FishNews September 9, 2011

WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

International –U.S., European Union to strengthen cooperation to combat illegal fishing

On September 7, 2011, NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco and Maria Damanaki, European Union commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries, signed a historic statement pledging bilateral cooperation to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing — a first for the longstanding partnership between the U.S. and the E.U. on fisheries management. The E.U. and the U.S. rank first and third, respectively, as the world's top seafood importers. Globally, illegal fishing deprives legal fishermen and coastal communities of up to $23 billion of seafood and seafood products annually. This puts honest fishermen at a disadvantage in the global marketplace. The U.S. and the E.U. recognize their responsibility to protect the oceans' vital food and biodiversity resources. In the statement, the U.S. and the E.U. made it clear that they are committed to cooperating on combating IUU fishing. They agreed to work together to support the adoption of effective management measures in regional and international organizations to combat IUU fishing; promote tools that prevent IUU operators from benefiting economically from their illegal activities; exchange information on IUU activities; and promote the sustainable use of fisheries resources while preserving marine biodiversity. Eric Schwaab, NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, participated in the signing ceremony and also met with Damanaki and others to exchange views on U.S. and E.U. domestic fisheries management, collaboration within regional fishery management organizations, and bilateral cooperation on fisheries issues. Read more

National –NOAA: U.S. domestic seafood landings and values increase in 2010

On September 7, 2011, NOAA Fisheries released its Fisheries of the United States 2010 report. Fisheries of the U.S. is an annual snapshot of the landings and value of U.S. fisheries. This year it contains some good news - landings were up and the value of those landings was up. U.S. commercial fishermen landed 8.2 billion pounds of seafood valued at $4.5 billion in 2010, an increase of 200 million pounds over 2009 and an increase in value of more than $600 million from 2009. The report also highlights the top U.S. ports including our leader for the 22nd consecutive year, the Alaska port of Dutch Harbor-Unalaska. For the 11th consecutive year, New Bedford, Mass., had the highest valued catch, due in large part to the sea scallop fishery. Another aspect of the report is seafood consumption. In 2010, the average American ate 15.8 pounds of fish and shellfish, a slight decline from the 2009 figure of 16 pounds. On a global scale, the U.S. continues to be third-ranked for consuming fish and shellfish, behind China and Japan. Imported seafood continues to increase to help fill consumer demand - about 86 percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S. was imported from overseas. Read the full report online.

National – NOAA Fisheries names Chief Science Advisor

NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Eric Schwaab recently announced Richard Merrick, Ph.D., as the new Chief Science Advisor for NOAA Fisheries. Dr. Merrick will lead the agency's efforts to provide the science needed to support sustainable fisheries and ecosystems and to continue our country's progress in ending overfishing, rebuilding fish populations, saving critical species, preserving vital habitats and creating jobs for American citizens. As the head of NOAA Fisheries' scientific operations, Dr. Merrick will lead NOAA's six regional Fisheries Science Centers, including 30 NOAA Fisheries laboratories and approximately 1,400 staff nationwide. With 26 years of experience with NOAA Fisheries, Dr. Merrick brings to his new position a critical understanding of NOAA Fisheries' scientific resources. He will assume a prominent role in NOAA's efforts to improve the stock assessment process, by integrating new technologies into our science efforts, evaluating and responding to ecosystem challenges and expanding ongoing efforts to build and enhance science partnerships. Dr. Merrick begins his new position on September 12. Read more

National – NOAA Fisheries releases Endangered Species Act Biennial Report to Congress

On August 30, NOAA Fisheries released our Biennial Report to Congress on the Recovery Program for Threatened and Endangered Species. This report summarizes efforts to recover the 64 domestic species under NOAA Fisheries' jurisdiction from October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2010. It includes accounts of each species, their status and current threats, the conservation actions undertaken during the last two years, and the priority recovery actions needed over the next two years. Here's a snapshot of the status of the 64 domestic species we manage under the Endangered Species Act during the 2008-2010 reporting period:      • 26 (41%) were stabilized or improving;      • 17 (26%) were known to be declining;      • 7 (11%) were mixed, with their status varying by population location      • 14 (22%) were unknown, because we lacked sufficient data to make a determination Recovery of threatened and endangered species is a long-term challenge. It requires the sustained, cooperative effort of government, academia, non-governmental organizations, businesses, and private land owners. In this report, you can see how these great partnerships can make important contributions to the recovery of listed species and help us address priority actions identified in recovery plans. For example, the Species Recovery Grant Program provides grant funding to partnering state agencies and federally recognized tribes to support projects that have direct conservation benefits for listed species. Another partnership, the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, provides funding to states and tribes of the Pacific Coast region to protect, restore, and conserve Pacific salmon and steelhead populations and their habitats. Read the report online to learn more about our actions to protect and recover threatened and endangered species. Please contact Jonathan Shannon if you have any questions about the report.

Northeast – NOAA Fisheries to hold strategic planning meetings in September for the Northeast Cooperative Research Program

NOAA Fisheries is holding a series of strategic planning meetings for the Northeast Cooperative Research Program. Meetings will take place in September in selected ports in the Northeast Region. Meeting objectives include: review the current 2010-2014 Cooperative Research Strategic Plan, review progress made towards goals in the current plan, review relevancy of current plan, and ask for public comments on additional cooperative research strategies, discuss research priorities and informational needs for marine fisheries management. Meetings will be held from 4-6 p.m. at the following dates and locations:      • Tuesday, September 13th – Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 102 South King Street, Hampton, VA      • Wednesday, September 14th – Firehouse, 10 West 10th Street in Barnegat Light, NJ      • Thursday, September 22nd – Hazards Room, Rhode Island Coastal Institute, URI Narragansett Bay Campus, Narragansett RI For further information, please contact: Earl Meredith, Northeast Cooperative Research Program, at (978) 281-9276 or earl.meredith@noaa.gov.

Northeast - NOAA Fisheries proposes 17 million pound increase in skate quota for fishermen based on updated science

NOAA Fisheries is proposing a 56-percent, or 17 million pound, increase in the amount of Northeast skate fishermen can land this year, based on updated scientific information. With this emergency action, fishermen would see the quota increase from 31 million pounds to 48 million pounds for the season that began in May and ends on April 30, 2012. The New England Fishery Management Council reviewed updated scientific information on skates showing recent increases to the skate population and asked NOAA to implement emergency measures to increase the skate quota. Read more

Northeast - Federal and state agencies team up to collect information on fish habitat in New England coastal waters

Ever wonder what unique features a codfish looks for in a home? A team of scientists from federal and state agencies and academic institutions hope to learn more about this when they explore various seafloor habitats where cod and a variety of other marine species live. On Monday, August 29, scientists began a five-day research survey cruise to collect information on the seafloor, sediment and underwater footage of bottom habitat in a historically significant fishing area known as Jeffreys Ledge, a 33-mile glacial deposit that extends from the coast of Rockport, Massachusetts to just southeast of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Scientists will work in shifts, around the clock, to deploy video and sonar equipment so they can learn more about the different bottom types that make up this area. Collected data will be used by the New England Fishery Management Council to aid in its understanding of the vulnerability of certain habitats to the effects of fishing gear and as a basis for developing management measures to avoid or reduce adverse impacts to habitat. Read more

Northeast/Southeast – NOAA Fisheries implements 2010 International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas recommendations on sharks

NOAA Fisheries has implemented the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) recommendations 10-07 and 10-08, which prohibit the retention, transshipping, landing, storing, or selling of hammerhead sharks in the family Sphyrnidae (except for bonnethead sharks, Sphyrna tiburo) and oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) caught in association with fisheries managed by ICCAT. This rule affects the commercial Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) pelagic longline fishery and recreational HMS fisheries for tunas, swordfish, and/or billfish in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Click here for more information.

Southeast - Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils submit Amendment 10 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery for review, approval, and implementation by NOAA Fisheries; seek public comment through Nov. 1

The Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils have submitted Amendment 10 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic for review, approval, and implementation by NOAA Fisheries. Amendment 10 proposes to      • revise the lobster species contained within the fishery management unit;      • revise definitions of management thresholds;      • establish an acceptable biological catch control rule, an annual catch limit, and an annual catch target for Caribbean spiny lobster;      • revise the Federal spiny lobster tail-separation permitting requirements;      • revise the regulations specifying the condition of spiny lobster landed during a fishing trip;      • modify the undersized attractant regulations;      • modify the framework procedures; and      • transfer to the state of Florida the authority to remove derelict spiny lobster traps within the exclusive economic zone off Florida Written comments must be received on or before November 1, 2011. Read more or submit a comment.

Alaska - NOAA Fisheries extends public comment period on proposed halibut catch sharing plan; now due Sept. 21

NOAA Fisheries is extending the comment period for the proposed Halibut Catch Sharing Plan by 15 days, to September 21, 2011. The Alaska Region published the proposed rule in the Federal Register July 22 with a 45-day comment period, which expired Tuesday, September 6. The decision to extend the comment period comes following a visit to Alaska last month by NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco, who attended a luncheon in Homer with U.S. Senator Mark Begich to hear concerns and comments about the draft plan first hand from both charter and commercial halibut fishers. Send comments to Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: Ellen Sebastian. You may submit comments, identified by RIN 0648-BA37, by any one of the following methods:      • Electronic submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via http://www.regulations.gov      • Mail: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668      • Fax: (907) 586-7557      • Hand delivery: Juneau Federal Building, 709 W. 9th Street, Room 420A, Juneau, AK. Click here for more information.

Northwest– NOAA Fisheries proposes revisions to the Pacific Coast groundfish trawl rationalization program; seeks public comment through Oct. 14

This proposed action would revise the Pacific Coast groundfish trawl rationalization program and also includes regulations that affect all commercial sectors (limited entry trawl, limited entry fixed gear, and open access) managed under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. This action includes regulatory amendments to further implement Amendments 20 and 21 and an amendment to further revise Amendment 21 (called Amendment 21-1). This action includes, but is not limited to:      • revisions to the Pacific halibut trawl bycatch mortality limit,      • clarification that Amendment 21 supersedes limited entry/open access allocations for certain groundfish species,      • revisions to the observer coverage requirement while a vessel is in port and before the offload is complete,      • revisions to the electronic fish ticket reporting requirements,      • revisions to the first receiver site license requirement,      • further clarification on moving between limited entry and open access fisheries,      • a process for end-of-the-year vessel account reconciliation, and      • an exemption from processing at sea for qualified participants in the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota Program. Comments on this proposed rule must be received no later than October 14, 2011. Read more or submit a comment.

Northwest – NOAA Fisheries announces availability of Secretarial Amendment 1 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan; will hold hearing Sept. 15 to receive comments

NOAA Fisheries has prepared Secretarial Amendment 1 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. Secretarial Amendment 1 would add an overfished species rebuilding plan for petrale sole and revise existing overfished species rebuilding plans. In addition, Secretarial Amendment 1 would modify the default proxy values for "FMSY" and "BMSY" (fishing mortality and stock biomass that will produce maximum sustainable yield) as they apply to the flatfish species, including petrale sole; and the harvest control rule policies. The amendment would also make non-substantive changes and updates factual information. Comments on Secretarial Amendment 1 must be received on or before November 8, 2011. Read more or submit a comment. NOAA Fisheries, in cooperation with the Pacific Fishery Management Council, will be holding a hearing to receive comments on the proposed Secretarial Amendment 1 The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 15, 2011. Read more

---

EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOAA Fisheries Announces Workshops on Protected Species Release, Disentanglement, and Identification and Atlantic Shark Identification in September

NOAA Fisheries will hold free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops in September of 2011. Certain fishermen and shark dealers are required to attend a workshop to meet regulatory requirements and maintain valid permits. The Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop is mandatory for all federally permitted Atlantic shark dealers. The Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshop is mandatory for vessel owners and operators who use bottom longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet gear, and who have also been issued shark or swordfish limited access permits. Additional free workshops will be conducted during 2011. Click here for more information, dates, and locations.

Upcoming Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting Sept. 12-19, San Mateo, California; Open to the Public

The Pacific Fishery Management Council and its advisory bodies will meet September 12-19, 2011 in San Mateo, California to address issues related to groundfish, highly migratory species, salmon, Pacific halibut, and habitat matters. All meetings are open to the public, except a closed session of the Council to be held at the end of the business day on Wednesday, September 14 to discuss litigation and personnel matters. Please visit the "Current Council Meeting" webpage for the meeting notice and agenda details.

National Ocean Council's Ocean Research Advisory Panel Seeking Nominations for Membership; Deadline is Sept. 15

The National Ocean Council's (NOC) Ocean Research Advisory Panel (ORAP) is seeking nominations for membership. The deadline is September 15, 2011. Full details, including nomination requirements, are available online. Anyone (including any organization) may nominate qualified individuals (including one's self) for membership on the panel. This is an important opportunity to engage stakeholders and members of the ocean community in a formal process for advising the NOC. Please consider providing a nomination and sharing this nomination announcement with your constituencies.

As an official Federal Advisory Committee, ORAP provides advice to the NOC on policies, procedures, and other responsibilities relevant to implementation of the National Ocean Policy. Current ORAP members include representatives of the National Academies, ocean industries, State governments, academia, and others, including eminent individuals in the fields of marine science, marine policy, and related areas such as ocean resource management. Six seats will become vacant in the summer of 2012, and the goal is to balance ORAP membership to the extent possible to capture a range of geographic and sector representation and experience.

Due Sept. 15: Proposals for Habitat Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico Community-based Restoration Partnership (GCRP) invites proposals for its eleventh round of citizen-driven habitat restoration projects. The partnership is seeking to fund on-the-ground projects to restore marine, estuarine, and riparian habitats to benefit living marine resources and to provide educational and social benefits by significantly involving the community. Proposals must be received by the Gulf of Mexico Foundation office no later than 5:00 p.m. CDT September 15, 2011. Click here for proposal guidelines and application instructions.

Sept. 17: Roll Your Sleeves Up and Get Ready for the 2011 International Coastal Cleanup!

Join NOAA staff and folks around the world on Saturday, September 17 and help keep the sea free of debris! For easy tips on other ways you can help stop marine debris, visit the Keep the Coast Clear campaign. The NOAA Marine Debris Program is a proud sponsor of the International Coastal Cleanup. Click here for more information or contact Megan Forbes.

Sept. 20-22: Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel Meeting, Silver Spring, MD

NOAA Fisheries will hold a meeting of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel on September 20-22, 2011, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Silver Spring, MD. The meeting is open to the public. A draft agenda is available online.

At the September 2011 meeting, NOAA Fisheries plans to discuss Atlantic bluefin tuna management, revitalizing the swordfish fishery, the future of the shark fishery, other shark fishery management issues, and items contained in the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that published June 1, 2009. The meeting may also continue discussions on the implementation of 2010 International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas measures, an update on the recreational action plan for Atlantic highly migratory species, permitting and management options for swordfish and smoothhound sharks in trawl fisheries, electronic dealer reporting, vessel monitoring systems, and monitoring methods for Atlantic highly migratory species fisheries. NOAA Fisheries also plans to hold a shark catch share workshop for interested fishermen after the advisory panel meeting. Read more

Due Sept. 30: Proposals for Species Recovery Grants to Tribes Program

NOAA Fisheries is now accepting proposals for the 2012 Species Recovery Grants to Tribes Program. This program supports tribally led recovery efforts that directly benefit the following eligible species under NOAA Fisheries or joint NOAA Fisheries-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service jurisdiction:
     • species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), excluding Pacific salmonids (proposals focusing on listed Pacific salmon or steelhead will not be considered for funding under this grant program; such projects may be supported through Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund)
     • recently de-listed species
     • candidate species
     • species proposed for listing under the ESA

Recovery efforts supported by the program may involve management, research, outreach activities, and any combination thereof. Eligible applicants are federally recognized tribes. Proposals should be submitted through Grants.gov. For applicants without internet access, hard copies may be submitted (by postal mail or commercial delivery) to:

NMFS Office of Protected Resources
Attn: Sean Ledwin
1315 East-West Highway, SSMC3
Silver Spring, MD 20910

The deadline for the 2012 application is September 30, 2011. Read more

Due Oct. 7: Funding Opportunities for 2012 Monkfish and Scallop Research Set Aside Programs

NOAA Fisheries, in coordination with the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, is soliciting monkfish research proposals to utilize 500 Monkfish Days-at-Sea (DAS) that have been set-aside by the Councils to fund monkfish research endeavors through the 2012 Monkfish Research Set-Aside Program. No Federal funds are provided for research under this notification. Rather, proceeds generated from the sale of monkfish harvested during a set-aside DAS will be used to fund research activities and compensate vessels that participate in research activities and/or harvest set-aside quota. Projects funded under this program must enhance the knowledge of the monkfish fishery resource or contribute to the body of information on which monkfish management decisions are made. Priority will be given to monkfish research proposals that investigate research priorities identified by the Councils and detailed under the Program Priorities section of this announcement. Full proposals must be received and validated by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EST on Friday October 7, 2011. Read more

NOAA Fisheries, in coordination with the New England Fishery Management Council, is also soliciting Atlantic Sea Scallop research proposals to utilize scallop Total Allowable Catch (TAC) that has been set-aside by the Council to fund scallop research endeavors through the 2012 Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Program (March 1, 2012-February 28, 2013). No Federal funds are provided for research under this notification. Rather, proceeds generated from the sale of research set aside quota will be used to fund research activities and compensate vessels that participate in research activities and/or harvest set-aside quota. Projects funded under the Scallop Research Set Aside Program must enhance the knowledge of the scallop fishery resource or contribute to the body of information on which scallop management decisions are made. Priority will be given to scallop research proposals that investigate research priorities identified by the Council, which are detailed under the Program Priorities section of this announcement. Full proposals must be received and validated by Grants.gov on or before 5 p.m. EST on Friday, October 7, 2011. Read more

Due Oct. 31: Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Center Seeks Nominations for National System of MPAs

The MPA Center has announced that the nomination process for existing sites to nominate themselves for inclusion in the national system of MPAs is now open. Eligible federal, state, territorial, and tribal MPA programs are invited to nominate some or all of their sites by October 31, 2011. Currently, 297 federal, state and territorial sites are members of the national system, which provides coordination, technical assistance, training and grants to existing MPAs to enhance collaborative stewardship of marine resources. The national system does not impose any new restrictions on access or use within existing MPAs. All nominated sites will be announced in the Federal Register and available for public comment on www.mpa.gov. After final review by the managing agency and the MPA Center, mutually agreed upon MPAs will be accepted into the national system. To see sites eligible for the national system, click here. For more information on the National System of Marine Protected Areas and the nomination process, including a nomination package, visit www.mpa.gov.

Due Nov. 1: Proposals for 2012 NOAA Community-based Marine Debris Removal Grant; Funding up to $2 million

Projects awarded through this grant competition have strong on-the-ground habitat components involving the removal of marine debris and derelict fishing gear, as well as activities that provide social benefits for people and their communities in addition to long-term ecological habitat improvements for NOAA trust resources. Through this solicitation NOAA identifies marine debris removal projects, strengthens the development and implementation of habitat restoration through community-based marine debris removal, and fosters awareness of the effects of marine debris to further the conservation of living marine resource habitats. Successful proposals through this solicitation will be funded through a cooperative agreement. Funding of up to $2,000,000 is expected to be available for Community-based Marine Debris Removal Project Grants in FY2012. Typical awards will range from $15,000 to $150,000. The closing date for applications is November 01, 2011. For more information on this grant visit the NOAA Restoration Center's Marine Debris web page or Grants.gov (FFO# NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2012-2003095).

FEDERAL REGISTER ACTIONS

For a list of only those actions open for public comment, go to http://www.regulations.gov and scroll search for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
For a list of all daily actions, check the Federal register online



http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments