FishNews – August 30, 2017

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

NOAA Fish News

August 23, 2017


HIGHLIGHTS

 

Hurricane Harvey from GOES-16

Hurricane Harvey – Conditions and Resources
As you know, Hurricane Harvey is causing catastrophic flooding in Texas and Louisiana. Get the latest on weather conditions and advisories from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. For the most up-to-date resources and information on the federal response to Harvey, please visit FEMA’s Hurricane Harvey page. In addition,
Texas Sea Grant has compiled a list of resources designed to assist in recovery efforts.

 

Saving Springer

Saving Springer, 15 Years Later
Fifteen years ago this summer, the Northwest joined forces to orchestrate the unprecedented rescue of an orphaned wild killer whale calf named Springer. The effort was successful, with Springer eventually rejoining her family and giving birth to a calf in 2013 and another this year. The effort built trust, partnerships, and goodwill that continues to contribute to killer whale recovery today. We celebrate the 15-year anniversary of this miraculous event with a three-part story—read 
Part 1Part 2, and Part 3.

 

Alewives

Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program Grants
NOAA Fisheries awarded 18 grants totaling more than $2.3 million under the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program. The grants support key partners in the research and development of innovative approaches and strategies for reducing bycatch, bycatch mortality, and post-release mortality in our nation’s fisheries.

 

IUU site header

Seafood Import Monitoring Program Roundtable
NOAA Fisheries is hosting another roundtable in Honolulu on September 7 to discuss the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program’s traceability data reporting and record-keeping requirements before they become mandatory in 2018. The roundtable will address topics relevant to foreign exporters and U.S. domestic importers of seafood species covered by the program.

 

Billfish tournament v2

New Online System for HMS Tournament Reporting
NOAA Fisheries is offering a new online option to register Atlantic Highly Migratory Species tournaments and report HMS tournament catches. Tournament registration and reporting helps characterize receational fishing effort and landings, providing data that will inform the management of swordfish, billfishes, tunas, and sharks.

 

TAS Summer Vacation collage

Photo Essay: Summer 2017 Vacation—with NOAA
Think summer is time to sit back and relax? Not if you’re building an underwater robot, measuring ocean salinity, or testing a wind turbine! Across the country, students and teachers kept their minds sharp in the lab and the great outdoors with NOAA educational opportunities. Here’s a look back at summer 2017 with NOAA.


Alaska

 

Humpback Operation
Photo by John Moran / NOAA Fisheries, Permit #18786-01

NOAA-Trained Team Cut Line Entangling Whale
A humpback whale became entangled in the anchor line of a cruise vessel early Sunday morning near the mouth of Tracy Arm. NOAA Fisheries marine mammal entanglement experts conducted a successful operation to cut the anchor line and are hopeful that the whale is now free.

 


West Coast

 

SR3 gray whale rescue
Responders dig a trench for the tide. Photo credit: SR3. Permit #18786

Rescue Effort Frees Whale in Olympic National Park
A rescue effort during high tide late on Saturday,
August 19, successfully freed a young gray whale that had been stranded for about 3 days on a remote beach in Olympic National Park and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

 


Pacific Islands

 

Guam Manell-Geus Habitat Focus Area demonstration

Building Capacity in Guam’s Habitat Focus Area
The Manell-Geus Habitat Focus Area, one of 10 NOAA Habitat Blueprint sites, is located in southern Guam. Recently, The Nature Conservancy’s Micronesia Program received a grant from the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation to build community capacity for restoration and conservation of the watershed.

 

Lehua Island aerial photo
Lehua Island

Lehua Island Project Environmental Assessment
Following consultation with NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the completion of the Final Environmental Assessment for the proposed Lehua Island Ecosystem Restoration Project.

 


Southeast

 

Louisiana Trustees birds

Louisiana Trustee Group Seeks Restoration Ideas
The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group is planning restoration activities to address injuries caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and is seeking input on restoration opportunities in the Louisiana Restoration Area. Please submit project ideas by September 18.

 

Cooperative Research Program

Cooperative Research Program Funding Available
The Cooperative Research Program supports projects seeking to improve and strengthen the relationship between NOAA Fisheries researchers, state fishery agencies, universities, and the U.S. fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean regions. Proposals must address one of five priority areas. Applications are due September 22.

 


Greater Atlantic

 

Round herring

Unmanaged Forage Fish in the Mid-Atlantic
NOAA Fisheries announced a new rule to protect unmanaged forage fish in Mid-Atlantic waters. Forage fish are small schooling species that serve as prey for larger fish, marine mammals and birds. This action sets landing and possession limits for 17 species and species groups to protect the important ecological role these forage fishes play.

 

Right Whale Mortality

North Atlantic Right Whale Unusual Mortality Event
Since June 7, 2017, an unusual number of North Atlantic right whales have died, primarily in Canada. NOAA Fisheries has declared this an Unusual Mortality Event. An independent team of scientists has launched an investigation into the cause.

 

Stakeholder Meeting John Deroba

Stakeholder Engagement in Management Strategy Evaluation
In a recent presentation to the American Fisheries Society, NOAA Fisheries scientist Jon Deroba shared what he’s learned about communicating and designing research with broad stakeholder involvement.

 

Rpath image

Improving Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management with Rpath
In a recent presentation to the American Fisheries Society, NOAA Fisheries scientist Sean Lucey presented his work on linking multiple Ecopath models using Rpath. This allows scientists to build models that account for fish biomass traveling between adjacent ocean regions.

Events

 

August 31
Informational webinar for potential applicants for Saltonstall-Kennedy grants in the Alaska area.

September 1
Workshop on Fishing Families in Alaska’s Fisheries, hosted by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Homer, Alaska.

September 6–7
Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Groundfish Assessment Port Meetings in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Plymouth, Massachusetts.

September 6–7
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel meeting (and webinar) in Silver Spring, Maryland.

September 7
Roundtable on the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program reporting and record-keeping compliance, in Honolulu.


Announcements

 

September 8
Applications due for seats on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s Red Snapper and Grouper-Tilefish Individual Fishing Quota Advisory Panel.

September 18
New or revised ideas for restoration projects to address 2010 oil spill injuries due to the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group.

September 22
Applications due for the Southeast region’s FY 2018 Cooperative Research Program Grants.

October 10
Pre-proposals due for FY 2018 Saltonstall-Kennedy Grants.

October 17
Applications due for FY 2018 John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grants.

November 1
Applications due for FY 2018 Species Recovery Grants to States.

November 1
Applications due for FY 2018 Species Recovery Grants to Tribes.


Federal Register Actions

Visit regulations.gov for a list of only those actions open for public comment. Scroll search for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

For a list of all daily actions, check the Federal Register online.