FishNews - April 3, 2013 - New FishWatch Video, Technology to Fight Seafood Fraud, Rec Fishing 2012 Report, and More

Subscribe FishNews Archive NOAA Fisheries    April 3, 2013       EVENTS    April 4  Educational Question & Answer Session on Vessel Monitoring Systems hosted by South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council via webinar. April 10 and 30   Additional public hearings in Manahawkin, New Jersey, and online via webinar on proposed swordfish measures. April 15-25  Public hearings on South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's proposed use of Vessel Monitoring Systems in the Snapper Grouper Fishery. April, May, June  Three Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops will be held in North Carolina, New York, and Florida. All are free. April, May, June   Six Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops will be held in Florida, New Jersey, Maryland, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and Mississippi. All are free. Thursdays in April 2013 Fish and Fisheries Public Seminars at Maritime Gloucester. May 7-9 Managing Our Nation's Fisheries-3 conference in Washington, DC. May 16 Workshop for owners/ operators of vessels and shoreside processors for pollock fishery ANNOUNCEMENTS April 5 Due date for proposals to the Bycatch Reduction Grant Program.   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 Registeronline. .   HIGHLIGHTS New Video -- Fresh Facts. Smart Seafood. FishWatch.gov. Safe, sustainable seafood is vital for a healthy diet. But, how do we know it's safe and sustainable? FishWatch.gov provides easy-to-understand science-based facts to help consumers make smart, sustainable seafood choices. This video helps break it down for you. Technology Helps Fight Fraud -- It's No Joke  Yes, April 1st has passed, but just in case in flew by and you didn't catch the spirit, check out this story. First, you might learn bit about how April Fool's Day got started. More importantly, let us tell you how new traceability technology can help fight seafood fraud. NOAA Releases Recreational Fishing Report for 2012 A new report, Recreational Fisheries: Year in Review 2012, updates the progress made toward NOAA's Recreational Fisheries Engagement Initiative. The initiative aims to improve NOAA's relationships with the recreational fishing community, recognizing their important roles in marine resource stewardship and maritime culture. Northeast Filling in the Picture of Marine Recreational Fishing Value in the Northeast A new NOAA Fisheries study on the for-hire marine recreational fishing business in the Northeast provides the most comprehensive picture to date of the industry's economic value and importance to the region. Highlights from Listening Sessions with Northeast Fishermen NOAA Fisheries' Northeast Regional Administrator John Bullard held a series of public meetings to hear from fishermen, scientists, environmentalists, the seafood and aquaculture industries, and other stakeholders around the region. Major themes echoed at these meetings are summarized here. Cobscook Bay: An Extraordinary Estuary with "Boiling Tides" Cobscook Bay, located in easternmost Maine near the Canadian border, is home to crucial habitat for a number of important fish species-and also features some of the most impressive tides in the nation. As interest in harnessing Cobscook Bay's tidal energy grows, NOAA Fisheries is working to assess the compatibility of new energy technologies with the marine and estuarine ecosystems and organisms. Feedback Sought on 2013 Observer Set-Aside Compensation Rates for Full-time Limited Access Scallop Vessels  NOAA Fisheries' Northeast Regional Office and Science Center have worked together to calculate the initial observer set-aside compensation rates for fishing year 2013. The Northeast Regional Office is seeking feedback on the rates and the calculations. Proposed Clarifications and Corrections to Regulations in Tilefish Fishery Management Plan - Please Comment By April 29, submit your comments on a proposed action to correct, clarify, and modify the regulations implementing the Tilefish Individual Fishing Quota Program to better reflect the intent of Tilefish Amendment 1. Proposed Framework Adjustment to the Northeast Multispecies Fisheries Management Plan - Please Comment By April 15, submit your comments on a proposed framework adjustment to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. Framework Adjustment 50 would specify 2013 total allowable catches for three U.S./Canada stocks and modify the rebuilding program and management measures forSouthern New England/Mid-Atlantic winter flounder. Southwest California Sea Lion Unusual Mortality Event The Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events (UME) declared such an event for California sea lions after a significant increase in pup strandings began in January 2013. An independent team of scientists is investigating the cause of the UME and will recommend next steps for response. New Study Analyzes the Risk to Endangered Whales from Ship Traffic off Southern California NOAA scientists and partnering researchers identified areas off southern California with high numbers of whales and assessed the risk of potentially deadly collisions between whales and commercial ships. The study analyzed alternate shipping routes to and from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and found that the risks posed to different whale species varied by route. Southeast Federal Fishery Advisory Panel Seats Open to Applicants The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council solicits applications for seats currently available on its advisory panels, members of which provide information and guidance in the development of fishery management plans. Nine of the Council's eleven topical advisory panels have openings. Applications are due May 1. Exempted Fishing Permit for Gulf of Mexico Headboat Pilot Study Evaluating Allocation-Based Management System - Please Comment By May 2, submit your comments on an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from the Gulf Headboat Cooperative. The Cooperative would use the permits for a 2-year pilot study evaluating the efficiency of an allocation-based management system for the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fishery. Reduced Season Lengths for Several Species in the U.S. Caribbean for the 2013 Fishing Year NOAA Fisheries announces accountability measures for several species and species groups in the Reef Fish Fishery and Spiny Lobster Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for the 2013 fishing year. Several annual catch limits were exceeded during 2010 or 2011, triggering early seasonal closures to ensure the 2013 catch limits are not surpassed. Finding on Petition to List Sperm Whales in the Gulf of Mexico as Distinct Population Segment under Endangered Species Act By May 28, submit your comments on NOAA Fisheries' determination that a petition to list sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico as a threatened or endangered distinct population segment presents sufficient evidence to warrant a review of the species' status.  Northwest Using Pacific Ocean Indicators to Predict Columbia River Chinook Returns  Researchers have found that biological indicators in the Pacific Ocean, such as the abundance of food when young salmon first arrive to sea, are better predictors of adult salmon returns to the Columbia River than local physical indicators, such as temperature. Improving the accuracy of these predictions is invaluable to salmon management efforts. Pacific Dawn v. Bryson and the Reconsideration of the Whiting Allocation NOAA Fisheries has published two rulemakings on the Reconsideration of Allocation of Whiting (RAW 1 and RAW 2) in response to a February 2012 court order issued in Pacific Dawn v. Bryson. The existing allocations of Pacific Whiting will remain in place. Southern Resident Killer Whale and Ecosystem Cruise Returns Researchers from NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center have returned from 10 days aboard the NOAA vessel Bell M. Shimada following endangered killer whales off the coasts of Oregon and Washington. This winter cruise addressed a high-priority research gap. Alaska Restructuring the North Pacific Groundfish and Halibut Observer Program New regulations have changed the observer coverage requirements and funding mechanisms for vessels and processors in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska. These changes will increase the statistical reliability of the data collected by the program, address cost inequality among fishery participants, and expand observer coverage to previously unobserved fisheries. Workshop to Solicit Input on Monitoring Requirements for American Fisheries Act Catcher Vessels  NOAA Fisheries announces a workshop to solicit input from owners and operators of American Fisheries Act catcher vessels and shoreside processors participating in the pollock fishery in the Bering Sea. The workshop will discuss potential regulatory changes to monitoring requirements.  NOAA Fisheries | laurel.bryant@noaa.gov

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