Editor: RTI dumping can’t be ignored. R. Burkosky – CFV BC MAID ll
As an elected representative for the commercial gillnet fishing fleet, I want to caution the public not to accept an Environment Canada whitewash of this obviously serious situation. continued@bclocal
American shad coming back in Potomac River
WASHINGTON – Dozens of springtime festivals are devoted to this type of fish that is so endangered, it’s now off limits to fishermen. But in the Potomac River, the American shad is making a comeback. continued@wtop
Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board oversight shifted to lt. governor
BATON ROUGE, La. - Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne has received new responsibilities from state lawmakers, giving him oversight of a board that promotes Louisiana seafood. The seafood board had only modest funding before the BP oil spill in 2010, with about a $300,000 annual budget. It had been largely autonomous, under some oversight from the wildlife and fisheries department. But the board’s profile was raised when it received $30 million from BP for a seafood marketing campaign, to reassure visitors that Louisiana’s seafood was safe. continued@houmatoday
Lawmakers ask NEFMC to update closed areas and allow access while protecting habitat
Mr. John K. Bullard Regional Administrator National Marine Fisheries Service 55 Great Republic Drive Gloucester, MA 01930
Mr. C. M. “Rip” Cunningham Chairman New England Fishery Management Council 50 Water Street Newburyport, MA 01950
We understand the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) are currently nearing the conclusion of a lengthy effort to develop what is known as the Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Amendment. continued here
John K. Bullard, Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service to hold Constituent Call on Draft Resources Document for Groundfish Industry
On Monday, June 24th, from 3:00 – 5:00 PM, NOAA Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Regional Administrator John Bullard will be hosting a public conference call to solicit feedback from fishermen and other stakeholders on the draft Working Document on Resources to Support the Northeast Groundfish Industry. details here from an agency that skews details! Like their official name.
Dongwon Industries, the owners of StarKist Samoa wants to build a USD $34.3 Million tuna cannery, but not here
Dongwon Industries, the owners of StarKist Samoa wants to build a USD $34.3 Million una tuna cannery and loining plant in Doma, West Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. The official said the project will make use of the Solomon Islands rich fisheries resources and it will benefit the people and the economy by providing more job opportunities, bring in foreign currency and improve the standard of living. continued@talaei.com
IRS will pay employees $70 million in bonuses – I wonder if NOAA/NMFS is still forking bonuses from the AFF?
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa says his office has learned that the IRS is executing an agreement with the employees’ union on Wednesday to pay the bonuses. continued@oregonlive
Adak’s Seafood Processing Equipment Sold as Unit to City of Adak and the Adak Community Development Corporation
The equipment from Adak’s fish processing plant was auctioned off in one piece Tuesday morning. The City of Adak and the Adak Community Development Corporation jointly submitted the winning bid of $1.8 million. continued@kucb
Coakley and Cod By Matt Rigney the author of In Pursuit of Giants: One Man’s Global Search for the Last of the Great Fish,
Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley announced on May 31st that the state will sue the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for setting cod limits so low that they amount to the “death penalty” for Massachusetts fishermen. In doing so, Coakley joins a long line of opportunistic, reactive and ill-informed politicians who shake a fist at the federal government as a diversion from offering any real solution to the problem of overfished ground stocks off the coast of New England.continued@valleyadvocate
Thanks Danny, The truth about Carlos Rafael hurts so I had to say something!
The yack coming from the waterfronts of New England is, the article written by Danny McDonald, “Carlos Rafael and His Fish Are the American Dream” has pissed off quite a few people, and who could blame ‘em? Maybe you didn’t get a chance to read it, because the other fishery websites, for some strange reason, never posted it, avoiding it like the plague. Read the article(linked) if you haven’t already. continued here
OPINION: The comfort of being apolitical
AS the marine and commercial fishing industries continue to be ruthlessly dismantled by politicians and international environmental groups, for little else but political gain, can we afford the luxury of remaining apolitical? As I’m sure you are well aware, the mass exclusions zones now declared by Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke, was initiated by the PEW foundation from the USA. Pew, along with other NGOs, have spent millions of dollars to get what they want. This seems to be, total evacuation of fisher people from planet earth. continued@marinebusiness
With king salmon returns slowing to a trickle, Alaska managers roll out closures
Abysmal king salmon returns to the Kenai River already have fisheries managers curtailing fishing in one of Alaska’s most popular fisheries — and wondering what’s next. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game ordered closures on the Kenai and Kasilof rivers for personal-use and sport fishermen Tuesday. “When you look at numbers going to the Kenai, it’s alarming,” area commercial fisheries biologist Pat Shields said Tuesday. “It’s forced our hands. ”continued@alaskadispatch
The PEI Fishermen’s Association has obtained funding from the provincial government to develop a PEI Fishermen’s lobster brand
Association president Mike McGeoghegan said the study will look into the feasibility of an Island brand owned and controlled by Island fishermen. He added the brand would include a component that would ensure a fair price is paid to fishermen. continued@novanewsnow
In rural Alaska, the spoils of the sea set village against village
A generation ago, organizers envisioned federally guaranteed shares of the pollock catch that would create a rising tide of funds to lift up poor, isolated villages where jobs and hope are scarce… Pollock did succeed, wildly. The dollars 
hat flowed into the Community Development Quota Program, as the catch-share system was called, created a hydra-headed nonprofit money machine. Six nonprofit groups arose on the Bering Sea shore, and they have invested mightily in ships, real estate and processing plants. Over two decades, the groups amassed a combined net worth of $785 million… But the results on the ground, in rural community and economic development, have been deeply uneven, and completely nonexistent for many people who still gaze out to the blinking lights of the factory ships and wonder what happened. continued@NYT
Residents shocked by fishermen’s death
PETIT-DE-GRAT, N.S. — Local residents in the quiet, mostly fishing communities on Cape Breton’s Isle Madame remain gripped by each day’s headlines and rumours about the disappearance of 43-year-old Phillip Boudreau. Bill Joyce, general manager at local CITU FM radio station in Petit-de-Grat, was on friendly terms with Boudreau and the three men charged with his second-degree murder. He said no one ever thought they would be facing the accusations. continued@sou’wester
Lake Erie’s multi-species commercial fishery has entered MSC assessment.
LAKE Erie’s multi-species commercial fishery has entered MSC assessment. If certified, this fishery will provide a significant volume of lake fish to markets in North America and globally. There are six species of lake fish being considered in the assessment: yellow perch, walleye (pickerel), rainbow smelt, lake white fish, white bass and white perch. These six species are caught by vessels based in Ontario, Canada, using trawls, trap nets and gill nets and by vessels based in the U.S. portion of Lake Erie using trap nets. continued@ fishnewseu
Six Terrebonne oystermen arrested
Six Terrebonne Parish oystermen were arrested late last week for taking oysters during a closed season, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division. continued@houmatoday
Savannah River fish passage could divert up to 100 percent of the Savannah River’s flow to a series of rock ramps
The newest proposed design for fish passage at New Savannah Bluff could divert up to 100 percent of the Savannah River’s flow to a series of rock ramps to be built on the channel’s South Carolina side. The project, with a current price tag of $30.2 million, would allow migratory fish such as sturgeon, American shad and striped bass to access spawning habitat upstream. continued@The Augusta Chronicle
NOAA predicts possible record-setting deadzone for Gulf of Mexico
NOAA-supported modelers at the University of Michigan, Louisiana State University, and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium are forecasting that this year’s Gulf of Mexico hypoxic “dead” zone will be between 7,286 and 8,561 square miles which could place it among the ten largest recorded. The high estimate would exceed the largest ever reported, 8,481 square miles in 2002. continued@phys.org
Last education trip for Cape Fear Community College research vessel Dan Moore
WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – When the Dan Moore pulled away from its dock in downtown Wilmington this week, it began the last trip to the ocean as a teaching classroom for Cape Fear Community College. continued@wetc6
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Recommends First-Ever Cap on River Herring and Shad Catch
Last week the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved a 236 metric ton (MT) cap on incidental catch of river herring and shad in the U.S. Atlantic mackerel fishery for 2014. Under the new cap, the mackerel fishing fleet—which is primarily composed of trawlers—will risk early closure if they are unable to successfully avoid river herring and shad. continued here
Group of P.E.I. fishermen cerculate a petition for fisheries minister resignation
A group of fishermen, angry over the low price of lobster and the P.E.I. government’s response to it, have signed a petition demanding the resignation of Fisheries Minister Ron MacKinley. continued@cbcnews
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Approves Omnibus Recreational Accountability Measure Amendment
During a meeting last week in Eatontown, New Jersey, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council voted on a suite of alternatives that would change the way the Council manages recreational fisheries. The measures were part of the Omnibus Recreational Accountability Measure Amendment initiated by the Council in December 2012 in response to concerns that the current system of accountability measures (AMs) did not adequately consider the inherent uncertainty in recreational fishery catch estimates. continued@public notice section
Tribal fishing season begins on Columbia River
PORTLAND, Ore. — Tribal fisheries have begun their commercial summer fish sales today along the banks of the Columbia River. continued@Yakima Herald-Republic
My View: Joann Mackenzie – Richard Gaines
The ones his beloved Jack Kerouac said were “mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved. Who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars…” Richard Gaines found those words by Kerouac on a poster and framed that poster and hung it in a place of honor, so no one who walked through his front door could miss it. continued@gloucesterdailytimes
Fishery annual catch limits (ACLs) and Striped Marlin Overfishing on Agenda for WPFMC Meeting in Honolulu
Honolulu – (17 June 2013) Each year since 2011, federal fishery managers have been required to set annual catch limits (ACLs) for all federally managed fish stocks with a few exceptions. During this week and next, the scientists and managers responsible for setting the ACLs for Hawaii and the US Pacific island territories meet to set the limits for 2014. The sustainable catch level is based on not only scientific factors but also socioeconomic and management uncertainty considerations. continued@pacificnewscenter
Editorial: Farm Bill ‘baby steps’ hardly address real fishery needs
The two provisions of the U.S. Senate’s Farm Bill that provide aid to fisheries are indeed a pair of baby steps that should offer benefits to Gloucester’s and New England fishermen. But in considering those proposals — submitted by acting U.S. Sen. William “Mo” Cowan, who’s holding down the former John Kerry seat until voters next choose between Ed Markey and Gabriel Gomez — it’s important that congressional leaders don’t make them out to be more than that. continued@gloucesterdailytimes
Hawaii fishermen say development is hurting reefs
Hawaii fishermen asked policymakers to address how runoff caused by land development harms reefs, fisheries and oceans when they consider how to cope with the effects of climate change. Ocean health can’t be looked at in segments, Oahu fisherman Roy Morioka told a committee of the federal body responsible for managing fisheries around Hawaii and other parts of the western Pacific region.Government officials need to take a comprehensive approach, Morioka told a Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council committee on ecosystem management in Hawaii today. continued@honolulustar
Louisiana Fishermen make passionate call against Mississippi River diversion plan – video
CHALMETTE, La. — Emotions ran high Monday night at a meeting in St. Bernard Parish about coastal restoration. The plan to divert the Mississippi River into wetlands has sparked an uproar, with some in the fisheries industry saying it’ll kill their livelihood. It’s a 50-year plan expected to cost $50 billion, all in the name of restoring the state’s disappearing coast line. Monday night, it came under fire. “I don’t want it. Nobody wants it,” said Robert Campo, a St. Bernard Parish resident. “Hey, let me tell you something. This government was built for the people by the people. When the hell did that go out the damn window?” continued@wwlt
Great Bay Aquaculture of Maine’s Cod Farm at Frenchman Bay Closes Up Shop
SORRENTO — Almost one year to the day after it received approval from the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) for a 20-acre cod farm in Frenchman Bay, Great Bay Aquaculture of Maine, LLC, has apparently pulled up stakes and gone home. continued@fenceviewer
Chiropractor/ Vessel Owner Get’s Prison Time for botched scuttling of F/V Alexander II
Tran was sentenced last week to nearly four years in a federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to destroy a vessel. Tran, a chiropractor, was “very much embarrassed and ashamed about what happened,” his lawyer, Earl Kauffman, told the Star-Ledger when reached by phone.A major hole in the plan was that the crew just couldn’t sink the Alexander II. Part of the problem: the vessel was too light because the crew only filled it with enough fuel for a one-way trip. continued@tradeonly
Maine Fishing Industry Weighs In on Magnuson-Stevens Act Revisions
The law that underpins federal fishing policy in the U.S. is currently in the process of being revised by Congress. The Magnuson-Stevens Act was passed in 1976 with the aim of protecting U.S. federal waters from foreign competition. The goal has been to try and improve the sustainable management of fisheries through the introduction of science-based catch limits. Tom Porter takes a look at what revisions Maine fishermen and scientists want to see from Washington. continued@MPBN
National Marine Fisheries Service is revising its regulations for weighing fish at-sea – Federal Regulators Crack Down on Fish Fraud
The Bering Sea’s large catcher-processors weigh their harvest as it heads to the processing line on what’s known as a flow-scale – a section of conveyor belt that takes dozens of measurements per second. When properly calibrated, flow-scales give fisheries managers a very accurate estimate of the amount of fish being harvested. But like all scales, they can be manipulated. continued@KUCB – Unalaska The changes could start being implemented as soon as January 2015. 2015???
A Case of the Crabs Cost the Guy Two Grand. Will He Hit the Tri Fecta?
For the second time in three years, Grand Hale Marine Products on Mitchell Island, has been fined for possessing undersized crab. continued@richmondreview.com
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council News Release June 17, 2013
Federal Fishery Managers Decide Against Requirement for Vessel Monitoring Systems- After considering public comment and recommendations from its advisory panels, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has decided not to move forward with an amendment that would have required the use of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) for vessels with a Federal Commercial Snapper Grouper Permit in the South Atlantic. Other actions. continued@SAFMC
Tele Aadsen’s Dory Mates – The Littlest Longliners: Photos from the K-Jo
Lindy, one of my bosses on the Kathleen Jo, aimed her iPhone down the fish hold hatch. She called, “You hate me now, but you’ll appreciate these later!” “No way,” I replied. “I’d never hate you, and I already appreciate them.” And it was true. For a writer/blogger, there’s no greater gift than crewing for fishermen who love to document their life at sea. continued@Hooked(blog)
Fourth lawsuit filed against California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta plan
Environmental groups say the plan would cause more water to be siphoned from the delta, causing further fish declines. Water contractors say the opposite would be true: that the plan would limit the water pumped, reducing water deliveries to cities and states. Three of the lawsuits were filed on Friday, including two filed by environmental groups and one by the State Water Contractors. They follow a lawsuit filed by the Westlands Water District, one of the nation’s largest water contractors, at the end of May. continued@ktvu
Lobster prices lowest in a generation, say fishermen – Plentiful lobster supply and reduced demand blamed for low price
Fisherman Leonard LeBlanc of Cheticamp said he can’t remember prices this low in 30 years. “At $3.25 we’re not covering our costs we’re just trying to mitigate the expenses, at least pay some of them, not all of them and we’re praying we don’t have any major repairs.” The fishermen said the problem is a glut of lobster on the market. Catches are the best they’ve been in years, but there’s little demand. continued@cbcnews
Copper River sockeye harvest jumps to 837,000 fish
Some 843,000 sockeyes and 7,200 king salmon have been harvested to date in the Copper River District and a 36-hour commercial opener was under way June 17, on the heels of an abundant catch this past week. For the 36-hour commercial opener that began June 13, the preliminary harvest estimate was 1,000 Chinook and 137,000 sockeye salmon, with an estimated 746 deliveries reported. This compared to an anticipated harvest of 47,000 reds and 500 kings for this period. continued@cordobatimes
Sometimes in fishing, less is more – (hmm)
Commercial fishermen caught fewer fish last year than in 2011, but may have pocketed more money, data from the state Division of Marine Fisheries shows. The watermen hoisted a total of 56.7 million pounds of seafood from North Carolina waters in 2012, a 16 percent drop from 2011, according to division’s Annual Fisheries Bulletin for 2012. But the value of that harvest jumped to $73 million, a 2.6 percent increase officials said was likely due to the shifting catch totals for different species of fish. continued@starnewsonline.com
Farmers and fishermen to compare their worlds
Farmers will also go out on the water to fish and tour local marshes, view the Mississippi River from the sky and enjoy a community dinner to talk with locals about the issues they face. Fishermen will visit South Dakota Aug. 8-11, where they will ride horses, visit a traditional corn farm and a sustainable operation, and take a trip to the Sioux Empire Fair. continued@houmatoday.com
Wanted – Assistant Professor in Marine Economics and Policy, The University of Maine
The University of Maine invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Marine Economics and Policy, a nine-month (academic year) tenure track position with teaching (50%) and research (50%) responsibilities. The position is a joint (50/50) appointment between the Schools of Economics and Marine Sciences. more information in the Public Notices
Last of their kind – As fish stocks dwindle and catch limits tighten, a way of life is disappearing, too.
IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 30 YEARS since Russell Sherman nearly died in the ocean off the coast of Maine, but the Gloucester fisherman remembers as if it were yesterday. He spent 14 hours adrift in 20-foot seas that November night in 1978 after the boat he was working on sank and two of the five people on board drowned. He remembers standing in the engine room, knee-deep in water, before the boat went down; when the fear hit him, continued@boston.com
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approves easier-to-follow marine fisheries regulations
Marine fisheries regulations will soon be easier to read, understand and enforce. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at its June 12 meeting in Lakeland approved a proposal that will revise marine fisheries information in portions of 68B of the Florida Administrative Code, providing consistency among regulations and clarifying complex and confusing language. These changes go into effect Sept. 1. continued@browardnet
Shad catch limited in move to restore depleted fishery
The Mid-Atlantic council was careful to call the fisheries depleted, not overfished, Didden said. The disappearance of shad could also be due to the huge dams blocking their spawning migration in rivers such as the Susquehanna. continued@washingtonpost
More seals, and more seals, and,,,,,Seal numbers soar around Cape Cod
photo capecodonline
There are many four-star dinning establishments in Chatham, but one of the most renown for the delicacy and refinement of its cuisine isn’t on Main Street….The biggest seal breeding ground in North America is Sable Island, 525 nautical miles from Provincetown – and that’s a trip a seal will make in a couple of days. Researcher Valerie Rough first noticed a branded Canadian seal showing up on Cape Cod in the 1980s. Tissue samples confirmed they were the same population – one that ranges from Labrador to New Jersey. continued@wicked localbrewster
For all you TV fisherman Junkies: Deadliest Catch: Capt Andy of the Time Bandit interview FULL – Justin Sweeney
I had a chance to chat with Captain Andy of the Time bandit from Discovery’s hit show Deadliest Catch! We talk about what it takes to work on the boat and of course..FIREWORKS! listen@soundcloud.com
WhIther oh where do gray seals go?
“We don’t know much about what they do when they’re off the beach,” said Gordon Waring, who heads the seal program at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole. “Do they stay in Massachusetts waters? How far offshore do they go? Do they go to Georges Bank or are those Canadian seals? They are highly mobile.” continued@wickedlocalbrewster
Linda Bean’s path to becoming one of the major players in the state’s lobster industry came late in life.
“I was 67 at the time and going through a divorce,” Bean said about her decision to try a new career in the lobster industry. “This gave me a new lease on life.” Bean, who is the granddaughter of L.L.Bean’s founde
r, had a home in Port Clyde and about a quarter mile away was the Port Clyde General Store, the Dip Net restaurant, and down the road, the Bay Lobster wharf where lobstermen unloaded their catch. continued@ bdn.com
Fishtown Local: A hole in Gloucester’s fabric – Gordon Baird
Richard had, as every Gloucesterite knows, developed “The Story” — or should I say, mined The Story, unraveled The Story, rode in the saddle of The Story for the last four years. It was not a story people necessarily wanted told, especially NOAA and the feds. For a while, it was only Richard Gaines who was turning up the heat and the truth on the runaway federal agents who used Gloucester as their personal sandbox to play at the power politics of retribution. It felt like Richard should have won a Pulitzer for unraveling The Story, but the outside world couldn’t seem to even be aware there was a problem. continued@gloucesterdailytimes
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