Data Collection Proposed for Hagfish Fishery
November 7, 2006
Release from:
NOAA
NOAA Fisheries is proposing measures to modify reporting and recordkeeping requirements for federally permitted seafood dealers/processors, in order to gather additional information on the unique aspects of the hagfish fishery. The information collected from fishery participants (dealers/processors and vessels) would help the New England Fishery Management Council to determine the need for, and potentially develop, a hagfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
The Atlantic hagfish fishery in New England was developed in the early 1990s, and reported hagfish landings quadrupled during the first 4 years of the fishery. Today the hagfish fishery relies on revenues from the export of whole frozen hagfish product overseas, primarily to South Korea , for meat consumption. The hagfish fishery off the coast of Gloucester , MA, has changed from an inshore fishery comprised of small vessels to an offshore fishery that consists of large vessels. The fishery has recently experienced localized depletion in nearshore waters, necessitating movement of fishing effort to areas not historically fished for hagfish.
To meet the Council's request for information, this proposed rule would require all seafood dealers who intend to purchase hagfish caught in or from the Exclusive Economic Zone to be permitted, and to submit a weekly electronic report containing trip-level information. Dealer reports would help to determine the level of discards and discard mortality of hagfish and to verify landings. Federally permitted seafood dealers would be required to complete all sections of the Annual Processed Products Report. This report could be used by the Council to estimate processing capacity, and to forecast and subsequently measure the economic impact of fishery management regulations. Employment data collected through the report could also be used to analyze the seasonality of the fishery. In addition, any vessel owner/operator that fishes for, catches, or lands hagfish, or intends to fish for, catch, or land hagfish in or from the EEZ would be required to carry an observer when requested by NOAA Fisheries.
Written comments on this
proposed rule must be received by 5pm on December 1, 2006. Send comments to HagfishIC@noaa.gov.
For more information, contact Bonnie Van Pelt at (978) 281-9244.
