NOAA’s 2008 Business Report has important information for the coastline of the whole country.

For the Atlantic coast, it mentions 5 points in particular:

1. Large ships must obey a 10-knot speed limit in times and areas where endangered right whales are likely to
   congregate. These areas include calving / nursery areas in waters off Georgia and Florida, and a number of ports in the Northeast.
2. East Coast trap and pot fishermen are also switching from floating to sinking ground-line to help reduce the risk of entangling large whales. A large number of North Atlantic right whales were sighted in the Gulf of Maine in December 2008, leading researchers to believe they have identified a wintering ground and potentially a breeding ground for this endangered species.
3. Scientists are analyzing underwater sounds within the Stellwagen Banks National Marine Sanctuary to support a global monitoring network for ocean noise, an important step in protecting marine mammals.
4. NOAA Fisheries Service completed a research cruise to evaluate five proposed Marine Protected Area sites off the U.S. South Atlantic coast. The survey areas included spawning habitat for five species of grouper and two species of tilefish.
5. The Habitat Mapping Camera System (Habcam) was developed in collaboration with the fishing industry and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute as a noninvasive sampling tool. When towed by a commercial scallop boat, it can collect 300,000 high resolution images per day without damaging underwater habitat.

At the annual South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) meeting going on right now on Jekyll Island (for Georgia members), the tough, yet prudent decision was made to curb the effects of overfishing red snapper – a 7-6 vote in favor of a 6-month ban on red snapper fishing off the southern Atlantic seaboard was passed.

Headquartered here in N. Charleston, the SAFMC is a federal agency, but their decision will have to meet final approval from the National Marine Fisheries Service – likely not to take effect until the red snapper’s summer spawning season.

“The sad part is these kinds of (overfishing) problems should have been addressed long ago. As with anything, the more you delay it, the more severe it is (to deal with). We’re paying the piper now. No matter what the council finally decides, ‘you’re looking at a very limited fishery even when it’s restored.’” – Dick Brame of the CCA

Many red snapper fishermen – not to mention seafood connoisseurs & sushi lovers – are upset and confused with the decision, because fishermen are seeing a glut of larger fish at or above the 20-inch limit – scientists say some unusually strong spawning seasons from several years ago are what’s causing that.

“I don’t like having to do it. The big picture is that red snapper stocks are in very bad shape.” – Duane Harris,
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Chairman

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201
North Charleston, SC 29405
phone 843.571.4366
toll free 866.SAFMC-10
fax 843.769.4520
safmc@safmc.net