Making Waves - Summer 2020

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Making Waves 2016 Making Waves Summer Spring 2020

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The Official Publication of the Recreational Fishing Alliance

Donofrio on Skin in the Game - RFA & COVID-19 Trip of a Lifetime to Guatemala!

Wind Farm Updates & Warnings NOAA Ecosystem Report & More Inside Summer 2020

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Making Waves Spring 2020

PROUD SPONSOR

M A K I N G

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Making Waves 2016 Making Waves Summer Spring 2020

The Official Publication of the Recreational Fishing Alliance

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

By Gary Caputi

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ell 2020 has been a tough year by any definition, but we are hopefully seeing the waning of the COVID-19 epidemic in the United States as so many seek a return to some degree of normalcy. One respite for many of you during these crazy times has been fishing, but it hasn't been easy to participate for some. A few states took drastic measure, closing launch ramps, tackle shops, marinas and making charter and headboat fishing off limits, until recently.

During this time the Recreational Fishing Alliance has been very busy both in our home state of New Jersey and nationally working to keep fishing opened and considered "essential" and to make it possible for support industries to do business or get reopened in a reasonable manner. We've been successful with many of these issues. Most recently, RFA worked with the United Boatman to establish guidelines for reopening charter and headboat businesses and shortly thereafter headboats all with enhanced protections for and lobbying to bring the opening to fruition. New Jersey came on board initially with charter boat openings, but there were some issues concerning larger headboat operations that were ironed out quickly, and now other states are following essentially those same guidelines. We're proud of the work we've done during difficult times while working from home and pleased with the cooperation we have been shown by many state and local government entities.

RFA was forced to cancel two of its major fundraising events, Bass River Classic in May and the Manhattan Cup in early June due to the pandemic. It has made funding operations more difficult and as a result we're reaching out to our members to help by making a donation and encouraging others to join. You can do both at www.joinRFA.org. We appreciate any help you can offer to help us weather the current storm so we can keep working on your behalf.

The issues, like the recurrent problems with a still broken Magnuson Stevens Act, have not gone away and some have gotten worse. Only the RFA has remained resolute in making the necessary changes.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Publisher’s Desk

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Exec. Director's Report: Skin in the Game

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Kids Corner: Pictures from our members

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Breaking News: GOM Cod and Haddock Quotas

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RFA Commentary: Working During a Pandemic

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The Ultimate TRIP OF A LIFETIME SWEEPSKATES

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Sand Lance Study Proposed by Scientists

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In Memoriam: The Loss of Two Titans

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Breaking News: Offshore Wind Updates - MAFMC

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Offshore Wind Farms Negative Effects

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Strict Regs for Offshore Wind Development

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State of the Ecosystem - NE Continental Shelf

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Breaking News: ROSA Seeks Advisor Applicants

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NOAA New Approach to Recreational Fishing

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News & Views

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About the Cover

Catch and release only for big bass like this one caught by Terry Sullivan of New Jersey.

Photo: Gary Caputi

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Making Waves 2016 Making Waves Summer Spring 2020

Executive Director's Report

by Jim Donofrio

Skin in the Game

Nowhere is this division more odious than within certain recreational fishing organizations run by people with an inside-the-Beltway mentality .

These same groups are the first to run off halfcocked to joust with windmills over side issues instead of doing the hard lifting necessary to really fix the root problems we face. They relish the distrust that the environmental groups have fostered between rather than trying to find common ground and unity with the commercial sector where it could have a beneficial impact on our quest for real reform.

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Kids Corner

Riley and Dakota Miller with a limit of beautiful summer flounder caught while fishing with their dad on the day the RFA-Bass River Classic Tournament would have been held. It had to be cancelled due to COVID-19 emergency measures put in place by the Governor of New Jersey. Riley took first place in last year's event and hopes to be a contender when the extremely popular tournament resumes next season.

Got a favorite fishing photo of your kids you'd like to see in our pages?

Send digital images only to jdepersenaire@joinrfa.org for consideration.

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NOAA Seeks Comments on New Gulf of Maine Cod/ Haddock Allocations to the Recreational Sector Capt. Barry Gibson RFA New England Regional Director

NOAA

is seeking public comment on a proposal contained within Framework 59 of the Northeast Multispecies Plan that would revise the allocations to the recreational sector of Gulf of Maine (GOM) cod and haddock.

and recreational allocations of GOM cod and haddock based on the ratio of reported landings (for commercial and recreational) and discards (commercial only) for the time period 2001-2006 using data from the Groundfish Assessment Review Meeting III (GARM III). Based on this methBack in 2009, Amendment 16 to od and the catch data available the Plan established the method at the time, since 2010 the recrefor determining the commercial ational fishery has been annually

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allocated 33.7 percent of the would be allocated to the comGOM cod quota and 27.5 permercial fisheries, which include cent of the GOM haddock quota. the federal commercial groundfish fishery, state commercial fishThe 2019 stock assessments used ery, and other federal fisheries. updated data to assess groundfish stocks including GOM cod This re-analysis of the recreationand haddock. Data changes al data for purposes of commersince 2010 include updated com- cial-recreational allocations of mercial landings and discards, cod and haddock has long been the incorporation of recreational requested by the New England discards, and Marine Recreation- Fishery Management Council’s al Information Program (MRIP) Recreational Advisory Panel. The recreational landings and disresulting proposed re-allocations cards, which were revised follow- are strongly supported by the ing the transition from the tele- RFA, as they more accurately rephone-based effort survey to the flect historic catches between mail-based effort survey and the the sectors. We urge individual re-calibration of recreational anglers, recreational and for-hire catch estimates from 1981 to the organizations, and those in the present. Framework 59 proposes marine and tackle industries to to apply the same method apcomment in favor of these inproved in Amendment 16 but creased allocations. Read the with the revised data for the proposed rule as published in same time period of 2001-2006, the Federal Register, and submit which would result in a revised your comments through the recreational allocation of 37.5 online portal. percent for GOM cod and 33.9 Comments are due immediately. percent for GOM haddock. The Contact Liz Sullivan at the NMFS remaining portion of the quota Regional Office, (978) 282-8493.

(62.5 percent for GOM cod, 66.1 percent for GOM haddock)

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Commentary

by John DePersenaire, RFA Managing Director

Force MAJEURE

RFA Working for You During the Pandemic

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e have all become familiar and accustomed to hearing new words over the past two months. N95’s, social distancing, contact tracing, and PPE are all terms now heard on a daily basis that prior to mid-March were widely unknown to the vast majority. Another one of those terms is force majeure, an often overlooked term contained deep in the details of a contract. It deals with events generally understood to be acts of God. COVID-19 and the actions taken by the state governments to prevent its spread fall under this category. Numerous fishing shows, events and tournaments all were cancelled with little or no recourse due to force majeure. Fishing businesses and marine manufacturers were forced to stop production, cancel orders, and layoff employees. Again, because this was considered an act of god, business interruption insurance did not cover these losses. RFA and many other organizations were forced to make the difficult decision to cancel tournaments and events. Not only do these events support worth social and environmental causes, they also represent an important source of income for these organizations.

which sound opportunistic to our industry then have to be validated through the official executive order. Similar to legislation, the devil is in the details and the waiting game between what was verbally stated and what is included in print in the executive order was a source of contention.

With no federal guidelines on how or when recreational fishing could operate, what we were left with was each state setting the rules. And in many cases, neighboring states had different measures in place for their fishing industries.

At the onset of the crisis, it was anticipated that recreational saltwater fishing would decline due to fishing businesses being closed, stay at home orders and other restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the virus. RFA was concerned that MRIP may not accurately capture this decline and that recreational anglers would not have an opportunity to fully utilize their recreational harvest limits for some federally managed species. We now understand, based on tackle sales and through preliminary results from MRIP catch estimates that recreational fishing had increased. In retrospect, the increase is understandable considAnd for the first time, our industry was being reg- ering that many people were not at work and ulated by state level executive orders. While quo- children were not at school. The extra time at home gave many people the chance to spend tas, seasons, size limits and bag limits are still set more time fishing. This does not mean that the through the deliberate public process which inrecreational fishing industry in general saw a bencludes public hearings and ample opportunities for the public to provide input. Executive Orders efit from this increased fishing effort. In New Jersey for example, private anglers were not restrictare an entirely different animal. Decisions that ultimately set forth if we are allowed to fish or not ed from fishing, while the for-hire boats were proare made by a small circle of people. Verbal state- hibited from sailing from March 21 through May ments made by governors during daily briefings 16. Even after EO 146 was issued on May 16, the

Making Waves 2016 Making Waves Summer Spring 2020

wording of the order only allowed a small fraction of the sector to resume operation given the highly restrictive measures which would have not made it economically feasible for most boats to sail while complying with the measures.

Tackle shops which were deemed as nonessential businesses, were mostly forced to remain closed to walk in customers but were allowed to offer curbside pick up. While advantageous to some shops, the income associated with curbside pick up was miniscule to the amount of business they could have done if allowed to operate as grocery stores and other essential business. Stores such as Walmart and other large department stores continued to sell fishing tackle. In fact, Walmart is expected to have one of its best years with tackle sales since it was considered an essential business due to its grocery department and was allowed to remain open and sell fishing tackle while actual tackle shops were closed or highly restricted on how they could operate. Many executive orders had the unfortunate consequence of creating winners and losers and in most cases, recreational fishing businesses were losers.

RFA tried to make the case in several states that recreational fishing provides the public with an opportunity to access fresh seafood but in order to do so, anglers need purchase bait, tackle and other equipment from tackle shops. This argument also carried over to the for-hire sector which provides access to the states’ marine resources to anglers who don’t own their own boat. The argument being that recreational fishing should be classified as an essential component of the food supply chain. This argument was met with limited success in some states and as of the publishing of this newsletter, most coastal states are allowing the resumption of charter and for-hire fishing under certain conditions.

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age. Each state has been allotted a fixed amount using a formula that took into account the state’s economic output from the for-hire sector, commercial fishing/aquaculture sector and the seafood processor/dealer sector. This formula was used to develop the amount granted to each state but the states are not bound to this formula when developing spending plans. The minimum each state (or tribe) would receive would be $1million and the maximum a state could receive was set at $50 million. The commercial dominated states of Alaska and Washington both maxed out at $50 million. The states are now in the process of putting together spending plans which will then be submitted to their respective fisheries commission which will approve the plans and disburse the funds. Many states have put together working groups to gather input from the industry on how to craft these plans and how the money could be best used. RFA has representatives on such working groups in Massachusetts and New Jersey. Once approved, the states will solicit affected businesses who were impacted by COVID19 to apply for the CARES Act assistance. The states can also use a portion of the funds for nondirect payments for programs such as marketing campaigns, data collection programs or economic analysis.

At the writing of this article, the outlook for the virus is still questionable. With an increasing rate of new cases and hospitalizations in some of the state who were first to ‘open back up’, there is concern we may see some states start to walk back some of the easements which allowed tackle shops, charter boats and head boats to resume operation given that certain criteria were followed. The economic metric used to gauge the financial health of the country still shows a massive amount of people out of work which does not fair well for the outlook of recreational fishing. The stay-at-home bump in recreational fishing activity experienced early on in the crisis, and The CARES Act included $300 million for fishing which was driven primarily by freshwater fishing, related businesses that were negatively impacted can’t be sustained, particularly when unemployby COVID-19. The funds will be dispersed to ment benefits start to expire and the impact of commercial and recreational fishing participants one-time federal and state direct assistance is no who were negatively impacted by COVID-19. To longer on the table. Its going to be an uncertain qualify, the participant must be able to demontime for our industry in the coming months. strate a 35% loss from the previous 5 year aver-

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Enter the RFA's Ultimate

TRIP OF A LIFETIME SWEEPSTAKES The Sweepstakes is still a go and the winner will be able to arrange the fishing dates after travel restrictions are loosened. The fishing in Guatemala never stopped - it's been flat out spectacular.

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he staff at the RFA is excited to put up for grabs what is truly the finest Trip of a Lifetime prize we've ever offered. Courtesy of Captain Mike Sheeder of Intensity Sportfishing and Herb Rosell who represents Sailfish Oasis Lodge we will be giving away a trip for two to experience Guatemala bluewater fishing at its finest.

Christmas, one winning ticket will be drawn at random and the winner and a guest will receive a trip to Sailfish Oasis Lodge that includes four nights stay and three days of fishing aboard the Intensity with Capt. Mike Sheeder and his crew. It will cover private transportation to and from San Jose airport to the lodge, all deluxe gourmet meals and, a private bungalow and use of all facilities. The winner will also receive a travel To Enter voucher for $1000 towards airfare to Guatemala Here's how it works. In December, just in time for for a total prize value in excess of $15,000. The

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winner will arrange travel dates directly with the Herb Rosell, the US representative of Intensity Sportfishing and Sailfish Oasis Lodge. If the winner would like to add additional fishing days, side trips to experience more of Guatemala or bring additional guests, arrangements can be made at that time and will incur appropriate charges.

The Boat & Crew

Not a member? Join and your first ticket will be included as part of your $35 annual membership dues. Sign up for 3 years for $90 and receive three tickets with your membership. Additional tickets are available to all new members at the time of joining or by calling.

“For more than 20 years the Intensity has been offering fly and conventional angling clients the finest billfishing in the world,” says Sheeder. “We consistently receive the highest recommendations and reviews from both novice and experienced anglers. We can’t wait to invite you to step aboard and begin your own fishing adventure. Make your fishing dreams a reality.

You’ll be fishing the sailfish mecca of the world, Guatemala’s Pacific Coast. Located along the Central American “billfish highway,” this is where sails along with striped, blue and black marlin, tuna and dorado cruise amongst underwater mountain ranges located less than 10 miles from the dock. You’ll be fishing on the most famous RFA members will automatically receive five tick- billfish boat in Central America with more releasets at the discounted price of $100 in the mail. es made from it’s deck than any other—the aptly The single ticket price is $25. Follow the instrucnamed Intensity. You’ll fish with Captain Mike tions to activate your tickets. The mailing will take Sheeder, one of the top producing billfish capplace in early April 2020. You can request additains of all times along with his crew of highly tional tickets online at the RFA store skilled mates who consistently rate at or near the (www.joinrfa.org) or by calling the RFA headtop of the IGFA Billfish Release leaderboard every quarters at 888-JOIN-RFA and requesting them. year.

The Lodging

Pacific sailfish are insanely abundant in Guatemala. They frequently top 100-pounds are there is always the chance of having blue or striped marlin attacking the spread.

Welcome to the Sailfish Oasis Lodge where sunsets are celebrated every afternoon with refreshing drinks. Located in a secure residential community only five minutes from the marina and a 90minute drive from Guatemala City, Sailfish Oasis offers relaxing accommodations in a lush tropical setting. You’ll stay in a beautiful private bungalow done in local hardwoods and deco-

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Relax by the pool with one of the lodge's signature rum coolers after your days on the water. rated with local textiles and furnishings. Each bungalow is equipped with air-conditioning, comfortable beds and a private bath with plenty of hot water. Anglers and their guests are welcome to disconnect from the rest of the world in the lodge’s resort swimming pool surrounded by manicured lawns and flowering plants or to reconnect with friends and office via complementary WiFi service. Come dinnertime, you will gather around our private bar serving our signature cocktail “Canaso” or the libation of your choice. You can enjoy a selection of hors d’oeuvres while swapping tales of your day’s fishing in the open-air rancho style dining room. Dinners are a multi-course affair celebrating the finest in Guatemalan cuisine featuring fresh locally sourced organic ingredients. Sailfish Oasis prides itself in ocean-to-table dining. Signature dishes like dorado ceviche, giant prawns marinated in a ginger and Sailfish Oasis Lodge is located in a private, gated sweet chili sauce, pan-fried dorado community minutes from where the Intensity docks. topped with toasted

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face. Currents moving east from Mexico and west from Panama collide off Guatemala, creating enormous nutrient-rich eddies that attract and hold baitfish, which in turn attracts gamefish. Everywhere you look there is marine life. Not just sailfish, but whales, spinner dolphin, sea turtles and diving marine birds. Best of all, about 75 percent of the time this marine show happens in flat seas. Calm conditions that make Guatemala the ideal spot for first time fly fishermen wanting to catch billfish or new-to-offshore Each bungalow is beautifully decorated with fishing families seeking an introprivate bath, air conditioning and Wi-Fi. duction to the sport. In short, anyone who doesn’t like rough sea The Fishing conditions will find the ocean off the Port of San Sailfishing off Guatemala is phenomenal, the Jose a pleasure. best found anywhere in the world! Ah, but so is Sailfish, blue and black and striped marlin, wathe fishing for mahi, yellowfin tuna, wahoo and hoo, tunas and dorado are caught yearmarlin. Catching 15 out of 25 sailfish bites plus round. However, the peak billfish season is Octoscores of dorado and tuna is a routine day here. And when the waters are teaming with bait, as is usually the case, the catch rate can climb to three or more times that number. Guatemala holds the single day record of 124 sails released on conventional tackle and 57 on fly. No other fishing destination approaches the billfish numbers found off Guatemala. The reason for this amazingly consistent productivity has to do with the submarine mountains found just offshore. The bottom structure and the ocean currents that interact with it A blue marlin is always in the picture or you can plan your feed oxygenated water trip when they are in abundance. or upwellings to the sur-

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Dolphin and yellowfin tuna are caught year-round along with the legendary billfishing and often find their way onto the dinner table as ceviche, sushi or cooked to your liking for dinner.

ber through June. The summer months are tops for dorado and inshore species such as roosterfish, Cubera snapper and grouper on light tackle.

Guatemala offers the finest saltwater sportfishing in the world and the Intensity has consistently been the top boat.

Conservation Guatemala is a leader in billfish conservation, which has played a big part in making this area a favorite destination for offshore fishing enthusiasts the world over. Guatemala was the first country to embrace and enact laws requiring the mandatory use of baited circle hooks in its off-

shore fishery. It also has a strict no kill billfish policy. Because of these policies, it has been able to sustain its reputation for the most sailfish releases in the Pacific every year since records have been kept. Capt. Sheeder proudly contributes to conservation research by keeping accurate records and data on his average yearly 1,500 to 2,000 billfish releases.

Check Them Out To learn more about Capt. Mike Sheeder and his crew go to www.Intensitysportfishing.com or call Herb Rosell at 305-632-4372 with questions.

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At the Base of the Food Chain, a Small Fish Should Command Greater Notice, Researchers Say UMass Amherst, more than 20 scientists urge greater effort to gather sand lance data March 23, 2020 Contact: Michelle Staudinger 413-577-1318 AMHERST, Mass. – A slender little fish called the sand lance plays a big role as “a quintessential forage fish” for puffins, terns and other seabirds, humpback whales and other marine mammals, and even bigger fish such as Atlantic sturgeon, cod and bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Maine and northwest Atlantic Ocean. But scientists say right now they know far too little

A vast array of predators including whales like this Humpback depend on the abundance of sand lance and sand eels along the northeastern coast of the US.

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about its biology and populations to inform “relevant management, climate adaptation and conservation efforts.”

and first few years of their lives.”

Two species, American and Northern sand lance, are so streamlined that they can dive at swimming speed into the sandy sea floor, burrowing to escape predators. Staudinger explains, “They’re unique among forage fish because of their elongate body shape and hiding behaviors. Their shape makes them very attractive to many predators because they’re easy to swallow. Most marine predators don’t chew their food, rather they swallow their food whole. It’s like eating spaghetti instead of a meatball; there are no legs or spines to get caught in your mouth or throat.

Even small seabird chicks can swallow large sand lance because they slide right down into the gullet.”

gered Roseate tern, Atlantic sturgeon and cod, Harbor and Grey seals and Minke and Humpback whales. “This paper is a call to our peers and colleagues that there is a big gap in knowledge, and to bring more attention to these species as unmanaged forage fish,” says Staudinger.

Staudinger and Justin Suca, a Ph.D. student at MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic InstituA collaborative team of 24 coauthors led by tion Joint Program who contributed to the first author and marine ecologist Michelle study, point out that sand lance are an unStaudinger at the University of Massachusetts managed forage fish in the region, so scienAmherst’s Northeast Climate Adaptation Sci- tists don’t collect regular data on them. ence Center this week is calling for increased Staudinger’s team says its report represents focus on sand lance and their ecological role the first comprehensive assessment of this imin the region’s “dynamic ecosystem,” which is portant forage fish in the Northwest Atlantic, facing increased pressure and risks from clithough similar efforts have been carried out mate change, fishing and offshore wind ener- in the Pacific Northwest and Europe. In the gy development. Details are in the current is- Atlantic, sand lance are observed to be a sigsue of Fish and Fisheries. nificant food source for the federally endan-

Holly Goyert, a UMass post-doctoral researcher with the project who is now working under contract to the NOAA National Ocean Service adds that even though sand lance occur in huge schools, “their slender bodies make them very difficult to catch in marine survey nets so we have very little information on their abundance and distribution. We just can’t catch them reliably and efficiently enough to understand how big their populations are. We have some information on their early life and adult stages, but there are significant gaps, especially in the juvenile stages

To begin to address this need, she, Linda Welch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Dave Wiley of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary led their colleagues from 15 state and federal agencies, academic institutions and nonprofits in a 2017 workshop. The goal was to synthesize available data on the life history, behavior, distribution, feeding ecology, threats and vulnerabilities and ecosystem services role of sand lance in the northwest Atlantic. Wiley says “Sand lance are a key ingredient in the sanctuary’s productivity. The more we know and understand about this forage fish the better equipped we will be to conserve and protect marine species that depend on this critical food source.

In addition to UMass Amherst’s Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, the work was supported by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA/Stellwagen Bank National Ma-

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found to consume sand lance. Staudinger adds that because sand lance are winter spawners, they are particularly vulnerable to warming ocean temperatures in Gulf of Maine waters, which are known as a global “hotspot of warming.” The eel-like fish may also be less adaptable than other fish species – they are very dependent on sandy bottom marine environments increasingly targeted by dredging for beach nourishment and siting of wind energy turbines.

The researchers say, “Priority research needs identified during this effort include basic information on the patterns and drivers in abundance and distribution of Ammodytes (sand lance), improved assessments of reproductive biology schedNumerous sea birds like this common tern feeding it's ules, and investigations of regional sensitivity chick, rely on sand lance as forage. and resilience to climate change, fishing and habitat disturbance.

Food-web studies are also needed to evaluate rine Sanctuary, Boston University and others. trophic linkages, and to assess the consequences of inconsistent zooplankton prey Overall, they report that 72 regional predators including 45 fish species, two squids, 16 and predator fields on energy flow within the northwest Atlantic ecosystem.” seabirds, and nine marine mammals were

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In Memoriam The Loss of Two Titans

Spring was a difficult time as the corona virus was ravaging the world. During the mayhem, it was hard to keep track of all the comings and goings and with so much sickness and death, especially the passings. Recreational fishermen lost two champions during that time, one to the virus, the other to a heart condition, and it is with a heavy heart and deep felt appreciation for their accomplishments on our behalf that the RFA acknowledges these great individuals.

Richard B. Stone (April 12, 1939 – April 3, 2020)

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o friends and colleges alike, he was Dick Stone, a graduate of VMI with a master’s degree in marine biology from William & Mary. He spent over 30 years working for NOAA initially as a research marine biologist and later rising to the top of the ranks in the National Marine Fisheries Service. Early in his career he was a pioneer in marine conservation and particularly in the development of artificial reef programs earning the moniker “the father of artificial reefs” within the agency.

programs. He drafted marine recreational fisheries policy and worked tireless to coordinate those functions within an agency that was almost exclusively focused on commercial fishing.

From 1992 through 1996 he was promoted to chief of the Highly Migratory Species Management Division working on both domestic and international management issues. He played a lead role with the U.S. State Department in negotiations with ICCAT and fought for recreational fishing to be recognized as an important player in pelagic species fisheries. He was a senior member of the U.S. Delegation to Japan, Canada, and Mexico and to ICCAT from 1978 through 1995.

In 1996 he left NMFS to become a consultant in highly migratory species management and research, fishery data collection, interactive management, and recreational fishery development.

It was during this time that Stone began a long working relationship with the Recreational Fishing Alliance that endured until his passing in Dick was among the first in the agency to recog- April. His counsel was always great appreciated, nize the importance of recreational fishing and his friendship to our staff and our cause even managing it to its fullest potential. From 1976 more so. Dick Stone was a gentleman, an avid through 1991 he was the Recreational Fisheries recreational fisherman and a champion of recreaOfficer/Fisheries Management Specialist where tional fishing throughout his career and he will he coordinated artificial reef activities and devel- be sorely missed by all that knew and worked opment and provided technical assistant to State with him.

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ave’s life revolved around fishing.

Born in Newark, New Jersey he was a graduate of Seton Hall University in 1977. He turned his passion for fishing into his career when, along with his friend Grant Toman, he opened a small tackle shop in Brielle, New Jersey called the Reel Seat.

Specializing in offshore tackle, they became innovators in a growing segment of the market.

Among their most notable innovations was the development of the first high-speed spreader bar utilizing titanium wire and shell squids that quickly became a staple for recreational boats fishing for tuna and billfish. The Reel Seat would quickly become one of the premiere tackle shops on the East Coast and with its expansion into a new and larger building a few years ago it is a magnet for serious anglers of all types.

make sure all our customers are served to the fullest. That is how Dave would have wanted it!”

In more recently years Dave became fascinated with deep drop fishing and the use of slow pitch outfits for all forms of bottom fishing. He frequently sponsored seminars at the new shop on a wide range of fishing topics, but his interests went well beyond just fishing, extending into the world of fishery management. As one of the cofounders of Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund, he worked tirelessly to bring outside scientists and experts into the management process to encourage new science and new perspectives to foster change. He became an advisor to Federal fishery management councils where he lent his expertise on species that included tilefish, flounder, sea bass and others. He was generous with his time and money in efforts to have recreational fishing recognized in the management process and in promoting the sport. Dave was a member of the Recreational Fishing Alliance from early on and always a stalwart supporter of its work, lending his time and expertise to many of the issues we worked on over the years and he will be sorely missed by everyone here.

Nick Cicero, a member of the RFA board of directors and an executive at Folsom Corporation, a large tackle wholesaler and long-time friend of His staff at the Reel Seat were like family and their Arbeitman had this to say about his passing.

“David was always an innovator. He loved the affection for Dave was obvious. The announcement of his passing on the store’s Facebook page business he built and especially helping his cusmade that abundantly clears. “With heavy hearts, tomers be more successful on the water. He nevit is almost impossible to put into words, the loss er stopped looking for new fishing opportunities, new methods, and improvements in gear. In a of one of the legends in the fishing community. world of so many self-proclaimed experts today, Early this morning David passed away in his my friend was the authentic real deal...quiet and sleep. We are devastated. Our hearts go out to his family and his many friends. Dave will contin- unassuming but passionate about our sport and a selfless champion for sound fisheries manageue to live on through his legacy, The Reel Seat. ment. I will miss him.” We will too, Nick. We will We will continue to be here in Dave's spirit and too.

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Offshore Wind Updates for June 9, 2020 from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Mgt. Council

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he Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA) is seeking commercial and recreational fishermen to serve on their Advisory Council, which will provide substantive direction and strategic guidance to ROSA. More information is available here. The deadline to apply is July 15.

General Updates: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will discuss offshore wind during the habitat update portion of their webinar meeting on June 17. More information is available here.

survey may be completed at any time and applies to all Ă˜rsted projects in the Northeast and MidAtlantic.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced two updates related to Port Access Route Studies to determine whether existing or additional vessel routing measures are necessary in certain areas to improve navigation safety due to a variety of factors, including offshore wind energy projects.

The Coast Guard is conducting a Port Access Route Study along the seacoast of New Jersey The New York State Energy Research and Devel- and approaches to the Delaware Bay. A public opment Authority (NYSERDA) is hiring a tempo- comment period on this study is open through rary fisheries liaison to support a geophysical sur- July 6. More information is available here. vey, which is scheduled to commence in July 2020. The deadline for applications is June 11.

The Coast Guard announced the completion of More information is available here.

The Areas Offshore of Massachusetts and Rhode Island Port Access Route Study. More information The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pro- is available here. The full report is available here. ject completed installation of monopiles for two 6 MW wind turbines off Virginia Beach. This is con- Equinor announced that their wind project off sidered a pilot project and is the first offshore the coast of New England is officially named Beawind project to be constructed in U.S. federal wa- con Wind. More information is available here. ters. More information is available here.

The Department of Energy is soliciting input from Ă˜rsted is seeking input on stakeholder outreach industry, academia, research laboratories, governthrough an online survey (available here). The ment agencies, and the public on high-priority

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research needs, gaps, and opportunities regarding environmental impacts of offshore wind energy development and related monitoring and potential mitigation technology. This is solely a request for information and not a funding opportunity announcement. More information is available here.

Research Updates: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released a report on striped bass and sturgeon movements through the Maryland Wind Energy Area. The full report is available here. A technical summary is available here.

ner in leases for multiple offshore wind projects in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern New England.

Upcoming Webinars: Rhode Island Sea Grant, ICES, and the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography are hosting a webinar titled Offshore Renewable Energy in the US: Learning as We Go on June 15 from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. More information is available here.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean will host a webinar with the U.S. Coast Guard on the New Jersey and Delaware Bay Port Access Route Study (see above) and a proposed anchorage area near the approach to the Cape Fear RivThe NOAA Fisheries Habitat Conservation Division in the Greater Atlantic Region recently devel- er in North Carolina. The webinar will take place oped recommendations for mapping fish habitat on June 16 at 2 pm. More information is available in wind energy areas. More information is availa- here. ble here.

The Wind Turbine Radar Interference Mitigation The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Working Group is hosting the third in a series of the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island re- webinars on offshore wind turbine radar interfercently awarded $1.1 million for four regional fish- ence mitigation strategies and research needs.

The webinar will take place on June 29 from 11 eries studies to guide offshore wind development. More information on the funded projects is a.m. to 1 p.m. More information is available here. available here.

OES-Environmental is holding a series of webinars throughout June on renewable energy deThe Science Center for Marine Fisheries funded two projects related to offshore wind energy de- velopment and the marine environment. More information is available here. velopment and fisheries. More information is available here.

Stay Informed:

Wind Developer Outreach to Fishermen: Fisheries liaisons for offshore wind projects are currently unable to hold face-to-face meetings with fishermen due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, they are available to talk with fishermen via phone or email. Contact information for all fisheries liaisons is listed here. Ă˜rsted will host virtual outreach meetings with fishermen every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm until they are able to resume face-to-face outreach. More information is available here. Ă˜rsted owns or is a part-

Updated notices to mariners regarding offshore wind projects off Massachusetts through North Carolina have been posted here.

Open public comment opportunities related to offshore wind energy development are posted here.

For information on specific offshore wind projects, please see the individual developer webpages linked at: http://www.mafmc.org/northeast-offshore-wind.

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RENEWABLE ENERGY

Interior: Offshore Wind to have Major 'Adverse' Effects Heather Richards, E&E News reporter Energywire: Wednesday, June 10, 2020

An illustration of the proposed Vineyard Wind offshore project.

Courtesy Vineyard Wind

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BOEM Report Points to Strict Conditions for Atlantic Offshore Wind Projects

A new supplement to the draft environmental impact statement for the planned Vineyard Wind project finds 'major' potential impacts on fisheries in New England

By GAVIN BADE, 06/11/2020 06:26 PM EDT

Story Courtesy

W

hen it comes down to who and what industries have investments for the long term in well managed, science-based fisheries there are only two true stakeholders. One is the recreational sector, with its 10-million or more saltwater anglers and the fishing tackle and recreational marine industries, and the thousands of businesses of all types from convenience stores to travel destinations they support.

ing vast storehouses of money to gain unprecedented influence in the political and regulatory process, while successfully working to drive a wedge between the two true stakeholder sectors.

Both recreational and commercial fishing stakeholders hold a significant amount of political influence particularly with Senators and Representatives from coastal states where they have their greatest economic impact, but the enmity and distrust between the sectors, encouraged by the The other stakeholder is U.S. commercial fishing sector that provides fresh caught wild harvested environmental lobby, has managed to keep us seafood to American households and the web of from working together to gain legislative parity with the non-stakeholder sector and attain the businesses that both service commercial fishermen and act as intermediaries to bring their catch reform of fisheries law that we both seek. to market. There is significant crossover with the Nowhere is this division more odious than within recreational marine industry here where we share certain recreational fishing organizations run by a common interest. people with an inside-the-Beltway mentality who The biggest problem faced by both sectors is the claim to be working on behalf of recreational fishflawed Federal fisheries law reauthorized in 2005 ermen. These same groups are the first to run off that was heavily influenced by the environmental half-cocked to joust with windmills over side islobby, a non-stakeholder group that has become sues instead of doing the hard lifting necessary to really fix the root problems we face. They relish a nightmare for the user groups. The environmental lobby consists of well-financed NGOs (non the distrust that the environmental groups have -governmental organizations) that through politi- fostered between rather than trying to find comcal action has injected itself into ocean issues us- mon ground and unity with the commercial sector where it could have a beneficial impact on our

Making Waves 2016 Making Waves Summer Spring 2020

quest for real reform.

Until we can get the recreational sector working together with our commercial sector friends, we will remain fragmented as three groups fighting against one another and nothing of consequence will get done on Capitol Hill to gain pragmatic Magnuson reform. This division, this weakness as seen by members of Congress is the green light they need to do nothing to fix the underlying problems with this troublesome legislation that has been plaquing both true stakeholder groups for far too long.

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room environmentalists pushing for unproven offshore wind farms that stand to cause significant disruption in fisheries and promote risky offshore aquaculture projects.

The elite mentality that commercial fishermen are our enemy is still in the mindset of many in our own sector and it is a false narrative. We are the only two true stakeholders that have skin in the game, and that skin is JOBS. Hundreds of thousands of jobs! We share a common desire to see fisheries managed for long-term sustainability. It’s well past time to stop the Beltway feel good phoSadly, while we remain divided into three sectors, to-op bills and regulatory failures that result from the only sector with no skin in the game contin- working under a broken Magnuson Act. Trying ues to sit in the catbird seat and run roughshod to spin them as victories for recreational fishermen is demeaning and dishonest. Let’s move over us every time we work with Congress to promote sensible, scientifically justified legislation away from the B.S. and get on with working toto allow for greater access to healthy fish stocks ward real reform using the resources available without compromising long-term rebuilding and through working in concert with the commercial fishing sector on issues of common concern. conservation goals. These are the same show-

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State of the Ecosystem Reports for the Northeast U.S. Shelf

T

Courtesy NOAA Fisheries he annual State of the Ecosystem reports developed for the New England and the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Councils provide the current status of the Northeast Shelf marine ecosystems.

New England/Mid-Atlantic

State of the Ecosystem Reports The annual State of the Ecosystem reports provide the current status of the Northeast Shelf marine ecosystems (Georges Bank, Gulf of Maine, and the Mid-Atlantic Bight). They are developed for the New England and the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Councils. These annual and collaboratively produced reports inform the councils about social, ecological, and economic aspects of the ecosystem from fishing engagement to oceanographic and climate conditions.

View the complete 2020 Mid-Atlantic report (PDF, 68 p) View the complete 2020 New England report

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The Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf ecosystem showing the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and MidAtlantic bight regions as well as the dominant currents and oceanographic features.

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The NOAA Integrated Ecosystem Assessment approach.

These reports are part of a larger, iterative Integrated Ecosystem Assessment approach. The approach integrates physical, biological, economic, and social components of the Northeast Shelf marine ecosystems into the decision-making process. This allows managers to balance trade-offs and determine what is more likely to achieve their desired goals. They are produced by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, with additional collaborators from academic research institutions, non-profit organizations, and state agencies.

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2020 Highlights The Northeast U.S. Shelf is one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world. We are observing changes in climate, nearshore, and ocean processes, as well as human uses. These changes are affecting ecosystem productivity, fishing communities, and regional economies. The 2020 reports highlight these changes and are intended to inform fishery managers of changing ecosystem conditions. This will enable them to sustain seafood production, recreational opportunities, and the other benefits that fisheries provide.

The Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf ecosystem showing the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and MidAtlantic bight regions as well as the dominant currents and oceanographic features.

2020 Key Findings

Fisheries remove a proportion of the total energy available to the ecosystem (primary production).

Since 2000, the proportion of energy removed by fisheries has been declining. In the Mid-Atlantic, commercial landings have declined while primary production has remained steady. In New England, commercial landings have been steady while primary production has increased slightly.

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Engagement in commercial fishing has been declining since 2004 for medium to highly engaged Mid-Atlantic fishing communities. Conversely, engagement is increasing in New England for moderately engaged fishing communities.

In New England, two single-species commercial fisheries—Gulf of Maine lobster and Georges Bank scallops—account for a majority of catch and revenue. Relying on single-species fisheries can be a risk to fishing communities if these populations decline.

Fish habitat modeling indicates which species are most likely to be found in current and proposed wind energy lease areas. For the Mid-Atlantic managed species, summer flounder, butterfish, longfin squid, and spiny dogfish top the list. For New England managed species, Atlantic herring, little skate, winter skate, windowpane flounder and winter flounder rank highest.

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Over the last decade, marine heatwaves —periods of prolonged above-average water temperatures—have increased in intensity and duration throughout the region. Temperatures at the bottom of the ocean are also warming.

Coastal habitats are under stress in the Mid-Atlantic. Heavy rains in 2018–2019 degraded Chesapeake Bay water quality, increasing oyster mortality and spreading invasive catfish. Sea-level rise is also altering coastal habitats, driving declines in nesting seabirds on Virginia islands.

The Gulf Stream is shifting northward and is increasingly unstable, producing more warm core rings . These smaller-scale eddies break off from larger ocean currents, rotate clockwise in a ring, and circulate warm Gulf Stream water within the Northeast Shelf Ecosystem. The result is a higher likelihood of warm salty water and the appearance of associated oceanic species such as shortfin squid on the shelf.

During the last three years, the source waters flowing into the Gulf of Maine have been dominated by warm offshore waters associated with the Gulf Stream. In comparison to the past, almost no cold waters originating from the Labrador Current have entered the Gulf of Maine. The changing proportions of source water affect the temperature, salinity and nutrient inputs to the gulf.

For the complete report as presented to the Councils use the links found on the first page of this synopsis and the links found throughout this brief presentation.

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Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA) Seeking Advisory Council Applications

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he Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA) is seeking applications from recreational and commercial fishermen to join its Advisory Council, which provides substantive direction and strategic guidance to the alliance. The deadline for applications is July 15, 2020.

ROSA is a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance regional research and monitoring of fisheries and offshore wind interactions through collaboration and cooperation. ROSA’s work currently concentrates on the waters from Maine to North Carolina.

The background information and applications are listed below and can be found at https://www.rosascience.org/. The deadline for applications is July 15, 2020.

Background Information for Commercial Fishermen Application for Commercial Fishermen Background Information for Recreational Fishermen Application for Recreational Fishermen Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council www.mafmc.org 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901 Phone: (302) 674-2331 | Toll-Free: (877) 446-2362 | Fax: (302) 674-5399

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NOAA Says: Agency Approach to Saltwater Recreational Fishing Has Changed, Progressed through Partnership A new leadership message from Russ Dunn, National Policy Advisor for Recreational Fisheries, in honor of National Fishing and Boating Week.

A

nglers motoring a boat in California's Sacra- clear message: marine recreational fishermen had mento Delta at sunrise. Photo: NOAA Fisher- long-held frustrations with federal fisheries manies/Jeremy Notch agement they wanted addressed.

More than 10 years ago, NOAA officially launched the National Recreational Fisheries Initiative with the opening of the National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summit on April 16-17, 2010. Days prior to the Summit, ESPN published a column musing about the demise of recreational fishing as we knew it. The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded just three days later. Bookended by these events, the first national Summit opened a challenging long-term dialogue. It produced a very

We left that first Summit understanding the need for institutional change, active public engagement, and the value of public-private partnerships. And we responded by changing the way we thought about recreational fisheries from top to bottom. We expanded agency planning, focus, and accountability around recreational fisheries through a series of detailed regional and national action plans between 2010 and 2019. And, we codified our new approach in the groundbreaking Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy in 2014.

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Fly Fishing Academy.

In 2019, we reached another milestone when we signed a formal Memorandum of Agreement with leading recreational fishing community members at the Miami Boat Show. The MOA established a formal framework for communication and collaboration on mutually beneficial projects. They will advance our goals of supporting and promoting sustainable saltwater recreational fisheries for the benefit of the nation.

This year we established a new collaborative partnership with Bonnier Corporation—publisher of Saltwater Sportsman and Sport Fishing magazines—to promote sustainable recreational fishing.

Over the past 10 years NOAA Fisheries has accomplished quite a lot with the recreational fishing community, but we know our work is not done. We will continue to support sustainable saltwater recreational fishing now and years into the future for the benefit of the nation.

Which brings us to today. COVID-19 has upended life and business across the country and the world.

This includes recreational anglers, forhire operators, and the businesses that depend on them. In April and May, the agency worked quickly to allocate the CARES Act Since 2010, active engagement and partnership funds appropriated by the Congress and we will with the recreational community has become deeply ingrained in agency culture. From quad- continue working to understand its impacts. As we collectively navigate the uncharted waters rennial national summits to annual roundtable created by the COVID-19 virus, know that we do discussions in every part of the country, the agency works to stay current and connected. We so together. have funded recreational fishermen to research This National Fishing and Boating Week, let’s all and address many on-the-water priorities such as rededicate ourselves to working together and barotrauma and release mortality, marine debris, facilitating a safe return of the American public habitat restoration, and fish migration. We are to the water and fishing. So go grab your rod! I working to educate the next generation of anhope to see you out on the water soon. glers, captains, and guides. We accomplish this by supporting programs as varied as the Marine Russ Dunn Resource Education Program and the Bristol Bay National Policy Advisor for Recreational Fisheries

Russell Dunn, National Policy Advisor for Recreational Fisheries, with a nice rainbow runner caught off Ft. Pierce, Florida.

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NEWS & VIEWS States Receive $3 Million to Improve Recreational Fisheries Data Collection June 04, 2020 The Marine Recreational Information Program’s Modern Fish Act investment funds will support regional data collection priorities and the implementation of specialized state surveys.

The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program • will administer $900,000 to improve the precision of landings and discard estimates, prioritizing species managed through annual catch limits.

The Pacific Coast Recreational Fisheries Information Network

• will administer $900,000 to restore sampling States along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts levels to increase the precision of estimates prohave received an additional $3 million for recrea- duced by recreational fishing surveys in Washingtional fisheries data collection. The funding is part ton, Oregon, and California. of a NOAA Fisheries plan to provide the state support described in the Modernizing Recreation- The Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Information Network al Fisheries Management Act of 2018.

Also known as the Modern Fish Act, the legislation calls on NOAA Fisheries to improve recreational fisheries data collection through statefederal partnerships. The agency’s Marine Recreational Information Program develops, improves, and implements a network of recreational fishing surveys to estimate total recreational catch, and maintains such partnerships through Regional Implementation Teams. These investment funds will support the highest priorities these teams have documented. They will also advance state specialized survey programs that allow recreational anglers to submit information through electronic technologies.

Funds have been allocated to states through existing agreements with regional fisheries information networks. These networks function as Regional Implementation Teams in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico.

Resident Chesapeake Stripers Die at 2X the Rate of Migrating fish

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Striped bass that stay year-round in the Chesapeake Bay are dying at nearly twice the rate of those that migrate each year to the Atlantic Ocean, a new study has found. The cause or causes aren’t clear, but the lead researcher said that it needs to be addressed to right a troubling decline in the prized finfish.

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ners. “We couldn’t have done this study otherwise.”

While it’s been thought that only large female striped bass migrate out of the Bay, Secor said the study found that larger tagged male fish also joined the exodus.

An electronic tagging study led by scientists from the University of Maryland Center for EnvironRestoring a Treasure: Maryland mental Science found that large mature striped bass leave the Bay every year to roam coastal wa- Makes Progress on Chesapeake ters until the next spring. Those smaller, younger fish that remain in the Chesapeake died off at the Goals rate of 70% a year.

March 1, 2020 The mortality rate is alarming,” said Dave Secor, a The Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary, professor at the UMCES Chesapeake Biological has been at the core of Maryland’s culture and Laboratory in Solomons. “If fish are dying at economy since the dawn of history. Unfortunategreater than 50% or 60% a year, that’s a probly, by the 1960s it became apparent that the lem.” health of our bay had fallen on difficult times. At first, there was little agreement on what the probThe study, published Thursday in the journal lems were, and much disagreement on what to PLOS One, appears likely to draw further attendo about them. But as science was brought to tion to disease and overfishing, two suspects in bear on the issue, it became clear that the primathe decline of striped bass, also known as rockfish, which are among the most sought-after fish ry problem was far too many nutrients and sediin the Chesapeake and along the Atlantic coast. ment running off of the land and into our waterways as a result of a growing and impactful huUMCES scientists implanted acoustic transmitters man population. Still, how to solve the problem remained far less clear. in 100 striped bass from the Potomac River and tracked their movements over four years. Signals We now have more than 50 years of science, deemitted by their tags were picked up as they bate, politics, and bureaucracy between when swam by receivers stationed in the Bay and along we first identified the problem and where we are the coast — a kind of E-Z Pass network for fish, as today at solving it. In 2010, the U.S. EnvironmenSecor described it. tal Protection Agency (EPA), working in collaboration with Maryland, our sister jurisdictions comprising the Chesapeake Bay watershed (Virginia, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, Delaware, West Virginia, and New York), and a lot of scientists and interested stakeholders, established a standard of bay health—Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL. This is the maximum amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediThat migratory pattern is well known, but the ment that can enter the bay without substantially tagging study helped scientists get a firmer han- and negatively impacting the quality of our wadle on which fish migrate, which do not and ters and living resources. The EPA then divided where they wind up. that bay-wide TMDL up among the seven water“The scale of this is unique,” Secor said, because it shed jurisdictions and mandated—through the authority granted in the Clean Water Act—that relied on collaboration with a number of partThe telemetry data revealed that fish 32 inches and longer left the Bay as soon as spawning ended in spring and migrated as a group north to near-shore waters off Massachusetts, where they are a favorite target of recreational anglers. They headed south in late fall, returning to the Potomac by the next spring to spawn.

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each jurisdiction implement best management ing our fisheries, maintaining vital habitats practices for reducing pollution to meet each indi- (wetlands, forests, streams, fish passage), reducing the impacts of toxic contaminants, restoring vidual TMDL no later than 2025. and conserving healthy watersheds, promoting The good news is that we are making progress. citizen and local government stewardship, inMaryland’s TMDL requires that we reduce the amount of nitrogen entering the Chesapeake Bay creasing public access to the bay, supporting environmental literacy and education, and addressfrom Maryland by about 21% from 2010 levels.

Maryland is now about halfway to its 2025 goals. ing the impacts of climate change.

That progress is particularly significant when you recognize that today we have about 50% more people living in the Chesapeake Bay watershed than we did in the 1970s. So despite significantly more people creating significantly more waste, we have reduced the amount of its impact. That is a major accomplishment of which we should all be proud!

Finally, we have also recognized that, even after meeting all our bay restoration goals, our population will likely continue to grow—meaning that our efforts to offset the impacts of that growth will continue far beyond 2025.

These goals are challenging, but not impossible.

Central to success will be using the best science available to maximize and continually improve We still have a substantial way to go, and not a the cost effectiveness of Maryland’s three primary lot of time to get there, but we have a plan and Chesapeake Bay restoration funding programs: we are following it. To provide reasonable assur- the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust ance that the TMDL will be met, the EPA has reFund, the Bay Restoration Fund, and the Maryquired that each bay jurisdiction develop Water- land Agricultural Water Quality Cost Share Proshed Implementation Plans that detail the actions gram. Leveraging these fund sources with other each will take to meet its TMDL. The first iteration state programs like Program Open Space, federal of these plans—known as WIPs—were required programs, local funds, and the private sector is and submitted to the EPA by each state in 2010. essential. Maryland has a strong tradition of reThe WIPs have been updated twice since then maining grounded in sound science while pushbased on updates in our scientific understanding ing the envelope on innovative policies and initiaand lessons learned as we progressed. In August tives.

2019, Maryland submitted our most recent verMaryland has been a leader in the Chesapeake sion (known as the Phase III WIP) and we are Bay Program Partnership since its inception. Govnow beginning the process of implementing ernor Hogan and his Chesapeake Bay Cabinet those strategies. have embraced that leadership role, and are committed to the science and innovation that have carried us thus far and that will ensure the sucBut simply reducing the amount of nitrogen, cessful realization of our goal. The Department of phosphorus, and sediment entering the bay by 2025 is not enough. We all know that achieving, Natural Resources remains central to this success maintaining, and enjoying a healthy bay involves through our world-renowned water quality and living resource monitoring and assessment profar more than just planting cover crops and upgrams, our innovative and cutting-edge managegrading wastewater treatment plants. ment of the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bay In recognition of that fact, in 2014 all seven waTrust Fund, sustainable management of our fishtershed jurisdictions, the federal government, and eries, our Program Open Space, and a range of the Chesapeake Bay Commission signed the programs involving environmental literacy, cliChesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, which mate resiliency, public access, fish passage, forestcommits the signatories to achieving 31 varied ry, wildlife, communication, and legislative work. and critical bay restoration outcomes beyond DNR has contributed and continues to contribute meeting the TMDL by 2025. These Watershed Agreement outcomes include sustainably manag- greatly to Maryland’s and the greater bay waterSharing the Load

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shed’s efforts to realize a healthy and vibrant Chesapeake Bay. We continue to be guided by science—it may not always tell us what we want to hear, but it always shows us the path to success. We have come far and our challenges ahead are significant, but if we remain committed, we are well positioned to achieve our goal. dnr.maryland.gov/waters

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also includes seven seats representing other federal and state government agencies.

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary’s Advisory Council actively recruits for new members and alternates when positions are available.

Check their website frequently for updates on how you can help manage New England’s only national marine sanctuary.

David M. Goshorn, Ph.D. is the Senior Bay Restoration Coordinator for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Appears in Vol. 23, No. 1 of the Maryland Natural Resource magazine, spring 2020.

Sanctuary Seeking Applicants for its Advisory Council - Deadline June 30, 2020 NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for six primary and five alternate seats on its advisory council. The council ensures public participation in sanctuary management and provides advice to the sanctuary superintendent.

The sanctuary is accepting applications for the following seats: at large (two primary and one alternate), business industry (one primary and one alternate), conservation (one primary and one alternate), education (one alternate), marine transportation (alternate), mobile gear commercial fishing (primary), and research (one primary).

The application period opened on June 1. Completed applications are due by June 30, 2020. Applications received or postmarked after June 30 will not be considered. To receive an application or for further information, please contact Elizabeth Stokes at 781-546-6004 or by mail at 175 Edward Foster Road, Scituate, MA 02066.

Applications can also be downloaded from the Sanctuary’s website.

Applicants accepted as members should expect to serve a three-year term. The advisory council consists of 36 primary and alternate members representing a variety of public interest groups. It

Go to the RFA Website to keep up with all the Breaking Fisheries News!

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Chairman Robert T. Healey Jr. Treasurer John Kasinski Board Members Bob Healey, Sr. Pat Healey Nick Cicero Mike Leech Nate Odum Andrew Semprevivo Tony Novelli Jim Motsko Mark Odom Carl T. Huffman Bob Flocken Martin Peters Libby Yranski Bob Shomo Jr. Andy Dormois

Viking Group

Viking Yacht Company Viking Yacht Company Viking Yacht Company Folsom Corporation World Cup Blue Marlin Tournament Mexico Beach Marina & Outfitters Seakeeper, Inc. Contender Boats Ocean City White Marlin Open Main Street Properties Elec-Tra-Mate, Inc Hi-Liner/Diamond Fishing Products Yamaha Marine Group National Marine Manufacturers Assn.

Johnson and Towers Inc AmeraTrail Trailers

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M A K I N G

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The Official Publication of the Recreational Fishing Alliance

The RFA Mission

Safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers Protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs Ensure the long-term sustainability of our nation’s fisheries.

Anti-fishing groups and radical environmentalists are pushing their agenda on marine fisheries issues affecting you. The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) is in the trenches too, lobbying, educating decision makers and ensuring that the interests of America’s coastal fishermen are being heard loud and clear. Incorporated in 1996 as a 501c4 national, grassroots political action organization, RFA represents recreational fishermen and the recreational fishing industry on marine fisheries issues on every coast, with state chapters established to spearhead the regional issues while building local support.

“The biggest challenge we face is the fight to reform and bring common sense and sound science into the fisheries management process," says James Donofrio, RFA founder and Executive Director.

“Anti-fishing and extreme environmental groups are working everyday to get us off the water.” Despite the threats to diminish access to our nation’s resources, Donofrio says that RFA offers members hope in an organization that’s designed from the ground up to fight back. “As individuals, our concerns will simply not be heard; but as a united group, we can and do stand up to anyone who threatens the sport we enjoy so much – fishing!”

After nearly 20 years working inside the Beltway and within state capitols along the coast, RFA has become known as one of the nation’s most respected lobbying organizations, and our members have a lot to celebrate.

The Recreational Fishing Alliance Headquarters P.O. Box 3080 New Gretna, New Jersey 08224 Phone: 1-888-JOIN RFA toll free Fax: (609) 294-3812

Jim Donofrio Executive Director

John DePersenaire Managing Director

Gary Caputi Communnications Director

Barry Gibson New England Director

Jim Martin West Coast Director

Sharon Scaltrito Office Manager