Kingfish
Posts: 1201
 
Location: Tampa Bay | International - NOAA Will Work With Six Identified Nations to Address Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing
NOAA has identified six nations - France, Italy, Libya, Panama, the People's Republic of China, and Tunisia - whose fishing vessels were engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 2007 or 2008. The identified nations had fishing vessels that did not comply with measures agreed to under various international regional fishery management organizations. Annual global economic losses due to IUU fishing are estimated to be about $9 billion, according to an international task force on IUU fishing.
The United States will continue consultations with officials from each of these six nations and encourage them to take corrective action to stop IUU fishing by their vessels. Following consultations, NOAA will formally certify each of the six nations either as adopting effective measures to stop IUU fishing, or having vessels engaged in IUU fishing. If a nation is found to be engaged in IUU fishing, that nation’s vessels may be denied entry into U.S. ports and the President may prohibit imports of certain fish products from that nation or take other measures.
The report and supporting materials are available online.
National - NOAA Issues Final Guidance on Annual Catch Limits to End Overfishing
NOAA Fisheries Service has published a final rule outlining a system of catch limits, reference points and targets that can be used for each stock to prevent overfishing. Annual catch limits are required for U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries subject to
overfishing by 2010, and for all other stocks by 2011. The system accounts for scientific uncertainty in estimating catch limits for a stock, and calls for strong accountability measures to prevent annual catch limits from being exceeded, and to address such a situation quickly if it does occur.
For more information, read the NOAA’s news release or visit: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/msa2007/catchlimits.htm
National - New Economic Report Finds Commercial and Recreational Saltwater Fishing Generated More Than Two Million Jobs
U.S. commercial and recreational saltwater fishing generated more than $185 billion in sales and supported more than two million jobs in 2006, according to a new economic report released by NOAA Fisheries Service. The commercial fishing industry - harvesters, seafood processors and dealers, seafood wholesalers and seafood retailers - generated $103 billion in sales, $44 billion in income and supported 1.5 million jobs in 2006, the most recent year included in the report. Recreational fishing generated $82 billion in sales, $24 billion in income, and supported 534,000 jobs in 2006.
The report breaks down the sales, income and job figures for each coastal state. It also includes descriptive statistics on commercial fish landings, revenue, and price trends; recreational fishing effort, catch, and participation rates; and employer and non-employer establishments, annual payroll, and annual receipt information for fishing-related industries such as seafood retailers and ship and boat building.
This report is available online.
National - NOAA to Create Saltwater Angler Registry in 2010
NOAA Fisheries Service has released a final rule to create a national saltwater angler registry of all marine recreational fishermen. The improved quality of recreational fishing data achieved through a national registry will help demonstrate the economic value of saltwater recreational fishing, and will provide a more complete picture of how recreational fishing is affecting fish stocks. This kind of information is essential to NOAA’s goal to end overfishing as required under the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
The final rule requires anglers and spearfishers who fish recreationally in federal ocean waters to be included in the national saltwater angler registry by Jan. 1, 2010. NOAA will exempt anglers if they are licensed in states that provide complete information on their saltwater anglers to the national registry. NOAA had originally proposed that registration be required beginning Jan. 1, 2009, but based on public input decided to give states another year to put in place their own data collection systems. The registry is one component of the agency's new Marine Recreational Information Program, an initiative to enhance data collection on recreational catch and effort.
For more information, visit http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov.
Atlantic Coast - Conservation Measures for Bottlenose Dolphins Extended
NOAA Fisheries Service has published a final rule to amend provisions within the Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan. Fishing restrictions expiring on May 26, 2009 will be extended for another three years. This action continues, without modification, current nighttime fishing restrictions of medium mesh gillnets operating in the North Carolina portion of the Winter-Mixed Management Unit during the winter. Medium mesh fishing restrictions are extended for an additional three years to ensure continued conservation of the Western North Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphin stock, should a directed spiny dogfish fishery reemerge in North Carolina.
For more information, contact Stacey.Carlson@noaa.gov.
Atlantic Coast - Snapper-Grouper Amendment Addresses Overfishing
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has submitted Amendment 16 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region for review by NOAA. Amendment 16 was developed to address overfishing in the snapper-grouper fishery. It would establish management reference points and specify interim allocations for the commercial and recreational sectors for gag and vermilion snapper, and implement management measures in the commercial and recreational sectors of the snapper-grouper fishery. These measures include: a four-month spawning season closure of the recreational and commercial shallow water grouper fisheries; a five-month closure of the recreational vermilion snapper fishery; commercial quotas for gag and vermilion snapper; a reduced recreational grouper aggregate bag limit (including tilefish) and vermilion snapper bag limit; and a requirement to use dehooking and venting tools to reduce bycatch mortality of snapper-grouper species.
Comments must be received by 5pm on February 23, 2009. For more information, read the Federal Register notice or contact John McGovern at (727) 824-5305.
Atlantic Coast - South Atlantic Council Seeks Input on Fishery Ecosystem Plan
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a series of public hearings regarding its Fishery Ecosystem Plan and Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1. The Council will also conduct scoping meetings regarding a Comprehensive Annual Catch Limit Amendment, Amendment 18 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan for the South Atlantic, and a Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment.
The Council is developing the Fishery Ecosystem Plan to provide guidance on incorporation of fishery, habitat, and ecosystem considerations into management actions. Amendment 2 includes alternatives to amend the Coral Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to establish deepwater coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs) and address information updates and spatial requirements of the Essential Fish Habitat final rule. It also includes alternatives that would amend the Golden Crab FMP to establish allowable golden crab and deepwater shrimp fishing areas. Areas being considered for designation as HAPCs include: (a) Cape Lookout Lophelia Banks, (b) Cape Fear Lophelia Banks, (c) Blake Ridge Diapir, (d) the Stetson Reefs, Savannah and East Florida Lithoherms, and Miami Terrace, and (e) Portales Terrace.
A series of 5 public hearings and scoping meetings will be held:
January 26, 2009 - North Charleston, SC
January 27, 2009 - New Bern, NC
February 3, 2009 - Key Largo, FL
February 4, 2009 - Cocoa Beach, FL
February 5, 2009 - Pooler, GA
Written comments must be received in the South Atlantic Council's office by 5 p.m. on February 6, 2009. For more information, read the Federal Register notice , or contact kim.iverson@safmc.net.
Atlantic Coast - Shark Quotas Set for 2009
NOAA Fisheries Service has established the annual quotas for the 2009 fishing season for sharks managed under Amendment 2 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan. This rule also establishes the opening date for the commercial Atlantic shark fisheries.
For more information, read the final rule, or contact Karyl Brewster-Geisz at (301) 713-2347.
FEDERAL REGISTER ACTIONS
For a list of only those actions open for public comment, try going to http://www.regulations.gov and scroll search for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
For a list of all daily actions, check the Federal register online at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.
-----
Subscribe to our area fishing articles news feed |
NOAA Fishing News - 1/22/09
