Daily Archives: November 24, 2018
Nonprofit would bring sea otters back to Oregon. Commercial fishing industry isn’t so sure
“For about 110 years now, there’s been a big hole in our environment,” said Peter Hatch, a Siletz tribal member living in Corvallis.,, Hatch recently joined the board of a new nonprofit dedicated to bringing the sea otter back to Oregon waters. The group is named the Elakha Alliance,,, But excitement is not the unanimous response. “The notion of full-scale reintroduction of otters makes me feel very apprehensive because we don’t know how that will affect commercial fisheries,” said Newport crabber Bob Eder. Eder’s concerned that reintroduction could change his industry. >click to read<20:33
Commercial fisherman changes tactics to keep boat full amid evolving landscape
At 4:30 a.m., Tony Keehbauch is up for work to get his day started. By 5:30 a.m., he’s out the door, heading to the fish house to unload the previous day’s catch, a day that ended less than 12 hours earlier at sunset. Keehbauch gets his Carolina Skiff reloaded with fuel and a fresh load of ice before heading off to a variety of destinations along the west coast of Florida to start another day of commercial fishing. “I started chasing mullet in 1994 and learned how to make my own cast nets,” said Keehbauch, who moved to Florida from Michigan in 1986. “I’ve always been able to catch fish good, it’s in my blood or something. “I went full time commercial fishing about five years ago when I discovered I could make a living hook and line fishing.” >click to read<19:19
Weather Delay – ‘You can’t beat Mother Nature’: start of lobster fishing season postponed
Lobster fishing season in southwestern Nova Scotia will be off to a late start this year after officials postponed the day that fishermen were slated to drop their traps — also known as “dumping day.” The season was supposed to kick off on Monday, but Fisheries and Oceans spokesperson Debbie Buott-Matheson said based on forecasted weather, the industry associations representing lobster fishing areas 33 and 34 decided in a Saturday morning conference call that it would be too risky to proceed as planned. >click to read<14:32
BOEM elaborates on map for New York Bight areas for offshore wind
Walter Cruickshank, the acting director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, provided some details to an otherwise ambiguous map the agency released last week for potential offshore wind sites along the New York Bight Call area. The map featured four sections of land off the coasts of Long Island and New Jersey and included shaded areas deemed as “primary recommendations” and “secondary recommendations.” The labels left commissioners at the Port Authority confused. >click to read<13:43
Otterskin sewing workshops promote ‘sustainable cottage industry’ in coastal Alaska
A series of workshops in communities around Southeast Alaska aims to expand the practice of traditional Alaska Native skin-sewing with seal and sea otter fur.,,, In the last few decades, things have been looking up for sea otters in Southeast Alaska. The last official count put their number well over 25,000 and growing. “It’s a very thriving population growing probably 10 to 12 percent a year,” Lee Kadinger said. “The otters are starting to show up more around Ketchikan now, so we got to start getting rid of them. They kill all our crab, and I love crab,” Leask said. “There’s got to be a little bit of population control.” >click to read<11:56
‘We want a better deal’: talking Brexit aboard a fishing trawler
Crystal Sea is a 20-metre twin-rig stern trawler, one of the bigger boats operating out of Newlyn in Cornwall. Twin rig means she drags two nets, side by side. She catches a mix of fish, up to 30 different species, operating anywhere between six and 120 miles from home. In the four days I am on board – to get a Brexit perspective from 49° 48’N, 5° 48’W and thereabouts, as well as to get some idea of what this very tough job involves – we are mainly between 10 and 20 miles from shore. >click to read<11:12
Not ready for Prime Time? Coast Guard rescue boat breaks down on way home after refit
A Canadian Coast Guard rescue lifeboat broke down twice this month en route to its Nova Scotia home port after a refit, CBC News has learned. The CCGS Clarks Harbour is still undergoing repairs at the West Head wharf on Cape Sable Island, but the Coast Guard said it will be available for the winter lobster season in southwest Nova Scotia, which is just days away. “The fact it’s not in service is that we are conducting ongoing maintenance and ensuring it’s ready to go for the opening,” said Wade Spurrell, acting Deputy Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard. >click to read<10:15
