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Northeast Fisheries Science Center reference document ; 21-01

Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document 20-03

NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE ; 252

Northeast Fisheries Science Center reference document ; 19-04

NOAA technical memorandum NMFS-NE ; 258

NOAA technical memorandum NMFS-NE ; 245

The Northeast U.S. Shelf Ecosystem supports a wide array of living marine resources from Atlantic sea scallops, one of the most valuable, to the North Atlantic Right whale, one of the most endangered. All of these resources - fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, sea turtles, plants, habitats, and other ecosystem components - are being impacted by climate change and multidecadal climate variability. In fact, the pace of observed climate change in the Northeast U.S. is faster than in many other U.S. Large Marine Ecosystems, and future change in the Northeast U.S. Shelf ecosystem is projected to be greater than many other portions of the world’s oceans. These changes in climate are already creating significant challenges for the region. Species distributions are becoming out of sync with the spatial allocations of management. The productivity of some iconic species is decreasing, making rebuilding and recovery difficult. Some ports rely on one or two fisheries; changes in these fisheries could have dramatic consequences for the human communities connected to these ports. Changes in science and management can be slow, while changes in the physics, chemistry, and biology of the ecosystem are occurring rapidly. Despite these challenges, there are opportunities. Some species in the region are responding positively to the changes in climate: moving into the region and increasing in productivity. For many managed species, management actions can occur relatively rapidly: the New England Fisheries Management Council (NEFMC) and Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC) have developed specification procedures and framework adjustments that can be implemented within a year of receiving new, peer-reviewed advice. The region has an excellent marine science infrastructure and advanced technologies offer new tools for observing, understanding, and adapting to change. Recognizing the opportunities and challenges resulting from climate change, NOAA Fisheries released the Climate Science Strategy in August 2015. This Strategy develops a national framework to meet the growing demand for information to better prepare for and respond to climate-related impacts on the nation’s living marine resources and resource-dependent communities.

Under the 1994 amendments of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) were required to generate stock assessment reports (SARs) for all marine mammal stocks in waters within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The first reports for the Atlantic (includes the Gulf of Mexico) were published in July 1995 (Blaylock et al. 1995). The MMPA requires NMFS and USFWS to review these reports annually for strategic stocks of marine mammals and at least every 3 years for stocks determined to be non-strategic. Included in this report as appendices are: 1) a summary of serious injury/mortality estimates of marine mammals in observed U.S. fisheries (Appendix I), 2) a summary of NMFS records of large whale human-caused serious injury and mortality (Appendix II), 3) detailed fisheries information (Appendix III), 4) summary tables of abundance estimates generated over recent years and the surveys from which they are derived (Appendix IV), a summary of observed fisheries bycatch (Appendix V), and a list of reports not updated in the current year (Appendix VI). Table 1 contains a summary, by species, of the information included in the stock assessments, and also indicates those that have been revised since the 2014 publication. Most of the changes incorporate new information into sections on population size and/or mortality estimates. A total of 43 of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico stock assessment reports were revised for 2015. The revised SARs include 27 strategic and 16 non-strategic stocks. This report was prepared by staff of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) and Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC). NMFS staff presented the reports at the February 2014 meeting of the Atlantic Scientific Review Group (ASRG), and subsequent revisions were based on their contributions and constructive criticism. This is a working document and individual stock assessment reports will be updated as new information becomes available and as changes to marine mammal stocks and fisheries occur. The authors solicit any new information or comments which would improve future stock assessment reports.

This report provides estimated bycatch of 6 species of small cetaceans and pinnipeds bycaught in the New England sink (NESG) and mid-Atlantic (MAG) gillnet fisheries. The 2014 serious injuries and total mortalities in the NESG fishery were 128 (coefficient of variation [CV] = 0.27) harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), 111 (CV = 0.47) short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), 10 (CV = 0.66) Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus), 917 (CV = 0.14) gray seals (Halichoerus grypus), 390 (CV = 0.39) harbor seals (Phoca vitulina concolor), and 57 (CV = 0.42) harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus). The NESG estimates are based on observed bycatch consisting of 28 harbor porpoises, 11 short-beaked common dolphins, 2 Atlantic white-sided dolphins, 159 gray seals, 59 harbor seals, and 9 harp seals. The 2014 serious injuries and total mortalities in the MAG fishery were 22 (CV = 1.03) harbor porpoises, 17 (CV = 0.86) short-beaked common dolphins, 19 (CV = 1.06) harbor seals, and 22 (CV = 1.09) gray seals. The MAG estimates are based on observed bycatch consisting of 1 harbor porpoise, short-beaked common dolphin, harbor seal, and gray seal.

Under the 1994 amendments of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) were required to generate stock assessment reports (SARs) for all marine mammal stocks in waters within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The first reports for the Atlantic (includes the Gulf of Mexico) were published in July 1995 (Blaylock et al. 1995). The MMPA requires NMFS and USFWS to review these reports annually for strategic stocks of marine mammals and at least every 3 years for stocks determined to be non-strategic. Included in this report as appendices are: 1) a summary of serious injury/mortality estimates of marine mammals in observed U.S. fisheries (Appendix I), 2) a summary of NMFS records of large whale human-caused serious injury and mortality (Appendix II), 3) detailed fisheries information (Appendix III), 4) summary tables of abundance estimates generated over recent years and the surveys from which they are derived (Appendix IV), and a list of reports not updated in the current year (Appendix V). Table 1 contains a summary, by species, of the information included in the stock assessments, and also indicates those that have been revised since the 2013 publication. Most of the changes incorporate new information into sections on population size and/or mortality estimates. A total of 30 of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico stock assessment reports were revised for 2014. The revised SARs include 12 strategic and 18 non-strategic stocks.

The MMPA requires NMFS and USFWS to review these reports annually for strategic stocks of marine mammals and at least every 3 years for stocks determined to be non - strategic. Included in this report as appendices are : 1) a summary of serious injury/mortality estimates of marine mammals in observed U.S. fisheries (Appendix I), 2) a summary of NMFS records of large whale/human interactions examined for this assessment (Appendix II), 3) detailed fisheries information (Appendix III), and 4) summary tables of abundance estimates generated over recent years and the surveys from which they are derived (Appendix IV).

This report provides estimated takes of 6 species of small cetaceans and pinnipeds bycaught in the New England sink (NESG) and mid-Atlantic (MAG) gillnet fisheries. The 2012 serious injuries and total mortalities in the NESG fishery were 277 (CV = 0.59) North Atlantic harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena phocoena), 95 (CV = 0.40) short-beaked common dolphins Delphinus delphis delphis), 9 (CV = 0.92) Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus), 542 (CV = 0.19) gray seals (Halichoerus grypus grypus), 252 (CV = 0.26) harbor seals (Phoca vitulina concolor), and 6 (CV = 0.87) Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus). NESG estimates are based on observed takes consisting of 34 harbor porpoises, 6 short-beaked common dolphins, 1 Atlantic white-sided dolphin, 91 gray seals, 37 harbor seals, and 1 Risso's dolphin. The 2012 serious injuries and total mortalities in the MAG fishery were 63 (CV = 0.83) harbor porpoises, 15 (CV = 0.93) short-beaked common dolphins, and 14 (CV = 0.98) gray seals. MAG estimates are based on observed takes consisting of 2 harbor porpoises, 1 short-beaked common dolphin, and 1 gray seal. Relative to 2011, total annual bycatch of all marine mammal species, save short-beaked com-mondolphin, hasdeclined. However, high uncertainty around estimated takes confounds definitive trends in marine mammal bycatch within the NESG and MAG fisheries.