Recent Atlantic Shark Management News – Amendment 14
Capitol Hill must act as Atlantic sharks are everywhere taking angler-hooked fish, not occasionally, but all the time. The NMFS has no plans to check the occurrence other than to provide information material to the recreational fishery on “how to avoid sharks while fishing.” That should be very interesting. And they will host workshops to help captains and anglers to learn how to identify the offending sharks. Identity isn’t crucial, it is stopping the practice by reinvigorating the shark fishery and markets. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel met on Feb. 11, 2022
NMFS Science for Closed Zones is Questionable
In September 2021, an article published in Marine Biology, Journal of Life in Oceans and Coastal Waters, was distributed by the NMFS as a paper and computer model that might be used as a possible decision-making tool for determining whether to open Closed Zones off East and Gulf of Mexico coasts. This model called the “Highly Migratory Species Predictive Spatial Modeling (PRiSM) would be an analytical framework for assessing the performance of spatial fisheries management.” A review of the paper identified flaws that should preclude the application of this PRISM model to any Closed Zone Decisions. The paper presented
Exempted Fishing Permits for East Coast Deep-Set Buoy Gear
NMFS issued 7 Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP) for vessels to fish for BAYS tunas (bigeye, yellowfin albacore, skipjack) and swordfish in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic East Coast. Six vessels are part of the Deepwater Horizon Pelagic Longline Bycatch Reduction Project; using funds from Gulf Restoration, oil spill settlement. The 6 vessels fishing only in the Gulf are pelagic longline vessels that voluntarily do not fish for 6 months a year because they are paid from Restoration funds. Gear options include deep-set buoy gear or greenstick gear. The vessel that also fishes off Florida’s East
TBF’s Atlantic Shark Depredation Campaign
No balance currently exists between the hugely successful Atlantic shark conservation and management of Atlantic shark fisheries – people fishing, jobs, food markets, experiences, and economics. Balance is needed. Shark depredation of angler-hooked fish from all platforms is occurring at unseen rates. Sharks damage gear, ruins fishing experiences, and causes negative economic impacts to the fishery and associated services. It is no longer safe to swim between boats, as sometimes needed for a crew member to help with a companion vessel’s problem.  Shark depredation will lessen only when fewer sharks remain in the water, which can be achieved
Atlantic Save the Mahi-Mahi Campaign
Led by Blair Wickstrom of Florida Sportsmans Magazine, targets the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (FMC) and NOAA, and calls for, by anglers, greater conservation restraints for mahi-mahi and wahoo, species that support South Florida’s sportfishing industry. Without further constraints, it is feared the stock may collapse. The Campaign calls for further reductions in mahi-mahi (dolphin fish) and wahoo bag limits from what was approved recently in Amendment 10. If final approval is given by the Secretary of Commerce to Amendment 10, it leaves the 10 mahi-mahi per person limit in place but drops the vessel limit from 60
TBF’s Atlantic Shark Fishery Comments
The Billfish Foundation submitted comments to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) today on the Draft Review of Atlantic Shark Fishery Review (SHARE) urging the revitalization of the Atlantic shark fishery and market. This 217-page reference document recounts past and present management actions responsible for the status of today’s U.S. Atlantic shark fishery. This document may be used to develop future conservation and management measures for commercial and recreational shark fisheries for the 43 currently managed and after review, we feel that without significant changes to the document we at are not supportive of it for future management actions
Aquaculture Atlases Issued
In support of Executive Order (EO) 13921, which calls for Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth, in May 2020, NOAA just issued two extensive tools that may be used to identify preliminary Aquaculture Opportunity Areas. One, “An Aquaculture Opportunity Area Atlas for the U.S. Gulf of Mexico” and the second one for the “Southern California Bite.” Completing and disseminating the Atlas is just one step of many in the early stages of a process that will eventually approve and site aquaculture sites in federal waters. Stay up-to-date on this and other related news by signing up for TBF’s newsletter
Workshop on December 7th regarding Offshore wind project impact
Input requested from anglers regarding potential impacts from offshore wind projects The Billfish Foundation just received word that The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is hosting the only workshop on December 7th at 10 am EST to understand and develop guidance to mitigate potential impacts from offshore wind projects on recreational fishing. They want to get insight and knowledge from the people and organizations that know and use these areas. Be sure to register since this will be one of your only chances to talk about this topic with the BOEM. Follow this link to Register for the workshop
Atlantic Mahi Mahi and Wahoo – Amendment 10
Anglers remain steadfast in objecting to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (SAFMC) approval of Amendment 10 as written. The amendment is now with the Secretary of Commerce for final approval is yet to be approved. Anglers and charter captains insist more is needed to ensure the two species will remain available for sportfishing, which are the backbone of the fishery. If the amendment isn’t modified to reduce the daily recreational bag and vessel limits (from 54 fish) and no approval of a commercial landing limit is included, many fear the stocks will collapse in a few years
ICCAT Update – November 2021
The member nations, including the U.S., of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the international treaty fishery management organization for Atlantic highly migratory species, approved a two-year prohibition on landing mako sharks. The U.S. will soon implement the prohibition. Whether this will add further to the Atlantic shark depredation of angler-caught fish is yet known. At the same recent ICCAT negotiations, an overall increase of 16% in the landing allocation (quota) for western Atlantic bluefin tuna was approved. The U.S. will be authorized to land an increase of between 4 to 5%. TBF continues
