Daily Archives: October 10, 2012

NPFMC Moves on Halibut, Observer, Freezer Longline Vessel Issues

Federal fisheries regulators meeting in early October in Anchorage approved new halibut catch sharing and vessel observer plans, and cleared the way for replacement or rebuilding freezer longline vessels to greater lengths. The halibut catch sharing plan, which increases the allocation for charter vessels at the expense of the setline fleet, establishes a clear allocation, with sector accountability for commercial and charter vessels in Southeast and Southcentral Alaska. Once the plan is implemented, both sectors will be tied to the same abundance index and both will be accountable for their own wastage. Read More http://fnonlinenews.blogspot.com/2012/10/npfmc-moves-on-halibut-observer-freezer.html

Quota Holds Steady for Red King Crab, Down for Snow Crab

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is holding about steady on its quota for Bristol Bay red king crab for the season beginning Oct. 15, while the Bering Sea snow crab quota has dropped. The red king crab allowable harvest is set at 7.85 million pounds, up just slightly over last year’s quota of 7.834 million pounds. Read More http://fnonlinenews.blogspot.com/2012/10/quota-holds-steady-for-red-king-crab.html

Mass Republican Candidates Sean Bielat – Daniel Botelho Site Over Regulation of Fishing Industry on Campaign Trail

9th Congressional District race, Daniel Botelho of Fall River. Within the new 9th District, Botelho wants less regulation of the fishing  industry, including more generous catch limits. He says the area’s commercial fishing will collapse if current regulations  are kept.

Bielat said the over-regulation is a byproduct of an expansion of the federal  bureaucracy. “When your job is to create regulations all the time, that’s what you’re  going to do,” he said. According to Bielat, these officials are not very responsive to change,  creating a situation in which regulations do not reflect reality. He cited the  current state of the fishing industry in Massachusetts as an example. “Fishermen have the greatest incentive to make sure their (fish) stocks  remain,” he said. “We have record stocks, but they can’t fish them. It’s an  overregulated industry — it’s destroying jobs and making fish cost more.”

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x738673502/ELECTION-2012-Kennedy-Bielat-Reduce-economic-uncertainty#ixzz28wwOa6ya

Read more: Fall River’s Botelho runs in the 9th District as ‘average American’ – Somerset, MA – Wicked Local Somerset http://www.heraldnews.com/news/x493269276/Fall-Rivers-Botelho-runs-in-the-9th-District-as-average-American#ixzz28wxoqIlM

Report: Mid-Atlantic offshore wind industry would create 70,000 jobs, generate billions (Lets just turn the East Coast into a huge junkyard)

RICHMOND, Va. — The large-scale development of wind power off the Mid-Atlantic coast would create more than 70,000 jobs from New York to Virginia, an industry-sponsored study concludes. The study released Wednesday said those jobs would be created by a new industrial base needed to manufacture, build, operate and maintain the towering wind turbines, and an additional 40,000 jobs would be needed to serve the supply chain. The job growth would be realized over a 10-year build out of the offshore industry. The study was conducted for the Atlantic Wind Connection and released during the American Wind Energy Association’s annual conference in Virginia Beach. It continues through Thursday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/report-mid-atlantic-offshore-wind-industry-would-create-70000-jobs-generate-billions/2012/10/10/ab391dd2-12bc-11e2-9a39-1f5a7f6fe945_story.html

You are a fisherman, but the queer minded stakeholders and PC environ-kooks are calling you “fishers”! Why?

There is a new buzzword. Fishers.

Managers should involve the entire community — including fishers, dive operators, the public, and seafood industries — in their management plans.

What is it about the mindset of these people that makes them want to change things around, even the word fishermen.

There are men, there are women. When will they become so pc that they drop men from the word women?!

Sorry for ranting. It just bugs me, man. BH

Eco-Lawsuit Advances against Cape Wind Risk to Right Whale and other Threatened and Endangered Species Litigated

NOTE. Links will be added as they become available.  http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x493268917/Suit-claims-Cape-Wind-violates-endangered-species-law

Hyannis, Mass.  (October 10, 2012) – Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility  (PEER), the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound and other conservation groups  today filed a brief in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia  detailing Cape Wind’s numerous violations of federal protections for threatened  and endangered species – including the imperiled North Atlantic right whale, one  of the rarest mammals in the world. This suit charges the project violates  three key federal laws – the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty  Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.

Other plaintiffs include the Cetacean  Society International, Lower Laguna Madre Foundation, Californians for Renewable  Energy, and Three Bays Preservation. This is one of five federal lawsuits facing  Cape Wind, a massive industrial project proposed to cover 25 square miles of  Nantucket Sound with an array of 130 massive turbines – each stretching taller  than the Statue of Liberty.

Today’s brief explains how the mega-project  poses serious risks to the right whale, four species of federally-protected sea  turtles and several species of migratory birds. It also criticizes the lack of oversight  and analysis of the impact of Cape Wind on this critical  habitat.

Report: Mid-Atlantic offshore wind industry would create 70,000 jobs, generate billions —- Horsesh!t!

The study was conducted for the Atlantic Wind Connection and released during the American Wind Energy Association’s annual conference in Virginia Beach. It continues through Thursday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/report-mid-atlantic-offshore-wind-industry-would-create-70000-jobs-generate-billions/2012/10/10/ab391dd2-12bc-11e2-9a39-1f5a7f6fe945_story.html

NOAA regional chief, EDF back catch quota caps

http://www.gloucestertimes.com/topstories/x1618664521/NOAA-regional-chief-EDF-back-catch-quota-caps

Once again, the cart before the horse.

This should have been addressed before amendment 16 was rammed through. The EDF goal of Herr Lubchenco.

Yes, consolidation was occuring pre a-16, but then it really was free market driven consolidation.

Of course, the NSC syndicate likes it the way it is now, and why would’t they?

As far as “crossing the border” skirting the referendum vote, that has already taken place, the reason for the lawsuit.

For the syndicate to be concerned, is like Walmart saying they care about their employees, and they are looking out for their best interests! Why the parallel?

There are a whole bunch of fishermen not represented by the syndicate, that work within the syndicate. Crewmen that rely on the owners to do the right thing for them, as they share the expenses in the free enterprise lay/share arraingement of compensation, along with the owners. Crewmen now pay for leased quota with no representation, along with the regular expenses. They have become poorer and marginalized.

Only now is there a half assed effort to understand the system of compensation through a “socio economic survey” that should have been considered pre a-16.

I’m sure Johanna Thompson is a nice lady, but to read about EDFs concerns about fishermen? I find them amusing, and diingenuous following the history of EDFs actions, and knowing they recieve multi millions year in, year out from the Walton Foundation to privatize the resource.

Funny thing about the “socio” survey. All the current data collected already includes people like Johanna, regulators, and “stakeholders”  involved in fishery issues.

Everyone except the fishermen!

ABOLISH CATCH SHARES NOW!