Page 12. MAINE COASTAL NEWS December 2017
Commercial Fishing News Continued from Page 11.
lops ($488 million), shrimp ($483 million), salmon ($420 million), and Alaska walleye pollock ($417 million). By volume, the nation’s largest commercial fi shery remains Alaska walleye pollock, which showed near record landings of 3.4 billion pounds (up 3 percent from 2015), representing 35 percent of total U.S. commercial and recreational seafood landings. In 2016, the U.S. imported 5.8 billion
pounds of seafood (up 1 percent compared to 2015) worth $19.5 billion (up 3.5 percent). However, a signifi cant portion of this im- ported seafood is caught by American fi sher- men, exported overseas for processing, and then reimported to the United States. Shrimp and salmon are two of the top three import- ed species and much of that is farm-raised. The U.S. ranks 16th in total aquaculture production around the world—far behind China, Indonesia and India. In 2015, 1.4 billion pounds of aquaculture production was reported in the U.S. “With the United States importing
billions of pounds of seafood annually, and with so much of that seafood foreign farm- raised, the numbers in this report underscore the untapped potential of aquaculture here at home,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “Expanding our nation’s aquaculture capacity presents an opportunity to reduce America’s reliance on imports while creat- ing thousands of new jobs.” The report also shows that the average American ate 14.9 pounds of fi sh and shell- fi sh in 2016, a decrease from 15.5 pounds the year before. U.S. dietary guidelines rec- ommend 8-12 ounces of a variety of seafood species per week, or 26 to 39 pounds per person per year. For the 20th consecutive year, the Alas-
M C F N
kan port of Dutch Harbor led the nation in 2016 with the highest amount of seafood landed—770 million pounds, valued at $198 million. Walleye pollock accounted for 89 percent of that volume. Likewise, for the 17th year in a row, New Bedford, Mas- sachusetts, claimed the highest value catch from one port—107 million pounds, valued at $327 million. Sea scallops accounted for 77 percent of that value. NOAA Fisheries will release a detailed
look at economic impact of recreational and commercial fi sheries on the U.S. economy in the upcoming Fisheries Economics of the United States report.
James J. Gilmore, Jr. Elected ASMFC Chair
NORFOLK, VA – Member states of the At- lantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) thanked Douglas Grout of New Hampshire for an eff ective two-year term as Chair and elected James J. Gilmore, Jr. of New York to succeed him. “I am honored by the support of my
colleagues from the 15 Atlantic coast states, and grateful to Doug for shepherding the Commission through two challenging years,” said Mr. Gilmore. “I embrace the challenges that lie ahead and pledge to rise up to the lofty expectations set by my pre- decessors – especially Doug. Environmental and political threats to fi sheries and manage- ment for the 15 sovereign coast states have never been greater. As the Commission has always done, we must use these obstacles as stepping stones. I will ensure the voices of our many stakeholders – recreational, com- mercial, and conservation alike – are heard. The Commission must seek ways to ensure the integrity of our management process is protected, strengthen our collaboration with NOAA Fisheries, and continue forging
2017 LOBSTER BOAT RACE CD
alliances on Capitol Hill. With all the chal- lenges facing the Commission, it’s all too easy to lose sight of our Vision: Sustainably Managing Atlantic Coastal Fisheries. Our Vision must guide the Commission through all its decisions.” Under Mr. Grout’s chairmanship, the
Commission made important strides in furthering its strategic goals. The Commis- sion approved new plan amendments for northern shrimp and tautog and, by the end of the year, will likely adopt an important amendment for Atlantic menhaden and a new Cobia FMP. Commission science staff along with state and federal scientists completed benchmark stock assessments for Atlantic sturgeon, Atlantic croaker, spot, red drum; stock assessment updates for American eel, menhaden and river her- ring; and regional stock assessments and an assessment update for tautog. All of these have provided much needed insight into the health of these species, as well as identifi ed the continued challenges of assessing fi sh stocks given limited data and increasingly complex stock assessment models. The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Sta-
tistics Program (ACCSP) is now fully inte- grated under the Commission’s umbrella. State conduct of the Marine Recreational Information Program’s Access Point An- gler Intercept Survey is well into its second year and is estimated to have increased the number of angler intercepts by nearly 10%. ACCSP has been collaborating with NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Offi ce on an integrated reporting system, which will allow all related fi sheries-dependent data collected from various sources, includ- ing vessel, observer, and dealer reports, to be linked. ACCSP has also been working closely with the Mid-Atlantic Council on launching its mandatory for-hire electronic reporting system and have begun discus- sions with the South Atlantic Council on its eff orts to move to for-hire electronic reporting. The Commission’s Habitat Committee
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and the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Part- nership continue to advance our understand- ing of the importance of the fi sheries-habitat connection and provide us and habitat man- agers with tools to further habitat conserva- tion. The Habitat Committee released the Sciaenid Fish Habitat Source Document, the most comprehensive compilation of habitat information to date on Commission-man- aged and other common sciaenid species found throughout the Western Atlantic. ACFHP completed its 5-year Conservation Strategic Plan and 2-year Conservation Ac- tion Plan which include goals, objectives, strategies, and actions to restore and enhance Atlantic coastal, estuarine, and diadromous fi sh habitat through conservation, science and data, outreach and communication, and fi nancial initiatives. The Commission’s Law Enforcement Committee continued to coordinate enforcement activities directed at illegal glass eel harvest and to respond to lobster industry concerns about illegal activity in federal waters by working with our federal partners to place lobster as a high priority for federal enforcement and joint enforcement agreement activities. Mr. Gilmore has served as Director of
the Division of Marine Resources for New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for the past ten years. As a re- spected marine scientist and fi sheries man- ager with more than 40 years of experience in both the public and private sector, Mr. Gilmore has built a reputation as a coalition builder and skilled negotiator. Mr. Gilmore is also an Executive Committee member of the New York Sea Grant Board of Directors and holds an adjunct faculty position at
SUNY Stony Brook, where he teaches a graduate level fi sheries management course. Most importantly, he is an avid marine an- gler, dividing his eff orts between Long Is- land Sound’s south shore and southern New Jersey. Mr. Gilmore received a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from SUNY Plattsburgh and a Master’s in Marine Science from SUNY Stony Brook. The Commission also elected Patrick
Keliher, Commissioner of the Maine De- partment of Marine Resources, as its Vice- Chair.
ASMFC Presents Paul J. Diodati Presti- gious Captain David H. Hart Award NORFOLK, VA – The Atlantic States Ma- rine Fisheries Commission presented Paul J. Diodati, former Director of the Massa- chusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF), the Captain David H. Hart Award, its highest annual award, at the Commission’s 76th
Annual Meeting in Norfolk, Virginia.
For over four decades, Mr. Diodati has been a prominent fi gure in the marine fi sh- eries management community throughout New England and along the Atlantic coast. While now retired, the impact of his ac- complishments to Atlantic coast fi sheries conservation and management will be felt for much longer. Mr. Diodati’s career in marine fi sheries
began at MA DMF in 1975 as a contracted sea sampler for northern shrimp. Over the years, he worked his way up through the ranks to Division Director, a position he served in for his fi nal 15 years at DMF. In between, Mr. Diodati served as technical and policy advisor for striped bass and northern shrimp, Sportfi sh Program Director, and co-creator and co-Chair of the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute. Understanding the need to address user confl icts before they begin, he was heavily involved in the development of the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan and the Federal Ocean Management Plan. Mr. Diodati closed major data gaps by requiring comprehensive reporting from dealers in 2005 and all commercial harvest- ers in 2010. In 2009, he was instrumental in establishing the state’s saltwater fi shing license. As Massachusetts’ Administrative Commissioner since 2000, Mr. Diodati chaired numerous management boards, overseeing the development and implemen- tation of interstate management plans for species such as striped bass, shad and river herring. From 2010 – 2013, he provided leadership to the Commission serving as Vice-chair and Chair and worked tirelessly to raise the Commission’s profi le both on Capitol Hill and within the Administration – ensuring the 15 Atlantic states were well equipped to tackle both current and emerg- ing issues. Mr. Diodati’s outsized role at the Com-
mission is not limited to his term as Chair. He also helped to improve coordination and the sharing of information between the states and their federal partners. He had impecca- ble foresight, as evidenced by his role as a principal supporter of the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program; a Program he would later Chair. Mr. Diodati’s lifetime has been marked
by a commitment to science and sound management and his eff orts have been in- strumental in improving fi sheries programs both in Massachusetts and along the coast. But his legacy is more than scientifi c papers, surveys conducted, and recovered species; Mr. Diodati will be remembered for his extraordinary way with people. From rec- reational and commercial fi shermen to his peers at the Commission and New England Fishery Management Council, he was well
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