Daily Archives: August 24, 2013

Tuna Cup is big catch in Tignish , but, a Commercial Tuna Fishery would be better!

Tuna fishermen in western P.E.I. say fishing is “lovely” at the Tuna Cup, but they’re ready for a commercial fishery. Tignish is hosting the MacLeod’s Ledge Bluefin Tuna Cup this weekend. Last year, Fisheries and Oceans Canada began lobbying the international community to increase the tuna quota. more@cbcnews  19:37

Who Do You Wear YOUR PDF For?!!! Canadian PFD safety campaign targets fishermen

Fishermen are asked to sign a pledge stating “who I wear my PFD for.” “Personal flotation devices increase your chances of rescue and survival. If you don’t wear a PFD for you, wear it for your family,” Sterling Belliveau, minister of fisheries and aquaculture, said in a news release. more@cbcnews 19:29

Condition Unknown of F/V Jackpot Fisherman Knocked Unconcious When a Block Came Apart this morning 20 miles west of Gray’s Harbor, Wash

uscg-logoAt approximately 6:34 a.m., Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received a report from the fishing vessel Jackpot that a crewmember had been knocked unconscious when a block came apart and struck him in the head. It was originally reported that the man had no pulse and had stopped breathing. A federal observer who was aboard the fishing vessel performed CPR. The crewmember reportedly began breathing again, but did not regain consciousness. more@uscgnews  15:43

Hubb-SeaWorld Research Institute released its two-millionth seabass to the ocean Wednesday

The white seabass recovery program began nearly two decades ago, in 1994, when the fishery collapsed to just a tenth of its historic levels, said Don Kent, CEO  of the institute. Scientists had stocked salmon and striped seabass in hatcheries since the 1800’s. At Hubbs they adjusted those methods to coax white sea bass to spawn year-round, by adjusting water temperature and the length of daylight. more@utsandiego  14:29

The Bottom Line: Time to Protect Pacific Forage Fish. The Real Bottom Line- The Forage Fish Farce

Time to Protect Pacific Forage Fish

I learned long ago that it pays to plan ahead before I hit the water for a day of fishing. Knowing the tides, watching the weather, and reading the fishing blogs for the latest intelligence can make all the difference. Lee Crockett of The Pew Charitable Trusts  11:22

THE FORAGE FISH FARCE by Dick Grachek

The Providence Journal’s “PolitiFact” unit investigated claims made by Pew Environment Group in advertisements they ran in several newspapers asking east coast governors to support their demand for a 50% cut in the menhaden harvest. Pew justified this demand saying “… in recent years, menhaden numbers along our coast have plummeted by 90 percent.” more here

During his third stop in a series of meetings, Begich, D-Alaska, spoke about Alaskans being unified in their approach when negotiating at the federal level.

The senator, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere and Fisheries and is spearheading the re-authorization, has seen several of the same issues surface during his tours of Alaskan communities including by-catch, changes in ocean temperature; however Cook Inlet fishermen also emphasized the importance of genetic testing and the expense of having observers on commercial fishing vessels. more@peninsulaclarion  11:10

For the first time in half a century, commercial fishing vessels were scooping salmon out of Howe Sound this week.

Starting on Thursday (Aug. 22),  the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) opened up an exploratory fishery for the area, said Herb Redekopp, DFO’s chief of conservation and protection for the Lower Fraser. The goal of the three-day opening is to assess the strength of the pink salmon run travelling to the Squamish River. “They felt like the runs were quite abundant,” he said. more@thechief  11:00

What are your thoughts on the future of this region? U.S. Arctic Research Commission to meet in Unalaska

Is enough being done to protect the endangered Steller sea lion? What about offshore oil development? Does the oil rig Kulluk represent a bright economic future, or the second coming of the Exxon Valdez? more@bristolbaytimes  10:51

Suction Dredge Gold miners frustrated by new EPA permit

Because the permit overlaps with waters containing endangered and threatened species — bull trout, steelhead, sturgeon, sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon and various snails — the EPA coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. “If a suction dredge is in the stream at a time when we have eggs in the gravel . it’s easy to imagine suction dredge mining interrupting endangered fish and probably killing eggs,” said David Mabe, Idaho director for the Fisheries Service. more@thestate  09:56

New England Fishermen – Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary seeks advisory council applicants

The sanctuary is accepting applications for the following seats: Research, two  primary members; conservation, primary member; education, alternate; marine  transportation, primary member and alternate; recreational fishing, primary  member and alternate; mobile gear commercial fishing, primary member; business  industry, alternate; at-large, primary member and alternate; and youth, primary  member and alternate. more@wickedlocal  09:31

Coast Guard rescue crews, Chatham Harbor Master, searching for missing fisherman near Great Round Shoal, Mass.

uscg-logoWatchstanders at Sector Southeastern New England received notification via VHF radio that a 51-year-old man, a crewmember aboard the 27-foot fishing boat, had not been seen for 20 minutes. more@uscgnews   07:08

DFO POACHER PATROL Is Serious About Poaching!! Have seized eight boats and 50 gillnets as part of a crackdown on the lower Fraser

fisheries_and_oceansFishery officer Nicole Gallant 30 officers are currently working on the lower Fraser, and they’re using boats, vehicles and even air surveillance. Enforcement operations are taking place throughout the day and evening, and Gallant says they’ll continue until the river opens or the sockeye stop running. more@castanet  06:49

Judge Lawrence O’Neill’s ruling opens the gates. Trinity River releases start Sunday

With additional Trinity River flows ready to be released on Sunday, the Board of Supervisors will meet Tuesday with representatives of state agencies and a group doing outreach in Southern Humboldt to discuss water storage issues along Humboldt County rivers in an effort to protect future fish generations. more@imesstandard

Cape Breton Premium Seafoods plant destroyed by fire

Edgar Samson, president of Premium Seafoods Group, said he was saddened by the loss of the groundfish facility and retail market. He said the facility employed 60 to 70 people. The company has two other facilities that were not damaged. more@cbcnews  06:00

Governor Sean Parnell announces appointments to Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute ASMI board

Parnell reappointed Jack Schultheis and Kevin Adams, and appointed Amy Humphreys to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) Board of Directors. The institute promotes Alaskan seafood and develops market-oriented quality specifications. more@adn  05:04

Second Bluefin Blowout tuna fishing tournament in Gloucester is on!

The first two boats headed out of Cape Ann’s Marina Resort in the first inky moments of Friday morning, steaming out under the stars, hoping that the early-bird truism still held some juice. By sunup, the other 43 tuna boats had joined them, making their way out with the sun in their eyes and visions of giant bluefin tuna — and the prize money it could bring — dancing in their heads. more@GDT  04:35