NOAA Fisheries FishNews – April 21, 2022

APRIL 21, 2022

Highlights Join Us for NOAA Fisheries' Earth Week 2022 A message from Assistant Administrator Janet Coit highlighting NOAA Fisheries’ work to build a more resilient nation in the face of climate change. Earth Week: Climate and Fisheries Earth Day is April 22, a time to honor and celebrate our incredible planet. It is also a time to recognize the serious challenges ahead, especially in the face of a changing climate. This week, we are taking a look at the ways NOAA Fisheries scientists are using the best available science to prepare for and respond to changing climate and ocean conditions. “Dive Into the Issue”: Visualizing Climate Change with Melissa Karp Explore how NOAA Fisheries’ new, interactive fisheries data portal shows how specific marine species’ locations have shifted over time, which may be in response to climate change. This tool can help us better understand and respond to these changes. New Global Forecasts of Marine Heatwaves Foretell Ecological and Economic Impacts Researchers have developed global forecasts that can provide up to a year's advance notice of marine heatwaves—sudden and pronounced increases in ocean temperatures that can dramatically affect ocean ecosystems. Sustainable Fisheries, Sustainable Seafood Every year on Earth Day, NOAA Fisheries joins citizens and organizations around the world in celebrating our planet and recognizing the need to care for our natural resources. While our work continues, we can share some Earth optimism as we look back on our progress toward sustainable U.S. fisheries. NOAA Fisheries Issues Notice to Collect Information on IUU Fishing, Bycatch, and Shark Catch NOAA Fisheries has published a notice in the federal register seeking information on foreign vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing, bycatch of protected living marine resources, or activities that have targeted or incidentally caught shark catch beyond any national jurisdiction during 2020–2022. ICCAT Advisory Committee Meeting on Bluefin Tuna MSE NOAA Fisheries is holding a public meeting via webinar session on May 2, 2022, from 11am to 1pm EDT for the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to ICCAT and all interested stakeholders to receive an update and provide input on the development of the management strategy evaluation (MSE) for Atlantic bluefin tuna. Please register to attend the meeting at: https://forms.gle/NTH38FNaF6LY9iEV8. Registration will close on April 29, 2022, at 5pm EDT. Instructions for accessing the webinar session will be emailed to registered participants.

West Coast “An Era of Surprises”: Studying Climate Change and Salmon With Nate Mantua Growing up in a Northern Californian fishing town, Nate Mantua’s family owned a business connected to the local salmon fishing industry. When one of the worst El Niño events ever recorded hit the West Coast in 1982 and 1983, the salmon fishery his family relied on suffered. Nate would go on to study how to predict El Niño events in graduate school, and now he works to understand the impacts of climate change.

Pacific Islands “A Better Chance for Resilience”: Using Hungry Fish to Conserve Coral Reefs NOAA Fisheries scientist Tye Kindinger explains how identifying the best algae-grazing fish in the Pacific region can help fight against algae overgrowth and promote recovery of distressed coral reefs. Impact of COVID-19 on Pacific Island Fishing Values The COVID-19 pandemic has had global impacts to human health, safety, and livelihoods, including to Pacific Islands fisheries. Pacific Islands fishermen share how the pandemic affected their livelihoods and how they adapted.

Southeast NOAA’s Largest Wetland Restoration Project Underway in Louisiana NOAA and partners began construction on a massive 1,200-acre marsh creation project in Louisiana’s Barataria Basin. The $151 million project will create habitat, reduce erosion, and protect communities. “Climate Change at the Water’s Edge”: Understanding the Impacts of Black Mangroves on Juvenile Shrimp Climate change is transforming estuaries along the Gulf Coast. Two NOAA Fisheries shrimp experts explain how these changes may impact shrimp populations.

New England/Mid-Atlantic Compliance Assistance to Support Fishermen Changing Gear to Protect Right Whales As we announced last fall in our final rule to implement new measures to protect North Atlantic right whales, the deadline for Northeast lobster and Jonah crab fishermen to make the necessary gear modifications is May 1, 2022. These regulations are critical to protecting the endangered North Atlantic right whale and keeping this valuable and important fishery open for business.

Upcoming Deadlines April 25: Deadline for letters of interest to apply for Federal Financial Assistance for Western Alaskan Community Development Groups. Full applications accepted April 25–June 24. May 6: Deadline to comment on Draft NOAA Fisheries and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Federal Survey Mitigation Implementation Strategy. USDA DEADLINES April 25: Applications due for Value Added Producer Grants. May 6: Grant applications due for Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (seafood is eligible). May 16: Applications due for Farmers Market Promotion Program grants. May 16: Applications due for Local Food Promotion Program grants. May 16: Applications due for Regional Food System Partnerships grants. May 16: Public comments due for Competition in Food Retail and Distribution Markets and Access for Agricultural Producers and Small and Mid-sized Food Processors. June 17: Applications due for Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program grants. View more news and announcements.

Upcoming Events June 7–9: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Riverhead, New York. June 7–14: Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Vancouver, Washington. June 13–17: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Key West. June 21–24: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in Fort Myers, Florida. June 28–30: New England Fishery Management Council meeting in Portland, Maine. 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.

Send corrections or technical questions to the FishNews Editor at editor.fishnews@noaa.gov. www.fisheries.noaa.gov

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