FishNews - Nov 14, 2012 - Enforcement and Compliance Highlights, Fish Stock Sustainability Index Updates, New Redfish Features, and More

Join List     FishNews Archive     NOAA Fisheries Home           Highlights - November 14, 2012  International U.S. Participates in Annual International Meeting on Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and Tuna-Like Species Member countries of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meet this week in Morocco to discuss and develop international fisheries management measures for a variety of Atlantic marine species. Stay tuned for more news to come on ICCAT. While in Morocco, on behalf of the United States, NOAA's Deputy Assistant for International Fisheries signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with Morocco that sets the stage for collaboration on ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management and sustainable marine aquaculture. Swordfish-A Sustainable Seafood Choice Today, North Atlantic swordfish is one of the most sustainable seafood choices. How is this possible? The answer points to one of the greatest success stories of U.S. and international fisheries management. National Compliance, Plus Fair and Effective Enforcement, Are Vital to Managing Our Nation's Fisheries Read a message from Bruce Buckson, director of NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement. Stay tuned for more examples of our compliance and enforcement efforts throughout the month of November-from tackling seafood fraud nationally to helping crack down on illegal fishing internationally. NOAA Releases Updates to Fish Stock Sustainability Index These updates reflect the status of stocks as of September 2012. The Fish Stock Sustainability Index-a measure of the sustainability of U.S. fisheries-tracks the performance of 230 key fish stocks important to U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries. Read more. Agencies Seek Public Comments on Endangered Species Act Habitat Requirements The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries have reopened the public comment period on a joint proposal to simplify the process of identifying habitat essential to the survival and recovery of species protected by the Endangered Species Act. Comment on the process through February 6, 2013. Northeast NOAA Fisheries Proposes New Opportunity for Groundfish Fishermen to Target Redfish A proposed measure would allow members of the groundfish industry to use smaller mesh sizes in their fishing nets in certain areas to target healthy Acadian redfish stocks. To protect vulnerable groundfish, the measure would limit the amount of juvenile fish that can be caught and discarded in this fishery and implement an industry-funded at-sea monitoring program for those targeting redfish the smaller mesh sizes. Comment on the proposed measure through November 23, 2012. Learn more about redfish on our new Fishwatch profile, read a feature on a projectto bring redfish and other underused species back into the market in Maine, and check out the latest Voices from the Waterfront interview with Terry Alexander, a Maine redfish fisherman. NOAA Fisheries Proposes to Reduce 2013 Annual Catch Limits for Atlantic Herring Fishery The reduction would account for catch overages in 2011 and prevent overfishing.Comment on the proposed adjustment through December 13, 2012. NOAA Fisheries Proposes to Increase 2012 Butterfish Overall Catch Limit The 2012 butterfish quota for the directed fishery would decrease as NOAA does not expect industry to reach the quota, but the corresponding butterfish mortality cap for the longfin squid fishery would increase to enable fishermen to continue fishing for abundant longfin squid stocks throughout the entire fishing year.Comment on the proposed adjustment through November 23, 2012.   NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Exempted Fishing Permit for Lobster Research This permit application would exempt 11 commercial fishing vessels from certain federal American lobster regulations to enable cooperative research to analyze the extent to which young lobsters are present in the offshore Area 3. Comment on the application through November 21, 2012. Southeast Two New Projects Proposed to Restore the Gulf The trustees for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill case released a Phase II Draft Early Restoration Plan & Environmental Review describing the projects and are soliciting public comments on the document. You can submit comments onlinethrough December 10, 2012, or at the public meeting being held in Pensacola, Florida, on November 13. Northwest New Floating Surface Collector at the Baker Hydroelectric Project Is a Model for Innovative Fish Passage Learn how NOAA Fisheries engineers worked closely with Puget Sound Energy to design an innovative fish passage system known as the floating surface collector. New Study to Examine Ecological Tipping Points Find out how NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center is working with a team from UC Santa Barbara and the Environmental Defense Fund to explore how subtle changes in a single species can cause unintended significant effects on entire marine ecosystems and how managers can prevent these changes from happening. Northwest/Southwest New Amendment to West Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan Available for Review The Pacific Fishery Management Council has submitted Amendment 17 to the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan for Secretarial review. Amendment 17 mainly revises the maximum fishing mortality threshold for Quillayute fall coho and updates reporting measures to reflect new technology.Comment on the amendment through January 8, 2013. Southwest Genetic Analysis Reveals New Information on Bowhead Whales A researcher from NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center participated in a new study published in Ecology and Evolution that investigated the genetic diversity of bowhead whales by analyzing samples collected from modern populations and ancient specimens. Read more. Events  Nov-Dec: NOAA Fisheries holds free Atlantic Shark Identification workshops and Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification workshops Nov-Dec: NOAA Fisheries holds training workshops on Electronic Reporting System for Federal Atlantic Swordfish, Shark, and Tuna Dealers Nov 17: NOAA sponsors fourth annual Right Whale Festival in Jacksonville Beach, Florida May-Jan: Crimes Against Marine Mammals-NOAA-Sponsored Exhibit in D.C. extended through January 2013 Announcements Nov 19: Nominations for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel due Dec. 13: Applications for 2013 Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Shark Research Fishery due Dec 14: Nominations for National Wetlands Awards due Dec 28: Applications due for Director position in NOAA Research Climate Program Office Federal Register Actions  Click here for a list of only those actions open for public comment. Scroll search for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For a list of all daily actions, check the Federal Register online.

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