FWC CONDUCTS ANNUAL MANATEE SYNOPTIC SURVEY

FWC CONDUCTS ANNUAL MANATEE SYNOPTIC SURVEYPreliminary Count Yields 3,116 Manatees in Florida Waters St. Petersburg, FL—In the annual manatee synoptic survey conducted Feb. 13-15, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported a preliminary count of 3,116 manatees statewide. A team of 18 observers (15 by air and three on the ground) from nine […]

New Quotas Proposed for Swordfish

New Quotas Proposed for Swordfish NOAA Fisheries Service has proposed modified quotas for North and South Atlantic swordfish for the current fishing year (through May 31, 2006) to account for updated landings information from previous fishing years. The proposed action would also extend the current North Atlantic swordfish management measures until the International Commission for […]

Temporary Gillnet Fishery Closure in Effect to Protect Right Whales

Temporary Gillnet Fishery Closure in Effect to Protect Right Whales NOAA Fisheries Service has implemented temporary fishing restrictions after a right whale died as a result of an entanglement in gillnet gear within the Southeast U.S. Restricted Area. All fishing with gillnets is now prohibited in this area through 2400 hours on March 31, 2006. […]

NOAA Seeks Public Input on Strategic Priorities

NOAA Seeks Public Input on Strategic Priorities The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is seeking input on priorities for its next five-year planning cycle. Each year, NOAA collects views on emerging programmatic trends to support the agency’s strategic goals. Stakeholder views and comments will be summarized and used by NOAA leadership in the development […]

Commercial Landings of Bluefin tuna

Commercial Landings of Bluefin tuna As of 02/15/06 fishing year landings of Atlantic bluefin tuna are as follows: The coast wide General category CLOSED at 233.7 mt out of 708.3 mt to date. The Harpoon category CLOSED at: 23.1 mt out of 90.0 mt. Longline North: 22.9 mt out of 116.3 mt to date. Longline […]

Want to catch more fish in 2006?

Want to catch more fish in 2006? Fisherman’s Post Newspaper, the publication that covers all the saltwater fishing action along the Carolina coast, is hosting its first annual full-day Fishing School in 2006. The Fishing School is staffed by 10 local captains who will share their experience and insights on techniques, equipment, strategy, locations, terminal […]

Commercial Landings of Bluefin tuna

Commercial Landings of Bluefin tuna As of 02/15/06 fishing year landings of Atlantic bluefin tuna are as follows: The coast wide General category CLOSED at 233.7 mt out of 708.3 mt to date. The Harpoon category CLOSED at: 23.1 mt out of 90.0 mt. Longline North: 22.9 mt out of 116.3 mt to date. Longline […]

SERVICE SEEKS PROPOSALS FROM STATES FOR 2006 ENDANGERED SPECIES GRANTS

SERVICE SEEKS PROPOSALS FROM STATES FOR 2006 ENDANGERED SPECIES GRANTS The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is now seeking proposals from states and U.S. territories interested in acquiring land or planning for endangered species conservation. Through the fiscal year 2006 appropriation from Congress, more than $70 million is available in the Cooperative Endangered Species […]

NOAA SURVEY SHOWS MOST FLOWER GARDEN BANKS CORAL REEFS RECOVERING FROM BLEACHING

NOAA SURVEY SHOWS MOST FLOWER GARDEN BANKS CORAL REEFS RECOVERING FROM BLEACHING EVENTContinued Study May Provide Clues on Reef’s Resiliency The coral reefs of NOAA’s Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, located off the Texas-Louisiana coast, have begun to recover from what some observers feared would be a deadly coral bleaching event this past fall. […]

Administration Supports New Fisheries Habitat Initiative in DOI

Administration Supports New Fisheries Habitat Initiative in DOI As momentum builds for the roll-out of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan this spring, a request for $3 million for the National Fish Habitat Initiative was announced as part of the President’s formal budget proposal to Congress for Fiscal Year 2007 as part of the Fish […]