Daily Archives: May 27, 2015

Vintage Fishing Boat, F/V Roann, to Highlight First Cape May Port Commercial Fishing Festival

Her name’s Roann and she’ll be showing off her stuff to curious landlubbers June 6 and 7 at the Lobster House Docks. Roann may be the center of attention at the first Cape May Port Commercial Fishing Festival that will highlight the area’s commercial fishing industry for the world to explore.  The festival will highlight Cape May’s rank as second in commercial fishing on the East Coast and fourth largest in dollars generated. Read the rest here 18:50

Multiple investigations of incidents ongoing – NOAA Report Claims Harassment, Intimidation of Observers

The 2014 annual report on the North Pacific Groundfish and Halibut Observer Program notes that observers reported a number of incidents of harassment, intimidation, hostile work environment, or attempted sample bias related to the collection of prohibited species catch data. The report said these investigations include allegations of physical sample bias including removing halibut from observer samples, or physically preventing a halibut from entering an observers sample during collection. Read the rest here 17:36

Atlantic Salmon Federation calling on Greenland to end commercial fishery of Atlantic salmon

Fishermen and conservationists are urging Greenland to end its commercial fishery of , arguing the stock is at historic lows and won’t recover if the harvest continues. It says that even though the population has been steadily declining over the last several years, Greenland has maintained its factory fishery of salmon that migrate north from river systems in Canada, the United States and elsewhere. The group released the figures ahead of a critical meeting next week in Labrador,,, Read the rest here 14:55

Seismic testing off Clyde River cancelled for summer

Clyde River, Nunavut, is declaring victory after an energy company cancelled this summer’s plans for offshore seismic testing. “I’m very happy about it,” said Jerry Natanine, mayor of the hamlet on Baffin Island’s east coast that strongly opposed the seismic plans. The program is strongly opposed by the people of Clyde River, which argued before the board that the testing would disturb or harm seals, whales, walrus and other marine mammals locals depend on for food. Read the rest here 14:41

Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 45′ Gamage Steel Scalloper/Lobster,1983, CAT

sc3880_01For specifications, information, and 19 photos of the vessel, click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 11:58

Life, Then Death, on a Trawler in Freezing Antarctic Seas

Matt Lewis, a British marine biologist and author of Last Man Off: A True Story of Disaster and Survival on the Antarctic Seas, was only 23 when he was hired as a scientist on the South African fishing trawler, the Sudur Havid.  Destination: South Georgia Island, in the Antarctic, to fish for one of the most valuable catches on earth, Patagonian toothfish. Three weeks later, he found himself in a perfect storm which left many of his crewmates dead. Read the rest here 10:46

Battle to Restore Apalachicola Bay Heads to Congress

The proposal is the latest development in Florida’s 25-year dispute with Georgia and Alabama over the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system, which the three states share. It also comes as Florida is suing Georgia in the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that too much water is being siphoned off upstream, damaging the economically vital oyster industry in Apalachicola Bay. Until recently, its commercial and recreational fishing industries generated $200 million a year and supported the vast majority of the local population. Read the rest here 09:57

“The Briefcase” – Marathon fishing family in new CBS reality show

The program, “The Briefcase,” finds couples in need of financial assistance, whether backlogged on loans or dealing with other hardships, and offers them an out. One of the episodes will feature John and Amanda Musolino, who reside part of the year in Marathon, as a struggling family who works wherever commercial fishing jobs pay. Amanda Musolino stays at their home raising the children, ages 12, 10 and 7, while John fishes seven months out of the year. Read the rest here 08:19

New Jersey Seismic-testing debate continues amid NOAA/NMFS approvals

A research project green-lighted to begin off the New Jersey coast this summer is the source of concern for legislators and environmentalists who see the project’s use of seismic testing as a potential threat to marine life and the commercial fishing industry. “It was a bad idea for the NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] to allow for seismic testing off the Jersey Shore last year, and it’s a bad idea this year,” Read the rest here 07:31