NOAA Fisheries FishNews - October 30, 2019

OCTOBER 30, 2019

NOAA Celebrates Seafood Month 2019 It’s been a busy month of celebrating the successes we’ve seen in U.S. production of sustainable seafood—fished and farmed. As we wrap up Seafood Month we look to Hawaii and Alaska where, despite the differences in these fisheries, sound science and collaborative management are signatures of success. Interview with John Kaneko, Hawaii Seafood Council Read an interview with Dr. John Kaneko, the program manager for the Hawaii Seafood Council, about sustainable seafood and the Hawaii fishing industry. The Hawaii Seafood Council’s mission is to support Hawaii’s responsible fisheries and sustainable seafood on issues of food safety, quality, and sustainability. Alaska Pollock Fishery: A Model of Sustainability For more than 20 years, NOAA Fisheries has been successfully managing the Alaska pollock fishery with a holistic ecosystem-based management model. Through innovation and sound science, government and industry continue to work together to improve this fishery, including efforts to reduce bycatch.

Highlights Atlantic HMS Advisory Panel Nominations NOAA Fisheries requests nominations to fill 10 vacancies on the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel. We consult with this advisory panel when preparing or implementing fishery management plans for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks. Nomination packages are due November 29.

Alaska New Shellfish Assessment Program Manager The Alaska Fisheries Science Center announces the appointment of Dr. Michael Litzow as Shellfish Assessment Program Manager. Dr. Litzow is a fisheries oceanographer who has studied climate effects on Alaska marine ecosystems for the past two decades.

West Coast Genetics Reveal Pacific Subspecies of Fin Whale New genetic research has identified fin whales in the northern Pacific Ocean as a separate subspecies, reflecting a revolution in marine mammal taxonomy as scientists unravel the genetics of animals too enormous to bring into laboratories. The findings highlight the diversity of marine mammals.

Pacific Islands Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals Impacted by Selfies A new study shows that selfie culture impacts how people behave when posting images of an endangered species on social media. In the study, NOAA scientists used social media to monitor human activities around endangered Hawaiian monk seals. They discovered that human disturbance is more common than originally thought.

Southeast Control Date for USVI Spiny Lobster Fishery - Open for Comment On October 18, NOAA Fisheries published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to set a control date of September 1, 2017, for the spiny lobster trap fishery operating in federal waters surrounding the U.S. Virgin Islands. This notice is not a proposed rule but a notification that we may develop a future rulemaking to complement any actions taken by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council, and that future participation in the fishery may be based on participation prior to the control date. Comments are due by November 18. Proposed Vision Blueprint Recreational Measures - Open for Public Comment NOAA Fisheries requests your comments on Vision Blueprint Recreational Regulatory Amendment 26 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region. Comments are due by November 25.  The proposed actions would remove the recreational minimum size limits, reduce the recreational minimum size limit, and modify the 20-fish recreational aggregate bag limit for the affected species. Proposed Red Grouper Rebuilding Plan - Open for Comment NOAA Fisheries requests your comments on the proposed rule for Regulatory Amendment 30 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region.  Comments are due by November 29. The proposed actions would revise the rebuilding schedule for red grouper based on the most recent stock assessment, extend protections to red grouper in federal waters off North Carolina and South Carolina, and establish a commercial trip limit.

Greater Atlantic Tributaries: Small Rivers, Big Returns Removing big dams on large rivers garners lots of attention, but removing barriers on smaller tributaries can also provide a good return on investment. Even after 200+ years without access to their historic spawning and rearing habitats, migratory fish will return to reconnected rivers and streams. NOAA Hosts Habitat Workshops for Chesapeake Anglers NOAA Fisheries recently hosted two habitat workshops in the Chesapeake Bay region—one in Maryland and the other in Virginia. At the workshops, NOAA staff discussed fish habitat issues and priorities with representatives from recreational angling organizations. This was a prime opportunity for the recreational community to provide their input into current and future habitat work in the Chesapeake Bay. Final Measures to Rebuild Atlantic Mackerel Stock NOAA Fisheries published a final rule that establishes a 5-year rebuilding plan for Atlantic mackerel, sets 2019–2021 specifications, modifies closure triggers to slow the commercial fishery when harvest approaches the annual quota, and updates the river herring and shad catch cap in the Atlantic mackerel fishery. This rule, effective November 29, approves Framework Adjustment 13 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan.

Upcoming Deadlines 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. November 29 Nomination packages due for openings on the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel.

Upcoming Events November 2–3 2019 Right Whale Festival in Fernandina Beach, Florida. November 4 Informational session on proposed changes to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in Fort Myers, Florida. 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 14–20 Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Costa Mesa, California. December 2–6 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Wilmington, North Carolina. December 3–5 New England Fishery Management Council meeting in Newport, Rhode Island. December 10–12 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Annapolis, Maryland. 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.

Corrections or technical questions should be sent to the FishNews Editor at editor.fishnews@noaa.gov. www.fisheries.noaa.gov

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