Ecosystem Status Report for the Northeast Large Marine Ecosystem

Figure 11.5

Marine mammal species listed as endangered that occur in the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (NES LME) include the blue, humpback, North Atlantic right, fin, sei and sperm whales (Table 11.1, below) The status of the western North Atlantic right whale is of particular concern. This population is currently thought to number around 400 individuals. They are highly susceptible to both collisions with ships and entanglement in fixed fishing gear, resulting in serious injuries and deaths (see Section 10). Current efforts to reduce these risks include sighting surveys for whales during times when they are congregated, wide dissemination of whale locations to mariners, restrictions on the configurations of fixed gill net, lobster and other pot gear, deployment of disentanglement teams, and support for researchers working on new gear and sensing technologies that could further reduce these risks. Four species are designated under the Marine Mammal Protection Act has having Strategic Status or as being depleted and requiring special management consideration.

The relative status of other marine mammal species found on the Northeast Continental Shelf is depicted in Figure 11.5 (D. Palka, NEFSC, personal communication). The plot shows the estimated recovery factor (Fr) for these species (Fr ranges from 0 to 1 with 1 indicating a complete recovery; the outer circle in the polar plot corresponds to a value of 1). Species within the inner most circle as classified as endangered. While many cetacean species are classified as low to moderate with respect to recovery, seals species have increased. Grey seals and harbor seals increased dramatically over the last several decades with potentially important implications. Seals prey on some fish species and in some areas, conflict has arisen over predation by seals on commercially important fish species.

Five species of threatened or endangered sea turtles can be found in the NES LME including green, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, leatherback, and loggerhead turtles. The Endangered Species Act listing for each of these species is provided in Table 11.2 (below). Threats to sea turtles include disruption of nesting sites, incidental capture in fishing gear, and ship collisions. The latter two impacts are of concern for species occurring in the NES LME.

The distribution of many sea turtles follows well-defined oceanographic features, including fronts associated with the Gulf Stream. These fronts are also important habitat for large pelagic fishes, and there are consistent spatial patterns of incidental takes of sea turtles in the longline fishery off the edge of the shelf. These takes have been substantially reduced both through closures and development of modified hooks.

The distribution of many sea turtles follows well-defined oceanographic features, including fronts associated with the Gulf Stream. These fronts are also important habitat for large pelagic fishes, and there are consistent spatial patterns of incidental takes of sea turtles in the longline fishery off the edge of the shelf. These takes have been substantially reduced both through closures and development of modified hooks.

The National Marine Fisheries Service's marine stewardship role also includes responsibility for the protection of seabirds and other migratory birds. This responsibility is supported by both domestic and international directives to gain a better understanding of seabird bycatch and ways of reducing incidental takes of seabirds. Seabirds were historically hunted for food and for plumage and many species declined precipitously due to over-exploitation. By-catch in fishing operations and threats to nesting areas for some species are currently of greatest concern. The species with the largest number of takes are shearwaters and petrels followed by loons and gulls. The fisheries that were most responsible for these by-catches were bottom otter trawls and scallop dredges, followed by the drift gillnet and finally the midwater paired otter trawl. The red-throated loon (Gavia stellata), red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena), greater shearwater (Puffinus gravis), northern gannet (Morus bassanus), thick billed murre (Uria lomvia) , razorbill (Alca torda) , black guillemot (Cepphus grille) and the Atlantic puffin (Fratercula artica) have been identified as species at risk due to fisheries bycatch (Marie St. Martin, CUNY, personal communication).

Currently, three seabird species occurring at least seasonally in the region from New England to Cape Hatteras are listed as endangered: Bermuda Petrel, Roseate Tern, and Least Tern (Table 11.3, below). An additional 14 species are listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as Birds of Conservation Concern requiring special management consideration. Birds of Conservation Concern are species, subspecies, and populations of all migratory nongame birds that, without additional conservation actions, are likely to become candidates for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Currently, 6 stocks of fish are listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened or endangered: Atlantic salmon in the Gulf of Maine (endangered); Atlantic Sturgeon in the Gulf of Maine (threatened), and the New York Bight, Chesapeake Bay, and Carolina (all endangered); and shortnose sturgeon throughout its range (Table 11.4, below). An additional 12 species are listed by the National Marine Fisheries Service as Species of Special Concern. Species of Concern are species which engender concern regarding status and threats, but for which insufficient information is available to indicate a need to list the species under the Endangered Species Act.. Species of concern" status does not carry any procedural protections under the ESA.

Of these Species of Concern, only Atlantic Halibut is also listed as overfished. The remaining species on this list are either not covered by the fishery management council system or MSY-based reference points are not available to make an overfished determination or if overfishing is occurring.