NOAA Archives - Page 116 of 512

United States Wins New Conservation Measures for Pacific Tuna and Backs Inspections to Curb Illegal Fishing

December 7, 2021 — Tropical tuna in the eastern Pacific Ocean gained renewed protections and science-based catch levels under resolutions advocated by the United States. They were adopted by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission at its virtual meeting in October. The IATTC also established a framework for foreign fishing vessels to face spot inspections when they enter the port of another member nation.

The IATTC’s actions will help conserve and sustainably manage tuna and other highly migratory species that cross international boundaries. They also improve oversight of international fisheries to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, a U.S. priority. The move furthers the effort to close the world’s ports to illegal fishing and give consumers additional confidence that their seafood is safe and sustainable.

“This is a critical step forward for the conservation of species that support important commercial fisheries and play a prominent role in the marine ecosystem,” said Ryan Wulff, who leads the U.S. delegation to the IATTC, and serves as Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries for NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region. “We worked through challenging negotiations—all in a virtual setting. In the end, we achieved consensus on a number of important conservation and management measures for the eastern Pacific Ocean.”

Read the full story at NOAA Fisheries

NOAA report shows U.S. Ocean Enterprise growth

December 7, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The U.S. Ocean Enterprise Report, released by NOAA today, shows significant growth in businesses that provide the technological means to observe and measure ocean dynamics. Called the Ocean Enterprise, this cluster of businesses, which provides essential support to the $2 trillion global Blue Economy and has revenues of $8 billion, saw a 60% growth of businesses–from 500 to 800–between 2015 and 2020. These businesses deliver essential information services to support sustainable use of ocean resources, understand Earth’s climate, and protect ocean health.

“Ocean Enterprise businesses provide observational technology and equipment essential to NOAA’s mission to take the pulse of the planet. Those businesses are also important users of NOAA’s publicly available data that they turn into actionable information and value-added products and services for a broad spectrum of end-uses– the raw material for building out the New Blue Economy, addressing everything from supporting renewable offshore energy development to ensuring efficient maritime commerce.” said Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA Administrator. “Understanding the trends affecting these businesses allows NOAA to identify new opportunities and partnerships to further support the Blue Economy.”

Building on the foundational study conducted by NOAA in 2015, this report analyzes trends in the Ocean Enterprise as it responds to the growing and changing information needs of the Blue Economy.

The report also details:

•The changes in the markets for Ocean Enterprise products and services as it pivots towards rapidly developing areas, such as offshore renewable energy.

•The changes in technologies to meet the needs of present and future Blue Economy markets, most notably a doubling of the number of businesses providing autonomous surface and underwater vehicles as platforms for ocean observations and measurements.

•The opportunities and challenges the Ocean Enterprise faces in supporting a growing Blue Economy, particularly in terms of navigating changing markets and the technological means of serving them.

“The combination of people, technology, and data analysis is a powerful way to address societal challenges related to our changing climate and rising seas,” said Carl C. Gouldman, director of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Office at NOAA. “To thrive in the decades ahead, we are going to need a robust Ocean Enterprise to innovate and problem-solve along the way. Our report and study results will help us understand and work with Ocean Enterprise companies to advance innovation more quickly and comprehensively.”

You can find more information on the study here, or download the full report here.

Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources. See how NOAA science, services, and stewardship benefit your community: Visit noaa.gov for our latest news and features, and join us on social media.

Fishermen’s Forum cancels in-person events for second year

December 3, 2021 — The annual Fishermen’s Forum, a three-day event held in Rockport in early March, has been canceled for a second year due to coronavirus concerns.

The forum brings together scientists, seafood marketers, fisheries management specialists and more from across the commercial fishing industry. The guest list includes marketers, processors, representatives from the Department of Marine Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other government agencies. And fishermen, of course, who gather to talk shop, share information, hear new and upcoming legislation affecting their industry, and to swap stories.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

Federal monitoring push stokes battle with Gulf fishermen

December 2, 2021 — If NOAA gets its way, Allen Walburn will soon be forced to keep electronic monitors on his three charter fishing boats to follow their every move, a requirement that he likens to criminal defendants forced to wear ankle bracelets.

“I don’t want people knowing where I’m at,” said Walburn, 71, who has been running his charter fishing business in Naples, Fla., since 1978.

In a key test of NOAA’s surveillance powers, Walburn and a group of other charter fishermen from the Gulf of Mexico have gone to court to block the proposed rule, asking a federal judge in Louisiana to declare it unconstitutional and an invasion of their privacy.

In court briefs, NOAA argued that its proposal to require electronic tracking in the Gulf should be allowed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the nation’s premier fishing law passed by Congress in 1976.

The law, which Congress is now considering reauthorizing, requires NOAA to devise plans to prevent overfishing and protect the long-term health of fish populations. The agency argues that electronic monitoring makes data collection more timely, accurate and cost-efficient than other alternatives.

Read the full story at E&E News

Two Trawl Surveys in Northern Bering Sea Show Overall Decline in Many Species

November 30, 2021 — Results from two annual surveys in the northern Bering Sea this summer, one using bottom trawl and one using a surface trawl, show a decline in sea temperatures since the 2019 survey. Last year’s surveys, conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations’ Fisheries branch, were cancelled due to Covid-19. This year’s surveys showed the precipitous drop in snow crab and “large declines in the Bering Sea include walleye pollock, saffron cod, and various types of jellyfish.”

The presentations, reported by KNOM.org on November 10 and November 19, were part of the Strait Sciences program presented via Zoom reported Marion Trujillo of KNOM.

The surveys cover a grid from Cape Wales, the westernmost point on the North American mainland in the Bering Strait south to Nunivak Island, west of Bethel, AK.

“At this moment we’ve been in a very long stanza for warming. But we’ve dropped down a little bit. Both not only on the bottom temperatures but the surface temperatures. And I think there’s kind of a hope that maybe we are going to see us go into a cold stanza for a while, and start to cool down the Southeastern Bering Sea. But, this might also just be a little bit of variation, and (it will) jump back up. Next year is going to tell us a whole lot about what is happening,” NOAA research scientist Lyle Britt said in the presentation.

Read the full story at Seafood News

As Vineyard Wind Moves Forward, Fishermen and Scientists Raise Questions About Impact

November 23, 2021 — The Biden administration has approved America’s first large-scale, offshore wind power project – Vineyard Wind off the coast of Massachusetts. But for every supporter of the project, there are detractors raising questions. Lisa Fletcher looked at the pros and cons of ‘reaping the wind’ on “Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.”

Ms. Fletcher examined what the project could mean for New Bedford, Massachusetts, the nation’s top grossing fishing port, and its valuable scallop harvest, which averages around $400 million a year in landings.

“The amount of wind farms they’re proposing will displace fisheries,” said Ron Smolowitz, the owner of Coonamessett Farm in East Falmouth, Massachusetts and a former fishing captain who worked with NOAA. “The fish will adapt, the fishermen can adapt, but they’ll need funding.”

Mr. Smolowitz said that current funding proposed by Vineyard Wind to compensate fishermen for their losses is “nowhere near enough.” The proposed funding would average roughly $1 million a year over the 30-year life span of the project, Mr. Smolowitz said, while one scallop vessel alone can gross $2 million annually, and there are 342 scallop vessels. “And that’s just one fishery,” he said.

Ms. Fletcher also examined other obstacles for the project, including the potential threat to critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.

“The industrial activity will increase shipping markedly both during the construction phase as well as during the maintenance phase,” said Mark Baumgartner, senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Mr. Baumgartner said he and his team are working on deploying acoustic monitoring, with funding from Vineyard Wind, to help prevent ship strikes with right whales.

Watch the full story here

New How-To Guide for Observer Trip Selection in Alaska

November 23, 2021 — NOAA Fisheries has produced the first comprehensive manual describing the Observer Declare and Deploy System—the ODDS. This web-based system determines which fishing trips require observer or electronic monitoring (EM) coverage in the federal groundfish and Pacific halibut fisheries off Alaska.

The ODDS is one of only two systems in the United States where fishermen, managers, and observer providers can all interact with information on past and upcoming fishing trips.

The ODDS was built and is maintained by the Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis division of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center.

Since its launch in 2012, ODDS has successfully logged more than 50,000 fishing trips.

Read the full story at NOAA Fisheries

US considers creating national marine sanctuary off Hawaii

November 22, 2021 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is considering additional protections for waters off the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

NOAA announced the proposal to designate oceanic areas of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which is already one of the largest protected natural areas in the world, as a national marine sanctuary on Friday. The agency opened the plan to public comment through January.

The designation would build on existing protections meant to maintain marine habitats and wildlife. The new rules would apply only to oceanic areas, not the islands that are already part of the monument.

Read the full story at the AP

Secretary of Commerce issues fishery disaster determination for the 2019 Atlantic herring fishery

November 22, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA:

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced today her determination, at the request of several Northeastern states, that a fishery disaster occurred for the 2019 Atlantic herring fishery.

“Fishery disasters don’t just impact local communities—they ripple out into the broader economy impacting consumers and businesses far beyond the coast,” said Secretary Raimondo. “Resilient and sustainable fisheries are not only essential to our coastal communities, but play a vital role in supporting our blue economy and our nation’s overall economic wellbeing. With this determination, we proudly support our fishing industry and will work with the affected communities to help them get back on track.”

To reach a determination, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce works with NOAA Fisheries to evaluate the fishery disaster requests based primarily on data submitted by the requesting states. Fishery disasters must meet specific requirements under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and/or the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act, such as causing economic impacts to a commercial fishery and declines in fishery access or available catch resulting from specific allowable causes.

Positive determinations make this fishery eligible for disaster assistance from NOAA. Some fishery-related businesses impacted by this fishery disaster may also qualify for certain Small Business Administration loans. The allocation of funds will be determined in the near future.

The Secretary has received additional requests for fishery disaster determinations from several other states and Tribes. NOAA Fisheries is currently working with the requesters to finalize those evaluations.

Learn more about fishery disaster assistance.

NOAA launches effort to bring further protections to Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

November 22, 2021 — The ocean surrounding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands — already protected by the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument — would find even greater safeguards under a proposal unveiled Friday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Read the full story at The Honolulu Star Advertiser