The recreational harvest of Atlantic migratory group cobia (from Georgia to New York) will close at 12:01 a.m. on June 20, 2016. Recreational harvest of cobia will reopen on January 1, 2017. The Atlantic migratory group includes cobia from Georgia through New York. Cobia off the east coast of Florida are part of the Gulf […]
Cobia, fish, Fishing, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Regulations
NOAA has just announced the 2015 recreational red snapper season: ten days beginning June 1, 2015. The for hire season is slated to last 44 days. Here’s the NOAA Bulletin: On May 1, 2015, NOAA Fisheries will publish a rule implementing an increase to the commercial and recreational quotas for red snapper in the Gulf […]
fish, Fishing, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Red Snapper, Regulations, Richard Shelby
The National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy Implementation Plan is now available online at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/management/recreational/policy/implementation_plan_2015-2018.html The implementation plan provides details on activities we’ll be focusing on over the next 4 years to support our Agency’s new recreational fishing policy and deliver quality science, service, and stewardship to the recreational community. The National recreational Fishing Policy is […]
fish, Fishing, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy
NOAA Fisheries has issued a proposed rule to revise the General section of the National Standard guidelines and the guidelines for National Standards 1, 3, and 7 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The National Standard guidelines assist the regional fishery management councils (councils) and NOAA Fisheries in developing fishery management plans. The […]
fish, Fishing, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Regulations
The National Marine Fisheries Service division of the National Oceanic Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this week listed five species of sawfish as endangered, thus receiving protection under the Endangered Species Act. In September, 2010, the WildEarth Guardians submitted a petition requesting that six sawfish species be listed as endangered: knifetooth, narrow, or pointed sawfish; dwarf […]
Endangered Species, Endangered Species Act, fish, Fishing, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Sawfish
Eight representatives to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council have submitted a minority report to the National Marine Fisheries Service that lays out an extensive series of objections to a highly controversial management plan for Gulf red snapper. The report focuses on significant shortcomings in the development and presentation of Amendment 40, a measure that […]
fish, Fishing, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Red Snapper
NOAA’ National Marine Fisheries Service has released the first draft of its new National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy and is seeking feedback on the draft before finalizing the policy. All comments must be received by December 31, 2014. You can view the draft at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/management/recreational/documents/recfish_policy_public_comment_draft.pdf and file comments through NOAA at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/management/recreational/policy/index.html NOAA announced the […]
fish, Fishing, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Policy
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report this week documenting the numbers of fish stock assessments that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducted between 2005 and 2013. The report identifies a discrepancy in the number of assessments conducted by region. For example, the report shows that during the period audited NMFS conducted only […]
fish, Fishing, National Marine Fisheries Service, NMFS, NOAA
Yesterday, NOAA and the National Marine Fisheries Service announced via the Federal Register the implementation of Amendment 5 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery Off the Atlantic States. Amendment 5 revises the annual catch limit for commercial harvesting of dolphin and wahoo. The final rule will permit an increase from […]
Dolphin, fish, Fishing, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Wahoo
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced today that it will be seeking new members for the Recreational Fisheries Working Group of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee. NMFS plans to fill vacancies that start in February and that may last as long as two years, with the possibility of reappointment. The deadline for application is January 22, 2014. […]
Well, as we all assumed it would, the U.S. Government has shutdown. And while yesterday we addressed what this might mean for the Saltwater Nation in terms of beach access, today we need to point out that the shutdown has also closed NOAA. So, members of the Saltwater Nation, you may want to switch to […]
Based on a twelve-month study and review of petitions and documents, the National Marine Fisheries Service has declined to list the northern pacific population of white sharks as an endangered or threatened species. Responding to a petition filed by WildEarth Guardians on June 20, 2012, NMFS found the northeastern Pacific population of white sharks to […]
California, Endangered Species, fish, Fishing, Great White Shark, National Marine Fisheries Service
As Inventive Fishing reported two days ago, Brownsville Federal Judge Andrew Hanen ruled in favor of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries joint lawsuit to stop the National Marine Fisheries Service emergency closure of the recreational red snapper season. Following the ruling no closure date for the 2013 season had been […]
fish, Fishing, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Red Snapper, Regulations
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has announced that it has joined with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to file suit in United States District Court in Brownsville, Texas in order to dispute an emergency regulation enacted by the National Marine Fisheries Service on February 8, 2013 despite objections from Louisiana, Texas, and Florida. […]
fish, Fishing, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, lawsuit, Louisiana, National Marine Fisheries Service, Red Snapper, Regulations, Texas