News Updates for The Week of July 7, 2020
Florida's Lionfish Festival, Maryland's Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Program, and Maine's Menhaden Landings
Upcoming
Meetings

July 7-9: NOAA Transboundary Resources Assessment Committee Peer Review Meeting Webinar

July 16: MAFMC Webinar

July 21: Atlantic Striped Bass Work Group Webinar

August 3-6: ASMFC Summer meeting Webinar

August 10-13: MAFMC Meeting (Philadelphia, PA)

August 30-September 3: American Fisheries Society 50th Annual Meeting Webinar.

September 14-18:
SAFMC (Charleston, SC)

September 29-October 1: NEFMC (Gloucester, MA)
Public Comment

ASMFC: May/June Fisheries Focus Now Available
Find more information here.
FL FWCC: Call for vendors and divers for the 2020 Lionfish Festival Sept. 12-13 in Destin

FWCC is announcing the sixth annual Lionfish Removal and Awareness Festival Sept.12 and 13 at AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar and HarborWalk Village in Destin.

Activities will include fillet demonstrations; family-friendly games and activities; art, diving and conservation booths; and the world’s largest lionfish spearfishing tournament, the Emerald Coast Open. As we continue to monitor COVID-19, visit FWCReefRangers.com for updates. Interested in having a booth at the event? Apply today. Do you harvest lionfish? Register for the Emerald Coast Open lionfish tournament.

Find more information here.
SAFMC: Fishermen Reminded of New Regulations as July Red Snapper Opening Approaches 

Offshore fishing has proven to be a popular way to practice social distancing this summer while bringing some fish back to the table. To provide released fish a better chance of surviving, new regulations encouraging the use of descending devices and additional hook specifications designed to reduce release mortality are being implemented by NOAA Fisheries. Effective July 15, 2020, a descending device must be on board and readily available for use (attached to minimum of 60-feet of line with at least a 16-ounce weight) when targeting snapper grouper species in federal waters in the South Atlantic. Descending devices help reduce the effects of barotrauma, a condition that occurs when a fish is rapidly reeled up from depth. Changes in pressure cause the fish’s swim bladder to expand, filling the body cavity with air and preventing the fish from swimming back down. Signs of barotrauma include protrusion of the stomach from the fish’s mouth, bulging eyes, anal prolapse and bubbling scales. A descending device can quickly be used to transport the fish back to depth, greatly improving its chances of survival.

Find more information here.
DNREC: New Limits Set for Beaches at Delaware State Parks Starting July 3

In accordance with Gov. Carney’s goal of limiting interactions among people in Delaware’s beach areas to reduce transmission of COVID-19, DNREC announced the following restrictions to be imposed starting on Friday, July 3 and lasting until further notice:

  • The number of vehicles allowed in Cape Henlopen, Delaware Seashore and Fenwick Island State Parks will be limited to approximately 60% of the parking capacity.
  • At Cape Henlopen, when the main gate is closed to additional vehicles based on parking lot capacity, the closure will include vehicles that have arrived at the park for drive-on surf fishing as well.
  • At Delaware Seashore and Fenwick Island surf fishing beaches, NRP officers will monitor the number of vehicles on the beach and will close drive-on beach entrances if vehicles fail to maintain the 20-foot distance between vehicles.
  • Masks or face coverings are required in bathhouse and concession areas at all three parks and strongly encouraged on the beach as well.
  • Campgrounds and cabin rentals will continue.

Find more information here .
SC DNR: Statewide offices to resume in-person transactions

Beginning Monday, July 6, SC DNR will resume in-person transactions at all licensing and boat titling offices statewide in accordance with Phase II of the S.C. Department of Administration's State Reentry Plan.

The offices will resume their normal work schedule, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will be assisting customers on a first-come, first-serve basis To ensure staff meet all customers' needs, please arrive at the office before 4 p.m. This will allow staff adequate time to process transactions within normal business hours.

Find more information here .
ME DMR: Daily Menhaden Landing Limit Reduced to 6,000 Pounds

DMR was granted approval to participate in the Episodic Event Set Aside (EESA) program to access an available 4.7 million lbs of menhaden quota. Due to the high rate of effort, it was projected that landings on Monday, June 29 exceeded 2.5 million pounds, and continued fishing would result in an overage of the available EESA. To allow for continued participation in the EESA, the daily landing limit will be reduced to 6,000 lbs on open harvest days and carriers are prohibited; Mondays and Thursdays. The Commissioner has determined that it is necessary to take emergency action to reduce the daily landing limit to prevent unusual damage to the menhaden resource by exceeding available quota.

Find more information here.
MD DNR: Maryland’s Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Program is Operational

During the summer months, marine mammals and sea turtles are making their seasonal return to the Atlantic coast, the Chesapeake Bay, and its tributaries. MD DNR requests people report any distressed or deceased marine mammals or sea turtles in Maryland waters to the Natural Resources Police hotline anytime at 1-800-628-9944.

Maryland’s most common visitors are bottlenose dolphins and loggerhead sea turtles, although more than 25 other marine mammals and four species of sea turtles have been recorded in state waters. While these ocean-dwelling creatures often enter our waterways and can survive in brackish water for several days to weeks, they may be at risk.

Find more information here.
NEFMC: Scallops: Council Approves Amendment 21 for Public Hearings via Webinar; Adopts 2021-2022 RSA Priorities; Initiates FW 33

During its June 23-25, 2020 webinar meeting, NEFMC made decisions that helped advance the development of three important scallop fishery issues. The Council:

  • Selected several preferred alternatives for Draft Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and approved the draft for public hearings by webinar;
  • Approved 2021-2022 priorities for the Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program; and
  • Initiated Framework Adjustment 33 to the FMP to set specifications for the 2021 fishing year and default specifications for 2022. 

Find more information here.
What We're Reading
The Earth Law Center has recently launched the "Utilizing Earth Law to Address Plastic Pollution Toolkit" that local communities can use to develop policy and strategies for minimizing marine plastic pollution.

A new study published by researchers at the the University of Miami has confirmed that an event called the Ultra Music Festival is stressful to toadfish (U Miami News).
Individuals, university officials, and scientific societies across the STEM field are reconsidering the use of certain scientific language in an attempt to rid the field of offensive words and names that honor people who held racist views and promoted white supremacy. A notable journal published by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have already announced notable changes they will be making (Science Magazine).

Science Friday has a new podcast celebrating the best summer science books of 2020.
"Colonial science" is the conservation model where researchers from the developed world travel to a less developed nation to do research, but leave without investing in human capacity or infrastructure. Read about the problems with it in Scientific American.

Nations around the world are rolling back environmental protections under the cover of the pandemic--which in turn can lead to more outbreaks (Scientific American).

Partner Agencies
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