News  DMF News 2020 Q1 & Q2

Longtime marine biologist and fishery manager Daniel J. McKiernan was appointed Director by Commissioner Ronald Amidon on May 21. Commissioner Amidon’s nomination of McKiernan was approved by the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission, the Governor-appointed citizens board that advises the Director and oversees DMF’s regulations governing fishing. McKiernan had served as the Division’s Acting Director since November and succeeds former Director Dr. David E. Pierce, who retired last fall. 

Like everywhere—from work to home to school and all the places in between—the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought new challenges for DMF and our stakeholders. The agency has continued to function despite the closure of our offices to the public. 

In late February 2020, DMF met with the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP), Bourne PD, and select members of the MFAC to discuss how commercial striped bass fishing along the Canal was contributing to poaching and public nuisance activities. These problems, including anglers conducting themselves in threatening and unruly manners, parking illegally on adjacent roads, trespassing over private property, and interfering with other recreational activities, have been especially acute on open commercial striped bass fishing days. 

The waters off Massachusetts are regarded by recreational anglers to have some of the best striped bass fishing in the world. As soon as spring water temperatures begin to rise, the first pulse of juvenile striped bass arrive to feed on the abundance of forage that is found in Massachusetts bays, rivers, and estuaries. By June, after spawning, large predominately female bass leave the spawning grounds found on the Hudson River, Delaware River, and in the Chesapeake Bay and migrate to Massachusetts to spend the summer. 

Longfin squid (formerly Loligo) represent an important species for local and regional commercial and recreational fishermen, as well as marine predators and seafood enthusiasts. Year-round demand exists and shoreside processing, shipping, and marketing infrastructure have been bolstered in recent decades. A recent economic study found that an average year for the commercial longfin squid fishery created over 2,500 full-time jobs, nearly $100 million in total income, and over $240 million in total economic output (Scheld 2020). 

Longfin squid is a schooling species of the molluscan family Loliginidae. Longfin squid have an internal shell called a “pen.” Their fins are long, at least half the length of the mantle (large part of the squid in front of the head), and their head has large eyes that are covered by a cornea. They are typically pink or orange and mottled with brown or purple.

Seafood Expo North America 
The 40th edition of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America (SENA) was scheduled for March 15-17, 2020. DMF planned to be there highlighting local seafood, however, it made headlines as the first major business event in Boston to be postponed due to the coronavirus. 

This past January, DMF announced a $500,000  grant program to develop, utilize, or promote technologies that enhance the resiliency of the Massachusetts commercial fishing and aquaculture industries to climate change and enhance the environmental monitoring capacity of Massachusetts coastal waters.

Human movements changed dramatically this spring, as much as anyone alive has seen before. The movements of diadromous or sea-run fish, as far as we know, continued on their ancient pathways from the ocean and up coastal rivers. We never know quite what to expect from each spring’s run of diadromous fish. 

After 51 and a half years of service, J. Michael Hickey, DMF Assistant Director and Manager of the Shellfish Program, retired this past winter. With him goes a career’s worth of institutional knowledge that will be hard to replace. 
 

Last January, Jack Sheppard stepped down as the Director of the Office of Fishing and Boating (FBA) after a 48-year career in public service. He had been at the helm as director of this office within the Department of Fish and Game since 1988. He started his career in public service at the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife in 1972 after completing an engineering degree at Northeastern University. Sadly, Jack succumbed to an illness in early March.

During the period of January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020, the following regulatory changes were enacted by DMF after public hearings and Marine Fishery Advisory Commission approval, or by the Director under his declaratory and emergency authorities. 
 

DMF has developed a website outlining the process to permit aquaculture projects in Massachusetts. The objective of this project was to create a web-based interface that aquaculture growers can use to navigate the permitting pathway in Massachusetts.