We’re always reading up on things taking place in fishery management and ocean conservation. Whether it be a press release, letter or blog post, we’ll look to post a couple items a day here (sometimes more, sometimes less) with a brief synopsis. These articles may not be as focused as the rest of the site, and could cover initiatives or issues that aren’t found on the rest of the site, but we found interesting.

We’ll promote these on our Facebook and Instagram, so be sure to follow us there to receive all the updates.

Other Past WWRTs:

January, 2020

February, 2020

March 31, 2020: ASGA Adds Willy Goldsmith, Fisheries Aid in the CARES Act, Really Cool Stuff on eDNA and Two Potential Impacts from Coronavirus

  • We’ll start today with big news from the American Saltwater Guides Association. Willy Goldsmith, Ph. D, has joined the organization as an Executive Director. You’ve seen a lot from the ASGA here, and they’ve accomplished a ridiculous amount in their year of existence. All of that has been accomplished with a skeleton crew, and adding someone like Willy, who not only has an incredible grasp of fishery management but also a strong network of connections in DC and with regulators, will allow them to expand their reach and increase their impact substantially moving forward. These guys are fighting for all of us, and being able to expand like this is a great thing for the fish and anglers everywhere.

  • In addition to fighting for conservation and effective, science-based management, the ASGA has been active in staying in front of congress around support for the fishing community in the face of the COVID-19 lockdown. We all rely on guides, shops and tackle manufacturers, both to help us fish and also as strong voices for conservation and responsible management. Without support during these times, the industry is going to struggle big time with the restrictions in place. This is another positive effort and initiative that the ASGA has taken to help.

  • This is a really cool article that I think could have a pretty big impact on management moving forward. Using technology that can pull fragments of DNA out of water, scientists are able to identify species that are present in the surrounding area. In initial runs with this in Long Island Sound and the continental shelf in the Northern Atlantic, species that are not commonly found or caught were detected, including Atlantic Thread Herring. While it works best in correlation with other diversity study efforts (it cannot tell age / size of species, etc.), I see this as something that could be exceptionally useful in determining range of species to determine quotas and management.

  • We’ll finish up with two entries regarding the impact of Coronavirus. The first follows the trend of stories we have featured here about commercial anglers and seafood producers slowing production and struggling to keep people working in light of the significant decrease in demand nationally, this time in North Carolina. One thing they point to in this article, however, is data that points to the overall economic slowdown related to the fishery industry. While in a different context than we usually use it (recreational for catch & release purposes), the impact and size of the fishery industry goes well beyond what is sold on the dock, but instead includes lodging, fuel and food for employees and clients. Hopefully this data is used to help the industry now and also can be factored in when determining management regulations moving forward.

  • Lastly for today, we have an entry from Charles Witek that reminds us all how important clean rivers are not only for freshwater species and for drinking water for us in the US, but also important saltwater fish like herring and striped bass. With the EPA’s announcement last week that it would be backing off enforcement on a wide range of environmental regulations, it is important to remember that this comes right when many species are heading up rivers to spawn and need as clean of waters as we can get. With all the coverage about how the economic and travel shutdown associated with Covid-19 has reduced pollution globally, here’s the flip-side. Hopefully potential violators self-monitor and striped bass, herring and other species looking to spawn in the next few months have clean, calm water in which to do it.

March 27, 2020: Environmental Protections Rolled-Back, East Coast Fisheries Struggling, The Nonsense Behind ‘Migrating Fish Stocks’ and An Uplifting Article on the Recovery of Alewives in Maine

  • Here are three articles on the EPA announcing yesterday a drastic and sweeping reduction and suspension of environmental rules. Each of these articles includes commentary from different parties, but I find it hard to understand how something like this makes sense, ESPECIALLY for companies that have been provided stimulus money to keep their employees. It’s interesting to me, as well, that this rollback is in place indefinitely, despite the fact that the Administration has hinted that it wants to get the economy back up and running in a couple weeks. Anyway, here’s to hoping that companies do the right thing, we get the Coronavirus under control in the next month or so, and the EPA starts enforcing their laws and rules ASAP.

  • Preceding that announcement, the NY Times posted an article on Wednesday discussing how the Coronavirus pandemic was not slowing the Trump Administration’s regulatory rollbacks of environmental regulations. These rollbacks, as outlined in the article, include ‘a restriction on scientific research that some doctors worry could complicate future pandemic controls.’ The article points out that the Administration is under the gun to push these rollbacks through soon, because there is a 60 day window for these decisions to be overturned, and it is worried that if a new administration took over during that window, they would be reversed quickly.

  • An interesting article in the National Fisherman about the impact the Coronavirus is having on the East Coast fishing fleet. With the decrease in demand usually provided by restaurants, prices of fish in the Northeast have plummeted, resulting in fleets remaining at the dock. The angle that I found interesting here is the long-term impact this might have on the commercial fishing industry. As supermarkets have, over time, ceded sourcing seafood to overseas imports, local, fresh seafood that comes from well-managed stocks of fish and pass over fewer hands (reducing risk of viruses or disease) have fallen off the shelves. So despite fish and poultry and other protein flying off shelves at markets now, boats remain at the docks in the Northeast. There’s a chance this could result in a shift to how markets source their fish moving forward, but right now, the industry is struggling. Local fish markets are likely still offering fish from local markets, so keep them in mind as you look for ways to stock the fridge while social distancing over the next few weeks.

  • In his latest entry in One Angler’s Voyage, Charles Witek discusses a common argument from anti-regulation / pro-harvest parties - that fish stocks are not overfished, but instead have just moved offshore or elsewhere. We’ve heard this in response to both striped bass and bluefish found to be overfished, but he highlights the same argument being made in Louisiana around speckled sea trout. In addition to not having any science to back it up, this claim has always rang pretty irrelevant to me, since the species that being discussed in these situations are targeted by inshore anglers, not offshore ones, so it shouldn’t matter if there are more fish offshore than inshore, since those targeting them cannot reach them. For striped bass, for example, the majority of trips taken for stripers are by shore-bound anglers. Shouldn’t we be managing fish so that those who want to target them can catch them? If not, what’s the point? It has been proven that abundant fish stocks spread into wider areas, so managing them so they are available to those looking to catch them should be the bare minimum of any regulation. It’s a ridiculous argument to begin with, and one without any logic behind it.

  • We’ll finish up with a positive story to take into the weekend. This piece from The Maine Magazine covers the recovery of alewives in Maine’s rivers and streams. Herring runs up and down the Northeastern coast have realized a recovery in recent years due to efforts like those outlined in the article to install fish ladders, tear down dams and improve management of the species. With the herring, ospreys, seals, striped bass, eagles and other predators have also made comebacks, and water quality in rivers and streams have improved. Importantly, the return of the herring in Maine is resulting in an uprising of support by the people in the area. It’s that type of public support that leads to further efforts and the recovery of more important species.

March 25, 2020: COVID-19 Responses and Impact - Recreational, Commercial and Regulatory - and A Cool Study on Squid

  • It’s no question that the the lockdown we are all facing is having a significant impact on the country (and world) economy. The American Saltwater Guides Association, a group that is featured here regularly and is an important advocate for the recreational fishing community and for conservation-minded anglers, wrote a letter to Congress about what COVID-19 is doing to the fishing industry. Fishing guides, tackle shop owners and other businesses relying on this summer’s season are struggling, and are some of the best voices for conservative regulations. Remember to support these businesses when and how you can. We all rely on them for gear, insights and enjoying time on the water, and supporting them now can go a long way in having their support in the future.

  • And here’s an article on the impact that COVID-19 is having on the commercial fishery industry in the United States and globally. With the stimulus package that was agreed-upon today including self-employed in unemployment benefits, hopefully the impact is lessened a bit, but there are a lot of expenses and levels to keeping our fisheries operating, and demand has been, and will continue to be, significantly impacted as imports and exports are limited and restaurants are closed. While the lack of demand will likely give many fish species a break, as effort will come down, the United States commercial fisheries are some of the best managed and most sustainable fisheries in the world, so we want to make sure they are in place and able to meet demand once we get a grasp on the Coronavirus, restaurants open and exports ramp back up. If the fisheries are gone, we will likely have to rely on importing seafood from other countries, where fisheries are not managed as well or with sustainability in mind.

  • More response to COVID-19, this time from NOAA waiving some of the observer requirements for vessels with Northeast fishing permits. Citing difficulty securing monitors and also health concerns related to having additional people on the boat, the waivers are currently set to expire on April 4, however Michael Pentony, the regional adminstrator for the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, has said extensions of the waiver will be evaluated weekly.

  • Not much on conservation here, but a cool article on how scientists are studying and researching the way Humboldt squid may use specially-adapted, light-emitting organs to communicate while feeding in large groups. Pretty wild stuff.

March 22, 2020: More Pushback to Maryland on Striped Bass, Supporting our Fisheries, New Species and Some Hope and Tranquility in These Crazy Times

  • A group of fishing organizations sent a letter to Maryland’s Secretary of Natural Resources Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio expressing their discontent with the regulations the state put in place. We have covered Maryland a lot here, and the state has continually acted in opposition of the best interests of striped bass. While the letter, and corresponding press release, doesn’t focus much on what’s best for striped bass, focusing more on access to fish and the economic drivers of the striped bass fishery, it does touch on some of the major issues with Maryland’s CE proposal and regulations. It would be nice if Maryland listened to the calls for it to act in the best interests of striped bass like Rhode Island did, but I’m not holding my breath.

  • An interesting piece in the Los Angeles Times about the impact of the Coronavirus on supply chains and seafood supply/demand globally.  It’s a scary and uncertain time for all of us, and supporting those around us can go a long way.  Supporting local, US-caught fish will keep the chain open and the sustainable, well-managed fisheries in operation.  We are fortunate in the United States to be able to produce enough food to sustain our country, in both good times and bad, and sustainable fisheries are a part of it.     

  • More evidence of just how little we know about our own oceans, as multiple new shark species have been discovered this year in the Indian Ocean.  These two sawsharks were found in local fishing markets, and neither have been seen alive yet.  This comes back to a common theme here, in that the more we know about our oceans, the species in them and how they interact with each other, the better we can manage them. 

  • Charles Witek’s most recent entry is a reflection on herring, how the stock crashed, and how it has been rebuilt.  In light of where we stand right now, facing worldwide disruption from the Coronavirus, it’s a timely piece that expresses hope and perseverance.

  • Lastly, give the chaos we are all facing, Orvis recently posted this ‘Moment of Chill,’ that really calmed my nerves earlier this week and made me realize that the world moves on, and we’ll get through this. 

March 18, 2020: Slot vs. Minimum Size, The Meaning Behind RI’s Decision for Coast-wide Consistency, Demand vs. Effort in Alaska and Spring ASMFC Meeting Cancelled

  • Here’s a study coming from Berlin on the effectiveness of slot limits. The study, which focuses on freshwater fish, suggests that slot limits, like the one recently implemented for striped bass, are more effective at managing species to abundance than simply a minimum size. While the points they make - protecting the largest, super-breeders is beneficial and can keep the age diversity more in-tact, etc. - make sense generally, I do not believe it is a one-format fits all when it comes to managing fish. In terms of striped bass, specifically, I do not believe a slot makes as much sense as it does with other species, mainly due to the way the species spawns. The success of annual breeding seasons relies heavily on environmental factors, namely a need for cold, fresh water. As a result, the age-distribution of striped bass is not balanced, and there are a few more abundant age classes surrounded by others that are much less so. The issue with a slot, in this case, is that it focuses harvest on a few, specific year-classes, and if one of those is the most abundant and therefor easiest to find/catch, there’s a chance we can deplete them before they reach superbreeder size and have a significant impact on the breeding stock. One thing that was highlighted in the study, however, is that it is important that the lower-limit of the slot allows for the species to spawn at least one before being harvested. The 28” lower--limit does not do that.

  • Charles Witek’s latest entry highlights the recent decision by Rhode Island, specifically Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit, to implement the ASMFC recommended 28”-35” slot rather than the conservation equivalency proposal that would have had a higher slot and included sector-separation. This decision was meaningful in a number of ways. First, it appears to be in response to outreach by both recreational anglers, some groups comprising guides, business owners and recreational anglers, like the American Saltwater Guides Association and neighboring states, signalling that managers are listening. Second, and even more meaningfully, Director Coit’s decision cited that her decision was made because it was the right path forward for the resource. That, at the end of the day, is what fishery management should be focused on, above all else.

  • As I sit at home, with regular day-to-day life disrupted by Coronavirus, fisheries and commercial anglers have not been spared that disruption. The National Fisherman covers how demand for certain fish, including halibut, cod, herring and others, has been impacted by Corona and other markets over the past few months, leading to less effort on a number of species given the lower financial incentive of targeting them. It will be really interesting, once we have the virus under control, how far the impact will go beyond the massive economical and personal toll it will take. How will it impact fisheries or carbon emissions? It’s a scary, crazy and uncertain time in the world right now. Stay safe.

  • Finally, a quick update, also related to Corona. The ASMFC has cancelled its 2020 spring meeting in light of the virus and the restriction on gatherings over 50 people. This was the right decision, in my opinion, but will likely delay the start of the striped bass management amendment that may be pushed to an extended fall meeting.

March 17, 2020: More on The sense Behind Sector-Separation, Aquaculture Legislation, West Coast Ecosystem-Based Management and Right Whales

  • Here’s a recent post from Charles Witek in his One Angler’s Journey blog that highlights a continuing disconnect in the way fish are being managed and have been covered here over the last few weeks - sector separation. Charles begins by outlining the sector breakdown of anglers targeting certain fish in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic (the vast majority is shore and private boat), and then goes into a few examples of how managers have catered to the for-hire fleet in the way fish are managed, including striped bass in Maryland (and almost Rhode Island) and bluefish coast-wide. Allotting a disproportionate number of fish to a small portion of the angling public doesn’t make sense to me. Understanding that some for-hire businesses rely on putting fish in a cooler, the anglers on those boats shouldn’t be able to kill more fish - at the detriment of the stock. It’s an argument that’s based on a few things. First, as we discussed last week, catch & release is not considered in management, and fish are still being managed entirely around their harvest value, not their value in the water. We need to work hard to change that lens and speak up so managers do not only hear the small portion of the for-hire fleet that is still reliant entirely on killing more fish.

  • A bill has been reintroduced in the House that is designed to develop and support offshore aquaculture in the United States. There is apparently at least one other bill designed to accomplish similar goals, so we’ll have to see the details of each to determine if one is more viable than the other, but aquaculture in general is going to be a big part of the fishery management picture moving forward. As the demand for seafood continues to rise, we need to find ways to meet that demand without depleting wild fish stocks. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration with aquaculture, and I’m not up to speed on how sustainable offshore aquaculture might be, but this is definitely something to pay attention to, and the details around how the bills are being introduced and voted are are pretty interesting.

  • NOAA fisheries reports on a west coast study examining the productivity of the marine ecosystem. The study, which examines things like commercial landings, water temperatures, sardine populations, young-of-the-year sea lions, etc. and then uses them to help manage the fisheries and marine resources. I have seen multiple reports of the dungeness crab season being postponed, despite abundant populations, to help prevent whales getting tangled in the crab gear during their migration. At a quick glance, the amount of information that is being monitored and considered in management on the West Coast is admirable and should, theoretically, allow for much more effective ecosystem-wide management. Would love this type of approach to continue to move forward on the east coast (hopefully starting with menhaden at the next ASMFC meeting (whenever that ends up being).

  • Quick, cool and good news report on a Right Whale and its calf moving well into the Gulf of Mexico. It was a good breeding year for right whales (10 calves), which are very endangered. Hopefully we can continue to see good calving years and these rare animals can maintain and grow their populations as we move forward. Would love to run into one at some point in my life.

March 13, 2020: Good News on Striped Bass in RI, Importance of C&R in Management, An Impressive Cod Study and Two Important, Timely CALLS TO ACTION

  • We’re going to start today with some great news on striped bass management. Rhode Island, one of the few states that had a Conservation Equivalency proposal approved by the Commission, has decided to stick with the ASMFC recommended 28”-35” slot for the upcoming striped bass season instead of the CE proposal that would have increased the slot and had separate limits for for-hire boats and private boats. For a slot-limit like the one proposed by the ASMFC to work, coast-wide consistency is key, otherwise fish of all sizes would be harvested up and down the coast. This decision not only likely improves the efficacy of the new regulations, but it also shows, once again, that the Commissioners at the ASMFC are listening. This is a positive step, and a result of a lot of outreach from anglers, officials and others in RI and neighboring states, and we need to keep pushing as we enter into the amendment process. Here is a link to a post from the American Saltwater Guies Association about this decision, as well as to the full announcement from RI.

  • In a blog post for the Marine Fish Conservation Network, Charles Witek discusses a fundamental disconnect between fishery managers and recreational anglers - catch & release. The way that fishery management policies and regulations are worded does not adequately account for, or even acknowledge the concept of, releasing a fish by choice. Instead, all releases are considered either bycatch or a discard. Obviously, there are a lot of anglers out there - including most reading this now - who fish primarily for the enjoyment of fishing, rather than to harvest a fish, so not having catch & release incorporated accurately or adequately in the way fisheries are managed doesn’t make much sense. Charles goes into how this approach has and could have continued to impact bluefish, specifically, in that unused quota (harvests) by the recreational sector has been transferred to the commercial sector. We’ve said this before, bluefish present an opportunity, as a fish that is primarily targeted as a catch & release fishery, to try and get managers to shift their perspective, and this article highlights why having catch & release incorporated regulations is so important.

  • There’s some really interesting research being conducted in the Cox’s Ledge area southwest of Martha’s Vineyard, where the South Fork wind lease energy area is located. Using underwater gliders, anchored sensors and acoustic tags on cod, data is being collected on fish congregations, whale migrations and other wildlife to assess the potential impact the offshore windfarm might have. Linking back to the articles about the sad state of New England’s cod fishery, this references the fact that there is very little known about where the Southern New England cod stock spawns. Hopefully these studies and efforts will shed some more light on that and help managers more effectively regulate the fisheries.

CALL TO ACTION SECTION

Going into the weekend, here’s a gentle reminder on two important and timely action items.

First, the deadline to reach out to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries urging them NOT to extend the commercial season is this Monday, March 16 at 5pm ET.

Please send your comment to Acting Director Daniel McKiernan and submit to DMF by e-mail at marine.fish@mass.gov or by post to 251 Causeway Street, Suite 400, Boston, MA 0211.

Second, Tuesday, March 17 is the deadline to submit comments to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council on bluefish management moving forward. Please read this link from the American Saltwater Guides Association on the scoping process, what we can gain (it’s a lot) and send in your comments:

  1. ONLINE: http://www.mafmc.org/comments/bluefish-allocation-rebuilding-amendment

  2. EMAIL: mseeley@mafmc.org

  3. MAIL or FAX: Dr. Christopher Moore, Executive Director
    Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
    800 North State Street, Suite 201
    Dover, DE 19901
    FAX: 302.674.5399

March 11, 2020: A Call to Action for Striper Anglers, A Request to the RI DEM, Protecting NOAA’s Funding and Progress on Menhaden

  • Captain Peter Fallon in Maine posted a call to action yesterday, urging all striped bass anglers to reach out to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries about the state’s commercial season. The state’s commercial season has been a topic of discussion over the past two years, since the commercial fleet has failed to fill its striped bass quota (89% in ‘18 and only 67% in ‘19). In light of that, the state considered extending its commercial season in the past to give commercial anglers more time to fill it. Public comment led to the state deciding not to do that last year, but they’re back again, this time contemplating opening the season early - moving the date from June 23 to June 1. Peter makes a great point here in that this is the exact wrong time to extend the commercial season. The jury is still out on how successful the new regulations are going to be. With that uncertainty, every state should be especially cautious and not look for any reason to increase harvest in 2020. Please read his write-up, which includes a sample letter, and send your comments to the MA DMF here.

  • Peter Jenkins, the owner of the Saltwater Edge in Middletown Rhode Island, wrote an opinion piece for the Newport Daily News / Providence Journal urging the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to do the right thing when it makes its decision on what the state’s regulations will be this season for striped bass. As we have covered, Rhode Island as the only state in New England that requested Conservation Equivalency, and has the option to move forward with new regulations that have different limits for the for-hire fleet than from the rest of the recreational population. This, combine with a different slot than neighboring states, will make it very hard for enforcement to manage the regulations and decrease the likelihood of the coast-wide reduction target being reached. Hopefully the DEM listens to this and the thousands of anglers who support coast-wide consistency and not implement its CE proposal.

  • Charlie Witek took a trip to the Capitol last week to discuss the Federal Budget that was submitted by the Trump Administration. Included in that budget is a 13% cut to NOAA, which would mean less money for science, research, enforcement and management of our fisheries and oceans. Charlie spends some time outlining how the budget approval process works, but quickly dives into some of the issues at risk and also on how many states, not just his home state of New York, were working hard to ensure that NOAA and other important Federal organizations are funded adequately. There’s detail about conversations he had with specific members of Congress, but the major takeaway here is that our representatives do listen, but they only hear who speaks up. There are going to be opportunities to really help shape fishery management moving forward, but we need to pay attention and we need to speak up when those opportunities present themselves.

  • Rob Vandermark from the Marine Fish Conservation Network submitted an opinion piece of his own to the Richmond Times-Dispatch about the recent changes in menhaden management, applauding Virginia lawmakers for transferring oversight of the fishery from the State Legislature to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. This was a big step forward that had been sought after for years and hopefully removes some of the politics that have skewed menhaden management historically. Rob includes some pretty powerful data about the importance of menhaden to the ecosystem, specifically to striped bass, and the resulting economic benefit to the entire region.

March 10, 2020: Sector Separation, ERPs in Menhaden Management, Northern Canyons and Seamounts and How Management is Working or Not Working

  • The American Saltwater Guides Association covers an issue that has become a major topic of discussion in fishery management in the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast - sector separation. Simply put, this concept separates the recreational sector into two groups, the charter / for-hire group and the private boat group. With sector separation, charter or for-hire boats have separate regulations and a separate quota from the rest of the recreational sector. The ASGA covers where this concept comes from (red snapper in the Gulf), and then goes into three major issues in implementing this type of regulatory framework in the Northeast - Accountability, Reallocation of Specific Fisheries and MRIP. Each make the striped bass and bluefish fisheries very different from red snapper and help highlight why sector-separation does not make a whole lot of sense in managing those species.

  • Chris Moore, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s senior regional ecosystem scientist, wrote an editorial in the Bay Journal about the importance of managing menhaden in relation to their importance to the entire ecosystem, rather than as a single-species. This was covered in our recap of the ASMFC meeting, but the Commission has agreed to explore the implementation of Ecological Reference Points at its May meeting. He highlights the public comments received by the ASMFC, which overwhelmingly supported ERPs. Managing menhaden this way allows them to support the fish that rely on them, including striped bass. Chris includes an important point, however, in that there is still a lot of work to do in developing a truly holistic ecosystem management approach, but using menhaden in their relationship to striped bass is a good first step.

  • This article touches on a few things we have covered here before, focusing on the US underwater canyons in the Atlantic Ocean and the need to protect them. As we have included here before, NOAA has been conducting extensive surveys of the ocean floor, which are leading to the discovery of a pretty shocking number of new species, canyons, habitats and reefs. During the Obama Administration, a small portion of the North Atlantic Canyons and the Seamounts that lie further offshore were protected as part of a National Marine Monument, which prohibits extraction and prevents destruction of the deep sea corals that can take millennia to grow. Given how much has been uncovered from the surveys, the impact and importance of these areas is unknown. That said, it’s very clear that the Ocean is all connected, and given the number of marine mammals and predators that are often seen above these areas (look back at the article about blue whales off the NE Coast last month), the Seamounts and Canyons should be protected until at least we are more aware of what is there and what it means.

  • Charles Witek provides a pretty good update/recap of where we stand as we enter into the 2020 season, highlighting accomplishments, setbacks and potential opportunities on the horizon. He breaks it between inshore and offshore species, focusing on where management of inshore fisheries is showing signs of improvement, specifically in the discussion that took place around striped bass at the recent ASMFC meeting, the way managers are listening to proposals that would result in bluefish being managed as a recreational fish instead of in relation to the value of it being harvested, and the major steps forward that were taken around menhaden - both its management being shifted to the VA MRC and the potential inclusion of Ecological Reference Points moving forward. Importantly, the opportunities that lay ahead will require a lot of effort from all of us so our voices are heard for the benefit of the fish at hand. Stay tuned, stay ready.

March 3, 2020: Pebble Mine Updates, Martha’s Vineyard Derby and Innovations to Fish Farming

  • Let’s start with two articles on Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay. The first is an update from the Federal Court hearing on Pebble that took place yesterday. We have covered much of what was discussed in the past, but this hearing and the decision made by the court will likely have a significant impact on the viability and survival of one of the most amazing places I have ever been and home to the world’s largest wild salmon populations. The salmon of Bristol Bay are critical not only to the bears, plants and other animals and wildlife in Alaska, but to the livelihoods of many in Alaska and also as a foodsource to people across the country. The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers has gone through this process haphazardly, and hopefully the courts see to the true risk this project poses and protects Bristol Bay and the unique habitat it comprises.

  • The second is from the weekend and is written by the owner of a fishing lodge in Bristol Bay, highlighting how Alaska Governor Dunleavy has repeatedly supported Pebble against the urges of the people of his state. I’m not going to highlight what he has done, as it is clearly outlined in the article, but I will support the author’s stance on how important pristine habitat is to the salmon that support everything that lives in and enjoys Bristol Bay. Hopefully the courts understand that importance and the risk this mine would pose to one of our country’s (and the world’s) most incredible resources.

  • I’m not really sure how to approach this article, which is based on an interview with the Martha’s Vineyard Derby president about eliminating striped bass from the competition this year. In it, the Derby claims to be always evaluating conservation efforts and it’s forefront of what they do. That said, and this may just be what was reported on, there is no evidence in here that they are doing much research on the status of striped bass, relying instead on catch numbers in past years and the fact that managers have more data now than they did in the 80’s, so the fish should rebound again. There’s a lot more that goes into managing the fish, and I hope something that is as high profile as the Derby is looking more into the status of its species than that. That said, the fact that bluefish, which are also overfished, are still included in the derby and I haven’t seen any evidence that the derby is considering removing them from the derby as well. Additionally, they don’t refer at all to the fact that the derby has always rewarded the largest fish, which is now impossible given the slot limit imposed by managers on striped bass. I am glad striped bass are not being included in the Derby, and I am not against tournaments in any way, we throw one every year that is 100% catch and release and intended entirely to raise money and awareness for the importance of conserving our fisheries and resources, but I feel as though the Derby and its organizers have gotten a whole lot of publicity - some of which they seem to have sought out - for one decision that has essentially been forced upon them. I think there should be a push to make the entire tournament catch & release. Anything else encourages harvest of fish that otherwise would likely be released.

  • This article in Forbes is contributed by ABB, which has a stake in the developments being discussed, so take that into account when reading it, but it’s very clear that traditional fish farming - particularly salmon farming in the fjords of Norway and inshore other areas - needs to be modernized and updated to lower the environmental impact and keep the fish healthier for human consumption. If what is discussed here is true, there is a LOT of money being put towards that goal, so hopefully there are ways that science and AI can be used to address the issues we have all heard - diseased fish, non-native escapees, etc.

March 2, 2020: The Mystery of the Deep-Ocean, Bluefish Management and Formalizing the Transition of Menhaden Management

  • This is so cool. There was an article back in January I think talking about the mapping of areas off the US East Coast, but NOAA has been mapping and filming areas off Pacific Islands like Hawaii with some pretty astounding results. Of the hundreds of thousands of marine animals that have been caught on camera during the study, they estimate that only 20% of them are identifiable. While some of those are due to poor image quality, the majority of those that are unable to be identified are simply not identified species yet. It’s incredible. In addition to that, the footage has uncovered unknown or incorrect information about a number of known species. So far, they have mapped an area larger than California, but 86% of the Pacific remains unmapped. There’s so much we still don’t know. I would love to see some more of the funding going to space be transferred over to our own oceans that fuel our planet. There is so much we don’t know, and despite it being out of sight and seemingly far removed from the fisheries we pursue, it’s all connected somehow. These pockets of life in the deep ocean all play a role and we need to understand more to protect them accordingly.

  • Charles Witek’s latest in One Angler’s Voyage puts a spotlight on the process that managers are going through right now on bluefish, highlighting specifically that it seems as though recreational anglers are not as interested as you might expect. Right now, the management body for bluefish is in its ‘scoping period,’ where they are taking comment and perspective on how bluefish should be managed to rebuild the stock, but also on what we, as anglers, want that rebuild stock to look like once it is completed. There’s a huge opportunity here to shift the perspective on bluefish away from the value of a harvest fish towards the value of the fish in the water. Given the low value as a food-fish and the highly-recreational / catch and release focus of the fishery, anglers can voice their opinions on how bluefish should be managed accordingly, and positioned for increased abundance to be enjoyed by the recreational, catch and release crew. He points out, however, details from a recent meeting in New York as part of this scoping process that suggests anglers are not paying attention, or not interested. These scoping hearings have pretty much all taken place by now, but you can still provide written comment, so PLEASE DO! We’ll update our Take Action page shortly for this, but here’s a link to where to do so - http://www.mafmc.org/comments/bluefish-allocation-rebuilding-amendment. Bluefish are an awesome fish to catch, especially when they get to 13 pounds or so, and protecting them so we have access to those fish during the summer should be a priority.

  • The management of menhaden has officially been passed from the Virginia Legislature to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, which marks a major step in the effective management of this fish. As we have highlighted in the past, menhaden were the only fish not managed by the VA MRC, and it took years of pushing for this for it to finally happen. This will hopefully result in more responsible management and the VA fishery to fall back into compliance, after Omega willfully exceeded the quota set for the Chesapeake Bay last year. There are a couple comments in this article from an Omega spokesman, which are pretty interesting. The first is that this year will be a trial-run for us, which I believe is referring to their relationship with the VA MRC and how menhaden will be managed. The second was that it will all depend on weather, when seemingly referring to where the fish that Omega targets are located. Those both suggest to me that we might see the company once again willingly exceed quotas in the Bay, but hopefully they comply and menhaden continue to support the ecosystems that rely on them with abundance.