Redfish harvest in Gulf waters would resume under NOAA proposal

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is seeking public comment on a proposal to open redfish harvest in federal waters to the Mississippi guide fleet.

Under the plan, proposed by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, each angler fishing federal waters with a licensed charter captain would be allowed one redfish per day measuring at least 18 inches in length. There would be no maximum size limit.

LINK (via: The Times-Pacayune)

Free NOAA PDF nautical charts now permanent

After a three-month trial period, PDF versions of NOAA nautical charts will become a permanent product, free to the public. The free PDFs, which are digital images of traditional nautical charts, are especially valued by recreational boaters who use them to plan sailing routes and fishing trips.

LINK (via:Recreation Law)

Return and Restore

Feds propose critical habitat

Federal fisheries managers are proposing to designate critical habitat for two threatened species of fish.

NOAA Fisheries says it wants to designate about 2,288 miles of freshwater and estuarine habitat in Washington and Oregon for lower Columbia River coho salmon. The agency is also proposing about 1,880 miles of critical habitat in Puget Sound for Puget Sound steelhead.

Lower Columbia River coho was listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in 2005, while Puget Sound steelhead was listed in 2007.

LINK (via: Oregon Live)

Restoring the Elwha

Get a closer look at the large-scale restoration efforts and science behind the largest dam removal in U.S. history, which began in 2011 on the Elwha River in Washington State. How do NOAA Fisheries scientists prepare for and measure the changes?