Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Grants to Protect Coastal Wetlands - Texas Is Recipient
December 26, 2008
H. Dale Hall, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced today that twenty-five conservation projects benefiting fish and wildlife on more than 13,543 acres of coastal habitat in twelve States will be funded with $20.1 million from 2009 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.
Texas will receive a federal grant of $740,425 to be matched with partner funds to complete a $1 million project.
Texas Parks and Wildlife, with assistance from The Nature Conservancy, will acquire a conservation easement on approximately 3,500 acres of coastal habitats in the Guadalupe River Delta in Refugio County. Blue crabs, a main food source for the endangered whooping crane that winters on the Texas mid-coast, inhabit the wetlands on the property. In addition to the cranes, many other species of fish and migratory birds use the forested and emergent wetlands. The project site, Swan Lake Ranch, is part of the San Antonio Estuary ecosystem and will make a significant contribution to a corridor of protected lands. There are 148,000 acres of land nearby held in conservation by TPW, the Service, Guadalupe Blanco River Trust and private landowners.
Nationally, the grants will acquire, restore or enhance coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish, wildlife and their habitat. Other states receiving funds include Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. These federal grants will be matched by nearly $27 million in partner contributions from state and local governments, private landowners and conservation groups.
“Coastal wetlands provide valuable habitat for many fish and wildlife species, help keep our oceans cleaner, and serve as buffers to protect coastal communities from storms and flooding” Hall said. “The Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is a great example of a voluntary approach to habitat conservation. By providing technical and financial assistance to our partners, we are able to enlist their help in conserving coastal areas threatened by development and predicted sea-level rise resulting from climate change.”
The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and funded under provisions of the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act, drawing from Sport Fish Restoration Act revenue - money generated from an excise tax on fishing equipment and motorboat and small engine fuels.
Including the 2009 grants, the Service has awarded more than $220 million to coastal states and territories since the program began in 1992. When the 2009 projects are complete, nearly 258,000 acres of habitat will have been protected, restored or enhanced.
For a list of all projects funded by the 2009 grant program, go to: www.fws.gov
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For more information, contact the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203, or Division of Federal Assistance, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203, or visit the program’s home page.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
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Governor Martin O’Malley Statement on Federal Blue Crab Disaster Declaration
September 24, 2008
Annapolis, Md. (September 23, 2008) — Governor Martin O’Malley commended the support and leadership of Maryland’s Congressional Delegation today and thanked Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez for the federal fishery disaster declaration for the Chesapeake Bay blue crab.
“We are grateful to Senators Mikulski and Cardin, and our congressional delegation for their leadership in working with the Department of Commerce to secure this critical designation for Maryland’s watermen. Maryland’s blue crab and the traditional fishing industry that it supports face difficult times and the federal funding accompanying the disaster designation will help to preserve the infrastructure of Maryland’s hallmark blue crab fishery, and ensure an active fishery for the future.
This declaration not only helps restore the blue crab population, but it also ensures that the livelihood of our State’s watermen continues to be sustained. While we work with the industry on the State level to rebuild stocks and restructure the fishery, this federal action will help sustain the livelihoods of Maryland’s watermen, whose work is so vital to Maryland’s economy.”
Earlier this year, the O’Malley/Brown Administration coordinated historic action with Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay’s beleaguered blue crab population by reducing the harvest of ecologically valuable female blue crabs by 34 percent in 2008. In May 2008, Governors O’Malley and Kaine requested a disaster assistance evaluation from NOAA‘s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for Chesapeake Bay watermen and women who have suffered economic hardships due to the extremely low and unstable blue crab abundance. Finding that due to adverse environmental conditions including habitat loss, water quality decline, an overabundance of native and non-native predators, and decimation of key blue crab prey, economic losses to the region’s blue crab fishing industry have accumulated over the last decade, the U.S. Department of Commerce today declared a state of disaster for the fishery.
For more information about Maryland’s efforts to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population visit http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/dnrnews/infocus/blue_crab.asp.
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Commerce Secretary Determines Blue Crab Disaster in Chesapeake Bay
September 24, 2008
U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today determined that a decline in the harvest of soft shell and peeler blue crabs in Chesapeake Bay is a commercial fishery failure. The declaration is an important step in making watermen and their communities eligible for economic assistance.
The harvest value of soft shell and peeler blue crabs in Maryland and Virginia – both sold as soft shell crabs – has declined by 41 percent from the late 1990s.
“Watermen and their families in Maryland and Virginia who harvest blue crabs are being hit hard by this significant decline,” Gutierrez said. “This determination recognizes the importance of the blue crab harvest to the Chesapeake Bay community and the impact this decline is having on the regional economy.”
“This is great news for Maryland’s watermen,” said Senator Barbara Mikulski, chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations subcommittee that funds the Department of Commerce. “The disaster declaration means that Maryland is eligible for federal assistance to help the state as officials, industry and communities work to restore our crab population. I am proud to have worked with Secretary Gutierrez to reach this declaration.”
Blue crabs are harvested at three stages in their life cycle—as hard shell crabs, peeler crabs (just prior to molting), and soft shell crabs (immediately after the molt).
The governors of Maryland and Virginia requested that the Secretary of Commerce determine a disaster in the blue crab fishery. NOAA’s Fisheries Service, which is part of the Department of Commerce, analyzed economic and biological information provided by the two states and by NOAA scientists and economists. The Secretary made this determination for a commercial fishery failure under Section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
“NOAA’s Fisheries Service will continue to work closely with the states of Maryland and Virginia to assess the needs of crab fishermen and their communities,” said Jim Balsiger, NOAA acting assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “Our scientists will also continue to cooperate with the states and local universities to provide the scientific information needed to manage the crab resources wisely.”
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit http://www.noaa.gov.
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Blue Crab Workshops Scheduled In Florida
August 8, 2008
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has scheduled a series of public workshops to receive comments regarding a possible closed harvest season for blue crabs.
The FWC is looking at ways to create a closed blue crab harvest season so lost and abandoned traps can be collected and removed from Florida’s coastal waters. The primary option under consideration would establish three regional blue crab harvest closures across the state for a period of up to 10 days.
The FWC encourages interested persons to participate in the workshops, which will take place from 6-8 p.m. as follows:
Monday, Aug. 25
Center for Marine Studies
9505 Ocean Shore Blvd.
St. Augustine
Tuesday, Aug. 26
Brevard County Government Complex
The Brevard Room
518 S. Palm Ave.
Titusville
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve
261 7th St.
Apalachicola
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Joseph P. D’Alessandro Office Complex
2295 Victoria Ave.
Ft. Myers
Thursday, Aug. 28
City Council Chambers
123 NW Highway 19
Crystal River
Anyone requiring special accommodations to participate in the workshops should advise the FWC at least five days prior to the workshop by calling 850-488-6411. If you are hearing- or speech-impaired, contact the FWC using the Florida Relay Service at 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (voice).
More information is available at MyFWC.com/marine/workgroups/index.html#Blue_Crab.
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Report: Number of Blue Crabs in Bay Remains Below Long-Term Average
July 28, 2008
The Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population remained below the long-term average in 2007, according to a report approved by the NOAA-chaired Fisheries Steering Committee.
The population of spawning-age blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay in 2007-08 was 120 million, down from 143 million in 2006-07. The interim target population for spawning-age crabs is 200 million.
“The science provided by the Blue Crab Advisory Report is critical as state resource managers make decisions regarding the blue crab fishery,” said Peyton Robertson, director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office. “This consistent and continued cooperative assessment by the bay jurisdictions, supported by a multiagency team of expert analysts, establishes a sound basis for making decisions that will determine the future of the crab population.”
The 2008 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Advisory Report, developed by the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee, is based primarily on data collected by the 2007-08 baywide winter dredge survey, the most comprehensive and statistically robust annual blue crab survey conducted in the bay. The data also show:
• The abundance of crabs over five inches remained lower than historical levels.
• The number of juvenile blue crabs entering the population increased slightly from the previous year, but remained well below the average.
• The abundance of mature females, or spawning potential, was also found to be below average.
The 2007 bay-wide harvest of 43.5 million pounds was the lowest recorded since 1945. Based on the historical relationship between crab population and the following year’s harvest, the 2008 harvest was expected to remove approximately 67 percent of the bay’s adult crab population. These harvest levels are higher than a healthy crab population can sustain. New regulations were implemented by Maryland, Virginia, and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission in 2008 that are primarily designed to reduce fishing pressure on female crabs. These changes are expected to reduce the amount of crabs taken to near the target level.
The Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee includes fisheries scientists from universities, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service and the states of Maryland and Virginia. The Fisheries Steering Committee works with the various Bay management jurisdictions and is a forum where fisheries management agencies communicate and coordinate decisions across management boundaries.
The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office focuses NOAA’s capabilities in science, service, and stewardship to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit http://www.noaa.gov.
On the Web:
Blue Crab Advisory Report: http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov
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L.D.W.F. Agents Discover Illegal Seafood Shipments in Orleans Parish
May 20, 2008
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents cited a Jefferson Parish wholesale seafood dealer on May 12 for allegedly possessing unreported, farm-raised game fish and undocumented blue crabs at a New Orleans seafood processing facility.
Agents arrived at the seafood processing facility to perform an inspection, when a man, identified as Charles Flanders, 38, of Gretna, was seen backing a refrigerated truck up to the loading dock. During the inspection, agents observed various seafood containers in Flanders’ vehicle, including shrimp, blue crabs, grouper, and farm-raised red drum.
After a records inspection of Flanders’ load, agents found that the red drum and grouper had been purchased by Flanders from Mexico, and that he transported the fish into Louisiana via Florida. The investigation revealed that Flanders had failed to notify LDWF prior to entering Louisiana. In addition, he was not in possession of any records involving the origin of the blue crabs. A follow-up investigation showed that the crabs were purchased in Venice, and scheduled to be sold at New Orleans fish house.
A total of 162 pounds of blue crabs were seized and sold for a total of $324.00 and a total of 1,321 pounds of red drum were seized and sold for $3,236.45. The disposition of these funds will be determined pending trial.
Flanders was cited with a state violation of failure to maintain records on the blue crabs. The penalty for this offense is a fine of $250 to $500 or jail for not more than 90 days or both plus court costs. In addition, federal violations are pending for violating interstate and foreign commerce regulations involving the Lacy Act, which can carry a penalty of up to $10,000.
Red drum are classified as a game fish according to Louisiana law. Prior to each shipment into the state of any saltwater farm-raised game fish, the buyer or handler of such shipment must notify the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries of its pending arrival, the amount of fish, the origin and destination of the shipment, and the grower’s name and fish farmer’s license number.
Flanders had allegedly purchased other game fish from Mexico on a previous occasion and transported them into Louisiana for sale. Further investigation found that at the time of the previous transaction, he was not the holder of a valid Louisiana wholesale/retail dealer’s license, required to buy and/or sell fish within the state. Flanders also failed to report this shipment to LDWF.
LDWF agents involved in the case were Sr. Agents Jason Russo and Mike Garrity, Lt. Edward Skena, and Sgt. Bryan Marie.
For more information: contact Captain Stephen McManus at
504-280-1593 or smcmanus [at] wlf [dot] louisiana [dot] gov.
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Statement by DNR Secretary John R. Griffin Regarding Blue Crabs
May 8, 2008
Thanks for taking time to talk with us about our proposal to rebuild the blue crab population and fishery in the Chesapeake Bay. We are here tonight because our blue crab population and fishery have been in decline for almost 20 years. The population of blue crabs has dropped almost 70 percent since 1990, harvests are at historic lows and we have been harvesting too high of a percentage of this dwindling population.
We are here tonight because we care deeply about those that work on the bay. It is important to note that at the same time that the population of blue crabs has been declining so has the number of crabbers and processors. We understand that these regulatory proposals have significant economic impact for many here – but not acting also has significant, and likely more lasting and profound impacts on your ways of life.
We are here tonight because Governor Kaine and Governor O’Malley agreed to a science-based, conservation goal to reducing the harvest of female blue crabs by 34 percent in 2008 based on the best scientific information. The historic ongoing historic discussion with Virginia over the last several months resulted in Virginia closing their winter dredge fishery and closing their fishery for female blue crabs on October 27. These steps and the opportunities they present to quickly rebuild this fishery in concert with our neighbor are unprecedented.
The time to act is now. We must act to make both the population and the industry that relies on blue crabs sustainable far into the future.
We are here tonight to discuss our proposed emergency regulations package that will have Maryland fulfill its commitment to reduce the harvest of female crabs by 34 percent.
We understand that this will cause economic hardship for the lower Eastern Shore, particularly Dorchester County. With that understanding Governor O’Malley has secured $3 million in state capital funds to provide money to employ watermen in restoring key Chesapeake Bay habitat including rehabilitating oyster reefs, grants to assist in the start up of aquaculture businesses, and grants to assist crab processing companies.
In addition, Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin joined with Governor O’Malley last Friday to announce that the state is seeking a disaster declaration from the United States Department of Commerce for the Chesapeake Bay blue crab. We are seeking $15 million over the next three years to provide alternative economic opportunities for watermen and the processing industry.
We will be monitoring the 2008 fishery and the effects of these regulations through next year’s dredge survey results. It is our intention to be adaptive and flexible in our management of this fishery. The regulations proposed here will not be static. Our commitment is to ensure that each year no more than 46 percent of the crab population is removed by fishing pressure.
We are committed to working with the industry and with Virginia to explore effective alternatives for maintaining this target level of harvest. Once we rebuild this population, removing 46 percent of a larger blue crab stock will yield significantly better – and more sustainable – future harvests than removing 55-60 percent of a diminished population.
We are at a cross roads in the management of the symbol of our bay’s bounty. Change is never easy but it is our hope that we can continue to work together towards a more sustainable blue crab population and fishery in the near future.
We are committed to working with you and your local leaders to help get through this short term impact so that together we can emerge with stronger, more predictable and more diverse seafood harvest and processing opportunities that sustain you and the communities that depend upon you.
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Chesapeake Bay Underwater Grasses Increase 10 Percent in 2007, But Remain Well Short of Restoration Goal
April 29, 2008
Largest gains seen in Susquehanna Flats, while grasses in lower Bay continue to recover from 2005 losses
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Underwater bay grasses covered nearly 65,000 acres of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers in 2007, about 35 percent of the 185,000-acre baywide restoration goal, according to data from scientists with the Chesapeake Bay Program. Though a 10 percent increase from 59,000 acres in 2006, bay grasses have not yet recovered to the recent high of 90,000 acres in 2002.
Bay grasses — also called submerged aquatic vegetation or SAV — are critical to the Bay ecosystem because they provide habitat and nursery grounds for fish and blue crabs, trap sediments, absorb excess nutrients and reduce shoreline erosion. Bay grasses are also an excellent measure of the Bay’s overall condition because they are not under harvest pressure and their health is closely linked to water quality.
“While we saw a slight increase in SAV baywide in 2007 — due in part to increases in the very large and dense beds in the upper Bay and upper Potomac River — overall there is concern about SAV in many areas because of declining water clarity,” said Bob Orth, scientist with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and leader of the SAV baywide annual survey.
In the upper Bay zone (from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge north), bay grasses covered about 19,000 acres, 80 percent of the 23,630-acre goal and an increase from about 15,500 acres in 2006. The massive grass bed on the Susquehanna Flats, which is now visible on satellite images, dominated this zone. Bay grasses in the Flats increased from 8,743 acres in 2006 to 11,726 acres in 2007, 97 percent of the restoration goal for that segment. However, much of the rest of the upper Bay zone had little grasses, particularly on the Eastern Shore from the Sassafras River to the Chester River.
In the middle Bay zone (from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the Potomac River), bay grass acreage decreased slightly to about 30,000 acres, 26 percent of the 115,229-acre restoration goal. Grass beds remained reasonably robust in the Severn, upper Patuxent and upper Potomac rivers. Bay grasses in the upper Potomac River increased from 4,234 acres in 2006 to 6,246 acres in 2007, exceeding Maryland and Virginia’s restoration goals for that area. However, grasses in the lower central Bay in Virginia decreased from 2,017 acres in 2006 to 1,342 acres in 2007.
Unusually high salinities due to dry conditions during summer 2007 may have contributed to declines in the Chester and Magothy rivers and in Eastern Bay, where bay grass acreage fell from 565 acres in 2006 to 80 acres in 2007. Low river flows during drought conditions allow saltier waters to move up from the Atlantic, negatively impacting certain bay grass species that are adapted to growing in fresher waters.
In the lower Bay zone (from the Potomac River south), researchers mapped about 16,000 acres of grasses — an increase from a record low of 13,000 acres in 2006 and 35 percent of the 46,030-acre restoration goal. Many beds dominated by eelgrass, which dramatically died back during the hot summer of 2005, showed some modest recovery in 2007. Grass beds in the eastern lower Bay, for example, increased from 3,740 acres in 2006 to 5,134 acres in 2007 — still far short of the 15,107-acre goal for this segment.
“The overall picture for eelgrass — one of the two dominant SAV species in the lower Bay zone — remains bleak due to multiple stressors, including declining water clarity, warmer summertime temperatures and cownose rays,” said Orth.
Bay grasses continue to show a strong presence in many of the low-salinity and freshwater areas in the lower Bay zone, such as the Mattaponi, Pamunkey and Chickahominy rivers and creeks off the upper mainstem James River. These tributary segments are far enough from the Bay that the drought did not raise their salinity enough to cause diebacks of the low-salinity grass species that grow there.
“Over the past five to 10 years we have witnessed large increases of SAV in many of the freshwater tributaries and segments of the Bay,” said Lee Karrh, scientist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and chair of the Bay Program’s SAV Workgroup. “However, middle- and high-salinity areas, such as Eastern Bay and Tangier Sound, are well below their peaks.”
Because of their importance to the Bay ecosystem, in 2003 Bay Program partners committed to protect and restore 185,000 acres of bay grasses by 2010.
Annual bay grass acreage estimates are an indication of the Bay’s response to pollution control efforts, such as implementation of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) and upgrades to wastewater treatment plants. Bay watershed residents can do their part to help bay grasses by reducing their use of lawn fertilizers, which contribute excess nutrients to local waterways and the Bay, and participating with their local tributary teams or watershed organizations.
Bay managers are supplementing pollution reduction efforts with experimental bay grass plantings where predicted improvements in water quality would support bay grasses where none currently exist. These newly planted grasses act as seed sources which, in turn, produce more grass beds as water quality improves.
Bay grasses acreage is estimated through an aerial survey, which is flown from late spring to early fall. For additional information about the aerial survey and survey results, go to www.vims.edu/bio/sav/.