Tagged | NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries Reverses Course On Herring Catch In 2019

In a pleasant surprise, NOAA Fisheries published a final rule today that lowers the catch limits of Atlantic herring in 2019, specifically to account for its role in the ecosystem. Catch limits were expected to be reduced to prevent overfishing, but the size of this reduction was a surprise because the agency had originally proposed limits back in November that were almost 30 percent higher than recommendations from the New England Fishery Management Council and its scientific advisors. … More Info »

Environmental Groups Call on Fishery Managers to Fix New England’s Failing Monitoring Program

Conservation Law Foundation and Environmental Defense Fund have challenged NOAA Fisheries, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the New England Fishery Management Council to properly manage the region’s ailing groundfish stocks. In a letter sent to the leaders of these agencies, CLF and EDF call for improvements to monitoring practices so that managers can make informed decisions. … More Info »

Fish Talk in the News – Friday, Jan. 6, 2017

In this edition of Fish Talk in the News: South Shore charter fishermen oppose new shark regulations; 2016 was a tough year for the fishing industry; Rhode Island bans shark finning; Maine seeks more authority in investigations of suspected lobstering violations; Seafood being added to Massachusetts Farm to School project; and NOAA expands ways to get fishing information. … More Info »

With New Fish Rule, NOAA Lets the Big One Get Away

In October the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees our nation’s fisheries, passed up a chance to take a major step toward EBFM. … More Info »

Two New Developments Could Boost Health of Fisheries and Our Ocean

Those of us who care about healthy oceans and fish populations are pleased to see two strong spotlights shine last week on ecosystem-based fishery management, or EBFM. As a reminder, the goal of EBFM is to better inform management decisions with a big-picture approach to fisheries management that uses existing data about where fish live, what they eat, what eats them, and what threats they face in order to ensure that ocean ecosystems and the fisheries they support are healthy and productive. … More Info »

Fish Talk in the News – Friday, November 11

In this edition of Fish Talk in the News, NOAA reminds fishermen that most commercial fishing in the new Atlantic monument is prohibited as of November 14; sound technology helps scientists assess Maine’s shrimp population; Maine’s shrimp fishery will remain closed for fourth consecutive year; mislabeled seafood may be more sustainable; Eat These Fish! guides consumers on sustainable seafood choices; a lost Maine lobster tag is found in the United Kingdom; why do seabirds eat plastic?; and NOAA announces the closure of the Trimester TAC Area for witch flounder. … More Info »

NOAA Fisheries releases 2015 “U.S. Fisheries Yearbook”

Yesterday, NOAA Fisheries released its annual Fisheries of the United States report for 2015, which the agency refers to as the “yearbook of fishery statistics for the United States.” It provides information on commercial and recreational fisheries as well as aquaculture production.

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The Bedrock of U.S. Sustainable Fisheries Just Got Rumbled

National Standard 1 is regularly identified as the bedrock of sustainable U.S. fisheries management: prevent overfishing while producing optimum yield from the nation’s fisheries. The latter objective imports the linked statutory requirement that overfished stocks should be rebuilt as quickly as biologically possible. But NOAA Fisheries’ revisions seem determined to shake this foundation. … More Info »

Final NOAA Rule Weakens Fisheries Protection

Protecting U.S. fisheries from overfishing, and restoring populations of fish that are at unsustainably low levels, just got a little tougher. On Oct. 13, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) announced a final version of guidelines to implement National Standard 1, which directs fisheries managers to prevent overfishing while attaining the greatest economic, ecological, and social benefits for the nation. National Standard 1 is the most important of the 10 standards that guide fisheries managers’ implementation of the nation’s primary fishing law, the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The final rule contains several critical deficiencies. … More Info »

Fish Talk in the News – Friday, October 14

In this edition of Fish Talk in the News, new National Standard guidelines prioritize short-term profit over long-term sustainability; MA fishermen test weaker ropes so whales can break through them; barndoor skates are declared rebuilt in New England; New England states announce shellfish closures; and researchers use ‘robomussels’ to monitor climate change. … More Info »