March 2011 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 13. Commercial Fishing News MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS


kets, and spur new innovations in technol- ogy to support the industry.”


Aquaculture is playing a significant and growing role in global food production. Al- ready, nearly half the fish consumed by people is produced by aquaculture, and a significant portion of future increases in the global seafood supply will come from aquac- ulture. In the U.S., some 84 percent of the seafood Americans eat is imported, and about half of those imports are aquaculture products. The domestic aquaculture indus- try supplies only about 5 percent of the seafood Americans consume.


Once in place, the aquaculture policies will benefit the industry by outlining how NOAA plans to fund research into innova- tive aquaculture technologies, work with partners to create job initiatives that encour- age the growth of the industry, and grant access to favorable sites for aquaculture fa- cilities.


In the last decade, American expertise and innovation played a significant role in the development of aquaculture in foreign coun- tries. Once they are final, the Commerce and NOAA policies will promote a sustainable industry in the U.S., encouraging Americans to apply their ingenuity at home. “If done wisely, aquaculture can complement wild fisheries while contributing to healthy oceans and coastal economies,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “As we rebuild wild fish populations, we recognize the world’s demand for safe, healthy seafood will con- tinue to grow. Sustainable aquaculture in- creases our country’s food security.” The draft Commerce Department policy supports the development of sustainable aquaculture within the context of the key Commerce goals of encouraging economic growth and employment opportunities in the United States.


The draft NOAA policy provides guid- ance for NOAA’s actions regarding the de- velopment of all forms of marine aquaculture, from shellfish farming and habitat restoration to the culture of marine fish and algae on land and offshore. The policy provides a national approach for supporting sustainable com- mercial production, expanding restoration


aquaculture, and researching and develop- ing new technologies, and is part of NOAA’s national approach to sustainable seafood, which encompasses both aquaculture and capture fisheries.


The Commerce and NOAA draft policies echo several priorities of President Obama’s National Ocean Policy, including the empha- sis on protecting, maintaining and restoring healthy and diverse ecosystems; supporting sustainable uses of the ocean; and increas- ing scientific understanding and applying that knowledge to make better decisions. Commerce and NOAA are accepting comments on the draft policies through April 11. Directions for submitting comments online are at http://aquaculture.noaa.gov. Comments also may be submitted: By fax to 301-713-9108 (Attn: Susan


Bunsick)


By mail to: NOAA Aquaculture Program Attn: Public Comment 1315 East West Highway SSMC3, Mail Code: F 13th Floor, Room 13152 Silver Spring, MD 20910


After the submitted comments have been reviewed, Commerce and NOAA will issue final national aquaculture policies.


NOAA Releases 2010 Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program Report to Congress NOAA Fisheries Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program (BREP) has released its 2010 Report to Congress, which details projects funded through the BREP during FY2010. The report describes the significant progress made in 2010 to develop technologi- cal devices and other conservation engineer- ing designed to minimize bycatch, seabird interactions, bycatch mortality, and post- release mortality in federally managed fisher- ies. The BREP funded projects in 2010 to reduce bycatch in Gulf of Mexico shrimp and longline fisheries, Atlantic gillnet and trawl fisheries, Alaska and Northwest trawl fisher- ies, California recreational fisheries, and Ha- waii-based fisheries longline fisheries, as well as to enhance documentation and moni- toring of seabird bycatch around the coun- try. The results of these projects will help NOAA Fisheries meet its obligations under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, Endangered


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Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the U.S. National Plan of Action for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries. In addition, 2010 BREP collaborative research, including invest- ments in underwater video camera systems that will be loaned to the fishing industry, strengthens relations between NOAA Fish- eries and the fishing industry by supporting the creation of additional fishing opportuni- ties through more-selective fishing gear. The 2010 BREP Report to Congress is available on the NOAA Fisheries bycatch website.


First Federal Fishery Management Sites Join the National System of Marine Protected Areas


Four existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) - Lydonia, Norfolk, Oceanographer, and Veatch canyons, which are gear re- stricted areas established under the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan - are now part of


the National System of MPAs. These four existing MPAs were nominated by NOAA Fisheries in conjunction with the Mid-Atlan- tic Fishery Management Council. Under the revised Tilefish Fishery Management Plan, these areas are closed to bottom trawling gear to protect clay outcroppings, which can pro- vide shelter to tilefish. The membership of these four canyon areas in the National Sys- tem does not add to or take away from the regulations under the Tilefish Fishery Man- agement Plan but provides additional oppor- tunities for partnerships with other federal and state marine protected areas to advance common conservation objectives. These are the first Federal fishery management sites to be listed in the National System of MPAs.


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