International

International

Atlantic

Atlantic

Atlantic

Northeast

Gulf of Mexico

Northwest

Northwest

REMINDER - Nominations Close November 30; NOAA Fisheries Re-Initiates Request for Nominees to Fill Two Vacancies on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC)

Channel Islands Advisory Council Positions Open for Nomination

Public Meeting - U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to Meet December 2-3 in Miami, Florida

International – International Commission Adopts U.S. Proposal for Shark Finning Ban

Sixty-three countries unanimously adopted historic and unprecedented protective measures for Atlantic sharks during the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Led by NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, Bill Hogarth, the United States delegation pushed for and won a consensus agreement. The meeting concluded Sunday in New Orleans.

After a week of deliberations, ICCAT adopted the U.S. proposal to ban the wasteful practice of shark finning – slicing the fin off the shark and discarding the carcass to save space on a fishing vessel. The United States has long condemned shark finning, which threatens future food security in many countries as well as the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. The United States banned finning in the Atlantic in 1993, and this binding agreement will require other countries fishing in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean to do the same.

This historic agreement comes just days after the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution urging nations to work together through regional fisheries management organizations to manage sharks. The ICCAT agreement includes adoption of additional shark management practices already in place in the United States, such as data collection on catches of sharks, research on shark nursery areas and a provision to encourage the release of live sharks, especially juveniles. Co-sponsors of the shark proposal included Canada, the European Community, Japan, Mexico, Panama, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.

For a more complete listing of details and other components of the agreement view the complete press release on our Media Center webpage.

International - NOAA Fisheries Establishes HMS International Trade Permit and Reporting Requirements for Monitoring of Tuna and Swordfish Trade

NOAA Fisheries has modified its international trade tracking programs to implement recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), and to establish a new international trade permit for import, export, or re-export of bluefin tuna, Pacific bluefin tuna, southern bluefin tuna, frozen bigeye tuna, and swordfish.

The final rule establishes the Highly Migratory Species International Trade Permit (HMS ITP) to improve administration of HMS management programs. This permit is necessary for all dealers involved in international trade of covered HMS species. Bluefin tuna and swordfish trade is currently covered by other permits; these activities will be consolidated with the HMS ITP.

The final rule also requires that trade-tracking statistical documents accompany all imports and/or exports of frozen bigeye tuna, and fresh and frozen swordfish and southern bluefin tuna. A re-export certificate is required for re-exports of these species, and has been added to the existing bluefin tuna statistical document program. Export and re-export documentation must be validated. This program replaces the existing swordfish certificate of eligibility.

These regulations will become effective on July 1, 2005. Additional information will be provided to dealers with swordfish and Atlantic tunas dealer permits in the near future.

For more information about the program’s implementation contact christopher.rogers@noaa.gov at (301) 713-2347 or dianne.stephan@noaa.gov at (978) 281-9397. The final rule is available on the HMS webpage.

Atlantic - Bluefin Tuna General and Angling Category Fisheries Closed

NOAA Fisheries closed the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) General and Angling category fisheries on November 19, 2004. The intent of these closures was to ensure that the U.S. BFT harvest is consistent with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas recommendations. Vessel owner/operators may continue to tag and release BFT of all sizes under a tag-and-release program provided that all BFT are tagged with conventional tags issued or approved by NOAA Fisheries, returned to the sea immediately after tagging with a minimum of injury, and the tagging reported. For tagging kits please call 1-800-437-3936.

Reopenings or subsequent adjustments to the commercial and recreational daily BFT retention limits will be published in the Federal Register. In addition, the Atlantic tunas Information Line at (888) 872-8862 or (978) 281-9260 and the permit website will include updates as soon as they become available.

For more information visit the HMS Management Division webpage or contact the Brad McHale or Mark Murray-Brown at (978) 281-9260.

Atlantic - NOAA Fisheries Requests Comments on the Issuance of Exempted Fishing Permits and Scientific Research Permits for Collection of Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS)

NOAA Fisheries announces its intent to issue Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs), Scientific Research Permits (SRPs), and Display Permits for the collection of Atlantic HMS. These permits will authorize collections of a limited number of tunas, swordfish, billfishes, and sharks from Federal waters in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico for the purposes of scientific data collection and public display. Generally, these permits will be valid through December 31, 2005. NOAA Fisheries may also issue permits for the purpose of collecting biological samples under at-sea observer programs and to U.S. fishermen whose vessels fish for Atlantic HMS while operating under contract within the Exclusive Economic Zone of other nations, so as to allow a U.S. fishing vessel to be consistent with other country’s regulations without violating U.S. regulations, and ensure that such vessels report to the proper authorities.

For more information visit the HMS Management Division webpage or contact karyl.brewster-geisz@noaa.gov at (301) 713-2347.

Atlantic - NOAA Fisheries Announces a Final Rule for North and South Atlantic Swordfish Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries has published a final rule to implement North and South Atlantic swordfish quota recommendations from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). This rule includes the following actions:

• Increases the United States North Atlantic swordfish quota to 2,937 mt dressed weight (dw) in 2004 and 2005;

• Allows 150.4 mt dw of the North Atlantic swordfish catch limit to be harvested from an area between 5 degrees North latitude and 5 degrees South latitude;

• Transfers 18.8 mt dw of North Atlantic swordfish quota to Canada in 2004, and 2005; and,

• Establishes for the United States a 75.2 mt dw South Atlantic swordfish quota in 2004 and 2005 and 90.2 mt dw in 2006.

For more information, contact chris.rilling@noaa.gov. Copies of the final rule, environmental assessment, and regulatory impact review are available upon request from the Highly Migratory Species Management Division (phone: 301-713-2347). The information is also available on the HMS website under Breaking News.

Northeast – Invasive Sea Squirt Thriving Between U.S. and Canadian Boundary

The invasive sea squirt that federal and university researchers discovered on Georges Bank a year ago is flourishing in U.S. waters near the U.S.-Canada boundary. Scientists from NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Rhode Island estimate that mats made of thousands of individual squirts infest a 40 square mile area of seabed that is highly productive for fish and sea scallops. In large parts of the affected area, the sea squirts cover 50 percent or more of the seabed. The Georges Bank infestation is unique, the only known occurrence of this magnitude in a major offshore fishing ground. View the complete press release on line.

Gulf of Mexico - Red Snapper Commercial Fishery in Federal Waters Open December 1-15

The commercial fishery for red snapper in Gulf of Mexico federal waters will open at noon, local time, on December 1, 2004, and close at noon, local time, on December 15, 2004. The commercial red snapper fishing season will then remain closed until noon, local time, on February 1, 2005. The 2004 Gulf of Mexico commercial red snapper quota is 4.65-million pounds. 703,778 pounds are available for the December 2004 commercial opening.

The operator of a vessel with a valid reef fish permit and a Class 1 or Class 2 red snapper license having red snapper aboard must have landed and sold such red snapper before noon, local time, on December 15, 2004. The minimum size limit for the commercial fishery is 15 inches total length.

For more information, read the news release on the SERO homepage at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.

Northwest – Draft Environmental Assessment Analyzes Alternative Approaches to Protect Salmonids

NOAA Fisheries has reviewed the status of 26 evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) of salmon and steelhead previously listed as threatened and endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), plus one candidate ESU. In June 2004 NOAA Fisheries proposed that 23 of the reviewed ESUs be listed as threatened under the ESA. In conjunction with the proposed listing determinations, NOAA Fisheries proposes to revise and simplify existing 4(d) protective regulations for threatened salmonids. A Federal Register notice published on Nov. 15, 2004 announced the availability of a draft environmental assessment (EA) that analyzes alternative approaches under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This draft EA is available for public comment through Dec. 15, 2004. Click here to view the Federal Register notice and EA.

Northwest – Proposed Rule for Repayment of Pacific Groundfish Buyback Loan

NOAA Fisheries has proposed regulations to implement an industry fee system for repaying a federal loan partially financing a fishing capacity reduction program in the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery. The fee system involves future landings in the trawl portion (excluding whiting catcher-processors) of the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery and the California, Washington, and Oregon fisheries for coastal Dungeness crab and pink shrimp. In a Federal Register notice published Nov. 16, 2004, NOAA Fisheries announced the availability of a proposed rule to implement the fee system. Comments on this proposed rule must be received by Dec. 16, 2004.

For details, see the Federal Register Notice on line.

November 17, 2004

Notice - Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits (re: GOM High Opening Raised Foot-rope Trawl for Haddock and Pollock).

Notice - Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits (re: the GMRI EFP Proposal for Haddock Separator Trawl Study (DA-676)).

Rule - Fraser River Sockeye Inseason Action.

Rule - International Fisheries; Atlantic Highly Migratory Species.

November 18, 2004

Notice - Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits (re: the GOM Rope Separator Trawl Study).

Notice - Notice of Availability of Draft Stock Assessment Reports.

Notice - Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Gas Exploration; Gulf of Mexico.

Notice - New England FMC; Meetings.

Notice - North Pacific FMC; Meeting.

Notice - Endangered Species; Permit 1511.

Proposed Rule - Proposed 2005, 2006 and 2007 Quotas for Surfclams, Quahogs and Maine Mahogany Quahogs.

Rule - West Coast Salmon; Inseason Action #15.

Rule - West Coast Salmon; Inseason Action #16.

Rule - West Coast Salmon; Inseason Action #17.

November 19, 2004

Notice - Taking of Harbor Seals; La Jolla, San Diego County, CA.

Rule - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by Vessels Catching Pacific Cod for Processing by the Inshore Component in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska.

Rule - Interim Final Rule; Framework Adjustment 40-A.

November 23, 2004

Notice - Mid-Atlantic FMC; Meetings.

Notice - South Atlantic FMC; Meetings.

Notice - South Atlantic FMC; Meeting.

Notice - North Pacific FMC; Meetings.

Notice - New England FMC; Meetings.

Rule - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Swordfish Quotas.

Rule - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Bluefin Tuna Fisheries.

Proposed Rule - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Red Snapper Rebuilding Plan.

Rule - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Full Retention of Demersal Shelf Rockfish in the Southeast Outside District of the Gulf of Alaska.

November 24, 2004