In this issue:
Funding Available from USDA Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Grant
DEC announced $200,000 in federal funding is available to support New York State licensed seafood dealers and processors for costs from implementing measures to protect workers against COVID-19. Funding has been made available from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety (SPRS) Block Grant Program. The application period for the USDA SPRS grant begins on April 1, 2024 and ends on May 15, 2024.
Eligible applicants must have held or currently have one of the following permits below:
- Food Fish and Crustacea (FF&C) Dealers and Shippers
- Shellfish Shippers (Class A)
- Shellfish Processors (Class B)
- Shellfish Re-shippers (Class C)
- Shellfish Digger/Shippers (Class D)
- Bay Scallop Shucker/Packer (Class E)
Applicants must have had the above permits in 2020, and/or 2021 and in 2023 must have applied for 2024 by Friday, March 22, 2024.
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NOAA Fisheries is implementing mandatory electronic harvester reporting requirements for all Federal lobster permit holders. Beginning on April 1, 2024, eVTR’s must be submitted within 48 hours following the completion of a trip.
Information on all approved reporting apps can be found on NOAA's website.
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The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet Tuesday, April 9 - Thursday, April 11, 2024 at The Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel. This will be an in-person meeting with a virtual option. Council members, other meeting participants, and members of the public will have the option to participate in-person or virtually via Webex webinar.
Please see the April 2024 Council Meeting page for webinar details, briefing materials (as they become available), and other updates.
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking public input on potential modifications to the Summer Flounder Small Mesh Exemption Program and the flynet exemption from the summer flounder minimum mesh size requirements. Interested stakeholders are invited to provide comments during a webinar to be held on April 2, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. The Council is particularly interested in input from participants in commercial trawl fisheries who utilize the Small Mesh Exemption Program and/or flynet exemption.
The Council is considering these changes through a joint framework action/addendum being developed jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board (Board). The Council and Board are seeking comments to inform their consideration of a draft range of alternatives at their April 2024 joint meeting.
To provide written comments or for more information:
Written comments can be emailed to Kiley Dancy at kdancy@mafmc.org, and will be included in the Council and Board’s April meeting materials if received by 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Please contact Kiley for more information, or visit the framework/addendum action page.
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Marine Security Patrol – New York Harbor
On Feb. 1, ECOs Pansini and Broughton of the DEC Region 2 Marine Enforcement Unit conducted a Maritime Security Response Operations (MRSO) patrol focused on regulated facilities along the Kill Van-Kull and the East River. After the MRSO patrol, Officers boarded multiple commercial crabbing vessels dredging in New York Harbor and measured bushels of blue crabs. The ECOS observed no violations.
ECO Broughton boards crab-fishing vessel in New York Harbor during Patrol
Sea Bass Bust - Suffolk County
On Feb. 27, ECOs DeVito, Giarratana, Cacciola, and Simmons partnered with Officer Lepre from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct a late-night commercial fishing enforcement detail. The team boarded multiple commercial fishing vessels in Montauk and discovered multiple violations, including over the legal commercial limit of black sea bass, illegal late-night offloading of fluke and black sea bass, and failure to accurately document species/quantities of catch on vessel trip reports. ECOs ticketed the captain of the boat for each violation, returnable to East Hampton Town Court.
Boxes of illegally offloaded black sea bass discovered in Montauk, Suffolk County
On February 22, 2024 DEC filed a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend 6 NYCRR Part 40 – Marine Fish (Cobia).
This rulemaking allows New York to close the commercial Cobia fishery by written notice to license holders should the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) determine that the coastwide commercial Cobia harvest quota has been reached. This rule maintains New York’s compliance with the ASMFC fishery management plan. Please visit DEC's website for additional information.
Comment period is open through May 6, 2024.
Written comments can be submitted to:
Jesse Hornstein
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
123 Kings Park Blvd
Kings Park, NY 11754
E-mail: fw.marine@dec.ny.gov
ASMFC Scientific Illustration of Cobia
6 NYCRR Part 40 – Marine Fish (Atlantic Cod)
Date: Thursday, April 4, 2:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual meeting
Marine Resources Advisory Council (MRAC) Meeting
Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2:00 p.m.
Location: DEC Division of Marine Resources, 123 Kings Park Blvd, Kings Park
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