Page 12. MAINE COASTAL NEWS January 2016
NOAA Announces $4 Million in Fund- ing to Build Coastal Resilience
Commercial Fishing News MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS
Two of the six restoration projects recom- mended for funding are located in New England
As part of its efforts to provide com- munities and businesses with products, tools, services, and funding to better address weather- and climate-related threats, today NOAA announced $4 million in recom- mended funding for six habitat restoration projects across the United States. The projects recommended for funding,
under NOAA’s 2015 Coastal Ecosystem Resiliency Grants Program, focus on dam removal in New England, creation of living shorelines in North Carolina, and reconnec- tion of rivers to fl oodplains and fl ood protec- tion in Washington, Florida, Massachusetts and California.
“Funding these innovative habitat restoration projects supports our mission of fostering resilient coastal communities and sustainable marine resources, and that’s a priority for us,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for fi sheries. “These on-the-ground restoration projects, along with the other restoration projects we support, will enhance ecosystem resilience against extreme weather and changing environmental conditions, provide habitat to support sustainable fi sheries, and help recover protected species.”
Habitat restoration experts from around the country selected these projects based on rigorous reviews and a highly competitive process. Recommended projects have been approved by their state’s Governor’s offi ces. At least $2 million in the federal grants will be matched by applicants, and the projects must begin within 12 months of funding. NOAA is taking a multifaceted ap-
proach to building coastal resilience through two grant programs. NOAA Fisheries’ Coastal Ecosystem Resiliency Grants pro- gram is dedicated to the development of healthy and sustainable coastal ecosystems through habitat restoration. A complemen- tary NOAA National Ocean Service grant program, the Regional Coastal Resilience Grants, focuses on regional-scale proj- ects that enhance the resilience of coastal communities and economies to effects of extreme weather, climate hazards, and changing ocean conditions. Activities may include improving coastal risk assessment and communication, promoting collabora- tive approaches to resilience planning, and better informing science based decision making.
The National Ocean Service plans to an- nounce the results of that grant competition in early 2016.
Application approval and funding is
not yet fi nal. Divisions of NOAA and the Department of Commerce must still give fi nal approval for the projects.
New England States Schedule Hear- ings on the Public Hearing Document for Draft Amendment 3 to the Atlantic Herring FMP
ARLINGTON, VA – New England states of Maine through Massachusetts have sched- uled their hearings to gather public comment on the Public Hearing Document for Draft Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring. The dates, times, and locations of the scheduled hearings follow.
Maine Department of Marine Resources Wednesday, January 6th Marquardt Building
at 1 p.m.
Conference Room 118 32 Blossom Lane Augusta, ME Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6553
New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game Tuesday, January 5th
at 7 p.m.
Urban Forestry Center 45 Elwyn Road Portsmouth, NH
Contact: Doug Grout at 603.868.1095
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Tuesday, January 5th
at 2 p.m.
Annisquam River Station 30 Emerson Avenue Gloucester, MA
Contact: David Pierce at 617.626.1532
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Monday, January 4th
from 6 – 9 PM
University of Rhode Island Bay Campus Corless Auditorium South Ferry Road Narragansett, RI
Contact: John Lake at 401.423.1942
Draft Amendment 3 was initiated to propose management measures in Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) which refl ect chang- es in the stock structure, integrate recent data into management decisions, and respond to changes in the fi shery. The Public Hearing Document proposes (1) alternatives to the spawning monitoring program (protocol, default start dates, area boundaries, and length of the closure period); (2) removing
the fi xed gear set-aside rollover provision, and (3) requiring a vessel’s fi sh hold to be emptied before leaving on a fi shing trip. Today’s rebuilt herring population is comprised of a broader range of age classes with older and larger fi sh compared to the population during overfi shed conditions. Analysis of more than a decade’s worth of data suggests larger herring spawn fi rst and the timing of the start of spawning varies from year-to-year. Proposed alternatives to the current spawning monitoring program address inter-annual differences and provide additional measures to more adequately protect spawning fi sh in the areas where they spawn.
At the request of the fi shing industry, the Public Hearing Document includes an option to adjust the fi xed gear set-aside rollover provision. Currently, the set-aside of 295 mt is available to fi xed gear fi shermen through November 1, after which the re- maining set-aside becomes available to the rest of the Area 1A fi shery. The November 1 date was set because, typically, herring have migrated out of the Gulf of Maine by that time. Anecdotal evidence suggests herring are in the Gulf of Maine after November 1, therefore, fi xed gear fi shermen requested the set-aside be made available to them for the remainder of the calendar year.
120 7530 Olympic View Dr. Unit 105, Edmonds, WA 98026 · (425) 774-7595
Members of industry also suggested a requirement for fi sh holds to be empty of fi sh prior to trip departures. This provision would allow for full accountability and en- courage less wasteful fi shing practices by creating an incentive to catch herring which meet market demands. The New England Fishery Management Council included a complementary provision in its Framework Adjustment 4 to the Federal Atlantic Herring FMP.
Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Pub- lic Hearing Document either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. The document is available at
http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/
AtlHerringPublicHearingDoc_DraftAm3_ Public%20Comment_Dec2015.pdf and can also be accessed on the Commission website (
www.asmfc.org) under Public In- put. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on January 20, 2015 and should be forwarded to Ashton Harp, FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St., Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at
aharp@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Amendment 3). For more information, please contact Ashton Harp, at aharp@asm-
fc.org or 703.842.0740.
Moratorium on Northern Shrimp Commercial Fishing Maintained for 2016 Season
PORTSMOUTH, NH – In response to the depleted condition of the northern shrimp resource, the Atlantic States Marine Fisher- ies Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section extended the moratorium on commercial fi shing for the 2016 fi shing season. The 2015 Stock Status Report for Gulf of Maine (GOM) Northern Shrimp indicates abun- dance and biomass indices for 2012-2015 were the lowest on record for the 32-year time series. The stock has experience failed recruitment for fi ve consecutive years, in- cluding the three smallest year classes on record. As a result, the indices of fi shable biomass from 2012-2015 are the lowest on record.
Recruitment of northern shrimp is related to both spawning biomass and ocean temperatures, with higher spawning biomass and colder temperatures producing stronger recruitment. Ocean temperatures in western GOM shrimp habitat have increased over the past decade and reached unprece- dented highs in 2011 and 2012. While 2014 and 2015 temperatures were cooler, tem- peratures are predicted to continue to rise as a result of climate change. This suggests an increasingly inhospitable environment for northern shrimp. The Northern Shrimp Technical Committee considers the stock to have collapsed with little prospect of recov- ery in the immediate future. The 2015 Stock Status Report is available at http://www.
asmfc.org/uploads/file/5666017a2015N- orthernShrimpAssessment.pdf. To maintain the time series of data collected from northern shrimp commer- cial fi shery catches, a cooperative winter sampling program was approved with a 22 metric ton research set aside quota. The goal of the program is to continue the win- ter time series of biological data (e.g. size composition, egg hatch timing) collected from GOM northern shrimp fi shery catches in the absence of a fi shery. Four trawl ves- sels will be contracted to fi sh four regions with a maximum trip limit of 1,800 pounds, and two trappers with a weekly trap limit of 40 traps and a 600 pound per week limit. Participating trawlers and trappers will be able to sell their catch. Trawlers will also be compensated $500/trip.
“Considering survey indices are the lowest on record, with an unprecedented fi ve consecutive years of weak recruitment and continuing unfavorable environmental conditions, the Section maintained the mor- atorium in 2016,” stated Northern Shrimp Section Chair Mike Armstrong of Mas- sachusetts. “The Section is committed to protecting the remaining spawning biomass and allowing as much reproduction to take place as possible.”
For more information, please contact,
Max Appelman, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at
mappelman@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.
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