Daily Archives: December 21, 2012
Senate Republicans seek to remove funds to assist fishermen from a Hurricane Sandy relief package.
Battle brews over disaster relief for Maine, New England fisheries
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., pointed out that five states in the middle of the U.S. received nearly $40 billion in funding for 68 federally designated disasters between 2004 and 2011. “We have more than five states asking for $150 million,” Kerry said in response to an earlier attempt to separate out the fisheries money. “I will just say point blank: This legislation is not going to pass without the inclusion of fisheries money.” Read more
national ocean policy coalition junk
NOAA Administrator To Step Down In February 2013 In an email to colleagues last week, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco announced that she will step down in February. In making the announcement, Lubchenco provided a list of what she termed to be NOAA’s top 20 achievements during her tenure, including but not limited to the following: · Helping to create the “first National Ocean Policy that recognizes the value of a healthy marine environment, emphasizes collaboration between regions and the federal government and coordination across federal agencies…” · Setting a stronger course for endangered species conversation in the ocean · Developing and implementing a “One-NOAA” Arctic Vision and Strategy and Task Force Names mentioned in initial speculation on Lubchenco’s possible replacement included National Geographic Society Vice President and former NOAA official and Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Commission Member Terry Garcia, U.S. Arctic Research Commission Chair and former Alaska Lt. Gov., University of Alaska Anchorage Chancellor, and Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Commission Member Frances Ullmer, and Conservation International Chief Scientist and former NOAA fisheries official and member of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and National Academy of Sciences Ocean Studies Board Andrew Rosenberg. READ MORE
New England Fishery Management Council Meeting Motions, December 20, 2012
December 20, 2012 Sheraton Colonial Wakefield, MA Council Meeting Motions –
When you get to the sight, click “COUNCIL ACTIONS” This is at the top.Council Meeting Actions – 2012
December 20, 2012 Sheraton Colonial Wakefield, MA
Click “COUNCIL AUDIO” Click “Groundfish FW 48 Discussion (AM) (few minutes at the beginning of discussion not recorded)
Listen in its entirety or left click the slider and move it to 1:55.00 to listen to the public comments
U.S. Reopens Waters Off New England for Fishing – NYT
Jud Crawford, the science and policy manager for the Pew Environment Group’s Northeast Fisheries program, said the decision to reopen protected waters could have dire consequences. “One of the concerns is that we will very quickly lose some very important breeding stock in these places,” Mr. Crawford said. The council’s vote is subject to approval by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Program, which is expected to act by May. Read More
Fish panel holds off on limit cuts – “I say if you’re going to take 1 damn percent (more), shut the whole God damn thing down!”
New England fishing regulators Thursday delayed voting on a series of significant cuts to fishermen’s 2013 allowable catch in groundfishing stocks after repeated and emotional warnings that the reductions would finish off an industry already grappling with a federally recognized economic “disaster.” The New England Fishery Management Council voted 15-2 to put off deciding on new catch limits for various bottom-dwelling groundfish species until their next meeting, scheduled for the end of January. Read More
