Category Archives: South Atlantic
Florida Congressional Offices Want To Block Biscayne National Park’s Fisheries Plan
A challenge to Biscayne National Park’s efforts to improve the health of their fisheries has been mounted by three of Florida’s congressional representatives, including one who has drafted legislation to require state approval before the National Park Service moves to restrict commercial or recreational fishing access in areas of the Great Lakes or U.S. marine waters that it oversees. “We feel that both of these measures are ridiculous and entirely unnecessary,” Caroline McLaughlin, NPCA’s Biscayne program analyst, said Friday. Read the rest here 08:58
National Marine Fisheries Service commercial dolphin season closure forces Keys restaurants to import
Florida Keys restaurants are searching for other sources of mahi-mahi, after federal authorities brought an early closure to the island chain’s commercial dolphin season. In the Keys, mahi-mahi is the usual catch-of-the-day for sandwiches and entrees on most menus. Eateries will soon begin outsourcing the popular dinner fish, after the NOAA Fisheries last week closed the commercial dolphin season early for the first time on record. Any other mahi being served will most likely be imported from elsewhere in the Caribbean, and Central America. Read the rest here 19:53
“Jaws” made great whites villains but great whites rebounding
“It’s a matter of relativity,” George Burgess said of the great white’s status. “There are in fact more today than there were 10 years ago.”“I don’t ever remember surfers and waders being bit like they are these days, because the commercial sharkers were thinning them down,” said Ron Rincones, a longtime fisherman and diver from Grant-Valkaria. “People are now being attacked. There’s a lot more people shark fishing these days on the surf, because there’s a lot more sharks.” Read the rest here 14:27
Help stop “catch shares” and more in the South Atlantic
Last year, the SAFMC promised that the Vision Project would be “stakeholder-driven” (click here, third paragraph) and conducted 26 “port meetings” that were supposed to seek stakeholder input into the project. These meetings produced overwhelming input from stakeholders, like you, that catch shares, vessel monitoring systems, and more closed areas like MPAs, are vehemently opposed, and should not be in the plan. Breaking its promise of a stakeholder-driven plan, the SAFMC has now included those overwhelmingly opposed measures in its Vision Project plan! Read the rest here 10:30
Florida FWC requests public feedback at workshops around the state
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is hosting several workshops across the state, including the two in the Florida Keys, to gather input and develop a better understanding of the public’s views on marine fisheries issues. Groups that might be interested in participating include commercial and recreational fishers, wholesale dealers, those in the tourism industry, fishing guides and divers, FWC spokeswoman Bekah Nelson said. Read the rest here 08:00
Florida Net ban turns 20 on July 1, but was it a success?
Twenty years ago Wednesday, 
, one of the most controversial conservation measures in the state’s history. The ban devastated livelihoods and what remained of a once-vibrant commercial fishing culture in small coastal towns throughout Florida. Two decades later, opinions align along the same battle lines that fueled a bitter campaign surrounding the ban. And since the data are either incomplete or a mixed bag, scientists still can’t offer much insight into which side was right. Read the rest here 18:12
FWC approves lobster incentive to harvest lionfish
Lionfish are pretty to look at but that’s about it says commercial fisherman Rachel Bowman. “The lionfish are gorgeous but extremely detrimental to our environment not picky eaters. A lionfish can consume anything 2 inches smaller than itself,” says Bowman. And that healthy appetite, says Bowman, may one day pose a threat to commercial fishing. She says, “Only a matter of time before snapper, grouper and lobster show a decline because of lionfish.” The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says man is the lionfish’s best predator. Read the rest here 18:39
NOAA Spends $25 Million for 2015 Recommended Projects of the Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program
Today, NOAA Fisheries announced that it is recommending 88 projects for a total of $25 million under the 2014-2015 Saltonstall-Kennedy (SK) Grant Program. This is the most significant amount of funding ever granted by NOAA under this decades-old program. The recommended projects — which represent every region of the country and U.S. territories — are listed below. Read the rest here 17:17
Re-opening of Commercial Sector for Atlantic Dolphin
Because we understand that commercial Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) vessels may occasionally catch Atlantic dolphin, we want to make sure Atlantic HMS permit holders are aware of the following action. NMFS announces the re-opening of the commercial sector for Atlantic dolphin (dolphin) in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Atlantic states (Maine through the east coast of Florida) through a temporary rule. The most recent landings for dolphin indicate the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) has not yet been reached. Read the rest here 15:59
Commercial harvest of Atlantic dolphin from Maine to Florida Closed
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that the commercial harvest of Atlantic dolphin from Maine through the east coast of Florida will be closed at 12:01 a.m. EDT Wednesday. Commercial harvest will reopen at 12:01 a.m. EST Jan. 1, 2016. Reports indicate that landings are approaching the 2015 catch limit for the commercial sector. The operator of a vessel with a federal commercial permit for dolphin-wahoo that is landing dolphin for sale must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such dolphin before 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Read the rest here 08:00
FWC likely to put limits on harvest of barricuda
Some Florida Keys fishing guides and dive operators contend increased harvest pressure on the toothy predators have noticeably reduced barracuda numbers. “Barracuda are being caught big-time, and that’s a fact,” longtime Upper Keys dive operator Spencer Slate said Friday. “They’re definitely being overfished.” The Lower Keys Guides Association supports most of the proposed rules, but wants “the commercial daily limit be 20 fish per day per vessel; not 20 per person.” Read the rest here 11:13
Department of Commerce announces 2015 regional fishery council appointments
The U.S. Commerce Department today announced the appointment of 30 new and returning members to the eight regional fishery management councils that partner with NOAA, and National Marine Fisheries Service to manage ocean fish stocks. The new and reappointed council members begin their three-year terms on August 11. Read the rest here 15:25
Coast Guard hoists 3 after fire engulfs boat off the Georgia Coast
Three people were rescued in a cooperative effort between a good Samaritan fishing boat and the U.S. Coast Guard, Tuesday, approximately 118 miles east of Brunswick. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Charleston command center received a Mayday call over VHF Channel 16 stating that the 95-foot vessel, Windy 1, had suffered an engine fire which had engulfed the vessel. The Coast Guard issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast, stating the location and nature of the emergency to other vessels in the area. Read the rest here 18:53
Rubio, Nelson want an open red snapper season
Last week, 
announced the red snapper fishery will remain closed in South Atlantic federal waters in 2015 because of overfishing..Florida’s senators are asking the Obama administration to review its decision not to open up the South Atlantic to red snapper fishing. “There will not be commercial or recreational seasons in 2015 because the total number of red snapper removed from the population in 2014 exceeded the allowable level,” the notice said. Read the rest here
Georgia Shrimp fishermen want a later season opening in state waters
Commercial shrimpers in McIntosh, Glynn and Camden counties have been keeping the Georgia Department of Natural Resources busy lately pleading for it to wait another two weeks before opening state waters for harvesting. If the season opens on schedule Tuesday, they will lose an opportunity to make money this season, they argue. An unusually high number of brown shrimp making their way into the estuaries and into the surf need a couple more weeks to be big enough to fetch a decent price, they say. Read the rest here 08:53
Red Snapper: management of a public resource gone completely haywire. And we’re paying to have this done to us.
It’s important to note here that the total allowable take isn’t based solely on the feds’ vague guesswork on the number of landings. No, they add in what they believe to be the discard mortality rates — that of fish released and dying sometime later, predominately because of barotrauma. That occurs to differing extents when fish are brought up from depths and their air bladders expand too quickly — and don’t return to normal quickly enough when released. The federal scientists use a number to determine how often this happens. In the case of snapper, they speculate that 40 percent of all released fish die in the recreational sector and 60 percent in the commercial sector. Read the rest here 09:33
SAFMC, and GMFMC tackle mandatory reporting at joint meeting
Federal fishery managers this week debuted the latest drafts of rules they say will give them more data for crafting fishing regulations. Fishermen have been calling for increased information and science as more regulations are being put in place. Many question the rationale behind the new rules. Currently only commercial fishermen and large recreational head boats are required to report their catch. Also this week, the two councils will vote on moving forward with a plan to set aside spawning areas,,, Read the rest here 13:59
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Key West June 8 thru 12 – Listen Live!
The public is invited to attend the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to be held at the Doubletree Grand Resort in Key West, Fla. Read the Meeting Agenda Click here, Briefing Book – June 2015 Council Meeting Click here Webinar Registration: Listen Live, Click here Kick off, 08:30 21:19
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council – No red snapper take in 2015
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council announced Friday, there will not be commercial or recreational season in 2015 because the total number of red snapper removed from the population in 2014 exceeded the allowable level. In other news, the SAFMC also announced that no more recreational harvest of blueline tilefish in South Atlantic waters will be allowed after 12:01 a.m. (local time) Wednesday. The commercial sector for blueline tilefish was closed to harvest on April 7. Read the rest here 13:02
New rules, no-fishing zone for Biscayne National Park
Commercial fishermen worry that restrictions will place pressure on other areas, particularly the Keys, said Bill Kelly, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association. That plan, which proposes banning commercial fishing as well as increased limits on catch size and number,,, The state of Florida opposes the ban on commercial fishing in that proposal. Read the rest here 13:45
TV show ‘Briefcase’ poses tough decision for part-time Keys man
A North Carolina man who works as a commercial fisherman in Marathon for about half the year had to make a decision that would be tough for anyone: If given $100,000, what does he do with it? That’s the premise of the CBS TV show “The Briefcase,” which includes and their three children. It debuts at 8 p.m. Wednesday.The show involves two families who are each given $100,000. They have the option of keeping all of the money or giving part or all of it to the other family. Read the rest here 11:25
Greg DiDomenico: Fisheries law deserves reauthorization
The Garden State Seafood Association, a statewide organization promoting the interests of the commercial fishing industry and seafood consumers in New Jersey, last week joined with 150 businesses, organizations and individuals on the East, West and Gulf coasts to express support for the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee’s work on reauthorizing the act that regulates U.S. fisheries. Read the rest here 17:15
DONOFRIO: Federal fisheries law in need of reform
As a longtime Jersey charter boat captain, listening to my customers’ needs was critical to business success. Now as executive director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, it’s my responsibility to listen to our individual members’ needs, which in many ways are the same as those I used to take fishing full time for tuna, striped bass, weakfish, bluefish and fluke.,, It’s time for congressional Democrats to stand up on behalf of their angling public, and allow what once had bipartisan committee support to move forward, without partisan grandstanding on behalf of radical “green” ideology. Read the rest here 19:25
Young dismisses White House Magnuson-Stevens veto threat
President Barack Obama’s administration gave an early promise to stop Rep. Don Young’s changes to national fishing laws before the bill has even seen the light of a full House discussion. “The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 1335, which would amend the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), because it would impose arbitrary and unnecessary requirements that would harm the environment and the economy,” reads the statement of administration policy released May 19. Read the rest here 11:40
South Carolina Commercial shrimp trawling season opening May 27
Shrimp season normally opens in mid to late May, after the peak spawning period of white shrimp has occurred. Following a relatively mild winter, this year’s opening date is fairly typical. Eight smaller provisional areas were opened last week to shrimp trawling. S.C. Shrimpers Association president Richard Billington said that shrimpers are looking forward to a good harvest of large, white shrimp in 2015. Read the rest here 16:41
A Week in the Life – Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Law Enforcement Weekly Report
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. The FWC Offshore Patrol Vessel Vigilance made its maiden voyage out of Destin. On its first patrol, officers attempted to stop a vessel in federal waters about 10.5 miles south of the Destin Pass. When they approached, the officers noticed the suspect vessel turn and began throwing red snapper from the boat. Lots more. Read the rest here 09:19
Fishermen, Businesses, and Fishing Organizations Support House Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Bill
On Saturday, May 16, a diverse group of 20 businesses, 51 organizations, and 80 individuals representing fishermen and fishing communities from the East, West, and Gulf Coasts jointly signed a letter delivered to Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT), the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, supporting HR 1335, the “Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act,” which would reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Read the rest here 21:09
Big Green Bureaucracy – Commercial fishermen fight to fish near NASA
George Sweetman must follow the crabs. This year, they lure him to the shallows surrounding NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where the beginnings of a blue crab revival crawl inside his steel traps. But a plan to phase out his trade from these remote waters could claw back a recent turnaround in the fortunes of Sweetman and others who fish the Mosquito Lagoon — the northernmost section of the Indian River Lagoon — killing off their unique heritage.But the feds say he and others who fish commercially must go because they clash with the government’s conservation mission. Read the rest here 20:10
Fixing a catastrophe: Divers removing 90,000 tires from ocean
An estimated 700,000 tires were dropped into the ocean off Hugh Taylor Birch State Park in the early 1970s in a failed attempt to create an artificial reef. At the time, before anyone had figured out how to recycle tires or burn them for electricity, tire dumps were appearing all over the United States. The Osborne Tire Reef was intended to be an environmentally friendly way to dispose of steel-belted radials. The bundles of tires would attract fish — which are drawn to vertical structures — and provide a foundation for the growth of corals. But not much coral grew on them, Read the rest here 10:45
Fate of the blueline tilefishery is now in the hands of the National Marine Fisheries Service
The species grabbed anglers’ attention in February when the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council requested that NMFS take emergency action on bluelines when it learned commercial fishing boats out of North Carolina planned on landing tilefish in New Jersey to take advantage of a no-limit loophole. A week after the Mid-Atlantic made its request, The SAFMC directed its Science and Statistical Committee (SSC) to determine if its earlier assessment, SEDAR 32, was applicable to the entire Atlantic Coast. Read the rest here 13:11
