Daily Archives: December 22, 2013
Filling Christmas Eve Tables A Labor Of Love For Shellfish Harvesters
Many Connecticut families will enjoy the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, thanks to the 40 or so shellfish harvesters licensed in the state. Among them are the workers at G&B Shellfish Farm Inc., a multigenerational business in Stratford founded by Gary and Barbara Salce more than 20 years ago. Read [email protected] 21:27
More massive tar mats from BP oil spill discovered on Louisiana beaches
“I’ve been told by the ocean experts this stuff could hang out there on the bottom of the Gulf for more than 100 years. And as long as it’s out there, it can come ashore,” said Robert Barham, Secretary of the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, in 2010. “We might not see big black waves, but we may be seeing a smaller, but serious problem, for years and years to come.” The accuracy of that prediction is visible once again on the Lafourche Parish beach between Elmer’s Island and Port Fourchon, where a line of mud haulers waits to collect BP oil being unearthed by giant excavators digging just yards from the Gulf waves. READ [email protected] 19:27
Recieved from Johnny Mann, Hooper Bay western Alaska
Message Body: Hello my name is Johnny Mann from Hooper Bay western Alaska, we fish for halibut from 50 feet of shore to where every the waters permit us to go. We are under csp which I know reading from iphc.int that does not have enough concrete evidence of the biomass/ density on the floor of our region without the set line surveys and fisherman data as our southern regions. As 44 thousand in 03,04 were tagged we have not caught one halibut of that survey. Then in 09 200 were tagged again same result not even one caught in our region 4e. Our northern community scammony bay 40 miles north east of us catches there halibut three weeks later northwest of us about 20 plus miles of us. Migratory route?? We need set line surveys and fisherman data for the concrete evidence on biomass/density of our halibut. Thank you, Johnny. 13:11
4 C/FV Gentle Lady fishermen rescued from life raft off Sable Island – C/FV Ocean Concord picked up crew who are all safe
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre with assistance from a fishing vessel has rescued four people from a life raft about 70 nautical miles east of Sable Island. Capt. Peter Ryan, with JRCC, said the call for help came in around 4 a.m. Sunday. Read more@cbcnews 12:41
Washington State officials shutting down geoduck tract to harvesting
OLYMPIA — State officials Friday shut down commercial geoduck clam harvesting on 135 acres of state-owned aquatic land while they investigate toxicity concerns that prompted China to ban West Coast shellfish. Read more@PDN 12:11
Coast Guard urges harvesters to fish safely
It is no secret that commercial fishing is a dangerous way to make a living, or that cold weather ups the level of risk. Between March 2009 and January 2010, three draggers, the All American, the Bottom Basher and the Miss Priss, were lost in Cobscook Bay while dragging either for urchins or scallops. Five fishermen lost their lives in the first two sinkings. Fortunately, another dragger fishing in the area of the Miss Priss rescued her crew of three. Last week, the Coast Guard issued a safety warning to remind fishermen of the risks of towing scallop and urchin drags from a point high above the deck. Read more@fenceviewer 11:46
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update DECEMBER 22, 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 Update 11:33
Mother grieves for Westbrook sailor who fell off fishing vessel
Barbara A. Foster always dreaded the possibility the ocean could one day claim her son, and Friday she got the call she feared — 47-year-old Martin Gorham had been lost in the rough winter seas off Cape Ann. Read more@bdn 11:27
Coast Guard instructors ensure federal fisheries enforcement consistency in Alaska
In the middle of the Bering Sea, from the perspective of a 25-foot Coast Guard small boat, only two things can been seen in the vast ocean besides waves and birds: the Coast Guard cutter you launched from, and the fishing vessel you are headed to. The step aboard the fishing vessel is a dangerous one. Body armor, dry suits and a utility belt full of gear encumber law enforcement officers as they conduct a boarding. They must time the swell correctly so they are not injured moving between the two ships. Read [email protected] 09:47
Our View: Complex fisheries need the best minds
The New England groundfishery is a disaster. Conservationists know it, the federal government knows it, processors, shipyards and supply houses know it. And nobody knows it like fishermen do. The source of the disaster can be summed up in a word: Complexity. Around every corner in the quest to manage the groundfishery lurks another tangled issue. Fishery managers declare catch limits that are little better than arbitrary because our definitions of overfishing are at odds, a condition created by murky, imprecise language in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery and Conservation Management Act, further complicated by the inability to agree on the size of the fishery, its relative vitality, the impact of warming and acidifying oceans, the number of fish versus the size of the fish, the role of economics and management mechanisms “¦ you get the idea. Dr. Brian Rothschild points out in the policy paper,,Read more@southcoasttoday 09:31
Crew of the 73-foot F/V Carolina Girl 3 rescued after running aground in the St. Johns river entrance, Jacksonville, Fla.
Watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville command center were notified of the incident via a “Mayday” call coming from the crew of the 73-foot fishing vessel Carolina Girl 3. The mariners stated the vessel had run aground on the north side of the jetties of the St. Johns River entrance and was taking on water. Read more@uscgnews 07:03
