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News Updates for the Week of November 14, 2022
2023 specifications for horseshoe crab of DE bay-origin set, record numbers of American eels counted upstream in MD, and information on “Dark” Fishing Vessels' Activities at Sea
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Upcoming
Meetings
November 17: Mid-Atlantic Council to hold public hearing on Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Species Separation Requirements
November 30: Redefining North Atlantic Right Whale Habitat-Use Patterns under Climate Change Webinar
December 5-9: SAFMC Meeting
December 5-9: Bluefish and Spiny Dogfish 2022 Research Track Peer Review
December 6-8: NEFMC Meeting
December 12-15: MAFMC Meeting
January 10-12: Marine Resources Education Program (MREP) Southeast Fisheries Science Stakeholders Workshop, Falmouth, MA
January 31: NOAA Mid-Atlantic Northeast Cooperative Reach Summit
January 31- Feb 2: ASMFC 2023 Winter Meeting
February 15: NOAA New England Northeast Cooperative Reach Summit
February 21-23: Marine Resources Education Program (MREP) Southeast Fisheries Science Stakeholders Workshop, Tampa, FL
March 21-23: Marine Resources Education Program (MREP) Southeast Fisheries Science Stakeholders Workshop, Hanover, MD
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Public Comment
November 23: Mid-Atlantic Council is seeking public comment on Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Species Separation Requirements
(Find more here)
November 25: NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on the Incidental Take Regulations and related Letter of Authorization for the Ocean Wind 1 Offshore Wind Energy Project offshore of New Jersey. Comments may be submitted through November 25.
(Find more here)
November 25: NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on Atlantic HMS Exempted Fishing and Related Permits in 2023
(Find more here)
November 30: GA DNR is seeking public comment on a proposed fishing regulation change relative to use of blueback herring as bait. Comments may be submitted through November 30.
(Find more here)
November 30: NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Comments may be submitted through November 30.
(Find more here)
November 30: NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on the Propsed 2023 Bluefish Commerical and Recreational Specifications. Comments may be submitted through November 30.
(Find more here)
December 4: NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on the Draft North Atlantic Right Whale and Offshore Wind Strategy which seeks to minimize the effects of offshore wind development on right whales and their habitat. Comments may be submitted through December 4.
(Find more here)
December 18: NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Funding Aquaculture Projects. Comments may be submitted through December 18.
(Find more here)
January 3: NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on the proposed rule for the Atlantic Mackerel Rebuilding Plan and 2023 Atlantic Mackerel Specifications. Comments may be submitted through
January 3.
(Find more here)
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ASMFC: Horseshoe Crab Board Sets 2023 Specifications and Adopts ARM Framework Revision via Addendum VII
The Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board approved harvest specifications for horseshoe crabs of Delaware Bay-origin. Taking into consideration the recommendations of the Adaptative Resource Management (ARM) Framework Revision, the Board set a harvest limit of 475,000 male horseshoe crabs and zero female Delaware Bay-origin horseshoe crabs for the 2023 season.
Acknowledging public concern about the status of the red knot population in the Delaware Bay, the Board elected to implement zero female harvest for the 2023 season as a conservative measure.
Find more information here.
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ASMFC: Atlantic Menhaden Board Sets 2023 TAC at 233,550 MT & Approves Addendum I to Address Commercial Allocations, Episodic Event Set Asides, and Incidental Catch/Small-scale Fisheries
The Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board set the 2023 total allowable catch (TAC) at 233,550 mt, which is an approximate 20% increase from the 2021-2022 TAC based on the positive stock status of the resource under ecological reference point-based management. According to Technical Committee analysis, this increase has a less than 40% probability of exceeding the target set by the ecological reference points (ERPs) adopted in 2020. Given the positive results of the 2022 Stock Assessment Update, the Board approved this modest increase to provide additional fishing opportunities, while maintaining a conservative risk level of exceeding the ERP target.
The Board also approved Addendum I to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden. The Addendum changes the allocations for the commercial fishery.
Find more information here.
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MA DMR: Wild Atlantic Salmon Restoration Project Reaches a Milestone
With the recent release of three hundred mature Atlantic salmon into the upper reaches of the East Branch of the Penobscot River, the state of Maine has taken another step forward in its effort to restore the critically endangered species.
The release was a milestone in a three-year project designed to increase the number of Atlantic salmon that spawn in the favorable habitat of the East Branch.
Biologists from DMR and the U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Research Unit at the University of Maine will track the released salmon as they spawn and make their way out to the ocean, using a combination of canoe surveys to look for redds, which are nests where salmon deposit eggs, and acoustic telemetry to track tagged salmon among those released.
Find more information here.
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GA DNR: The 25th Anniversary Fish Art Contest is now officially underway
Using art and writing, the Georgia Fish Art Contest (part of the international Wildlife Forever Fish Art Contest) can ignite children’s imagination and inspire them to discover more about fish and fishing. The program is free to enter and open to youth in kindergarten through grade 12 anywhere in the world.
To enter, participants select a fish species of their choice and create an original, hand-done illustration. Participants 4th grade and older will also submit a brief piece of creative writing or an essay pertaining to their chosen species to showcase what they have learned. Youth can win prizes such as Bass Pro Shops gift cards, merchandise from sponsors, and international recognition.
Find more information here.
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NHFG: Let’s Go Fishing Program Seeks Volunteer Ice Fishing Instructors
Are you an ice angler who is looking to give back to your community? Do you want to share your love of fishing on the ice? New Hampshire Fish and Game’s Let’s Go Fishing Program is currently seeking new volunteer instructors to take part in ice fishing programs around the state. All levels of fishing experience are welcomed. The next training will be held on Sunday, December 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at NH Fish and Game Headquarters, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord NH. All materials and lunch will be provided.
The training will cover teaching techniques and presentation skills, along with ice safety, ethics, fish identification, ecology, fishing regulations, and more. Once instructors have completed the training, there will be an opportunity to take part in programs and join an existing team of volunteer fishing instructors. These programs are offered in partnership with schools, camps, scout groups, and community centers all over the state.
Find more information here.
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MD DNR: Notice of Regional Fisheries Compensation Webinars Hosted by the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) would like to share an opportunity to join a webinar that will be hosted by the Consensus Building Institute and the University of Delaware’s Special Initiative on Offshore Wind about offshore wind fisheries compensatory mitigation.
Nine coastal states (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia) have been advancing an initiative to establish a regional fund administrator for fisheries compensatory mitigation. The fund would provide financial compensation for impacts from offshore wind development in the Atlantic Coast region.
Webinar Dates and Times:
- November 30 (6-8 p.m.)
- December 1 (6-8 p.m.)
Find more information here.
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DE DNREC: Low-Digit Surf Fishing Tag Auction to Start Nov. 22
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will hold its annual auction of low-digit surf fishing plates starting Tuesday, Nov. 22, at 9 a.m., at usgovbid.com. The online auction benefits Delaware State Parks.
Between Nov. 22 and Dec. 9, bidders will have the option to bid on 15 tags including Nos. 32, 58, 143, 226, 355, 488, and on eight “choice” categories, ranging from tags 51 to 9999. For the choice tags, the highest bidder in each range can choose a number, if it’s not already sold, within that category.
The minimum bid for a low-digit surf fishing plate is $250. By state law, surf-fishing tags numbered 1 through 200 are limited to vehicles registered in Delaware.
The auction of low-numbered plates was authorized by the Delaware General Assembly in 2015 and allows the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation to auction low-digit tags to the highest bidder.
Find more information here.
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USFWS: Record numbers of American eels counted upstream of site of Bloede Dam in Maryland four years after its removal
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has documented record numbers of juvenile American eel using the eel-passage structure at the Daniels Dam on the Patapsco River this year — an estimated 36,500.
In 2018, the total was just 36. Later that year, the Bloede Dam, the only downstream barrier on the Patapsco River preventing American eel from making their way to Daniels, was removed with support from the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013.
The law allocated more than $100 million to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for work to make human and wildlife communities stronger after Hurricane Sandy. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Resilience Grant Program was also among several funders who sought to protect life and property, safeguard people and infrastructure, and conserve and restore coastal resources.
Find more information here.
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NOAA Fisheries: Revised Commercial and Recreational Allocations for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass | |
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NOAA Fisheries is implementing Amendment 22 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. This final rule implements changes to the commercial and recreational allocations for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. The previous commercial and recreational allocations for all three species were set in the mid-1990s based on historical proportions of landings (for summer flounder and black sea bass) or catch (for scup) from each sector.
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission developed this amendment partly in response to recent changes in how recreational catch is estimated by the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), which resulted in a revised time series of recreational data going back to the 1980s. This created a mismatch between the data that were used to set the allocations and the data currently used in management for setting catch limits. In addition, some changes have been made to commercial catch data since the allocations were established.
Find more information here.
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NOAA Fisheries: Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month
Join in celebrating National Native American Heritage Month, as we recognize Native Americans' respect for natural resources and the Earth and honor native cultures. We celebrate the sacrifices, contributions, and achievements of Native American people and their beautiful culture.
Explore the profiles on the connected webpage to learn more about what this month means to our colleagues and partners, and how they each help contribute to NOAA Fisheries mission.
Find more information here.
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NOAA Fisheries: Learning More about “Dark” Fishing Vessels' Activities at Sea
Fishing vessels can “go dark” by turning off Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders that broadcast their location to satellites and terrestrial receivers. What they do during those invisible hours has long been a mystery.
New research funded in part by NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement analyzes where, when, and potentially why vessels disable their AIS broadcasts. “This is the first time scientists have been able to quantify the global footprint and scale of AIS disabling and make inferences on what vessels do when they go “dark,” said James Landon, Director of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement. “It offers important insights into vessel activity in coastal Exclusive Economic Zones and on the high seas.”
Find more information here.
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