Tag Archives: National Marine Fisheries Service
Disputed National Marine Fisheries Service data leads to a correction
After significant objection from the recreational fishing and boating community, the National Marine Fisheries Service is taking steps to correct a key fisheries economics report that misleadingly indicated that the domestic commercial fishing industry in the United States was significantly larger than the recreational fishing industry. Furthermore, the corrected data show that the domestic commercial fishing industry actually decreased by $2.3 billion in 2012. Read more here Read the “correction” 14:24
Legislature eyeing another layer of fishing enforcement – would allow NOAA OLE in North Carolina waters.
The state House and Gov. Pat McCrory want to enter a “joint enforcement agreement” with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and task the North Carolina Marine Patrol with enforcing both state and federal regulations in coastal waters. But the North Carolina Senate went in the other direction by specifically saying they are opposed to the proposal. Also cited in the resolution was a recent report by the U.S. Inspector General about possible corruption in the enforcement branches of NOAA and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Read more here 13:02
Uncivil War Brews Over Summer Flounder as Waters Warm
The summer flounder – one of the most sought-after catches on the U.S. East Coast – is stirring up a climate change battle as it glides through the sand and grasses at the bottom of a warming North Atlantic. Some scientists say in recent years the species has begun adapting in another way. As the Atlantic Ocean has warmed, they say, the fish have headed north. (like codfish? yellow tail flounder? hmm?) Read more here 10:05
Price of bait to rise? Herring Fishermen Denied More Haddock Bycatch
The council denied the request at a meeting Friday TODAY . Federal regulators say Atlantic herring fishermen who fish from mid-water trawl boats are on track this year to exceed their limit for incidental catch of haddock in Georges Bank. That would trigger rules that would effectively shut down the herring fishery. Read more here 16:35
Remapping of federal waters off New England moving forward – Some groups of fisherman will gain and others will lose
Not only do conservationists and fishermen disagree, Bachman said, but some groups of fishermen stand to benefit while other groups could suffer, depending on the gear they use and the fish they catch. “It’s a matter of perspective on where you are coming from,” she said. “It’s going to be a matter of finding out who the winners and losers should be.” Read more here 09:17
Herring and haddock fishermen at odds over bycatch
Fishermen in two of the most lucrative fisheries in the Northeast — Atlantic herring and haddock —are at odds over the management of fishing in Georges Bank, a key nerve center for both species. Atlantic herring fishermen who fish from mid-water trawl boats are on track this year to exceed their limit for incidental catch of haddock in Georges Bank, off the coast of New England, federal regulators said. That would trigger rules that would effectively shut down the herring fishery. Read more here 11:39
NPFMC revamps observer program after first annual report
NOME — The North Pacific Fishery Management Council took action to address issues with the revised marine observer program June 5, including getting rid of the vessel selection pool that put observers on certain smaller boats for 60 days at a time. Read more here 12:39
Study: Population of great whites rebounding
CHATHAM — Sightings of great white sharks in Cape waters is one indicator that the species is rebounding from the lows of 20 years ago, according to a National Marine Fisheries Service study released this week. Read more here 07:51
Our View: Help the little guy in the fisheries, and help him now
Boat owners aren’t obligated under the federal program to give any of the money to members of the crew, and from what we hear, precious few will. That’s why it’s important for Massachusetts to come up with a better way to slice up the $8.2 million pie “¦ and do it faster than the feds, who won’t be cutting their checks until Oct. 1. Read more here 07:28
Fishing crews seethe at ineligibility for aid – “You’re going to have winners and losers.” Maggie Mooney-Seus
The National Marine Fisheries Service said 194 fishing permits qualified for the $32,000 check. But local fishermen say some fishermen own several permits, sometimes dozens, so the $6.3 million could benefit as few as 100 out of the nearly 800 who hold federal permits in Massachusetts. Read more here 12:19
Today: North Pacific council pursues halibut bycatch reductions
The action came after public testimony from directed fishers calling for a reduction in bycatch, and an Advisory Panel report that asked for emergency regulations. This year, the directed fishery took a significant cut to the quota in Areas 4CDE, and another cut will likely occur next year. Those quotas are set by the Interntional Pacific Halibut Commission, and are based on the stock status. The council, however, is responsible for halibut bycatch in other fisheries. Read more here 20:22
Effort by Sausalito group to designate great white sharks as endangered falls short
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission voted not to list the Northeast Pacific population of white shark as threatened or endangered. Bolstering the state view was another study by the National Marine Fisheries Service that put the population closer to 3,000. Read more here 14:25
Judge allows additional briefs in federal salmon management suit
United Cook Inlet Drift Association and Cook Inlet Fisherman’s Fund, who brought the lawsuit forward in February 2013, want federal oversight of the State’s salmon management — and believes that is what congress has intended in its regulations of fish in federal waters. Read more here 08:41
Lender seeks foreclosure on whale rescue group’s land
Palm Beach County lender Robert Denenberg sued the Marine Mammal Conservancy on May 20 in Monroe County Circuit Court arguing he is owed $300,000 in overdue mortgage payments, plus $5,250 in unpaid interest. Read more here 20:15
Trawlers clean out coastal herring
CHATHAM — Like many who represent Cape and Islands fishermen, Alex Friedman, the president of the Dukes County Fishermen’s Association, started getting calls a week ago that eight large vessels, operating in pairs, were towing large nets the size of football fields between them and cleaning out the herring just a few miles east of Cape Cod. Read more here 14:35
Rhode Island: Federal funding of $1.9M to help state’s fishermen
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – Rhode Island officials say the state will receive $1.9 million in federal funding to help fishermen. Read more here 22:21
Alaska: Commercial fishing groups, feds, testify on salmon management
Alaska has managed its own salmon since statehood, and neither party is questioning that. But the United Cook Inlet Drift Association and Cook Inlet Fishermen’s Fund, who brought the lawsuit forward in February 2013, want federal oversight of salmon management — and believes that is what congress has intended in its regulations of fish in federal waters. The National Marine Fisheries Service, however,, Read more here 08:02
Healthy parents provide clues to survival of young haddock on Georges Bank
In 2003, haddock on Georges Bank experienced the largest baby boom ever documented for the stock, with an estimated 800 million new young fish entering the population. With typical annual averages of 50 to 100 million new fish in the last few decades, fisheries biologists have been puzzled by the huge increase and its ramifications for stock management. They have been looking for answers and may have found one – healthy adults. Read more here 16:18
N.C. gill net limits hurt watermen’s livelihoods
John Norris stiffly eased down into his flat-bottom boat using a small step ladder and a helping hand from his fishing partner and wife, Brenda. If he tilts too far, he falls over. Norris, a 68-year-old commercial waterman, is being treated for cancer. He’s had operations on both knees and shoulders, and he carries vertical and horizontal scars more than 12 inches long crisscrossing his torso. Read more here 09:57
Bering Sea fishery management needs to change for halibut users across Alaska
This year the Magnuson Stevens Act will be reauthorized by Congress. The MSA is the law by which the National Marine Fisheries Service and the North Pacific Fisheries Council manage the federal fisheries off of Alaska. In public hearings, the message that “all is well in Alaska waters” and “no major changes to the law are needed” has been echoed by many groundfish industry lobbyists. Although no one will dispute that the Bering Sea groundfish industry is a behemoth, its financial success is coming at the expense of other users. Halibut fishermen in all areas of the Bering Sea have a catch limit of 3.2 million pounds this year. The estimated bycatch cap in the Bering Sea is almost 8 million pounds. Read more here 10:58
‘It’s not a big deal’: Lobster fishermen say closure of offshore herring fishery not too detrimental
BELFAST, Maine — The National Marine Fisheries Service Saturday closed a large swath of ocean offshore in the Gulf of Maine to fishing for Atlantic herring — the preferred bait of many lobstermen. But the closure should not have a major detrimental impact on the state’s valuable lobster fishery, according to David Cousens, president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. Read more here 08:30
Atlantic herring fishery closed for Gulf of Maine as limit approaches – Atlantic Herring Management Area 1B
The Atlantic herring fishery will close Saturday for the offshore Gulf of Maine region after 92 percent of the total allowable catch had been caught. The National Marine Fisheries Service said the fishery will be closed from Saturday through May 1, 2015. Atlantic Herring Management Area 1B Closure Effective 0001 Hours May 24, 2014 Read more here 08:03
NMFS Nears New Steller Sea Lion Restrictions
The new year will likely bring new fisheries to the western Aleutian Islands, now that the National Marine Fisheries Service has issued its final report on the way commercial fishing affects an endangered population of Steller sea lions. Read more here 07:00
MSA: Finding Win-Win Outcomes For Conservation And Utilization
The economic importance of the U.S. fishing industry cannot be overstated. The survival of many coastal communities largely depends on whether Congress and fishery managers can establish policies allowing fisheries to generate yield over the long term, rebuild overfished stocks and achieve the conservation objectives of the MSA. Read more here 09:05
Pacific bluefin tuna deemed in danger – Centre for Biological Diversity
The Centre for Biological Diversity filed a legal petition urging the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA) to prohibit fishing for Pacific bluefin tuna, which is reported to have suffered a 96 per cent decline since large-scale fishing began. Read more here 12:09
Gulf shrimp season to close on May 15th
AUSTIN, TX– The Gulf of Mexico commercial shrimp season for both Texas and federal waters will close 30 minutes after sunset on May 15 until a still-to-be determined time in July. The closing date is based on samples collected by the Coastal Fisheries Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department using trawl, bag seine and other information gathered from the shrimping industry. Read more here 15:47
Scientific ‘buried treasure’ may yield data about shorelines’ future. (may, that could, might,,)
Deep beneath the ocean floor off the New Jersey coast lie secrets that could help scientists predict how climate change might affect one of the most popular shorelines in the country.,, The work has triggered some controversy.,, Environmental groups have expressed concerns,,, Read more here 09:41
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service proposed rule to amend ESA sections 4, 7, 10 of the Act
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service propose to amend our regulations, which implements the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. In 1986, the Services established a definition for “destruction or adverse modification” that was found to be invalid by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Ninth…Read more here 11:33
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