HIGHLIGHTS
Bycatch
Reduction Engineering Program Awards
NOAA Fisheries awarded 14 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.
Seafood Import
Restrictions on Certain Fish and Fish Products from Mexico
Last Friday, in response to a preliminary injunction order form
the Court of International Trade, NOAA Fisheries issued a notice announcing
import restrictions on fish and fish products from Mexico caught with gillnets
deployed in the range of the vaquita. The vaquita is an endangered species of
porpoise endemic to the northern Gulf of California.
Economic
Impact Evaluations for 2017 Hurricanes
NOAA released its 60-day regional evaluations
of economic impacts from Hurricanes Irma and Maria to fishing communities in
Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The reports will assist the
Governors in assessing the damage to the fishing industry caused by these
storms. NOAA Fisheries will continue to play an active role in determining the
impacts following Hurricanes Irma and Maria on the commercial and recreational
fishing industries.
West Coast
Some Good
News for Pacific Bluefin Tuna
The International Scientific
Committee for Tunas and Tuna-Like Species in the North Pacific Ocean released
their most recent population assessment in July. Although Pacific bluefin tuna
numbers remain low, there are signs the population is recovering and on track
to meet rebuilding targets set forth by international agreement.
Pacific Islands
Hawaii
Visitor Fined for Marine Animal Harassment
A vacationer in Kauai who posted
videos online of himself touching an endangered Hawaiian monk seal and chasing
a sea turtle has been fined for violating the Endangered Species Act and Marine
Mammal Protection Act. NOAA reminds everyone to watch marine wildlife from a
distance, for your own safety and the animals’ well-being. See our Marine
Wildlife Viewing Guidelines (pdf) for Hawaii.
U.S. Purse Seine Fishery Environmental Impact Statement
NOAA Fisheries announced its
intention to develop an Environmental Impact Statement for the continued
authorization of the U.S. purse seine fishery in the western and central
Pacific Ocean under existing management measures and a broad range of
foreseeable future measures. Comments are due October 8.
Southeast
Gulf
Council Update August 2018
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council met in Corpus Christi, Texas, last week. The Council elected
Dr. Tom Frazer as Chair and Dale Diaz as Vice Chair. Read more about the
Council’s actions on coral, historical for-hire captain endorsements, cobia,
red snapper, and other issues.
Greater Atlantic
Predicting
River Response to Dam Removal
Aging dams are being removed
around the Northeast and throughout the nation to improve public safety and
restore river ecosystems. NOAA’s Restoration Center and collaborators are
studying the physical and biological effects of dam removal projects to better
understand and predict what will happen to the area after removal.
Stranded
Seals Test Positive for Flu and Distemper
Dozens of harbor and gray seals
have stranded along the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts over
the past few weeks. Preliminary testing of the first set of samples found some
seals infected by avian influenza, phocine distemper virus, and, in a few cases,
both viruses. It is too soon to determine whether these viruses are the primary
cause of the mortality event.
Development
of a Bluefish Allocation Amendment
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission met in
Virginia this month to discuss the ongoing development of a Bluefish Allocation
Amendment. Participants reviewed public input gathered in a series of scoping
hearings earlier this year, and more hearings will follow the completion of the
operational assessment.
Northeast
Regional Aquaculture Center RFP
The Northeast Regional
Aquaculture Center, headquartered at the University of Maryland, is one of five
Regional Aquaculture Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. NRAC
announced its 2019 request for proposals for projects that support commercial
aquaculture development in the northeastern states. Pre-proposals are due September 19.
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