Tag Archives: gulf-of-maine-cod

NOAA to reconsider emergency Gulf of Maine cod measures

130307_GT_ABO_BULLARD_1The fishing sector-based proposal to remove some of the most restrictive emergency cod measures in the Gulf of Maine, initially rejected by NOAA Fisheries, is back in play. NOAA Regional Administrator John K. Bullard rejected the sector-based proposal and all other suggested modifications to the emergency cod measures at the New England Fishery Management Council’s January meeting in Portsmouth, N.H., saying the agency had not had enough time to fully study the implications and possible benefits of the sector-based proposal. Read the rest here 10:17

Voracious protected seals starting to overrun waters off New England

seals eat cod 5But what is the cost? Nils Stolpe, a Florida-based fishing industry journalist and advocate, calculated that since each seal consumed 5 percent of its body weight each day in squid, mollusks, crustaceans, and a variety of fish including rockfish, herring, flounder, salmon, hake, and lance, and don’t forget cod, it amounts to q a quarter million pounds daily. Annually he added it up to 450,000 million pounds, about 200,000 metric tons. Read the rest here 07:07 Read Dogfish and seals and dolphin, oh my! by Nils Stolpe here

Setting the record, and John Bullard straight – Fishermen have first-hand knowledge of cod stock levels

Recently the Portsmouth Herald ran a well written, multiple source article on the status of . One of your interviews was with John Bullard, Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. In his statement he said he would be glad to consider my point of view when I produced peer-reviewed scientific journal articles. Apparently Mr. Bullard does not know that I have been involved in peer-reviewed journal articles on several species, as well as trawl bycatch reduction devices, for a number of years. Read the rest here 06:53

Fishing stakeholders rejoin the battle on Gulf of Maine cod

Atlantic-Cod-Dieter-CraasmannThe NSC, in a statement of its opposition to retaining the original interim actions, said that rather than saving cod, the emergency measures will increase cod discards by almost 500 percent. “We’ve shut down the redfish fishery, crippled the pollock fishery, bankrupted the entire inshore fleet and knowingly implemented a management plan that increases discards from 2 percent to 500 percent in the hope we may conserve 200 metric tons of cod that are already accounted for in the recent cod assessment? All to benefit a nation?” the NSC said. Read the rest here 19:09

Bullard: The 200-pound trip limit for cod bycatch in the Gulf of Maine will remain in force

130307_GT_ABO_BULLARD_1NOAA fisheries will not modify or remove any of the restrictive emergency interim actions governing Gulf of Maine cod it instituted last November, NOAA Regional Administrator John K. Bullard said Wednesday. Bullard, speaking during a meeting of the New England Fisheries Management Council meeting in Portsmouth, N.H., told council members that: The 200-pound trip limit for cod bycatch in the Gulf of Maine will remain in force despite a variety of requests by fishing stakeholders for it to be increased or eliminated. Read the rest here 08:09

Federal restrictions hit recreational fishermen

Atlantic cod-John Bullard, Northeast regional administrator at NOAA, said he believes the scientists working with NOAA and who came to the recent conclusions about cod should be fairly acknowledged by the fishermen. Their studies are peer reviewed, he said, meaning they’ve been examined and approved by scientists familiar with the subject not involved with the study directly. He said he sympathizes with the fishermen and others impacted by the economic hit the regulations are causing, but he believes the restrictions are necessary.  Read the rest here 09:34

Fishermen’s offer: We’ll catch fewer cod for chance at more haddock

As trades go, this isn’t exactly guns for hostages or Heathcliff Slocumb for Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe. Still it’s pretty interesting. Fishermen in  and other sectors, with funding assistance from the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund (GFCPF), are offering to surrender up to 60 metric tons of their annual cod catch entitlement if NOAA Fisheries will relax some of the emergency measures it instituted in November to protect Gulf of Maine cod. Read the rest here  09:53

Where Have All the Cod Gone?

As early as the 1850s, fishermen from Maine and Massachusetts began to pester their governments to do something about declining cod catches. Those men fished with hooks and lines from small wooden sailboats and rowboats. Fearing “the material injury of the codfishing interests of this state” by increased fishing for menhaden, a critical forage fish for cod, fishermen from Gouldsboro, Me., implored the Legislature in 1857 to limit menhaden hauls. Read the rest here 18:04

•Locating cod spawning grounds is critical to rebuilding stocks, and ‘torpedoes’ are helping scientists to find them.

 Sitting half-submerged in the ocean east of Scituate, the canary-yellow glider with swept-back wings looked like little more than someone’s errant model plane. Appearances can be deceiving, especially in this electronic age where more and more sophisticated technology is being loaded into ever smaller and sleeker packages. Read the rest here  19:23

Granite State Fishermen – Trying to stay afloat

aluminum boatGov. Maggie Hassan will write a letter to federal fishing regulators supporting an alternative plan that, while still protecting local ,,, The measures stem from an unscheduled and controversial cod stock assessment conducted by federal officials that claimed cod stock continue to be in danger, not rebounding after restrictions cut the allowable cod catch by 77 percent about 18 months ago. Read the rest here 08:34

New Cod Restrictions Will Not Affect Rhode Island Fishermen

Christopher Brown, president of the Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association, reassures none of these fishing restrictions will have a direct impact on Rhode Island fishermen. Read the rest here 18:48

Gulf of Maine Cod: “It’s more hysteria that seems to be driving management right now, and not thoughtful approaches to meeting the law,”

After an emergency move by federal officials last week to close commercial and recreational cod fishing in parts of the Gulf of Maine, the  is in Newport this week mapping out a long-term plan for fishermen throughout the region. Video, and Read the rest here 12:31

UPDATED – New Hampshire’s small commercial fishing fleet is reeling – at odds with NOAA over cod reductions

y“The fishermen vehemently dispute this latest assessment,” said David Goethel, captain of the F/V Ellen Diane out of Hampton Harbor. He’s served on the New England Fisheries Management Council and fished for more than two decades, and said the new measures may put him out of business. “It’s a completely idiotic program,” he said. “It is intended to kill fish and kill fishermen.” Read the rest here 09:09 and On the Seacoast, cod fishing blues read it here 10:23

Baker questions federal findings on fishing limits while meeting with Gloucester fishermen today

Charlie BakerLocal state senator, the minority leader Bruce Tarr, greets governor-elect Charlie Baker as he arrives to meet with fishermen to hear their concerns about the recent ban on cod fishing, at the Gloucester House restaurant in Gloucester, on Nov. 15. Baker questioned research findings used by federal regulators,,  Read the rest here 17:07

Editorial: Fishery panel (NEFMC) holds chance to show need for reforms

130307_GT_ABO_BULLARD_1Angela Sanfilippo,,, violates standards of Magnuson-Stevens that require NOAA to consider the economic impact on fishing communities.,,And given the secrecy of the “unscheduled” study, there are more questions than ever about NOAA’s use of the “best available science” ,, Read the rest here 09:43

Fishermen Question Cod-Fishing Ban Data -one boat couldn’t catch any cod — and that boat happens to belong to the U.S. government.”

“I am certain that the science is wrong by a lot on this one,” said Vito Giacalone,,, David Goethel, captain of the Ellen Diane out of Hampton, New Hampshire, agreed. “I think there are a lot more cod than they are finding,” Goethel said. “I think we’re in the position we’re in basically because one boat couldn’t catch any cod — and that boat happens to belong to the U.S. government.” Video, and read the rest here 08:53

“The entire system is broken, the fishing industry is being driven into the ground.”

Ed Barrett, president of the Massachusetts Bay Ground Fishermen’s Association, says the new regulations to restrict cod fishing in the Gulf of Maine for the next six months are a for the fishing community “complete disaster” for the fishing community.  Read the rest here 13:03

Fishermen say new restrictions unfairly overlook cod caught in lobster traps

Emergency restrictions aimed at protecting plummeting cod stocks, set to go into effect Thursday in the Gulf of Maine, have some fishermen complaining that one group that routinely kills cod won’t be affected by the new rules – the region’s lobstermen. Read the rest here 07:38

Cod closures to sting Gloucester fleet

gdt iconNo one thought it was going to be good news for Gloucester. Turns out everyone was right. Bullard said the disproportionate suffering inflicted on Gloucester and other nearby groundfish ports is unavoidable to the mission of protecting the cod.“ We’re trying to absolutely shut down fishing where there are concentrations of cod, so that zero cod will be caught (in the Gulf of Maine),” Bullard said. Read the rest here  13:32

Gulf of Maine Cod – Here’s the dope

130307_GT_ABO_BULLARD_1Statement by John Bullard, regional administrator, NOAA Fisheries  – Gulf of Maine Haddock Emergency Management Measures – Gulf of Maine Cod Interim Management Measures – Q&As – Bulletin (letter to fishery permit holders) Gulf of Maine Haddock Stock Assessment (2014) – Gulf of Maine Cod Stock Assessment Update (2014) –  http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/stories/2014/gomcodandhaddock.html 13:57

NOAA Regional Administrator John Bullard concedes Gloucester, Scituate, and Portsmouth faces heavy hit

130307_GT_ABO_BULLARD_1“We’re trying to follow the cod and that’s going to have a disproportionate impact on these ports,” he said, naming Gloucester, Scituate and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Bullard said he expects those closures also will preclude groundfishermen from fishing for other, more plentiful species such as gray sole, dabs, haddock and flounder in the closed areas. “It’s almost impossible to protect cod while allowing the fishing of other species,” he said. “That’s one of the real difficulties.”  We’re not giving up on cod,” Bullard said. “We believe the cod stock can be rebuilt, but it needs to be protected.” Read the rest here 09:01

Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association in full battle mode for the Gulf of Maine fishery – Reinforcements needed

“Right now, John Bullard is thinking about what he is going to do,” Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association told a small group of fishermen this week. “We need to remind him that people like you are going to be greatly affected by this.” “We need to make people understand that this is going to kill the industry,” she said. “This will be the last nail in the coffin and every day it’s moving closer and closer.” Read the rest here 08:50

Scientist: Cod quotas too high in retrospect

nmfs_logoOctober 14, 2014 Because of a reporting error, a story on the cod crisis on Page A1 of Sunday’s Times misrepresented a statement by National Marine Fisheries Service scientist Michael Palmer. Scientists knew only in retrospect that fishing quotas had been set too high to rebuild Gulf of Maine cod, likely because they had overestimated the current stock size, overestimated how many young fish would be produced, or . Here 07:36

Cod crisis: Iconic species faces an uncertain future

Our cod crisis has become a sad cliche, ironic enough to catch the eye of the national media, and the truth does indeed hurt. Just ask Chatham and Harwich fishermen, who fished in what was once one of the top cod ports in the country but now catch mostly skates and dogfish and very little cod. Read the rest here 08:18

Gentlemen, I am addressing these comments to you and not the council – David Goethel

100_1726Mr. John Bullard, Dr. Bill Karp, Gene Martin, Esq.,     Gentlemen, I am addressing these comments to you and not the council because I believe you are the people that have to address the issue. From my perspective, as a scientist, NOAA committed two unpardonable sins with its press release on Gulf of Maine cod on August 1. Science was replaced with advocacy that day when statements were made about the condition of cod, and that immediate action must be taken after a secret, experimental stock status update before peer review. Read the rest here 18:47

New England Fishery Management Council punts – Officials struggle to find cod fix

NEFMC SidebarWith the federal government now drawing up emergency measures to address a cod disaster in waters from Maine to Rhode Island, the New England Fishery Management Council approved two plans in the hope that one of them would provide a longer term solution to the problem. But it was more like throwing water on the fire after the barn’s burned down as both of them included closing down large areas of inshore fishing grounds for much of the year. Another alternative essentially prohibits any Gulf of Maine cod landings at all by commercial or recreational fishermen.,,, Read the rest here  10:10

COD: OFFICIALS SAY FISHERMEN, REGULATORS SHARE BLAME

130307_GT_ABO_BULLARD_1Back in July 2012, John Bullard was the newly minted Northeast regional director for the National Marine Fisheries Service. Soon after he took the reins, Bullard anguished over quota cuts of 77 percent for Gulf of Maine cod and 55 percent for Georges Bank cod, deemed necessary to rebuild those failing stocks. Read the rest here 09:41

Cod threat: Closures, ban in mix

gdt iconThe full New England Fishery Management Council  for managing Gulf of Maine cod when it meets this week for the first time since the release of the unscheduled and dire stock assessment that showed the state of the species worsening rather than improving. Read the rest here 09:22

I had to post this. – “Known is a drop. Unknown is an ocean.” Talking Fish

From the article: Is the science about Gulf of Maine cod wrong? Probably, if one is talking about any kind of precision. Population models are now being asked to look into biological territory that the people who build these models have never seen before. Peter thinks we need a little more we-ness, and less me-ness. I’m thoroughly entertained with that notion!  Read the rest here  16:59

The First Indicator – Looking Back. The 2nd indicator, looking forward.

hatLet me say first off, no one ever accused me of being smart, not even me. I learned at an early age what a stupid son of a bitch was, and I learned it the hard way.,, “This is pretty dire,” said Russell Brown, deputy science and research director of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the branch of NOAA that did the research. Warning! Savory language ahead. Not to be read if offended easily! Read more here 09:06