NOAAs LUBCHENCO PRAISES SALT WATER ANGLERS

As of this past March 20th, Dr. Jane Lubchenco is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) ninth administrator. She earned her reputation via a lifetime of scientific work on marine eco-systems and is mightily concerned about the interaction of humans within those systems. Throughout her career, Dr. Lubchenco has been lionized by NGOs not particularly friendly with fishing folk. So when Dr. Lubchenco praises those who catch fish it's time to sit up and take notice.

Commenting on the role of saltwater recreational fishing as a benchmark of coastal communities' economic vitality, Dr. Lubchenco said "Saltwater anglers have their eyes on the water and a vested interest in sustaining fishing opportunities for their children and grandchildren," She called them, "natural champions for ocean stewardship." That is exactly the position that commercial fishermen, as well, have maintained about their knowledge and concern for ocean resources for decades.

At the height of the gasoline price increases, saltwater recreational fishing took a dip from 93 million trips hooking 475 million fish in 2007 to 85 million trips and 464 million fish in 2008 with roughly half released. According to NOAA statistics, saltwater recreational anglers contribute some $82 million sustaining 500,000 jobs in coastal communities throughout the year.

Favorite species vary according to region. From the Gulf of Mexico throughout the Southern Atlantic states, spotted sea trout ranks number one. Anglers in the Caribbean go after grouper. Striped Bass and summer flounder are mid and northern Atlantic favorites. In the Pacific, chub mackerel, black rockfish and skipjack tuna are popular.

IFCNR HAS TO AGREE: KRILL HARVEST BAN IS IMPORTANT

Krill is the name for the tiny shrimplike creatures whose role within the ocean eco-system is to convert microscopic phytoplankton into protein that a goodly number of marine creatures - from whales to seals to sea birds to fish and squid - feed upon.

Effective August 12, 2009 krill are off limits to commercial fishermen throughout the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. The federal ban complements the existing state bans that extend only three miles from each states shoreline. The krill ban, applauded by Ocean NGOs including IFCNR, is technically Amendment 12 to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan authorized by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Commercially translucent or white krill are the high value form of the sea creatures. Pink krill are fragile. Green krill (the color, not the marketing claim) engorged with phytoplankton are the least desirable because their color discolors more desirable white or pink krill and odor is not the most pleasing.

Presently limited commercial krill fishing is done largely in Antarctic waters with minor fisheries off Japan and Canada. Slowly krill oil is nudging itself into the Omega-3 fish oil market and is being used as a growing source for fish meal and fish oil for aquaculture feed.

IFCNR sees the commercial pursuit of krill as illogical. At a time when attention is focused on the sustainability of marine species and rebuilding populations of marine life hard hit from overfishing combined with ever increasing demands by humans for more and more marine protein, the commercial harvest of krill is a strategic disaster waiting to happen. Kudos to NOAA for doing the right thing.

HADDOCK STOCKS REBOUND IN RECORD FASHION

Marine biologists and fishermen alike are amazed at the magnitude of the recovery of two important western Atlantic haddock stocks: one in George's Bank, east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and the other in the Gulf of Maine. The oft-repeated tale of overfishing dropped to an estimated one percent of its size by the mid 1990's. Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) joined most New England groundfish stocks, Pollock, pout, halibut, hake, yellowtail and winter flounders and most notably cod, in their disappearance act. The New England Fisheries Management Council responded by closing 20,000 square kilometers on Georges Bank and the Bay of Maine to groundfishing starting in 1994. Other massive seasonal fishing ground closures as well as strict limits on fishing opportunities were put in place.

Today both haddock stocks are deemed fully recovered with the George's Bank spawning biomass population pegged a twice the size needed for a sustainable fishery. The size and speed of their recovery far exceeded the best guestimates of state and federal marine scientists.

Those measures may have inadvertently favored haddock. Haddock, unlike cod, are mainly creatures of a defined area of residence so a majority stayed within the protected areas. Fortuitously, the 2003 year class hatchlings that survived to reach one year old was put at 285 million versus the average years 22 million all of which is prompting U.S. marine authorities to scrutinize every factor that may have contributed to the haddock boom. One interesting finding is that cod, normally thought to be a free spirited, far-ranging migrant species, may be developing a more resident form complete with identifiable body configuration. The sedentary form of cod tends to have shorter, stockier bodies with shorter, blunt heads. The free-ranging variety are longer, sleeker with longer heads.

Two things are glaringly apparent from preliminary studies: managing 19 individual groundfish stocks under a single management plan is unrealistic and that more time has been spent managing people, fishermen, than invested in managing individual groundfish species and stocks.

SHORT TAKES:

CHINA LOOKS TO U.S. TECHNOLOGY TO CUT AQUACULTURE POLLUTION

In an effort to maintain its primacy in aquaculture and make in-roads at healing its badly scared environment, China announced it will look to Mobile Aerating Aerobic Detoxifying Technology starting with perch and bass farms across the nation starting in the Zhejiang province. The U.S. technology is hoped to save literally billions of tons of water each year as well as increase growth rate and reduce breeding time. When in place, Chinese officials also hope to see improvements in the circulation of oxygenated water as well as a reduction in ammonia and nitrogen levels in their fish ponds.

NOAA SEEKS TO REBUILD BLACKNOSE AND OTHER SMALL COASTAL SHARK POPULATIONS

From mid-August to late September, NOAA Fisheries Service will hold meetings in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, and New Hampshire to discuss proposed measures to rebuild blacknose and other small coastal shark stocks. Blacknose shark populations are considered depleted and its fishery is now unsustainable. The proposed measures will cut the commercial blacknose shark take by 78 percent, seek to end gillnet shark fishing, and ban the fish for recreational anglers and commercial fishermen with incidental shark permits. Overall, NOAA hopes its recommended quota reduction of blacknose and non-blacknose small coastal sharks (including finetooth, Atlantic sharpnose and bonnethead sharks) will result in more robust small shark populations.