Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: You can see the seal population in Chatham from space

August 29, 2017 — There are so many seals on the coast of Massachusetts that you can see them from space.

Literally. If you zoom in on Cape Cod using the satellite photo feature on Google Maps, you won’t miss the herds of seals scattered along the coast.

Start at the southern tip of Monomoy Island near Monomoy Point and move north on the ocean side of Monomoy Island.

Kimberly Murray, a research coordinator for the seal program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, said officials this year observed up to 25,000 seals off Massachusetts in a single day.

The number of seals currently residing in the waters off the state’s coast is likely as high as 50,000, based on recent research that also factored in the number of seals in the water.

Read the full story at the Boston Globe

2nd Round of 2017 Groundfish Assessment Port Meetings Scheduled

August 25, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center is coming to a port near you! Join us for the second set of port meetings between August 28 and September 7 to discuss the upcoming groundfish operational stock assessments.

These meetings will include an informal explanation of the stock assessment process, the cooperative research program, and ways that your concerns can be addressed by the science center.

We’d like to talk to commercial and recreational fishermen. We’re listening to what you have to say.

See the full schedule of confirmed meetings.

Find out more about the assessments and meeting schedules.

Maine fishermen, scientists combine forces with goal to save shrimp fishery

A new Fisheries Management Plan has been created for the fishery that has been closed since 2014.

August 21, 2017 — For more than 20 years, Dana Hammond made close to half his annual income shrimping. But his shrimping profits began to dwindle in 2013. That season, regulators were alarmed by the lack of shrimp biomass in the Gulf of Maine, and the amount he was allowed to catch was cut 72 percent. The fishery was closed entirely in 2014. It hasn’t reopened since and Hammond, who fishes out of Portland on his boat the Nicole Leigh, has been trying to make up the deficit from his other main source of income, groundfishing.

But Hammond isn’t ready to let shrimping go. It’s an ideal winter fishery for him, allowing him to stay close to shore during rough and cold weather. He’s so vested in the future of the fishery that this summer he went to sea with the Northeast Fisheries scientists who conduct the annual summer survey, the main source of data that determines the status of the fishery every year.

“I didn’t get paid,” Hammond said. “I went anyway because I want to make sure they are doing stuff right.”

Hammond’s goal is to help the scientists be better fishermen – the more they catch, the more likely it is his fishery will reopen. Or better put, the more shrimp the survey finds, the better chance it is that there will be another season for Maine shrimpers. The survey concluded earlier in August and though its findings won’t be available until late October, it is the key to determining whether Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will decide at its meeting in early to mid-December whether to reopen the fishery for the tiny Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) in 2018.

In the event that the fishery does reopen, it will likely follow different rules. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has, with the cooperation and input of local fishermen, developed a new Fisheries Management Plan, updated in consideration of the recent problems in the shrimp fishery. That plan, known as Amendment 3 will be finalized at a meeting in Portland on Aug. 31.

Typically, putting the regulatory side of a fishery in contact with those who do the fishing entails some tension, distrust even, the kind that can make for a combative relationship. The people who make their living on the water don’t want to be told what to do and how to do it, especially not by people who came up in the world of petri dishes and test tubes, not traps and trawls.

But as the Northern shrimp fishery faces the most extreme challenge in a history that spans nearly a century, the relationship between shrimpers and scientists has become, cautiously, more collaborative. The more so the better, from the perspective of fisheries biologist Peter Chase, who oversees the annual survey for the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration’s (NOAA) Northeast Fisheries Science Center. He’s used to getting a lot of questions about the survey as soon as he comes ashore in summer – starting with, “did you see a lot of shrimp?” Moreover, he understands the frustrations of the fishermen. Some of them “have been vocal about complaining about our survey,” he said. “Others have been really helpful.” Like Hammond.

“It shouldn’t be an us-versus-them thing here,” Chase said. “I don’t want to put anyone out of business.”

“We want to be in this together,” he added. “This is research that I am hoping will show that the resource is coming back.”

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

Groundfish: NEFSC to Hold Port Meetings With Fishermen to Talk About Upcoming Assessments

August 14, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center has scheduled a series of port outreach meetings to talk with commercial and recreational fishermen about the upcoming operational assessments for 20 groundfish stocks. Here are the details.

WHAT’S GOING ON: Stock assessment and cooperative research staff from the science center will provide an informal explanation of the stock assessment process, the cooperative research program, and ways that industry concerns can be addressed by the science center. The center said, “We’re listening to what you have to say.”

WHERE ARE THE MEETINGS: Below is the list of confirmed meetings to date.  Additional information will be posted at meeting schedule.

  • August 15 in Chatham, MA – Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance: In the Barn, 4 p.m.
  • August 16 in New Bedford, MA – New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, 4 p.m.
  • August 17 in Portland, ME – Portland Fish Exchange, 3 p.m.
  • August 18 in Gloucester, MA – Sawyer Free Library, 2 Dale Ave., 10 a.m.
  • August 28 in Point Judith, RI – Superior Trawl/NESTCO Conference Room, 65 State St., 4 p.m.
  • August 30 in Montauk, NY – Details to be announced.

ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE AND DETAILS: The Groundfish Operational Assessments Peer Review is scheduled for September 11-15, 2017 at the science center in Woods Hole, MA.  Additional information is available at NEFSC.

QUESTIONS: Need to know more?  Contact Stock Assessment Outreach Coordinator Ariele Baker at (508) 495-4741, ariele.baker@noaa.gov.

NEFSC 2017 Groundfish Assessment Port Meetings Scheduled

August 10, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Northeast Fisheries Science Center stock assessment and cooperative research staff will visit several groundfish ports between August 15 and September 7.

We’d like to talk to commercial and recreational fishermen.

Please join us for an informal explanation of the stock assessment process, the cooperative research program, and ways that your concerns can be addressed by the science center. We’re listening to what you have to say.

See the full schedule of confirmed meetings.

Find out more about the assessments and meeting schedules.

R/V Gloria Michelle in Boston August 10 & 11 – Public tours available

August 8, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

Are you going to be in the Boston Harbor area this Thursday and Friday? Why not stop by for a free tour of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s research vessel, the R/V Gloria Michelle. This is a great opportunity to meet our crew and scientists, and learn about the research we do aboard this NOAA vessel.

The R/V Gloria Michelle will be docked on Harborwalk by Moakley Courthouse. Tour hours are Thursday 12:30pm to 5:00pm and Friday 9:00am to 2:00pm.

For more information, read the announcement on the NEFSC website.

NOAA Ship Henry Bigelow Headed for Shipyard – Expected to Resume Service in September

August 3, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow is heading into dry dock in Norfolk, Va., to undergo motor repairs but is expected to return to service in mid-September to start the NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center annual fall bottom-trawl survey on the Northeast continental shelf.

The ship’s officers and crew and the NEFSC scientific party are ensuring that the cruise can start from the shipyard if necessary. The ship is normally readied for cruises at its homeport in Newport, R.I.

The Henry B. Bigelow supports a variety of marine research for the NOAA Fisheries’ NEFSC. The twice-yearly bottom trawl survey of fish and invertebrates is the longest running of its kind in the world, and collects data used to understand changes in marine life and their habitats over time.

The Bigelow’s typical operations during the year also include plankton and water sampling, acoustic surveys, coral mapping, oceanographic data collection and sampling, and sighting surveys for sea turtles, marine mammals, and sea birds.

Commissioned in 2007, the 208-foot, $60 million Henry B. Bigelow is a multi-purpose fishery research vessel. Its special hull construction allows researchers to study fish and other marine animals without significantly altering their behavior with its noise. Also, the ship can conduct bottom and mid-water trawls while also running physical and biological-oceanographic sampling. This allows it to support more than one scientific mission on each deployment. Its laboratory and computing capacity allow scientists to get a start on analyzing information while still at sea.

Read the full release here

John Bullard announces retirement from NOAA

July 12, 2017 — John Bullard, NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator, formally announced Wednesday that he will retire on Jan. 5.

“We wish John well,” New England Council Executive Director Tom Nies said in a statement. “He is always willing to work with the council to find management solutions and empowers those around him to actively participate in the process, which is one of his key accomplishments.”

Bullard took the post in July 2012. It followed positions including mayor of New Bedford, a spot within the Clinton administration and president of Sea Education Association.

“As the former mayor of New Bedford, Bullard brought with him a unique connection to the fishing industry, and used that connection to improve communication with all aspects of the industry and Congress during a very challenging period for the agency,” said Sam Rauch, NOAA Fisheries deputy assistant administrator for regulatory programs in a statement.

NOAA will launch a search for Bullard’s replacement within the next several months.

After Bullard’s announcement, NOAA praised his accomplishments during his five years with he organization.

Bullard helped manage 44 fish stocks, including scallop and lobster, which are worth $500 million each, NOAA said.

During his tenure, he oversaw efforts to reduce entanglements for marine life in the Atlantic Ocean and helped develop strategies to repopulate rivers in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.

In 2016, he approved the Mid-Atlantic Council’s deep-sea coral amendment, which protected 15 deep-sea canyons totaling 24 million acres.

“John is an example of public service and more importantly, an example of working with stakeholders to have a positive impact on tough issues,” said Dr. Jon Hare, science and research director at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, in a statement. “I will miss working with him and am thankful for his time as regional administrator.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

NEW BEDFORD STANDARD-TIMES: Under-loved fish need a home right here

July 12, 2017 — A recent report from the social policy researchers at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole shed some light on what happens to local fish after its caught by commercial fishermen.

The report is part of ongoing research, and has yet to be finalized in an academic paper, but the first findings indicate that most of the groundfish landed in NOAA’s Northeast region is sold and consumed locally. And it’s no surprise that most of the scallops landed are shipped around the country and the world.

Trucks carry much of the groundfish landed between Maryland and Maine, hauling along the coast and inland for 75 or 100 miles. Some is frozen and shipped far away, but the fish we buy locally is frequently locally caught.

Cod, haddock, pollock and different flounders find their way into local restaurants, fish markets and grocery stores, then onto local plates.

The local consumption of this groundfish is a function of the difficulty of NOAA Fisheries’ management of the multispecies fishery that includes about 20 different species. The complex interplay between abundant and scarce species that intermingle has thwarted attempts to harvest the Total Allowable Catch of the abundant species and confounded attempts to avoid the scarce ones. Groundfish landings today are a shadow of those from the early 1980s.

Even as traditional regional species have become harder to harvest, new species have moved into warming state and federal waters managed by the Northeast Fisheries Management Council, which is the management arm of federal fisheries management in this region. Skate and spiny dogfish have become the abundant species, and their harvest is less complicated than those from among the traditional groundfish stocks. But skate wings don’t get the price at the dock of those other species. Last Friday at the local seafood auction, skate wings fetched 30 cents a pound; flounder, cod and haddock were all paying 5 to 10 times that at the dock, some 20 times more.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

Call for Summer Flounder Stock Assessment Workshop Working Group Members

July 10, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center seeks Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW) Working Group applicants for the upcoming summer flounder stock assessment, scheduled for peer review in 2018. Our goal is to create the most capable and balanced Working Group possible to carry out this stock assessment and produce high quality science products.

The Northeast Region Coordinating Council (NRCC) recently developed written guidelines for SAW Working Group formation and membership. With the exception of the Working Group Chair and lead stock assessment scientist, candidates for SAW Working Groups need to fill out a short questionnaire. The completed questionnaires will then be reviewed by the SAW Working Group Chair and the SAW Chair, followed by a higher-level NRCC decision committee. 

Application Instructions

Applicants should complete the questionnaire and email to Sheena Steiner at sheena.steiner@noaa.gov by August 3, 2017. Applicants may also mail the completed document to Sheena c/o NEFSC, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543. Applicants will receive an email confirmation once the questionnaire has been submitted. 

Timeline

  • Questionnaire available to public: July 6, 2017
  • Completed questionnaires due back to the NEFSC: August 3, 2017
  • Short lists selected for SAW Working Groups: August 15, 2017
  • All questionnaires and short lists delivered to NRCC Selection Committee:  August 18, 2017 (target date)
  • NRCC decisions due to NEFSC: August 28, 2017 (target date)
  • Public Announcement of Decisions: August 30, 2017 (target date)

Questions? Contact Sheena Steiner at 508-495-2177 or sheena.steiner@noaa.gov.