Tag Archives: recreational

Recreational, commercial shrimp season closes in state waters

Georgia’s commercial and recreational food shrimp season closed on Thursday, Jan. 18, and will open again in May. This season saw 184 licensed shrimp trawlers in Georgia’s water, 117 of which were Georgia residents. On average, these shrimpers harvested 16.788 pounds of shrimp tails per hour spent trawling, the highest catch per unit effort on record. The closure affects Georgia’s territorial waters three nautical miles out to sea. This year’s is the highest CPUE CRD has recorded. Diesel fuel prices continue to challenge Georgia’s shrimping industry, with the national average price of No. 2 diesel fuel sitting at $4.214, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. more, >>lick to read<< 19:20

Del Norte Fishermen Are Pissed About Nearshore Groundfish Fishery Closure

Del Norte County fishermen say a California Department of Fish and Wildlife decision to close the nearshore groundfish fishery in the north part of the state starting next week could economically devastate the community. At least seven appeared before the local Fish and Game Advisory Commission on Monday, urging commissioners to send a letter to the agency as well as state representatives Mike McGuire and Jim Wood. The information CDFW scientists used to close the near-shore groundfish fishery comes from the recreational estimated catch of quillback rockfish as well as estimates from the commercial fishery within the Northern Groundfish Management Area, she said Tuesday. The Northern GMA stretches from about Cape Mendocino to the California-Oregon border. >click to read< 07:46

Dungeness Crab Fishery Delay to Protect Whales from Entanglement and Due to Low Crab Quality

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is continuing the temporary recreational crab trap restriction in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 due to presence of humpback whales and the potential for entanglement from trap gear. The commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Fishing Zones 3-6 will also remain delayed due to presence of high numbers of humpback whales and the potential for entanglement with lines and traps in this fishery. CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place on or before Dec. 7, 2022, at which time CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham will re-evaluate the temporary recreational crab trap restriction and commercial fishery delay in Fishing Zones 3-6. >click to read< 07:42

West Coast salmon season taking shape – Feds Look at Protections for Oregon Spring-Run Chinook Salmon

The Pacific Fishery Management Council has adopted ocean salmon season recommendations that provide recreational and commercial opportunities for most of the Pacific coast and achieve conservation goals for the numerous individual salmon stocks on the West Coast. >click to read< 17:25

Feds Look at Protections for Oregon Spring-Run Chinook Salmon -A petition seeking to extend federal wildlife protections to spring-run Chinook salmon found along Oregon’s coast has merit and could warrant listing the fish under the Endangered Species Act, Conservation groups Native Fish Society, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Umpqua Watersheds submitted a new petition in September 2019 specifically for spring-run salmon. >click you< 17:33

Summer founder, sea bass and scup are on the docket for upcoming public hearings focused on allocation percentages

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) have scheduled a series of scoping hearings to gather public input on the range of issues and information to be considered in the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment. Hearings will be held February 13 – March 3. Written comments will be accepted through March 17, 2020. All comments provided at public hearings or in writing will be presented to the Council and Commission. Lots of info, >click to read< 14:03

North coast of Washington reopens to crab fishing

dungenesscrabThe recreational and commercial Dungeness crab fisheries on the northern coast of Washington is to reopen effective immediately, state shellfish managers announced Aug. 28. Earlier this month, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) closed crabbing on the northern coast – from Point Chehalis north to the Queets River – when levels of marine toxins posed a threat to public health. That area, including Grays Harbor, is now open. Ayres noted that the use of crab pots is prohibited after Sept. 15, when the commercial fishery ends. Read the rest here 21:46

Prawning regulations need change on BC Coast

The Pacific Prawn Fisherman’s Association, representing commercial harvesters, recently recommended to DFO that there should be a coast-wide closure of all prawn fishing from December 1 to March 31. No question about whose interests the association is advocating for because as noted the commercial fishery doesn’t fish then! Read the rest here 05:53

New, more restrictive regulations sought for bass fishing

Many anglers and conservation groups are putting pressure on fish managers to tighten limits on recreational and commercial fishing of striped bass. <Read more here> 18:43

Fishermen tangle lines in U.S. battle over popular red snapper

Weekend sportfisherman Charlie Caplinger says he can hardly drop a line in the Gulf of Mexico without reeling in a red snapper. “It breaks my heart,” Caplinger said. Quota owner- “It’s like having a bank account and someone is taking a lot of money out that’s not theirs,” said Keith Guindon of Galveston, Texas, whose family has fished commercially for 50 years. Read more here 23:27

Oil and gas wins, fish lose with changes to Fisheries Act, say environmentalists

863a4ac9dc_64635696_o2Changes to Canada’s fisheries legislation that came into force November 25 could help speed up resource development at the expense of fragile ocean and freshwater ecosystems, environmental groups and scientists are warning. [email protected] 17:52

NMFS to open 2-week October recreational red snapper season, commercial boat owners will get their new individual fishing quotas

More information is available here. Visit the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council website. 12:40

Fishermen host meeting about changes at Stellwagen Bank

Marshfield —Local fishermen are concerned about a Stellwagen Bank proposal that would  eliminate a key fishing area from the region’s industry. According to the  Stellwagen Bank Charter Boat Association (SBCBA), a proposed Sanctuary  Environmental Research Area (SERA) would shut down all bottom fishing on 55  nautical square miles of Stellwagen Bank. more@marshfieldmariner  13:41