National

National

International

Atlantic

Gulf

Gulf

Gulf

Pacific

Announcement - Gulf of Maine Habitat Restoration Strategy

Announcement - NOAA Fisheries Seeks Your Input on New Draft Strategic Plan

National – Marine Recreational Anglers are Catching - and Releasing - More Fish

Marine recreational anglers have been catching more fish in recent years, but they are also releasing their catch more often, according to new data included in a report by NOAA Fisheries.

Marine recreational fishing supported nearly 350,000 jobs and generated $30.5 billion in economic impact to the nation according to a 2004 NOAA Fisheries report, “The Economic Importance of Marine Angler Expenditures in the United States.”

Another 2004 report, “Fisheries of the United States,” showed that the 10-year trend for fish caught recreationally is up by 11 percent since 1994. However, the number of fish the anglers actually keep has remained flat, showing no significant growth over the past decade.

Of the 10 most popular recreational species, the majority of fish (60 percent on average) are released alive. The report identified anglers’ top catches as spotted sea trout, Atlantic croaker, summer flounder and striped bass.

Top 10 Most Popular Recreational Fish (ranked by total catch in millions of fish)

Top 10 Species	Total Catch	Total Harvest	% of Fish Released
Spotted Seatrout	32.8	10.5	68%
Atlantic Croaker	26.5	11.5	57%
Summer Flounder	20.6	4.6	78%
Striped Bass	17.4	2.5	86%
Black Sea Bass	15.7	4	74%
Bluefish	15.7	6.2	60%
Scup	14.7	9.5	35%
Spot	12.5	9.3	26%
Red Drum	10.6	3.2	70%
Kingfishes	10	5.7	43%

Both reports are available on the NOAA Fisheries Statistics Web site: www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/index.html or by contacting the Recreational Fisheries Services Branch in the Office of Constituent Services at forbes.darby@noaa.gov or (301) 713-2379 x127

National – Regional Fishery Management Council Members Participate in Training Workshop

On October 18-20, 2004, all members of the eight regional Fishery Management Councils met with NOAA Fisheries leadership in Baltimore, MD. This workshop provided a unique opportunity for all Council members to gather and discuss some current issues that are of critical interest to fishery managers. Issues on the agenda included: Ecosystem Approaches to Management, Best Available Science & Cooperative Research, Overcapacity, Prospects for Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization, Regulatory Streamlining, National Standard 1 Guidelines, Protected Species Issues, Marine Protected Areas and Marine Sanctuaries.

International - CITES 13th Conference of the Parties Outcomes

This international meeting concluded October 14, 2004, with significant conservation achievements for marine species. As a result of the meeting, Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) were afforded the full protection of CITES by a listing in Appendix I. The great whales also retained their status under Appendix I. International trade in great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), European date mussel (Lithophaga lithophaga) will now be tracked in Appendix II of CITES. Revised criteria for evaluating species proposals that include specific guidelines for evaluation of marine fish species were adopted at the meeting. The Animals Committee of CITES was directed to continue their review of shark species affected by international trade and to consider and review progress with the implementation of FAO’s International Plan of Action for Sharks. In a ground-breaking move, first proposed by NOAA-Fisheries in 1997, the CITES Standing Committee was directed to convene a workshop to consider implementation, legal and technical issues associated with listing marine fish species in the CITES Appendices.

For more information, contact Nancy.Daves@noaa.gov or (301) 713-1401 x143.

Atlantic – Atlantic Swordfish Preliminary Landings Estimates

The preliminary landing estimates and remaining quota since August 31, 2004 for the first semi-annual season of the 2004 fishing year have been posted on the web. The 2004 fishing year is from June 1, 2004 through May 31, 2005. New quotas for the 2004 fishing year have been proposed in the Federal Register (68 FR 36967, June 20, 2003). A final rule is expected shortly.

For more information, visit our Highly Migratory Species page or contact Chris.Rilling@noaa.gov (301) 713-2347.

Gulf – Recreational Fisheries Data Collection Forum

The Gulf Coast Recreational Data Forum was held on Tuesday, October 12, 2004, in conjunction with the Gulf Council Meeting in Panama City, FL. Dr. Roy Crabtree, SE Regional Administrator, and NOAA Fisheries staff were on hand to provide up-to-date program information and answer questions about NOAA Fisheries’ recreational data collection program.

Issues discussed included survey coverage of headboats, overlap with existing HMS programs and coverage for specific HMS species. Recreational constituents suggested improvements for better coverage of the growing yellowfin tuna fishery, and ways to include fishing from private access sites. They also requested the development of a pilot study of licensed anglers to collect recreational effort data.

In the wake of recent hurricanes, for-hire captains requested survey adjustments (e.g. dockside validation component was affected since many docks were destroyed), a voluntary logbook program to “groundtruth” survey data, and the addition of a web and fax reporting options for the For-Hire Survey (as done in the Atlantic).

A second regional meeting has been scheduled in conjunction with the South Atlantic Council meeting in early December in Atlantic Beach, NC. Dates are not yet final.

For more information, contact Michael.Bailey@noaa.gov.

Gulf – King Mackerel Commercial Fishery Closed in the Western Gulf

The commercial fishery for Gulf group king mackerel in the western zone is closed, effective 12:00 noon (local time) October 20, 2004, through June 30, 2005. NOAA Fisheries projected that the western zone commercial quota of 1.01 million pounds of king mackerel for the 2004/2005 fishing year would be reached on October 20, 2004. With this action, the king mackerel commercial fishery in the Gulf of Mexico is closed from the U.S./Mexico border to the Alabama/Florida boundary (see reverse). This closure time should allow ample time for vessels to return safely to port.

Check our Southeast Fishery Bulletin page for the details on this action or contact Steve.Branstetter@noaa.gov or (727) 570-5703.

Gulf – Federal Water Open at Noon, November 1, 2004, and Close at Noon November 10, 2004

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) announces that the commercial fishery for red snapper in Gulf of Mexico federal waters will open at Noon, local time, on November 1, 2004, and close at noon, local time, on November 10, 2004. For details on management of the red snapper quota check our Southeast Fishery Bulletin page or contact Phil.Steele@noaa.gov (727) 570-5305.

Pacific—Groundfish Stock Assessment Modeling Workshop

NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council will hold a stock assessment-modeling workshop the week of October 25th at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, Washington. This workshop is open to the public and is designed to examine the performance of models that will be used in the 2005 West Coast groundfish stock assessments. Additional topics to be discussed include analytical methods for preparing data for model input, calculating and reporting uncertainty, and species-specific modeling issues. Please visit the Northwest Fisheries Science Center’s website (www.nwfsc.noaa.gov) for more information or contact Stacey Miller at Stacey.Miller@noaa.gov.

October 20, 2004

October 21, 2004

October 22, 2004