Daily Archives: January 19, 2018

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for January 19, 2018

CONGRESSMAN WALTER JONES CALL FOR TOUGH MEASURES ON SHRIMP IMPORTS!  Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates Click here, for older updates listed as NCFA click here 19:57

A ‘big win’ for fish – Increased spill over dams will help Columbia River spring Chinook

Touted as a big win for fish, a plan to increase springtime spill at eight federal dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers was approved last week by a federal judge.,, Spill is a term for allowing water to flow over a dam instead of passing that water through turbines that generate electrical power. Out-migrating juvenile salmon and steelhead smolts that pass through these turbines are often killed, either directly or by delayed mortality. Spill allows more smolts to escape the turbines and results in a greater return of adult fish. >click here to read<19:22 

Snow crab landing in Bering Sea

The Bering Sea opilio snow crab fishery is slowly moving forward, with 2 percent of the quota landed. Eight vessels made nine landings for a total weight in the past week of some 471,000 pounds, from a quota of 18.5 million pounds, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Unalaska. The number of snow crab per pot is down somewhat from the same period last year. The most recent count was 201 crustaceans last week, down from 238 last year, according to Fish and Game. “From talking to the fleet, it’s been a slow start for the boats that are out there opie fishing,” said state fisheries biologist Ethan Nichols. But it’s likely to pick up, >click here to read<17:53

Loch Fyne search for missing fishermen scaled back

A major search for two fishermen missing after their boat capsized in Loch Fyne in Argyll and Bute has been scaled back. The alarm was raised by a third man who was pulled from the water by the crew of a passing boat on Thursday evening. Despite efforts of those on scene to keep it afloat, the 40ft Nancy Glenn TT100 fishing vessel sank. Lifeboats, a coastguard helicopter and rescue teams, as well as local boats, have been searching for the men. The operation has now been scaled back and further efforts will resume in the morning. >click here to read< 13:09

Young captain bets on NJ’s commercial fishing industry with new boat

As the sun rose on the docks in Point Pleasant Thursday morning, a rare sight for many New Jersey longtime fisherman came into view: a new commercial fishing boat. “This is the first time I’ve ever been in a brand new boat, commercial, anyway. It’s a beautiful thing,” fisherman Charlie Burke said. The captain of the 54-foot, $2 million boat is Pat Fehily, 28, who drove it overnight on its maiden voyage from Maine, where it was built over 19 months. >click here to read, video<12:26

Science Pushed to Back Burner, as Swiss Outlaw Live Lobster Boiling

Some find it strange, while others, simply fascinating. And others still put it on their dinner menu because they’re drawn to its preparation in a macabre sort of way. But the government of Switzerland believes the practice of throwing a live lobster in a pot of boiling water is unnecessary, and most of all, cruel.,, And this heartfelt legislative decision – presumably not on humanitarian, but lobsterian, grounds – was made Jan. 10. In short, the Swiss simply feared that these tasty, sea creatures experienced agonizing pain during those final, heated moments of their lives. There’s only one problem with that: it’s impossible, since there’s no scientific evidence to support the position. >click here to read< 10:09

“Take a dip, make a difference,” – N.S. fisherman issues chilly challenge to raise money for families of fire victims

A southwest Nova Scotia fisherman has taken the ice bucket challenge and upped the ante to raise funds for victims of a horrific fire earlier this month in Pubnico Head, N.S. Instead of emptying a bucket of cold water over your head, Todd Newell’s challenge involves immersing your entire body in icy water. Specifically, numbingly cold water found in the lobster holding tank of his fishing boat, Ted’s Legacy. “Take a dip, make a difference,” says the West Head man. >click here to read< 08:57 

Stuck again, fish on board

There have been meetings, there have been talks, there have been “action items” and there has been dredging, but boats are still running aground in the state’s only ocean port, and the commercial fishermen have had just about enough. “We’ve been battling this for five years, I just don’t know what to do,” said Mike Coppa of the fishing vessel Instigator. “What happened [on Friday] was a crock of crap. We’re told they have to study this, they have to study that, but in the meantime, the boat has to get from point A to point B.” >click here to read< 08:05