Daily Archives: February 24, 2017
Fishing inquiry calls for more money for adjustment and an urgent assessment of fishing stocks
An inquiry into commercial fishing in New South Wales has recommended the Government find more money to help fishermen adjust to reforms. $16 million dollars has been put aside to help fishermen buy extra shares to stay in the industry, but many have claimed that won’t be enough. Chair of the inquiry Robert Brown said about $20 million might be required. “No fisher, none of these small businesses should be left hanging,” he said. The reforms were aimed at removing a large number of “latent” licences from the industry but Mr Brown said those licences should have been handled differently from active licences held by working fishermen. continue reading the story here 20:21
Photos: Fishermen Catch Large Blue Marlin
“It’s a total shock!” – That was the reaction from brothers Allan and Delvin Bean when they caught a huge Blue Marlin earlier this week.The Beans were in the boat Nothing’s Easy in between Argus and Challenger Banks when they received a tug on their line. Delvin told Bernews, “We knew we had something special form the beginning because the line was screaming on the 130 reel. We actually had the line out trying to catch a blue fin tuna. This fish just started going and going and going. “My brother was scrambling around trying to control the fish. While he was controlling it, I was trying to bring it in. I’m fighting this fish and it got about 50 yards off the boat and it just took off again. At this time of the year it’s supposed to be a blue fin tuna and not a blue marlin. continue reading the story, and check out the photo’s 18:54
Farmed Salmon on the loose! Storm damages an aquaculture pen at the mouth of Shelburne Harbour
Provincial fisheries inspectors are investigating the escape of possibly hundreds of market-ready salmon from an aquaculture pen at the mouth of Shelburne Harbour. Employees at Cooke Aquaculture noticed a breach in one of the company’s enclosures last Wednesday and notified the province. They discovered some fish had escaped two days later, said Krista Higdon, a spokeswoman for the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Cooke spokeswoman Nell Halse said it appeared wind and waves associated with recent winter storms knocked over one of the moorings and that created a breach in one of the enclosures. She said the company was still trying to determine how many fish might have slipped free. continue reading here 17:34
US Coast Guard convenes Marine Board of Investigation into loss of F/V Destination
WASHINGTON- The U.S. Coast Guard has convened a Marine Board of Investigation into the loss of F/V Destination and its six crewmembers. A Marine Board of Investigation is the highest level of investigation in the Coast Guard. Upon completion of the investigation, the Board will issue a report to the commandant with the evidence collected, the facts established and its conclusions and recommendations. During the course of the MBI, panel members must decide: The factors that contributed to the accident, Whether there is evidence that any act of misconduct, inattention to duty, negligence or willful violation of the law on the part of any licensed or certificated person contributed to the casualty. Whether there is evidence that any Coast Guard personnel or any representative or employee of any other government agency or any other person caused or contributed to the casualty National Transportation Safety Board is participating alongside the Coast Guard in its investigation, but will produce an independent report with its own findings. Link 15:45
March 1 is Tax Deadline for some Farmers and Fishermen
Most Americans think of April 15 as the tax deadline, but for many farmers and fishermen, there’s another deadline and it’s almost here. Wednesday, March 1 is the 2017 deadline for taxpayers with income from farming and fishing to file their 2016 Form 1040 and pay the tax due to avoid making estimated tax payments. This rule generally applies if farming or fishing income was at least two-thirds of the total gross income in either the current or the preceding tax year. Since 2014, IRS Direct Pay has offered individual taxpayers an easy way to quickly pay the tax amount due or make quarterly estimated tax payments directly from checking or savings accounts without any fees or pre-registration. Continue reading the rest here with external links 13:55
Candied salmon ice cream, kelp salsa & halibut bisque baby food: Seafood contest shows off the new and unusual
In any supermarket, you’ll find dozens of pork, beef and chicken products. Not so for salmon. When it comes to sockeye, king or coho, U.S. consumers are largely limited to raw product and pre-cooked, breaded fish sticks. That’s a problem for the seafood industry, said Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation Julie Decker, co-host of Wednesday’s Symphony of Seafood new product competition at Centennial Hall. If Alaska wants to increase the value of its seafood industry, Decker said, it will have to take chances on locally-produced, shelf-ready goods like the kelp salsa, baby food and salmon leather wallets on display at the symphony. The AFDF has been putting on the symphony for 24 years now in an attempt to diversify the industry. Product development is key to helping the industry adapt to international competition. Continue reading the article here 13:20
Clam Boats Test Paperless Reporting – eClams (Electronic Clam Logbook and Account Management Software)
NEFSC cooperative research and data management staff are offering to install equipment on commercial fishing vessels for electronic trip reporting in the surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries. So far, 35 vessels from New Bedford, MA to Atlantic City, NJ have been outfitted to voluntarily test the system, and more than 700 e-trip reports have been transmitted. Called eClams (Electronic Clam Logbook and Account Management Software), the system allows fishermen to electronically record all the information required on the paper-based fishing trip report. These data are transmitted to NOAA Fisheries after the trip using land-based communication services such as WiFi. Read the rest here 11:28
Louisiana: Des Allemands crab fisherman says state closure is unfair
With a fast flick of his hand, Whitney Curole sent a large blue crab sailing into a white plastic basket as he sorted the last of the prized crustaceans at his Des Allemands dock operation. The crab flipped itself upright and extended its open claws in attack mode for a fight it obviously didn’t win. But Curole said he opposes the politics that he maintained are hurting his business as a commercial fisherman. Curole continued sorting the catch just in from a Houma crabber, delivered shortly before the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) closed the season on Monday (Feb. 20) for 30 days. The move also came with a year round ban on harvesting immature female crabs for commercial sale. Curole and LWFC agree crab numbers are down, but they disagree on why. Reaching into a box full of crabs, he withdrew several crabs with numerous missing legs. “These legs were eaten by fish,” Curole said displaying a crab with all its legs gone. “You leave them overnight in the traps and it will be full of them.” Read the article here 09:50
TowBoatUS captains honored for saving lives
Ten TowBoatUS captains were honored by their peers for lifesaving actions at the annual BoatUS Towing Conference last week in San Diego. The captains serve TowBoatUS locations in Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and North Carolina. The awards were given at the Feb.14-16 conference for actions they took last year. Meritorious Service Awards were given to eight recipients, including Capt. Clint Allen, TowBoatUS New Bedford, Mass.: rescued six crewmen from the 72-foot commercial scallop fishing vessel Captain Jeff after it began taking on water five miles south of New Bedford Harbor. Read the story here 08:53
N.J. Reps LoBiondo and Pallone talk tough, announce legislation to prevent absurd summer flounder quotas
Reps. Frank LoBiondo and Frank Pallone on Thursday, Feb. 23 announced plans to introduce new legislation to prevent the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2017 and 2018 summer flounder quotas for recreational and commercial fishing from going into effect. In a press release, Pallone and LoBiondo said the rules would do damage to the economies of coastal communities and the state. Under the NOAA quotas, the allowed summer flounder catch for recreational and commercial fishing were both reduced by approximately 30 percent in 2017 and 16 percent in 2018. The Pallone-LoBiondo legislation would maintain the 2016 quota levels and require that NOAA conduct a new assessment before issuing new quotas. Continue reading the story here 07:31
