Daily Archives: January 13, 2020

Cape Coral captain gets 60-day jail sentence for overfishing

U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber imposed the sentence Monday on Mark Zywotko, who admitted in court last August that he took and sold more red grouper and red snapper than allowed under federal regulations designed to protect those species from overfishing. Zywotko pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud for mailing documents to the National Marine Fisheries Service that intentionally misrepresented the number of fish that were caught. “You have manned up,” Barber said in imposing the prison sentence. “You can’t just pay the money back … you’ll have to spend some time behind bars.” >click to read< 18:53

Coast Guard seeks public information after laser strike hits Port Angeles aircrew

The Coast Guard is seeking information from the public to help locate the person or persons who pointed a red laser light at a Coast Guard helicopter Friday at 10:23 p.m. as the crew was flying a mission northwest of Bremerton.,, The laser strike was reported to Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, the Federal Aviation Administration and local police by the aircrew. The laser light came from the vicinity of the southwest corner of Naval Base Kitsap in Bangor. >click to read< 17:47

BOEM Report Key to Offshore Wind’s Future

The forthcoming report from the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on the cumulative environmental impacts of the Vineyard Wind project will determine the future of offshore wind development. BOEM’s decision isn’t just the remaining hurdle for the 800-megawatt project, but also the gateway for 6 gigawatts of offshore wind facilities planned between the Gulf of Maine and Virginia. >click to read< 15:48

We would like to extend our Deepest Condolences to the family of Timmy Sobotka of Wanchese. 

Timothy Ira Sobotka, 48, of Wanchese, NC died Thursday, January 9, 2020. Born in Riverhead, NY on October 1, 1971, he was the son of Frank John Sobotka and the late Phylis Irene Etheridge. Longline captain of his fishing vessel The Bluefin, Timmy was at peace when he was at sea. Big, beloved, devoted badass pirate fisherman, he was an avid and devoted commercial fisherman with a larger than life character and a big soft heart of gold. Family to all who knew him, he will be sorely missed by the Wanchese/Outer Banks community and all along the East Coast from Greenport, Long Island, New York to the Florida Keys. Calling hours, >click to read< 10:25

Fishy Findings: 100% Replication Failures

Science proves… Science says… Research shows… Every week, the above phrases are employed by TV personalities, newspaper journalists, coworkers, friends, and family. When these phrases are uttered, certain ideas get elevated above the fray, enthroned on a pedestal. Science has spoken. Who are you to be arguing with SCIENCE?,,, The fallibility of ‘science’ is splendidly illustrated by a paper published last week in Nature. >click to read< 08:23

Canada imposing mandatory gear marking for lobster, and crab fisheries in 2020

Specially coloured rope will become mandatory with the start of the season in every lobster and crab fishery in Eastern Canada. The rope must identify the region, species being fished and individual fishing area. The requirement is also intended to maintain access to the United States seafood market by demonstrating Canada has rules comparable to those in place for American fishermen. >click to read< 07:20

F/V Scandies Rose: Stuart Coast Guardsman recalls saving two fishermen off coast of Alaska

“I just told myself this what I trained for. I volunteered to do this so I knew what I had to. It was up to me to execute it,” said Evan Grills. Grills, 24,is a Petty Officer 3rd Class in the U.S. Coast Guard. “My nerves were OK until the door opened,” he said, as the rescue swimmer recalled the signal his crew received New Year’s Eve night. Video,  >click to read< 06:22