National

Northeast

South Atlantic & Gulf Coast

South Atlantic & Gulf Coast

National – National Fisheries Conference for October 2004 Cancelled

In a difficult decision regarding competing priorities and obligations, NOAA Fisheries determined it was necessary to cancel the 2 nd Annual National Fisheries Conference scheduled for October 2004 in Washington , D.C. For the first time since its conception, the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) will be hosted by the United States . That meeting is scheduled for November 15-21, 2004 in New Orleans , Louisiana . The time and resources necessary for hosting negotiations for this 38 member-country Commission precludes the equal level of time and resources required to organize a successful and productive national conference. In addition, the Ocean Commission will submit its final report in late summer or early fall. It was decided that placing the national fisheries conference so soon after release of the Commission's report could be premature.

Northeast – Workshop on Bycatch in Northeast Fisheries: "Moving Forward"

NOAA Fisheries' Northeast Regional Office has organized a bycatch workshop that will offer constituents and various fisheries interests an opportunity to review the status of current bycatch reduction efforts, discuss priorities and solutions, and share ideas about developing improved measures to reduce or eliminate bycatch of fish and protected species. This workshop is being co-sponsored with Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The workshop is scheduled for June 29- July 1, 2004 at the Sheraton Colonial Conference Center in Wakefield , Massachusetts . For more information or to register on line view the invitation or contact Hannah Goodale at: hannah.f.goodale@noaa.gov

South Atlantic & Gulf Coast – Emergency Restrictions on Shrimp Trawling are in Effect to Protect Sea Turtles

Following last month's stranding of 82 dead sea turtles along Georgia beaches, NOAA Fisheries imposed emergency restrictions on shrimpers operating offshore from Cape Fear , N.C. to just north of St. Augustine , Florida . Shrimpers trawling within that area are prohibited from fishing at night between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. These restrictions became effective June 7 and will expire at 11:59 p.m. July 7, 2004 . For further details, visit our Media Center web page at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mediacenter/.

South Atlantic & Gulf Coast – Fishermen Reminded of Requirements to Use Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs) and Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs)

This week NOAA Fisheries issued a bulletin to shrimp trawl vessels reminding them that all trawl vessels fishing for shrimp in federal waters of the South Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico must use Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs) and all shrimp trawl vessels in any waters of the southeast United States must use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) that are certified by NOAA Fisheries. For a copy of this bulletin, dated June 7, go to: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pubann/pa04/sfbulletins.htm

Details regarding the types of BRDs to be utilized, their configurations, construction, and installation are available by contacting NOAA Fisheries’ Harvesting Technology Branch, Mississippi Laboratories, Pascagoula Facility, 3209 Frederic Street , Pascagoula , Mississippi 39568-1207 ; phone (228) 762-4591. Written specifications are also available via the Internet as Appendix D of the following regulations: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/regulations/inter622.htm.

Specific requirements and installation information for TEDs can be found on the Internet at: http://www.mslabs.noaa.gov/mslabs/harvest/ted_technology.htm

For more information, please contact Steve Branstetter at (727) 570-5303, or steve.branstetter@noaa.gov.

June 1, 2004

Rule - Yellowfin Sole in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Rule - "Other Flatfish" in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands