Page 12. MAINE COASTAL NEWS August 2015


NOAA announces more than $25 million in grants to improve fi shing opportunities, observations, resiliency and sustainability


Funds to benefi t U.S. fi sheries, fi shermen and coastal communities


NOAA is announcing more than $25 million in recommended funding for 88 projects under the 2014-2015 Salton- stall-Kennedy Grant Program. This is the most signifi cant amount of funding ever granted by NOAA under this decades-old program.


“NOAA is committed to helping communities become more resilient envi- ronmentally as well as economically,” said NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D. “These awards will create jobs, in- crease economic opportunities for fi shing communities, improve the kinds of data and observations we collect about the health of our nation’s fi sheries and oceans, and make sound investments in mitigating future risk.” This year’s recommended projects fall into four broad categories: Maximizing fi shing opportunities and jobs, Improving key fi sheries observations, Increasing the quality and quantity of do- mestic seafood, and Improving fi shery information from U.S. territories. “With projects in every region of the country and in U.S. territories, these grants underscore that communities have different goals and needs across the country and they all have something signifi cant to bring to the table as far as their approach to research and project development,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for fi sheries. “The grants we are recommending touch every aspect of marine research including


Commercial Fishing News MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS


socioeconomics, fi shing gear and bycatch, aquaculture, fi sheries management and the effects of climate.”


Established in 1954, the Salton- stall-Kennedy grants program is designed to address the needs of fi shing communities, optimize economic benefi ts by building and maintaining sustainable fi sheries, and increase other opportunities to keep working waterfronts viable.


As in past years, the competition for funding was robust. The agency received 279 applications from state and local governments, the private sector, non-gov- ernmental organizations, and academia, totaling more than $76 million in requests. Proposals underwent extensive and rigorous technical review, both within the agency and by an external constituent panel, before fi nal agency review, resulting in the list of recommended projects.


“These grants once again underscore


NOAA Fisheries’ commitment to address- ing the needs of our fi shing communities,” said Sobeck.


At this point in the selection process, the application approval and funds obligation is not fi nal. Divisions of NOAA and the Department of Commerce, NOAA’s parent agency, must still give fi nal approval for the projects, and successful applicants will receive funding in the near future. More information on the Salton- stall-Kennedy Grant Program is available on their website and on the Grants.gov website.


ASMFC Schedules Atlantic Menhaden Ecosystem Management


Objectives Workshop for August 31-September 1


ARLINGTON, VA – Based on the fi ndings


of the 2015 Atlantic Menhaden Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review, the Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Man- agement Board initiated Draft Amendment 3 to the Fishery Management Plan. The Draft Amendment will consider changes to the management program including the development of ecological reference points that refl ect Atlantic menhaden’s role as a forage species. To aid in the development of these reference points, the Commission has established a multi-disciplinary work- ing group to identify potential ecosystem goals and objectives for Board review and consideration. The working group contains a broad range of representation including, Commissioners, advisors, and technical rep- resentatives to provide various perspectives on menhaden management.


“This workshop reflects the Com-


mission’s continued commitment to fully evaluating the importance of Atlantic men- haden to the ecosystem and harvesters. This process will benefi t from the expertise and input of managers, stakeholders, and scien- tists that are committed to the sustainable management of this valuable resource,” stated Board Chair Robert Boyles from South Carolina. “The anticipated outcome of the workshop will be potential goals and objectives for ecosystem management that the Atlantic Menhaden Management Board will consider as part of the Public Informa- tion Document for Draft Amendment 3.” The workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Michael Jones, who chaired the Peer Re- view Panel for the 2015 Atlantic Menhaden Benchmark Stock Assessment. Dr. Jones brings a working knowledge of Atlantic menhaden science and management, as well as expertise of ecosystem management in the Great Lakes region. The workshop will be preceded by a webinar that will review topics to be covered, expectations, and work- shop goals, as well as provide participants an opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions on the process. The webinar will also feature an ecosystem management case study from the Great Lakes region to help guide the ecosystem management workshop for Atlantic menhaden.


The public is welcome to attend the webinar and workshop. Since the webinar and workshop will be working meetings, there will be a limited opportunity for the


public to provide comments at the end of the meeting if time permits. The webinar will be held on Friday, August 14 at 9 AM; to register, and call 866.244.8528 and enter passcode 629107 to join the conference call. The workshop will be conducted on August 31 and September 1 from 8:30 AM to 5 PM at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve, 7795 Arundel Mills Boulevard, Hanover, Mary- land 21076; 888.624.4011. Space may be limited; please contact Mike Waine, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mwaine@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740 if you are interested in attending. Since Draft Amendment 3 will also consider changes to current state-by- state allocation, a working group of the Management Board (see Board Subgroup membership in text box on page 1) has been established to begin discussions on various allocation schemes to help inform the Board as it develops options to be included in the Draft Amendment. The Working Group will meet via webinar on Wednesday, July 15 at 1 PM; call 888.394.8197 and enter passcode: 815277 to join the conference call. As with the ecosystem webinar and workshop, the public is welcome to listen in on the webinar. If time permits, there will be a limited oppor- tunity for the public to provide comments at the end of the meeting.


It is important to note that no manage- ment decisions are being formulated or acted upon at the workshop or the webinars. The meetings are a means to initiate discussions on ecosystem objectives and allocation schemes, allowing for the identifi cation of issues and options for Board discussion and consideration. There will be several oppor- tunities throughout the amendment develop- ment process for interested stakeholders and the public to submit public comment. Additional meetings of both working groups may be scheduled. If you are not already on the ASMFC email alerts for At- lantic menhaden, please email info@asmfc. org (Subject line: Menhaden Meetings) to receive email updates on these meetings.


Northeast Consortium and NEFMC An- nounce Funding for New Collaborative Research Projects


Newburyport, MA The Northeast Consor- tium, a University of New Hampshire-based institution established in 1999 to foster


NOAA Study Finds Bait and Tackle Retailers Generate $2.3 Billion for U.S. Economy


120


Independent marine recreational bait and tackle retail stores provide a big boost to the U.S. economy, a NOAA study has found. According to the study, the fi rst eco- nomic survey of its kind, in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available, these retailers contribute approximately $2.3 billion across the broader U.S. economy, in- cluding $796 million in income. In addition, the industry supports nearly 16,000 jobs across the nation. NOAA Fisheries released these fi gures today at the 2015 International Convention of Allied Sportfi shing Trades in Orlando, Florida.


“This study clearly shows the strong contribution of the bait and tackle industry to the economic health of our coastal com- munities and to the broader U.S. economy,” said Doug Lipton, NOAA Fisheries senior scientist for economics. “And it gives us a good baseline for measuring the economic impacts of these businesses as we move forward.”


Because the study focused only on inde- pendent businesses and not large retail chain stores, it captured only a portion of the entire U.S. bait and tackle industry’s contribution


to the economy. However, the businesses surveyed generated an estimated $854 mil- lion in total sales of saltwater fi shing bait and tackle. For those businesses specializing only in bait and tackle, the average retailer sold about $426,000 in saltwater bait, tackle and related equipment in 2013.


“Even though this study only captured a slice of an even bigger pie, this fi rst-time economic assessment of the industry will help managers and regulators better under- stand the effect that changing conditions have on recreational fi sheries and coastal communities,” Lipton said. “These data will also help quantify the effects of future natural disasters such as storms, hurricanes, or tsunamis.” NOAA Fisheries surveyed 3,500 inde- pendent, primarily small, businesses for this study. Of the 944 responders, 35 percent classifi ed themselves as bait and tackle stores that exclusively sell bait, tackle, and recreational fi shing equipment. The remain- ing 65 percent of responding stores included sporting goods retailers, marinas, general retailers, convenience stores and hardware stores.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31