National

National

National

Pacific Northwest

Pacific Coast

New England

Alaska

National – Seafood Consumption Rose Again in 2003

Americans ate a record 16.3 pounds of fish and shellfish per person in 2003, up from 15.6 pounds in 2002, representing a four percent increase. This figure extends an upward trend in U.S. seafood consumption. Seafood consumption was only 14.9 pounds per capita five years ago.

Of the total 16.3 pounds consumed, a record 11.4 pounds were fresh and frozen finfish and shellfish. Among the 4.7 billion pounds of seafood consumed last year in the United States was 4.6 pounds per person in canned fish, up 0.3 pounds from 2002, and a record four pounds of shrimp consumed per person, also up 0.3 pounds from 2002.

These figures were published in NOAA’s annual report, “Fisheries of the United States”. For additional details on recent seafood consumption trends, go to http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/s2322.htm

National – NOAA Announces Top U.S. Fishing Ports for 2003

Commercial fishermen unloaded 900.7 million pounds of fish and shellfish at the port of Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, AK, making it the top port in the United States for landings in 2003. Dutch Harbor-Unalaska netted the top landings slot for the15th consecutive year, although the total fish and shellfish landings had decreased 7.4 million pounds from the record 2002 level. Empire-Venice, LA, ranked as the number two port for quantity of landings in 2003 with 400.0 million pounds. Reedville, VA, was third at 375.3 million pounds.

The port of New Bedford, MA, claimed the top spot for highest value of landings with $176.2 million for 2003. The 2003-dollar value of landings at New Bedford was up $7.6 million from 2002, mostly attributable to the value of sea scallops brought in and an increase in landings of herring, mackerel, silver hake, skates and ocean quahog. This was the fourth year in a row that the dollar value of landings at New Bedford increased. Number two for value of landings for 2003 was Dutch Harbor-Unalaska at $139.7 million--an increase of $3.6 million over 2002. This port’s landings value increased mainly due to increased groundfish catch from the Bearing Sea/Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska. The Hampton Roads Area, VA, landings value was third at $79.6 million in 2003, an increase of $10.1 million over 2002 due to increased landings of sea scallops.

A complete list of commercial fishery landings and value at 50 major U.S. ports for 2002-03 is available at http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/publications.html.

National - NOAA Fisheries Turns Away Improper Shipments of Chilean Sea Bass to Enforce International Conservation Provisions

NOAA Fisheries is cracking down on imports of Patagonian toothfish that don’t have required documentation. Toothfish, also known as Chilean sea bass, are managed through the international Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Through participation on the commission, the United States has helped implement an international system of tracking legally caught toothfish through a document that must be certified by the vessel’s flag nation.

Recently, some vessels applying for toothfish import pre-approval have been unable to produce the required documentation for their vessel monitoring system (VMS) operations. All vessels harvesting toothfish are required to carry a specific type of VMS, which must be tracked at least every four hours by the vessel’s flag state. In addition, a large shipment of toothfish was recently seized because of unauthorized signatures on the catch’s certification, a clear violation of international conservation measures. Only the port official of the landing/exporting country may authorize the landing/re-export of toothfish.

NOAA Fisheries is committed to keeping toothfish caught by poachers out of American seafood markets. Foreign dealers who are planning to send shipments to the United States may call NOAA Fisheries in advance to determine if the shipment will be accepted. Such a step could speed up the approval process and prevent shipments from being turned away when they reach a U.S. port.

Inquiries and questions may be directed to the U.S. toothfish import control officer, Kim Dawson, by phone at 1-228-769-8964 or by e-mail at kim.dawson@noaa.gov.

Pacific Northwest – Rebuilding Plans Finalized for Bocaccio, Cowcod, Widow Rockfish, and Yelloweye Rockfish

NOAA Fisheries has issued a final rule to implement Amendment 16-3 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Amendment 16-3 establishes rebuilding plans for the following overfished species: bocaccio, cowcod, widow rockfish, and yelloweye rockfish. While the FMP addresses how the fisheries as a whole are to be managed, these rebuilding plans define the parameters that govern the rebuilding of individual species. NOAA Fisheries believes that the FMP with the newly added rebuilding plans will be sufficient to end overfishing and to rebuild affected stocks of fish.

The plans include the target year for rebuilding and the harvest control rule. The harvest control rule expresses a given fishing mortality rate that is to be used over the course of rebuilding. If, after a new stock assessment, the Council and NOAA Fisheries conclude that either or both of these parameters should be revised, a revision will be implemented through new rulemaking with an opportunity for public comment.

The provisions of the new rule will take effect on October 28, 2004. The final rule is posted at: http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1sustfsh/groundfish/gfregs.htm.

Copies of Amendment 16-3, supporting analyses, and the Record of Decision are available on the Council's website: http://www.pcouncil.org.
For more information, contact jamie.goen@noaa.gov.

Pacific Coast - An Interdisciplinary Team of Scientists Embark on an Advanced Technologies Research Cruise to Cherry Bank, A Deepwater Ecosystem Off Southern California

On October 4th, NOAA Fisheries will lead an interdisciplinary team of scientists from Washington, Oregon, and California on a two-week advanced technologies research cruise to explore a deepwater ecosystem, Cherry Bank, off the coast of Southern California. During this cruise, scientists from NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, University of Washington, Oregon State University, Oregon State Department of Fish and Wildlife, and California State University’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories will use in situ acoustic and optical instruments to better understand how these technologies can inform and improve assessments of fisheries and their ecosystems.

Using the R/V Thomas G. Thompson as their research platform, scientists will deploy a range of technologies that will sample an entire cross section of the ocean, from seafloor to surface, over Cherry Bank. For more information on this research cruise, please visit: http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/research/cruises/research_cruises.cfm.

New England – New Members Appointed to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council

NOAA has announced the appointment of new members and alternates to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. The 21-member council is made up of 15 voting members and six ex-officio non-voting members. Newly appointed members are listed first by category, followed by the alternates:

Research: Mason Weinrich, Dr. Porter Hoagland
Research: Dr. Peter Auster, Dr. Judith Pederson
Education: Richard Wheeler, Sharon Meeker
Education: Peter Borelli, vacant
Conservation: Susan Farady, Regina Asmutis-Silvia
Conservation: Dr. Priscilla Brooks, Erin Heskett
Transportation: William Eldridge, Capt. Martin McCabe
Recreation: Barry Gibson, Michael Sosik
Whale Watching: Alan Hill, William Reilly
Fixed Gear-Commercial Fishing: William Adler, David Casoni
Mobile Gear-Commercial Fishing: Edward Barrett, Vito Giacolone
Business/Industry: Jackson Kent III, vacant
At-Large: John Williamson, Donald Hourihan
At-Large: Deborah Cramer, Steven Tucker
At-Large: Sally Yozell, Dale Brown

"Each of these members brings a unique perspective to the Sanctuary Advisory Council based on their long experience in the New England area," said Sanctuary Superintendent Craig MacDonald. "We are pleased that they have chosen to offer their considerable talents to help us manage the resources of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary."

Alaska – Social Scientists Study Fishing Communities in the North Pacific

NOAA Fisheries is involved in a nationwide effort to profile fishing communities for the purpose of expanding baseline knowledge of people who may be affected by changes in fishery regulations. A team of graduate students at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center produced short-form profiles for 130 communities located in the state of Alaska. Longer profiles based on in-depth research also are being developed at the Alaska Center for a more select group of Alaska fishing communities. The Alaska Center team joined with a team from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center to begin developing short-form profiles for West Coast communities, many of which are very involved in Alaska fisheries.

To read the article on this social science research, go to: http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/Quarterly/amj2004/amj04feat.pdf.

September 27, 2004

Rule. I.D. 091404G. Pacific Halibut Fisheries; Oregon Sport Fisheries

Rule. I.D. 092104C. Closure; Northeast Tile Fish Quota Harvested for Part-time
Category

Notice. I.D. 092004A. 87th SSC Meeting to be held on October 5-7,
and Public Hearings held on Oct. 12-15.

September 28, 2004

Notice. I.D. 092004C. End. Species; File No. 1446.

Notice. I.D. 092204B. South Atlantic FMC; Meeting

Notice. I.D. 092204C. New England FMC; Meetings

Rule. I.D. 092204A. Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska;
Atka Mackerel in the Central Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands.

Notice. I.D. 081104G. Marine Mammals; NMFS Permit No. 764-1703-01; USFWS.

Notice. Permit No. MA068532 (re: the National Museum of Natural History).

September 29, 2004

Notice. I.D. 092304B. Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General
Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing
Permits (re: the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension).

Notice. I.D. 081104G. Marine Mammals; NMFS Permit No. 764-1703-01; USFWS

September 30, 2004

Notice. I.D. 092404B. Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request;
Prohibited Species Donation Program.

Notice. I.D. 092404C. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request (re:
Nancy Foster Scholarship Program).

Notice. I.D. 092404D. Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request;
Cooperative Charting Program.

Notice. I.D. 070104A. Marine Seismic Survey in the Eastern Tropical
Pacific Ocean off Central America.

October 1, 2004