November 2013 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 13. MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS


Atlantic herring fi shery operating outside of state waters and seaward to the U.S. 200 mile limit would be subject to the catch caps. The catch cap areas are proposed to close to the gear type (midwater or bottom trawl) when 95 percent of the cap for that gear type is projected to be reached in an area. The caps would not apply to smaller scale vessels that land less than 6,600 pounds per trip, and no caps are proposed for 2014-2015 in the Georges Bank area due to very low observed interaction with river herring and shad there. For 2014 and 2015, the Gulf of Maine catch cap would apply to midwater trawl gear only and is proposed to be 86 metric tons, or about 189, 000 pounds. A catch cap in a defi ned area off Cape Cod also would apply only to midwater trawl gear and is pro- posed to be 13 metric tons or 29,000 pounds. In the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic cap area, separate caps by gear type would be set; 124 metric tons or 272,000 pounds for midwater trawls and 89 metric tons or 198,000 pounds for bottom trawl vessels. Shad and river herring were among


the fi rst fi sh to be exploited commercially by early settlers along the eastern seaboard because their oily fl esh allowed them to be preserved without refrigeration. Over the years, their populations have declined due to overfi shing in the late 1800s through the 1960s, habitat loss and other factors. Growing awareness has led to state-imposed moratoria, improved water quality, dam removal, fi sh passages, and other efforts to restore habitat, in addition to fi shermen’s efforts at avoidance. However, calculations are not yet available to document improve- ments on these stocks.


The New England Council develops rules for both large and small-scale commer- cial and recreational fi sheries that operate between three and 200 miles off the coast- lines of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachu- setts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.


NOAA Fisheries announces $6.6 Million in funding for habitat restoration in Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland and Virginia


NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) has announced more than $6 million in funding for habitat restoration projects in Maine, Massachu- setts, Maryland, and Virginia to restore more than 11,000 acres of habitat, and open more than 200 stream miles for fi sh passage.


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These projects will benefi t species like river herring and the tuna, bluefi sh, cod, birds and marine mammals that prey on them. “Dam removal, fi shways and other res-


toration efforts provide a key role in helping us bring back depleted fi sh stocks,” said John Bullard, Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries Northeast Region. “They also have a variety of ecological, social and economic benefi ts to communities that bor- der our rivers.” From Virginia to Maine, native fi sh like river herring and Atlantic salmon are limit- ed by a lack of habitat. NOAA Fisheries is working with partners in the region to restore habitat for these fi sh by removing barriers to fi sh passage and improving in-stream conditions. These projects address actions recommended in the recovery plans for En- dangered Species Act-listed species. Three will restore critical spawning and nursery areas for river herring in Massachusetts. One will open fi sh passage to Atlantic salmon and forage fi sh in Maine, two will create oyster reef habitat in Virginia and Maryland, and another will advance dam removal in Mary- land along critical waterways for herring, eel, and shad.


will include:


Restoration efforts in New England Plymco and Holmes Dams


($525,000): The removal of these two dams will conclude more than a decade of work by NOAA and its partners to remove all barriers to fi sh along Town Brook, in Plymouth, MA. It creates the potential for restoring a herring run of over 500,000 fi sh. Currently, the run has been measured at roughly 150,000, which is largely sustained by trucking the fi sh around the dams. Award recipient: Town of Plymouth, MA West Britannia and Barstows Pond Dams ($77,660): Once these dams in Taunton, MA are removed, fi sh will have full access to habitat from Narragansett Bay to headwater pond habitats (36 miles and 400 acres). A river herring run of more than 100,000 fi sh is anticipated. The removals will also eliminate the public safety threat associated with the aging dams. Award re- cipient: Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game.


Penobscot, East Machias, and Andro- scoggin watersheds ($174,000): Several projects, including the removal of inappro- priately-designed culverts and the installa- tion of fi sh ladders, will open up fi sh passage


in the Penobscot, East Machias, and Andro- scoggin watersheds in Maine. An estimated 10,000 lake acres and 160 river miles will be made accessible to Atlantic salmon and forage fi sh such as alewife and blueback herring. Award recipient: Atlantic Salmon Federation.


Penobscot River, ME ($365,000): Funding for removal of the Veazie Dam and environmental monitoring of the river. NOAA has already invested roughly $21 million towards a multi-year plan, devel- oped in close collaboration with partners, to restore fi sh habitat on the Penobscot River. Herring River estuary ($300,000): Design and permitting of the Herring River estuarine restoration project in Wellfl eet and Truro, MA that could restore roughly 1,000 acres and more than 11 miles of estuarine and river habitat for bluefi sh, summer fl oun- der, scup, striped bass, and river herring. Award recipient: Friends of Herring River, Wellfl eet/Truro, Inc.


CANADIAN NEWS


Canada Continues to Advance Sustain- able Fisheries Management and Protec- tion of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems at the Annual Meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization September 27, 2013 HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA – At this year’s


Commercial Fishing News


annual meeting in Halifax, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) adopted a range of measures to strengthen the conservation and management of key fi sh stocks and to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME) that form habitat for many of those species. “We are encouraged by the progress made at this year’s annual meeting and by the commitment that we are seeing from other NAFO members to manage fi sh stocks in a sustainable way,” said the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. The results of the 2013 annual meeting included management decisions on key stocks that demonstrate a commitment to the sustainable management of groundfi sh stocks in the NAFO Regulatory Area, par- ticularly those that have seen signs of growth in recent years. NAFO members also agreed to further improvements to the conservation and enforcement measures that regulate fi shing activity. The continued growth of the cod stock in NAFO Division 3M and redfi sh stocks in NAFO Divisions 3LN is a clear indication that the Organization’s – and Canada’s – efforts are working.


NAFO continues to take steps to further implement conservation plans and rebuild- ing strategies for fi sh stocks important to


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