Daily Archives: April 1, 2013

Bill to remove St. Croix alewife barriers clears committee hurdle

AUGUSTA, Maine — Emergency legislation calling for removal of barriers that block sea-run alewives from full access to the St. Croix River watershed won unanimous endorsement Monday from the Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee. continued

Sea cucumbers dropped from two Baynes Sound aquaculture applications

Two large and controversial aquaculture applications for sea cucumbers in the Baynes Sound area have been resubmitted — minus the sea cucumbers. continued

Newfoundlanders to Gloucester From Councilor Paul McGeary – GoodMorningGloucester

A delegation representing “Oceans Holyrood Initiative” from Holyrood,  Newfoundland visited Gloucester on March 26, 2013. Here is the story and some photo’s. continued

Report predicts ever-bigger Lake Erie algae blooms

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — It was the largest algae bloom in Lake Erie’s recorded history — a scummy, toxic blob that oozed across nearly one-fifth of the lake’s surface during the summer and fall of 2011. It sucked oxygen from the water, clogged boat motors and washed ashore in rotting masses that turned beachgoers’ stomachs. continued

Cape Cod Fishermen say seals are devastating fishing – “Make it a commercial venture.”

The rebounding seal population won’t get a gold seal of approval from local  fishermen.The population of gray seals around Nantucket Sound is rising 20 percent a  year (according to Betty Lentell of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) to  an estimated 15,000 but that’s the wrong direction as far as some fishermen are  concerned. “Just the day before yesterday I came around Monomoy Point and counted no less  than 4,000 seals hauled out on the beach,” fisherman Bill Amaru said. “They were  15 to 20 deep in one section more than a quarter mile long.” continued

Study maps accidental killings of sea turtles

Sea turtles can get accidentally caught and killed in fishing operations, and new research out Monday seeks to map this phenomenon for the first time in a bid to save the endangered creatures. continued

The Flame Get’s Higher – Sovereignty battle brewing over elver eel dispute between Passamaquoddy, Maine state government

ELLSWORTH, Maine — Passamaquoddy leaders are decrying what one official called an “extreme show of force” by Marine Patrol, which last night confiscated three elver nets from tribal members at the Pennamaquan River. continued

The Fisheries Broadcast with John Furlong

Kurtis Rumble speaks DFO’s Tony Blanchard about the  Crab Management Plan, Crab quota’s and QSA’s. Also,  one of the most popular places to go on Good Friday to get your fish, and We’ll mark one of the darkest days in Newfoundland history, the 1914 Sealing Disasters. the audio

New device may keep halibut from bottom trawlers

In a series of tests off the Washington coast, commercial fishermen used a “flexible sorting grid excluder” to reduce the number of halibut taken as bycatch by 57 percent, while retaining 84 percent of the targeted groundfish, according to Mark Lomeli of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. continued

Century-old US firm answers market call for more value-added products, looks to buy more vessels

Century-old US firm answers market call for more value-added products103-year-old processor is following the demands of customers to move deeper into value-added product production, as it also looks to buy more vessels. continued

Is Fukushima Radiation Causing the Epidemic of Dead and Starving Sea Lions In California?

At island rookeries off the Southern California coast, 45 percent of the pups born in June have died, said Sharon Melin, a wildlife biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service based in Seattle. Normally, less than one-third of the pups would die. It’s gotten so bad in the past two weeks that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared an “unusual mortality event.” That will allow more scientists to join the search for the cause, Melin said. Lots of interesting comments here! continued

Seminars planned on fish and fisheries at Maritime Gloucester

Gloucester — The Large Pelagics Research Center will present the 2013 Fish and Fisheries  Public Seminar Series on Thursdays in April at 7 p.m. at Maritime Gloucester, 23  Harbor Loop, Gloucester. All lectures are free and open to the public. Space is  limited. April 4: Dr. Molly Lutcavage of Large Pelagics Research Center, UMass  Amherst. continued

 

Muzzling of scientists subject of ‘unique’ probe by Canada’s information watchdog

Wide-ranging investigation, which will look into six different federal departments, is to review incidents in which the media was thwarted when trying to speak to Canadian government scientists about their work. continued

Citizen science: Volunteers analyze images in crowdsourced scallop research project

Phys.org  – They have looked at 140,000 images, identified 42,000 scallops on the bottom of the ocean and donated countless hours of their time—and the scientists that they are assisting don’t even know who they are. continued

Letter to the Editor: Preserving wildlife in Baffin Bay

CORPUS CHRISTI — I read the March 5 article “Changes in fish population, algae cause study of Baffin Bay water quality.” It is always disheartening to read another story on how the rapidly changing environmental conditions, and human based disturbances are causing our local marine habitats to wither. continued

With the Menhaden Stock Status Still Unknown, Industry Leaders Request Better Science

WASHINGTON — April 1, 2013 — In the wake of a deeply flawed 2012 stock assessment that has prevented the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) from determining the status of Atlantic menhaden, members of the bait and reduction fisheries have written to the ASMFC calling for updated science and better data collection for the menhaden assessment.  continued  For more information on the stock status see: “Menhaden are Overfished” Reports Turn Out Premature

Why do Seattle’s homeless get to feast on Alaska’s king salmon bycatch?

Trawlers dragging their nets in the Gulf of Alaska out-of-sight over the horizon from most state ports may be catching and killing more king salmon than the residents of the 49th state would like, but don’t worry. The fish aren’t going to waste. continued

Trial run planned for jellyfish unloading at Port Royal shrimps docks

A big load of jellyfish could arrive at Port Royal’s shrimp docks in the next few weeks — a delivery aimed at showing residents what a proposed jellyfish processing operation would entail. continued

Maryland’s blue crab season will likely have a slow start

“I think we can expect a slow start,” to the season, said Brenda Davis, blue crab program manager for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Fisheries Division. “The cold temperatures are likely to keep early catches low. Until the water warms up, crabs are not very catchable.” continued