Daily Archives: July 16, 2019

U.S. company fined nearly $3M for 2016 fuel spill in B.C. First Nation’s fishing territory.

A Texas-based company has been fined over $2.9 million in penalties after pleading guilty to a diesel spill from a tugboat that ran aground and sank in a First Nation’s fishing territory on B.C.’s Central Coast. The decision against Kirby Offshore Marine Corp. was handed down Tuesday in Bella Bella, B.C. The Nathan E. Stewart tugboat spilled 110,000 litres of diesel and heavy oils in October 2016. Last year the Transportation Safety Board found that a crew member missed a planned course change because he fell asleep while alone on watch. >click to read< 19:08

New England Joins Mid-Atlantic to Require eVTRs for Vessels with Federal Commercial Permits for Council-Managed Species

The New England Fishery Management Council is taking steps to bring all commercial fishermen who hold federal permits for Council-managed species into the digital age by requiring vessel trip reports (VTRs) to be submitted electronically instead of on paper. These electronic reports are known as eVTRs, and this proposed action will apply to all of the Council’s fishery management plans. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) has been working since December of 2018 on a Commercial eVTR Omnibus Framework Actionthat would apply to all vessels with federal commercial permits for MAFMC-managed species, which include,,, >click to read< 17:41

The City of Whittier declares a State of Emergency following a July dock fire

The City of Whittier is declaring a State of Emergency following the dock fire back on July 7th. In the declaration from the city manager, it says the aftermath of the fire is beyond the city’s means and has caused “extreme peril to the wellbeing of persons and property within the City of Whittier.”
In the declaration, it says money from the Whittier Small Boat Harbor reserves will be used to pay for the damage and will be reimbursed when insurance money comes through. >click to read< 17:05

Nitrogen from sewage and farms is starving Florida corals to death, study says

Nitrogen from improperly treated sewage and fertilizer runoff from farms and lawns is starving Florida Keys corals to death, according to a new study published in the journal Marine Biology. The study led by Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Looe Key, in the Florida Keys, showed that higher nutrient. levels in Florida waters is a key cause of coral bleaching and death. As nutrient runoff from farming and from a growing population increases the amount of nitrogen levels in the water, corals are actually dying before >click to read<15:56

Cape Coral fishing captain admits illegal grouper, snapper hauls, federal prosecutors say

A Cape Coral fishing boat captain faces possible federal prison time after admitting in federal court Monday that he illegally caught and sold 50,000 pounds of red grouper and red snapper over five years, in defiance of Gulf of Mexico limits. Federal prosecutors said Mark Zywotko lied about the size of his boat’s haul of the grouper and snapper in reports fishing boats must file reporting catches of some popular and protected gulf reef fish. >click to read< 12:40

Maine: Lawsuit claims lobster company took advantage of man’s dementia

The retired longtime owner of one of the region’s largest lobster dealerships is accusing the company that bought his Spruce Head Island business eight years ago of taking advantage of his dementia to negotiate a revised lease agreement. A lawsuit on behalf of William Atwood, 81, of Owls Head, was filed June 12 in Knox County Court against Maine Lobster and Processing LLC. Atwood sold his businesses — Atwood Lobster and Warnershores LLC — to Maine Lobster and Processing LLC in May 2011. Maine Lobster is part of a larger company, Mazzetta Lobster Company LLC. >click to read< 12:04

Maine gets another 4.7 million pounds of pogy, or menhaden, but will likely need more bait fish

The state ordered its menhaden fleet to stop fishing on June 30 after officials concluded it had exceeded the state’s annual quota of 2.4 million pounds by 1.5 million pounds, the majority of which was landed in the last four days of June, according to state records. But menhaden, a schooling forage fish also called pogy, were still abundant in Maine waters from Kittery to Penobscot Bay, so Maine sought access to another 4.7 million pounds of quota that is set aside for New England states to share when they catch their limit but the fish remains in large numbers. >click to read< 10:10

From DMR, MENHADEN: Daily Reporting Required for the Episodic Fishery – The menhaden fishery will resume under the episodic event set aside (EESA) program. The quota for the EESA is 1% of the 216,000 mt coastwide TAC, which equates to approximately 4.7 million pounds. DMR has implemented emergency regulation to open the Episodic fishery on Monday, July 15, 2019. >click to read<

Catch Shares – Veteran commercial fishers fear the worst for industry

Third generation fisherman Kevin Cannon has been net fishing on the Coast for 55 years, but is “demoralised” that a quota system proposed for the region’s popular species. Mr Cannon said flathead, bream, whiting, taylor and barramundi – “bread and butter” fish – were all some of the species included which would de-value his licence by “up to 60 per cent”. Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said many fisheries in Australia and around the world used the proposed system where individuals were allocated a share of the stock. (standard EDF line),  “This provides security of access and allows them to plan their businesses,” >click to read< 08:51