Tag: NOAA

Wild Fish Conservancy Threatens Lawsuit Over Chinook Salmon
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Wild Fish Conservancy Threatens Lawsuit Over Chinook Salmon

The Washington state-based non-profit conservation organization Wild Fish Conservancy has notified NOAA Fisheries of its intent to sue for failure to meet deadlines under the Endangered Species Act related to Chinook salmon in Alaska. The conservancy’s notification, issued Feb. 6, noted that the once abundant Chinooks are experiencing dramatic declines in Alaska, threatening food security, indigenous cultural practices, economics and coastal communities. The WFC formally petitioned NOAA on Jan. 11, 2024, to grant ESA protections for Chinook salmon from rivers that flow into the Gulf of Alaska. The WFC said NOAA responded May 24, confirming that the petition contained substantial information indicating ESA-listing and protection may be warranted. The initial finding triggered an in...
Oceana Sounds Alarm Over Potential Changes to NOAA
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Oceana Sounds Alarm Over Potential Changes to NOAA

Oceana, an international advocacy entity focused on ocean conservation, voiced concerns on Feb. 10 about threats to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration if the Trump administration moves to downsize the agency. “NOAA is the federal agency that manages our national fisheries, monitors and forecasts our weather, charts our oceans and protects our coastal communities and infrastructure,” Beth Lowell, vice president for U.S. Oceans at Oceana, said. “Millions of people rely on healthy oceans and without a strong NOAA, our oceans, Great Lakes and coastal economies will suffer severe consequences.” Scaling back NOAA’s resources could lead to consequences including overfishing, delayed life-saving alerts about severe weather and allowing endangered or threatened marine wildlif...
Study Finds Increased Genetically Distinct Alaska Crab Populations
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Study Finds Increased Genetically Distinct Alaska Crab Populations

New genetic research on Alaska red king crab indicates there are at least six, and possibly seven, genetically distinct populations, making the species more resilient to climate and ocean condition changes. The report released Jan. 2 by NOAA Fisheries identifies the genetically distinct populations being in Southeast Alaska, Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Bristol Bay, Pribilof Islands, Norton Sound and the Chukchi Sea. Researchers found previously unrecognized differences between crab in the Gulf of Alaska and East Bering Sea regions, plus the Eastern Bering Sea region split into separate Bristol Bay and Pribilof Islands populations. They also found that the Aleutian Islands and Norton Sound/Chukchi Sea regions are unique.  Data suggests that Norton Sound and Chukchi Sea po...
Five West Coast Salmon, Steelhead Species Remain Endangered
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Five West Coast Salmon, Steelhead Species Remain Endangered

NOAA Fisheries biologists have determined after a five-year review of recovery processes that four salmon and steelhead species in Northern California and Southern Oregon remain threatened. The report, released Dec. 1, identifies the four species recently reviewed as Southern Oregon/Northern California coast coho salmon, California coastal Chinook salmon, Central California coast steelhead and California Central Valley steelhead. NOAA Fisheries Portland Office Branch Supervisor for Protected Resources Robert Markle said that while there’s a lot more work to do to recover these species, that this close look helps identify actions that can make the biggest difference for the fish. There are currently 28 species of Pacific salmon and steelhead trout listed under the Endangered Sp...
NOAA Fisheries Plans to Enhance Seafood Import Monitoring
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NOAA Fisheries Plans to Enhance Seafood Import Monitoring

NOAA Fisheries on Nov. 14 introduced a new plan to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing while at the same time strengthening the sustainability of seafood, and globally addressing forced labor issues. The announcement came in the wake of a comprehensive review of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) completed in November 2023, involving over 7,000 stakeholders, including seafood industry professionals, foreign governments, researchers and civil society groups. “Our goals are to strengthen the U.S. domestic seafood industry by promoting fair trade practices in the global seafood supply chain while building capacity to maintain and grow the program,” NOAA Administrator and Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere Richard Spinard said. “Once im...
Studying Fish DNA in Water Samples Helps Researchers Estimate Multiple Species’ Biomass
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Studying Fish DNA in Water Samples Helps Researchers Estimate Multiple Species’ Biomass

A new study by NOAA Fisheries in partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks shows it’s possible to estimate fish biomass at once for more than one species, using environmental DNA. The study, released by NOAA Fisheries on Oct. 31, found that researchers can estimate the abundance of ecologically and commercially important Alaska fish species -- Arctic cod, walleye pollock and Pacific cod -- which are difficult to distinguish in eDNA samples. DNA, which stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule found inside cells that carries the genetic information necessary for an organism's development and function, essentially acting as a blueprint for all the proteins in an organism and passing this information from one generation to the next. eDNA is the genetic material sh...
NOAA Seeks Information from Commercial Harvesters on Marine Mammal Deterrents
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NOAA Seeks Information from Commercial Harvesters on Marine Mammal Deterrents

NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) has released a survey to gather knowledge and perceptions about the nature of marine mammal interactions and use of deterrents currently employed by commercial, recreational and tribal fishermen; aquaculture farmers; and marina and coastal property owners and managers. Developed in response to a request from NOAA Fisheries, the data collected is expected to be used to create an index to identify the relative effectiveness of different allowable deterrents used by various user groups nationwide to reduce the risk of expected losses from damage by marine mammals on various user groups nationwide. The survey’s stated goal is to help NOAA Fisheries identify and prioritize marine mammal deterrents that should be tested for their effec...
NOAA Fisheries’ 5-Year Plan Focuses on Boosting Seafood Economy
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NOAA Fisheries’ 5-Year Plan Focuses on Boosting Seafood Economy

NOAA Fisheries’ National Seafood Strategy Implementation Plan, announced in early September, outlines the agency’s focus on boosting the domestic seafood economy and enhance the resilience of the seafood sector in the face of climate change over the next five years. NOAA Fisheries officials acknowledged that while the domestic seafood industry enhances public health and nutrition, creates jobs, and helps build a climate resilient food strategy that’s facing many challenges, including putting the domestic supply of sustainable seafood at risk. “The Implementation Plan is where the rubber meets the road,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Janet Coit said. “It outlines the specific actions to achieve the goals we laid out in the strategy to support our nation’s seafood sector a...
New Tool Pinpoints River System for Individual Chinook Salmon
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New Tool Pinpoints River System for Individual Chinook Salmon

A new tool developed by NOAA Fisheries scientists allows researchers to pinpoint the river system that individual Chinook salmon come from, thereby enabling more precise management and protection of threatened and endangered populations. “It's like giving every fish a unique genetic fingerprint,” Donald Van Doornik, a NOAA Fisheries biologist and lead author of a paper published July 8 in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management, explained. “We can use this fingerprint to figure out where that fish came from by comparing it to other fishes’ DNA,” he added. A Sept. 26 announcement by NOAA Fisheries noted that by identifying specific Chinook populations contributing to mixed-stock fisheries, they’ll be able to design more effective conservation and management strategie...
2024 Alaska Aquaculture Report Highlights Accomplishments
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2024 Alaska Aquaculture Report Highlights Accomplishments

A report on Alaska aquaculture released Sept. 27 by NOAA Fisheries highlights key achievements in research, sustainability and community-driven projects contributing to growth of the industry in Alaska over the past fiscal year. Alaskan aquaculture, a relatively young industry, includes seaweed and invertebrate farming, with oysters, mussels and three types of kelp -- sugar, ribbon and bull – as the primary species. The aquaculture accomplishments report details how NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Region Aquaculture Program engaged in projects to support sustainable development of Alaska's aquaculture industry. NOAA Fisheries works with partners to improve and expand opportunities to promote sustainable marine production of shellfish and seaweed in Alaska. The Alaska Aquaculture Progra...