Daily Archives: December 15, 2012

Fiscal cliff debate threatens ASMI int’l marketing budget

Congressional spending cuts could smack the Alaska Seafood Marketing  Institute with a 40 percent reduction in future federal “Market Access Program” grants that provided more than half of the  Alaska Seafood Marketing  Institute. “The ‘Farm Bill,’ especially the MAP program, is in the bull’s eye, period.  There is no doubt about that,” warned Naresh Shrestha, ASMI’s chief financial  officer, during the institute’s “all hands” meeting in Seattle, Nov. 28 to  30. Read more: http://www.alaskajournal.com/Alaska-Journal-of-Commerce/December-Issue-3-2012/Fiscal-cliff-debate-threatens-ASMI-intl-marketing-budget/#ixzz2F9OkYZD0

Commerce secretary: Return $544K in fish fines – Bloomberg

BOSTON (AP) — The acting U.S. Commerce Secretary on Friday ordered federal regulators to return about $544,000 in unjust fines collected from 14 fishermen or fishing businesses, most of whom worked Northeast waters.  New Bedford fishing boat owner Carlos Rafael, who will receive $17,500 back after Blank’s order, said he’s pleased to get anything, given the industry’s ongoing struggles. But he said the bigger victory is accountability for fisheries’ officers. “Even if I didn’t get any money, the world is watching them,” he said. “Before nobody was watching them. … Before they were like the Gestapo. Before you were (automatically) guilty, the party was over.” http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-12-14/commerce-secretary-return-544k-in-fish-fines

Feds consider opening New England Closed fishing areas. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would still have to approve.

BOSTON (AP) — There are five zones off the New England coast drawn in varying angles and shapes, all rich with fish, or at least they were at one time. It’s why regulators looking to preserve valuable species closed these areas to certain kinds of fishing year-round, beginning in the 1990s. Two decades later, a fishing industry in crisis wants to get back in. http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20121215-NEWS-121219828

The myth of California as ‘environmental leader’ exposed! “the state and federal water project pumps that kill millions and millions of fish every year”

by Dan Bacher

2011 was a record year for water exports to corporate agribusiness and Southern California, resulting in the “salvage” of a record 9 million Sacramento splittail and over 2 million other fish including Central Valley salmon, steelhead, striped bass, largemouth bass, threadfin shad, white catfish and sturgeon. In the face of this massive carnage, the DFG and Natural Resources Secretary John Laird did nothing. (http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/05/07/carnage-in-the-pumps)

An analysis by the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA) has found that since year 2000 over one hundred million fish (102,856,027) have been sucked into the delta pumps. This figure includes twenty six million valuable game fish, many of which are endangered.

And Jerry Brown, Natural Resources Secretary John Laird and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar only want to make things even worse by building the peripheral tunnels that will hasten the extinction of Central Valley salmon, Delta smelt longfin smelt and other imperiled species.  http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/12/11/18727749.php

Menhaden harvest cut 20% –

Menhaden Meeting

By Pamela Wood — The Capital

BALTIMORE — Regulators cracked down on the harvest of Atlantic Coast menhaden, a small and oily fish that has a crucial role in the ecosystem. Meeting in Baltimore on Friday, a multistate fishery board cut the total harvest by 20 percent for at least two years. “This is a gamble, but it’s a good first step,” said Will Baker, president of the nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The bay foundation — and other environmental and fishing groups — were hoping to cut the harvest by as much as 25 percent. http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/environment/menhaden-harvest-cut/article_1d1aaec6-46ff-54d6-8a17-ff280057e0be.html

Panel votes to cut menhaden harvest by 20 percent Baltimore Sun

ASMFC Approves Atlantic Menhaden Amendment 2 savingmenhaden.org

Omega Protein Statement on Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Vote

 

“Ding Dong! The Witch is dead!” Our View: Hopeful days for area fishermen

Defianthewickedwitcht to the end, she thumbed her nose at the fishermen she put out of business with a departing comment that listed her so-called achievements, including “returning fishing to profitability.” The removal of an extreme environmentalist from this position — and one has to assume Lubchenco was removed, since just a few weeks ago it seemed she was gunning for another four years at NOAA — is a good sign for our long-suffering fishing industry. http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121214/OPINION/212140308/-1/NEWS06

Redress for NOAA law cases- Commerce Department on Friday closed the book on past violations

“After months of unacceptable delay and stonewalling of Congress, the Commerce Department has released a report that found serious misconduct by NOAA personnel,” said U.S. Sen. Scott Brown. “Some of this misconduct happened during the current administration, yet no one has been fired or even demoted. This report provides more context to Administrator Lubchenco’s resignation and makes her planned service through February untenable.” http://www.gloucestertimes.com/local/x520560721/Redress-for-NOAA-law-cases

5-point plan for fishing disaster relief – Mayor Carolyn Kirk

I’d like to get the conversation started about how the fisheries economic disaster relief should be invested. Over the past few months, since the disaster was declared by the U.S. Department of Commerce, many ideas have been circulated. We’ve boiled down our ideas into a 5-point plan that I’d like to share today. Really?!!!  http://www.gloucestertimes.com/opinion/x520560693/5-point-plan-for-fishing-disaster-relief