WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS
National – A Message from Sam Rauch, Head of NOAA Fisheries: Spotlight on International Cooperation Towards Global Stewardship
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As we all know, fish and living marine resources do not recognize the management boundaries of states, nations, or even oceans. They are shared resources whose long-term sustainability depends on international cooperation and stewardship. Our collaborative activities include cooperative science and management initiatives at the bilateral, regional, and global levels.
Since last September when the United States and the European Union signed a Joint Statement to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, significant progress has been made to enhance awareness of global fisheries and the need for international cooperation. The United States and European Union have worked together to outline a vision for fisheries reform in the global arena. In early June, Dr. Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, addressed a joint session of the European Union Parliament and met with Regional Fisheries Management Organization leaders to advance the United States' vision for sustainable, science-based, fisheries management. View Dr. Lubchenco's remarks and learn more about the broad spectrum of initiatives dedicated to addressing global stewardship. Read more |
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National – NOAA Releases National Observer Program Annual Report
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| In 2011, NOAA Fisheries had more than 1,000 observers and 79,570 sea days observed in 47 fisheries across the nation. Those were record numbers for the program. This type of data and more is included in the new National Observer Program Annual Report released by NOAA Fisheries. The report highlights program activities, funding, future goals, and the number of sea days observed and program accomplishments throughout the regions. Observers are NOAA-trained biologists onboard commercial fishing vessels. Their job is to tally the number of fish kept or discarded, document sightings of protected species, and collect data on fishing gear and effort. Established in 1972, the observer program continues to evolve today. In 2011, observer coverage in the Northeast and Northwest regions increased. Find the full report online at http://1.usa.gov/LDCjpt. |
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National – Marinette Marine Corporation Launches NOAA Fisheries Survey VesselReuben Lasker
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| On June 16, 2012, Marinette Marine Corporation (MMC), a Fincantieri company, launched the Reuben Lasker, a fisheries survey vessel that the Wisconsin shipyard is building for NOAA. Pamela A. Lasker, the daughter of the ship's namesake and its sponsor, christened the ship before the 208-ft. vessel was side-launched into the Menominee River. Funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Reuben Lasker is the fifth in a series of Oscar Dyson-class ships built for the agency. The ship will be equipped with the latest technology for fisheries and oceanographic research, including advanced navigation systems, acoustic sensors, and scientific sampling gear. The Reuben Lasker will primarily support fish, marine mammals and turtle surveys off the U.S. West Coast and in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The high-tech ship is engineered to produce much less noise than other survey vessels, allowing scientists to study fish populations and collect oceanographic data with fewer effects on fish and marine mammal behavior. Read more |
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National – Dolphin SMART Businesses Protect Dolphins
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Wild dolphins are energetic creatures and tourists want to get a closer glimpse into their world. With the ever-growing popularity of dolphin viewing, more vacation spots feature viewing tours. However, coastal dolphins can be disturbed by boats and people. Dolphins depend on their coastal homes for protection from predators, to care for their young, and to hunt for food. Protecting dolphins and their coastal homes is crucial for conservation efforts and economic sustainability of dolphin-viewing businesses. So before you choose one, consider some key points¬—you can help protect and enjoy watching dolphins by becoming Dolphin SMART.
Dolphin SMART is a one-of-a-kind program that combines responsible viewing and advertising practices, educational trainings and materials, field research, and outreach to benefit both dolphins and participating dolphin-viewing businesses. Participating businesses educate their guests on how to responsibly view dolphins and practice the same things on their own tours, which minimizes disturbance to animals. Choosing Dolphin SMART tours helps support businesses that have made a commitment to helping protect dolphins. These tours allow guests from Florida to Hawaii to responsibly view the natural, fascinating behavior of wild dolphins. Read more |
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National – NOAA Extends Public Comment Due Date for Proposed Regulations Regarding Confidentiality of Information under Magnuson-Stevens Act; Comments Now Due Aug. 21
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| NOAA Fisheries is extending the date by which public comments are due concerning proposed regulations to revise existing regulations governing the confidentiality of information submitted in compliance with any requirement or regulation under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. NOAA Fisheries published the proposed rule on May 23, 2012 and announced that the public comment period would end on June 22, 2012. With this notice, NOAA Fisheries is extending the comment period to August 21, 2012. Read more or submit a comment. |
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Northeast – NOAA Issues Award to Gloucester Health Department Official for Restoration Efforts
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| NOAA's Restoration Center recently announced that Gloucester's Manager of Health Services Charles Max Schenk will receive an "Excellence In Restoration" award for his leadership in the Mill Pond mud flat and salt marsh restoration project, which took place from 1998 - 2012. The Mill Pond restoration project entailed modifying an existing concrete dam that regulates water flow into Mill Pond, a salt pond that is located inland from the Annisquam River Estuary. By improving tidal influence and increasing salinity levels, algal growth and invasive species like phragmites are being reduced so that native salt marsh plants and in particular soft shelled clams can recolonize this 30-acre site. The restored marsh system will also provide habitat for a variety of fish and bird species and serve as a natural buffer against flooding. The new tide gate has the ability to be manually operated during significant rain or tidal events and reduce stormwater flooding. This is a major concern to nearby residents who suffered an estimated $1 million in flood damage in 2006. Read more |
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Southeast – NOAA Fisheries Announces Public Hearing Regarding Sea Turtle Conservation and Shrimp Trawling Requirements on July 6 in Miami, FL
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| NOAA Fisheries announces a sixth public hearing to be held in Miami, Florida on July 6, 2012 from 6 to 8 pm at the Marriott Miami Biscayne Bay, 1633 N. Bayshore Drive, Miami, FL 33132, (305) 374-3900 or (866) 257-5990. Officials will answer questions and receive public comments on the proposed rule to withdraw the alternative tow time restriction and require all skimmer trawls, pusher-head trawls, and wing nets (butterfly trawls) rigged for fishing to use turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in their nets, which was published in the Federal Register on May 10, 2012. In the proposed rule, NOAA Fisheries announced five other public hearings to be held in Morehead City, NC, Larose, LA, Belle Chasse, LA, D'Iberville, MS, and Bayou La Batre, AL. Written comments will be accepted through July 9, 2012.Read more or submit a comment. |
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Southeast – NOAA Fisheries Implements Rebuilding Plan for South Atlantic Red Grouper
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| NOAA Fisheries has implemented a rebuilding plan for red grouper in the South Atlantic. This red grouper stock was assessed in 2010 through the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review Process. The assessment determined red grouper to be overfished (population too low) and undergoing overfishing (rate of fish removal too high). The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act to implement a rebuilding plan within two years after notification of an overfished stock. Amendment 24 will implement a plan that has an 81 percent probability of rebuilding the stock in 10 years. Read more |
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Alaska – NOAA Proposes to Modify Monitoring and Enforcement Requirements in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Freezer Longline Fleet; Seeks Public Comment through July 16
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NOAA Fisheries has issued a proposed rule that would modify equipment and operational requirements for freezer longliners (catcher/processors) named on License Limitation Program (LLP) licenses endorsed to catch and process Pacific cod at sea with hook-and-line gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). If approved, the proposed regulations would require vessel owners to select between two monitoring options:
• carry two observers so that all catch can be sampled, or
• carry one observer and use a motion-compensated scale to weigh Pacific cod before it is processed.
The selected monitoring option would be required to be used when the vessel is operating in either the BSAI or Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries when directed fishing for Pacific cod is open in the BSAI, or while the vessel is fishing for groundfish under the Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program.
A vessel owner who notifies NOAA Fisheries that the vessel will not be used to conduct directed fishing for Pacific cod in the BSAI or to conduct groundfish CDQ fishing at any time during a particular year would not be required to select one of the monitoring options and would continue to follow observer coverage and catch reporting requirements that apply to catcher/processors not subject to this proposed action. These regulatory amendments address the need for enhanced catch accounting, monitoring, and enforcement created by the formation of a voluntary cooperative by the BSAI longline catcher/processor subsector in 2010, and are necessary to improve the precision of the accounting for allocated quota species. Comments on the proposed rule are due July 16. Read more or submit a comment. |
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Alaska – NOAA Fisheries Seeks Public Input on Arctic Bowhead Whale Subsistence Harvest Catch Limits; Comments due Aug. 15
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NOAA Fisheries seeks public comment on a draft Environmental Impact Statement to support the setting of annual catch limits for bowhead whale subsistence harvest by Alaska Natives for 2013 through 2017/2018. For over 2,000 years, Eskimos have hunted bowhead whales as they migrate along the coastline of Alaska in the spring and fall. Native subsistence hunters from 11 northern Alaskan communities take less than one-percent of the stock of bowhead whales per year.
Under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) approves overall five-year or six-year subsistence catch limits for the Western Arctic stock of bowhead whales based upon the needs of Native hunters in Alaskan villages and in Russian villages along the Chukotka Peninsula. The IWC will conduct its next meeting on July 2-6, 2012 in Panama City, Panama, and based on the management advice of the IWC Scientific Committee, is likely to adopt a catch limit at the same annual levels as the previous five-year period.
Under the authority of the Whaling Convention Act, NOAA Fisheries proposes to grant a catch limit of bowhead whale for subsistence hunts to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission, based on analysis in the Final EIS. The AEWC would then directly manage the subsistence hunts. NOAA's goal is to accommodate federal trust responsibilities by recognizing cultural and subsistence needs of Alaska Natives to the fullest extent possible, while ensuring that any subsistence hunt of whales does not adversely affect the conservation of the whale stock.
Public comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement must be submitted by August 15, 2012. Read more or submit a comment. |
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Alaska – Scientists Collaborate to Predict Season's First King Salmon on the Yukon River
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This month, people in communities all along the Yukon River are asking when the salmon are coming as they gear up for another season of fishing. The timing of the year's first run of Chinook (king) salmon can vary by as much as 20 days, depending on spring conditions. Over the past 50 years the first pulse of Chinook on the Yukon delta has occurred between June 6 and 26. Traditional knowledge on the Yukon holds that spring weather conditions, including ice, temperatures, and wind determine when the fish enter the river, but each spring brings a different combination of conditions, so predicting the arrival of the first run can be tricky. A team of researchers from NOAA Fisheries and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, with the support of the Alaska Ocean Observing System, have identified a combination of spring conditions that is closely related to the timing of Chinook salmon on the Yukon delta:
• Percentage of spring ice cover between St. Lawrence Island and the Yukon delta
• April air temperatures in Nome
• Marine surface temperatures just offshore of the Yukon delta in May
Using data from these spring conditions, researchers have predicted the timing of the first Yukon River Chinook run for the past two years within three days of the actual start of each run. Read more |
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Alaska – Cruising for Deep-Sea Coral in Alaska
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NOAA's Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program recently wrapped-up the first cruise of the three year Alaskan field research initiative. The cruise from Seattle to Kodiak, Alaska allowed scientists to map and study four sites in the Gulf of Alaska where it's believed there are Primnoa coral thickets. This cruise sets the stage for 2013 cruises that will use deep-diving, remotely operated vehicles to verify the location of red tree coral (Primnoa pacifica), black coral groves, and bamboo coral groves. Researchers also hope to estimate Primnoa population size and collect samples for genetic analysis.
Deep-sea coral and sponges are widespread throughout most of Alaska's marine waters. In some places, such as the western Aleutian Islands, these may be the most diverse and abundant deep-sea coral and sponge communities in the world. As habitat for many different and important species of fish in Alaska, deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems are vulnerable to the effects of commercial fishing activities. Because of their biology, they may also suffer impacts from climate change and ocean acidification.
The vast majority of Alaska's continental shelf and slope has not yet been surveyed for deep-sea coral and sponge abundance. Mapping and locating these communities may help to predict the locations and types of human activities and climate impacts that may affect these important ecosystems. Read more |
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Northwest – Pasco Scientists Help Students Tag, Track Salmon
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| Last month, the annual Salmon Summit drew about 3,500 elementary school students to Kennewick's shore of the Columbia River, transforming the nearby shoreline park into an outdoor classroom. During the event, Pasco Research Station scientists tagged 900 juvenile Chinook salmon previously raised in student classrooms. After students released the tagged fish, scientists followed up with several classroom visits to share their tag detection data as the fish moved downstream. Read more |
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NOAA Fisheries Announces Workshops on Protected Species Release, Disentanglement, and Identification and Atlantic Shark Identification in July, August, and September 2012
Free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops will be held in July, August, and September of 2012. Certain fishermen and shark dealers are required to attend a workshop to meet regulatory requirements and maintain valid permits. Specifically, the Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop is mandatory for all federally permitted Atlantic shark dealers. The Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshop is mandatory for vessel owners and operators who use bottom longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet gear, and who have also been issued shark or swordfish limited access permits. Additional free workshops will be conducted during 2012 and will be announced in a future notice. Click here for dates, times, and locations.
Crimes Against Marine Mammals—NOAA-Sponsored Exhibit in D.C. Open through Sept. 3
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Marine Mammal Protection Act through an eye-opening exhibitthat showcases different violations of the Act, how law enforcement agents investigate those violations, and how you can help protect marine mammals. Created by NOAA Fisheries and the Crime Museum in D.C., the exhibit runs through September 3, 2012. Read more
Through Sept. 28: NOAA Fisheries Brings Back Summertime Tours of Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute
Discover the science behind the success of Alaska's fisheries, with a tour of one of NOAA's leading science facilities—the Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute—located right here in Juneau. NOAA Fisheries is once again offering free daily tours of the 60,000 square foot facility, located north of Juneau at Lena Point. Juneau residents are invited to share this local secret with their out-of-town guests. Free behind-the-scenes lab tours will be offered once daily at 1 p.m. each weekday throughout the summer beginning Monday, June 4 and continuing through September 28, except for holidays. Read more
Due Oct. 3: FY13 Prescott Grant Funding Opportunity for Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance
The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, or Prescott Grant Program, provides grants or cooperative agreements to eligible stranding network participants for:
• recovery and treatment (i.e., rehabilitation) of stranded marine mammals,
• data collection from living or dead stranded marine mammals, and
• facility upgrades, operation costs, and staffing needs directly related to the recovery and treatment of stranded marine mammals and collection of data from living or dead stranded marine mammals
Eligible applicants are currently active, authorized participants or researchers in the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network. An applicant cannot be a current full- or part-time DOC or DOI employee. Eligible applicants must be:
1. Stranding Agreement (SA) holders or their designee organizations
2. holders of researcher authorization letters issued by a NMFS Regional Administrator; or
3. an eligible Federal, state, or local government personnel or tribal personnel (pursuant to MMPA Section 109(h) (16 U.S.C. 1379(h))
Proposals should be submitted through Grants.gov, the online portal to all Federal grant opportunities. Only submit your proposal by mail if you have extenuating circumstances and are unable to submit online. Electronic submissions through Grants.gov must have been received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October 3, 2012; proposals submitted by mail must have been postmarked by October 3, 2012.
FEDERAL REGISTER ACTIONS
For a list of only those actions open for public comment, go to http://www.regulations.gov and scroll search for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
For a list of all daily actions, check the Federal register online
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