Daily Archives: July 2, 2019

Four crew rescued as fire consumes F/V Skadi

A salmon seiner homeported in Cordova engulfed in flames in Orca Inlet, roughly one nautical mile north of Cordova, on the afternoon of Monday, July 1. All of the F/V Skadi’s four crew were safely removed by two Good Samaritan vessels. The fire began around 1:40 p.m., according to onlookers. Within an hour, the white hull of the vessel was almost fully engulfed in flame.,, >Photo’s, click to read<22:06

North Sea cod on brink of collapse

North Sea cod population numbers have fallen to a critically low level and are in danger of disappearing altogether if drastic action is not taken. These were the findings reported by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in a recent scientific assessment. In order to protect and restore the population, ICES is advising that the quota for cod fishing be reduced by 70 per cent. >click to read< and I thought Pew was in charge of E.U. fisheries!

Katrina, BP, 2019 Mississippi River — Oyster Industry Braces For Another Major Disaster

The commercial fishing industry on the Gulf Coast has seen two major disasters in the last 15 years: Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. Now, some fear we’re on the cusp of a third. The culprit: historic flooding from the Mississippi River. Commercial oysterman Mitch Jurisich is picking through a pile of freshly harvested oysters at a dock in Empire, Louisiana. One hand clutches an oyster knife, the other grabs a bivalve from the top of the mound. “This one’s good right here,” he says before tossing it aside and picking up another. “This one’s not good.” Audio, >click to read< 20:28

Groundfish Catch Share Program Review: Public Meetings Scheduled for July/August in Ports From Maine to New York

The New England Fishery Management Council is conducting a review of the groundfish sector system, which is a catch share program under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The public is encouraged to provide comments during an upcoming series of port meetings or in writing until August 19, 2019. The review focuses on the first six years of the catch share program under Amendment 16 to the FMP, covering fishing years 2010 to 2015, which span from May 1, 2010 through April 30, 2016. Information prior to the program’s implementation also will be included for fishing years 2007 to 2009. This period covers May 1, 2007 through April 30, 2010. The Council contracted with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) to conduct the port meetings. All nine meetings, which extend from Maine to New York, will run from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Here are the dates and locations. >click to read< 16:25

Mid-Atlantic Council to Hold Public Hearings for Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares Amendment

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold four public hearings in August and September 2019 to solicit public input on the Draft Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares Amendment. The Council is also soliciting written comments on the amendment through September 14, 2019. The Excessive Shares Amendment considers a variety of approaches to ensure that no individual, corporation, or other entity acquires an excessive share of the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog individual transferrable quota (ITQ) privileges. >click to read< 14:42

Rep. Patrick Kearney sponsoring three bills for Massachusetts’ fishing industry

State Rep. Patrick Kearney is sponsoring three bills aimed at helping the state’s commercial fishing and lobster industries. Kearney testified in support of the three bills, H814, H815 and H816, at a hearing on Tuesday, June 25. The first, H814, seeks to keep lobster fishing open year round,,,  “It’s a false choice between being environmentally friendly and being in support of the lobster industry that supports thousands of jobs here in Massachusetts,” he said. “Despite all the fear-mongering about whales being harmed regularly by Massachusetts lobster traps, our lobster industry has taken steps over a 20-year period, at its own expense, to be environmentally conscious. >click to read< 14:04

Celebrating with sake, Japanese whalers bring ashore first catch

It was a catch three decades in the making, and when the Japanese whalers brought ashore one of their first minke after the resumption of commercial hunting, the moment was marked with ceremony. The whale arrived on Monday in the Hokkaido city of Kushiro, where hours earlier five ships had set out on the hunt. “Today is the best day,” Yoshifumi Kai, head of the Japan Small-Type Whaling Association, said as he watched the whalers quietly bring the 8.3-meter-long giant ashore. “We were able to catch a good whale. It’s going to be delicious.” >click to read< 13:18

I’m a 7th-generation Michigan commercial fisherman. 13 are left.

I am a seventh generation commercial fisherman on Lake Michigan. Our family has been fishing Michigan waters since 1826, since before Michigan was a state.,,, My Great, Great Grandfather Schyuler was one of the great pioneer fishermen and owned all of what is now J.W. Wells State Park in the Upper Peninsula. At one time back in the 1980’s our company, Ruleau Bros., employed over 100 people and produced over 50 million pounds of fish. We have about 15 employees today, due to continuing over-regulation by the DNR, invasive species, and down to having only one fish left to take … the whitefish. >click to read< 10:54

State of SC, Mount Pleasant never inspected Shem Creek dock before collapse

It wasn’t closing time. But when the dock at The Wreck on Shem Creek collapsed Saturday night, the party was pretty much over. Karen Hollings was one of 20 people police say fell into the water. She was enjoying the evening, celebrating her friend’s birthday at The Wreck of the Richard & Charlene restaurant. While socializing on the dock, a random thought of a deck collapsing at a party crossed her mind. She didn’t dwell on it. Five minutes later, her mustard-colored sweater and black cocktail attire was soaked and she was swimming to a nearby boat for safety. >click to read< 10:13

County Transfers Ownership Of Shinnecock Fishing Dock To Town

Elected officials and community members gathered for a ceremony last week to celebrate Suffolk County transferring ownership of the Shinnecock commercial fishing dock to Southampton Town.,, The county transfer includes the 2-acre dock and 11 acres of beachfront along Shinnecock Bay to the west of the dock that stretches to almost Road I, town officials said. Shinnecock Dock is home to two dozen commercial fishing boats, one of the largest commercial fishing fleets in New York State. >click to read< 09:16

Coast Guard suspends search for fisherman in the water in Nushagak Bay, Alaska

The Coast Guard suspended its search for a person in the water in Nushagak Bay, Monday. Two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews and a C-130 Hercules aircraft crew from Air Station Kodiak searched approximately 650 square miles over the course of more than ten hours for a male crew member from the commercial fishing vessel Pail Rider who went overboard at approximately 3 a.m. The search was suspended at approximately 4 p.m. >click to read updated report< 00:05