Tag Archives: scallops
Kodiak man dives into scallop fishery – has been fishing scallops out of Kodiak for 40 years
With regards to scallops, Tom Minio could accurately be described as erudite. On Thursday afternoon, Minio sat in the galley of his vessel, the Provider, explaining what makes the best product, while the metallic screeches of boat work drifted in from other parts of the vessel. “The market really loves the big stuff, which I don’t understand. I don’t like eating big scallops,” he said. “It’s just like old halibut, you know: the bigger they are, the older they are and the tougher they are.” Minio has been fishing scallops out of Kodiak for 40 years. He started when he was 18 years old and doesn’t know anyone who’s been doing it longer than he has. With a small number of limited entry permits available and the quota around Kodiak decreasing, other fishermen and vessels dropped out of the fishery — but Minio held on. During the most recent season, the Provider was the only vessel fishing scallops in the Kodiak fishery. >click to read<14:01
‘Just one more nail in the coffin,’ Fishermen react to Vineyard Wind announcement
Ed Anthen-Washburn, the Director of The New Bedford Port Authority, received a constant stream of calls Wednesday afternoon after the announcements of offshore winf contracts.,,,”I think its fair to say to say the general reaction in the fishing industry is shock,” Anthes-Washburn said.,, The Vineyard Wind award for the power purchase agreement with Massachusetts was the worst-case scenario for Rhode Island commercial fishing vessels, for all squid vessels and really for the worlds calamari supply,” said Meghan Lapp, a fisheries liason for Seafreeze Ltd, which owns vessels that harvest squid, mackerel, butterfish, and herring. Lapp said Rhode Island lands more squid than the rest of the East Coast combined. >click to read< 00:08
A Talk – Commercial Fishing Navigates Change to Bring Home Profit
A taste of the enthralling work of commercial fishing Saturday described a tug-of-war with not just the deep, but also a sea of federal regulations. How the captain and crew know where to set up the hooked lines for tuna, how the moon rules when fish bite, the extent that Big Brother’s eye is on the industry, the astounding amount that a scallop fishing permit is worth, what happens when one guy, days out to sea, gets a fever,,, Karter Larson’s talk on commercial fishing from Barnegat Light’s Viking Village dock is standing room only each year at the LBIF. >click to read< 21:39
‘White gold’ on deck of French trawler signals bumper haul of scallops
On the trawler Thierisa the mood was festive. It was the first day of the scallop season and the deck already groaned with the “white gold” of a bumper season in the waters off northern France. After two and a half hours on turbulent waters, they arrived at the fishing grounds but had to wait until noon and the start of the scallop season at Bay of the Seine. Police helicopters hovered to make sure no nets were lowered early. Northern France’s season for scallop, or “white gold”, runs from October to mid-May but in Bay of the Seine it starts in November. click here to read the story 12:17
Maine: Plenty of scallops, but prices are low
The price for scallops so far this season is considerably lower than last year. The Ellsworth American reported that with the start of the scallop season on Dec. 1 the price per pound is down $2 to $3 from 2016’s average of $12.77. It also appeared that scallops were plentiful, but small, which generally means lower prices. “I’ve heard the price is going to be low this year, but a lot of dealers were quoting prices last week that I thought were absurd,” Togue Brawn, owner of Downeast Dayboat Scallops in Portland, told the newspaper. click here to read the story 11:25
NEFMC: Scallops, Council Approves Framework 29 – Whiting, Approves 2018-2020 Specifics; to Send Amendment 22 to Public Hearing
The Council took two actions today related to small-mesh multispecies, which include two stocks of silver hake and offshore hake –collectively known as “whiting” –and two stocks of red hake. click here to read the notice 16:37
The Council today approved a sweeping package of measures for Framework Adjustment 29 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. The framework includes specifications for the 2018 scallop fishing year, which begins April 1, as well as default specifications for 2019. It also includes actions related to Closed Area 1 carryover pounds, the Northern Gulf of Maine Management Area, and flatfish accountability measures, among others. click here to read the notice
Rescuing a regional treasure: Biologists, baymen bringing back Peconic Bay scallops
Last week the veil was lifted on a question at the center of the East End’s culture as well as its economy: How many Peconic Bay scallops made it through algae blooms, whelk attacks, underwater landslides and onto dinner tables this season? Sunrise on Monday, November 6 marked the opening of New York State waters for fishing this sweet local delicacy, and by 7 a.m. it was clear there were plenty of scallops to be harvested. There are many ways for a scallop to die before its time, and Long Island University biologist Stephen Tettelbach, is familiar with all of them. click here to read the story 13:34
Garnish fish harvesters concerned about green crab
Garnish fish harvesters Preston and Tonia Grandy are worried about what an abundance of green crab in the waters of Fortune Bay could mean for the future of the fishery. “It is a bigger issue than I think a lot of people in 3PS realize, because it has only been the last three or four years that we started notice them (green crabs) here,” explained Tonia Grandy. Over that time, she has made other observations in relation to the invasive species.,, She said if green crab are destroying eelgrass as well as eating mussels, clams and scallops, they will have a negative effect on other species. click here to read the story 11:48
New England, Mid-Atlantic States Lead Nation in Volume and Value of Several Key Fisheries
NOAA Fisheries has released the Fisheries of the U. S. 2016 report, and once again New Bedford, Mass. was the leading U.S. port by value and American lobsters were the nation’s most valuable landed species. Alaska led all states in the value and volume of commercial landings, with 5.6 billion pounds valued at $1.6 billion. Maine and Massachusetts ranked second and third in the value of landings at $633.6 million and $552.1 million, respectively. American lobsters were the nation’s top-valued species landed, with crabs second and scallops third. Alaska pollock ranked first in volume of landings, followed by menhaden and Pacific cod. click here to read the story 17:39
Hybrid green crab species threatens N.L. lobster – also eat clams, scallops and even each other
They’re fearless. They can live for weeks out of the water. They will eat anything, even each other. “They were born ferocious,” said Cynthia McKenzie, a scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans based in St. John’s. McKenzie is one of a group of researchers who have identified a species of green crab that is ravaging parts of Newfoundland’s south coast. Fishermen in Placentia Bay, on the southeast coast, first noticed green crab in 2007. “When a lobster spawns … the green crab is there to eat it,” said Clarence Marsh. “I think the green crab got a big effect on the lobsters, and that’s why there’s none here in this bay now.” The green crab are “numerous,” said Marsh, and they don’t stop at eating lobster. He has also found tiny green crabs inside scallop shells. Click here to read the story 10:42
Can scallops be farmed in Penobscot Bay?
Everybody knows that the waters off Stonington are a rich source of wild scallops. Could they also be a good place to farm them? Robert Brewer of Deer Isle hopes to find out. Brewer recently applied to the for a 3.8-acre experimental aquaculture lease in East Penobscot Bay, where he plans to grow scallops on suspended ropes using the ear-hanging method developed in Japan. The technique calls for drilling a tiny hole through the flat “ear” at the base of the scallop shell and inserting a plastic pin with a small line attached. The scallops are hung in pairs along ropes called “droppers” that hang vertically beneath the surface.,,, DMR has opened a 30-day comment period for Brewer’s application. Click here to read the story 13:12
More than 8,000 pounds of stolen scallops circulated through New Bedford port
More than 8,000 pounds of stolen scallops valued at the time at $192,050 circulated through multiple seafood houses last December, according to court documents obtained by The Standard-Times. New Bedford police began investigating the disappearance of the scallops from Continental Cold Storage in February. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Antonio Vieira and Michael Caton, claiming 8,350 pounds of scallops were stolen from Seatrade International and that Viera attempted to sell them to a number of seafood houses in New Bedford. Vieira is a resident of Tiverton, Rhode Island, and Caton, formerly a resident of Riverside, Rhode Island, now resides in California. An employee of Continental Cold Storage at the time of the incident, Vieira was charged in March for larceny from a building, uttering false pretenses, forging a document and conspiracy. In a 24-page narrative, New Bedford Police Detective Barry J. Pacheco detailed his investigation,, continue reading the story here 19:06
Cape May fishermen chase scallops despite risks, trade-offs
Scallops caught by boats based in southern Cape May County may end up on your plate at a local restaurant, or in the frozen foods section of a Wal-Mart or Costco, or even in foreign countries like France. But before the delicious white mollusks end up frozen in a chain store or fresh at a restaurant, commercial fishermen have to scrape them from the bottom of the ocean floor. It’s a fairly lucrative business that fuels a commercial fishing industry worth tens of millions of dollars each year. But the job takes an emotional toll on the fishermen who must leave their families for up to two weeks at a time to go to sea. Tom McNulty Jr.’s wife, Mandy, gave birth Feb. 16 to a daughter. Zoe McNulty was born at 7 pounds, 12 ounces, the proud father announced recently. But with scallop season quickly approaching, he’s going to have to leave them to go make a living.,, “It’s hard on your family,” he added. “You miss birthdays. You miss graduations.” Photo gallery, continue reading the article here 10:17
Scallops scuffle pitting small boats against big
A disagreement over the right to fish for scallops off New England is pitting small boats against big ones in one of the most lucrative fisheries in the U.S. The federal government maintains different rules for the small- and big-boat scallop fisheries, though they work some of the same areas. Small boat fishermen say the conflict has arisen in the northern Gulf of Maine, a critically important fishing area stretching roughly from Boston to the border of Maine and Canada. At issue is the fact that the northern Gulf of Maine is fertile ground for scallops right now, and rules allow the bigger boats to harvest more of them. The smaller boats have a possession limit of 200 pounds, while the largest boats have no such limit, because they are regulated instead by a limited number of days at sea. Continue reading the article here 11:48
The shortest route between Maine and Japan: scallops
Last month, lobstermen Marsden Brewer and his son, Bobby, joined a delegation of Maine fishermen and aquaculturists on a visit to Aomori on the northern coast of Japan’s major island to learn about the latest techniques for cultivating scallops. Among their hosts was Hiroaki Sugiyama, an inventor and manufacturer of high-tech machinery used in Japan’s enormous scallop aquaculture industry. On Monday, the Brewers returned the favor. Sugiyama arrived in the U.S. Sunday night for a four-day visit to learn about what is happening in Maine’s nascent scallop aquaculture industry. After a stop at a newly-formed aquaculture cooperative in Spruce Head, and a boat ride to visit an experimental scallop growing operation, Sugiyama and his Maine hosts traveled to Stonington for more talk about scallop aquaculture, and a terrific lunch, hosted by Marsden and Donna Brewer at their Red Barn Farm. Read the article here 18:54
Construction of subsea power cable for Cutler Naval Communications Station has Scallopers concerned
Fishermen in Machias Bay are on alert as the construction of a subsea power cable is set to get underway. Some met with representatives from the Navy and firms involved in the project in East Machias Monday night to clarify the final plan. “We’ve been in contact with the fishing community starting and throughout the design and environmental review process—so prior to the award of the project,” Kari Moore an environmental planner with the Navy said. Fishermen are worried about how the cable will be classified. They fear it will restrict fishing in parts of the bay. Their primary concern: dredging for scallops in a prime location. “If it gets classified a certain way as a cable area itself, we will lose a lot of bottom, but it’s not a safety concern where it’s buried,” said fisherman Michael E. Murphy. Video, read the story here 14:53
Small Boat Fishermen Worry New Rules Won’t Come in Time to Save N. Atlantic Scallops
A quandary over scallop rules has two groups of fishermen in Maine at odds over the increasingly lucrative shellfish. Kristan Porter, is an independent fisherman who catches lobsters for most of the year with his boat “Brandon Jay.” But for additional income, for five months each year, he and the two other men on his boat have begun collecting scallops. Eric Hansen, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, is one of the permit holders that aren’t bound by the same quota that Porter and others follow. Hansen, who typically fishes south of Maine, returned to the Gulf of Maine this year for the first time in decades. His family business obtained one of the permits back in 1994 for free that now could be sold for millions of dollars. Read the rest here 08:41
Squeezed Scallops Land High Prices
With her shrimp-colored outriggers and a home port of Seaford, Va., it wasn’t hard to wonder what a boat like Carolina Queen III was doing so far up north when she ran aground in a storm near Rockaway Inlet on Long Island last week. Turns out she was chasing the nation’s most lucrative fishery: sea scallops, which, in 2014, amounted to a $400 million market. “It’s a pretty mobile fleet,” said Deirdre Boelke, the sea scallop fishery analyst for the New England Fishery Management Council, explaining that the fishery spans an area from North Carolina to Maine, and that scallops prefer a depth of about 50 meters, or 150 feet. Read the rest here 07:43
Oak Bluffs shellfish constable says seed scallop must be protected
Mr. Grunden first announced the closure at the selectmen’s meeting on Oct. 13. “It was a very difficult decision,” he told The Times on Monday. “A lot of factors had to be considered, including a few people’s wages. But there is a very high percentage of seed in the pond.” Mr. Grunden said it was the first time he has closed Sengie to scalloping in his 16 years on the job. And the closure was not well received. Read the article here 17:16
How to Sear Scallops
I’d been cooking scallops for years in restaurant kitchens with no problems. How different could it be at home? Quite different, apparently. The problem came down to two things: using the wrong scallops and mismanaging moisture. Let me give you some details so that you (and your date!) won’t suffer the same fate. Wet and Dry scallops. The first problem with scallops occurs before you even buy them. Read the rest here, and enjoy your dinner! 14:38
New Bedford top port again thanks to scallops
New Bedford was the 
in 2013, landing $379 million worth of seafood, according to a new report. The finding by Icelandic Bank Research marks the 15th consecutive year the city has been the nation’s most prosperous port, even as the total volume of fish harvested statewide has declined. Local fishermen and officials say the reason for New Bedford’s success is due largely to scallops, the state’s most valuable species. Read the rest here 15:19
Barnegat Light NJ – The harvest of the sea – “It’s not an easy business”
BARNEGAT LIGHT – It was like Christmas morning, solving a Rubik’s cube, and the movie Groundhog Day all rolled into one as soon as the Grand Larson III docked at Viking Village.,, Currently, boats like the Grand Larson III, licensed by the National Marine Fisheries Service, are permitted to harvest scallops in controlled growing areas only 15 days of the year, said Kirk O. Larson, the boat’s owner, who is also the mayor of Barnegat Light. Read more here 14:29Three from Molly Dischner at Alaska Journal of Commerce – Magnuson-Stevens Act revisions – UFA scallops back on the menu – protections under Gulf rationalization
Magnuson-Stevens Act revisions focus of fishers in 2014- Bycatch reporting, transparency and the role of the National Environmental Policy Act in fisheries management are among the proposed Magnuson-Stevens Act amendments the North Pacific Fishery Management Council scrutinized during its February meeting. Read here UFA wants legislature to put scallops back on the menu – The United Fishermen of Alaska are trying to revive the legislative discussion in Juneau about the vessel-based scallop limited entry program as managers and participants prepare for the new open access state-waters fishery that will open July 1. Read here Stakeholders ponder protections under Gulf rationalization -Fisheries stakeholders gathered Feb. 10 to talk about community protections in the pending Gulf of Alaska rationalization program. Read here 13:52
Divers brave chilly Down East waters for scallops
EASTPORT, Maine — The sun is rising above Campobello Island as the Shelby Lee and Drusilla L. and a skiff motor their way to the other side of the breakwater from their mooring. Read more@bdn 23:25
Crews in Florida count scallops to determine water quality
SANIBEL ISLAND, FL – Hundreds of volunteers spent their Saturday morning counting scallops. It sounds silly, but the scallop population has plummeted in recent years because of red tide and freshwater releases. [email protected]
Scalloping days, open areas reduced in Cobscook Bay
ELLSWORTH, Maine — The daily limit for harvesting scallops along much of the coast has gone back up to 20 gallons, but further restrictions on fishing days and territory have gone into effect in Cobscook Bay, according to state officials. continued
