Daily Archives: June 9, 2013

One scandal of the National Marine Fishery Service, unknown but for Richard Gaines

           Who in the Hell is Richard Gaines?!!

Richard Gaines, Staff Writer, Gloucester Daily Times.

Read it here with two video interviews by GMG’s JoeyC

 

There is nothing sadder to me than the passing of my friend, Richard Gaines

100_1584Richard Gaines has passed  today.

Richard Gaines, the award-winning 40-year New England journalist who spent more than a decade as staff writer with the Gloucester Daily Times and carved out a national niche with his local coverage of the commercial fishing industry, was found dead this afternoon in the swimming pool outside his home in his beloved Bay View section of the city.

 

Congressman Huffman visits Arcata to discuss local veterans fisheries program

Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) visited Arcata’s Janes Creek Meadows Park Saturday afternoon to meet with veterans working in a pilot fisheries project developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. continued @ The Mendocino Beacon

Community ‘shocked’ over murder charges in man’s death – 3 men face 2nd-degree murder charges in presumed death of Phillip Boudreau

CBC_News_logoA Cape Breton community is in shock following the presumed death of a Petit-de-Grat man and the subsequent murder charges placed against three others in the tight-knit community. continued @ cbcnews

Unleashing the AquAdvantage® Frankenfish – As many as 30 fish species, including GM trout, GM cod and GM tilapia, as well as GM pigs, GM chickens, GM goats and GM cows are “under development”.

If you’ve been following the debate about the pros and cons of genetically modified (GM) crops, like pesticide resistant maize and soybeans (read my most recent rant on the issue here), it probably won’t take a whole lot of imagination to work out the biotech industry’s next big project. That’s rights: GM animals. The story doesn’t end with GM salmon though. If the AquAdvantage® Salmon is approved for commercial use, we can expect a whole menagerie of genetically-fiddled-with farm animals in the near future. As many as 30 fish species, including GM trout, GM cod and GM tilapia, as well as GM pigs, GM chickens, GM goats and GM cows are “under development”. continued@ news24

Judge voids snapper season curtailment saying the National Marine Fisheries Services was playing a twisted version of Robin Hood

A federal judge in Brownsville has struck down a federal emergency ruling to limit red snapper season in Texas, Louisiana and Florida, saying the National Marine Fisheries Services was playing a twisted version of a popular fictional character. Furthermore, if one looks at the actual poundage of red snapper caught, and if one takes this admittedly weak literary reference one step further, when comparing at least Louisiana and Texas with Alabama, the NMFS is doing just the opposite — it is robbing from the poor to give to the rich.”continued @ The Brownsville Herald

Brilliant blue lobster caught off Antigonish, N.S. by lobsterman Sheldon Trenholm

ns-li-blue-lobster-620A rare blue lobster was caught in waters near Antigonish on Friday. Sheldon Trenholm of South River, N.S. was the lucky lobsterman who caught the brilliant blue crustacean near Monks Head. He took a few pictures, showed a few friends and then he threw it back because the lobster was too small to keep. continued @ cbcnews

Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update JUNE 9, 2013

“The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance  is dedicated to its mission of continuing to help create sustainable fisheries without putting licensed fishermen out of business.” Read the updaterifa

Abbot Library to host ‘Lobsters vs. Cod: Insights into the lobster boom in the gulf of Maine”

Lobster populations have been increasing consistently over the past two decades and now constitute one of the most valuable fisheries in the United States. Based on research in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine, Professor Grabowski’s talk will explore the roles of management and herring bait use, in paving the way for this uptick in lobster abundance. Then, the collapse of groundfish populations, such as Atlantic Cod, will be considered. This development has influenced not only lobster survival, but, in addition, has impacted lobster behavior.  Collectively, each of these changes has contributed to the recent expansion of the iconic New England lobster fishery. continued @ Boston Globe

A collaborative approach to Chesapeake Bay restoration

Today, pollution threatens all of the recent progress we’ve made at cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. At risk is not only the ecosystem’s survival, but also a way of life for so many. Despite successful pollution reduction efforts, excessive nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment from runoff also still contribute to harmful algal blooms, “dead zones” and loss of underwater grasses. continued @ tidewaternews.com

Cape Cod fishermen battle seals for catch

Both commercial and recreational fishermen believe gray seals are eating enough fish that they may be inhibiting the recovery of cod and other important species. They are capable of stripping gillnets of thousands of pounds of cod or pollock, or taking striped bass right off a surfcaster’s line. It has led some fishermen to suggest it may be time to cull their numbers and/or use methods to drive them away from fishing grounds. continued @ cape cod times

California moves to close suction dredge mining loophole

In response to an emergency request from a coalition of tribal, environmental and fisheries groups, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife proposed emergency rules today to crack down on an upsurge of unregulated suction dredge mining in the state. continued @ Times- Standard

Florida Fishermen become farmers in quest for a new oyster industry

“We knew nothing about oysters,” Clay Lovel said. So the men studied oyster history. They experimented with enclosures and planting methods. The fishermen became farmers. Nine months later, with some 150,000 pieces growing in 500 cages, their first crop is coming in — big, succulent 3-inch oysters that within a couple of hours on this late May day, will be in the family fish house cooler, ready to be served on the half shell to seafood lovers at the Lovels’ Spring Creek Restaurant. continued @ tallahassee.com

Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association awarded $5,000 in scholarships

This year the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association awarded $5,000 in scholarships from Key Largo to Key West. Proceeds were raised from the Florida Keys Seafood Festival in January and sales of the cookbook “Ocean Flavors and More.”Five students received $1,000 each, including Catherine Guninovart of Coral Shores High School, Ariel Jesus Rodriguez and Sean Roussin of Marathon Middle High School, and Kayla Geide and William DeSantis Jr. of Key West High School.

Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta could get saltier if tunnels are built

This marks just one of the complex trade-offs sprinkled through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, the massive proposal to re-engineer California’s primary water delivery system that includes the two tunnels. continued @ Sac Bee