Daily Archives: May 5, 2014
Kampachi Farms want to release grouper, but face resistance
Eventually Kampachi acquired broodstock from Taiwan, intending to raise them and hoping to release their offspring. Sarver figured there would be no problem from a regulatory standpoint considering the fish is native to the region. Then he found out that state Department of Agriculture rules prohibit release of the grouper or any imported fish, into Hawaii waters. Read more here 21:55
A Stinky Situation – Canadian village tries to sell dead whale on eBay
A fishing village in easternmost Canada has tried to auction off on eBay a sperm whale carcass that washed up onto its shores. The town of Cape St George, Newfoundland received dozens of bids – the highest topping US$2,000 (NZ$2,300) – before running afoul of the online auction site’s rules and the law. Read more here
High chinook return projected in 2014 – Largest troll quota since abundance-based management began in the late 1990s
High 2013 salmon returns and high escapement projections for non-Alaska rivers are working in the favor of Southeast Alaska commercial and sport fishermen. King salmon abundance estimates have more than doubled from last year. Read more here 18:52
Tribal fishing activist Billy Frank Jr. dies
Billy Frank Jr., the tribal fisherman who led the Northwest “fish wars” that helped restore fishing rights for American Indians four decades ago, died Monday at age 83. The Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and the Nisqually Tribe near Olympia confirmed his death. The cause was not immediately known. Read more here 18:22
Commerce IG Releases Catch Share Investigation Report, Announces Observer Program Audit
Attached please find the final report of our review of NOAAs management of Catch Share programs. This is the third report in a multiple-phase review of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Fishery Management Councils (FMC). The objective of the review was to evaluate the sufficiency of NOAA’s implementation and monitoring of a selection of catch share programs developed by FMCs. For the six programs reviewed, the report identified several issues: here
Notice: Audit of the National Marine Fisheries Service Observer Program here 16:49
From the Moderator – We did some upgrades to Fisherynation.com
When you log on, it might look like the same ‘ole website, but if you’re using a phone or tablet, the first thing you should notice is it actually works on your device! That’s because its a “responsive” site. The next thing you should notice is the speed. We optimized the site, so when you click on something on the menu bar, or the comment button, you get there fast. Real fast! Read more here 15:36NOAA selects Penobscot River Watershed, and Choptank River Complex for targeted habitat conservation efforts
“Many NOAA offices already are actively engaged with federal, state and local partners to protect and restore habitat in both of these areas,” said John Bullard, regional administrator, NOAA Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, which covers the Great Lakes and federal coastal areas from Maine to North Carolina. They just can’t seem to stop making up baloney titles! Read more here 14:01
Good Samaritan, Coast Guard rescue overboard fisherman from F/V Andy & Johnny Jr near Grand Isle
GRAND ISLE, La. — A good Samaritan and a Coast Guard boatcrew rescued a fisherman from the water 19 miles offshore Grand Isle, Friday. Watchstanders at the 8th Coast Guard District command center received a 406 emergency position indicating radio beacon for the shrimping vessel . The Cajun Fisher was first of several good Samaritans to arrive on scene and reported that a crewmember from the fishing vessel Andy & Johnny Jr. had fallen overboard without a lifejacket. Read more here 13:45
David vs. Goliath – How the Truth Triumphed Over Emotion and Saved a Sustainable California Fishery
On February 20, 2014 California Assembly Member Paul Fong introduced legislation (AB 2019) that would outlaw the use of drift gillnet (DGN) gear in California, which is mainly used to target swordfish and sharks. Oceana and the Turtle Island Restoration Network sponsored AB 2019 while claiming that CA gillnets are “curtains of death.” Read more here 12:56
Asian demand pushes up B.C. Dungeness crab prices
Dungeness crab is selling for more than the price of lobster at Granville Island, where the cost of the West Coast delicacy has been driven up to record highs by a tight supply and insatiable demand from Asia. “This is the first time I have ever seen anything like these prices,” said Ray Ogura, of Seafood City at Granville Island, where live crab is selling for $20.90 a pound – a dollar per pound higher than Atlantic Lobster. Read more here 12:33
Was that salmon born in Chile or Scotland? Buyer says she was pressured to mislabel fish
That salmon you paid top dollar for at Whole Foods because you thought it had spent its youth frolicking in a Scottish fish farm might just be some fraud flown in from Chile. The former head buyer for one of the nation’s biggest providers of Scottish smoked salmon claims in a federal lawsuit that her bosses pressured her to dupe major retailers into thinking they were buying prized Scottish salmon when they were instead getting a cheap Chilean catch. Read more here 11:21
PEI Fishermen, processors still in talks – Lobster season starts again with no prices
P.E.I. lobster fishermen have begun another season without knowing how much they’ll be paid for their catch. Mike McGeoghegan, president of the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association, said last spring fishermen would never again haul traps without knowing the price, but the season started as scheduled last week without a published price. Read more here
Newfoundland fisheries payout concerns P.E.I.
The money, $280 million from Ottawa and $120 million from the province, is to offset the effects of the. The agreement will soften rules on fish processing in Newfoundland, which could affect the bottom line of their fishing industry. P.E.I. Innovation Minister Allen Roach said there should be equality for P.E.I. Read more here 10:49
20 Years Ago: Commercial-Fishing Halt Is Urged for Georges Bank
While some fishing could continue, the council, the New England Fishery Management Council, directed its staff to come up with measures that would reduce the catch of cod, haddock and yellowtail flounder, the principal species sought on the Georges Bank, to as close to zero as practical. Read more here 08:06
Big turnout for Juneau’s Blessing of the Fleet – Five new entries engraved on memorial
More than a hundred people attended Saturday’s Blessing of the Fleet in Juneau to honor those who work in Alaska’s commercial fishing industry. The names added to the fishermen’s memorial wall this year were Daniel Glass, Jim McCormick, James Jensen, Peter Wright, and John and Elizabeth Clauson. Read more, audio here 07:26
Five new entries engraved on memorial – Read more here 18:44
Salem considers commercial marina
A city that once had one of the busiest harbors in the country is trying to return to the days when this was a working port. On Thursday night, the Conservation Commission will hold a hearing on a city proposal to build a commercial marina at the Blaney Street ferry landing. Read more here0 07:05
Cold weather, low prices hurt lucrative elver market
Baby eels, called elvers, are Maine’s second most-valuable fishery after lobsters. The volume and value of the state’s elver fishery have boomed in recent years, with catch topping 18,000 pounds and $32 million in value for each of the past two years.The state, concerned about overfishing, instituted a quota this year for the first time. Read more here 04:05
