HIGHLIGHTS
Dive into
the New NOAA Fisheries Website
We are in the process of
dramatically transforming our web presence and welcome you to check it out.
Please have patience as we make this transition and continue improvements. At
this time, much of our old national site (www.nmfs.noaa.gov) is now redirecting
you to the new site (www.fisheries.noaa.gov.) Here's an important tip: if you
are looking for something specific, we recommend using the site search box at the top
of every page.
Splash into
Whale Week with NOAA Fisheries
Whales play a pivotal role in the
marine environment and they are important sentinels of changes in our marine
ecosystems. Join us this week as we celebrate the largest and oldest mammals on
Earth.
Chris
Oliver, head of NOAA Fisheries, kicks off Whale Week 2018 by highlighting our
work to recover them and sharing more about why these fascinating creatures
grab our attention.
Learn more
about this Species in the Spotlight in an interview with NOAA Fisheries
scientist Lynne Barre.
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Faces of North Atlantic Right Whale
Conservation
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The past
year has been devastating for critically endangered North Atlantic right
whales. Meet the experts at NOAA who are tackling this difficult problem: Sofie van Parijs
conducts acoustic monitoring,
Mike Asaro works to
prevent entanglements, and
David Morin leads
disentanglement efforts.
NOAA
scientists at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center celebrate 25 years of
research on gray whale calf production. Annual shore-based counts of gray whale
mother-calf pairs serve as a firm foundation for examining the interplay
between changing environmental conditions and gray whale population dynamics.
Informed
Compliance Provision for Seafood Import Monitoring Program Ends April 7
NOAA Fisheries announced that,
beginning April 7, all filings for seafood products covered by the Seafood
Import Monitoring Program must comply with the electronic filing requirements
in order for an entry to receive a “may proceed.” NOAA Fisheries’ transitional
“informed compliance” approach will end that time.
Commerce Trusted Trader Program Webinars
Reminder: Join NOAA Fisheries for a presentation on our proposed rule to establish a
voluntary Commerce Trusted Trader Program for U.S. seafood importers—
a valuable
complement to the Seafood Import Monitoring Program. Webinars will be held
February 15 and 28.
Alaska
New Home
Announced for Beluga Whale Calf
After NOAA Fisheries determined
that the Cook Inlet beluga whale calf rescued last fall could not survive in
the wild, we followed our formal procedure to find him a permanent home. We
determined that Sea World of Texas, which currently houses adult male and
female belugas, would provide him the best chance of survival and social
development.
Alaska
Fisheries Science Center Year in Review
The research of the Alaska
Fisheries Science Center provides the foundation
for sustainable marine resource management to ensure strong and profitable
fisheries and businesses, ample jobs, and a stable food supply for local Alaska
communities and the nation. Read more about the Center’s accomplishments in
2017.
West Coast
NOAA Day
Showcases Agency’s Work on Environmental Challenges
On November 18, the Aquarium of
the Pacific in Long Beach hosted several NOAA agencies for the 11th
Annual NOAA Day. This event showcases how NOAA biologists, engineers, data
scientists, oceanographers, meteorologists, and other public servants work in
concert on our nation’s most challenging environmental issues.
Green
Sturgeon Recovery Plan Workshop
In January, NOAA Fisheries
released a draft recovery plan for green sturgeon in central California. A public workshop on the draft recovery
plan will take place in Sacramento on March 5. Please RSVP by February 26 if
you plan to attend.
Pacific Islands
Monk Seal
Updates: A Tale of Two Hookings
Interactions with fishing gear
can pose a serious threat to Hawaiian monk seals. A couple of recent hooking
incidents illustrate the difficulty and the risk involved for responders trying
to help.
Southeast
Fishery
Disasters Declared for 2017 Hurricanes
Last week—following requests from
the Governors of Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico—Secretary of
Commerce Wilbur Ross determined catastrophic fishery disasters occurred in the
areas because of impacts from Hurricanes Irma and Maria that made landfall in
August and September of 2017. These disaster declarations make the participants
in those fisheries eligible for certain federal loans and assistance.
Living
Shorelines Help Protect Communities from Hurricane Impacts
By the second half of this
century, more than half of our population will live within 60 miles of a
coastline. An increasingly popular and cost-effective means of restoring
coastal ecosystems is the use of living shorelines. According to NOAA’s Guidance
for Considering the Use of Living Shorelines, living shorelines will become
the common-sense option for coastal restoration work.
New Tool for
Siting Aquaculture in Gulf of Mexico
NOAA’s National Centers for
Coastal Ocean Science released the newly created Gulf Aquamapper, a
web-based tool for exploration, permitting, and siting of offshore aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico. The tool aims to streamline the permitting
process established by the 2016 Gulf Aquaculture Fishery Management Plan.
Gulf Spill Open Ocean Trustees Initiate Planning
The
Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group has started drafting its first and second post-settlement draft
restoration plans to address natural resource injuries caused by the 2010 Deepwater
Horizon oil spill. The first plan, which focuses on birds and
sturgeon, should be released in summer 2018, and the second plan—covering sea
turtles, marine mammals, fish, and invertebrates—is expected toward the end of
the year.
Winter Issue
of Gulf Fishery News Available
The
latest issue of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council’s newsletter, Gulf Fishery
News, is now available. Topics include updates from the January
Council meeting, recently approved final regulations, a new red snapper
abundance study, and more.
Greater Atlantic
NOAA
Upgrades Online Trip Notification System
Northeast groundfish vessels
notify NOAA about upcoming groundfish trips so the agency can assign a fishery
monitor or observer to the trip if needed. In April, the Northeast Fisheries
Science Center will launch an upgraded online notification system that is
easier to use, mobile-friendly, and adaptable to future management
requirements.
Proposed
Special Management Zones – Open for Public Comment
By March 15, please submit your comments on proposed management
measures to establish year-round special management zones at all 13 New Jersey
artificial reefs. The measures would allow
only handline, rod-and-reel, or spear fishing (including the taking of fish by
hand) in these areas.
New
Reporting Requirements for Mid-Atlantic Charter Vessels
Starting March 12, vessels issued
a Greater Atlantic Region charter/party permit for certain species will be
required to submit electronic vessel trip reports within 48 hours for all trips
carrying passengers for hire. These new requirements stem from the Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council’s Omnibus Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting Framework.
New Marine
Mammal Stranding Response Group
After 4 years of no stranding
coverage on Nantucket, Tuckernuck, and Muskeget Islands, a new NOAA-authorized
organization will fill an important gap in the Greater Atlantic region. Marine
Mammal Rescue Nantucket will respond to both live and dead whales, dolphins,
and seals, conducting assessments, transportation to treatment facilities, and
necropsies.
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