NOAA Fisheries FishNews—May 23rd

MAY 23, 2024 World Fish Migration Day Join us in celebrating World Fish Migration Day! Learn more about how NOAA helps migratory fish and communities by opening or improving access to river and stream habitat. NOAA Recommends $240 Million in Fish Passage Funding under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act NOAA is recommending nearly $240 million in funding for 46 fish passage projects under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. This includes significant funding for tribes. These projects will reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for fish across the country. Podcast: Dam Removals Boost Atlantic Salmon Populations in Maine The Penobscot River in Maine is one of the last places in the United States where you can still find Atlantic salmon. It's also the historic home of the Penobscot Nation—the Indigenous people who have watched as industrialization polluted the watershed and caused fish populations to plummet. In this new episode, hear about habitat restoration efforts that will help Atlantic salmon recover and support the ancestral traditions of the Penobscot Nation. Supporting the Long-Term Survival of Copper River Salmon and Alaska Native Traditions With $4.3 million in NOAA funds, the Copper River Watershed Project and The Eyak Corporation will remove fish passage barriers, opening more streams for salmon spawning and subsistence fishing. Celebrating a NOAA Champion for Migratory Fish NOAA Marine Habitat Resource Specialist Eric Hutchins stands out for his nearly 40 years of service and tireless efforts to restore migratory fish populations in New England. Highlights NOAA Fisheries Partners with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Support of North Atlantic Right Whales NOAA Fisheries is providing $6 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The funding will support projects developing technologies to minimize risk from vessel strikes—a primary threat to endangered North Atlantic right whales and other large whales. Biden-Harris Administration Awards $20 Million for Regional Fishery Management Council Projects as Part of Investing In America Agenda The Department of Commerce and NOAA are awarding $20 million to support regional fishery management council projects to tackle the impacts of climate change. These funds are made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history. Each council will receive approximately $1 to 3 million in funding to spearhead priority climate work. Recommended Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Projects NOAA Fisheries has recommended 16 projects for funding under the 2024 Saltonstall-Kennedy Competitive Grants Program. The program helps fishing communities optimize economic benefits by building and maintaining sustainable fisheries, dealing with the impacts of conservation and management measures, and increasing opportunities for viable working waterfronts. Alaska Commerce Secretary Announces Fishery Resource Disaster Determination for the Bering Sea Snow Crab Fishery The Secretary determined that a fishery resource disaster occurred in the Bering Sea commercial snow crab fishery. This positive determination makes these fisheries eligible for disaster assistance from NOAA. Fishery participants may also qualify for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration. West Coast Tracking Study Seeks Secrets of Some of the Sacramento’s Most Successful Salmon Researchers are tracking one of the most successful populations of young Chinook salmon on the Sacramento River downstream to the ocean—and you can, too. Southeast NOAA Enforcement Helps Protect Sea Turtles NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement partners with federal and state enforcement agencies to protect sea turtles in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. New England/Mid-Atlantic Final Rule for the Sunrise Wind Project NOAA Fisheries is publishing the final incidental take regulations, pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, to govern the incidental harassment of marine mammals related to the Sunrise Wind Project, offshore New York and within the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Wind Energy Area. We have determined the take authorized under the final rule will have a negligible impact on all affected marine mammal species and stocks. These regulations are effective from June 21, 2024, through June 20, 2029. Upcoming Deadlines May 27: Applications for attendance due for the 2024 Marine Resource Education Program Southeast Workshop May 28: Applications due for two Environmental Protection Agency Clean Ports Program grant competitions May 28: Comments due for proposed changes to Seafood Inspection Program procedures June 3: Deadline for Vineyard Wind 1 Fisheries Compensation Program applications June 21: Applications due for members of the American Fisheries Advisory Committee July 1: Deadline for nominations for the 2024 Dr. Nancy Foster Habitat Conservation Award  View more news and announcements Upcoming Events June 4–6: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council June 2024 Meeting  June 6–11: North Pacific Fishery Management Council June 2024 Meeting June 6–13: Pacific Fishery Management Council June 2024 Meeting June 10–14: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council June 2024 Meeting June 24–28: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council June 2024 Meeting June 24–27: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council June 2024 Meeting June 25: Educator Workshop: Mid-Atlantic Climate Change Education Conference June 25–27: New England Fishery Management Council June 2024 Meeting July 15: Educator Workshop: Summer Institute for Climate Change Education July 29–August 2: Educator Workshop: Teachers on the Estuary View more events Federal Register Actions Visit NOAA Fisheries' Rules & Regulations web page to learn more about recently proposed and finalized regulations in your region.  Questions? Visit our website for national and regional contact information

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