Daily Archives: December 13, 2013

Disabled F/V Endorphin reported they were adrift and without power, nearly 86 miles offshore with three crewmembers aboard

580406The Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma, homeported in Boston, is transiting to the vessel’s location to tow the disabled vessel. Weather conditions reported at the vessel Endorphin’s location consist of seas of 8-13 feet, winds 35 knots and sea temperature at 32 degrees. “The harsh weather the vessel is experiencing, along with the forecasted weather for the weekend, always adds a level of risk to any rescue operation,” said Capt. Edward Cubanski, commanding officer of Sector Long Island Sound. “We’re going to make every effort to get these mariners home safely.” more@uscgnews  22:26

Walton Family Foundation Dumped $91.4 Million Into Greenwashing in 2012: Walmarting the Rivers and Oceans

smiley fishermanWalmart has been in the headlines in recent weeks after the retailer announced plans to keep its stores open this Thanksgiving, forcing Walmart employees to cancel many of their holiday plans. Walmart, the country’s largest retailer and employer, makes more than $17 billion in profits annually, so it has a lot of money to dump into “environmental” groups that serve its agenda of privatization of the public trust. The wealth of the Walton family totals over $144.7 billion – equal to that of 42% of Americans. must read [email protected]  17:22

We posted it in May, but its making the rounds. New boat seeks safer fishing on deadly Bering Sea

HomeSlider_2 blue northANACORTES, Wash. (AP) — Few professions are as deadly as commercial fishing on the Bering Sea. The latest proposed solution is being built in a dry dock north of Seattle: a $35 million, 190-foot vessel that would enable fishermen to work behind the safety of the hull, rather than out on the deck amid the dangerous wind and waves. [email protected]  16:45

Blue North to Build First-of-Its-Kind Low-Impact Sustainable Fishing Vessel – includes innovative feature called a “moon pool”.  Seattle, WA (PRWEB) May 07, 2013 – Blue North, a sustainable natural resource company crafted for the 21st century, today announced that it has signed a contract with Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes, Washington, to build one of the most environmentally friendly and technologically advanced fishing vessels in the world. The innovative “green” boat – which will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2014 –  was specifically developed for the Alaska cod hook-and-line fishery, and was designed by Skipsteknisk AS, a Norwegian ship design firm.  continued  Moon pool video  https://fisherynation.com/archives/8454

The fish farm industry is taking its fight for leniency from fisheries laws to the Canadian Senate.

863a4ac9dc_64635696_o2The Senate voted this week to have its fisheries and oceans committee study the rules that govern aquaculture in Canada. The industry says they are being stifled by the red tape contained in the conservation rules in the Fisheries Act. Other groups, including some fishermen associations, are uneasy with the idea of loosening the rules for fish farms. more@chronickleherald  16:21

Begich: NGO Sustainability Certification Too Subjective

MSC-LogoLast week Senator Mark Begich said the MSC’s certification model was too subjective, and that if the federal government wants to ensure the seafood it sources is sustainable – and includes Alaska salmon – the procedure needs to change. more@kmxt  16:11

NOAA/NMFS: Closed Areas off southern New England to re-open for groundfish​ing for remainder of fishing year 2013

nmfs_logoAs part of its efforts to mitigate some of the challenges facing New England groundfishermen this season, today, NOAA Fisheries announced that some areas that have been closed to fishing since 1994 will re-open. Two sections on the eastern and western side of the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area will open through April 30, 2014, the end of the current fishing year.  Click here to read the NOAA Fisheries Bulletin.  12:54

Dungeness crab fishermen knuckle under. Settle for $2.65, gone to work.

”The fish companies won,” said local fisherman Paul Pelligrini. “Fifteen cents wasn’t worth two weeks (of waiting).” Local fisherman Dave Bitts said that once the Oregon price was set, local fishermen had little choice but to accept it. He said most local fishermen showed up at a Fishermen’s Marketing Association meeting Thursday morning and agreed it was time to hit the water. more@humboltbeacon

Elvers are a resource in crisis. Let’s treat them that way

BDNIn the coming weeks the Maine Department of Marine Resources will propose a method to more closely track elver landings for next year in an attempt to gain some control over the elver harvest. Is this action enough? more@bdn  12:16

Louisiana: Shrimp Season To Close in Portions of State Inside and Outside Waters

Today, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham announced a closure of the fall shrimp season in state inside waters west of the Mississippi River and in a portion of state outside waters effective Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at official sunset. Specifically, those waters that will close to shrimping include: [email protected]  11:27

HEY JOHN BULLARD! Sam Novello has a message for you! – Whiting season needs to start earlier

gdt iconThe whiting resource is a healthy stock and overfishing is not occurring. Our economy and fishermen would benefit from an earlier opening — only 15 days earlier — of this fisheries. The reasons: Fishermen have no shrimp season this year. NOAA tells us there is no codfish to catch. What is going to happen to our shore fleet? I sent this note to NOAA and was told that it was not its decision, and to contact New England Fisheries Management Council. I did, and talked to Mr. Applegate, who is the head of Whiting Committee, and was told it would take until 2015 to address this matter. My thoughts are our fishing management really needs help. Our Northeast regional administrator, John Bullard, shared his views on Nov. 19 on challenges and opportunities in the fisheries. I believe John has the authority to open this area up; his challenge is to open this area — only 15 days earlier — and give fishermen an opportunity to fish it. more@gdt  11:12

Gang Green is a dangerous, overwhelming power. That power lock must be broken – Big Green’s well-financed hold on fisheries policy

environmental-watchdog[1]For more than a decade, the National Marine Fisheries Service has devoured fishing fleets while Big Green’s money octopus prods the feds by waving grant-eating enviros in its tentacles, causing them to hook the public’s attention with mindless frenzy against “overfishing.” Biologist Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — who resigned in February — was arguably the brainiest and most viciously crass NOAA administrator ever. Members of Congress called for her resignation for destroying fishing fleets in struggling coastal communities using Big Green’s brutal “catch shares” rationing program, and for tolerating fisherman fines enforced by corrupt federal cops. Before NOAA, the Packard Foundation gave Lubchenco’s Aldo Leopold Leadership Program $2.1 million to enable scientists to lead politicians and the public with scientific-technical control of public policy.  Nils Stolpe, veteran executive, consultant, and advocate for the commercial fishing community, sorted those numbers from Internal Revenue Service Form 990 reports and posted the result on his FishNet USA website. The Washington Examiner used Stolpe’s findings to construct the diagram. more@washingtonexaminer   07:02
The Big Green Money Machine – how anti-fishing activists are taking over NOAA click here