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National Marine Fisheries Service News

22 Feb 2024

BOEM Approves COP for Equinor's Empire Wind Project

© nblxer / Adobe Stock

The United States’ Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for Equinor’s Empire Wind project, marking another milestone in advancing the New York offshore wind project.With this permitting action by BOEM secured, Empire Wind is on track to begin construction in its federal lease area off the southern coast of Long Island later this year. Already well advanced in planning and development, Empire Wind 1 could deliver first power to New Yorkers by 2026.

07 Nov 2022

USCG Needs to Do More to Improve Fishing Vessel Safety - GAO

© David J. Shuler / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Coast Guard must do more to improve safety in the extremely dangerous commercial fishing industry, according to a new report from watchdog agency the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).Commercial fishing has one of the highest industry death rates in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since fiscal year 2011, multiple commercial fishing vessel safety requirements have been enacted. As the principal federal agency for ensuring marine safety, the U.S.

28 Oct 2022

NOAA Sued Over Whale Injuries from Drift Gillnets off California

© Enrique / Adobe Stock

Environmentalists on Thursday sued the agency overseeing U.S. fisheries, claiming it had failed to protect endangered humpback whales from entanglement in drift gillnets - sprawling curtains of nylon mesh - used in commercial fishing off California.The lawsuit accuses the National Marine Fisheries Service of violating the Endangered Species Act by allowing drift gillnets without safeguards and failing to take into account the harm posed to whales already at risk of extinction.The suit


12 May 2021

Enviros Petition Feds for Whale-saving Slow Vessel Rule off Florida

© buenaventura13 / Adobe Stock

Environmental groups urged the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on Tuesday to establish a year-round speed limit for ships in areas of the Gulf of Mexico, home to one of the most endangered whales worldwide, to prevent deadly collisions.The Natural Resource Defense Council and other groups asked the NMFS in a petition to limit the speed of vessels that navigate Gulf waters off the Florida panhandle to 10 knots. The area is home to the endangered Gulf of Mexico whale of which only about 50 survive.

15 Sep 2020

Gulf Copper Wins Contract to Refurbish NOAA's Henry B. Bigelow

NOAA research vessel Henry Bigelow (Photo: NOAA)

Texas-based Gulf Copper and Manufacturing said it has been awarded a $3.9 million dry docking and refurbishment of the NOAA research vessel Henry B. Bigelow. The work will be performed at Gulf Copper's Galveston yard.Commissioned in 2007 and homeported in Newport, R.I., Henry B. Bigelow is a fisheries survey vessel that studies a wide range of marine life and ocean conditions along the U.S. East Coast, primarily from Maine to North Carolina. The ship's main mission is to study and monitor fish stocks


08 Jul 2020

Corps Continues Legacy of Dredging at Port of Alaska

The Westport, a red and white hopper dredge operated by Manson Construction, dredges near the Port of Alaska on April 3, 2019. From May 1 to Nov. 1 each year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removes built-up sediment from the seafloor near the Port of Alaska to maintain shipping channels and dock access. An estimated 50 percent of all goods entering Alaska come through this port. (Photo: U.S. Army)

All summer long, a crimson and white boat moves back and forth through the waters near the Port of Alaska collecting silt, sand and gravel off the seafloor to allow vessels to navigate the harbor in Anchorage. The boat is a dredging vessel called the Westport, operated by Manson Construction of Seattle, Wash., which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District contracted to maintain the mooring areas for the past three years.An estimated 2,400 to 2,600 cargo containers arrive


31 Oct 2019

Offshore Wind: a Freshening Breeze?

AdobeStock_CREDIT Yauhen Suslo

July brought news about offshore wind. There was something for everyone: optimism, disappointment, and construction, too.Finally, starting with Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, a joint venture with Danish wind developer Orsted is underway. True, this is a small project – just two wind turbines to be installed 27 miles east of Virginia Beach. But considering all the preceding hurdles, news about Dominion blew in as proverbial, hopeful fresh air. Surely


16 Jul 2019

Atlantic Offshore Wind: Favorable Winds for Maritime

© 3plusx/Adobe Stock

Now that the United States finally can envision steady winds blowing from the Atlantic Seaboard due to a pipeline of offshore wind farms on the horizon, the maritime industry can finally step up and earn some of the benefits. This includes shipbuilding, port construction, and worker training. This article reviews the key developments and forecasts the growth in maritime jobs.The federal and state governments share responsibility for developing offshore wind farms and bringing the wind into the power grid and


02 Aug 2018

Analysis: Government Proposal 'Ill-informed' on Maritime Matters

© Konstantin L/Adobe Stock

On June 22, 2018, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a federal government reorganization proposal entitled “Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century”. The 132-page document is subtitled ‘Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations’. I have not read the entire report, but I have examined those portions that relate to maritime issues. I find those portions to be uniformly ill-advised.Associate Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. once wrote: “A page of history is worth a volume of logic.”  The authors of this proposal should brush up on their history.

22 Mar 2016

BOEM Proposes New Regulation for OCS

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today released proposed regulations that would provide additional clarity and certainty for its Marine Minerals Program regarding negotiated, non-competitive leases for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) resources such as sand, gravel and shell. The proposed rule describes the negotiated, non-competitive agreement process for qualifying projects, and codifies new and existing procedures for using OCS sand, gravel and shell resources for shore protection, beach restoration or coastal wetlands restoration projects undertaken by federal, state and local governments. It also addresses the use of OCS resources for construction projects authorized or funded by the federal government.

10 Apr 2015

US Fishermen Seek Federal Action against Illegal Fishing

Florida Rep. David Jolly listens to Mark Hubbard, CEO of Hubbard's Marina in John's Pass, Fla., explain how foreign illegal fishing in the Gulf of Mexico is hurting commercial fishing throughout the Gulf region. (Photo: Gulf Coast Leadership Conference)

Gulf of Mexico fishermen are threatened by a daily wave of foreign illegal fishing vessels and the U.S. fishing industry is calling on Congress to take action, Florida business owners said April 8 at an event hosted by the Gulf Coast Leadership Conference. Mexican fishing boats enter U.S. sovereign waters and illegally poach hundreds to thousands of fish at a time. Although the U.S. Coast Guard and Gulf state maritime law enforcement agencies have taken aggressive action to find and destroy these illegal Mexican vessels, the frequency of such incursions continues to escalate.

19 Jun 2014

Sunken Barge Near State Marine Reserve Removed

The Coast Guard says it has completed clean up and removal efforts of a barge that sank earlier near Point Conception State Marine Reserve, California. Around 12:15 p.m. on 8, June 2014 the Coast Guard received a distress call from the tugboat Calvin, reporting that the 260-foot barge Nash was sinking. The barge had a cargo of 3,900 metric tons of magnesium chloride, a non-hazardous derivative of sea water. The barge sank stern first leaving the bow extended above the water. During the sinking, air spaces in the aft cargo tanks were crushed and the hull breached. The barge rested approximately 1/2 mile south of the oil and gas pipelines extending from the Freeport-McMorRan Hermosa Platform to the shore near Point Conception.

20 Mar 2014

Georgia Increases Funding for Port Deepening

The $35 million in additional port deepening funds proposed by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has been approved by the state legislature and now awaits the governor’s signature. Along with previous funding, Georgia has now allocated $266 million, fulfilling the state’s portion of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). “Lawmakers across Georgia recognize that improving the Savannah Harbor is critically important to the continued economic health of this state and region,” Deal said.

17 Mar 2014

FERC Drafts EIS on Freeport LNG Project

Image: Freeport LNG

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Phase II Modification Project and the Liquefaction Project. The Projects are proposed by Freeport LNG and are located in Brazoria County near the city of Freeport, Texas. The proposed Phase II Modification Project includes: modification to the previously authorized liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel berthing dock, LNG transfer pipelines, LNG unloading arms, and the access road system at Freeport LNG’s existing Quintana Island terminal.

22 Jan 2014

An Examination of USCG Sonar Expansion

A civilian contractor steadies a M18 Mod 2 Kingfish Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) as it is lifted with a crane onto the deck of an 11-meter rigid-hull inflatable boat. The Kingfish uses side scan sonar to search and discover objects of interest. This marks the first time these UUVs have been added to mine countermeasure operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.  (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Blake Midnight/Released)

The U.S. Coast Guard is planning to widely use sonar to support its maritime security and marine environmental protection missions. The agency currently has limited capability to detect objects below the water’s surface and relies on others (such as the U.S. Navy or the commercial sector) when such detection is needed. Sonar is an acronym for Sound Navigation and Ranging. The principle is similar to radar, used in the atmosphere. While radar uses radio waves, sonar relies on sound waves, which propagate much better than radio waves do in water.

23 Aug 2013

Coast Guard, Partners Perfom Simulated Oil Spill

Coast Guard Sector Anchorage, Alaska, personnel along with members of agency partners.

Coast Guard Sector Anchorage personnel along with federal, state, local, tribal partners and industry representatives conducted mutual aid drills in Anchorage and Deadhorse, Wednesday. During the drill, participants tested their ability to establish a Unified Command, implement the North Slope Mutual Aid Agreement and deploy equipment in response to a simulated oil spill at the remote Nikaitchuq Project at Spy Island near Deadhorse. “Drills like this are important because they


30 May 2013

Savannah Harbor Expansion Clears Court Hurdle

U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gergel accepted the settlement agreement between all parties involved in the mediation over the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) in an order that dismissed the federal litigation pending against the proposed deepening of the harbor channel. “We appreciate the patience and persistence of former Congressman Spratt and federal Magistrate Hendricks who worked throughout the mediation process ordered by Judge Gergel to bring this litigation to a successful conclusion,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz. Parties to the mediation included the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, the Savannah Riverkeeper, the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, the U.S.

18 Apr 2013

Whale Struck by Container Ship, Carcass Removed from Seattle Area Beach

Photo: Global Diving & Salvage

Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. was contracted to remove the fin whale that had washed up on the Seahurst Park beach in Burien, WA. Global removed the carcass and prevented its further decomposition in the city park. On April 13, several reports were made to the U.S. Coast Guard that a whale had washed up approximately five miles south of Seattle’s Alki Point. The fin whale, not local to thearea, was believed to have been struck by a container ship at sea and brought into the Puget Sound on the bow.

29 Jan 2013

Avoiding Collisions with the North Atlantic Right Whale

“Since implementation of mandatory seasonal speed restrictions along the U.S. east coast in 2008, the number of vessel struck right whales like this one has been dramatically reduced.”

Professional mariners have a unique responsibility as they transit the world’s oceans. Mariners see a part of this earth that the vast majority of humanity will never witness and, in turn, they become stewards of the ocean by following the numerous regulatory measures aimed at reducing the impact of shipping on the environment. These regulations include, but certainly are not limited to, the use of AIS to avoid collisions and harmful oil spills, ballast water discharge controlling the introduction of invasive species, ship emissions control, and a ban on dumping of plastics at sea.

02 Apr 2013

Additional $50 Million Approved for Savannah Port Deepening

The $50 million in additional port deepening funds proposed by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has been approved by the state legislature and now awaits the governor’s signature. Along with previous funding, Georgia has allocated $231.1 million toward the state’s portion of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). Deepening the Savannah Harbor from 42 to 47 feet will accommodate an increase in the number of super-sized container vessels transiting the Panama Canal after its 2015 expansion. With a deeper channel, larger and more heavily laden ships can arrive and depart with greater scheduling flexibility. These “Post Panamax” vessels will mean lower shipping costs per container slot.

08 May 2012

World Fisheries Congress Opens in Edinburgh

HRH The Prince of Wales (The Duke of Rothesay) delivered the keynote address.

HRH The Duke of Rothesay addressed global fisheries leaders on sustainability. The world’s fisheries community gathered in Edinburgh today (Tuesday, 8 May) to discuss the future of sustainable fishing at the 6th World Fisheries Congress. Organised by The World Council of Fisheries Societies, the congress is being held at Edinburgh International Conference Centre and will address “Sustainable Fisheries in a Changing World”. The event draws leading international figures influential in driving debate and shaping global policy on fishing.

04 Oct 2012

Alaskan Stabicraft Fleet Covers 18,000 Nautical Miles

659 Wheelhouse Fleet

The fleet of nine Stabicraft 659 Wheelhouse vessels delivered to Alaska at the beginning of the year have just completed their first 6 months of service. The vessel orders came at a special request from Saltwater Inc, a private organization that gathers data on wild life and fish stocks for the Alaskan Department of Fish and Game and by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The boats were sent to the US in semi assembled form from Stabicraft Marine’s Invercargill factory in New Zealand, where once in the US, went through final assembly and fit out before being launched in May.

06 Nov 2012

GPA Gets Go-Ahead for Savannah Harbor Expansion

(Photo: GPA)

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has received final approval for its harbor deepening, which will allow the Port of Savannah to more efficiently serve Post-Panamax vessels and lower shipping costs for containerized trade by $213 million a year. Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy issued the Record of Decision Oct. 26, approving the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). “The Record of Decision affirms that this is a project of national significance,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz. “It is a major milestone culminating what has been a 15-year effort.