The United States achieved several victories for our commercial and recreational fisheries at the 2019 meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas in Mallorca, Spain. The U.S. delegation was central to the negotiations to address juvenile mortality of overfished big eye tuna through increases in fish aggregating devices (FADs) closure periods Atlantic-wide as well as a reduction in the total allowable catch. Of particular note was a win for observer safety, an issue that NOAA has long been advancing in multiple regional fisheries management organizations.

NOAA Fisheries intends to issue exempted fishing permits, scientific research permits, display permits, letters of acknowledgement, and Shark Research Fishery permits for the research and collection of Atlantic highly migratory species in 2020. We generally receive fewer than 50 applications, and we issue the appropriate permit based on the applications. By December 23, please submit your comments on issuing these types of permits.

Today, NOAA Fisheries published a Federal Register Notice soliciting input on its DRAFT 2019 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports and is seeking input prior to finalizing these reports.  NOAA Fisheries prepares marine mammal stock assessment reports annually, as directed by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). We currently track 246 stocks of marine mammals and have an associated Stock Assessment Report for each species. In 2019, we updated information for 76 stock. Comments are due February 25, 2020. 

Newly developed speech recognition software will help scientists further improve the way they record essential fisheries data at sea under challenging weather conditions. Neither rain nor salt spray, or even fish slime, keeps scientists from collecting data crucial to successful management of Alaska’s fisheries.

New findings on how fish populations respond to climate change could help fisheries managers and industry plan for the future. Northern rock sole stocks may benefit from warming in the Bering Sea, a new NOAA Fisheries study suggests. Scientists found the first quantitative evidence that the absence of the “cold pool” from northern rock sole nursery grounds during the first year of life was associated with strong recruitment.

NMFS announces the extension of the public comment period on the proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Central America, Mexico, and Western North Pacific distinct population segments (DPSs) of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). We also announce that an additional public hearing will be held on this proposed rule.

Data collected during this cruise helps researchers monitor changes in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean ecosystem. The 2019 Northeast fall ecosystem monitoring survey aboard NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter sampled 117 stations along the U.S. East Coast. In all, 75 percent of the cruise objectives were accomplished. The limited number of available days at sea was the main reason more stations were not completed, although weather delays were also a factor.

NOAA Fisheries announces a final rule that establishes quota levels, opening dates, and retention limits for the 2020 Atlantic commercial shark fisheries.  The final 2020 quotas, adjusted as appropriate to account for over- and underharvests, are summarized at www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/2020-commercial-atlantic-shark-fishing-quotas-dates-retention-limits.