;

Consider delegating authority to the commission’s Commercial Fishing Resource Fund Committee to develop and implement a memorandum of understanding with and the North Carolina Commercial Fishing Resource Fund Funding Committee. The memorandum of understanding will set procedures for agreeing to and authorizing disbursements from the fund;

Receive a brief update on the division’s progress toward setting total allowable landings for pound nets by waterbodies for Supplement A to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 1.

A full meeting agenda and briefing book can be found at: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/mfc-meetings

Jerry

======================================================

SOUTHERN SHRIMP ALLIANCE & SHRIMP IMPORTS:

The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) is an organization of shrimp fishermen, shrimp processors, and other members of the domestic industry in the eight warmwater shrimp producing states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.

Founded in 2002, the SSA works to ensure the continued vitality and existence of the U.S. shrimp industry. The livelihoods of U.S. shrimpers are threatened by cheap, unfairly traded imported shrimp. The U.S market has become a dumping ground for shrimp that are turned away from other major seafood importing countries. Proposed restrictions on shrimp fishing and rapidly increasing costs of doing business also loom over the industry. The SSA is committed to preserving the long term viability of one of our nation’s most valuable fisheries, which for decades has been a foundation of the economy and social structure of countless coastal communities throughout the Gulf and Southeast regions.

SSA is currently conducting a sunset review, which is required to determine if antidumping duties should remain for imported shrimp from certain countries. John distributed surveys for shrimpers and processors. It is very important for shrimpers and shrimp processors to participate in this survey! If not, the antidumping duties could be lifted.

We have copies at the office, so call if you want us to send you one or more. Or you can contact John Williams of the Southern Shrimp Alliance directly: john@shrimpalliance.com or call: 727-934-5090.

IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN THE DOMESTIC SHRIMP INDUSTRY AND CONCERNED ABOUT IMPORTS, YOU NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SURVEY!!!

=======================================================

PROPOSED BOUNDARY EXPANSION TO MONITOR NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY

After several years of scientific and archaeological assessment and in coordination with the public, NOAA is proposing to expand Monitor National Marine Sanctuary off North Carolina’s Outer Banks to include additional maritime heritage resources. The proposed expansion would protect a nationally significant collection of shipwrecks that currently have little or no legal protection, including one of America’s only World War II battlefields.

For more details and maps see http://monitor.noaa.gov/management/expansion.html.

This expansion could have significant impacts on fishermen off the Outer Banks. Please plan to attend one of the following meetings:

Raleigh, NC Tues., Feb. 9 from 6-9 p.m. North Carolina Museum of History 5 East Edenton Street 919-807-7900

Beaufort, NC Wednesday, Feb. 10 from 6-9 p.m. North Carolina Maritime Museum 315 Front Street 252-728-7317

Hatteras, NC Thurs., Feb. 11 from 6-9 p.m. Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum 9200 Museum Dr. 252-986-2995

Washington, D.C. Tues., Feb. 16 from 6-9 p.m. US Navy Memorial – Main Auditorium 701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW 202-380-0710

Nags Head, NC Wed., Feb. 17 from 6-9 p.m.

Jennette’s Pier 7223 S. Virginia Dare Trail

252-255-1501

CALENDAR

Feb 9 Monitor National Marine Sanctuary hearing; 6-9pm; Raleigh

Feb 10 Monitor National Marine Sanctuary hearing; 6-9pm; Beaufort

Feb 11 Monitor National Marine Sanctuary hearing; 6-9pm; Hatteras

Feb 9-11 MAFMC meeting in New Bern NC

Feb 17 Monitor National Marine Sanctuary hearing; 6-9pm; Nags Head

Feb 17-19 NC MFC meeting in Wrightsville Beach, NC

Mar 7-11 SAFMC meeting in Jekyll Island, GA