http://www.makofever.com/templates/literane/img/feed-esyndicat.pnghttp://www.makofever.com/http://www.makofever.com/National-Fishing-News/http://www.makofever.com/National-Fishing-News/Caribbean-Grouper-Unit-4-and-Grammanik-Bank-Seasonal-Closure-Reminder-l123.htmlSeasonal Prohibition of Red, Black, Tiger, Yellowfin, or Yellowedge Grouper in Caribbean Federal Waters and Seasonal Closure of Grammanik Bank off St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Begins at 12:01 a.m., Local Time, February 1, 2011 NOAA Fisheries Service would like to remind the public there is a seasonal prohibition on fishing for or possession of red, black, tiger, yellowfin, and yellowedge grouper (Grouper Unit 4) in Caribbean federal waters from 12:01 a.m., local time, February 1 through April 30, 2011. This prohibition on possession does not apply to such grouper harvested and landed ashore prior to the closure. Also, from February 1 through April 30, each year, no person may fish for or possess any species of fish, except highly migratory species, within the Grammanik Bank closed area. The term “fish” means finfish, mollusks, crustaceans, and all other forms of marine animal and plant life other than marine mammals and birds. Highly migratory species means bluefin, bigeye, yellowfin, albacore, and skipjack tunas; swordfish; sharks; white marlin, blue marlin, sailfish, and longbill spearfish. The Grammanik Bank closed area is bounded by rhumb lines connecting, the following points: Point North latitude West longitude A 18°11.898' N 64°56.328' W B 18°11.645' N 64°56.225' W C 18°11.058' N 64°57.810' W D 18°11.311' N 64°57.913' W A 18°11.898' N 64°56.328' W The closure encompasses the area where a yellowfin grouper spawning aggregation is reported to occur on Grammanik Bank. This action complies with regulations implemented under Amendment 3 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to address required provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and is necessary to protect these resources. The Caribbean Fishery Management Council, in cooperation with NOAA Fisheries Service, developed the amendment to regulate fishing mortality. If you would like to receive these fishery bulletins via e-mail as soon as they are published, please e-mail us at SERO.Communications.Comments@noaa.gov. This bulletin provides only a summary of the information regarding the existing regulations. Any discrepancies between this bulletin and the regulations as published in the Federal Register will be resolved in favor of the Federal Register. Southeast Fishery Bulletin National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:01:49 ESThttp://www.makofever.com/National-Fishing-News/Administrator-Schwaab-defends-fishing-relief-rejection-NMFS-record-in-the-face-of-widespread-anger-1-11-10-l2.htmlAdministrator Schwaab defends fishing relief rejection, NMFS record in the face of widespread anger WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) - Jan. 10, 2011 - National Marine Fisheries Service Assistant Administrator Eric Schwaab Monday defended the Obama administration's decision to reject Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's request for emergency relief from allocation limits, telling Saving Seafood in an exclusive 30-minute interview that it reflects the need to balance statutory requirements in fishing industry regulation. Since the decision was announced on Friday, reaction has been highly polarized, with every New England elected official or industry representative who has commented expressing anger and criticism, while every environmental group that issued a release expressed praise. "The bottom line there is that while the (Commerce) Secretary (Gary Locke) does have the authority to take emergency action based upon economic circumstances, he does not have the ability to supersede or undermine our responsibilities under Magnuson (Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act) to use the best available science to meet the requirements to end overfishing and rebuild stocks," Mr. Schwaab said in the interview. When asked if the rejection of Governor Patrick's request was Obama Administration policy, Mr. Schwaab replied "No, that's an interpretation of the requirements of the statute to use the best available science to rebuild fish stocks in accordance with the timeline that's set out in the Magnuson Act." His comments come after Friday's letter to Gov. Patrick from Secretary Locke rejecting his and industry's argument that catch limits were set too low with sector management threatening the survivability of the state's fishing industry. Echoing the finding in the letter, Mr. Schwaab argued that while commercial impacts of the regulations are important, new biological data is needed to prove that overfishing is not occurring. "You have to read the statute in its totality," he said. "You just can't pick one section to the exclusion of others." But Locke also rejected pleas for $21 million in federal financial assistance, citing the fact that total aggregate fishing revenue increased 21 percent in the first five months of 2010. When asked about the financial relief decision, Mr. Schwaab acknowledged that the data cited ignores the cost of buying quota on net profits, but argued that the revenue increase is still an important consideration. He also added that solutions are needed to help address how smaller fisherman are being affected by the catch share system. "We are very clear in our letter about the fact that we remain very interested in working closely, again, with the (New England Fishery Management) Council, with the state, with the fisherman themselves to look at some of these more specific economic challenges and bring into play whatever mechanism we can to alleviate some of those kinds of concerns," said Mr. Schwaab. "But that is not an easy solution. This is a fisherman-by-fisherman, in some case almost trip-by-trip set of challenges. Trying to fix those problems is something that is going to require us to put our heads together and work through together." Just 11 months into his tenure as the head of NMFS following a nearly 30 year career at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Mr. Schwaab finds himself under attack by critics in the fishing industry, and their political allies, over both the impact of the catch share rules as well as over the responsiveness of NMFS, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Commerce Department to fishing industry and community concerns. When asked about charges that the Obama administration has been unresponsive to the needs of industry, particularly the smaller players, Mr. Schwaab noted that the Commerce Department has allocated money to set up permit banks to help reallocate some quota that could benefit small fishing operations and communities. In addition, he said that Commerce officials have made it clear to Gov. Patrick that if Massachusetts can make a more specific case for economic relief for a specific gear type or smaller fishing area, there is precedent for action. Mr. Schwaab also rejected criticisms from various lawmakers and local government officials that the federal government has been slow in it response to questions and to take action when requested, countering that none of the agency's actions occur in a vacuum. For instance, the negotiations over December's congressional approval of changes to federal law allowing regulators to increase catch limits in Georges Bank, a potential boon for U.S. yellowtail fisherman, took place during the much criticized 63 days it took to respond to Gov. Patrick's request for regulatory relief. "To the extent that we had authority and felt like we had authority to alleviate some pressure, we've moved aggressively to do that," said Mr. Schwaab. "To the extent that we haven't, its not because we are uncaring. It's because we have some limitations that we're bound to live up to under law. And frankly, some of those limitations are going to, over time, be shown to be in the best interest of the fisheries too." Mr. Schwaab also expressed defiance in the face of calls for NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco's firing from Capitol Hill, questioning of his qualifications to run the agency by Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk, and doubts about the agency's competence to manage fisheries by New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang. "I think there is progress on a number of fronts that the Secretary, (NOAA Administrator) Dr. (Jane) Lubchenco, and I deserve credit for," said Mr. Schwaab. "Have we fixed all of the problems? No, some of these problems were decades or more in the making. But are we on a positive path forward? I think the answer is yes." [click here and listen to the complete interview] Sign up for daily news updates from Saving Seafood. Visit www.savingseafood.org for the latest industry news. Saving Seafood Contact Information phone: 202-595-1222 e-mail: info@savingseafood.org Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:01:13 ESThttp://www.makofever.com/National-Fishing-News/Careful-Catch-and-Release-Guidelines-for-Atlantic-Highly-Migratory-Species-l225.html Careful Catch and Release Guidelines for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species NOAA Fisheries Service has developed a brochure that provides guidelines on how to increase the survival of hook-and-line caught, large pelagic species. The objectives of careful catch and release include reducing stress and minimizing injury to a fish caught on hook-and-line, and assisting in its recovery prior to release. These objectives are especially challenging for large highly migratory species such as tuna, swordfish, and sharks, because of the size and potentially dangerous features (e.g., teeth and swords) of these species. The brochure provides guidelines for careful catch and release in four topic areas: planning ahead, gear, play and handling, and release and revival. The information in this brochure will assist anglers in following NOAA Fisheries regulations, which require that any Atlantic highly migratory species that is caught and released, be released in a manner that maximizes its probability of survival. The survival of a released fish today will help lead to healthy stocks for future harvest. pdf below Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:01:29 ESThttp://www.makofever.com/National-Fishing-News/Has-overfishing-ended-in-America-Just-Retired-Top-NOAA-scientist-says-yes-l4.htmlHas overfishing ended in America? Just-Retired Top NOAA scientist says "yes" Jay Lindsay of the Associated Press caught up with just-retired top NOAA scientist Steve Murawski who told him that this year, for the first time in a century, not one species will be overfished by U.S. fishermen. Murawski, who retired just last week, called this a historic milestone. And while industry leaders mostly agreed, they were critical of Federal policies which they say needlessly destroyed the livelihoods of many fishermen in the process. BOSTON (AP) Jan. 8, 2011 - For the first time in at least a century, U.S. fishermen won't take too much of any species from the sea, one of the nation's top fishery scientists says. The projected end of overfishing comes during a turbulent fishing year that's seen New England fishermen switch to a radically new management system. But scientist Steve Murawski said that for the first time in written fishing history, which goes back to 1900, "As far as we know, we've hit the right levels, which is a milestone." "And this isn't just a decadal milestone, this is a century phenomenon," said Murawski, who retired last week as chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service. Murawski said it's more than a dramatic benchmark - it also signals the coming of increasingly healthy stocks and better days for fishermen who've suffered financially. In New England, the fleet has deteriorated since the mid-1990s from 1,200 boats to only about 580, but Murawski believes fishermen may have already endured their worst times. "I honestly think that's true, and that's why I think it's a newsworthy event," said Murawski, now a professor at the University of South Florida. But fishermen and their advocates say ending overfishing came at an unnecessarily high cost. Dave Marciano fished out of Gloucester, an hour's drive northeast of Boston, for three decades until he was forced to sell his fishing permit in June. He said the new system made it too costly to catch enough fish to stay in business. "It ruined me," said Marciano, 45. "We could have ended overfishing and had a lot more consideration for the human side of the fishery." "When you compare the United States with the European Union, with Asian countries, et cetera, we are the only industrialized fishing nation who actually has succeeded in ending overfishing," he said. Regulators say 37 stocks nationwide last year were being overfished (counting only those that live exclusively in U.S. waters); New England had the most with 10. But Murawski said management systems that emphasize strict catch limits have made a big difference, and New England just made the switch. Fishermen there now work in groups called sectors to divide an annual quota of groundfish, which include cod, haddock and flounder. If they exceed their limits on one species, they're forced to stop fishing on all species. About two-thirds into the current fishing year, which ends April 30, federal data indicated New England fishermen were on pace to catch fewer than their allotted fish in all but one stock, Georges Bank winter flounder. But Murawski said he didn't expect fishermen would exceed their quota on any stock. In other regions with overfishing - the South Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean - regulators project catch limits and other measures will end overfishing this fishing year. Already, South Atlantic black grouper and Gulf of Mexico red snapper are no longer being overfished. The final verification that overfishing has ended nationwide, at least for one fishing year, will come after detailed stock assessments. It will be a "Pyrrhic victory" in hard-hit New England, said Brian Rothschild, a fisheries scientist at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. He said regulators could legally loosen the rules and allow fishermen to safely catch more fish, but regulators have refused to do it, and fishermen have needlessly been shut out from even healthy stocks. The science is far from perfect, Marciano said. Regulators believed fishermen were overfishing pollock until new data last year indicated scientists had badly underestimated its population, he said. And some stocks, such as Gulf of Maine cod, have recovered even when fishermen were technically overfishing them. "To say you can't rebuild stocks while overfishing is occurring is an outright lie. We did it," Marciano said. Read the complete story by Jay Lindsay of The Associated Press at Google. Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:01:41 ESThttp://www.makofever.com/National-Fishing-News/NMFS-proposes-specifications-for-the-2011-Atlantic-bluefish-fishery-Comment-until-Jan-31-l79.htmlNMFS proposes specifications for the 2011 Atlantic bluefish fishery,Comment until Jan 31 NMFS proposes specifications for the 2011 Atlantic bluefish fishery, including total allowable landings (TAL), a commercial quota and recreational harvest limit (RHL), and a recreational possession limit. The intent of this action is to establish the allowable 2011 harvest levels and other management measures to achieve the target fishing mortality rate (F), consistent with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). NMFS also proposes to amend the bluefish regulations that specify the process for setting the annual TAL and target F to more clearly reflect the intent of the FMP. DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 31, 2011. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by 0648–BA26, by any one of the following methods: • Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking portal: http:// www.regulations.gov • Fax: 978–281–9135, Attn: Regional Administrator. • Mail and Hand Delivery: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator, NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope: ‘‘Comments on 2011 Bluefish Specifications.’’ Instructions: No comments will be posted for public viewing until after the comment period has closed. All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without change. All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter N/A in the required fields, if you wish to remain anonymous). You may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only. Copies of the specifications document, including the Environmental Assessment and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (EA/IRFA) and other supporting documents for the specifications, are available from Dr. Christopher M. Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Suite 201, 800 N. State Street, Dover, DE 19901. The specifications document is also accessible via the Internet at: http:// www.nero.noaa.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tobey Curtis, Fishery Policy Analyst, (978) 281–9273, or Sarah Heil, Fishery Management Specialist, (978) 281–9257. Sat, 15 Jan 2011 08:01:57 ESThttp://www.makofever.com/National-Fishing-News/NMFS-Solicits-Proposals-for-MAFMC-2012-Research-Set-Aside-Program-l6.html The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced that it is accepting proposals under the Mid-Atlantic Council's Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program for research activities to be conducted in 2012. Applications must be received by NMFS on or before 5 p.m. EST on March 7, 2011. The Council, in coordination with NMFS and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, may set aside up to 3 percent of the total allowable landings (TAL) in certain Mid-Atlantic fisheries to be used for research endeavors. The RSA program provides a mechanism to fund research and compensate vessel owners through the sale of fish harvested under the research quota. Vessels participating in an approved research project may be authorized by the NMFS Northeast Regional Administrator to harvest and land species in excess of any imposed trip limit or during fishery closures. Landings from such trips are sold to generate funds that help defray the costs associated with the approved research projects. No Federal funds are provided for research under this notification. NMFS is soliciting proposals for research activities concerning the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, Loligo squid, Illex squid, Atlantic mackerel, butterfish, bluefish, and tilefish fisheries. NMFS and the Council will give priority to funding proposals addressing the research needs as follows: 2012 Research Priority List Spanning Multiple Species - Fishery independent surveys for all Mid-Atlantic species, especially in the near shore zone (as provided by the Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program-NEAMAP). Interactions Between Loligo Squid, Butterfish, Atlantic Mackerel & River Herring - Evaluate potential improvements to observer sampling procedures on catches of butterfish and River Herring in the Loligo fishery, and River Herring in the mackerel fishery. - Mesh selectivity studies involving Loligo squid retention and butterfish escapement (both summer and winter). - Test gear modifications (in addition to mesh size) in the Loligo squid fishery to reduce bycatch of butterfish and other species. One example would be the use of 'Fishing Circle Mesh.' - Study mortality rates of Loligo squid that pass through trawl mesh. - Use of videography in documenting Loligo catches without any or minimal butterfish bycatch. - Investigate accuracy and precision of observer monitoring of (at-sea and/or port) catches of butterfish, river herrings, and shads in the Atlantic mackerel and squid fisheries. Summer Flounder - Evaluate the size distribution of landed and discarded fish in the summer flounder recreational fishery by sex. This could be considered for all catch components, which would include the commercial fishery. Bluefish - Evaluate amount and length frequency of discards from the commercial and recreational fisheries. - Collect size and age composition of the fisheries by gear type and statistical area. - Initiate fishery-dependent and independent sampling of offshore populations of bluefish during the winter months (consider migration, seasonal fisheries and unique selectivity patterns resulting in a bimodal partial recruitment pattern; consider if the migratory pattern results in several recruitment events). - Develop bluefish index surveys (proof of concept), including abundance/biomass trend estimates for the offshore populations in winter. Black Sea Bass - Validate methods used to age black sea bass (scales vs. otoliths). - Studies focused on life history and reproductive behaviors such as changes in sex ratio as a function of age and size or the evaluation of the sizes of territories in relation to mating or reproduction. - Increase age sampling across all components of the commercial and recreational fisheries. - Increase sea sampling to verify information from commercial logbooks toward providing better estimates of discards. - Develop a fixed gear survey of black sea bass similar to the one developed for scup. Scup - Develop indices for scup ages 2+. - Estimate the fishery components used to calculate scup mortality (commercial and recreational landings, and discards). - Expand age sampling of scup from commercial and recreational catches, with special emphasis on the aging of large specimens. Illex squid - Determine size and age-at-maturity and growth parameters for Illex squid. Tilefish - Effect of hook size on tilefish size selectivity in the longline fishery. Complete Details and to Apply For complete details and information on how to apply, please visit the Grants.gov web site (http://www.grants.gov). Click on the 'Grant Search' Quick Link on the upper right-hand corner of the page under FOR APPLICANTS and then search for Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-NEFSC-2012-2002892 After clicking on the '2012 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside' link under Opportunity Title, click on the 'Full Announcement' link in the middle of the bar at the top of the page. On the next page click on the 'Full Announcement' next to the Description 'Full Opportunity' to open or save the full text of the Announcement (21 pp) to your hard drive. Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:01:02 ESThttp://www.makofever.com/National-Fishing-News/NOAA-Satellites-Aid-in-the-Rescue-of-295-People-in-2010-l148.htmlNOAA Satellites Aid in the Rescue of 295 People in 2010 January 20, 2011 Photos (Credit: NOAA) In 2010, NOAA satellites were critical in the rescues of 295 people from life-threatening situations throughout the United States and its surrounding waters. The satellites picked up distress signals from emergency beacons carried by downed pilots, shipwrecked boaters and stranded hikers, and relayed the information about their location to first responders on the ground. NOAA’s polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites, along with Russia’s COSPAS spacecraft, are part of the international Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking system, called COSPAS-SARSAT. This system uses a network of satellites to quickly detect and locate distress signals from emergency beacons onboard aircraft and boats, and from smaller, handheld personal locator beacons called PLBs. Alaska had the most people rescued last year with 77, followed by Florida with 37, and West Virginia with 17, who were aboard a downed Army Reserve helicopter. “With each rescue, the COSPAS-SARSAT system performs the way it was intended — as a real, life-saving network,” said Chris O’Connors, program manager for NOAA SARSAT. When a NOAA satellite finds the location of a distress signal within the United States or its surrounding waters, the information is relayed to the SARSAT Mission Control Center based at NOAA’s Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Md. From there, the information is quickly sent to a Rescue Coordination Center, operated by either the U.S. Air Force, for land rescues, or the U.S. Coast Guard, for water rescues. Now in its 29th year, COSPAS-SARSAT has been credited with supporting more than 28,000 rescues worldwide, including more than 6,500 in the United States and its surrounding waters. SARSAT System overview. SARSAT System Overview. High resolution (Credit: NOAA) 2010 SARSAT Rescue Highlights * Of the 295 saves last year, 180 people were rescued from the water, 43 from aviation incidents, and 72 in land situations where they used their PLBs. * In a joint U.S. Coast Guard-Navy operation, a man was rescued from his capsized boat, 250 miles off of Cape Hatteras, N.C. * A man's car veered off a snowy Colorado road in a blizzard and became stuck. With no cell phone signal, his PLB was the only way to contact authorities for help. * Two people with a seven-member dog team were aboard a helicopter that crashed in Alaska. All lives were saved. * Although not included in the 295 count, Abby Sunderland, a California teen attempting to set a new record for youngest solo sail around the world, was rescued when she activated her emergency beacons. A storm took her mast — which also left her satellite phone inoperable — and left her boat adrift in the southern Indian Ocean over 2,000 miles from shore. Hers is among the non-U.S. rescues in 2010; those numbers will officially be released later this year. By law, owners of emergency beacons are required to register them with NOAA at: http://www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov. That registration information often helps provide better or faster assistance to people in distress. It may also provide information about the location of the emergency situation, how many people need assistance, what type of help may be needed and other ways to contact the owner. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us on Facebook. Sat, 22 Jan 2011 08:01:33 EST