Page 12. MAINE COASTAL NEWS July 2011


Commercial Fishing News International Conservation and Manage-


ment Measures Recognized by the United States


A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 05/19/ 2011


Summary


The High Sea Fishing Compliance Act (HSFCA) requires the Secretary of Com- merce, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to publish from time to time in the Federal Register a list of international conser- vation and management measures recog- nized by the United States. To fulfill this requirement, a list of agreements resulting in


DURHAM, NH - University of New Hampshire fisheries researchers Jamie Cournane and Christopher Glass have received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation under its Fisheries Innovation Fund to develop a state-of-the- art fisheries stock assessment model and conduct workshops with fishermen to help restore the depleted East Coast population of river herring.


River herring were designated a “Species of Concern” by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2006 due to worries about their stock status, which is presently unknown.


River herring, which collectively include alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), live in salt water as adults but annually journey up rivers in “runs” to spawn in freshwater. Many river herring runs have declined along the East Coast to a degree such that a collapse of the coast-wide stock is feared to be underway.


Underlying the concern over the status of the population is the fact that river herring are an important forage species for such large predatory fish like cod, haddock, and tuna, and protected species of whales, seals, and seabirds. It has been speculated that replenishing the population of river herring would in turn help bring back populations of iconic Northeast fish like Atlantic cod. Leading a team of biologists and social scientists, Cournane, a researcher at the Ocean Process Analysis Laboratory within the UNH Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, will use long-term, historical fisheries catch data in the mathematical model she develops to “hindcast” or estimate the size of river herring populations that would have supported these historical catches. Funded by this $142,000 grant, the team’s work will complement ongoing efforts by the Atlantic States Marine


MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS


international conservation and management measures was first published in the Federal Register in 1996. This notice provides an updated list of such agreements. The HSFCA and its implementing regulations prohibit the use of a fishing vessel on the high seas in contravention of international conservation and management measures, as well as specify the permitting and vessel identification re- quirements for fishing vessels of the United States operating on the high seas. For further information contact: MiAe Kim, Trade and Marine Stewardship Division, Office of Inter- national Affairs, NMFS (301) 713-9090.


Restoring River Herring


Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which is conducting a stock assessment in a river-by- river investigation of the status of river herring. What will remain incomplete is an overall estimate of the population size of the coast-wide river herring stock.


Since the 1950s, landings of river herring by commercial fishing have continued to decline substantially along the East Coast despite improvements to water quality, restoration of fish passageways, and state-specific landings moratoriums. Landings in 1957 were approximately 70 million pounds, falling to 13.7 million pounds in 1985 and to under one million pounds in 2007.


In addition, river herring bycatch is known to occur in many oceanic fisheries. Both the New England Fishery Management Council and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council are exploring options to address river herring bycatch in the Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel fisheries, respectively, but presently it remains unmitigated.


Cournane notes that beginning in 2012 a moratorium on landing river herring will be put in place by the ASMFC in most state waters in an effort to restore the population. With the moratorium in place, Cournane’s team will hold workshops with fishermen along the East Coast to get the perspectives of past and current participants in the river herring fishery, and assess and incorporate their goals for the future of the fishery. Currently lacking is a comprehensive, flexible fishery management strategy that provides conservation benefits for the fish throughout their range and that can meet multiple goals. The UNH work will eventually be applied to a conceptual model for a river herring “catch share” management strategy.


The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university.


Commerce Secretary Gary Locke orders fishery enforcement penalties returned to 11 fishermen and businesses; accepts all of the Special Master’s recommendations in his authority


Announces additional reforms to NOAA enforcement program May 17, 2011


U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced today that $649,527 in fisheries enforcement penalties will be returned to 11 individuals or businesses after an indepen- dent review of their cases concluded the NOAA enforcement program had in some instances “overstepped the bounds of pro- priety and fairness.” In his decision memo issued today, Secretary Locke acted on 30 cases reviewed by the Special Master, Judge Charles Swartwood III, accepting all of his recommendations that the law allows and taking additional actions in several cases. Secretary Locke appointed Judge Swartwood to conduct the independent re- view of cases identified by the Department of Commerce’s Inspector General as problem- atic. The individuals and businesses will re- ceive their remittances within 30 days of receipt of payment information.


Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council submits several amendments implementing annual catch limits and accountability measures for review, seeks public comment through July 22 The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has submitted an omnibus amend- ment containing the following amendments to implement annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) for Council managed resources: Amendment 13 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squids, and Butterfish FMP; Amendment 3 to the Atlantic Bluefish FMP; Amendment 2 to the Spiny Dogfish FMP; Amendment 15 to the Summer Floun- der, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP; Amend- ment 16 to the Surfclam and Ocean Quahog FMP, and Amendment 3 to the Tilefish FMP. These amendments have been submitted for review by the Secretary of Commerce for conformance with the FMPs, FMP amend- ments, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable laws. In turn, as part of the Secretarial review process, NOAA Fisheries is requesting comments on the Omnibus Amendment from the public. Comments are due July 22.


NOAA Fisheries encourages fishermen to release shortfin mako sharks alive Online map will show locations of live releases


May 25, 2011


NOAA’s Fisheries Service launched a voluntary program to encourage commercial and recreational fishermen to safely release


Atlantic shortfin mako sharks alive and re- port the releases to NOAA for posting on an online map.


The new program is designed to encour- age the conservation of North Atlantic shortfin mako sharks. Scientific research shows many of these sharks are being caught and kept, damaging the long-term sustainability of the population. The most recent assessment of North Atlantic shorfin makos found that the population had de- clined about 50 percent from the 1950s. “We are working with the fishing com- munity to encourage fishermen to voluntarily release these sharks alive to help sustain the shortfin mako population,” said Eric Schwaab, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “By releasing sharks that are unintentionally caught or caught for sport, U.S. fishermen will be lead- ers in encouraging fishermen from other na- tions to conserve this shark species.” Shortfin mako sharks, like other shark species, grow slowly, mature late, and pro- duce few young, making them vulnerable to fishing. The average female shortfin mako shark becomes sexually mature at 18, while males are mature at 8. This highly migratory species is managed by the International Com- mission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, to which the U.S. is a member. The U.S. has been a leader in urging the international commission to adopt conservation measures to help rebuild the species.


Shortfin makos are often caught unin- tentionally by commercial fishermen who are targeting swordfish and tuna with longline gear. They are also caught by recreational fishermen and are a popular catch in shark tournaments. An increasing number of these tournaments encourage the live release of sharks to promote conservation. It is legal for commercial and recreational fishermen to re- tain the sharks. However, recreationally caught sharks must not be smaller than 54 inches from the tip of the shark’s nose to the fork of its tail. While some fishermen continue to retain shortfin makos for food, fins, and jaws, NOAA’s Fisheries Service encourages fishermen to consider the effect on the stock in the long-term and choose to release them. NOAA encourages fishermen to learn how to safely release sharks so that they are not injured and the sharks are released in good condition. Fishermen may obtain a bro- chure at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/ hms/Compliance_Guide/index.htm on the safe release of sharks and other highly migra- tory species.


NOAA Proposes Protective Regulations for Gulf of Maine Atlantic Sturgeon NOAA’s Fisheries Service has pro- posed protective regulations on taking Gulf of Maine Atlantic sturgeon, a population


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