Daily Archives: August 2, 2013

Louisiana Oystermen claim the state-mandated vessel monitoring systems installed on their boats are illegal and should be removed.

The oystermen say they are unable to disengage or power down the monitoring systems even when their vessels are not commercially taking oysters from Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries-managed and regulated public natural reefs or LDWF-designated oyster seed grounds. continued@theadvocate

Stripers Eating All The Bugs From Kellen O’Maley–Connemara Bay Charters – GoodMorningGloucester

gmglob_thumbJust shooting you an email regarding what could be one of the biggest threats to lobsters. continued@goodmorninggloucester

Klamath water task force meets again, with no agreement

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — Amid drought and major fires, a task force trying to pick its way through the Klamath Basin’s long water struggles has met again, with some contention and no resolution. [email protected]

New England Fishing Industry Grapples with Changing Climate – Island Institute “A Climate of Change.” Audio

radio-microphoneRodman Sykes (left) is a commercial fishermen from Rhode Island.  He’s been fishing for 30 years and says he’s now starting to see the emergence of new species like Cobia, for example, which he says is normally only found off Florida. He’s also noticing a marked increase in the numbers of other fish which were previously only rarely seen in Rhode Island waters – for example the torpedo ray. “Twenty years ago, we might see two or three a month – like that,” Sykes says. “Now we see them every day, up to 100-pounders.” continued@mpbn

Tom Dempsey is in Climate Denial. “It wasn’t even the prime driver,”

Calling for “a national voice for fishermen about climate change,” Dempsey also advocated better regional fisheries management and more control by fishermen in setting goals and methods to accomplish broader-based management. continued@portlandpressherald

National Marine Fisheries Service : These Orca’s are Special! tu parli l’inglese?

The National Marine Fisheries Service spent a year reviewing a petition to delist the orcas from the Endangered Species Act. “We have decided these killer whales are a distinct population group,” Gorman said. “They have their own language, own food source. They don’t interbreed with other groups of killer whales. They meet the legal standard for a distinct population group.” continued@katu

(I dunno. They look the same, but I don’t speak the language!)

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Sets Fall Shrimp Season

 Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission announced the 2013 fall inshore shrimp season. [email protected]

More from the first-ever Climate of Change conference in Portland Maine – Experts call for greater urgency in adapting fisheries management to climate change

130307_GT_ABO_BULLARD_1John Bullard, northeast regional administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries,  NMFS sees climate change as not just a cause for immediate alarm, but also an opportunity.

“A crisis is a horrible thing to waste.” (Yep. Just as expected out of John Bullard.) continued@BDN

Marathon Florida woman selling lobster tails on Craigslist busted by Florida Fish and Wildlife

“This lobster fresh?” he asked in a text message. “Yes very fresh,” the person on the other end responded. continued@abcactionnews

Boothbay Harbor lobstermen report great white shark feasting on whale carcass – Video

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Casey told the BDN in a brief telephone interview Friday morning. “It was biting off chunks of the blubber. continued@BDN

Sharp Increase in Dolphin Deaths – Five beached dolphins were found in Virginia on Thursday

Officials are trying to determine the cause of a sharp increase in dolphin deaths in Virginia and other East Coast states. continued@nbcwashington

Garden State Seafood Association – Dedicated To The Sustainable Harvest Of New Jersey’s Inshore & Offshore Waters

Every pound of seafood harvested in New Jersey today is already certifiably sustainable and we want the public to understand this simple fact.  As stewards of New Jersey’s incredible fishery resources it is our intention to keep it that way for future generations of New Jersey fishermen, processors, dealers and seafood consumers! [email protected]

Alaska judge rejects setnetters’ bid for additional fishing time in Cook Inlet – It’s all in the language

Judge Andrew Guidi ruled Thursday that when the state Board of Fisheries decided commercial fishermen “may” be entitled to an extra 51 hours of fishing time this year, that is exactly what the board meant. Setnetters had argued the board meant commercial fishermen were owed those 51 hours — worth millions of dollars in dead sockeye salmon — and charged that state fisheries managers had conspired to subvert the board’s intent. The judge firmly disagreed. continued@alaskadispatch

National Marine Fisheries Service Establishes Control Date for Illex Squid Fishery at the request of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council –

Today, at the request of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, we published a notice establishing August 2, 2013 as the new control date for the Illex squid fishery. By establishing this control date, we are notifying the public that the Council may consider an action to limit the number of participants in the fishery. Read the NMFS Bulletin

Kodiak fishermen share thoughts on privatized fisheries on Alaska Fish Radio

radio-microphoneWhen posing such a loaded question there is little to no response on privatizing fisheries . Fish Radio did manage to get a few responses from some of Kodiak’s fisherman, but it wasn’t easy. Here’s their thoughts…………..listen @fishradio

UPDATE: Coast Guard crews suspend the search for fisherman Gary Ketlehut near Egmont Key, Fla.

uscg-logoST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Coast Guard crews suspend the search Thursday evening  for a missing 53-year-old male resident of Madeira Beach, Fla., who was last seen aboard the 42-foot fishing boat, No Bull, 78 miles northwest of Egmont Key, Wednesday. continued@uscgnews

Oyster fishermen on the east bank of the Mississippi river expect the worst season they’ve ever seen this year.

For businesses still recovering from the oil spill, the news is especially grim. “We don’t have the growth of oysters that we normally have,” said Don Robin. Usually they can fill a tractor-trailer of oysters a day. Now, they’re lucky to fill a quarter of a truck. continued@fox8

Message to Maine fishermen: Adapt to climate change – The Gulf of Maine has experienced significant warming over the past 40 years

The Gulf of Maine has experienced significant warming over the past 40 years, said biologist and ecologist Andrew Pershing of the University of Maine/Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Since 2004, the warming has accelerated to 10 times the rate of previous years. continued@portlandpress

LI fisherman accused of illegally harvesting fluke – wire fraud and falsification of federal records

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged a Long Island fisherman with wire fraud and falsification of federal records in connection with a scheme they say resulted in the illegal harvesting of more than 86,000 pounds of fluke over three years. During an appearance at U.S. District Court in Central Islip on Wednesday, Charles Wertz Jr. of East Meadow entered a plea of not guilty to the charges, which stem from fishing that federal prosecutors say took place between 2009 and 2011. continued@linewsday

The NOAA to steer up to $10M to aid for fishery

gdt iconAs numerous Gloucester fishing vessels rest at the dock, with fishermen unable to cut a profit, NOAA announced Thursday a plan not to directly bail out fishermen but to fund projects that the agency expects to eventually rebuild the industry. The $5 to $10 million in potential funds for the current fiscal year would allow the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to dole out awards that would mostly range between $30,000 and $250,000 for fishing-related projects. continued@GDT