Thursday, October 10, 2019

NOAA Fisheries FishNews – October 9, 2019

Seafood Month, Highly Migratory Species, and More

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Fish News - NOAA Fisheries
OCTOBER 9, 2019

NOAA Celebrates Seafood Week 2019

seafood
At NOAA Fisheries, we know the recipe for sustainable seafood includes strong science, responsive management, and enforced compliance. The United States is a global leader in sustainable seafood, and we’re working to advance sustainable management practices internationally. Join us as we celebrate seafood all month long!

Serving Up Seafood: National Seafood Month

FishWatch Seafood Month
Join us for National Seafood Month 2019 and learn how we work to support healthy, sustainable seafood all year round. Check out FishWatch for up-to-date information on the science, status, and management of U.S. seafood. And join in #SeafoodMonth on our social media channels—FacebookInstagram, and Twitter. Below, read a new three-part series that tells the saga of the collapse and recovery of West Coast rockfish fisheries.

Part 1: West Coast Fisheries' Comeback of the Century

rockfish
Today at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, rockfish is returning to the market and to dinner tables. Giuseppe “Joe” Pennisi helped reintroduce locals to the flaky white fish that was once a mainstay of West Coast seafood.

Part 2: Devastating Collapse Forces More Sustainable Future

West Coast groundfish fishing
The collapse of West Coast groundfish fisheries led to sweeping closures in 2002. Some fishermen left, but those who stayed worked together and made sacrifices to save the fishery.

Part 3: Rebuilding the Markets to Match the Fisheries

Rockfish dinner
Once the stocks recovered, fishermen, NOAA Fisheries, and nonprofit organizations worked together to put local rockfish back on fish counters often dominated by imported fish.

Highlights

Sea Grant Awards $2 Million for Highly Migratory Species Projects

sea grant
NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program has announced three awards totaling $2 million in support of the 2019 Sea Grant Highly Migratory Species Research Initiative. The funded projects will focus on reducing bycatch and understanding post-release mortality for sharks and other highly migratory species.

NOAA Fisheries Evaluates Role of Angler Reporting Apps

angler reporting
In a new report, NOAA Fisheries describes how "opt-in," or non-mandatory, smartphone apps may improve the agency's estimates of marine recreational catch. The agency is committed to identifying ways electronic reporting can improve our recreational fishing surveys.

3-Year Review of Bluefin Quota Program Now Available

bluefin
NOAA Fisheries released the final version of a formal evaluation of the Individual Bluefin Quota Program. Managers will use the findings to determine whether the program is meeting objectives and to identify modifications to consider in developing Amendment 13 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan.

Proposed Humpback Whale Critical Habitat - Open for Comment

humpback
By December 9, please submit your comments on a proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the endangered Western North Pacific distinct population segment, the endangered Central America DPS, and the threatened Mexico DPS of humpback whales. Proposed areas are located off the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.

Alaska

New Online Course for Spotting Entangled Whales

entangled
NOAA’s Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network depends on recreational and commercial boaters and other ocean users to spot and report entangled whales off Alaska’s coast. NOAA Fisheries has teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to develop a new online course to help them report entanglements.

West Coast

West Coast Research Cruise to Survey Deepwater Habitat

research
On October 7, a team of scientists and engineers left Newport, Oregon, for a month-long research cruise along the West Coast. The expedition is the collective effort of three federal agencies led by NOAA Fisheries and will dive deep to explore corals, sponges, and fish habitat on the ocean floor. A live video feed will allow the public to follow along with the expedition.

The Blob, Chapter 2: Marine Heat Wave “Off the Charts”

blob
About 5 years ago a large marine heatwave that became known as “the Blob” took hold in the Pacific Ocean off the West Coast. Read the second installment of a three-part series about the Blob and a changing ocean and what it may mean for the future of the California Current Ecosystem.

Rockfish Boomed with the Blob

rockfish
Groundfish and other marine creatures appear to be thriving under unprecedented ocean conditions, according to a new paper. The high temperatures that came with the marine heatwave known as “the Blob” led to unprecedented mixing of local and subtropical species. West Coast rockfish have been thriving under the new conditions after their population collapsed from overfishing in the 2000s.

Pacific Islands

Surveys to Assess Hawaii Coral Bleaching Event

coral bleaching
NOAA researchers are joining the multi-institution Hawaii Coral Bleaching Collaborative to document the extent and severity of coral bleaching across the main Hawaiian Islands. Underwater digital photos, stitched together by software to create three-dimensional models, will help scientists assess how colonies respond to bleaching events.

Rare Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Nest Discovered on Oahu

ridley
Two vacationers on Oahu discovered a sea turtle nest under their beach blanket. Their quick reporting allowed researchers to document only the sixth nesting site of rare Olive Ridley sea turtles in Hawaii.

Death of Young Hawaiian Monk Seal

baby monk seal
Recently weaned female Hawaiian monk seal pup RL44,  known as “Nanea,” was discovered dead on the North Shore of Oahu on September 24. The circumstances surrounding her death indicate that she did not die of natural causes. The case has been referred to NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement for investigation. Anyone with useful information should call (800) 853-1964.

Southeast

Proposed Rule for Gulf of Mexico Cobia - Open for Comment

map
By November 4, please submit your comments on a proposed rule that would increase the recreational and commercial minimum size limit for cobia in the Gulf of Mexico’s Gulf Zone from 33 inches fork length to 36.

Greater Atlantic

Supporting Resilient Fishing Communities in the Northeast

Point Judith vessels edit
NOAA Fisheries, in partnership with NOAA’s Climate Program Office, is supporting five new projects dedicated to enhancing the capacity of fishing communities in the Northeast to assess climate-driven socio-economic risks and impacts. These projects are part of NOAA Fisheries’ efforts to understand and respond to changing climate, oceans and fisheries in the Northeast region.

Reminder: Cooperative Research Engagement Opportunity

research
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center's Cooperative Research Branch is wrapping up its 2019 effort to learn more about how cooperative research can work better for everyone. The workshop series has ended, but the Center is still accepting feedback by email through October 11.

Reminder: Recreational Fisheries Stakeholder Workshops

recreational
NOAA Fisheries’ Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office is hosting three workshops to provide an opportunity for stakeholder input on developing potential short- and long-term management approaches for the recreational fishing community. Workshops are scheduled for October 19, 22, and 24.

Proposed Atlantic Herring Rule - Open for Public Comment

herring
By November 25, please submit your comments on proposed regulations to implement Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. This amendment would establish an acceptable biological catch control rule that accounts for herring’s role in the ecosystem. It would also prohibit midwater trawling in certain inshore federal waters.

Reward for Information on Unreported Summer Flounder

summer flounder
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is offering a reward of up to $20,000 in exchange for information leading to the successful prosecution of individuals suspected of failing to report or significantly misreporting landings of summer flounder (fluke) in New York and New Jersey.

Review of Fisheries Observer Pre-Trip Vessel Safety

observer
In August, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's Fisheries Sampling Branch organized a workshop to evaluate the process of completing the pre-trip vessel safety checklist required before every observed fishing trip. The Fisheries Sampling Branch plans to start testing and incorporating improvements to the process beginning this fall.

Greenland’s Only Native Atlantic Salmon Population

tagged salmon
Large numbers of Atlantic salmon originating from North America and Europe congregate off the coast of Greenland each summer and fall to feed. But only one population of Atlantic salmon appears to be native to Greenland itself: a small population that spawns in Greenland’s Kapisillit (“Salmon”) River.

Northeast Fisheries Science Highlights Newsletter

northeast
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center offers an electronic newsletter, Science Highlights, to share regional NOAA Fisheries science news. View the latest issue online, or subscribe directly here.

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.

Upcoming Events

October 10 Last day of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Durham, North Carolina.


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