Daily Archives: December 11, 2014
Begich Introduces Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Bill
As the 113th Congress nears its close, U.S. Senator Mark Begich has introduced legislation to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), the primary federal law that governs marine fisheries management in U.S. waters. Read the rest here 20:51
Bering Sea trawler deaths highlight Arctic fishing, shipping issues
Early in the morning of Dec. 2, the factory trawler Oryong 501 sank into the frigid depths of the Bering Sea off of Russia’s east coast. A large wave hit the vessel as it hauled in a catch of pollock. Though the ship was South Korean-flagged, BBC News reports that 35 Indonesians, 13 Filipinos, 11 South Koreans and one Russian inspector were onboard at the time of the sinking; so far, 27 have been confirmed dead and 8 rescued, with the others missing. Read the rest here 19:20
Pitted against the hook-and-line halibut fleet are 16 Bering Sea trawlers – Conflict threatens to close Bering Sea halibut fishery
Those likely to suffer include fishing crews from Alaska to Oregon and vessel owners who invested in the halibut haul after it was privatized in 1995 in a failed bid to stabilize the fish stock. Perhaps more severely threatened are Aleut villages of western Alaska that rely on halibut for both cash and sustenance. The trouble stems from more than a decade of declines in halibut stocks targeted by fishing vessels that use long lines of baited hooks to reel in the popular fish. Read the rest here 17:33
BAKER – CETA: Political showdown or tempest in a teapot?
The continuing ruckus around the is feeling a little bit like a Twilight Zone episode: What is real? What isn’t? Why did this suddenly become an issue? Who promised what? And who was the man in the red hat? All good questions. Well, mostly. Read the rest here 16:31
Final Revisions to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Announced
Today NOAA Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service (see agency name here in the Federal Register) announced that it has finalized changes to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. Read the rest here 14:31
NOAA Grant Awards Support Research and Innovation in Bycatch Reduction
The newly-awarded projects support bycatch reduction research around the country and address a variety of species, including flounders, Chinook salmon, red snapper, Jonah crabs, coastal sharks, skates, sea turtles, whales, and other marine mammals. A list of grant recipients by region is listed below. Read the rest here 14:08
Sturgeon population slowly improving in lower Columbia
State biologists estimate the population of legal-size sturgeon in the lower Columbia River increased 5 percent in 2014, the first year of a total ban on retention by sport and commercial fishermen. Read the rest here 14:05
Sanford assesses quitting the Pacific tuna business
New Zealand’s biggest fishing company Sanford has considered abandoning the Pacific tuna business, since its executives disagree on the way the fishery is being managed. “If somebody came along and said ‘we want to buy your vessels,’ we would sell them immediately,” claimed Sanford Fisheries chief executive Volker Kuntzsch. Read the rest here 13:49
Industry Killer Maria Damanaki will head Natural Conservancy’s ocean division to continue the carnage
Greece’s Maria Damanaki, former EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is heading to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to lead the organization’s oceans division, it was announced Thursday. Read the rest here 13:29
Trawling makes for skinny flatfish
Trawling the seabed doesn’t just remove some of the fishes living there; it also makes some of the survivors thinner and less healthy by forcing them to use more energy finding less nutritious food. That’s the conclusion of a new paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, based on the work Dr Andrew Frederick Johnson undertook while studying for his PhD at Bangor University. Read the rest here 13:10
Atlantic sturgeon back in Chesapeake Bay, or did they ever leave?
Thought nearly extinct in the Chesapeake just two decades ago, sturgeon are turning up in surprising numbers and in surprising places. They’re also doing surprising things, like spawning in the fall — unlike any other anadromous fish on the East Coast. Read the rest here 08:55
South West fishermen safer at sea thanks to Weymouth-designed device
SOUTH West fishermen will now be safer at sea thanks to a device designed in Weymouth. In the wake of the Purbeck Isle tragedy, where three lives were lost when a local fishing vessel went out to sea but never returned, Weymouth fisherman Hugh Cox said he felt compelled to try and do something to help. Read the rest here 07:49
Click Here- Sign the Paul Fraser Petition
Paul is a Lobster Fisherman out of Cape Breton and has been ignored a Snow Crab License, he has been trying to get DFO to review his Snow Crab Proposal for years with no luck, certain people that have recieved these licenses have been related to or friends of the people handing these out, unfair practice, these licenses are hard to get. Read the rest here, and sign!
