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 Ship Okeanos Explorer will begin two months of dives using unmanned remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, to explore marine protected areas in the central Pacific Ocean. Starting on Aug. 1, anyone with an internet connection can virtually explore the deep sea with scientists and researchers from their computer or mobile device. The ship and […]
The Senate Appropriations Committee recently approved Senator Richard Shelby’s (R-Ala.) proposed Fiscal Year 2016 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill. The bill included a number of provisions that attempt to address the ongoing mismanagement of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery that has resulted in the current 10-day season for private recreational anglers. “Senator […]
NOAA Fisheries recently released data on recreational red snapper landings for the 2014 season. Across the Gulf of Mexico, recreational fishermen landed 3,866,531 pounds of red snapper in 2014, 28 percent below the recreational quota of 5.39 million pounds. These data, mainly from NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), were released months after the […]
Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) and members of the House Committee on Natural Resources today advanced legislation to strengthen fishing communities and increase flexibility in federal fisheries, including improvements to the Red Snapper fishery. The Committee action comes on the same day that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced this year’s Red Snapper season […]
Bradley Byrne, fish, Fishing, Gulf of Mexico, Magnuson-Stevens Act, NOAA, Recreational Fishing, Red Snapper
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
On April 10, 2015, NOAA Fisheries approved Amendment 40 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources (Amendment 40) of the Gulf of Mexico submitted by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). A final rule published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2015 (80 FR 22422), with an effective date of May […]
fish, Fishing, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, NOAA, Red Snapper, Regulations
The Coastal Conservation Association began circulating this message today regarding NOAA Fisheries‘ proposed plans for a new red drum management plan. Inventive Fishing supports CCA in this position , so we thought we’d share their message: The federal government’s management of Gulf fisheries has created some of the most chaotic, dysfunctional and unsatisfactory fisheries in […]
Commercial Fishing, fish, Fishing, Harvesting, NMFS, NOAA, Red Drum, Redfish, Regulations
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 announces two new changes to recreational red grouper fishing: The red grouper bag limit will go from 4 fish to 2 fish effective May 7, 2015, at 12:01 a.m., local time. The accountability measure for a reduction in the bag limit when the annual catch limit is exceeded is removed. The Gulf of […]
fish, Fishing, Grouper, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, NOAA, red grouper, Regulations
The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute and NOAA have partnered to launch a new web portal to provide managers, researchers, and the public with the latest information on the lionfish invasion in the Atlantic. The Invasive Lionfish Web Portal serves as a clearinghouse for all things related to lionfish outreach and education, research, monitoring, and […]
On February 12, 2015 at the annual Progressive® Insurance Miami Boat Show, NOAA Fisheries Administrator Eileen Sobeck announced a new national policy to better serve America’s 11 million recreational saltwater anglers and the companies and communities that rely on them. The National Marine Manufacturing Association (NMMA), which runs the boat show, hosted the briefing for […]
fish, Fishing, NOAA, Policy, Regulations
NOAA Fisheries has released its 2015 Biennial Report to Congress highlighting U.S. findings and analyses of foreign illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities and of bycatch of protected species and shark catch on the high seas for foreign fleets. Six nations-Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Portugal-were identified in the 2015 Report as having vessels […]
NOAA Fisheries is closing federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the recreational harvest of gray triggerfish at 12:01 a.m., local time, February 7, 2015. Currently, the annual catch limit is 241,200 pounds whole weight (pounds) and the annual catch target is 217,100 pounds. The federal fishing season is closed when the annual catch […]
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
In 2011, as part of the National Marine Recreational Fishing Expenditure Survey, the Office of Science and Technology at NOAA Fisheries surveyed recreational anglers about their expenditures associated with fishing for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) from Maine to North Carolina. Atlantic HMS (tunas, billfish, swordfish, and sharks) draw a dedicated following of specialized marine […]
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
Federal fishery managers met last week in Charleston, South Carolina to discuss a broad range of management measures, and approved four amendments to fishery management plans for submission to the Secretary of Commerce for review. In addition, members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council agreed to continue the development of Amendment 36 to the […]
fish, Fishing, Grouper, NOAA, Snapper, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council