Page 12. MAINE COASTAL NEWS March 2015
New England States Schedule Hearings on the Public Information Document for Draft Amendment 3 for Northern Shrimp
Commercial Fishing News MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS
ARLINGTON, VA – The states of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on the Public Information Doc- ument (PID) for Draft Amendment 3 for Northern Shrimp for public comment. The details of those hearings follow.
Maine Department of Marine Resources Saturday, March 7 at 1 PM Maine Fishermen’s Forum
The Samoset Resort by the Sea, Camden Room 220 Warrenton Street Rockport, Maine Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6553
Monday, March 30 at 6 PM Casco Bay Ferry Terminal Conference Room
56 Commercial Street Portland, Maine Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6553
New Hampshire Fish and Game Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 7 PM Urban Forestry Center 45 Elwyn Road
Portsmouth, New Hampshire Contact: Doug Grout at 603.868.1095
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 6 PM MA DMF Annisquam River Station 30 Emerson Avenue Gloucester, Massachusetts Contact: Kelly Whitmore at 978.282.0308
The Draft Amendment was initiated to consider establishing a limited entry program for the northern shrimp fi shery for use in the future if and when the stock recovers and the fi shery is re-opened. While the fi shery is managed through a total allow- able catch and defi ned season, it remains an open access fi shery and has experienced signifi cant fl uctuations in participation over the last 30 years. This open access, coupled with concern about the health of the stock, led the Section to move forward on a limited entry program to further control effort in the fi shery. A limited entry program will consid- er the appropriate number of participants in the fi shery given biological, environmental, and economic considerations. As the fi rst step in the Commission’s amendment process, the PID is intended to gather information concerning northern shrimp and provide an opportunity for the public to identify and comment on major issues relative to the management of this species. Following the initial phase of infor- mation-gathering and public comment, the Section will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop Draft Amendment 3 for public review. After the public com- ment period, the Section will specify the management measures to be included in Amendment 3. A tentative schedule for the completion of Amendment 3 is included in PID.
Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the PID either by attending public hearings or providing written comments. The PID can be obtained at
http://www.asmfc.org/fi les/ PublicInput/NShrimpDraftAm3PID_Pub- licComment.pdf or via the Commission’s website,
www.asmfc.org, under Public In- put. Public comment will be accepted until
5:00 PM (EST) on April 15, 2015 and should be forwarded to Mike Waine, Senior FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at
comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Shrimp PID). For more information, please contact Mike Waine at mwaine@
asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.
NOAA proposes to expand critical habitat for endangered North Atlantic Right whales
NOAA Fisheries today has proposed to expand the designated critical habitat for endangered North Atlantic right whales in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, including areas that will support calving and nursing. The rule, issued pursuant to a court
order, would expand the critical habitat to roughly 29,945 square nautical miles, and include northeast feeding areas in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank region and calving grounds from southern North Carolina to northern Florida.
Critical habitat identifi es geographic areas containing physical and biological features essential to the conservation of a listed species. Critical habitat designations do not create preserves or refuges or any other regulations directly affecting the pub- lic. Also, the proposed rule does not include new restrictions or management measures for commercial fi shing operations. The Endangered Species Act provides for the designation of critical habitat for endangered and threatened species. NOAA Fisheries fi rst designated critical habitat for right whales in 1994. “The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered whales to inhabit our coastal waters, and, while we are making progress in helping this species recover, it still faces numerous threats to its survival,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA admin- istrator for fi sheries. “Survey data and other studies over the past 20 years have increased our understanding of right whale ecology and habitat needs. Based on this increased understanding, we are proposing to modify the existing critical habitat designation for the species.”
Designating critical habitat means that federal agencies conducting, funding, or permitting activities that may affect these areas are required to consult with NOAA Fisheries to evaluate whether and how their actions would affect the habitat. The goal is to avoid or reduce impacts to the physical and biological features that defi ne critical habitat for North Atlantic Right whales. The proposed northern critical habitat areas include important physical and bio- logical features that provide foraging areas where the whales’ preferred prey, copepods (tiny planktonic crustaceans), are abundant.
The proposed southern habitat area includes physical features that support calving and nursing with optimal physical oceanograph- ic features including calm sea surface condi- tions, specifi c sea surface temperatures (45 degrees F to 63 degrees F), and water depths of 20 feet to 92 feet. A critical habitat designation must be supported by a full analysis of economic, national security, and other impacts. In 2012, the President directed that any future desig- nations of critical habitat carefully consider all public comments on relevant science and economic impact, including those that suggest methods for minimizing regulatory burdens. Members of the public may now submit comments on the agency’s proposal. Public input is sought on the science and economics of the proposed designation. NOAA Fisheries will thoroughly consider public comments and any new information submitted on the proposal or the impacts analysis before making a fi nal decision on the rule.
The proposed regulations are expected
to be fi led on Tue., Feb. 17. At that time, NOAA Fisheries will begin seeking com- ments on the proposed rule. Comments must be submitted no later than 60 days following publication.
Once the regulation is fi led, the public may submit comments, identifi ed by the NOAA- NMFS-2014-0085, by either of the fol- lowing methods: Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Mail: As- sistant Regional Administrator, Protected Resources Division, NMFS, Greater At- lantic Regional Offi ce, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Background
The western North Atlantic right whale population numbers almost 450 individual whales. Recent analysis of sightings data suggests a slight growth in population size. However, North Atlantic right whales re- main critically endangered. Right whales were listed as endangered under the En- dangered Species Conservation Act in June 1970, the precursor to the ESA. Right whales were subsequently listed as endangered under the ESA in 1973 and designated as “depleted” under the Marine Mammal Pro- tection Act. NOAA Fisheries updated the species’ listing in 2008 to refl ect the latest scientifi c information, which indicated there were three, separate right whale species (North Atlantic right whale, North Pacifi c right whale, and southern right whale). Under the ESA, an “endangered” spe- cies is “in danger of extinction throughout all or a signifi cant portion of its range.” A “threatened” species is “likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a signifi cant portion
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