Atlantic Coast Fisheries News

September 7: NMFS is seeking public comment on proposed rule on 2022 Coastal Sharks Specifications, including commercial quotas, season start dates and retention limits. The proposed quotas for the Atlantic Region and No Regional Quota Shark Management Groups for 2022 are unchanged from 2021 levels, with a season start date of January 1, 2022 for all shark management groups (Find more here).

October 4: NOAA Fisheries is seeking comments on a petition for rulemaking for Atlantic cod. The petition requests we prepare a Secretarial Amendment and take specific emergency action to end overfishing and rebuild Atlantic cod (Find more here).

ASMFC: Atlantic Herring Eastern Maine Spawning Closure in Effect Starting August 28, 2021 through October 9, 2021

The Atlantic herring Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery regulations include seasonal spawning closures for portions of state and federal waters in Eastern Maine, Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire. The Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board approved a forecasting method that relies upon at least three samples, each containing at least 25 female herring in gonadal stages III-V, to trigger a spawning closure. However, if sufficient samples are not available then closures will begin on predetermined dates.

Find more information here.

SC DNR: Is Your Marina Clean?

With roughly 150 marinas and 500,000 registered boats across the state, South Carolina has one of the highest densities of boaters nationwide. The sheer number of boats and marinas on the water presents a myriad of environmental challenges that call for proactive measures to prevent the degradation of wildlife and aquatic natural resources.

The goal of the South Carolina Clean Marina Program (CMP) is to protect and improve local water quality of South Carolina waters by reducing pollution from marinas. This voluntary pollution prevention program encourages marinas, boatyards, and yacht clubs to meet environmental standards at their facility and increasing environmental stewardship amongst their patrons through outreach and education. With more marinas participating, the South Carolina Clean Marina Program has significant potential to enhance conservation of the coastal and marine environment that we all know and love.

Find more information here.

VMRC: Virginia’s 2021 Fisheries Disaster Relief Program Application Period Now Open

Virginia’s spending plan for the 2021 Fisheries Disaster relief program is approved. NOAA has officially reviewed and approved Virginia’s spend plan to distribute fisheries disaster relief funding related to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. The VMRC is pleased to announce that the application process for the 2021 Fisheries Disaster Relief Program will open Monday August 23, 2021 and will run through Thursday, September 30, 2021. The VMRC will contact individuals who participate in the Virginia seafood industry and may be eligible based on licensing and reported activity.

Find more information here.

NC DMF: Division to accept flounder carcass donations, issue Saltwater Fishing Tournament citations during recreational flounder season

The DMF will accept flounder for the Carcass Collection and Saltwater Fishing Tournament (Citation) programs during the upcoming recreational fishing season. The division has also set up a one-stop source for information about the 2021 recreational flounder season, which begins Sept. 1.

Find more information here.

DNREC: Sen. Carper, Gov. Carney, Conservation Groups Hail Christina River Project and Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund

U.S. Senator Tom Carper and Delaware Governor John Carney joined conservation partners at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington today to celebrate the Christiana and Brandywine River restoration and resiliency project funded by the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund. They celebrated another important step in the ongoing work to improve Wilmington’s riverfront area with clean, healthy rivers and attractive places for people and wildlife.

Find more information here.

FL FWC: Sea turtles are hatching on Florida beaches; keep them safe with these tips

Sea turtles lay eggs in nests on Florida beaches beginning in the spring and throughout the summer, and now the baby turtles are hatching! The FL FWC asks the public to help these tiny turtles stay safe with the following tips. During sea turtle nesting season (March 1-Oct. 31), it is important to keep your distance from sea turtles and their nests on the beach. Sea turtles are protected, so you should allow hatchlings to crawl toward the ocean on their own. Any interference or disturbance, including getting too close, can cause hatchlings to become confused and lose their way. The trek to the water from the nest is part of the process that helps them orient themselves to their surroundings and for females to remember their home beach.

Find more information here.

NYSDEC: Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count: Discovering Underwater Life

Two weeks ago, the 10th annual Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count took place at 12 sites from Peebles Island in Saratoga County, to Gantry Plaza State Park in Queens County, New York City. We counted fish, but even more importantly we welcomed the opportunity to introduce many people to the incredible diversity of life under the surface of the Hudson River Estuary. Here are two accounts from Yonkers and Little Stony Point about the count.

The Great Hudson River Fish Count in Yonkers at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak was a delightful program energized by Eli Caref and her team of high school volunteers. Across 10 hauls of our seine, we caught 87 fish of four species. High count was Atlantic silverside (80). Others included five white perch, one young-of-year striped bass, and a mummichog. We also found a mix of male and female blue crabs (75-125 mm). The river was 76.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the salinity was 1.9 parts-per-thousand (barely a trace of salt), and the dissolved oxygen (DO) was 7.3 parts-per-million (good for fish life).

Find more information here.

NJ DEP: Recreational Saltwater Volunteer Angler Survey

In an effort to increase usership of NJ’s Recreational Saltwater Volunteer Angler Survey, the Division has developed a mobile device-compatible saltwater fishing reporting tool to make it easier than ever for recreational anglers to contribute valuable information and become part of the management process. This new mobile reporting tool uses an interactive platform allowing anglers to report species they were targeting, the number of fish caught, their size, and how many were kept or released – all important data that fisheries managers use to assess the success of the fishery. Anglers now have several options for reporting their catch: optimized for mobile devices, optimized for computers, or a printable form that can be mailed or emailed. All are available online. The Division asks that anglers submit a report even when no fish are caught. Anglers should report each fishing trip in only one of the platforms.

Find more information here.

SAFMC: Citizen Science Project Expansion Provides Fishermen the Opportunity to Assist in Data Collection for Shallow Water Grouper

We need better data. It’s a phrase that fisheries managers are all too familiar with, including members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Acknowledging the challenges facing data collection, including long-term funding, the Council’s Citizen Science Program engages fishermen, scientists, and managers in creating projects to address research needs and help fill data gaps. The program allows fishermen and others the opportunity to contribute information valuable to fisheries science and management. The Council’s first Citizen Science Project “SAFMC Release” is expanding to allow private recreational anglers as well as charter captains and commercial fishermen the opportunity to provide details via a mobile app about shallow water grouper species that are released. In addition, the SAFMC Release project will now be housed under the new customizable citizen science app, SciFish.

Find more information here.

NOAA Fisheries: NOAA Issues 2021 Report on Global IUU Fishing and Bycatch of Protected Marine Life Resources

In its 2021 Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management, NOAA Fisheries identified 31 nations and entities with vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing activities or bycatch of protected species on the high seas. The report also negatively certified Mexico for continued IUU fishing activities, subjecting Mexican fishing vessels to restrictions on U.S. port access and potential import restrictions on fish and fish products.

Find more information here.

NOAA Fisheries: Protecting Largest, Most Prolific Fish May Boost Productivity of Fisheries, New Research Finds

Management of many of the largest fisheries in the world assumes incorrectly that many small fish reproduce as well as fewer large ones with similar total masses, a new analysis has found. That can lead to overharvesting the largest, most prolific fish that can contribute the most to the population.

Better protection of larger, mature females could improve the productivity of major fisheries. This is crucial at a time when fisheries are increasingly important in providing food resources around the world. The results were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week.

Find more information here.

What We're Reading

When Oil Spills Strike, Call in the Hair Force: human hair is becoming a major player in ocean cleanups as a free, highly effective resource that never runs out (Reasons to be Cheerful).

New scholars program targeting low-income students to encourage careers in STEM (The Grio).

Continuing coverage of the Mi'kmaw's fight to have their self-regulated lobster fishery recognized in Nova Scotia, chief Mike Sack was arrested and lobster traps were seized as the Sipekne'katik First Nation tried to launch its new season (CBC).

Fishers Struggle as Fish Head for the Poles: in the northeastern United States, fishing regulations are not keeping up with species on the move (Hakai Magazine).

One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish. Examination of historical museum specimens, in both Australian and Indonesian collections, resolve a 170-year taxonomic conundrum (Australian Museum).

Anti-racist interventions to transform ecology, evolution and conservation biology departments (Nature).

The Americas’ First Ecosystem Managers. When it comes to sea otters, modern conservation goals are overlooking the firm hand Indigenous people wielded through time (Hakai Magazine).

Unpaid Work in Marine Science: A Snapshot of the Early-Career Job Market (Frontiers in Marine Science).

A new tuna robot could lead to more agile and efficient underwater drones (Engadget).

Check out this article featuring two new books: The Wonders That Live at the Very Bottom of the Sea (The New York Times).

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