HIGHLIGHTS
As we close out National Seafood Month we will have a few new stories that feature the diversity and innovation behind our domestic sustainable seafood, including the invasive blue catfish which is both tasty and a good catch for the environment, and the expanding market for farmed sea veggies, another healthy choice for the environment and foodies alike. So get out there and make a variety of seafood part of your healthy diet. For information on the sustainability of U.S. seafood, visit FishWatch.gov.
Assessing Hurricane Impacts on Fishing Communities
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, with the assistance from NOAA Fisheries, are conducting rapid appraisals of impacts to fishing communities from hurricanes Irma and Harvey, respectively. The goals of these evaluations are to assess the impacts of Irma and Harvey on fishing communities and characterize the effects of the storms on fishing operations and fishing-related businesses—commercial and recreational fishing industries alike. If your fishing vessel or charter vessel and/or fishing related business (bait and tackle shops, marinas, fuel, ice, seafood restaurant, etc.) sustained damages from these events, you can report these damages online for both Florida and Texas.
Coming at the end of a devastating summer for right whales, the North Atlantic Right Whale Five-Year Review and its list of recommended actions to promote right whale recovery is particularly timely. Twelve dead endangered North Atlantic right whales found floating in Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence and three more in U.S. waters have experts in both countries concerned for the future of this species. The review, initiated in July 2016, is now complete and recommends that North Atlantic right whales continue to be listed as endangered.
Researchers at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center are reporting a never-before-seen phenomenon in Alaska waters—an influx of strange organisms that resemble flattened, translucent sea pickles.
NOAA Fisheries consults with, and considers the comments and views of, the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel when preparing and implementing fishery management plans or FMP amendments for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks. Nominations are being sought by November 22to fill 11 of the seats on the panel for a 3-year appointment.
The Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee advises the Secretary of Commerce on all living marine resource matters under the Department of Commerce. NOAA Fisheries is seeking to fill current and pending vacancieson the committee. Nominations are due November 27.
Alaska
A new NOAA Fisheries study suggests that the vast majority of octopus bycatch in commercial pot fisheries survive after being returned to sea. These findings have important implications for fisheries that must close when they catch the limit of octopus—they could stay open longer. Although there is no targeted fishery for octopus in Alaska, they are caught incidentally in trawl, longline, and pot fisheries. Pacific cod fisheries, especially those using pot gear, account for 90 percent of total octopus bycatch.
Pacific Islands
With the designation of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in 2006, fishing for bottomfish became restricted to the eight main Hawaiian Islands. The annual Bottomfish Fishery-Independent Survey in the main Hawaiian Islands, also known as BFISH, is currently underway and will be completed in early November, with data analysis taking place over the following few months. The information from the surveys enhances and expands upon data collected from the commercial fishery and will be used in stock assessment reports, which are provided to managers of the Deep7 complex.
Southeast
The commercial harvest of blueline tilefish in South Atlantic federal waters reopened for 8 days on October 24, 2017, because a recent landings update indicated that the catch limit for 2017 was not met. During the 8-day reopening, the commercial trip limit for blueline tilefish is 336 pounds whole weight or 300 pounds gutted weight. As a reminder, recreational harvest is closed for the rest of 2017.
By November 3, please submit your comments on an amendment and proposed rule for shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico. The proposed rule would establish transit provisions for shrimp vessels without a federal permit and specify a minimum threshold number of Gulf moratorium permits. The amendment also sets management targets for the shrimp fishery.
The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission requests proposals to address the technical and regulatory opportunities and challenges of oyster farming in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico region. Applications for these small grants (up to $75,000 each) are due at 5:00 pm CT on November 3.
Greater Atlantic
The Atlantic Herring Management Area 1A sub-annual catch limit is being increased from 31,115 mt to 32,115 mt from October 24 to December 31 due to an underharvest in the New Brunswick weir fishery. You can check the current status of the Atlantic herring catch here, and for more details on the catch limit increase, read the notice as filed in the Federal Register.
By November 6, please submit your comments on a proposed rule to modify the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan. Several measures are proposed to de-couple the skate wing and bait accountability measures, control catch, and provide a more consistent supply of skate bait to the lobster fishery. For more details on the proposed management measures, read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register and the background documents available on the Regs.gov website.
By November 17, please submit your comments on a 5-year review of the golden tilefish individual fishing quota (IFQ) program. The review found reduced overcapacity and derby-style fishing since the program’s implementation, as well as improved ex-vessel prices. The review also addressed recent administrative changes and future research needs.
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