NOAA Fisheries FishNews - October 16, 2019

OCTOBER 16, 2019

NOAA Celebrates Seafood Month 2019 It’s still Seafood Month and a fitting time to celebrate that the United States is recognized as a global leader in sustainable seafood—both wild-caught and farmed. U.S. fishermen and fish farmers operate under some of the most robust and transparent environmental standards in the world.

Highlights How Retention Limits Help Us Sustainably Manage Sharks The U.S. Atlantic Ocean has some of the most sustainable shark fisheries in the world thanks to a range of science-based management tools. One of these tools is commercial retention limits, which we can adjust during the fishing season to provide fishing opportunities while preventing overfishing. New App Answers Aquaculture Siting Questions OceanReports is a new tool developed by NOAA’s National Ocean Service that allows you to draw a box anywhere in the ocean and decide whether it’s suitable for aquaculture. Seafood farmers, coastal managers, and regulators, and environmental organizations will all benefit from this tool. Proposed Humpback Whale Critical Habitat – Public Hearings Last week, NOAA Fisheries filed a proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the endangered Western North Pacific distinct population segment, endangered Central America DPS, and threatened Mexico DPS of humpback whales. NOAA Fisheries will hold five public hearings November 4 - December 3, in California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, to collect public comments.  Nominate Outstanding Leaders in Wetland Conservation Do you know someone deserving of special recognition for outstanding leadership and achievements in the conservation and restoration of our nation's wetlands? We invite you to nominate them for one of six National Wetlands Awards.  Nominations are due December 20.

Alaska Evidence of a Dramatic Northward Shift of Pacific Cod Until recently, Pacific cod were rarely encountered in the northern Bering Sea. But surveys in 2017 and 2018 found dramatic increases in cod, accompanied by declining abundances in the southeastern Bering Sea. New genetic evidence suggests these shifts were due to escalating movement of cod from their historic habitat under recent warm ocean conditions. New Director of NOAA Fisheries’ Auke Bay Laboratory NOAA Fisheries is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Dana Hanselman as Director of the Auke Bay Laboratories Division of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. Auke Bay Laboratories is located in the Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute in Juneau. Hanselman has 16 years of experience at the Science Center, with a specialty in stock assessments. Science Blog: Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals NOAA Fisheries, with the help of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, has conducted this aerial survey of whales, seals, and other marine mammals in the U.S. Arctic since 1979. In this latest blog post, read about the team’s success in counting bowhead whales.

West Coast West Coast Groundfish Video The West Coast groundfish fishery has gone through a transformation since the early 2000s, when it was declared a federal emergency. Since then, nine of the 10 species have been rebuilt and the remaining species, yelloweye rockfish, is trending positively. This success has been a team effort between scientists, managers, and fishermen.

Pacific Islands Tide to Table: Rise of Ocean Farmers There is a growing interest in understanding where our food is coming from and in supporting local farmers, as well as an increased focus on local fare in eateries coast to coast. Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production system in the world. These farms can vary from seaweed production in Alaska, oyster gardens in New England, and even offshore farms in the clear waters of Hawaii.

Southeast Restored Corals Thriving 3 Years After Hurricane Matthew In 2016, Hurricane Matthew swept through the south Atlantic and Caribbean. Staff from the NOAA Restoration Center immediately set to work stabilizing or transplanting coral fragments off the coast of Puerto Rico. Three years later, monitoring of the restored reef has revealed healthy, thriving corals with survival rates at more than 90 percent. Individual Fishing Quota Program Meet and Greet Next Monday, October 21, immediately following the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in Galveston, Texas, NOAA Fisheries’ Catch Share Support staff will be hosting an informal meet and greet for shareholders and dealers in the Individual Fishing Quota program to discuss the program's operations and day-to-day functionality. Spanish Mackerel Control Date – Request for Public Comment By November 14, please submit your comments on an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to set a control date of March 7, 2019, for commercial Spanish mackerel. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will continue discussions on possible avenues to control effort in the commercial Spanish mackerel sector, and may use the control date as a reference in restricting participation.

Greater Atlantic How One Commercial Fisherman Uses Electronic Monitoring Data For 44 years, Tony Borges has set out from New Bedford, Massachusetts, in search of groundfish, fluke, and squid. For the past 7 years, he has also participated in the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Study Fleet. In this feature, he talks about the catch and scientific data collection and what he’s learned. New Climate Change Tool for Nova Scotia Lobster Fishery U.S. and Canadian researchers have developed a new tool that incorporates projected changes in ocean climate onto specific fishery management areas. Now fishermen, resource managers, and policymakers can use the tool to plan for the future sustainability of the lobster fishery as waters warm.  Science Blog: Fall Bottom Trawl Survey, Rain or Shine Check in on the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s 2019 fall bottom trawl survey, taking place from September to November aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. In this latest blog post, science technicians Christine Kircun and Katie Rogers team up to share enchanting images of the sea life they’ve sampled.

Upcoming Deadlines October 23 Quotes due from Gulf of Mexico pelagic longline vessel owners interested in participating in the 2020 Oceanic Fish Restoration Project. October 31 Proposals due for 2020 Species Recovery Grants to States. October 31 Proposals due for 2020 Species Recovery Grants to Tribes. November 1 Abstracts due for the 2020 Milford Aquaculture Seminar. December 20 Nominations due for the 31st Annual National Wetlands Awards.

Upcoming Events October 18 Free Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification workshop in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. October 19 Second annual Main Hawaiian Islands Monk Seal Count on Maui. October 19–24 Three stakeholder workshops on New England recreational fishing management in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island; please register in advance. October 21 Individual Fishing Quota Program Meet and Greet for shareholders and dealers to meet with Catch Share Support staff in Galveston, Texas. October 21–24 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in Galveston, Texas. October 21–24 Western Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Pago Pago, American Samoa. October 28 and November 4 Two informational sessions on proposed changes to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. November 2–3 2019 Right Whale Festival in Fernandina Beach, Florida. November 4 - December 3 Five public hearings to discuss proposed critical habitat designations for three distinct population segments of humpback whale, to be held in California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. November 4 and 19 Two free Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification workshops in Florida and North Carolina. November 12 Annual public meeting of the Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group for the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment in Biloxi, Mississippi. November 13–14 East Coast National Electronic Monitoring Workshop in New Castle, New Hampshire. November 14 Free Atlantic Shark Identification workshop in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. January 17 Maine Aquaculture Research, Development, and Education Forum in Belfast, Maine. February 12–13: West Coast National Electronic Monitoring Workshop in Renton, Washington.

Federal Register Actions Visit NOAA Fisheries' Rules & Regulations web page to learn more about recently proposed and finalized regulations in your region.

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