FishNews—November 21

Listening for Right Whales, Conservation Breakthroughs, Restoring Estuaries, and More

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. NOVEMBER 21, 2024 Highlights Breakthrough Achieved in ICCAT's Challenging Negotiations In a banner year for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, U.S. leadership led to several breakthrough outcomes, including new management measures for Atlantic tropical tunas and North Atlantic swordfish. Podcast: Making Seafood Imports Safer by Reducing Illegal Fishing The global seafood trade is complex, far-reaching, and—in many cases—opaque. Unfortunately, these conditions can mask international cases of illegal, unreported, and unregulated  fishing. In our new podcast episode, we'll hear from Alexa Cole, director of the Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce, about updates to the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, which is designed to help us combat IUU fishing and seafood fraud. NOAA Advances Efforts to Identify Aquaculture Opportunity Areas NOAA Fisheries released two draft programmatic environmental impact statements to support the identification of proposed Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in Southern California and the Gulf of Mexico. The public is invited to review and submit comments on the draft statements from November 22, 2024, through February 20, 2025. Video: Listening for Whales—Using Passive Acoustic Monitoring to Track North Atlantic Right Whales Passive acoustic monitoring is the process of using sound to study the ocean. It's one of the many tools we use to track North Atlantic right whales and other marine mammals so we can learn more and better protect them. With new technology, we can track them in near-real time. Sea Grant's American Lobster Initiative Awards $5.4 Million to Support Lobster Industry and Fishing Communities Fifteen emerging research projects were selected in 2023 and 2024 by the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program. The projects will answer questions about lobster growth and distribution dynamics, ecosystem changes, and social impacts on and management of the fishery in the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and southern New England. They will address needs outlined in NOAA Sea Grant's FY 2023 and 2024 appropriations. West Coast Restoring Pocket Estuaries Key to Puget Sound Chinook Recovery in Washington With NOAA funds, the Skagit River System Cooperative will restore the Similk Pocket Estuary, which will provide refuge for juvenile Chinook originating from the Skagit River. Upcoming Deadlines November 27: Comments close for Incidental Take Authorization—Cargo Terminal Replacement Project in Anchorage, Alaska December 13: Pre-proposals due for Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program funding December 23: Nominations due for the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee December 31: Applications due for Marine Fisheries Initiative February 10: Applications due for Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Grants February 27: Applications due for Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Grants March 31: Applications due for Atlantic Salmon Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants View more news and announcements Upcoming Events December 2–6: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting December 3: Webinar for NOAA Restoring Fish Passage and Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunities December 3–5: New England Fishery Management Council Meeting December 4–5: Caribbean Fishery Management Council Meeting December 5–10: North Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting December 9–12: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting December 12: Tribal-focused webinar for Restoring Fish Passage and Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunities December 16–18: Western Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting View more events Federal Register Actions Visit NOAA Fisheries' Rules & Regulations web page to learn more about recently proposed and finalized regulations in your region.  Questions? Visit our website for national and regional contact information

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