Daily Archives: July 24, 2013

On the CBS Evening News: Cod fishermen say limits on their catch threaten their livelihoods

130724-Al_Cattone_244x183(CBS News) GLOUCESTER, Mass. — On a bright summer day, you would expect the waters off Massachusetts to be filled with fishing trawlers looking for cod. But this year, many of the boats are staying in port — and the crews fear their way of life may be slipping away. For 400 years, cod dominated New England’s fishing industry. It was central to the economy of Gloucester, Mass. Al Cattone has fished here for three decades. “It’s the only job I’ve ever had,” he said. “I started when I was 12 — summers  fishing with my dad. And once I graduated high school, I started full-time.” continued@cbs

BREAKING: Fisherman John Aldridge, a crewmember of the F/V Anna Mary has been rescued.

uscg-logoCoast Guard Station Montauk confirms John Aldridge has been rescued and being transported to Station Cape Cod. Petty Officer Jetta Disco, a Coast Guard spokesperson, said Aldridge was found 43 miles south of Montauk Point. His boat was five miles off of Montauk Point. Aldridge is being treated for exposure, hypothermia and dehydration. The Coast Guard was assisted by a large contingency of commercial fishing vessel’s.

Here’s the “Official” rundown. John Aldridge, a crewmember of the commercial fishing vessel Anna Mary, was found after going overboard. from uscgnews

Today was your lucky day John. I’m happy for you, and relieved for your loved ones. Best wishes in your new life that started with the helicopter lift!

 

N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries to close some waters to gill nets

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries announces that at one hour before sunset today (Wednesday), large mesh gill nets will be prohibited from certain internal state waters. continued@ccnewstimes

N.C. watermen are under attack by an enemy that is relentless to have all forms of commercial fishing stopped.

If trawling is stopped in North Carolina inshore waters, it will deal a final blow to an already over regulated industry. We don’t think these tree-hugging, turtle-loving idiots realize the economic impact it will have on coastal North Carolina. continued@ccnewstimes

Coast Guard searching for missing fisherman John Aldridge, a crewmember of the F/V Anna Mary,near Montauk

uscg-logoCoast Guard watchstanders at Sector Long Island Sound, in New Haven, Conn., were contacted by a local fisherman, at approximately 6:30 a.m., reporting that a male fisherman had gone missing based on missed watch relief times and being
unresponsive to callbacks from another fishing vessel at 4 a.m. continued@uscgnews

The Fisheries Broadcast: Fishermen are VERY concerned about the influx of Cod and increased predation of Crab and Shrimp in Newfoundland

radio-microphoneSigns of decline in shellfish has a voice from the past sounding the alarm, about the fishery of the future. Listen

Shame: Images of fishermen with dead sharks spur investigation prompted after DFO examined photos of dead sharks obtained by CBC News

Fishermen posing on piles of dead marine animals has Fisheries and Oceans Canada investigating the possibility of poaching and shark finning at the Bradford’s Cove weir in Grand Manan. continued@cbcnews

Nils Stolpe – Fisheries Management​–More Than Meets The Eye

NetLogoBackground500Last year I wrote After 35 years of NOAA/NMFS fisheries management, how are they doing? How are we doing because of their efforts? (http://www.fishnet-usa.com/After 35 years of NOAA.pdf) I concluded with:

Our collective fisheries were never as badly off as grandstanding ENGOs convinced the public and our lawmakers that they were. Regardless of that, they are unquestionably in great shape now. Are the fishermen – the only people who have paid a price for that recovery – going to profit from it? At this point there aren’t a lot of indications that they are going to. Ill-conceived amendments to the Magnuson Act, the ongoing foundation-funded campaign to marginalize fishermen and to hold them victims of inadequate science, and a management regime that is focused solely on the health of the fish stocks and is indifferent to the plight of the fishermen effectively prevent that. continued here

Gulf of Mexico natural gas well catches fire on Tuesday evening

BSEE said  the well ignited at 10:50 p.m. Tuesday and that the source of the ignition remained  unknown on Wednesday morning. Jim Noe, an executive vice president with Hercules Offshore, said on Wednesday morning that the well was about 8,000-feet below the surface of the seafloor. continued@nola

National Marine Fisheries Service whale protection rules will snare lobstermen

Earlier this month, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for proposed amendments to the federal Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. The draft runs to substantially more than 500 pages, plus exhibits and appendices. continued@fenceviewer

Pew Supported Study Shows Inbreeding in Winter Flounder in Long Island’s Bays

Research conducted in six bays of Long Island, NY, and led by scientists from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University (SBU) showed that local populations of winter flounder are inbred, which is a situation that is not usually considered in marine fisheries management. continued@newswise

Seafreeze Ltd. News Flash – China Fishing Ban – Order your Squid Today! Call Ken Loud at Seafreeze Ltd. 401-234-1878

  SF_SquidTubes_U_5NEWS FLASH – I’d like to share with you some market information for squid. Early this week, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture released a notice that China bans fishing around waters east of North Korea. And you know Chinese Waters are now in fishing ban. This ban of North Korea waters will affect greatly the raw material supply of todarodes squid. Now we have seen prices coming up a little bit and it is estimated the price will go higher later. We suggest you to book some quantity now if you have recent demand. Please find our best offer as following. CALL FOR DETAILS. 401 234 1878

Sea squirt invasion destroying N.S. mussel industry – Slimy creatures attach themselves to mussels and rob them of nutrients

Invasive tunicates — also known as sea squirts — are slimy creatures that attach themselves to mussels and either rob the shellfish of nutrients and water, or literally rip the mussels off the socks with their sheer weight. They are invertebrates that look like giant orange slugs. continued@cbcnews

Lower East Pubnico Fisherman Paul Vernon (Brex) Malone dies after fall from the mast of CF/V Savana & Jax off Cape Sable Island

CBC_News_logo“Before most of those assets were either in the air or had left the shore, we received a call back from the same fishing vessel stating that the crew member had unfortunately deceased. continued@cbcnews

Fisherman dies at sea – The man fell from a high mast Tuesday afternoon while aboard a sword-fishing vessel, a Canadian Forces spokesman has confirmed. continued@cronicleherald

 

District attorney says he may dismiss charges against Passamaquoddy elver fishermen

There are more than 30 criminal cases pending statewide against members of the tribe, which has been involved in a dispute with the Maine Department of Marine Resources over how many elver licenses it should issue to its members. All of the Passamaquoddys charged had been issued licenses this spring by the tribe. The department later declared the licenses invalid. continued@bdn

Decision delayed on Cook Inlet setnetters’ bid for more sockeyes amid low Kenai king run

In a 19-page lawsuit, the Cook Inlet Fishermen’s Fund accuses the Alaska Department of Fish and Game of violating orders from the state Board of Fisheries to give setnetters an extra 51 hours of fishing time over and above their traditional, two-days-per week openings. continued@alaskadispatch

Mystery’ of sponges partially solved

A strange sponge that suddenly appeared in Cotuit Bay in late summer of 2011, and which no one could identify, led a local aquacultural specialist on a research project that extended to sponge experts in Canada and Spain as well as Harvard and Yale. continued@barnstablepatriot

Louisiana senators attempting to push through a bill against the import of shrimp with EMS,

A number of countries, including the Philippines and Mexico, have banned shrimp imports from countries where EMS has been found. Louisiana state also wants to protect its domestic industry from growing annual imports of foreign shrimp. continued@thenation

Tiny ear bones of fish tell a big story about the environment.

Fish ear bones, also known as otoliths, are like tree rings for the ocean. A layer of calcium carbonate laid down each year offers a snapshot of both the fish’s yearly growth and its surrounding ocean conditions. continued@seattletimes

Pacific hake offshore fishery of the United States and Canada, has entered assessment for MSC re-certification.

The mid-water trawl fishery became MSC certified as a sustainable and well-managed fishery in the autumn of 2009. Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) is also known commercially as Pacific whiting. continued@fishnewseu

The world famous Kenai River king salmon are facing a major crisis

There appear to be several reasons for the low returns: poor ocean survival, catches by the high-seas trawlers, setnet catches in Cook Inlet and marginal productivity. And there may be others. [email protected]