Search Results for: Caribbean
Leaving death and destruction, Hurricane Irma’s storm path: What you should know
Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Caribbean on Wednesday with record winds and powerful waves. The Category 5 storm – the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded north of the Caribbean and east of the Gulf of Mexico – passed over the island of Barbuda overnight. The National Hurricane Center has warned of a growing possibility the hurricane could slam Florida later this week – as Texas and Louisiana are still dealing with the devastating aftermath caused by Hurricane Harvey. Here’s what you should know about Hurricane Irma and its trajectory. click here to read the story Hurricane Irma has killed at least 10 people and injured 23 in French Caribbean island territories as the dangerous Category 5 storm roared over the Caribbean, France’s interior minister said Thursday. click here to read the story 07:23
National Hurricane Center – Hurricane Irma Public Advisory 0:500 click here
Hurricane Irma Passed Over Barbuda as a Potentially Catastrophic Category 5 Hurricane; Dangerous Threat for Florida, Southeast
Hurricane Irma, a dangerous Category 5 hurricane, blasted the island of Barbuda, an island of 1600 residents, with gusts of at least 155 mph. Irma is now heading toward St. Martin, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispañola, the Bahamas and Cuba before posing a serious threat to Florida and parts of the Southeast beginning this weekend. Irma became the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic basin, outside of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, on record on Tuesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. click here to read the story 07:37
National Hurricane Center – Hurricane Irma Public Advisory – Discussion and 48-hour outlook click here
Hurricane Irma holding steady as Category 3 storm in Atlantic
Hurricane Irma was holding steady Friday morning (Sept. 1) as a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center said. It’s unclear what impacts Irma might pose to land. Models are notoriously unreliable more than five days away, and Irma is not expected to near the Leeward Islands until sometime next week. The Leeward Islands are part of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea. As of Friday morning, the storm was about 840 miles northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands and about 1,665 miles east of the Leeward Islands. It’s moving northwest at 12 mph. It’s expected to turn west again Friday night, followed by a turn to the west-southwest on Saturday. click here to read the advisory 08:29
Proud Nova Scotian fishing trawler abandoned amid mysterious claims
It’s embarrassing for an old Nova Scotian fishing ship: tied up, gutted, disappeared in the night, denied port and now anchorless, run aground and abandoned in full view of vacationers at a white-sand Caribbean resort. The ship — once called the Esther Boyd and later the Cape Chidley during her proud days as a trawler — went out of service about 15 years ago. Now labelled the Yacht Hop, the ship spent a decade tied to the wharf in Lunenburg, until, in 2014, captain Joe Outred came to town, promising big things for her. “Everybody in town helped Joe, because he was going to do these mega-projects and give the boat a new life,” said Peter Richardson, who lived in Lunenburg for 15 years and now runs Peggy’s Cove Boat Tours. “Alan Altass, he’s a marine consultant, he appraises vessels. These old vessels down in Lunenburg — whenever one comes up for sale, they hire Alan as the go-to guy. Alan was running around, helping this guy, lending him his car, running here, running there for him. “And then the guy skipped out of town,” he said. continue reading the story here 12:39
East Naples boat captain accused of smuggling immigrants in Florida Keys
An East Naples charter boat captain arrested Sunday off the Florida Keys faces human smuggling charges. Federal agents said they found 11 people from three Caribbean countries below deck on his boat. None of the 11 were U.S. citizens, agents said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection air and marine officers said they were on patrol in Tavernier Creek about 3 p.m. Sunday when they came across Richard Karl Mork’s disabled boat and two personal watercraft approaching the boat with two gas cans. Officers boarded the boat about 3:30 p.m. and found 11 passengers, including two unaccompanied minors, below deck, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Homeland Security Department in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The vessel, named “Scout,” was found about 2 nautical miles from Tavernier, south of Key Largo. Read the story here 21:15
Mint worker convicted of smuggling gold in rectum sentenced to 30 months
Leston Lawrence, 35, made only a brief statement before a ruling from Ontario Justice Peter Doody. “I’d just like to say thank you, sir, and that’s it. No further comment.” After which, his puffy jacket still done up, he sat down in the front row. Lawrence was also ordered to repay $190,000, the true market value of the precious metal, which he sold at a discount. Lawrence, an operator in the Mint’s refinery section on Sussex Drive, was convicted Nov. 9 of stealing 22 gold “pucks” during a three-month period that began in December 2014, then reselling them and spending the proceeds. Though the method of escape was never proven, the Mint was satisfied Lawrence must have hidden the pucks — about the diameter of a golf gall — in his rectum as he exited the secure area after his shift. The theory was bolstered by the discovery of vaseline and latex gloves in his personal locker and the fact he set off an archway metal detector 28 times in 41 days, though no gold was ever found on his person. The Mint was so convinced this was the heist method that it had a security officer duplicate the crime. During the test, the first detector was set off but not the second, done with a hand-held device. Court was told that Lawrence was arranging to have a home built in Jamaica and had sent about $35,000 to a contractor in the Caribbean. He had also invested about $34,000 in a commercial fishing boat in Florida. Read the story here 10:26
Thousands of Invisible Oil Spills Are Destroying The Gulf
Hurricane Ivan would not die. After traveling across the Atlantic Ocean, it stewed for more than a week in the Caribbean, fluctuating between a Category 3 and 5 storm while battering Jamaica, Cuba, and other vulnerable islands. And as it approached the US Gulf Coast, it stirred up a massive mud slide on the sea floor. The mudslide created leaks in 25 undersea oil wells, snarled the pipelines leading from the wells to a nearby oil platform, and brought the platform down on top of all of it. And a bunch of the mess—owned by Taylor Energy—is still down there, covered by tons of silty sediment. Also, twelve years later, the mess is still leaking. The Taylor Energy site will continue to leak for the next century,,, While the Taylor Energy spill is the worst case scenario, it’s not the US’s only low-profile leaker. Read the story here 12:57
Princess Cruise Lines To Pay Largest-Ever Criminal Penalty For Deliberate Vessel Pollution
Princess Cruise Lines Ltd. (Princess) has agreed to plead guilty to seven felony charges stemming from its deliberate pollution of the seas and intentional acts to cover it up. Princess will pay a $40 million penalty– the largest-ever criminal penalty involving deliberate vessel pollution – and plead guilty to charges related to illegal dumping of oil contaminated waste from the Caribbean Princess cruise ship. The U.S. investigation was initiated after information was provided to the U.S. Coast Guard by the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) indicating that a newly hired engineer on the Caribbean Princess reported that a so-called “magic pipe” had been used on Aug. 23, 2013, to illegally discharge oily waste off the coast of England. The whistleblowing engineer quit his position when the ship reached Southampton, England. The chief engineer and senior first engineer ordered a cover-up, including removal of the magic pipe and directing subordinates to lie. Read the story here 17:42
Hurricane Matthew continues slowly tracking northwest as Category 4 storm
The Category 4 Hurricane Matthew continues to move slowly on a northwesterly track through the Caribbean Sea, but is expected to turn toward the north Sunday night (Oct. 2) before bearing down on southwestern Haiti and Jamaica on Monday, according to the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center. At 7 a.m. Sunday, Matthew’s center was within 340 miles of both Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, and Kingston, Jamaica. The storm was moving at approximately 5 mph, with maximum sustained winds clocked at 150 mph amid higher gusts. Forecasters do not expect Matthew to enter the Gulf of Mexico or pose a threat to Southeast Louisiana, but the storm is expected to impact weather along the eastern seaboard of the United States later next week. Read the story here 11:28
Tropical Storm Gaston expected to become hurricane by Wednesday
Tropical Storm Gaston is expected to become a hurricane by Wednesday, forecasters said in a Tuesday morning (Aug. 23) update. The storm currently is in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean and poses no threat to land. In addition to Gaston, the National Hurricane Center is tracking Tropical Depression Fiona in the Atlantic and another system that could pose a threat to the Caribbean. According to the National Hurricane Center, Gaston is about 545 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands and is moving west-northwest at 20 mph. It’s expected to slow down slightly in the next couple days, but still maintain its path. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 50 mph with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast, and Gaston is expected to reach hurricane status by Wednesday. Read the rest here 14:04
Do Lobsters Live Forever?
Many animals that live in the deep, dark sea are subject to myths, and lobsters are no different. But one particular “belief” that lobsters would be immortal were it not for fishermen and hungry predators doesn’t exactly hold water, biologists told Live Science. “Lobsters age just like most other organisms,” said Thomas Matthews, a lobster biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Some lobsters, however, do have extraordinarily long life spans. The American Lobster (Homarus americanus) can live to at least 100 years, which is more than five times the life span of the Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) can live to at least 100 years, which is more than five times the life span of the Caribbean spiny lobster. Water temperature explains most of this difference in age, Matthews said. When lobsters are in warm water, such as the Caribbean, they have faster metabolisms. Conversely, when they’re in cold water, their metabolisms are slower. Read the rest here 14:42
Another Crackpot ENGO, Another ESA Lawsuit against the NMFS
Defenders of fish with funny names — including the blackchin guitar fish, the violin fish and porbeagle shark — sued the federal government Wednesday, demanding the fish be listed as threatened or endangered. WildEarth Guardians says the Secretary of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service missed their 12-month deadline to rule under the Endangered Species Act. All five species — including the Caribbean electric ray and Hector’s dolphin — are “at significant risk of extinction,” the Montana-based conservation group says. Listing could protect the species from recreational and commercial fishing and development. The Endangered Species Act requires the defendant agencies to issue findings within 90-day and 12-month timeframes in most cases. But the National Marine Fisheries Service has “regularly ignored these statutory procedures and have consistently missed statutory listing deadlines,” WildEarth Guardians says. Read the rest here 14:10
The Enviro Crackpots keep pushing! – Cashes Ledge deserves permanent protection
World famous oceanographer Sylvia Earle dived Cashes Ledge and declared it to be a “Yellowstone” of the ocean. Visions of enviro’s appear in my head doing the wave chanting ocean Serengeti over and over, trance like,,, Despite all the fishing that has rendered much of the Northeast a shell of its colonial riches, there remains in precious spots underwater life every bit the rival of the California coast and the Caribbean. Two such areas, Cashes Ledge and the New England Mid Atlantic Coral Canyons and Seamounts, deserve national marine monument status from President Obama before he leaves office. But there aren’t any such protections in the Atlantic, and groups such as the Conservation Law Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and the National Resources Defense Council, are campaigning for protection. (Full disclosure: I (Derrick Jackson) coauthored a book on Maine’s puffin restoration and discussed the bird’s winter feeding at a CLF luncheon this winter). Get the gist? Read the rest here 16:58
Smoked herring connects Cap-Pelé to Haiti – A million cases each year to the impoverished country
For the past century, one of New Brunswick’s most enduring trade partnerships has been with one of the world’s poorest countries. The fishing village of Cap-Pelé has sold millions of crates of smoked herring to the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti. A Radio-Canada crew recently followed the trail, from the smokehouses in Cap-Pelé to the kitchens of Port-au-Prince. The sights, and especially the smells, of smoked herring are part of life in southeastern New Brunswick. Read the rest here 11:18
Sunscreen is proven toxic to coral reefs
Lathering up with sunscreen may prevent sunburn and protect against cancer, but it is also killing coral reefs around the world. That’s the conclusion of a team of international scientists, which includes University of Central Florida professor and diving enthusiast John Fauth. The researchers found that oxybenzone, a common UV-filtering compound, is in high concentrations in the waters around the more popular coral reefs in Hawaii, and the Caribbean. The chemical not only kills the coral, it causes DNA damage in adults and deforms the DNA in coral in the larval,,, Read the rest here 19:40
National Marine Fisheries Service commercial dolphin season closure forces Keys restaurants to import
Florida Keys restaurants are searching for other sources of mahi-mahi, after federal authorities brought an early closure to the island chain’s commercial dolphin season. In the Keys, mahi-mahi is the usual catch-of-the-day for sandwiches and entrees on most menus. Eateries will soon begin outsourcing the popular dinner fish, after the NOAA Fisheries last week closed the commercial dolphin season early for the first time on record. Any other mahi being served will most likely be imported from elsewhere in the Caribbean, and Central America. Read the rest here 19:53
They got Beamer.
Beamer was a blue shark that used to enjoy swimming in the chilly waters off Montauk, New York. Last year, Beamer began swimming south towards the Caribbean and made it to the eastern Antilles by Christmas. The shark then made a straight swim towards Puerto Limon in Costa Rica; alas, Beamer ended up hooked on the lines of a commercial fishing boat somewhere between Portete and Moin. Read the rest here 18:52
John Risley, seafood baron, lands $1B telecommunications deal
Nova Scotia seafoood baron John Risley has landed his biggest deal yet — and it has nothing to do with scallops or lobster. On Thursday, Columbus Communications Inc. — the Caribbean telecommunications and cable company Risley founded 10 years ago — merged with a larger rival, Cable and Wireless Communications PLC. Read the rest here 11:28
Conch remains on the menu, no harvesting
National Marine Fisheries Service will not list queen conch on the endangered species list, but harvest of it in United States waters will remain prohibited. In March 2012, the environmental group Wild Earth Guardians requested the federal government list queen conch under the Endangered Species Act. Florida Keys State Rep. Holly Raschein successfully pushed a bill that called on the federal government to maintain the importation of queen conch. Read the rest here 12:52
Bluefin tuna being caught in more northern Atlantic Ocean waters of Iceland, Greenland
Tagged in New York, Killed in Costa Rica: Beamer the Shark
Beamer was a blue shark that used to enjoy swimming in the chilly waters off Montauk, New York. Last year, Beamer began swimming south towards the Caribbean and made it to the eastern Antilles by Christmas. The shark then made a straight swim towards Puerto Limon in Costa Rica; alas, Beamer ended up hooked on the lines of a commercial fishing boat somewhere between Portete and Moin. Read the rest here 08:43
The End of the U.S. Shrimping Industry – Execution by Electrocution? Public comments end 3/31/14
In 2010, WildEarth Guardians petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to list the lesser electric ray (also commonly called the Caribbean electric ray) under the ESA, but that petition was denied in a 90-day finding in March 2011. If the lesser electric ray is listed under the ESA, it could mean the end of shrimp fishing as we know it throughout the ray’s range, which includes all the Gulf states, as well as states along the east coast from Florida to North Carolina. Read more here thegoodcatchblog 23:17
Illinois-based Mazzetta Company, seafood processor and wholesaler is moving into Gloucester
Mazzetta has other New England facilities, including a freezer warehouse in Londonderry, N.H., and the Atwood Lobster Co. in Spruce Head, Maine, which it purchased in May 2011. The company is a far-flung international importer of various frozen seafoods, which it markets in its SEAMAZZ line. That line includes various species of fish, as well as shrimp, crabs and mussels. It offers lobster tails from its Maine producer, as well as from New Zealand, Canada, Brazil, the Caribbean, Australia, South Africa and Tristen. Read more@GDT 08:05
Examining the Impacts of Whales on Commerical Fisheries – Lenfest Ocean Program
At the International Whaling Commission (IWC), a principle argument used by some pro-whaling countries to resume whaling has been that whales eat large amounts of fish and thus compete with humans for commercial fish catches. This project examines the scientific evidence for the assertion that commercial fisheries are negatively impacted by whales’ consumption of fish, focusing on the Caribbean and northwest Africa because we know whales eat at McDonalds! [email protected] 16:42
Nokomis Fishing Capt. Eddie Toomer is the second American to receive the Gladding Memorial Award for sustainable fishing.
Toomer, 68, a fourth-generation commercial fisherman, recently became only the second American to receive the Gladding Memorial Award for sustainable fishing. The annual award, started by The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute in 2004, recognizes fishermen who work to preserve marine life. more@heraldtribune 14:59
California squid fishery closing for season – reaches harvest limit early
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is closing the commercial fishery for market squid until next year. The department projected the season’s harvest limit of 118,000 tons would be reached Friday, and determined the fishery would close at noon. more@vcstar 13:09
Judge: National Marine Fisheries Service erred in bluefish limits
ST. CROIX – A federal judge has ordered the National Marine Fisheries Service to redo a portion of a biological opinion that was part of the process in setting annual catch limits for bluefish – also called parrotfish – in federal Caribbean waters. more@virginislanddaily 13:26
Renews fisherman Gerard Chidley appointment part of major changes at NAFO
NAFO has long been a source of controversy and intrigue since its inception in 1979. The organization’s role is basically to manage and monitor fish resources between all the member nations — including countries in North America, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean — that fish in the NAFO convention area off the east coast of Newfoundland. more@cbcnews 09:41
Gang Green expects the NMFS to fix Global Warming to save the coral, and they agree to it!!
September 13 – In a settlement filed in federal court today, the National Marine Fisheries Service committed to developing a recovery plan for elkhorn and staghorn corals that live in Florida and throughout the Caribbean. The agreement between the Center for Biological Diversity and the federal agency ensures that the Fisheries Service will publish a draft plan by 2014 and promptly finalize it in the following months. These corals were protected under the Endangered Species Act in 2006 because of threats from global warming and ocean acidification but, before today’s settlement agreement, had still not received the legally required recovery plan needed to save them from extinction. more@ganggreen 17:40
NOAA sets minimum size limit for parrotfish caught in St. Croix waters
The regulation has been through the public hearing process and had input from fishermen before that. Carlos Farchette, the St. Croix member of the Caribbean Fishery Management Council, told The Daily News in March that local fishermen had input on the development of the regulation. @virginislandsdailynews
