May 2009 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 11.
Commercial Fishing News
MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS
ing coordinated communication that travels Collaborate to Learn More about Reinvestment Act (ARRA) appropriation. fish sectors operating in New England and 17
through the shoals much faster than an indi- Monkfish The goal of the ARRA is to create jobs, more proposed that could encompass the
vidual fish can swim. The shoals sometimes NOAA scientists and fishermen are strengthen the economy, and restore our majority of groundfish boats in the North-
covered 25 miles until the herring dispersed working together aboard commercial fishing environment. NOAA’s investments under east.
as the sun came up.” vessels to gain information about the the ARRA include facility construction, NOAA’s long-term goals for the fishery
During the field experiment, researchers monkfish population in Northeast U.S. wa- funding for the NOAA Pacific Islands Re- include establishing fishing capacity at a
using the OAWRS system directed the ters, part of an ongoing collaboration be- gional Center in Honolulu, a new fisheries level consistent with both conservation ob-
NOAA ship Delaware II, based at the tween the Northeast Fisheries Science Cen- laboratory in La Jolla, CA, smaller projects for jectives and a profitable industry.
NEFSC’s Woods Hole lab, and the Univer- ter (NEFSC) of NOAA’s Fisheries Service the National Weather Service field offices in Nominations Sought for Marine Fisheries
sity of Delaware’s Hugh Sharp to monitor and the monkfish industry under the center’s Fairbanks, Alaska, and a new fisheries re- Advisory Committee
suspected fish shoals. The two ships, oper- Cooperative Research Program. search vessel. Funding will also be available Nominations are being sought for ap-
ating conventional fish-finding sonars and John Hoey, who directs the program, to strengthen NOAA’s supercomputing ca- pointment by the Secretary of Commerce to
towing pelagic nets, surveyed these shoals and NEFSC colleagues Rob Johnston and pability and climate data record development serve on the Marine Fisheries Advisory
to confirm that these were composed of At- Anne Richards have worked with the - critical to improving climate modeling and Committee (MAFAC) beginning in October
lantic herring. The OAWRS system used a monkfish industry for the past several years continuing research into ways to mitigate 2009. MAFAC is the Federal advisory com-
moored acoustic source, deployed from the to develop the 2009 survey, which is funded climate change and habitat restoration. mittee with the responsibility to advise the
University of Rhode Island vessel Endeavor, with approximately $1 million from NOAA. NOAA Commits $16 Million to Assist the Secretary on all matters concerning living
which takes advantage of oceanographic Cooperative monkfish surveys were also Northeast Fishing Industry To Ease marine resources that are the responsibility
features to transmit sound long distances done in 2001 and 2004. Transition to New Management of of the Department of Commerce. The Commit-
using much lower levels than conventional “The monkfish industry wanted to do Groundfish tee makes recommendations to the Secretary
fish sonars, and a receiver towed by the another survey as part of ongoing efforts to The National Oceanic and Atmospheric to assist in the development and implementa-
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution ves- improve stock assessments, and to compare Administration (NOAA) announced it will tion of Departmental policies and programs
sel Oceanus. results from these industry-based surveys allocate $16 million of its current fiscal year critical to the mission and goals of NOAA.
Atlantic herring migrate from summer with those from the new NEFSC survey ves- 2009 budget to assist the Northeast fishing Qualified nominees are sought to fill upcom-
feeding grounds in the Gulf of Maine to sel Henry B. Bigelow,” Hoey said. “We have industry with the transition to management ing vacancies being created by the expiration
Georges Bank for spawning in September and worked closely with the fishermen from the of the fishery by sectors and catch shares. On of existing appointments this October,
October. The study found that once the fish beginning, and mid-way through the sam- Monday, NOAA announced the interim thereby bringing the Committee to its full
banded together in vast shoals, they mi- pling cruises things are going very well.” rules to reduce overfishing and rebuild complement of 21 members. A MAFAC mem-
grated toward spawning grounds on the The 2009 surveys began in February and Northeast Groundfish stocks. ber cannot be a Federal employee or a member
northern flank of Georges Bank, crossing will be completed by the end of April, weather “We worked hard to find ways to pro- of a Regional Fishery Management Council.
bathymetric contours onto the bank to permitting. The sampling efforts will provide vide quick and meaningful help to the fishing Nominations must be postmarked on or
spawn. information about the size, age and sex com- industry through increased cooperative re- before June 5, 2009. For additional informa-
Using traditional optical, acoustic and position of monkfish, officially known as search and assistance in setting up the infra- tion regarding nomination requirements,
tagging methods, researchers can only goosefish (Lophius americanus), as well as structure for the new management system please read the Federal Register notice.
sample a small fraction of a shoal during an their geographic distribution. based on sectors and catch shares,” Under
entire survey and cannot distinguish Two fishing vessels, the 100-foot Mary Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and At- 2009 Sector Plans Implemented for Georges
changes over time and space simulta- K and the 119-foot Endurance, both based in mosphere and NOAA Administrator Jane Bank Cod Hook Sector and Fixed Gear Sector
neously. However, recent developments in New Bedford, Mass., are sampling at more Lubchenco said. “NOAA is committed to New final rules implement the Georges
OAWRS have enabled scientists to study than 200 locations in U.S. waters, from Cape working with fishing communities to find Bank Cod Hook Sector and Georges Bank
group dynamics of shoaling fish using sound Hatteras to the Gulf of Maine. Five fisheries long-term solutions that create sustainable Cod Fixed Gear Sector Operations Plans and
on continental-shelf scales by instant imag- scientists are aboard each vessel working and profitable fisheries.” Agreements for the 2009 fishing year, as
ing and continuous monitoring over tens of with the vessel’s crew. Endurance is working Of the $16 million, $6 million is allotted for approved by NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast
thousands of square miles. in the Gulf of Maine and the northern Georges cooperative research, enhancing existing re- Regional Administrator. The rules also allo-
The authors believe the biological rea- Bank region, and the Mary K is working in search projects in which fishermen and scien- cate a total allowable catch of 350.1 mt of
son the Atlantic herring form dense clusters southern Georges Bank, southern New En- tists work together to improve surveys of fish Georges Bank cod to the Hook Sector and
at night and in deeper water may be that it is gland and the Mid-Atlantic region as far stocks, as well as develop and test fishing 503.8 mt to the Fixed Gear Sector. A total of 24
advantageous for group spawning, when south as Cape Hatteras, N.C. gear that targets healthy stocks. Hook Sector members signed the 2009 Hook
each female must produce many eggs within The F/V Mary K was also involved in the Ten million will be used to develop data Sector Contract, while 23 Fixed Gear Sector
an hour or so. The behavior may also help the 2001 and 2004 surveys. The F/V Drake from reporting and fishery monitoring systems to members signed the 2009 Fixed Gear Sector
herring avoid predators like pilot whales, Portland, Maine, also participated in 2001. better monitor fishing efforts, document Contract.
porpoises, tunas and other marine life that Scientists are tagging fish for recapture catches, and track fishing permit transfers – As in 2008, the total allowable catch is
seek prey in shallower spawning grounds at studies, and will conduct studies of monkfish all measures that will allow near real-time and based upon the Sector members’ qualifying
night. reproductive biology, genetics, diet, and transparent management of the fishery. historical landings of Georges Bank cod.
The researchers found that certain envi- their distribution with respect to water tem- “The resources announced today will Once the total allowable catch has been
ronmental and biological conditions have to perature. Estimates of monkfish population help the region transition to a better future, a taken, the Sector’s vessels may not fish un-
be in place for shoal formation to occur. A few size will be made from data collected in the future characterized by healthy fisheries and der Northeast multispecies days-at-sea, pos-
leaders must emerge from their hiding places diverse geographic areas sampled in U.S. healthy oceans,” Northeast Regional Ad- sess or land Georges Bank cod or other regu-
on the bottom, perhaps triggered by declin- waters ranging in depths from 15 to 250 fath- ministrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service lated species managed under the Fishery
ing light levels. Then there must be enough oms (90 to 1,500 feet). Patricia Kurkul said. Management Plan, or use gear capable of
individuals that join the leaders to reach a Johnston, chief survey scientist in Co- In addition, the Economic Development catching groundfish (unless fishing under
critical mass, which then forms into a highly operative Research, says the scientists and Administration (EDA), another agency charter/party or recreational regulations). If
organized structure about hour before sun- fishermen are also conducting experimental within the Commerce Department, adminis- the total allowable catch is exceeded, the
set. These dense layers form at a few loca- work to estimate the efficiency of each net ters other grant and assistance programs that Sector’s allocation in the following year will
tions in a matter a minutes. used in the survey, and compare the catch are available to the communities and workers be reduced by an amount equivalent to the
The authors note that “the rapidity, rates in commercial monkfish nets with those impacted by the economic downturn. NOAA overharvest.
synchronicity and regularity with which used in NEFSC standardized bottom trawls, will work with EDA to disseminate informa- Regulatory Exemption Proposed for
these vast oceanic fish shoals form provide which collect samples of many species for tion about these programs to the impacted Scallop Fishery in Maine Waters
ecosystem-scale evidence for the extreme stock assessments required under federal communities. EDA provides planning, tech- NOAA Fisheries has proposed an ex-
biological pressures on individuals of some fishery management laws. nical assistance and implementation grants emption from the minimum twine-top mesh
species to conform to large social groups.” “This survey allows us not only to de- to distressed communities. size for vessels issued Federal scallop per-
“In this case the group has an advantage velop another estimate of monkfish biomass, Lubchenco unveiled the $16 million mits and fishing exclusively in State of Maine
over an individual in terms of spawning, the total weight of the monkfish population, package today as she addressed the New waters. In addition, this proposed rule would
avoiding predators and feeding, yet just a few but will improve our estimates of vital charac- England Fishery Management Council at provide an exemption from scallop days-at-
leaders can have a significant influence on a teristics such as age, growth and maturity,” their April meeting in Mystic, Connecticut. sea for limited access days-at-sea scallop
very large group,” Jech said. “This study said Richards, the primary assessment scien- The New England Fishery Management vessels, provided the vessel owner declares
provided evidence that what has been theo- tist for monkfish. Council and NOAA are working together to that the vessel will fish exclusively in Maine
rized and studied in the lab in terms of group Hoey says that despite the tough winter develop new groundfish management mea- state waters. Scallop fishery regulations
behavior actually happens in the wild. That weather, the Mary K and Endurance have sures that will include an expanded number of specify that a state may be eligible for a state
knowledge may help us in conservation and been operating on schedule and according to fishing sectors— a group of vessel permit waters exemption if it has a scallop fishery
management of the herring fishery.” plan, but with some unexpected events the holders who voluntarily agree to fishing re- and a scallop conservation program that
Scientists from the Massachusetts In- past few weeks. strictions and procedures in exchange for a does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing
stitute of Technology, Northeastern Univer- NOAA’s Proposed Recovery Plan to Help share of the total catch allocated to the indus- mortality/effort limit objectives of the Atlan-
sity, the Institute of Marine Research in Create Jobs, Improve Coastal Communi- try. tic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan.
Bergen, Norway, and the Southeast Fisheries ties and Protect Habitat This system based on catch shares will Comments may be sent to
Science Center of NOAA’s Fisheries Service NOAA has submitted to Congress a replace the current method of limiting fishing www.regulations.gov until 5pm, local time,
were also involved in the study. proposed spending plan for the $830 million through days at sea for those vessels that on May 14, 2009.
Commercial Fishermen, Scientists received under the American Recovery and join a sector. There are already two ground-
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