Tag Archives: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Falling prices, new regulations leave Connecticut’s whelk fisherman in a pinch

Squeezed by both falling prices and increased regulations, whelk fishermen in Long Island Sound say their industry is facing one of the hardest summers in recent memory. Driven largely by overseas demand, many fishermen turned their attention toward the once-ignored whelk as it became harder to make a living off of lobster and other declining fisheries. After watching the price of whelk soar last year, however, fishermen say the Asian market for the snails has largely dried up, sending prices crashing. Brian Matias, a boat captain who works out of Bridgeport, said he now gets half the price for whelk as he did over the winter, forcing fishermen like him to work longer hours at sea to increase their catch. >click to read< 10:53

Lobster barges have anchored in Greenwich’s Mianus River since the ’70s. The state says they must go.

The dock owners are fighting back. Gus Bertolf Jr., one of the two owners identified by the state, said the docks have been there since the 1970s and that he had not received the removal order when reached by phone on June 30. “The town of Greenwich wants to push me out of my business of commercial lobstering that has been going on for over 50 years,” he said this week. “I make a living off the water and just because I’m not a multimillionaire, they don’t want me to do my business and that’s just not right.” Robert Vissa, the second dock owner identified by the state, also said on June 26 he had not received the removal order. Vissa said he has been a lobsterman on Long Island Sound since 1972. >click to read< 12:01

Proposed bill would make offshore wind developers create compensation fund

The fund would provide compensation if construction or operation of a facility damages fisheries or the marine environment, and if the developer creates fewer jobs than promised in an agreement. Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, co-introduced House Bill 5223 with four Democratic state representatives, while three Republicans and two Democrats are co-sponsors. “This is new territory,” Somers said. “It’s an industrialization underneath the ocean that we have not seen before, and we do not have the data.” Somers’ district has the last commercial fishing fleet in the state, in Stonington, and she said “if the impact is such that they can no longer fish or their career is not viable, it was important for us on the committee to not prioritize one industry over another.” >click to read< 08:02

New Regulations for Whelk and Horseshoe Crabs a Challenge for Commercial Fisheries

New state regulations intended to rebuild the whelk and horseshoe crab populations in the Long Island Sound could substantially limit the catches of local fisherman. Davis said that the department had done surveys trawling different areas of the Long Island Sound each year. Asked about the proposed regulations, Bob Guzzo, a commercial fisherman out of Stonington who catches whelk, said he thought the regulations were unnecessary, and that the department shouldn’t be involved in making them. He said that the whelks come and go in cycles. Guzzo said he believed the trawl surveys were inaccurate. >click to read< 14:16

CT DEEP Proposing New Rules For Lobster, Striped Bass, Others – The proposed regulatory changes are intended to address the “depleted state of these ecologically and economically important species in Long Island Sound,” according to DEEP officials. >click to read< 17:02

DEEP fires employee whose guns were seized after he was accused of threatening coworkers

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Saturday it has dismissed John Hirschfeld, a 25-year employee who was suspended earlier this summer after the agency said he made threatening comments to co-workers. He was fired effective Aug. 27. Hirschfeld’s conduct at work prompted state Environmental Conservation Police to obtain a risk warrant to go into Hirschfeld’s West Hartford home and seize his firearms, according to court records.,,, police discovered an AR-15 rifle that under state law is classified as a banned assault weapon.  >click to read< 18:30

Man charged with illegal lobster fishing in Greenwich, Stamford

A 72-year-old Stamford lobsterman has been arrested on hundreds of charges of illegally fishing from 94 lobster traps in the waters of Stamford and Greenwich at the end of last year. Eugene Karbowski, of Cedar Heights Drive, has been charged by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection with 94 counts of fishing untagged lobster parts,,, After his arraignment Tuesday before Judge Bruce Hudock at the Stamford courthouse, Karbowski’s defense attorney Bruce Koffsky said his client has been a lobsterman for decades, back when someone could make a living doing it. Koffsky said.,,, The great lobster die-off in the west end of Long Island Sound in 1997 has thrown the industry into a tailspin and reduced the number of lobstermen in the area from 311 in 1998 to 76 in 2016. >click to read<

Connecticut’s Commercial Fishermen Express Interest In Two Bills

Two bills that could have a big impact on Connecticut’s multi-million dollar commercial fishing business were the subject of an Environment Committee public hearing Friday. The legislation would allow commercial fishermen to take one day’s catch and bring them across state lines — to Rhode Island and New York — not just Connecticut. The other bill would “prohibit the possession and trade of shark fins in the state.” The aim is to protect sharks from skinning for trade but commercial fishermen are worried that the bill may lead to a complete ban on shark. >click to read<18:30

L.I. Sound lobstermen avoid regulatory pincers

Lobstermen working Long Island Sound dodged new limits on their fishery last week when federal regulators failed to adopt restrictions aimed at reversing a decades-long decline in the lobster population. An arm of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted down additional management measures, including a reduction in the size of lobster that could be harvested and a shorter season. “We are ecstatic,” said Mike Kalaman, a Norwalk lobstermen who believes the population is returning on its own, thanks to cleaner water and natural cycles. “We keep telling them that what’s in place is working,” Kalaman said. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. It’s fixing itself.” The decision by the American Lobster Management Board to defeat fishing restrictions was unusual; the board almost always adopts new management measures. The proposal on the table, developed by experts after months of research and deliberation, failed after numerous votes by a divided board. click here to read the story 08:20

RI And MA Lobstermen At Odds With Regulators Over Conservation Effortsclick here to read the story

Fishermen make waves after Scup limits are lowered

Most of the fish caught by the Stonington fleet is processed at Gambardella Wholesale Seafood and the talk there today is about the change in Scup regulations. Two boxes of Scup processed at the plant weigh about 120 pounds which is almost two thirds of what fisherman are now allowed to haul in a day. “Two hundred pounds. We clean the net we get 200 pounds,” said fisherman Bob Guzzo. “They’re so prevalent we’re catching them with six inch mesh which is unbelievable.” Guzzo says he ends up having to throw back perfectly good fish so he doesn’t go over the daily catch limits. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection lowered the Scup limits on Sunday because the summer quota which is a lot less than the winter quota is already at 72 percent. “Back in 2005 the fishery was overfished and it’s been rebuilt since then so they just want to keep it there,” said Mark Alexander with the DEEP. “I know the fishermen are frustrated because there are a lot of fish out there.” It’s not just Scup. Fishermen say Sea Bass are also thriving. Video, click here to read the story 22:03

New restrictions seek to save Long Island Sound lobsters

A multistate fisheries commission is poised to slap more restrictions on Long Island Sound lobster fishing in another effort to stabilize the numbers of crustaceans. An arm of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission last week agreed to change the rules in hopes of slowing the continuing decline of lobster in southern New England. The numbers have been falling due to warmer water caused by climate change. “The goal is to preserve what there is,” said Mark Alexander, assistant fisheries manager for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and a voting member on the fisheries commission. “It’s a disgrace,” said Roger Frate, a veteran Darien lobsterman, referring to the commission’s proposed restrictions. Mike Kalaman, a Norwalk lobsterman, said fishermen prefer no additional restrictions. Still, he said the proposed 5 percent egg production goal is better than some of the commission’s more stringent proposals.  Click here to read the story 08:14

Fourth Amendment Issues Raised in Connecticut Clam-Poaching Dispute

conn deepAn odd dispute involving Long Island Sound clams has resulted in a criminal trial and a civil lawsuit challenging the authority of state environmental police officers. In December 2011, officers with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded to a complaint made by Christopher Walston, who accused Nicholas Crismale and his boat, the Mighty Maxx, of trespassing on Walston’s leased shellfish beds. Crismale, who is president of the Lobsterman’s Association of Connecticut, claims he was merely turning his boat around. Walston, who used to work for Crismale, claims his former boss was illegally harvesting Walston’s clams. He reported Crismale to state authorities as well as the Guilford Fishing Commission. Read the article here 17:23

Specially Trained Environmental Conservation Dog Helps Catch Illegal Fishermen

Four men are facing illegal fishing charges after Environmental Conservation police, with the help of a K-9 team, located 38 illegally caught striped bass hidden along the banks of the Housatonic River. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said that EnCon police received an anonymous complaint Tuesday about four people fishing in the Housatonic River off River Road who may have been illegally catching fish. Read the rest, Click here 14:26

Atlantic Salmon Found Spawning In Farmington River Watershed For First Time in Centuries

State wildlife experts have now documented wild Atlantic salmon laying eggs in nests in their traditional Farmington River valley spawning grounds, possibly for the first time in centuries. “It’s the first time since probably the Revolutionary War,” said Peter Aarrestad, director of inland fisheries for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The three wild salmon nests, or “redds,” were discovered in November upstream of the Rainbow Dam fishway in Windsor, somewhere “within the Farmington River watershed,” Aarrestad said. Read the rest here 15:41

Connecticut DEEP to issue licenses to commercial whelk fishermen

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is taking over the licensing and regulation of the commercial whelk fishery. In an announcement Tuesday, DEEP said whelk fishermen could apply starting Dec. 1 for new licenses that would take effect Jan. 1. After that date, all previously issued licenses will be void, regardless of the expiration date. Many former lobstermen turned to whelk fishing after the collapse of the lobster population in Long Island Sound in the 1990s, he said. Both fisheries use similar gear. Read the rest here 12:29

Connecticut DEEP investigating large-scale fish kills of Atlantic Menhaden and other species

menhadenConnecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is investigating multiple natural fish kills affecting thousands of Atlantic menhaden in the past week, including in the Quinnipiac River, Clinton Harbor and the lower Connecticut River, according to a press release from the DEEP. Menhaden have also died off in the Thames River between Norwich and the U.S. Naval Submarine Base in Groton, the DEEP said. Small numbers of fish kills of other species have been reported in these areas as well, the release said. Read the rest here 14:37

Fishing prohibited in Long Island Sound due to Bridgeport fire

A foamy substance with a red tint was observed in the water, so the Coast Guard will fly a helicopter this morning over the harbor and along the shoreline to determine its spread. As a precaution, all commercial and recreational fishing is prohibited from Norwalk to Milford while tests are completed, according to Coast Guard Capt. Ed Cubanski. Read the rest here 13:36

Connecticut: Commercial Fisherman Sues State For False Prosecution

A prominent commercial fisherman from Guilford who was found not guilty earlier this year of poaching clams from another person’s state-leased shellfish bed is now suing the state inspectors who arrested him. Nicholas Crismale claims he was targeted by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection because of his criticism of that agency. Crismale is president of the Lobstermen’s Association of Connecticut and has accused the agency of failing to protect the Long Island Sound lobster fishery. Read the rest here 09:24

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission proposes new rules for American eel

The commission is considering 25 options for revising regulations for commercial fishing for glass, yellow and silver eels, from keeping the status quo to permitting aquaculture with permits to new catch limits. Read more here 11:09