Possum

EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOAA Fisheries Actions

Calendar



WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

National - Seven Stocks Removed from Overfishing Lists, None Added

On June 30, 2008, NOAA announced that seven stocks have been removed from overfishing lists and no new stocks added in their annual report to Congress on the status of fishing stocks. The report tracks both population levels and harvest rates for species caught in federal waters between three and 200 miles off U.S. coasts. This year’s report indicates that seven stocks have been removed from the overfishing list, four stocks have increased population levels and are no longer overfished, and three stocks are now listed as fully “rebuilt.” The annual status of U.S. fisheries report is developed using the best available scientific information available and the status determination criteria specified in fishery management plans.

NOAA Fisheries Service and the eight regional fishery management councils took significant steps toward ending “overfishing” —when too many fish in a species are caught in a year —and rebuilding stocks in 2007.

NOAA recently proposed a system of catch limits and targets for each stock to prevent overfishing. These annual catch limits are the amount of fish allowed to be caught in a year, and are required by a 2007 amendment to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Additionally, the act calls for measures to ensure these limits are followed and do not exceed the scientific recommendations made by the regional fishery management councils’ scientific committees.

The proposed guidelines may be viewed online. Public comments on the proposed revisions will be accepted through September 8, 2008. For a fact sheet of the 2007 status of U.S. fisheries report’s findings, click here.

National - Commerce Announces 2008 Ocean Fishery Council Appointments

The Department of Commerce on June 27, 2008, announced the appointment of 21 members to the eight regional fishery management councils. The councils, established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, prepare fishery management plans for marine fish stocks in their respective geographical areas of responsibility. NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service reviews, approves and implements the management plans on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce.

Council members represent diverse interests, including commercial and recreational fisheries, as well as environmental, academic and other perspectives from each geographic area. The Secretary of Commerce appoints a total of 72 obligatory and at-large members to the eight regional councils. Council members serve three-year terms, and may be reappointed to serve up to three consecutive terms. Approximately one-third of the terms expire annually.

Each year on behalf of the Secretary, the Assistant Administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service solicits nominations from the governors of fishing states, and oversees the annual appointment process. The Secretary selects council members from the list of nominees provided by the governors to fill obligatory and at-large seats that have become available due to an expiring term, a resignation or other reasons. Obligatory seats are state-specific, while at-large seats can be filled by a person from any of the states in the region.

National - Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee Meeting

The Department of Commerce Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) met July 1-3, 2008 in New York, NY. Topics of the meeting included aquaculture, ecolabeling, seafood certification, and recreational Fisheries data improvements. MAFAC was established by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) on February 17, 1971, to advise the Secretary on all living marine resource matters that are the responsibility of the Department of Commerce. This 21 member committee appointed by the Secretary reports the broad range of interests associated with living marine resources and advises and reviews the adequacy of living marine resource policies and programs to meet the needs of commercial and recreational Fisheries, and environmental, State, consumer, academic, tribal, governmental and other national interests.

For additional information please contact Mark Holliday, telephone: (301) 713-2239 x120.

Atlantic - Protecting Marine Mammals from Pelagic Longlines

NOAA Fisheries Service has announced its initial determination that the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery has a high level of mortality and serious injury across a number of marine mammal stocks, and proposes regulations to implement the Atlantic Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Plan to reduce serious injuries and mortalities of pilot whales and Risso's dolphins in the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery. The Plan is necessary because current serious injury and mortality rates of pilot whales and Risso's dolphins incidental to the Atlantic pelagic longline component of a Category I fishery are above insignificant levels approaching a zero mortality and serious injury rate (zero mortality rate goal), and therefore, inconsistent with the long-term goal of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). NOAA Fisheries Service intends to meet requirements of the MMPA through regulatory and non-regulatory measures, including a special research area, gear modifications, outreach material, observer coverage, and captains' communications.

Written comments on the proposed rule must be received no later than 5 p.m. eastern time on September 22, 2008 and may be submitted, identified by the Regulatory Information Number (RIN) 0648-AV65 via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov, by fax to (727) 824-5309, or by mail to the Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources, NOAA Fisheries Service, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. For additional information, please contact Laura Engleby or Jennifer Lee, NOAA Fisheries Service Southeast Region, telephone: (727) 824-5312.

Atlantic - New Atlantic Shark Plan Addresses Overfishing

NOAA Fisheries Service has announced new management measures designed to rebuild overfished species and prevent overfishing of Atlantic sharks. These measures include: reductions in commercial fishing quotas, a requirement that commercial vessels maintain all fins on shark carcasses through offloading and the establishment of additional time/area closures for bottom longline Fisheries. The rule also makes changes to the authorized shark species for recreational fisheries. The new rule will affect all commercial and recreational shark fishermen and shark dealers on the Atlantic Coast. The new rule will be effective on July 24, 2008. Copies of the new Plan, called “Final Amendment 2 to the Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan” are available online.

For additional information, please contact Michael Clark, Karyl Brewster-Geisz, or LeAnn Southward Hogan at (301) 713-2347 or by fax at (301) 713-1917; or Jackie Wilson at (240) 338-3936.

Alaska – NOAA Fisheries Service Announces Seafood Donation Program

NOAA Fisheries Service announced the renewal of permits to SeaShare (formerly Northwest Food Strategies) authorizing this organization to distribute Pacific salmon and Pacific halibut to economically disadvantaged individuals under the prohibited species donation (PSD) program. Salmon and halibut are caught incidentally during directed fishing for groundfish with trawl gear off Alaska. This action is necessary to comply with provisions of the PSD program and is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Copies of the PSD permits for salmon and halibut may be obtained online.

For additional information, please contact Becky Carls, telephone (907) 586-7228.

Caribbean - NOAA Confirms Caribbean Monk Seal Extinct

After a five year review, NOAA Fisheries Service has determined that the Caribbean monk seal, which has not been seen for more than 50 years, has gone extinct—the first type of seal to go extinct from human causes. Monk seals were easy targets for hunters while resting, birthing, or nursing their pups on the beach. Overhunting by humans led to the demise of these seals, according to NOAA biologists. The last confirmed sighting of the seal was in 1952 in the Caribbean Sea at Seranilla Bank, between Jamaica and the Yucatán Peninsula. This was the only subtropical seal native to the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

Caribbean monk seals were listed as endangered on March 11, 1967, under the Endangered Species Preservation Act, and re-listed under the Endangered Species Act on April 10, 1979. Since then, several efforts have been made to investigate unconfirmed reports of the species in or near the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, southern Bahamas, and Greater Antilles. These expeditions only confirmed sightings of other seal types, such as stray Arctic seals.

Five-year status reviews are a requirement of the Endangered Species Act to ensure that the status of a species listed as threatened or endangered remains accurate and has not changed, for better or worse. The most recent review began in 2003.

For additional information please contact Kim Amendola, telephone (727) 551-5707.

West Coast - Domoic Acid From Toxic Algal Blooms May Cause Seizures in California Sea Lions

Scientists, reporting in the current issue of the online journal Marine Drugs , state that an increase of epileptic seizures and behavioral abnormalities in California sea lions can result from low-dose exposure to domoic acid as a fetus. The findings follow an analysis earlier this year led by Frances Gulland of the California Marine Mammal Center that showed this brain disturbance to be a newly recognized chronic disease.

John Ramsdell of NOAA's Center for Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research in Charleston, SC, in partnership with Tanja Zabka, a veterinary pathologist at the Marine Mammal Center, conducted the first-of-its kind analysis of poisoning by the algal toxin, domoic acid, during fetal brain development. The results, analyzed across multiple animal species, point to the toxin as a cause for behavioral changes and epilepsy that does not become evident until later in life. Domoic acid is produced by harmful algal blooms. The algae is consumed by fish such as sardines, herring and anchovies, a significant part of the sea lion diet. Exposure during pregnancy concentrates the domoic acid toxin in the mother's amniotic fluid, which normally protects and aids in the growth of a fetus. In sea lions exposed to domoic acid, the fluid retains the toxin, thus subjecting the fetus to repeated direct absorption through immature skin cells and swallowing during gestation. The results, demonstrated experimentally in laboratory animals and projected to occur in fetal sea lions, is abnormal development of brain neurons which does not impact the animal until it enters later life stages. This phenomenon, known as "fetal basis to adult disease," is expressed through seizures and abnormal behavioral changes.

For additional information please contact Ben Sherman, telephone (301) 713-3066.

EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

New England Fishery Management Council Scallop Committee Meeting July 8, 2008

The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled a public meeting of its Scallop Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone. This meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 8, 2008, at 9:30 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, One Thurber Street, Warwick, RI 02886 . The committee will review public scoping comments on Amendment 15 and begin development of alternatives. The scoping issues included: implementation of annual catch limits (ACLs); measures to rationalize the limited access scallop fishery; revision of the overfishing definition; modifications to specific aspects of the general category limited entry program implemented by Amendment 11; measures to address essential fish habitat (EFH) closed areas in the Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP) if the EFH Omnibus Amendment is delayed; alternatives to improve the research set-aside program and modifying the start date of the scallop fishing year. Other issues may also be discussed based on input from scoping. The committee will also review the Section 7 Endangered Species Act Consultation for the Scallop FMP (Biological Opinion) and discuss potential management implications. The committee may discuss other topics at their discretion.

For additional information, please contact Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Allocation Committee Meeting July 8-9, 2008

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a meeting of its Allocation Committee on July 8-9, 2008 at Southern Wesleyan University, Classroom 6, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 301, North Charleston, SC 29406 . The Committee will identify allocation alternatives for species addressed in Amendment 17 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan, currently under development by the Council. Amendment 17 establishes Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures for 10 species in the snapper grouper management unit currently undergoing overfishing. The allocation alternatives will be presented to the Council's Snapper Grouper Committee for consideration during the Council meeting week, September 15-19, 2008, in Charleston, SC.

For additional information please contact Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, telephone(843) 571-4366 or toll free (866) SAFMC-10.

Western Pacific Fishery Management Council Marina Archipelago Meeting July 8-10, 2008

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of the Mariana Archipelago Plan Team in Mangilao, Guam Tuesday July 8, 2008 through Thursday July 10, 2008. The meeting of the Mariana Archipelago Plan Team will be held at the Guam Department of Agriculture Conference Room, 192 Dairy Road, Mangilao, Guam 96923. Items of discussion include the Bottomfish Annual Report, the Coral Reef Ecosystem Annual Report and an update on Coral Reef Fishing Local Action Strategy.
For additional information, please contact Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director; telephone: (808) 522-8220.

New England Fishery Management Council Scientific and Statistical Committee Meeting July 10, 2008

The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled a public meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee on July 10, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 350 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101 . In addition to electing a Chairman and Vice Chairman, the Committee will: (1) review and develop comments on the NOAA Fisheries Service proposed rule that addresses requirements for annual catch limits and accountability measures; (2) as part of Amendment 16 to the Council's Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan, review a proposed process for setting northeast multispecies overfishing levels, acceptable biological catch and annual catch limits; (3) review Groundfish Plan Development Team guidance for evaluating uncertainty when setting annual catch limits, and; 4) review analytic techniques for estimating the economic impacts of groundfish management actions.

For additional information, please contact Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

New England Fishery Management Council Habitat/Marine Protected Areas/Ecosystem Committee Meeting July 10, 2008

The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled a public meeting of its Habitat/MPA/Ecosystem Committee on Thursday, July 10, 2008, at 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn, 30 Hampshire Street, Mansfield, MA 02048 . The Committee will review the Vulnerability Assessment being developed by the Habitat Plan Development Team to assist the Council in determining appropriate measures (if any) for minimizing the adverse impacts of fishing on essential fish habitat to the extent practicable in the Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2.

For additional information, please contact Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465-0492.

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Individual Fishing Quota Panel Conference Call July 16, 2008

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene its Ad Hoc Grouper Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Advisory conference call on July 16, 2008, from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. EDT. Listening stations will be available at the Gulf Council office and the NOAA Fisheries Service offices . The conference call has been set up to discuss the public hearing draft for Amendment 29 to the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan. Reef Fish Amendment 29 proposes to rationalize effort and reduce overcapacity in the commercial grouper and tilefish fisheries in order to achieve and maintain optimum yield (OY). Effort management approaches considered in this amendment include permit endorsements and the implementation of an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program.

For additional information, please contact Assane Diagne, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, telephone: (813) 348-1630

FEDERAL REGISTER ACTIONS

For a list of only those actions open for public comment, try going to http://www.regulations.gov and scroll search for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

For a list of all daily actions, check the Federal register online at: Federal Register: Main Page.



For more information, contact Editor.Fishnews@noaa.gov . To subscribe, unsubscribe, or search the FishNews archives using a keyword, go to http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov and click on the FishNews icon.

__________________