Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to Meet; Aug 14-17 in Arlington, VA

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to Meet; Aug 14-17 in Arlington, VA The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will be holding its Summer Meeting on August 14 – 17, at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City in Arlington, VA. The preliminary agenda for the Summer Meeting has a number of items of interest to the […]

Landings of Large Medium and Giant Bluefin to date

Landings of Large Medium and Giant Bluefin to date As of 06/29/2006 fishing year landings of Atlantic bluefin tuna are as follows: The Coastwide General Category has landed 4.5 mt out of 1163.3 mt to date. The Harpoon category: 1.9 mt out of 124.0 mt to date. Longline North: 4.7 mt out of 150.4 mt […]

Secretary Kempthorne Announces Funding for Wetlands Projects, Additions to Natio

Secretary Kempthorne Announces Funding for Wetlands Projects, Additions to National Wildlife Refuges At its June 14, 2006 meeting, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission approved important additions to the National Wildlife Refuge System through the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, as well as 54 conservation projects under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act’s Standard and Small Grants […]

AFTER FIVE YEARS OF PROTECTION, NOAA MARINE RESERVE SHOWS INCREASING NUMBERS, SI

AFTER FIVE YEARS OF PROTECTION, NOAA MARINE RESERVE SHOWS INCREASING NUMBERS, SIZE OF FISH As its fifth anniversary approaches, researchers find confirmation that the country’s largest marine reserve, part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, is fulfilling its goal of protecting the region’s marine life. Three studies examining the Tortugas ecological reserve, protected from […]

Florida Transferring Bluefish Quota to North Carolina

Florida Transferring Bluefish Quota to North Carolina The State of Florida is transferring 200,000 lb of commercial bluefish quota to the State of North Carolina from its 2006 quota. NOAA Fisheries has adjusted the quotas and announced the revised commercial quota for each state involved. For more information, contact Do***********@**aa.gov. Florida Transferring Bluefish Quota to […]

Mid-Atlantic Council’s Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish Commi

Mid-Atlantic Council’s Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish Committees to Meet; Jul 18 in Philadelphia, PA The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Summer Flounder Monitoring Committee, Scup Monitoring Committee, Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee, and Bluefish Monitoring Committee will meet on July 18, beginning at 10 am at the Philadelphia Airport Renaissance Hotel. The […]

Final Rule Provides for the Use of Modified Pound Net Leaders; Maintains Protect

Final Rule Provides for the Use of Modified Pound Net Leaders; Maintains Protection for Sea Turtles A new final rule requires modifications to all offshore pound net leaders in an identified area of Virginia waters of the mainstem Chesapeake Bay during the May 6 – July 15 fishing season. Previous regulations prohibited the use of […]

Whaling Commission Meeting Concludes; U.S. Fisheries Chief Elected Chairman

Whaling Commission Meeting Concludes; U.S. Fisheries Chief Elected Chairman The 58th International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting concluded last week in St. Kitts and Nevis. Member nations of the International Whaling Commission have elected NOAA Fisheries’ Director, William Hogarth, to be the next commission chair. Elected by consensus of the 70 commissioners, the chairman usually serves […]

NOAA PROPOSES REGULATIONS TO REDUCE RISK OF COLLISIONS BETWEEN SHIPS AND ENDANGE

NOAA PROPOSES REGULATIONS TO REDUCE RISK OF COLLISIONS BETWEEN SHIPS AND ENDANGERED NORTHERN RIGHT WHALES June 23, 2006 — The NOAA Fisheries Service today published a proposed rule describing regulations to reduce the risk of collisions between North Atlantic right whales and ocean-going vessels. Right whales are among the most endangered species in the world […]

Steps Taken for Stocks that Were Determined to be Overfished or Subject to Overf

Steps Taken for Stocks that Were Determined to be Overfished or Subject to Overfishing in 2005 IntroductionNationwide, 54 fish stocks and complexes are overfished and 45 stocks and complexes are subject to overfishing. NOAA Fisheries Service notifies the regional fishery management councils when stock assessments show species to be overfished or subject to overfishing, and […]