Daily Archives: June 7, 2018

Bearfoot Bistro cutting out the middle man this lobster season

Lynn Albert still remembers when lobster didn’t have quite the same cache as it does today. “I remember when I was in school and very young, (some underprivileged students) would bring lobster in their lunchbox and we would eat bologna,” said Albert, 50, president of La Renaissance des Iles de la Madeleine, a seafood supplier based on the small Quebecois archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It’s safe to say lobster has enjoyed a renaissance since those days, and especially the lobster of the Magdalen Islands, known for its high quality and distinct flavour. >click to read<19:26

Twin Disc Celebrates 100 Years

Marine power transmission and propulsion technology company Twin Disc is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a wide range of local, national and international events that kicked off in May and run throughout the year. Twin Disc began in Racine, Wisc., in 1918 with P.H. Batten’s introduction of the twin disc farm tractor clutch. In the 1930s, the company entered the marine market, manufacturing countershaft reduction gears with 100 percent reverse power. >click to read<17:53

Mississippi Shrimp season gets underway with more than 250 boats lowering nets

Over 250 shrimp boats scoured the Mississippi Sound early Wednesday morning as the 2018 shrimp season officially got underway. Mississippi Department of Marine Resources officials conducted an aerial survey and found 254 boats lowering their nets in search of their first catch of the season. “We talked to the fishermen and early reports show moderate-to-low numbers of 40-50 count brown shrimp,”  >click to read<14:30

Congress Questions US Green Group’s Ties To The Chinese Government

A House committee is asking the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of the U.S.’s most prominent environmental groups, about its ties to China’s communist government. Top Republicans on the House Committee on Natural Resources sent a letter to the NRDC asking the group to clarify its two-decade relationship with the Chinese government and question whether the group should register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Lawmakers cited recent reports on China’s “vast influence machine” — through funding colleges, think tanks, advocacy groups and others — which it uses to shape its global image, including on environmental issues. >click to read<13:38

Backstabber hopes to make waves on tournament fishing circuit

Boatbuilder Steve Wessel seemed relaxed last week, at least by his usual high-energy standard, as he showed Backstabber, the latest creation from Wesmac Custom Boats, to a pair of enthralled sportsmen. He had a lot to be relaxed about.,,,Backstabber is a big boat, 54 feet long overall with a beam of 17 feet 6 inches and a 6-foot draft. With a cored superstructure, and solid fiberglass hull, her design displacement is 54,000 pounds. A boat that heavy needs plenty of power if it’s going to go after big fish and Backstabber has it. >click to read<11:55

No commercial opener for Copper River salmon fishery

Faced with a sonar count that is the ninth lowest on record since 1978, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said the Copper River district of Prince William Sound would remain closed to commercial fishing. The midday announcement on June 6 assured that the district would open to subsistence fishing on June 7. Cumulative commercial harvest to date is the second lowest harvest in the last 50 years, ADF&G said in an announcement from its Cordova office. Harvesters were advised, however, that the commercial fishery might open on short notice, should indices of sockeye salmon abundance support such a fishery.  >click to read<11:12

Bristol Bay – How to avoid a Coast Guard ticket this season

As Bristol Bay fishermen put in long hours preparing their boats for another salmon season, the Coast Guard is just as busy making sure those vessels come home safely. “We put in 10-, 12-, 14-hour days some days trying to go as long and hard as we can,” said Russell Hazlett, a commerical fishing vessel examiner with the Coast Guard in Anchorage. “We’re only there for a short amount of time and have a small window to get it all done.” This month, Coast Guard crews will check flares, charts, navigational signals, fire extinguishers, emergency position-indicating beacons and survival suits on up to 450 boats across Bristol Bay at no charge. They won’t penalize operators for any problems they discover at the dock,,, >click to read<09:47

Giant waves and slimy seas: 2018 crab harvest a mixed bag for Conception Bay fishermen

The 2018 snow crab harvest is presenting some big challenges for fishermen in Conception Bay, but a record price is helping save what could otherwise be a disastrous year for some. While the bigger offshore boats, known as full-timers, are reporting healthy landings, the so-called inshore fleet, with vessels less than 35 feet, have been hard hit. Many have been pinned to the wharf in harbours like Port de Grave, missing valuable fishing time as persistent gales churn up giant waves. >click to read<09:16

Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Spokane, Washington, June 7-13, 2018

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory bodies will meet June 7-13, 2018 in Spokane, Washington to address issues related to groundfish, coastal pelagic species, and highly migratory species. Detailed Agenda>click here< Listen to the June 2018 Meeting Internet Live Stream >click here< PFMC home page >click here<07:32