Around the Coasts Markets Reports

Northeast

Report fi nds most ships don’t brake for right whales

AIS analysis confi rms earlier NOAA fi ndings of routine violations on ship speed limits

NOAA regularly calls for 10-knot speed limits when right whales are in the vicinity.

A

n analysis of automated ship tracking data shows that nearly 90 percent of vessels transiting mandatory speed zones to protect endangered northern right whales are violating the speed limits, according to a new report.

The highest level of compliance — with about one-third of vessels obeying the 10-knot limit — was documented in the O Race Point seasonal management area, near Cape Cod in Massachusetts, where NOAA regularly announces speed restrictions to protect migrating whales.

The lowest levels of compliance — with nearly 90 percent of vessels busting the 10-knot limit — was o the coast between Wilmington, N.C., and Brunswick, Ga. That reach includes

MARKET REPORT: Northeast Oysters

After disaster loomed in pandemic, ‘markets are slamming’

’ll put it to you this way: If someone has oysters or clams and they can’t sell ‘em, they should just quit!” says Dale Parsons, owner of Parsons Seafood in Tuckerton, N.J.

A fi fth-generation oyster and clam business operator, Parsons has seen the industry evolve over the years. Some of the current boom can be attributed to reopenings after the pandemic shutdowns, says Parsons.

“It’s beyond what anyone would have predicted. The vacationers have extra money to spend, so what else can they do but go on vacations and spend money? Right now, it’s

crazy busy.” “I With restaurants, seafood markets, and tourism all coming back to life, and consumers’ taste for oysters seemingly insatiable, prices have been stable or higher, with East Coast operations returning to a precovid pricing structure. “Prices are up. Demand is stronger than it’s ever been.” And to think, adds Parsons, “20 years ago, nobody thought oyster farming was a thing!” Parsons — whose company mostly wholesales to distributors and only sells to a few select restaurants — says his model is approaches to the burgeoning ports of Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga., where cargo tra c and containership sizes are growing.

The automatic identi cation system data comes via Global Fishing Watch, an international nonpro t organization founded by Oceana in partnership with Google and SkyTruth. The new ndings back up an earlier analysis by NOAA itself, reported in January 2021.

Oceana analyzed self-reported vessel speeds and location data to track vessel speeds and positions in North Atlantic right whale conservation areas. NOAA delineates two types: seasonal management areas, based on previously documented right whale movements, where the 10-knot limit is mandatory, and dynamic management areas, announced as whales are tracked by NOAA aerial surveys and vessel report, where 10 knots is recommended.

With an estimated 366 animals left, the northern right whale is one of the most endangered species on Earth, with ship strikes and shing gear entanglement considered the top threats.

The analysis showed non-compliance was as high as almost 90 percent in mandatory speed zones, and noncooperation was as high as almost 85 percent in voluntary areas.

based on large volumes, and lower prices. “My oysters are not the $4 hipster oyster brand, adds Parsons. “I’m like the happy hour oyster guy.” While boutique oysters can get ~$1.50-$2 per oyster, Parsons typically wholesales for about 50 cents apiece, and 65 cents for retail.

In some parts of the East Coast, volume producers are earning 60-70 cents per oyster, and $1 each for smaller sizes. In other places, such as Cape Cod, growers who sell to dealers are earning 45-55 cents per piece.

“Markets are slamming,” agrees Bob Rheault, executive director of the East Coast Shellfi sh Growers Association, which represents over 1,500 shellfi sh farmers from Maine to Florida. — Caroline Losneck