Fishing Report: Now's the time to fund NOAA's climate-change battle

Climate impacts on fishing make up a challenge. Habitat is degrading as sea levels rise and warm-water species are moving up the coast. Anglers have adapted their fishing to what is in the water to catch. The challenge is that climate is and will continue to have an impact on what we can catch today and what we might catch in the future.

What happens when the warm-water fish here now, like scup, summer flounder and black sea bass, in great abundance move through and out of our range? What will we fish for then?

It is budget time in Washington, D.C., for fiscal year 2023. In the Natioanal Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's FY 2022 budget, many of the funds requested for climate and fishers were cut. We need to fund NOAA Fisheries so we can do needed climate research and fund more frequent stock assessments to get a handle on stock movement.

As anglers, we need to advocate for approval of the $6.9-billion NOAA budget submitted by President Joe Biden for FY 2023. Also, the $1.17-billion budget included for NOAA Fisheries, and just as important, we need to support the included Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative, which would provide $10 million for climate and fisheries initiatives. Much of this was cut from last year's budget.

We need to fund NOAA so it becomes more climate-ready. The agency needs to manage fisheries sustainably and address climate impacts on fisheries at the same time.

NOAA Fisheries will require adequate funding across its core fisheries science and management programs. Over the last decade, NOAA Fisheries and the Regional Councils have built a foundation for climate action, and now they are at a critical point where they need to expand and accelerate their efforts.

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This budget also included habitat restoration and conservation funds, about a 10% increase over the funding levels enacted in FY22. These funds will help develop restoration plans, conduct habitat assessments, mapping and restoring habitats and ecosystems in ways that benefit fisheries, anglers and protected species.

One way anglers can help is to send a support and thank-you email to their U.S. senators and U.S. representatives. Thank them for supporting NOAA’s budget, as the entire Rhode Island delegation has signed support letters for NOAA Fisheries’ FY23 budget as well as Massachusetts senators and representatives.

Share your support as an angler for NOAA’s budget, too. Ask them to continue to advocate for full NOAA funding so the agency's fisheries can become more climate nimble and have the resources they need for more climate research and stock assessments.

To find your representative’s email address, visit house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative, and to find the email addresses of your senators, visit contactsenators.com.

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Where’s the bite?

Striped bass and bluefish

Striped bass and bluefish became more abundant this week with an improved bite. “Striped bass fishing improved this week at Block Island with angels catching slot fish and larger trolling wire with tube and worm at the Southwest Ledge," according to Elisa Cahill of Snug Harbor Marina in South Kingstown. "The bluefish bite was particularly good at the North Rip. The bass bite along the coastal beaches has been a night bite.”

"East End" Eddy Doherty reported: “I saw my first bluefish of the season on the Cape Cod Canal, so some of the yellow-eyed devils are starting to enter the Canal. The Canal has slowed down a bit in most spots with local sharpies scratching up a striper now and then off the bottom with soft plastic jigs, like the Bill Hurley Canal Killer."

James at Maco’s Bait & Tackle in Bourne and Wareham heard of "a 41-inch linesider [striped bass] from the ditch and some nice fish were caught at Bell Road [at the Cape Cod Canal].” Sam Toland of Sam’s Bait & Tackle in Middletown said: “The striped bass and bluefish bite out in front of Newport and in Narragansett Bay has been very good with some large fish [above the slot size of 28 inches to less than 35 inches] are being caught in the East Passage all the way up to Providence.”

Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly reported: “The bluefish and striped bass bite on the West Grounds at Block Island was very good this week. We had a lot of fun targeting them with surface and swimming lures and caught fish to 42 inches there.” Tom Houde caught a slot-size fish on his kayak in a Bay cove this week with a Butchie Built standard 24-inch tube and worm.

Summer flounder and black sea bass

Black sea bass season opened May 22 and runs to Aug. 31 with a two fish/person/day limit. Anglers are reminded that the minimum size is now 16 inches. “The fluke bite had not been very good off Newport or in the Bay," Toland said, "but the black sea bass bite has been good for anglers.” Wade reported:

“The fluke bite in the Block Island Wind Farm area has been good. We caught fluke to 26 inches just south of tower five in about 70 feet of water and had no trouble limiting out four fish/person/day limit [18 inches is the minimum size]. Things have warmed up, so the bite is pretty good.”

Peter Johnson of Connecticut said: “Chartreuse-  and salmon-colored gulp worked best this week; limited out with keepers but caught 12 shorts in the 15- to 17-inch range, so hopefully the fishery is recovering.”  Cahill said, “The fluke bite is good off Carpenters [Beach] in about 30 feet of water and the bite is very good at the East Fishing Grounds off Block Island and just south of the Wind Farm.”

Dave Monti holds a captain’s master license and charter fishing license. He serves on a variety of boards and commissions and has a consulting business that focuses on clean oceans, habitat preservation, conservation, renewable energy and fisheries-related issues and clients. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verizon.net or visit noflukefishing.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Fishing Report: It's time to fund NOAA's battle against climate change