Daily Archives: January 15, 2018

DFO rep says agenda for meetings to be determined by fishers

There’s nothing to restrict fishers from talking about issues they have regarding fisheries management, rules and regulations at upcoming meetings scheduled by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). DFO representatives will be in Central and Eastern Newfoundland over the next couple of weeks — starting in Baie Verte on Jan. 16 and ending in Petty Harbour on Jan. 25 — to meet with fishers. Locations, times and dates >click here to read< 20:31 

Southeast fishermen seek relief from expanding sea otter population

Crabbers and dive fishermen returned to Alaska’s Board of Fish this month seeking changes to commercial fishing regulations in Southeast Alaska for crab and other shellfish impacted by a growing population of sea otters in the region. Some told the board that time is running out on their fisheries because otters are eating clams, sea cucumbers, urchins and Dungeness crab. Wrangell crabber Mike Lockabey told the board the commercial Dungeness crab fleet is being compressed because of the otter predation problem. “It is acute,” Lockabey said. “It will not make the next board cycle without losing fisheries. Not just area, fisheries.” >click here to read< 18:03

Price talks delay Dungeness crab season

Crab boats loaded with pots sat at the docks all weekend while fishermen and processors remained in a gridlock over prices. The commercial Dungeness crab season was set to open Monday in most of Oregon and Washington state, but price negotiations and ocean conditions are keeping boats at home.,,, At one point major processors had offered crabbers $2.30 a pound — not nearly enough to convince them to go out, local crabbers said. >click here to read< 14:12

EU Trawlers Step Up ‘Pulse’ Fishing Efforts, Devastating British Fisheries Ahead of Brexit

European Union trawlers have been stepping up illegal ‘pulse fishing’ in British waters under a special EU derogation, inflicting “total devastation” on the North Sea.  The controversial method of sees fishing vessels — mostly Dutch trawlers — drag electrodes across the seabed to zap sole and plaice off the floor. It is officially banned, but the European Commission — which controls the fisheries of EU member-states through the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) — granted a special derogation for it to be carried out on an “experimental” basis in British fishing grounds in the North Sea. >Video, click here to read< 12:45

Commercial fishing captain accused of dumping dozens of traps

A Florida Keys commercial fishing captain was arrested on felony commercial littering charges this week after investigators say he illegally dumped more than 30 lobster traps along the reef that police considered evidence in an ongoing investigation. Ricardo Hernandez, 53, was booked on 31 counts of commercial dumping and 31 counts of evidence tampering Thursday following a two-years-long investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. >click here to read< 11:35

Riders of the storm: The Islanders keeping fish on the menu

Lobster fisherman Scott Samson is one of many who has been left perplexed and frustrated by the apparent lack of lobsters in Jersey’s waters. Earlier this week Don Thompson, the president of the Jersey Fishermen’s Association, said that rough seas and bad weather had led to the worst period of fishing for ‘12 to 15 years’.  Scott agrees, even going so far as to say that in the 20 years he has worked as a commercial fisherman, the past 12 months have been the toughest he has experienced.  >click here to read< 11:11

Tumby Bay business concerned for fish prices

A Tumby Bay business owner is concerned how pressure put on commercial fishers and the rising number of recreational fishers will affect fish prices going forward. Tumby Bay Takeaway owner Aaron Gates has concerns about how the state government’s commercial licence buy-back and the periodic closure of the Sir Joseph Banks Group to net fishing will affect commercial fishers and fish prices in the future. Late last year the government announced a $20-million voluntary buy-back scheme to remove 100 commercial net and longline licences. >click here to read< 10:25

Making demersal seines more precise

Demersal seines are so effective that the haul can become unmanageable. It has also been difficult to avoid bycatches when using them. Since 2013, fisheries researchers at the Institute of Marine Research have been working to redesign this fishing gear. One aim of the recently completed project was to find a way to separate species.   >Video, click here to read09:58

Islip Town plans to open up more shellfish beds in bay

Islip Town’s program to lease acres of shellfish beds to private companies is on track to expand from 125 acres to more than 1,500 acres. The proposed change must be approved by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, but will be good news for the roughly 120 people and businesses on a waiting list to lease the bottom of the Great South Bay, town officials said. >Photo’s click here to read< 09:22

September 27, 1981 – BAYMEN FEARFUL AS SEWER START NEARS – The Island’s remaining 10,000 independent baymen fear that the opening of the Southwest Sewer District next month will mark the beginning of the end of commercial shell-fishing in the Great South Bay. >click here to read< 12:02