Gulf Coast Fisherman Newsletter
October 1, 2009 (MASGP-09-001-10)
MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPS PLAN TO LIMIT OYSTER LICENSE SALES
On September 25th, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR) announced the development of a plan to limit the sale of oyster licenses for the 2009-2010 oyster season. The plan is a result of a motion passed at this month's Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources (CMR) meeting. The CMR motion states:
If it is determined that there is an unusual increase in the oyster license sales, and it is determined that it is necessary to conserve the fishery resource, the executive director is authorized to suspend the issuance of oyster licenses through the end of the 2009-2010 oyster season. Furthermore, if such action is taken by the executive director, a report shall be presented to the commission at the following meeting, at which time the commission may take such action as deemed necessary.
The plan will limit the number of commercial oyster licenses available for sale in each of the four major categories: resident dredging, resident tonging, out-of-state dredging and out-of-state tonging. The license sales limits established, based on past license sales by category, had not been met as of September 24th. Oyster harvesters that have not already done so are encouraged to purchase a current license to ensure their continued ability to participate in this year’s oyster season. All harvesters must provide current vessel documentation or registration, proof of residency of the boat owner (e.g., valid drivers license) and proper identification of boat captain. The DMR will only accept cash, money order, cashier’s check or in-state checks as payment.
MISSISSIPPI COASTAL CLEANUP
Volunteers in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties are needed for the 21st annual Mississippi Coastal Cleanup to be held from 8 a.m. – 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup—the planet’s largest volunteer cleanup effort on behalf of the marine environment. Governor Haley Barbour recently signed a proclamation in support of the annual event organized by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the Mississippi Marine Debris Task Force. Register online at www.mscoastalcleanup.org, or to obtain a registration form and sign up to volunteer call: 467-9048 in Hancock County; 324-9640 in Harrison County; 762-3391 in Jackson County; 938-6612 in Pascagoula; and 230-4118 for the Barrier Islands (requires boat).
The Mississippi Coastal Cleanup is a Take Pride in America event. Part of the President’s USA Freedom Corps call to service, the Take Pride in America program is a national partnership established by the U.S. Department of the Interior and is an excellent opportunity for citizens and communities to demonstrate local pride, initiative and stewardship. On cleanup day, zone captains will be stationed at each cleanup site in bright yellow T-shirts to direct volunteers and give them trash bags, data cards and pencils provided by Ocean Conservancy, bottled water compliments of the Beverage Association of Mississippi, and a free eco-friendly cooler tote provided by Chevron Pascagoula Refinery (while supplies last). During the 2008 International Coastal Cleanup, more than 390,000 volunteers in 104 countries removed 6.8 million pounds of debris from the ocean, rivers, lakes and waterways. In Mississippi, 2,300 volunteers pitched in and removed 71 tons of trash from 55 sites along the shoreline and coastal waterways as part of last year’s International Coastal Cleanup.
MARINE RECREATIONAL FISHING STATISTICS
Saltwater recreational fishing continued to provide important economic benefits to America's coastal communities in 2008, bringing fishermen to the shore to reel in fish, book spots on charter and party boats, buy bait and tackle, stay in local inns and eat at local restaurants, according to a report recently issued by NOAA Fisheries. Saltwater recreational anglers took an estimated 85 million fishing trips in 2008, down slightly from the 93 million trips estimated in 2007. These anglers caught an estimated 464 million fish in 2008, down slightly from the 475 million caught in 2007. The decreases were moderate, despite economic conditions. Charter boat captains, tackle shop owners, and others with direct ties to the industry speculated that last year’s high fuel prices contributed to the downturn in fishing activity.
Saltwater angling generates an estimated $82 billion in sales and supports
more than 500,000 jobs annually, according to the most recent figures
available to NOAA. Spotted seatrout was the most popular catch among
marine recreational anglers in 2008. The species is caught in the Gulf
of Mexico and the South Atlantic regions, which have the highest combined
concentration of saltwater anglers in the nation. The top catches in
other regions were grouper (Caribbean), striped bass (North Atlantic),
summer flounder (Mid-Atlantic), chub mackerel (Pacific), black rockfish
(Pacific Northwest), and skipjack tuna (Western Pacific) The full report
is available online at http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/fus/fus08/index.html
DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR LOUISIANA COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN AND SEAFOOD DEALER COOPERATIVE RESEARCH SURVEY PROGRAM
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has extended the deadline for eligible commercial fishermen and wholesale/retail seafood dealers to complete and submit cooperative research surveys under its $15 million Cooperative Research program. The surveys are designed to capture information on the recovery status of the state’s commercial fisheries and fishing industries from the impacts of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike. Fishermen and dealers now have until Dec. 31, 2009 to submit their surveys.
Qualified Louisiana resident commercial fishermen and wholesale/retail seafood dealers who chose to participate in the program will be compensated for completing surveys. This project is funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Application materials on salmon-colored paper were mailed to eligible fishermen and seafood dealers during May, 2009. Commercial fishermen and wholesale/retail seafood dealers who have not yet submitted their surveys should complete and return them to South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) at P.O. Box 1240, Gray, LA 70359-9902. SCPDC began mailing surveys to participants in late May as applications were received and validated.
Any questions concerning eligibility, requests for information, etc. should be directed to SCPDC by calling 1-800-630-3791 (toll free) or 985-655-1051 (local), mailing SCPDC or visiting the SCPDC web site at www.scpdc.org/fisheriesassistance. For more information, contact Harry Blanchet at 225-765-2889 or hblanchet@wlf.la.gov.
CATCH SHARE PROGRAM FOR GROUPER AND TILEFISH
NOAA Fisheries Service will implement catch shares in the Gulf of Mexico commercial grouper and tilefish fisheries beginning January 1, 2010, in an effort to reduce overcapacity and improve profitability and working conditions for commercial fishermen. Under this final rule, each fisherman will be assigned a set percentage of the quota that he or she is permitted to catch throughout the year. Fishermen can choose when to fish and how much fish to catch on each trip, up to their quota. This should improve their ability to sell fish when demand is higher and allow them to fish when market or weather conditions are good. Copies of the final rule are available by contacting:
NOAA Fisheries Service’s Southeast Regional Office at
263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701.
Phone: (727) 824-5305, FAX: (727) 824-5308
The final rule can be obtained in electronic form from the Federal Register Web site: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html (use advanced search for final rules using “AX39” as a keyword).
MISSISSIPPI COASTAL PUBLIC ACCESS SITES NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
An updated list of Mississippi’s coastal public access sites, such as boat launches, fishing piers and marinas, is available online on the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources web site at http://www.dmr.state.ms.us/CMP/CRMP/pdfs/public-access-inventory-2009.pdf. The pdf file is large (123 pages, 9.95 MB) and takes a while to load, but contains very detailed information on the status of all water access sites in the three coastal counties as of 2008. We suggest you save the file to your hard drive after loading. Note that a few of the facilities listed as closed in this report have been rebuilt in 2009. For the latest updates, a Geographic Information System (GIS) map also is available at http://gis.smpdd.com/dmrpublicaccess/. The project was funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.
GIANT SQUID CAUGHT IN GULF
Scientists from NOAA’s Fisheries Service have captured a giant squid while conducting research off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico. This is only the second known giant squid obtained from the Gulf of Mexico. The first was collected in 1954 off the Mississippi Delta where it was found floating dead at the surface. This giant squid was collected on July 30, during a 60-day scientific study where scientists from NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center and the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service were studying the availability and diversity of sperm whale prey. The scientists were aboard the NOAA research vessel Gordon Gunter when the squid was caught in a trawl pulled behind the research vessel at a depth of more than 1,500 feet. This giant squid was preserved and sent to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum for Natural History for further study. It measured just over 19½ feet long and weighed more than 103 pounds. Giant squid are difficult to capture, but they are usually found in continental-slope areas, where the relatively shallow water near the continent drops off into the deep sea. They seem to be concentrated in places where undersea canyons cut into the slope, where they feed on fishes and other squids.
Sincerely,
Dave Burrage
Marine Resources Specialist
MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center