Daily Archives: October 16, 2018

Cows Trample Dozens Of Lobsters To Death In Escalating Surf ’N’ Turf War

In what is being described as the most ruthless act of bovine–crustacean violence in years, local authorities confirmed Monday that a charging herd of cattle had trampled 49 lobsters to death on the southern coast of Maine, marking a bloody escalation in their surf ’n’ turf war. According to reports, the shoreline at Crescent Beach State Park was littered with crushed claws and carapaces, the deadliest hit yet in a week of intensifying conflict between lobsters and cows. The fragile 16-month truce between the rivals is said to have been shattered Sunday,,, >click to read<19:30

What Happens When Humans Fall In Love With An Invasive Species

Some people miss the glory days of Lester River fishing even when evidence suggests that Lake Superior and the people who rely on it are better off now. Facts, it turns out, can’t always sway emotion or reshape business plans. And these issues are not unique to smelt. All over the world, you’ll find invasive species that are beloved by humans — even as these foreign plants and animals alter or damage the environment. The fight against invasive species is often framed as a technological problem — how do you selectively eliminate a species once it’s made itself at home in an environment? But in reality, it’s also a question of human hearts and minds. And those might be the harder obstacle to clear. >click to read<19:00

Canada MPA’s – Ban oil, gas, bottom trawling in marine protected areas, urges panel

A panel that has spent the year studying marine protected areas (MPAs) in Canada says no oil and gas development, seabed mining, or bottom-trawling fishing should be allowed within their boundaries. In its final report released Tuesday, the National Advisory Panel on Marine Protected Area Standards, which was created earlier this year by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, recommended that the federal government adopt International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) standards and guidelines for all MPAs. That would also make dumping off-limits.>click to read<18:09

MPA’s – Report silent on whether lobster fishing should be allowed – >click to read<15:07

Shrimper runs aground on Ormond Beach

A 77-foot commercial shrimping boat out of Key West ran aground on Ormond Beach, giving beachgoers a close-up gaze at the 150-ton vessel Tuesday morning as the U.S. Coast Guard worked to get it pulled back out of the sand.
The boat named the AMG was reported taking on water and aground just north of the Cardinal Drive beach approach about 8:23 p.m. Monday, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It was believed to be a shrimping boat. >click to read<12:49

United In Protest Fishery – “We’re going fishing for mackerel Wednesday evening,”

Inshore harvesters on Newfoundland’s northeast coast plan to hold a protest fishery for mackerel Wednesday evening over the decision by Fisheries and Oceans to shut down the Atlantic fishery, while leaving it open for harvesters from the Maritimes. “We’re going fishing for mackerel Wednesday evening,” says Brad Rideout, who fishes out of Robert’s Arm. “DFO can either shut down the entire Atlantic mackerel fishery or give quota to Newfoundland and Labrador harvesters. Fair is fair, and nothing about this is fair.” >click to read<

Herschel, the Very Hungry Sea Lion

On a December day, the view at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks looks like a scene from a film noir.,, The locks were also the stage for the antics of one of the best-known bandits in Seattle history. A sea lion named Herschel, along with his gang of other hungry pinnipeds, ambushed steelhead traveling through the locks to their spawning grounds in the Lake Washington basin in the 1980s and ’90s. When the run crashed, locals were quick to place blame—sea lions were the obvious culprits. >click to read<09:21

Third North Atlantic Right Whale Mortality of 2018 Confirmed

On Sunday, October 14, the NOAA vessel Henry B. Bigelow reported a sighting of a whale carcass floating about 100 miles east of Nantucket. After review of photographs by experts today, the carcass has been confirmed to be a North Atlantic right whale. The whale was at least 35 feet long, making it a sub-adult. This is the third known right whale mortality of 2018. The carcass is severely decomposed, but photographs show multiple wounds indicative of human interaction. The initial examination revealed marks consistent with entanglement. However, at this stage is it too early to speculate on the cause of the death. >click to read<08:16