Atlantic Coast Fisheries News | December 19, 2022

December 31: USFWS and NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Comments may be submitted through December 31.

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December 31: NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comments to Update Recreational Fisheries Policy. Comments may be submitted through December 31).

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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.

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January 13: ASMFC is seeking public comment on Draft Addendum I to Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Striped Bass Interstate Fishery Management Plan. Comments may be submitted through January 13.

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January 17: NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a Proposed Rule to Implement the Recreational Harvest Control Rule. Comments are due by January 17.

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January 27: The White House is seeking public comment on the Draft 5th National Climate Assessment. Comments may be made through January 27.

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January 31: Nine Atlantic states are seeking public comment on Fisheries Compensatory Mitigation Related to Offshore Wind. Comments may be made through January 31.

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January 31: NOAA Fisheries is seeking public on the Proposed Incidental Take Regulations for the Revolution Wind Offshore Wind Farm Project. Comments may be made through January 31.

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FL FWC: Catch a Florida Memory announces 2023 Triple Threat Throwdown challenge

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) saltwater angler recognition program, Catch a Florida Memory, will be giving away a fully outfitted fishing kayak to one lucky angler in its first-ever Triple Threat Throwdown! This challenge will run from Jan. 1 through Sept. 5, 2023, and will be an exclusive raffle opportunity for Triple Threat Club members to win a Bonafide SS127 fishing kayak, fully outfitted with an accessory package from YakAttack. To enter, participants must qualify for a Catch a Florida Memory recognition between Jan. 1 and Sept. 5, 2023, and be a member of the Triple Threat Club at the time of the raffle drawing, which will take place after all submissions from the challenge period have been processed.

Triple Threat Club status is awarded to anglers who have qualified for recognition in all three Catch a Florida Memory programs. This means the angler has caught a Saltwater Grand Slam, a Saltwater Reel Big Fish and has qualified for at least the Saltwater Life List 10 Fish Club. Anglers only need to qualify for the Triple Threat Club once and membership never expires.

Catch a Florida Memory’s saltwater angler recognition program rewards anglers for their fishing efforts while encouraging them to target a diversity of species. Anglers do not have to harvest their fish to be eligible for prizes and are encouraged to use proper fish handling techniques.

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NC WRC: Sea Turtle Conservationist Wins Wildlife Diversity Award

The Thomas L. Quay Wildlife Diversity Award was presented to Jean Beasley, founding director of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s October business meeting in Cherokee.

The Wildlife Commission annually gives the Quay Award to individuals who make outstanding contributions to wildlife diversity in North Carolina. Beasley is the 17th Quay Award recipient.

The Beasley Center has served as a model for grassroots sea turtle rescue programs. Beasley was the first volunteer-based program leader elected to the board of directors of the International Sea Turtle Society. She fostered advances in sea turtle medicine and biology and has overseen a community of hundreds of volunteers in the Topsail Island Nest Protection Program and the Sea Turtle Hospital. She managed the growth of the Beasley Center from a 900 square foot facility that opened in 1996 to a 13,000 square foot facility in 2013 that treats over 100 turtles per year. Beasley headed the Center until her retirement at the end of 2021.

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NYS DEC: Create a Watershed Super Hero Calendar Contest

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York Water Environment Association are sponsoring a "Create a Watershed Super Hero" poster contest open to all middle school students. Fourteen winners will have the honor of having their artwork in a 2024 calendar distributed across New York State.

All Middle School students (Grades 6-8) in New York State public and private schools are eligible to enter the poster contest. One student per poster. Deadline for receipt of posters is Friday, January 6, 2022.

The deadline for submitting posters is January 6, 2023.

DEC and NYWEA staff will review all posters and pick the top 30 entries. NYWEA membership and DEC staff will vote for the 14 winning posters.

Find more information here.

NYS DEC: Community Science Volunteer Opportunities in the Hudson River Estuary

Every year, hundreds of volunteers help the DEC scientists and naturalists collect data on fish and wildlife and plant native trees along Hudson River tributary streams. The NY Department of Environmental Conservation invite you to participate in any of the following outdoor opportunities. These projects are conducted through partnerships with the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve and Cornell University.

The following is a list of the projects and what they entail:

Hudson River Cooperative Angler Program
Amphibian Migration and Road Crossings Project
American Eel Research

Whether you catch-and-release or take home a keeper, you can be part of the Hudson River Cooperative Angler Program. Share your fishing trip information and help biologists understand and manage our striped bass fishery. Here's how it works: Fill out a logbook provided by DEC whenever you fish on the Hudson River (by boat or on the shore). Record general location, time, gear used, what you caught (or if you didn't catch anything), and return the logbook when you are done fishing. You'll receive an annual newsletter summarizing the information in addition to the latest news regarding regulations and the river.

In early spring, forest amphibians move from their woodland habitat to breed in vernal pools, often making dangerous road crossings. Volunteers can help conserve salamanders, frogs, and toads by moving them to safety during migrations; locating high-mortality crossings; and collecting data on this spring phenomenon. Following guidance on the DEC website, volunteers survey roads or known crossings for a few hours during "Big Night" migrations, usually in late March or early April. All ages are welcome, but younger volunteers should be closely supervised due to road safety concerns.

For the eel project, teams of scientists, students, and volunteers collect glass eels using specialized nets and traps on Hudson River tributaries each spring. The juvenile fish are counted, weighed, and released, and other environmental data is recorded. At the end of each season the data is compiled and sent along to decision-makers. The project directly involves students and volunteers with scientific design and field methodology. Participants experience their local ecosystem firsthand, and collect important information and relevant data about migrating fish

Find more information here.

NH FGD: Nominate Worthy Individuals or Organizations for the 2022 NH Fish and Game Commission Awards

Do you know an individual or an organization that has made a difference to New Hampshire’s wildlife, fisheries, or open land? If so, honor them with a nomination for a New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission Award of Excellence. Nominations are due by Friday, December 30, 2022.

Each year the Commission recognizes deserving individuals and organizations for outstanding achievements that help further the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s mission. There are eight different award categories; select the one that best fits your nominee.

The eight award categories include:

Ellis R. Hatch Jr. Commission Award of Excellence
Youth Conservationist
Communication
Conservation Organization
Volunteer
Habitat Stewardship
Landowner Appreciation
Search and Rescue Volunteers

Find more information here.

NC DEQ: Marine Fisheries Ask Public to Report Cold Stunned Trout

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries wants to remind the public to report any cold stunned spotted seatrout they may see in North Carolina coastal waters.

During the winter, spotted seatrout move to relatively shallow creeks and rivers, where they can be vulnerable to cold stun events. Cold stun events have the potential to occur when there is a sudden drop in temperature or during prolonged periods of cold weather, making fish so sluggish that they can be harvested by hand.

Spotted seatrout cold stun events can be reported at any time to the N.C. Marine Patrol at 1-800-682-2632 or during regular business hours to the division spotted seatrout biologist Lucas Pensinger at 252-808-8159 or Lucas.Pensinger@ncdenr.gov. If reporting a spotted seatrout cold stun event, please provide where (the specific location) and when (date and time) the cold stun was observed, along with your contact information.

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NC DEQ: New Size Limits for Striped Bass in the Albemarle Sound Management Area

A new harvest slot limit of 18 to 25 inches will take effect Jan. 1, 2023 for both the recreational and commercial striped bass fisheries in the Albemarle Sound Management Area. All striped bass measuring fewer than 18 inches and greater than 25 inches total length must be immediately returned to the waters where they were caught.

The new size limits, along with additional measures aimed at rebuilding the Albemarle-Roanoke striped bass stock and increasing the abundance of larger females in the population, were approved by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission in November as part of Amendment 2 to the North Carolina Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan. Amendment 2 and outreach materials are available on the Division website.

Find more information here.

NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries: Results of the 2022 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest

Natural outdoor spaces provide opportunities for people to get away from the hustle and bustle of their daily routines and connect with themselves, nature, loved ones, and their favorite hobbies—such as photography. The National Marine Sanctuary System turned 50 this year, making this Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest an extra special one.

The results are in and out of the over 700 photos submitted this year, here are the winning photos from each category. You can view the full 2022 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest results here.

Read on to learn a bit more about the inspiration and stories behind some of the winning photos.

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NOAA Fisheries: Final 2023 Atlantic Bluefish Specifications

NOAA Fisheries is implementing the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended catch specifications for the 2023 bluefish fishery. These final specifications are largely unchanged from what was previously projected for fishing year 2023, with an adjustment to the final recreational harvest limit to account for a 2021 recreational sector overage, and higher than expected recreational discards. The coastwide commercial quota is increasing by 21 percent to 4.29 million lb, as previously projected; and the recreational harvest limit is increasing by 1.6 percent (rather than the previously projected 59 percent) to 14.11 million lb.

The commercial fishery state allocations for 2023 are unchanged from what was previously projected. No states exceeded their state-allocated quota in 2021 or 2022, so no adjustments are necessary for the 2023 commercial fishery.

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NOAA Fisheries: $2.3M to Support Bycatch Reduction Projects

Today, NOAA Fisheries is pleased to announce the 2023 federal funding opportunity which includes $2.3 million available to support applied management projects and activities under the agency’s Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program, also known as BREP. The funding opportunity outlines five high priority areas including developing innovative and effective technologies, further testing and development of technologies or gear modifications that have already been piloted, improving understanding of post release mortality, developing techniques to reduce interactions between corals and sponges, and international bycatch issues. Non-federal researchers working on the development of improved fishing practices and innovative gear technologies are eligible to apply for funding. The deadline for pre-proposals is January 20, 2023. Full proposals are due April 3, 2023.

Bycatch reduction is a priority for NOAA Fisheries. Bycatch can contribute to overfishing, threaten endangered and threatened species and protected marine mammals, and can close fisheries, significantly impacting U.S. economic growth.

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NOAA Fisheries: Accepting Quotes for Vessel Support of the Cooperative Research Study Fleet Program

The Study Fleet, composed of approximately 50 fishing vessels in the Northeast, began in 2006 as a way to engage fishermen in collecting high resolution catch, effort, and environmental data to address science and management needs. The Study Fleet captains and crews use specialized software, automated oceanographic sensors, and real-time data transmission to collect detailed data on every commercial fishing tow. They receive training and compensation for participating.

The program is recruiting new Study Fleet vessels that participate in the longfin squid, shortfin squid, mackerel, butterfish, scup, black sea bass, summer flounder, whiting, haddock, and tilefish fisheries.

These fisheries have been identified as the priority for the collection of long-term, tow-by-tow data using NOAA's Fisheries Logbook Data Recording Software, automated oceanographic sensors, and real-time data transmission. Contracts will be awarded in spring of 2023.

Find more information here.

NOAA Fisheries: Nearly $105 Million in Fish Passage Funding Recommended under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Including Significant Funding for Tribes

NOAA is recommending nearly $105 million in funding for 36 fish passage projects this year and $61 million in future funding under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With this historic level of funding, our partners will reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for fish across the country.

Fifteen of these projects—more than $26.3 million in funding—will be led by tribal applicants for fish passage and to build tribal organizational capacity. In addition, nearly two-thirds of the remaining projects will directly involve tribes and are aligned with tribal priorities. Tribes will play key roles in decision-making and build capacity to help recover tribally-important migratory fish. The projects will also provide community and economic benefits such as jobs and training opportunities.

Find more information here.

What We're Reading

Analysis of giant extinct marine reptile graveyard suggests mysterious site was ancient birthing ground (Phys.org)

For Humpbacks, Bubbles Can Be Tools A lungful of air is like a multifunction toolkit for humpback whales (Hakai Magazine)

How the moon devastated a mangrove forest The moon’s wobble and an El Niño teamed up to kill off tens of millions of mangroves (Scientific American)

Cop15: historic deal struck to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 Agreement on ’30 by 30’ target forced through by Chinese president, ignoring objections from African states (The Guardian)

Does rebuilding an island rebuild fish habitat? Scientists from the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office are investigating whether fish are using restored areas at Maryland’s Poplar Island (NOAA Fisheries)

The best science images of 2022: An almighty eruption, the cosmos remastered, swirling cells, and more See the images that won and read about the significance of each (Nature)

U.S. will ban the sale of shark fins. Here’s why Senate approved language making it illegal, with few exceptions, to trade shark fins but U.S. fishing operators say the ban will do nothing to curb overfishing overseas (Washington Post)

Eels facing population collapse, conservation groups warn Scientists raise concerns after annual fishing talks for key EU waters ended in quotas above those recommended (The Guardian)

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