Page 12. MAINE COASTAL NEWS September 2012


A Revolutionary New Marine Habitat Classifi cation System


Commercial Fishing News MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS


NOAA is proud to announce a new standard language for characterizing hab- itats that has the potential to revolutionize how scientists study and manage our coasts, oceans, and Great Lakes. NOAA teamed with federal and non-federal partners to develop the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classifi cation Standard—a type of dictio- nary of marine habitat terminology—for use in planning, monitoring, and managing our natural resources.


Whether we’re working to protect coral reefs, researching how marine life uses its environment, or restoring coastal areas, we need to know that we, and our fellow habitat scientists, are speaking the same language. With adoption of the new classifi cation standard, we can be assured that local, state, federal, and international entities can make apples-to-apples comparisons among data collected from different sources, locations, and tools.


The Federal Geographic Data Commit- tee recently endorsed this standard—a sort of “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval,” as data standards goes. It is the fi rst such national standard endorsed for coastal and marine ecosystems.


As a “dynamic standard,” this classifi - cation system will continue to be updated and refi ned over time and as new informa- tion is collected.


The Coastal and Marine Ecological


Classifi cation Standard is the result of col- laboration between NOAA, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, University of Rhode Island, and NatureServe


A Closer Look at Shark Conservation Common Misconceptions About Shark Management and Conservation in U.S. Are there any shark protection mea-


sures in the United States? Yes. The United States has set in place some of the strongest shark management measures in the world. NOAA Fisheries manages commercial and recreational shark fi sheries and works with regional fi shery management councils and state marine commissions around the United States to conserve and sustainably manage


sharks. By conducting research, assessing stocks, working with U.S. fi shermen, and implementing restrictions when necessary, NOAA Fisheries successfully manages shark populations to maintain productive and sustainable fi sheries.


In addition, the United States is also a leader in promoting the adoption of conser- vation and management measures for sharks internationally. Are all shark species in the United States endangered or threatened with extinction? No. While some species of sharks are prohibited from commercial and/ or recreational harvest, there are currently no shark species listed under the U.S. En- dangered Species Act. For shark species whose stocks have been overfi shed, the United States has put in place science-based management measures to rebuild those stocks to sustainable levels. This means shark fi sheries in the United States are being sustainably managed and overfi shed stocks are recovering. Is shark fi nning legal in the United


States? No. In the United States, laws pro- hibit “shark fi nning,” a process where only the shark fi ns are harvested and the rest of the shark is discarded at sea. Except for one species (smoothhounds), the 2010 Shark Conservation Act requires that all sharks in the United States be brought to shore with their fi ns naturally attached.


This policy allows for full use of the resource to be sold for meat and fi ns, enables the collection of species-specifi c data need- ed for shark management and conservation, and enhances the ability to enforce existing shark regulations.


As one of the top predators of the oceans, sharks play an important role in the food web and help ensure balance in the ocean’s ecosystem. As demand and ex- ploitation rates for some shark species and shark products (i.e., fi ns) have increased, concern has steadily grown regarding the status of many shark stocks and the insus- tainability in global fi sheries. Relative to other marine fi sh, sharks are characterized by relatively slow growth, late sexual maturity, and a small number of young per brood. These biological factors leave many species of sharks vulnerable


to overfi shing. Fishermen catch sharks in directed fi sheries and also as bycatch in other non-directed fi sheries. Many shark species have been over-exploited because their fi ns are highly valued for shark fi n soup. Globally there is a general lack of data reporting on the catch of sharks, par- ticularly species-specifi c data. For these reasons, sharks present an array of issues and challenges for fi sheries conservation and management both domestically and internationally. Despite the challenges, NOAA Fisheries is committed to achieving sustainable management of sharks. Shark Management in the United States For nearly two decades the United States has been a leader in managing sustain- able shark fi sheries and currently has some of the strongest shark management mea- sures worldwide. NOAA Fisheries manages the commercial and recreational shark fi sh- eries in the Atlantic Ocean and works with three regional fi shery management councils to conserve and sustainably manage sharks in the Pacifi c Ocean. By conducting re- search, assessing stocks, working with U.S. fi shermen, and implementing restrictions when necessary, NOAA Fisheries success- fully manages shark populations to maintain productive and sustainable fi sheries. The good news is that this helps ensure


that shark fi sheries continue to be sustain- able in the future. There are currently no shark species listed under the Endangered Species Act, and for overfished shark species stocks, NOAA Fisheries applies management measures to rebuild the stock to a sustainable level. When we sustain- ably manage fi shermen can harvest sharks, providing benefi ts to both the U.S. fi shing industry and seafood consumers. Also, in the United States, laws prohibit


“shark fi nning,” a process where industry only harvests the valuable shark fi ns and discards the rest of the shark at sea. Except for smoothhounds, the 2010 Shark Con- servation Act requires that all sharks in the United States be brought to shore with their fi ns naturally attached, although individual states may have additional requirements for shark fi sheries in state waters. Commercial shark fi shermen can then sell both the meat and fi ns, which benefi ts their business and provides consumers with additional seafood alternatives.


Through these management measures,


NOAA Fisheries and the related fi shery management councils sustainably manage the shark population, which is good for fi shermen, seafood consumers, and sharks. The International Stage


The United States continues to be a leader in promoting the conservation and management of sharks globally. We work internationally within regional fisheries management organizations and other inter-


national bodies to promote the adoption of conservation and management measures for sharks. NOAA was instrumental in getting shark conservation and management measures approved at the international level, and we are working to promote our fi ns naturally attached policy overseas. We provide technical assistance to other coun- tries in support of their shark conservation efforts, including shark identifi cation and data collection workshops. We also collab- orate on research promoting science-based management measures and conservation of sharks in our global ocean.


LONGFIN SQUID FISHERY Trimester 3 Information


Details about Trimester 3 and ongoing NMFS actions


Please be aware that two pending ac- tions may have an effect on Trimester 3 of the 2012 longfi n squid fi shery. Trimester 3 of the longfi n squid fi shery was scheduled to open on September 1, 2012. As of August 6, 2012, 112 percent of the butterfi sh mortality cap in the longfi n squid fi shery has been harvested. Therefore, the longfi n squid fi shery will likely not open for directed fi shing in Trimester 3. Howev- er, we are working on two changes to the regulations that may allow us to keep the longfi n squid fi shery open for some or all of Trimester 3.


Framework 6 to the Atlantic Mack-


erel, Squid, and Butterfi sh Fishery Man- agement Plan (Framework 6): We are cur- rently working on a rule change that would enable us to consider a higher butterfi sh catch limit and butterfi sh mortality cap for the longfi n squid fi shery for the remainder of 2012. This action was recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in Framework 6. Framework 6 would allow us to increase the quota for the directed butterfi sh fi shery and butterfi sh mortality cap to the levels originally approved by the Council for the 2012 specifi cations (see below). We expect that we will make a deci- sion on Framework 6 and the increase in the butterfi sh catch prior to the start of Trimester 3 on September 1, 2012. Final specifi cations for the 2012 but-


terfi sh fi shery: If we approve Framework 6, we will publish a fi nal rule for 2012 but- terfi sh specifi cations in the Federal Register and send a letter to all longfi n squid vessels and dealers describing the fi nal 2012 but- terfi sh quotas and management measures. Changes to the butterfi sh specifi cations would include: Increasing the directed but- terfi sh fi shery quota from 485 mt to 1,072 mt; the butterfi sh mortality cap from 1,436 mt to 2,445 mt; and raising the butterfi sh possession limit allowed using a 3-inch min- imum codend mesh size in order to possess more than 2,000 lb of butterfi sh (increased


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