National

National

National

Atlantic

Atlantic

Atlantic

Gulf

Alaska

Alaska

Administrator for Fisheries Receives Award from Atlantic States

Nominations Requested - NOAA Fisheries Re-Initiates Request for Nominees to Fill Two Vacancies on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC)

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT - Sea Grant seeking two recreational fisheries specialist positions for the New York Sea Grant Extension Program

Final Lecture on Human Noise and Marine Mammals - Congressman Sam Farr Scheduled to Participate - November 13, 2004

7th International Conference on Shellfish Restoration, November 17-20, 2004

South Carolina Oyster Restoration and Enhancement Program receives 2004 Coastal America Award on November 19, 2004

"NOAA in North Carolina"

Bellamy River Dam Removal Dedication Held November 9, 2004, Dover, New Hampshire

National - International Commission Sees Large Drop in Illegal Fishing for Chilean Sea Bass

Scientists have released new data showing a dramatic decrease in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing for Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish, species commonly marketed in the United States as Chilean sea bass. The new data was presented last week at the annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources in Hobart, Australia, attended by a delegation from the U.S. Departments of Commerce and State and the National Science Foundation.

Estimates show that IUU fishing within the area regulated by the commission has decreased by 75 percent, from 10,070 tons in 2003 to 2,622 tons in 2004. The United States is one of 24 member nations to the commission and is the world’s third largest importer of toothfish. In recent years, overfishing concerns due to the high volume of illegal toothfish harvests prompted the United States to take action, both within the commission and through domestic regulation, to reduce financial incentive for poachers.

NOAA Fisheries raised the bar for importers of toothfish in 2003 by banning fish caught in the southern Indian Ocean, an area outside of the commission’s jurisdiction that is suspected to be a source of IUU fish. Current records indicate a drop of 97 percent in this area from 4,500 tons in 2003 to 126 tons in 2004. Several high profile and successful enforcement cases prosecuted against illegal importers in the United States have further discouraged IUU fishing.

NOAA Fisheries is taking additional steps with the Department of State to lead the international effort and to tighten the requirements for importing toothfish into the United States.

One regulatory change would be to require the use the commission's web-based electronic version of the catch documents for all imports of toothfish to enhance the quality and timeliness of information about them. The commission requires all toothfish boats to use satellite-tracking equipment when fishing within the commission's management area. NOAA Fisheries also may require that these vessels use the equipment from the time they leave the homeport to the time they return, if importing toothfish into the United States.

These actions on the part of the commission, NOAA Fisheries and the Department of State provide assurances to law enforcement, importers and consumers that the resource is being managed in a controlled manner for long-term sustainability. It should also improve consumer confidence that toothfish offered for sale in the United States have been legally harvested and imported.

For more information contact Susan.Buchanan@noaa.gov or (301) 713-2370.

National - Bycatch Updates

NOAA Fisheries bycatch website has been updated with several new items, including a Notice of Decision on rulemaking to address incidental takes of sea turtles in the scallop fishery; an updated summary of international activities related to reduction of bycatch of sea turtles in longline fisheries; a report from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the U.N. showing a big drop in the amount of global discards of fish; and an updated summary of seabird/fishery news from NOAA fisheries and other organizations. Bookmark this page to check it regularly for breaking news regarding efforts to reduce bycatch.

For questions, contact Lee.Benaka@noaa.gov or (301) 713-2341 x138.

National - NOAA Offers New Web Site on Social Science Tools for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has launched a new Web site on research techniques for examining the "human dimensions" of marine and coastal resource management. This "Social Science Tools and Methods for Marine Protected Areas Management" Web site gives basic information about social science concepts and methods, and guides managers in determining the appropriate tools, such as surveys and cost-benefit analyses, to address their specific issues. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Marine protected areas are valuable management tools, but the development and implementation of them can be controversial. Recent studies found that social factors, rather than biological or physical factors, determine the success of marine protected areas.

"Creating and managing a marine protected area is often challenging. This Web site provides resources that can help managers and staff understand and address many of the issues that arise between marine protected areas and affected stakeholders," said Margaret Davidson, director of the NOAA Coastal Services Center, which developed the Web site in collaboration with NOAA’s National Marine Protected Areas Center.

Located at www.csc.noaa.gov/mpass, the site is divided into sections that focus on social science themes (including use patterns; attitudes, perceptions and beliefs; governments, institutions and processes; communities; and economics), tools, case studies, and references. Topics include surveys, non-market valuation, and social assessment.

The NOAA Coastal Services Center supports the environmental, social, and economic well being of the coast by linking people, information, and technology. The National Marine Protected Areas Center, housed within NOAA and managed in conjunction with the Department of the Interior, forges partnerships and serves as a major resource for information about the nation’s marine protected areas.

Atlantic - U.S. Delegation Poised to Propose International Management of Sharks to the ICCAT

As the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) convenes on Monday November 15, Vice Adm. Conrad Lautenbacher will hold a press conference to announce a historic U.S. proposal calling for the international management of Atlantic sharks.

Sharks are apex predators that are vital to ocean ecosystems, but they are also vulnerable to overfishing because of their low reproductive capacity. The United States has already adopted measures to prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished shark populations. However, a major hurdle in managing sharks for sustainability in U.S. waters is the lack of a comprehensive global approach for the conservation of these shared resources. Since sharks are highly migratory species, the effectiveness of conservation actions taken in the United States depends on cooperation with other fishing nations that share access to these stocks.

Other important issues that will be considered at ICCAT this year include the integrated management of bluefin tuna, and measures that continue to address illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. ICCAT is responsible for managing species that are of great economic importance to U.S. fishermen, including Atlantic tunas, swordfish and marlins. The United States is pleased to host this important international fisheries management commission for the first time. Results of the negotiations will be announced after the close of the meeting on November 21, 2004.

For continuing updates on ICCAT activities next week visit our online Media Center.

Atlantic - Domestic Shark Management - Commercial Landings Update

NOAA Fisheries manages sharks in the Atlantic. Called the Atlantic shark fishery, NOAA Fisheries controls the harvesting of shark species for both domestic commercial and recreational harvested sharks in the western Atlantic. As part of the management measures to help ensure sustainable harvest levels, shark dealers are required to submit shark landing data to NOAA Fisheries on a bi-monthly basis so the agency can monitor how much is being harvested and help fishermen keep within the established quotas for sustaining the Atlantic shark fishery. Any over or under harvests are then subtracted or added to the quota for the following fishing year to promote a sustainable harvest in the fishery.

To view the most recent landings update or to find out more about management of sharks or other highly migratory species (HMS), please visit our HMS Management Division webpage at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms or contact Karyl.Brewster-Geisz@noaa.gov or (301) 713-2347.

Atlantic – Public Comment Requested on a Proposal to Reduce Bycatch of Bottlenose Dolphins and Sea Turtles

NOAA Fisheries is requesting public comment on a proposed rule to reduce the incidental mortality and serious injury of coastal bottlenose dolphins. Western North Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphins, ranging primarily from New Jersey to Florida, are considered "strategic" and "depleted"; special status designations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The rule is based primarily on recommendations of the Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Team (BDTRT).

NOAA Fisheries convened the BDTRT’s more than forty members, representing fishing industries, state and federal governments, environmental organizations, researchers and academia, several times from 2001 through 2003. The team reviewed bottlenose dolphin stock abundance and mortality information, and developed strategies to reduce the serious injury and mortality resulting from incidental interactions with nine commercial fisheries, including the following; North Carolina Inshore Gillnet; Southeast Atlantic Gillnet; Southeastern United States Shark Gillnet; United States Mid- Atlantic Coastal Gillnet; Atlantic Blue Crab Trap/Pot; Mid-Atlantic Haul/Beach Seine; North Carolina Long Haul Seine; North Carolina Roe Mullet Stop Net; and Virginia Pound Net.

This rule proposes to use effort reduction measures, gear proximity rules, and gear deployment modifications to reduce dolphin bycatch. There are also non-regulatory components, including education and outreach initiatives, and measures to improve research, monitoring, and stranding data. In addition, the proposed rule would extend a seasonal closure on large-mesh gillnet fishing to state waters in North Carolina and Virginia in order to reduce bycatch of bottlenose dolphins and threatened and endangered sea turtles.

You may submit comments by E-mail to 0648-AR39.proposed@noaa.gov. Include Docket Number RIN 0648-AR39 in the subject line of the message. Comments are due February 8, 2005, by 5p.m. Eastern Time.

For a copy of the proposed rule, go to the Federal Register for publications on November 10, 2004. For additional information on western North Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphins, please refer to the final 2002 Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot_res/PR2/Stock_Assessment_Program/sars.htm.

Gulf – Closure of Shallow-Water Grouper Commercial Fishery in Gulf of Mexico Federal Waters

NOAA Fisheries announces that the commercial fishery for shallow-water grouper (red, black, gag, yellowfin, scamp, yellowmouth, rock hind, and red hind) in Gulf of Mexico federal waters will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 15, 2004, when the 2004 red grouper quota of 5.31 million pounds, gutted weight, is projected to be reached. The existing regulations require closure of the entire shallow-water grouper fishery when either the red grouper quota or shallow-water grouper quota is reached. The commercial fishery will remain closed until 12:01 a.m., local time, January 1, 2005. The operator of a vessel with a valid reef fish permit having shallow-water grouper aboard must have landed and sold such shallow-water grouper prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, November 15,2004.

For questions or more information contact Phil.Steele@noaa.gov or (727) 570-5305.

Alaska – Field Guide to Alaskan Deep Sea Corals Available

Two marine scientists, Dr. Bruce Wing of NOAA Fisheries in Juneau and Dr. David Barnard of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Kodiak, have released a photographic field guide to deep sea Alaska corals.

"This taxonomic record, building on earlier taxonomies, is not intended to be conclusive," explained Wing. "It is intended to aid observers and fishermen with the identification of coral types in the areas where they fish." The field guide is a basic tool, he said, that will increase our scientific understanding of corals, may ultimately help identify habitat areas of particular concern (HAPCs) and may help to better manage fisheries that incidentally catch deep sea Alaska corals.

The 67-page book, entitled 'A Field Guide to Alaskan Corals' (Wing, B.L., and D.R. Barnard. 2004. U.S. Dep. Commerce, NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-AFSC-146) will aid coral identification at the generic level. Corals are notorious for changing their shapes to adapt to a variety of environments. Conclusive identification of each species is nearly impossible without lab techniques at a microscopic level to help.

"This visual taxonomy will help take some of the guesswork out of the field identification process. After a haul is loaded on deck, fishermen and observers can visually compare the corals to those in the photographic taxonomic record," Wing said.

The authors have provided a form that can be used to label coral species identified out in the field. They have also provided coral collection and preservation instructions. Fishermen and fisheries observers who are uncomfortable using the key to identify corals are encouraged to keep a coral sample and send it to the Auke Bay Lab for identification.

Corals are important components in the marine habitat of some juvenile commercial fish species, and are sensitive to disruption in their environment. They are also slow-growing: some scientists believe certain corals can live to be several hundred years old.

Intentional coral harvest is not allowed in Alaskan waters.

View the complete press release for more information. The guide may be viewed or printed from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center website at http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/.

A CD-ROM version of this guide is also available for $31.50 from:

National Technical Information Service
U.S. Department of Commerce
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161

or from their website at www.ntis.gov.

Alaska – NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comment on Proposed Incidental Marine Mammal Harassment: Corporation to Conduct Rocket Launches

The NOAA Fisheries is seeking comments now through December 13, 2004, on the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation’s (AADC) proposal to conduct rocket launches from the Kodiak Island Complex on Kodiak Island, Alaska. The rocket launches may result in the incidental harassment of marine mammals. NOAA Fisheries is also seeking comments on proposed regulations to govern that take, to be effective from December 2004 through November 2009. View the full press release for more details.

NOAA Fisheries will accept comments on the application and proposed regulations through December 13, 2004. Comments should be addressed to:

Stephen L. Leathery
Chief of the Permits
Conservation and Education Division
Office of Protected Resources
NOAA Fisheries
1315 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Comments may also be sent by e-mail to PR1.082701E@noaa.gov.

A copy of the application and proposed rule may be obtained online at the Federal Register or by contacting the same office. NOAA Fisheries published an advanced notice of proposed regulations and a notice of receipt of AADC's application for regulations and requested comments on the request Nov. 5, 2001. Comments received during the ANPR 30-day public comment period as well as during the proposed rule 45-day public comment period will be considered in this rulemaking.

November 9, 2004

November 10, 2004

November 11, 2004 - Holiday

November 12, 2004

November 15, 2004

November 16, 2004

November 17, 2004