Search Results for: John Aldridge

Review: “A Speck in the Sea”, A Story of Survival and Rescue by John Aldridge and Anthony Sosinski

Man overboard! Montauk lobsterman John Aldridge only wished someone had shouted out that little missive the summer evening of 2013. But when the skilled sailor (he was a fisherman for two decades) slid off the flat open stern and into the sea while preparing his boat for a night of fishing, the two-man crew was “dead asleep and snoring” in the nose of the boat. The required life vest, a safety must aboard every commercial fishing boat? “We never wear ours,” Aldridge said, recounting his near-drowning almost four years ago.   >click to read< 20:53

Coast Guard Station Montauk receives the Meritorious Team Commendation for rescue of Montauk lobsterman John Aldridge

450x299_q75NEW YORK – Capt. Edward J. Cubanski, commander, Sector Long Island Sound, presented members of Coast Guard Station Montauk with The Meritorious Team Commendation Friday, in Montauk, N.Y., for their rescue this summer of John Aldridge, a Montauk lobsterman. more@uscgnews images  19:09

Are you a survivor like John Aldridge?

Ocean_Signal_rescueME_PLB1_M webJuly 24, 2013 – John Aldridge, a crewmember of the 44-foot lobster vessel Anna Mary was last seen aboard the boat during his watch relief at 9 p.m., Tuesday, while the vessel was underway off Montauk, N.Y. How many times have you read of or heard of a fisherman going overboard, only to watch an unsuccessful chain of events involving fruitless search and rescue operation’s to see them become possible recovery operation’s, and predictably, abandoned after a period of time, dictated by estimates of rate of survival and sea conditions? Way too many.  Scroll down the page to continued here

Coast Guard crews rescue overboard lobsterman John Aldridge Video – Photos

Coast Guard rescues fisherman“This ending had a lot of people shaking hands and smiling,” said Lt. Joe Klinker, First Coast Guard District public affairs officer. “Reports of persons in the water often mean a difficult search is ahead. To hear the call that he was found and rescued makes it a proud day for those Coast Guard crews.” Aldridge told the helicopter crew he used his rubber boots as flotation devices throughout the ordeal. continued@uscgnews

Buoyed by Hope and Floating Boots  Montauk lobsterman recalls his 12 hours at sea, ending in dramatic rescue @theeasthamptonstar

 

BREAKING: Fisherman John Aldridge, a crewmember of the F/V Anna Mary has been rescued.

uscg-logoCoast Guard Station Montauk confirms John Aldridge has been rescued and being transported to Station Cape Cod. Petty Officer Jetta Disco, a Coast Guard spokesperson, said Aldridge was found 43 miles south of Montauk Point. His boat was five miles off of Montauk Point. Aldridge is being treated for exposure, hypothermia and dehydration. The Coast Guard was assisted by a large contingency of commercial fishing vessel’s.

Here’s the “Official” rundown. John Aldridge, a crewmember of the commercial fishing vessel Anna Mary, was found after going overboard. from uscgnews

Today was your lucky day John. I’m happy for you, and relieved for your loved ones. Best wishes in your new life that started with the helicopter lift!

 

Coast Guard searching for missing fisherman John Aldridge, a crewmember of the F/V Anna Mary,near Montauk

uscg-logoCoast Guard watchstanders at Sector Long Island Sound, in New Haven, Conn., were contacted by a local fisherman, at approximately 6:30 a.m., reporting that a male fisherman had gone missing based on missed watch relief times and being
unresponsive to callbacks from another fishing vessel at 4 a.m. continued@uscgnews

Personal Locator Beacons improve the chance of rescue at sea

A PLB is a personal electronic device that transmits a survivor’s location on or in the water to the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking system during an emergency. It’s designed to be carried in a person’s life vest (or elsewhere on their body) and manually activated when the wearer is in distress. PLBs continuously update a survivor’s location. New Year’s Eve is a time of celebration and remembrance. Three years ago, on December 31, 2019, as the new year was being rung in across the lower 48 states, a tragedy was playing out in icy Alaskan waters. F/V Scandies Rose, with seven crew members aboard, capsized and sank before reaching safety. >click to read< Then, there is survivor John Aldridge, a crewmember of the 44-foot lobster vessel Anna Mary was last seen aboard the boat during his watch relief at 9 p.m., Tuesday, while the vessel was underway off Montauk, N.Y. How many times have you read of or heard of a fisherman going overboard, only to watch an unsuccessful chain of events involving fruitless search and rescue operations to see them become possible recovery operations, and predictably, abandoned after a period of time, dictated by estimates of rate of survival and sea conditions? Way too many.

Montauk Lobstermen Recall Their ‘Speck In The Sea’ Ordeal

John Aldridge was literally little more than a speck in the sea after being thrown off his lobster boat, the Anna Mary, on July 24, 2013. A crowd was all ears on Friday evening at the Montauk Library for an interactive lecture and book-signing of “A Speck in the Sea” headed by Debbie Tuma, a journalist and Montauk native, as Mr. Aldridge explained the ordeal of being lost at sea for 12 hours on what had started out as a routine lobster fishing trip. Then she asked for Mr. Sosinki’s take on the lost-at-sea misadventure.,,, When he realized Mr. Aldridge was missing, the boat was 62 miles from land—it had been 8 miles off the shore when they last saw Mr. Aldridge. >click to read<13:28

A Lobsterman’s Tale of Survival

The darkest moment of John Aldridge’s 12 terrifying hours of floating alone in the Atlantic Ocean came in the first moments after he was flung off his lobster boat. “You hit the water, you’re in such disbelief,” he recalls. “Nobody in the world knows you’re missing. Their life is happening right now, but your life is done! Right now, in the middle of the ocean, today’s the day you’re going to die.” Not only did Aldridge survive — by pulling a James Bond-like maneuver to turn his boots into flotation aids — but, nearly four years later, he’s still working in the profession that put him in so much danger. And he’s retelling the remarkable tale in a book just released. Click here to read the story 10:37

‘A Speck in the Sea’ tells tale of boyhood pals’ brush with death on Long Island fishing excursion

After more than 10 hours in the frigid ocean 40 miles south of Montauk Point, John Aldridge didn’t know if there was any fight left in him. It was at that moment when the cruel sea taunted him with salvation — only to snatch it away. No more than 400 yards away he spied the Anna Mary, his lobster boat, the one he’d tumbled overboard from in the wee hours of the night. His crewmate Mike Migliaccio stood on the roof, binoculars plastered to his face, desperately scanning the sea. Migliaccio was a man possessed. He knew Aldridge’s time was running out. How was it possible Mike didn’t see him? Aldridge had spent all his energy affixing himself to a colorful buoy. But the ocean’s glare hid Aldridge from sight and the Anna Mary steamed away. “A Speck in the Sea” is the personally narrated account of Aldridge and his partner Anthony Sosinski about July 24, 2013, a day the unthinkable happened. click here to read the story 14:17

The Pacific Marine Expo Opens Today! CenturyLink Field Event Center, Seattle, WA

Get GEARED UP, and get to the PACIFIS MARINE EXPO, starting today, and running though the 21st at the CenturyLink Field Event Center, Seattle, WA. Day 1- Wednesday, November 19 8:00am – Registration Opens 10:00am – Tradeshow Opens 11:00am – Keynote Address by John Aldridge, one very lucky guy. 4:00 pm- Happy Hour in the ZF Marine Beer Garden 5:00pm  -Tradeshow Floor Closes  Be sure to visit TriNav and Athearn Marine at booth 134, and Thyboron Trawldoor at booth 638 10:56

EXTRA!!! Weinstein Wins Movie Rights to N.Y. Times Ocean Rescue Story

Harvey Weinstein has won a bidding war for movie rights to Paul Tough’s rescue story “A Speck in the Sea.” The story focused on lobster fisherman John Aldridge, who fell overboard in the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of the night, 40 miles from the Long Island shore. “A Speck in the Sea”    was published Jan. 2 by the New York Times Magazine. Read more@variety  20:45

The Dangerous Side of Fishing for Squid

Our cover story this past weekend about John Aldridge, a Montauk-based lobsterman who fell off his boat and was rescued by the Coast Guard after nearly 12 hours in the water, mentioned a man whose death last year served as another example of the perils of commercial fishing. Donald Alversa who was also a Montauk resident, was photographed last January by a local photographer, Lindsay Morris, whose photography has appeared in the magazine. She sent us the picture above and this remembrance: Read more@nyt  14:48

Now THIS is a Sea Story – A Speck in the Sea

05montauk1-articleLargeLooking back, John Aldridge knew it was a stupid move. When you’re alone on the deck of a lobster boat in the middle of the night, 40 miles off the tip of Long Island, you don’t take chances. But he had work to do: Read more@nyt  18:53

“It’s nothing short of a miracle,” – Captain: ‘I Wasn’t Coming Home Without Him’

Anthony Sosinski, partner of rescued fisherman John Aldridge talks about his childhood friend’s struggle for survival at sea. continued@easthamptonpatch

From the Moderator

We did some upgrades to Fisherynation
When you log on, it might look like the same ‘ole website, but if you’re using a phone or tablet, the first thing you should notice is it actually works on your device!
That’s because its a “responsive” site.
The next thing you should notice is the speed.
We optimized the site, so when you click on something on the menu bar, or the comment button, you get there fast. Real fast!
We changed the comment venue from the word press default venue and added the Disqus comment platform.
If and when you comment, and someone responds, you’ll get an email from Disqus with a button to click that will bring you right back to the comment section.
We’ve already gotten some feedback about the upgrade, and its good feedback
You should take the time to join Disqus, and it keeps track of your comment history, and is used in many comment sections. It’s the best comment venue available. I hope you like it.
One more item we installed is a photo gallery. You are welcome to submit any industry related photos for others to see and enjoy. Crew shots, both fish, and support industry photos are welcome, along with pictures of fish boats, and everything fishing industry.
There will be a few more changes, and they will be made to improve the site so you can have an enjoyable, and informative experience at Fisherynation.
Please pass the word that we’re here, and if you require goods and services, please consider the companies that advertise here. They make it possible for this place to be here.
Special thanks to Mico Laas
Thanks, and Best Regards, BH

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SUBMITTED:

Here’s an example of the operational tactics of the reprehensible BOEM as it leases tracts of Mid-Atlantic Squid fishing ocean bottom. 

“…the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has scheduled a public seminar in Baltimore, Maryland to provide an overview of its proposed auction format for a renewable energy competitive lease sale in federal waters offshore Maryland.”
Note the notice for this seminar to “…explain their leasing auction rules and demonstrate the auction process through meaningful examples.”  was sent out on Thurs. Jan. 23 at 5:58 pm in the “Afternoon” of the day before a scheduled seminar in Baltimore, Maryland on Friday Jan. 24 at 12:30 to 4:30 pm.

Nice work BOEM, clearly only “insiders” are wanted as attendees.

This “rinky-dink” childish kind of behavior is not unlike the Wind/Fishermen “stakeholder outreach meetings” announced in New Bedford over the last few years.  Typically the notice for a Monday morning meeting at 9:00 am would be emailed the previous Friday evening at around…5:58 pm or so.

Note to Stakeholders – January 23, 2014

Good Afternoon,

As part of the Obama Administration’s Climate Action Plan to move our economy toward domestic clean energy sources, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has scheduled a public seminar in Baltimore, Maryland to provide an overview of its proposed auction format for a renewable energy competitive lease sale in federal waters offshore Maryland.

The seminar will also explain auction rules and demonstrate the auction process through meaningful examples. Throughout the seminar, there will be opportunity for comments and questions regarding the Proposed Sale Notice and the proposed lease sale offshore Maryland.

Potential bidders and other interested stakeholders are highly encouraged to attend.  Information regarding the seminar is provided below:

Jan 24, 2014

12:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Johns Hopkins University

Homewood Campus

Hodson Hall, Room 210

3400 North Charles Street

Baltimore, MD 21218

Background

On Dec. 17, 2013, BOEM announced the publication of a Proposed Sale Notice in the Federal Register, which requests public comment on BOEM’s proposal to auction two lease areas offshore Maryland for commercial wind energy development.

The 60-day public comment period ends on Feb. 18, 2014. Comments received or postmarked by that date will be made available to the public and considered prior to the publication of the Final Sale Notice.

For additional details and agenda regarding the Maryland public seminar, click here.

Sincerely,

Tracey B. Moriarty

BOEM Office of Public Affairs, Renewable Energy

[email protected]

(703) 757-1571

About the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) promotes economic development, energy independence, and environmental protection through responsible, science-based management of offshore conventional and renewable energy development.

Leave comment here

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Updated: The photo has been removed because according to people, it’s not Marty Gorham. My apologies to all.  If anyone has a photo that they would like to see in is place, send it. BHPhoto/Art by Richard Schutlz Martin Gorham, a dragger fisherman, is just off his boat at Portland Fish Pier.
The loss of Fisherman Martin “Buckwheat” Gorham.

When tragedy strikes, it affects us in different ways.The events of the past thirty six hours or so, certainly effected me personally.My heart wasn’t in posting the news.I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about horror of a fisherman falling overboard off the coast of New England, and learning it was from the F/V Lydia and Maya. There is other news about the fishing industry, and for the first time, I just couldn’t do it. As my mind was pre occupied, and many of you know why, others carried on with life as they know it, with no ties to the news of learning that a fisherman was lost off the coast of New England.The day before this, there was news that a Montauk fishing vessel, F/V Caitlin & Mairead owned and operated by Capt. Dave Aripotch, had averted tragedy when they started taking on water. Skill and a sea bag full of luck, and the US Coast Guard combined for a positive outcome. With a sigh of relief from many, knowing they made it back, I didn’t envy the work ahead of them getting the boat ready to resume its purpose and function, fishing in the hazardous Northwest Atlantic.

Of course, the loss of David Oakes is still fresh on many minds.

As the Lydia and Maya arrived to their chosen fishing area, the crew was preparing to make the first tow of the trip. The weather was workable. There were four men on board. The net was deployed, and the guys were hooking up the doors. Things went bad when Marty fell over board. These guys were now in a very un routine situation of life and death.

They threw a life ring to him, but he did not respond.

Justin Libby chose life for Marty, as he dove into the water to retrieve him. A most unselfish reaction. Even to the point of gambling his own life, It was the ultimate bet he made on his own ability to do the impossible. Pretty long odds under the cold water conditions, and the wearing of the extra clothing for winter fishing worn by all on deck. But he did it anyway. He wasted no time by peeling out of his oil gear, or boots.

Some how, he got to Marty, wrapping his legs around him and swimming to the side of the boat, while the two left on board struggled to try to get them back aboard. I’m not sure why they couldn’t get them both aboard, but they barely got Justin Libby back from his brave journey into the bone chilling Hell of the winter Atlantic ocean. As unbelievable as this may sound, this could’ve been a whole lot worse, if that’s even possible to consider knowing that they couldn’t get Marty back, and knowing how devastating this is to his people.

I can’t begin to consider what was going on in Chris Odlin’s mind, but, having met him, I have no doubt about his ability to perform in a level headed manner during the chaotic event. I would want no other in that wheel house were I on deck.

Chris and Amanda Odlin and they are the best of people. Amanda has a heart as big as the State of Maine, and Chris is a hard working, quiet guy. Both of them would give anyone the shirts off their backs. Wonderful people, with two young daughters, of which the vessel is named. Chris is a fisherman, the son of a fisherman, a brother of fishermen. He had the trust and confidence in Marty Gorham to take the Lydia and Maya on trips as Captain.

I wanted to put a face to this story, and searched the web looking for a photo of Marty Gorham. This was not an easy task, because I couldn’t find one!

My Carol found one, and I realized I had seen it before while looking at articles for the site. I just never used it, for the subject matter was not conducive, so I thought. I’ll link the source at Yankee Magazine. I offer my apology to the forth un named fisherman in this piece. I hope he contacts me so I can include him, or if anyone knows him, please recognize him for us. This is also his story.

Comment here

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Today’s NEFMC Webinar

I was, again, invited to the dance, and my date showed up impaired.

Today’s webinar broadcast of the NEFMC meeting, (link posted at Fisherynation) is suffering the typical poor quality it is becoming renowned for.
It started out with a discussion about the executive meeting yesterday where they had discussed the Public Comment venue.
The committee seems to think change is needed!
They want to limit the time to three minstatic………..
And there it was. The beginning of the end!
That was around 08:35.
It’s now 09:54, and after closing down the webinar, having the attendees in listen only mode log out, and log back in, nothing has improved.
I was informed that some contentions issues were to be discussed today (what’s new?) and I really wanted to listen.
How can everyone else that uses the Webinar System have successful broadcasts, with the exception of the NEFMC?
It’s a conspiracy I tell ya! 10:05
Comment here

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Learning of How To Fish? You Need Good Bait, Jonathan, and Yours Stinks!

 

Professor Jonathan H. Adler , published this 8/1/2011 titled Learning How to Fish.

This is my rebuttal.

Professor, you seem to confused about which fishery issue you prefer to discuss.

The world fishery is being  generically lumped in with the U S Fishery, and there are fundumental differences between the two, but after reading your article including reviewing the links, I assume your main issue would be the U S Fishery, as you refer to Congressman Walter Jones in particular, who as you say is on the warpath against rights-based management. (catch shares)

You open: Overfishing is one of the world’s more serious environmental problems, but it does not have to be that way. In 1974, less than ten percent of the world’s fisheries were depleted or over exploited, according to the FAO. By 1998, over 30 percent of fisheries were over exploited and depleted. At the same time, the percentage of fisheries under or moderately exploited dropped from 40 percent to 15 percent. There is an urgent need for better fishery management.

From the article: The fact that the ocean crisis is a made up story based on science that most graduates of the fifth grade should be able to recognize as not science at all means nothing to these people. They must have crisis in order to get paid. Their jobs depend on the public being fearful of a litany of impending disasters. Any attempt to introduce the actual science of fish stock abundance assessment and surveys into their dramatic storyline is met with the vehemence one can expect from people fighting  for their jobs. Selling the story and refuting all real scientific fact that shows it to be the over-dramatized fantasy that it is shows these self appointed saviors of the planet to be exactly what they are, environmental profiteers.

I find it to be a typical propaganda tactic. To call attention to the emotional aspect of the issues by starting your article with “over fishing” is one of the world’s more serious environmental problems. The standard cookie cutter opener of some of the most notorious environmental profiteer story’s. These alarmist statements, utilizing data and studies that are outdated and non accurate are tiring, and stale.

Over fishing may be occurring in some parts of the world, but not in the United States.   Overfishing in the United States officially ended in 2011, as claimed by the National Marine Fishery Service.

BOSTON (AP) — For the first time in at least a century, U.S. fishermen won’t take too much of any species from the sea, one of the nation’s top fishery scientists says.

I find it interesting that just as this known milestone, would be greeted with EDF’s Catch Share Investment Scheme, purveyed by EDF’s own Jane Lubchenco, when Catch Shares save not one single fish!

But fishermen and their advocates say ending overfishing came at an unnecessarily high cost. Dave Marciano fished out of Gloucester, an hour’s drive northeast of Boston, for three decades until he was forced to sell his fishing permit in June. He said the new system made it too costly to catch enough fish to stay in business.

“It ruined me,” said Marciano, 45. “We could have ended overfishing and had a lot more consideration for the human side of the fishery.”

So after guy’s like Dave did what was asked of them to conserve, and rebuild, success was right at their fingertips, it gets snatched right away from them.

From this article:“If everything is so good, then why is everything so bad? A 112% revenue increase? Who? Where? Gimme the numbers! Accumulation limits, when enacted, will only cement the consolidation which is already taking place. By 2013, which is about as soon as anything of this magnitude can be implemented, the damage will already have been done. The guys who were fishing sustainably and moved off groundfish, as NOAA asked all fishermen of good conscience to do, have already paid the big price for their sacrifice. They have very little catch history and are falling by the wayside at a rapid rate. Notably, The Council set no control date, and only voted to develop the concept. Setting a retro-active date would be impossible and ultimately useless, as it would have no impact on what’s going on now and will continue until whatever hairbrained scheme they can cook up become a regulation. So this is the good news which is going to save the little guy? It is akin to delivering more lifeboats to The Titanic a week after she went to the bottom! After completely gutting The Common pool, It’s hardly a wonderment that the few survivors of that snake pit were forced into the sector sewer. Poor fellas, they actually trusted NOAA! Never again! Better, worse or anywhere in between, EDF is claiming victory after counting the first vote in an election which they rigged. There isn’t a legitimate statistician in the world who would manipulate a few months of preliminary data and contort in such a manner as to support this “scientifically sound, statistically supported”, Eco-fabricated position. The Worm really out did herself with this convoluted rationale for EDF’s pet project. Wonder what she’ll have to say once some real numbers come in, a couple years from now? Whatever it is, I’m sure it won’t be “Sorry”!

Maybe these are some of the reasons for Congressman Jones is on the war path! The Congressman is one of the bi partisan politicians involved in bringing NOAA to task and standing against the EDF Catch and Trade scheme. Barney Frank is another.

I find it curious that you would be perplexed that Congressman Jones would be “on the war path”, as you put it. As an environmental lawyer, I realize you must be  more concerned with litigation (big bucks, huh?) issues versus science issues, which is the basis for the Congressman’s concern. NOAA avoid’s it’s duty under MSA to utilize the “best available science” of which is taking a back seat to induce the EDF Catch and Trade scheme, while robbing close to $100 million dollars from the research budget, to inject Catch Shares into 270 separate US Fisheries.   I would wonder why someone such as yourself would not be alarmed with Dr Lubchencos squandering of research funds, but then, you are not a scientist. I would also believe, though,  you are knowledgeable of the 2009 Milken Institutes Global 2009 Conference in which EDFs David Festa stated profits up to 400% would be realized for outside investors.

Global X Funds Launches First Fishing Industry ETF (FISN)

Members of Congress, and fishermen are outraged that these decisions being made are not based on science. The science should be the deciding factor in fishery management and the only science being considered by NOAA, is investment science!

The science being used now is costing fishing communities, and local economies millions of dollars of revenue generated from we the peoples resource. My resource, and my fellow citizens resource.

The big thing from the environmental profiteers is to get this resource into commodity status, enabling Wall St to get their skim, investors to get theirs skim, the mailbox fishermen their ransom checks, with everyone dancing a jig on the Dave Marcianos of the industry, and supported by the common deck hand that has been screwed right out of his share . Screw that, buddy.

The environmental profiteers (environmental lawyers) EDF, CLF,NRDF, PERC, and so on, the catch share lobbyists, are not concerned with the fishermen, or the science, but what investment returns they will receive after the industry is privatized. All you have to do is review the real effects of Crab Rats to understand that the damage to New England, and every other fishery under Catch Shares is not really being addressed. It is so much deeper than any of you care to include in your pie in the sky opinions.

Truthfully councilor, we both know, this issue is really small potatos when we look at the big picture of ocean issues,eh?

 

Faith-based Fisheries

-food-water-watch-launches-national-campaign-calling-on-congress-to-end-catch-shares

http://bore-head007.newsvine.com/_news/2010/10/07/5253992-a-buddy-of-mine-had-something-to-say walter-jones-introduces-bill-to-require-regional-fishery-councils-and-science-statistical-committees-to-webcast-meetings

dr-steve-cadrin-discusses-the-insufficient-science-behind-noaa-fisheries-policy

noaa-head-lubchenco-wont-show-for-key-boston-hearing

fred-krupp-the-wealthy-edf-faux-corpoenviro-wont-come-to-the-catch-and-trade-invitational

sea-serf-sharecroppers-the-sea-lords

http://www.milkeninstitute.org/events/gcprogram.taf?function=detail&EvID=1599&eventid=GC09

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Environmental_Defense_Fund

http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/PFRP/large_pelagics/Hilborn_2006(faith).pdf.

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Use the $10 Million S-K money retrieved from the pilfering NOAA as a Fuel Subsidy for the little guy’s
After listening to the guidelines lay ed out at the SALTONSTAL​L-KENNEDY TELEPHONE TOWNHALL AND WEBINAR Thursday, August 8 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm that lasted all of thirty seven minutes, tieing up both my computer, AND my telephone, because some government employee wasn’t capable of presenting a webinar with a listen only setup, with a call in number for questions that could have been heard through the webinar, I realize what a sham this latest attempt was to help the government destroyed industry this is.
I saw the attendees list, and I recognized not one single name involved in the Northeast Multi Specie Groundfish industry, and as far as I know, it’s the Northeast Multi Specie Groundfish industry that was declared a failed fishery by the US Commerce Department.

 

Senator Warren was all gung ho about fishery aid to the Northeast ground fishery.

For the past two years, I have made many visits to Massachusetts fishing communities in New Bedford, Gloucester and the South Shore to hear about the challenges facing the industry. I’ve listened to boat owners and fishermen who face devastating catch allocation cuts, and I’ve spoken with net makers and icemen whose businesses depend on a strong fishing fleet to make ends meet. The message I’ve heard has been clear: The federal government needs to act quickly to provide disaster assistance for our fishermen, and we need long-term policy changes and better science to preserve this critical lifeline that has been part of the commonwealth’s economy and traditions for generations.

It is vitally important we support our fishermen in these difficult times, and I’m committed to being a strong advocate in Washington for Massachusetts’ fishing communities.

Senator Warren, if there is one shred of truth to your “commitment”, then I suggest to you, you make sure that these insignificant monies, in relationship to the scope of this government caused disaster which has become even more critical because of environmental issues that at the time of the disaster declaration were not known, go where they will do the most good for those you mentioned in the above quote.

Boat owners, fishermen, net makers, icemen, fuel men, machine shop’s, welders, railway’s vessel supplier’s, electronic shop’s, are the ones that need this measly $10 million dollars, which is a drop in the bucket that NOAA owes the fishing industry in S-K money.

Babbling John Bullard, a man that is not quite sure what his official title is, believes his agency of shame is bending over backwards to present “opportunity” for the beleaguered fleet is excited about dogfish as an important ingredient in the salvation plan, but today on Cape Cod, dogfish was 10 cents a pound to the boat.

That’s $10 dollars a box, 10 boxes, a thousand pounds is $100 dollars.

That does not even come close to paying the fuel bill that comes out of the crews share. How can the crewman pay his rent? buy groceries?

How can he buy gloves at NB Ship Supply?

How can the owner haul his boat out at the railway, when the pathetic, paltry $10 million S-K money that should be going to the industry is being divided into grant money through a competition for entities which are not directly fleet involved?

It is another slap in the face of those thrusted into the cruelty of administrative failure.

Is this how you help those you said needed help?

Captain Paul Cohan of Gloucester wrote a response to your op-ed posted at the Gloucester Daily Times, and Southcoast Today.

In it he wrote,

Do you realize who are going to be the beneficiaries of these “sustenance crumbs” which have fallen under NOAA’s banquet table will be?

The consultants, the grant writers, the lawyers who represent the consultants and grant writers, basically, the chiselers.

Senator, is this what you had in mind?

To get the best use of this money for those that need it the most, the money should be used as a fuel subsidy to those that are responsible to provide the raw material that drives this industry, the fishermen.

This fuel subsidy should be granted to the smallest industry members, the single and two vessel operation’s in the Common Pool and Sectors.

It’s the fishermen that need the help so they can keep everyone else going, and a fuel subsidy will bring them some relief.

Now. Let’s look ahead at the “Big Picture” in the next Go ‘Round, and Bust Up the Big Boy’s with a Buy Out.

Comment here

 

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A Pathetic Joke Reaffirm’s that some Politicians are Clueless

So. I’m sitting here listening to the Webinar/phone meeting that has just ended, approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes early!
Can’t even imagine holding a webinar session with no sound, but, heh, that’s our government for ya!
If I wanted to listen, (I did) I needed to tie up my telephone! I did!
There were probably twenty five listeners, and three or four asked question’s.
Earlier in the week, Senator Warren wrote an op – ed piece about the $10 Million in S-K dough NOAA was gonna “grant” back to the industry.
For the past two years, I have made many visits to Massachusetts fishing communities in New Bedford, Gloucester and the South Shore to hear about the challenges facing the industry. I’ve listened to boat owners and fishermen who face devastating catch allocation cuts, and I’ve spoken with net makers and icemen whose businesses depend on a strong fishing fleet to make ends meet. The message I’ve heard has been clear:
The truth is, she didn’t get it, and there are a few poli bum kisser’s (they know who they are) that trumpet her message as progress, instead of leaning in hard and making her get it.
Ray Lamont at the Gloucester Daily Times is not one of them.
She did replace someone that did get it, and I’d bet Scott Brown would never patronize the fishermen he stood up for.
That’s all that op-ed was. Patronization of the desperate.
Grant is the key word here, and no clue when it comes to Liz Warren!
Today’s display of the S-K funding Folly was revealing to say the least.
Let the Competition Begin!
The guest list had nary a fisherman that needs relief attending the session, but plenty of professional grant hounds, with a few amateurs thrown in.
Today’s exercise was another example of fishermen getting the shit end of the stick.

 

 

Comment here

 

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Are you a survivor like John Aldridge?
 July 24, 2013 – John Aldridge, a crewmember of the 44-foot lobster vessel Anna Mary was last seen aboard the boat during his watch relief at 9 p.m., Tuesday, while the vessel was underway off Montauk, N.Y.

How many times have you read of or heard of a fisherman going overboard, only to watch an unsuccessful chain of events involving fruitless search and rescue operation’s to see them become possible recovery operation’s, and predictably, abandoned after a period of time, dictated by estimates of rate of survival and sea conditions?

Way too many.

Have you known anyone that has been lost? John Aldridge is not your typical fisherman that would find himself in an environment that, under those circumstances, would have mortal man in full blown panic mode, watching that 360 light disappear over the horizon, enveloped in darkness, feeling that cold water biting at every square inch of skin.

He had some things going for him, like the boot’s he used to keep himself afloat, and one thing we all think we have, self confidence. His attitude was his saving grace, along with the ability to improvise under extreme pressure, fighting to live, and when they found him twelve hours later, alive, we all know it was nothing short of a miracle.

The whole nation knows of John Aldridge because of his unusual survival story.

We all know how rare this is in the fishing industry.

Honestly, had that been me, I wouldn’t have made it. Think about your self for a few minutes, and assess your reality of the chances of coming through this as Aldridge did.Be honest. Would you have made it?

Contemplate the reactions of your wife, children, sister, mother, father, all your friends, dory mates knowing you’ve been swallowed by the sea.Hell. Think about your favorite bartender holding your tab till you settle up!

These incidents will never be eliminated, but there is some cheap insurance that can be purchased to stack the odds of survival and/or recovery in your favor, and one item in particular would increase the ability to be found.

The first is a PFD.Getting you guy’s to wear one will be scorned by many of you, but with the many styles, including co2 inflated, there is a huge selection available to choose from, and would at least make your chance’s of survival 100% better with than without.The second item is the Personal Locator Beacon. Same thing as the PFD’s.

Ocean_Signal_rescueME_PLB1_M webHuge range of selection and they all do the same thing. Tell the people looking for you where you are.

If Aldridge had one of these, they would have found him within a couple of hours, depending on how quick the Coast Guard could’ve gotten there, or even sooner by commercial vessels alerted by the Coast Guard.As I said, think about your wife, children, sister, mother, father, all your friends, dory mates, and your bartender!Get and use a PFD, and be sure it has a PLB in the pocket.

Comment here

 

——————————————————————————Richard Gaines, Staff Writer, Gloucester Daily TimesFor years, we found his byline under the headline of every major fishery article that we read at the Gloucester Daily Times.It told us to read on for the truth and an unbiased perspective that a great journalist presents regarding our livelihoods.

Richard’s articles provided the information to the public of the complexities that made up the convoluted issues surrounding the stories of the New England ground fishery — something that was just about impossible.Some of the articles would leave the public confused, but industry insiders knew exactly what he was bringing up.  At times, these controversial to insider articles would erupt, causing some noses to get out of joint, generating lively, pointed, and sometimes fierce debate.

Those were my favorites, and I know what Richard wrote was on the money, even though some would disagree, of course.

To those people I say, some of these issues will be raised again, because there has been no closure.

There’s a lot of unfinished business to be settled, and our literary warrior, Richard Gaines, forever rides with many of us in our hearts and minds. Many of us that will attempt to keep those issues alive.

There are some that won’t share in our feelings regarding our beloved friend and beacon of justice for the small boat fishermen, and for fishermen in general, and we understand this.ENGO’s and the “too big to fail” fishing conglomerates and even the bureaucracy of NOAA/NMFS, that includes OLE/OGC, may be breathing sighs of relief, or are even content to know that Richard Gaines won’t be watchdogging them.

While such agenda bound groups might find temporary relief in Richard’s passing, his crossing the bar merely reaffirms to us that we must each continue the struggles that are easier to walk away from than to stand and fight back.  To those bad players, we’ll steadfastly say, “As long as we draw a breath of existence, let it be known that our loss will not be your gain.”

I also realize that many who do understand what I’m trying to say are battle weary. For many, it’s been a decade’s long continuous fight, but it is a worthy one.

Richard Gaines created a standard that we all now expect in the esoteric arena of fishery journalism; but sadly, there is no one individual to carry on the legacy he left for us.  During this time of awakening to this cruel reality the question becomes, “How do we continue Richard’s work that still demands greater accountability to the resource and the public?”

We must find the way. Richard would want us to; and his bright beacon will forever guide us to that home harbor where truth and conscience tie up to the dock alongside integrity and grit.

Click to comment

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When you lose something you can’t replace

South Coast Today reporter Steve Urbon did an article about Richard Gaines crossing the bar,”Reporter’s death silences voice for fishing industry” and the void that has become apparent to all of us that follow these issues.

It was a decent response to the fact that Richard Gaines was absolutely superior at his craft, and that we have lost the important ingredient of the compound of the glue that has held us together.

Richard was a gift to us all, not only from himself, but from his Editor, Ray Lamont, who enabled Richard to indulge deeply into the issues that would not have been known.

We owe the Gloucester Daily Times, and Ray in particular, a great deal of gratitude.

I have a running inventory the articles generated from the home team, and since February, 2010 , there are hundreds and hundreds of articles dedicated to Gloucester and New England fish reporting. Richard and the Times were all inclusive for all of New England with their coverage.

I also posted as many South Coast Today articles as I could, but being not as dedicated to the cause as the Gloucester Daily Times, there are but a fraction of the articles. For instance in March of 2010, Gaines published fifteen articles, Urbon published one.

There were also four Editorials published at the Gloucester Daily Times.

Not to mention, they have a pay wall after ten articles, leaving a void in available material for people that can’t afford to pay, but want to read the information.

Interesting enough, they also have articles that are not “keyed” allowing free access.

When it comes to information about the industry, and a publication is interested in getting the specific information to the people in the industry, the industry information should fall into that category. Not keyed.

Fishing industry news is not a money maker like a horrific crime, or a Nascar wreck, but sometimes some things are about more than money.

To exclude interested party’s from this information in the name of profit does nothing for the industry that has people in this day and age landing brokers, or losing everything they own.

Jim Kendall was quoted in the article.

“No one got into it like Richard,” said seafood consultant Jim Kendall. “It even got to the point where fishermen were (angry) at him for knowing too much about the fishing industry. He was like a brother or a cousin. You know the good and the bad. That didn’t bother him one bit.” He’s right,

The door is still open on a lot of the issues that the Times, and Gaines fearlessly published, much to the chagrin of some in the industry.

The ones that were angry were angry for real reasons, and for every angry fisherman, there were dozens that were grateful that the crap that would be preferred to be ignored instead, was being discussed in the “Front of the House”

The last sentence in Urbons article. “There is going to be a lot for the rest of us to do.”

A more accurate statement could not have been written.

The question is, who is going to do it, and can we count on getting the whole story like we have been getting?

“Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones,,,,”

Comment here

Walmart will continue to sell Alaska Salmon that is not MSC certified, but not in the US!

Dear salmon supplier,

As you know, Walmart has an ongoing commitment to sustainable seafood sourcing. To meet our requirements for wild-caught seafood, the source fishery must be certified sustainable to the MSC standard (or equivalent*) or, if not certified, actively working toward certification. This latter scenario includes fisheries in public fishery improvement projects (FIPs).

Sources of MSC certified fisheries are currently available from Alaska, British Columbia, and Russia. If you are not already sourcing from an MSC certified fishery, please explore these options. Since these areas also have fisheries that are not MSC certified, it is critical you buy from companies or producers with MSC chain of custody.

Currently, there is only one public salmon FIP in the world. It is a very small project led by WWF for chum salmon in the Tugur River of Russia. However, we are aware there are discussions of other FIPs in Russia and Alaska. In order to meet Walmart’s requirements these FIPs must be made public and must have a comprehensive work plan available showing how it is working toward certification. If you would like to sell Walmart product that is from a fishery in a FIP, please work with the organization implementing the FIP to meet the requirements above before shipping any product to us. If you have questions about this or need advice, please contact me via email and copy Brad Spear([email protected])with Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, our NGO partner.

 

Although I’m not a Salmon Supplier, I am an American Citizen reading about Walmart dumping the Alaska Salmon Fishery as a supplier of Salmon at Walmart stores in the United States for the lack of some little blue ENGO sticker from Britain!

Walmart Corporation ignores the fact that all US fisheries are fished sustainably BY LAW.

The Walton Foundation has a history of financing destructive policies towards US Fishermen through collaboration with ENGO’s that are anti US Fisherman.

Once again, they remind me they are no friend of our Fishermen.

I remind you that the Walton Foundation financed the Pew/EDF/ENGO written “Oceans of Abundance” hogwash that has turned many politicians against US Fishermen, while financing the Corporate green washers they need to paint them as eco friendly.

I had to see who the MSC funders, backers, “partners” are, and amazingly, the Walton Foundation is among those that support the profit generating Marine Stewardship Council, along with an all star cast of “Ocean Champions”! Link

I’m curious about this, though.

It seems as though Walmart won’t stop selling Alaska Salmon.

They just won’t be selling it to US citizens!

Alaskan seafood now being imported directly

Alaskan seafood has begun being imported directly into Brazil this month via supplier Noronha Pescados. The products are Alaska salmon, pollock and cod and they are going straight to Walmart, Pao de AcucarCencosud and other Brazilian stores.

Michael Cerne, the executive director of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), attributed the quick and relatively recent growth of Brazil’s interest in Alaskan seafood to ASMI’s marketing initiatives.

“The Brazilian programme for ASMI is relatively new. We just started about a year and a half ago,” said ASMI’s Brazilian marketer Jose Madeira, KMXT reports. “We’re like a beef country, but per capita consumption of seafood in Brazil has like doubled in the last decade.”

Until now, Brazil had only been exposed to Alaskan cod, but it was shipped through Portugal, where it was salted. Because of that midway point, Cerne explained that the fish could no longer be labelled “Alaskan” as there was a lack of traceability. 

But directly shipping the fish to Brazil does allow for the fish to be labelled as Alaskan, which paves the way for other Alaskan fish, Madeira stated.

“So we’re also exploring other opportunities with other species like salmon, halibut, black cod and some other species,” he said. “So we see great potential for Brazil; it’s a relatively new market, and we’re just starting to see the numbers moving up.”

Based on the price point, the target market will probably be middle class and upper middle class, according to Dru Fenster, a spokesperson for ASMI, The Cordova Times reports.

Madeira has been in charge of much of the marketing and promotion behind the scenes, which, as Cerne pointed out, is responsible for growth in the markets.

“We do a lot of promotion efforts with our partners in Brazil supporting the importers,” he said. “We do retail merchandizing, we have a very extensive programme for advertising, trade missions, participate in trade shows. We just organized a buyer delegation from Brazil to come to Alaska in July.”

He acknowledged that Alaska wild salmon is up against the very popular farmed Atlantic salmon in Brazil, although ASMI sees a lot of potential in the food service industry.

“We have a strong message about salmon, and I think eventually we’re going to break into the Brazilian market and get some very good market share,” he added.

ASMI has been working within Brazil since 2011 and conducted two trade missions there in March and December 2012. Its figures show that imports from Alaska doubled last year and Cerne expects the trend to keep progressing.

By Natalia Real  http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?monthyear=7-2013&day=1&id=61852&l=e&country=0&special=&ndb=1&df=0  

They would deny US Walmart shoppers access to Alaska Salmon, but back door it to Brazil!

ASMI responds to Walmart letter on salmon; surprised Walmart would reject American fish

Comment here

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I was wondering,,,,,,,,,,,

It’s the weekend, and I’m wondering if the people that are interested enough in fishery related news and issues are taking the weekend off, like it’s only a Monday through Friday activity?

I’m wondering if the people that read about these issues, and pay to access pay sites, feel like they are getting their moneys worth, when Fisherynation.com gives them the same information or more without the foodie stuff, seven days per week, and post it as it arrives?

I wonder if John Sackton really expects anyone in the New England fishing industry to give legitimacy to his description of the hookers, who are having an identity crisis, like NMFS is with this NOAA Fisheries thing?

Finally, the Cape Cod Hookers are changing their name to the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, as more types of fishermen join the organization than just long liners.  No word yet on a name change for their annual ‘Hookers Ball’ which is a big fundraiser for them on Cape Cod.  The group was criticized in New England for its close association with environmental NGO’s during deliberations on catch shares, after it’s pilot program on cod shares became highly valuable and successful.

After all, you can put lipstick on the pig, but it’s still a pig, right?

I just finished reading Peter Shelley’s whine fest about the state of New England cod and the apologists for overfishing, and wonder if he realizes the ones that are over fishing the most are never include in the discussion?

I wonder if he just brushes aside the building wave of articles concerning the unregulated fishing community of Marine Mammals of all types that have blossomed following forty one years of protection, pretending not to see them?

Wondering if ‘ole Peter raises a garden, and if he does, do you think he’d just let the varmints just eat the vegetables he might be trying to grow because he would never put a fence around them to protect the vegetables?

I wonder if he has bird feeders around his property, and allows the pesky squirrels to empty them out, denying the birds feed?

I’m wondering what the anti shark fin bunch in Cali is thinking when they deprive cultural consumers of shark fin soup, turning the Asian community into pariahs, while expecting the fins from legally landed sustainable shark fisheries, to be wasted and not utilized?

Do enviro groups, like Oceana, the Center for Biological Diversity, Shark Stewards, and WildEarth Guardians discount the science of NOAA/NMFS unless it comes to using the questionable science to cleanse the ocean of fishermen?

Does it not seem as though this is what hypocrite Peter Shelley accuses the “industry apologists” of?

(Isn’t it interesting, by the way, how the same industry apologists who are so quick to savage the federal stock assessment science when it doesn’t say what they want to hear are so quick to rely on it when it does?) Peter Shelley

 In its decision, the National Marine Fisheries Service discounted the first peer-reviewed scientifically published population estimate of West Coast great white sharks which unveiled what listing proponents said are alarmingly low numbers of breeding females — numbers drastically lower than those of most other endangered species.

“The federal government simply made the wrong decision in the face of the best available science,” Geoff Shester, California Program Director for Oceana

I’m wondering when commercial fishermen will realize the benefit of utilizing Personal Flotation Devices as a cheap insurance policy following the death of another fisherman, Abbotsford fisherman Albert Arthur Armstrong in Prince Rupert ,BC.?

Not knowing the full extent of the situation, other than he was tangled up in a gill net, could it have made the difference?

After all, Commercial fishing is still the most dangerous occupation in the world, is it not?

I’m wondering why the most destructive corporation of Main Street America, Walmart, is willing to stop stocking wild caught Alaska Salmon just because another parasitic of the purest form ENGO, MSC, no longer carry’s the logo, but is lawfully obliged to fish as a sustainable fishery?

The bulk of Alaska’s salmon industry, you’ll recall, recently fired MSC — the London-based Marine Stewardship Council — as tedious, expensive and superfluous. DB

I’m wondering if you’ll join me as I reach out to the Norigs3 Coalition to oppose oil and gas drilling on any part of Georges Bank?

If you can answer these questions, or have some of your own, leave a comment or a question, will ya? BH

http://www.talkingfish.org/opinion/worst-times-or-just-very-very-bad-industry-splits-hairs-over-the-awful-condition-of-cod?

http://www.lakeconews.com:federal-government-wont-give-california-great-white-sharks-endangered-species-status

http://www.thevindicator.com most dangerous job

http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/213558841.html

http://deckboss.blogspot.com/2013/06/is-this-anything.html

http://www.thevanguard.ca/Business/2013-06-27/article-3293474/Norigs-3-wants-action-on-Georges-Bank-moratorium/1

Comment here

 

Let’s be fair John Bullard, You’re the Master of Folksy Feel Good Babble

John Bullard, NE Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service, which is his official title, began his comments at the NEFMC meeting this Tuesday morning recalling his interactions with Richard Gaines, Staff Reporter, Gloucester Daily Times

The recollections of Bullard of a relentless technician of journalistic excellence were interesting, and are telling of the new revisionist history era that we are entering.

Always the Master of Folksy Feel Good Babble, Bullard recalled meeting the Gloucester Daily Times reporter when he landed job the running Northeast Regional Office, for an informal harbor side chat, and telephone conversations that would at times be long winded, as I’m sure Richard would give this guy the third degree, ripping and gouging to get as much information as he could get.

John Bullard’s recollections were shared in a humorous, folksy friendly way.

Something Bullard said, though, was interesting, and it was about Gaines and that he wasn’t fair, but was an industry partisan, which is accurate. He was industry partisan for a reason, and for anyone connected to NMFS administration to complain about fairness, is ludicrous.

“Was Gaines fair? Hell no he wasn’t fair” said Bullard.

Gaines exposed just how unfair the history of this agency is to fishermen from the yellowtail letter, to the pilfering of the Asset Forfeiture Fund for exotic, and other questionable travel by a bunch of government servants that operated as they answered to no one, because they didn’t.

Larry Yacubian, the disgraced former scalloper from New Bedford that lost everything he ever worked for because the NMFS OLE and OGC could tell you how fair they were, and the ALJ helped them prove it!

The notes and emails to Swartwood coordinating the meeting reflect the active involvement of Cam Kerry, chief counsel for the Commerce Department, and his deputy Geovette Washington, as well as Monica Medina, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco’s principal deputy. Their initiative was aimed at clearing the reputation of the Coast Guard judges via the secret meeting.

Although fragmentary, the notes obtained by the Times describe an impassioned effort by Joseph Ingolia, then chief justice of the U.S. Coast Guard Administrative Law Judge System,to resurrect the reputation of the system that suffered severe damage in Swartwood’s 236-page report last April examining four dozen cases referred to him by Zinser.

By the date of the hour-long meeting in Swartwood’s Boston office on Nov. 15, Ingolia, who has since retired, had negotiated a NOAA press release exonerating the system in exchange for its agreement to complete cases docketed prior to Sept. 8, 2011.

The press release of Nov. 10, five days before the meeting, was shown to Swartwood, while, according to the notes, Ingolia and Megan Allison, the court system administrator, emphasized that the chain of command at the Commerce Department and its subordinate agency NOAA had agreed it would be best for Swartwood to retract his allegations.

“I don’t think that anybody has to be damaged by this,” Ingolia is reported to have said. “You took testimony about facts, you carried out your duties with respect to what you were asked to do — used testimony — that testimony is wrong — you can come out with something, re-evaluate with new information, and with the respect to Coast Guard ALJ (administrative law judges), you say what you want by way of correction — if that happens, it aligns everything …. “

From Crooked Cops, to Catch Shares and Camelot, the “best available science” of questionable stock surveys based on admitted purposeful negligence to utilize the trawl gear as designed for use on the Good Ship Big and Slow, there is nothing fair about John Bullard’s agency, or trustworthy.

What he did not say is also noteworthy.

The fact is, that much to the horror of every NOAA/NMFS bureaucrat is that got their noses stuffed into the poop pile, Gaines was brutally honest, and that has absolutely nothing to do with fairness.

It has everything to do with courage.

John Bullard’s agency can’t even be honest about who they are, and this is also recognized on the West Coast as there is no such agency titled NOAA Fisheries. John is not the Administrator of that non existent agency.

John Bullard, NE Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service

Link to quote

Comment here

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One scandal of the National Marine Fishery Service, unknown, but for Richard Gaines

Some that read this, will know of Richard Gaines. Some may recognize his name from the hundreds of articles seeded from Gloucester Daily Times (gloucestertimes.com) to this newsvine community of ours, as well as other outlets of fishery news.  The name is recognized in every circle of this industry from Maine to Alaska, and internationally in the fishing world as well. Fishing people  know who he is and they are glad to know him, or of him. He has been chronicling the current chapter of  fishery history, that will be cited in fishing history books to be written in the future, using the news archives of the Gloucester Daily Times as many authors have before.  Richard Gaines is continuing the tradition, as the Times has recorded fishing history since 1888.

There are hundreds of books and publications that site the Times in reference for the subject matter of the fishery that has been the back bone of Gloucester. This famous and historic seaport which is the home of commerce in the new world is this place. Europeans came here to fish. Gloucester is fish!

The recent admittance of two very powerful government agency’s that NOAAs National Marine Fishery Service was exposed by the US Commerce Departments Inspector General Todd Zinnser forced the apology. While using and abusing their authority in a very unprofessional manner and shown to be extreme while performing their duties, and down right lying and covering up their activity, someone has had to answer for this mess. In many opinions these abuses are no less than criminal.

Director Jane Lubchenco, had slid her hand along a spoke of the wheel, to steer her ship, NOAA, and picked up a splinter. That splinter consisted of many years of abuse and was later found to have a source of unlimited party money from a bottomless pit. The Asset Forfeiture Fund. A fund that was compiled of fines generated in the enforcement of the nations fishery laws. The splinter has caused an infection. Her agenda to drive the fisheries of the nation to the commodity market, is has inflamed many, to include growing members of the US Congress. There will be plenty to answer for.

If you were employed in the process of enforcing these laws, you were a direct benefactor as these funds went largely unchecked and were found, through the IG investigation, to have been abused. Performance bonuses were awarded regularly from the fund. Abused were the people who generate the raw product in the fishing community to turn into a tangible product that fuels the commerce of the community. In effect, these Federal employees removed millions of dollars from the community. In a four and one half-year period, they removed $100 million dollars from the community. With the economic multiplier of x6, that’s a lot of money removed from the community, not just from fishermen, but from the local economy. I would dare say that more than a few teachers salary’s would have been afforded.

To be fair infractions were committed, but, through the investigation, many of these fines were found to be generated by confusion of the misunderstanding of these laws. A complicated tangle of regulations that require a law degree to understand, and even then, it’s a good possibility a barrister could also misunderstand.

But Jane’s splinter went in very deep, and she thought she could ignore it and move forward without addressing the issue of her law enforcement branch. She was denied.  And she, at the end of this chapter was forced to do something that I’m sure made her ill. Apologise to fishermen that were abused by her NMFS agency. Her boss Gary Locke also apologised. He missed the chance to make right for his mishandling of other overlooked debacles related directly to his decision-making.

From this vantage point, they also owe the community of Gloucester an apology, as well as the other outposts of New England’s ground fish fleet. They have a few more apology’s to go. And the compensation returned is far from satisfactory.

There has been one constant that fishermen have been able to count on through this episode of history that they have lived through that will be written about, just as  fishermen before them have from this historic place.

Who in the Hell is Richard Gaines?     Richard Gaines, Staff Writer, Gloucester Daily Times.

I can guarantee, that the members of the New England Fishery Management Council know him. Everyone at NMFS surely know of him. I know Dr. Jane Lubchenco of EDF/NOAA fame knows who Richard Gaines is! Hell! even US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke knows who he is. I’d bet even President Obama  knows of him.

These are some  that wished they hadn’t.

I would dare say that for the last two years, or so, thanks to Richard we should all be very grateful to know of him, for if it not for Richards determination to bring this information to the public, there is a real chance that things would be the same as they were. Disgustingly dysfunctional. This journalist has single-handedly brought these fishery issues to the attention of the citizens of the United States, and the world!

There has been a noticeable lack of media coverage of the major networks, and print media, but thankfully for the sake of justice for all, the determined Richard Gaines, with his editors support, Ray Lamond, the misdeeds and injustices of two very powerful government agency’s, NOAA/NMFS, and US COMMERCE have been exposed.

With special thanks to Joey C, creator of GoodMorningGloucester who did an interview with this humble gentleman on a dock in Gloucester Harbor, we all get a chance to know Richard a little better, and to understand why he stayed focused. It’s in him.

Although I doubt he would agree, We all owe Richard Gaines our Gratitude. He brought us all Justice.

Richard GainesThe Interview Part I | GoodMorningGloucester   Jun 7, 2009

 

Richard GainesThe Interview Part II | GoodMorningGloucester  Jun 7, 2009

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Lookin’ Back: Capt Dave and F/V Hard Merchandise to make television debut!

(originally published @newsvine.com

Tue Feb 7, 2012 5:33 AM

I had heard the rumors. There was to be a new series about fishing, along the lines of Deadliest Catch, and Lobster Wars, and others like it. It appears that the tv viewing public really enjoy these types of shows.

There have been some interesting fishery issues concerning the New England ground fishery, and I decided to contact Gloucester Fisherman Captain Dave Marciano, and discuss our shared concerns.

During the conversation, I asked him what he had been up to.

He mentioned that he had been busy filming with National Geographic Channel’s upcoming TV show, “Wicked Tuna”.

One newsviner was in the Discovery series Lobster Wars. F/V Excalibur, and Capt. Dave is now the second!

Wicked Tuna, meanwhile, hails from Piligian’s Pilgrim Studios (Dirty Jobs)and will explore the business of bluefin tuna fishing in Gloucester, Mass., as crews set sail for the elusive fish that can fetch between $3,000 and $15,000 in peak season.

“Commercial tuna fishing is brutally competitive. With its limited season, the intelligence and prowess of the fish, and the sheer fact that they’re worth so much, the livelihood of each vessel’s crew can be made or broken in a month,” Piligian said. “Pairing that kind of pressure with the harsh environment of Gloucester makes this one of the most intense and compelling series Pilgrim has ever produced.”

The series is attracting plenty of attention and there already have been articles written about the show and featured in numerous sport-fishing blogs and in a couple of Huffington Post articles.

Carl Safina, not your ordinary fellow but is a MacArthur fellow, Pew fellow, and Guggenheim fellow, had a very predictable reaction, being anti-fish, and staying loyal to the Pew philosophy. I don’t know much about Mr. Safina, but Pew Fellow says plenty to me.

National Geographic Channel, In Race for Bottom, Adds Killing Endangered Species to New Season Entertainment Lineup

Well, people, what an incredibly long drop it’s been since the electrifying National Geographic TV specials of my youth, whose mere opening theme notes would raise the hair on my neck.

Oh oh.

It seems almost like the scenario of a post-apocalyptic surrealist satire, unimaginable just a few years back: National Geographic Channel has been bought out by Fox, is “joint-venturing” with the disgraceful and disgraced Rupert Murdoch, and creating programming to push Bill O’Reilly’s books. And, well — National Geographic Channel will be killing endangered species for entertainment.

Anyone that’s read my Fox articles know that this fellow and I do have some common ground, and I think O’reilly is a nut, but much to the chagrin of Safina, Blue fin are not an endangered specie.

They’ve just announced the new unscripted show: Wicked Tuna.

Oh. My Gawd!

Awesome, eh? Already, we have: a smiling face and a dead, rather small, bluefin tuna.

Here, in 2012, I find the premise revolting. Despicable.

Get a grip, Carl.

And therefore, it’s bound to be a crowd pleaser as National Geographic Channel aims to lead in Cable’s race to the bottom.

Every ones a critic!

The thrilling tagging of giant fish as scientists track their migrations across oceans might have provided the show’s rationale, but that’s clearly too intellectual (though all the other elements of cable success are there: adventure, personal drama (the tagging involves grad students), seasickness, profanity). Read the rest here!

I wish it was video instead of print. Visions of bulging eyes an pulsating veins!

He does semi-snap out of it in his next article at Huffpost, leaving plenty of controversial remarks that I personally found quite offensive, and un truthful, but that is to be expected from a Pew crusader. I digress.

Will National Geographic TV’s Wicked Tuna Be Better Than Advertised?

Following National Geographic Channel’s announcement of its upcoming TV show, “Wicked Tuna,” and my consequent slam, I received a phone call inviting me to Nat Geo headquarters. Our discussion seemed a big improvement over their press release. Yes, really. As announced, this show will feature commercial fishing for bluefin tuna. With or without the cameras, those boats kill fish,,global bluefin tuna enterprise,,in the world,,problem arises,,global union of conservation scientists,,perfectly legal,,enormous nets,,Atlantic,, Mediterranean,,people use rods-and-reels,,killing relatively few fish,, but let’s move on.

Whew!

What I heard was: National Geographic is committed to the big picture. Conservation concerns will be part of the project. That’s their promise so let’s take them at their word. But can they weave it all it into a compelling show that will make viewers take their fingers off their remotes? That’s a taller order. The website they’re building for the series may turn out to be the better vehicle for the deeper story, and a wide range of opinion — which there will be.

So we’ll see. But after getting such a bad sense from their initial announcement, it was good to have my expectations raised.

Carl Safina has maintained my expectations of a Pew soldier fellow. Fanaticism.

Another critic, Virginia Willis, author of Bon Appetit,Y’all!, a third generation Southern cook ala Paula Dean style is absolutely outraged! Wicked Tuna: A Deal with the Devil. She feels “betrayed, heartbroken, and sick.”

From her blog, we get a sense a beginning and end of a wonderful relationship and her generational heritage with National Geographic which, until now, was a part of that.

 There were two magazines we weren’t allowed to play with when I was growing up: Southern Living and National Geographic. They were the “important” magazines. They were special. Now, an adult and a chef, I know Southern Living undoubtedly helped fuel my love of food and cooking. But, the magazine that has always been closest to my heart is National Geographic.

Southern Living and cooking also led Paula Dean into cooking some pretty tastey, but very unhealthy chow! And Diabetes.

She describes her youthful recollections and cherished memory’s of the publication, and shares some childhood history.

My grandparents loved to travel in their motor home. Often, my sister and I or a cousin would travel with them. We’d go away for weeks and months at a time every summer. My older cousin Sam went with them to Alaska, a trip I still yearn to take. The next year, they took me to Newfoundland. While on the ferry off the Nova Scotia coast I witnessed a pod of whales rolling in the deep blue water. Later, my sister and I traveled from Georgia clear across the Southwest then north up into the Canadian territory of Saskatchewan before we headed back across the entire United States to Georgia. A stack of National Geographic magazines with the familiar yellow spine and the appropriate maps for our travels, accompanied every trip. In high school, I remember having the National Geographic map of Europe tacked up on my wall; it seemed a million miles away from my red dirt road in South Georgia, but I knew I wanted to go there, and eventually, I did.

NatGeo gets dumped into the outhouse from there.

It’s an absolute disgrace. It’s wicked in the true sense of the word, evil and morally wrong.

National Geographic is capitalizing on and exploiting the very species they have declared to be on the verge of extinction.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch states consumers should “Avoid” all bluefin tuna, referencing the near collapse of bluefin populations worldwide.

Last year, the Center for Biological Diversity submitted a petition to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration seeking an endangered status for the fish, claiming the species faces possible extinction because of overfishing and habitat degradation.

Ocean Conservancy states the species is overfished.

The Pew Charitable Trust states, “Some species of tuna, such as the valuable Atlantic bluefin tuna, are dangerously over-exploited.”

Pew’s Global Tuna Conservation Campaign is urging countries fishing for tuna to “enact strong measures that will lead to the recovery of severely depleted Atlantic bluefin tuna population, including suspension of the fishery and prohibit take of Atlantic bluefin tuna on its only known spawning grounds.” The list of organizations against bluefin fishing goes on and on and on.

As a chef and food writer, I care about the food I prepare, the food I eat. I work to educate my students and readers about responsible and sustainable food. As the National Geographic Society mission states, I work to inspire people to care about the planet.

John Fahey, Chairman & CEO of the National Geographic Society should hang his head in shame.

Well, Hush my puppies! Ah do declare! Virginia (i love that name) could be a writer for the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ)

UPDATE: 1/24/12 MANY OF THE COMMENTS BELOW ARE FROM HARD-WORKING FISHERMEN WITH FAMILIES TO SUPPORT. VERY CLEARLY, WE DISAGREE ON CERTAIN POINTS. THE DIALOGUE HAS BECOME QUITE HEATED. WHILE I DO NOT APPRECIATE NAME-CALLING AND PERSONAL SLURS, I DO APPRECIATE THE PASSION AND EXPERIENCE THAT THEY BRING TO THE CONVERSATION.THANK YOU FOR READING.

I give her a lot of credit, ton’s, for her dialogue with fishermen at her blog, and there is a lot of information in her comment section that should enlighten readers about the fishery. The U S fishery, that always gets buried under “world” fishery issues. U S Fishermen are always over shadowed. Purposefully.

Between Carl, and Virginia, the oil money created Pew Charities agenda is clearly stated with many Pew recipients mentioned.

I enjoyed Virginia Willis’s recollections of traveling cross country in Gramp and Grans motor home, something Daves kids don’t have the luxury of, and viewers will get the chance to meet his kids. They are a working class family, trying to get through.

Captain Dave was active in the comment sections of these articles, and there is a difference between emotional anti fish comments and informed pro fish comments. Should you read them, you can decide for yourself how you feel about them, and the issues.

Talking to Dave, I get a sense we will all learn from this series, which will make it worth watching.

Carl Safina will learn that US Fishermen are more concerned about the tuna than he gives them credit for.

After all, if the fish were gone, the fishermen also would be gone. They want to fish forever.

Don’t worry about Carl. As long as Pew has oil money to toss at Pew Fellows, his existence is assured.

Link

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Waking up with Wicked Tuna on the Morning Buzz, WHEB the Rock stationmaciano

Captain Dave Marciano, and mate, nephew Jay  Muenzner are in the studio of The Rock station WHEB  yucking it with Greg and the Morning Buzz crew.

I’m sitting here this morning trying not to wicked pissah my pants! These frigging guy’s are off the grid, Man!

“There’s no guarantee’s out they-ah” And so it begins! Click here to listen

Greg Kretschmar is a fisherman groupie. He loves them all!

He’s a big Deadliest Catch fan doing shows with them on air, and on the arena circuit.

Kretschmar just played the Barry Manilow  song Copa Cabana with some very creative lyrics about Dave, Jay and Hard Merch. I’m sure when you hear it, life will never be the same! Click here for the song

I’m typing this as I listen, and Paul Hebert just joined them by telephone. These guy’s are hilarious! Click here to listen

They were cutting it up pretty good, but there were also some serious moment’s in the un scripted round table conversation.

One thing is clear. Fame has not changed these guy’s.

When Paul describes the opportunity’s the show has delivered to them, and he highlight’s the charitable event’s, that’s a damned good indicator that they are the real deal.

It has brought opportunity to Jay. A quote from the show, “He’s getting more ass than a toilet seat”.

The chicks are crawling all over the wharf’s of Gloucester looking for him!

This Wicked Tuna crew is by far my favorite but you gotta like Paul and his crew. They were late to the show last filming season, but they are just getting ready to start filming season three, and I’ll bet we’ll see a lot more of them. I can’t wait!

I’ve met Dave in person, and  thing’s looked very bleak for this commercial fisherman, but wow, have thing’s turned around for him, and honestly, it could not have happened to a nicer guy. What you see I what you get.

In another conversation last year, he was telling me a story about a limo driver that cracked me up.

He was going to some promotional event, somewhere, and the limo pulled up to the door. He, of course, gets out like real people would, walks to the back and pulls his bag out of the trunk, prompting the driver to say, “um, you’re making me look bad.”

Dave, “well, wadda ya mean?!!”

The driver say’s looking around at the other limo drivers, and he say’s, “You’re not letting me do my job.”

The story came to mind this morning when they were talking about Dave’s “people”. Agents and planners.

Myself, I see someone who has become an ambassador for the fishermen that they so badly needed, and this too, was not planned. It just happened because of Dave’s personality, and this show, and the fan’s that follow these guy’s.

Public knowledge about US Fishery’s is sadly almost non existent, and the Wicked Tuna fans have increased awareness in discussions with friends and other fan’s.

Prior to season one, we talked on the phone, and he said he would be mentioning the regulatory short falls that affect fishermen, and he has done that. He has also shown that this fishery is a responsible fishery. By law, every US fishery is.

The show was also receiving push back by members of the environmental crowd that see fishing as something that should be eliminated, using dire predictions about the tuna stock’s that was alarmist, and not quite in tune with today’s outlook of the tuna stocks, the star’s on the show.

Back then, no one ever dreamed that this phenomenon of a show would even exist, and there would be no way to believe if it did, the show would be so successful. The reason for success is the people on the show.

Comment here

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On May 1st, the allocation for cod will be cut by as much as 78% , and drastic cuts to yellow tail flounder and other species, will all but finish off New England’s storied fishing fleet, and jeopardize the nation’s most lucrative fishery, the scallop industry.
Following these articles and reading endless proclamation’s of politicians stating their outrage, and pledging help, along with economic relief, just as was heard today from Senator Warren at the Boston Fish Rally today in the Eleventh Hour, one realizes the perverse “system” is more than broken.
It is a system of failure on a number of front’s ranging from the ineptness of multi species fishery regulators that are lawyers and accountants, mixed in with environmentalist’s that would capitalize on climate change with the exception of this issue of course, and blindly ignore it, when in reality, that is what has changed a fishery that was until two years ago, on target to be rebuilt by 2014.
As we are subjected to the opinions of expert’s in the science end, the faction everyone wants fishery management based upon, say they aren’t sure why there are such a low recruitment of stock’s, I can’t help but to listen to NEFMC council member David Goethal bring up the fact that the fish have reacted to the warming waters off our coast, in an excellent presentation at last week’s council meeting, and think about the scuba diver that found a Blue Crab in Gloucester Harbor last summer.
There is also the lack of crab this spring in the Chesapeake. Are they too marching northward?
I also cannot ignore the anecdotal evidence of an old Newfie fisherman say he has never seen so many ground fish in fifty years of being on the water!
Interesting enough, Newfoundland no longer has the infrastructure, manpower, or markets to take advantage of the situation, and as on the Cape, the fish will surely be taken care of by the 9 million harp seals they have no market for, and are under assault by the EU anti seal product people who have no common sense, or awareness of the predator/prey model of life.
The seals consume 12 to 14 Million tonnes of marketable fish which is 50 times the commercial fish harvest.
Eco based fishery management can’t come soon enough!
The environmentalists like the idea. I wonder if they realize what eco based management exactly means!
I read this today.
The Pew Charitable Trusts says Atlantic cod stocks are at “perilously low  levels,” and suggested that even the best fishing boat captains in the fleet  couldn’t find enough cod during the last fishing season to meet match their  quotas.
Pew also said the same law being used to replenish the ground fish stocks was  successful in rebuilding the scallop fishery, keeping New England fishing  revenue strong.
“The cod population is clearly in free fall, and if we over fish then we may  push them into extinction,” said Jeff Young, a spokesman for The Pew Charitable  Trusts.
If I didn’t know any better, and I don’t, this sounds like the words of Regional Administrator John Bullard.
“Even if we could find that flexibility, we really have to rebuild these  fisheries,” Bullard said. “That takes very painful measures to cut back these  stocks and that’s what we’re going to do.”
My question is, and I hope I’m not alone is, what are you clown’s talking about?
Truth is, the cod are not in free fall, but they are on the move, and just because they have moved, in what fantasy fairytale are you living in thinking fish that are not here will rebuild here?
Jeff Young, that is about the stupidest statement I’ve ever read on this subject.
John Bullard, it’s painful knowing with your lack of depth, along with your inability to think for yourself, that you are the ENGO/EDF Regional Administrator that makes Pat Kurkul look like she was competent.
And the politicians just keep saying what we want to hear, duping us into believing they can do something for fishermen, while they beat the Obama drum for Cape Wind.
I am disgusted.

 

comment here

 

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Just chop the vegetables and shut up, will ya?

Chef Holly Smith of Café Juanita in Kirkland is one of dozens of local chefs that have joined “Chefs for Seals,” part of the Humane

Society of the United States’ Protect Seals Campaign. 

What is it about these chefs that makes them think the seals are going to support them as they serve up tilapia and Asian farm raised shrimp?

The seals will not tolerate eating that crap, no matter how hard the cook try’s to mask that swill.

Even seals have standards!

I realize that parody may offend the chefs but, shrugs, who care’s?

The Humane Society of the United States’ Protect Seals Campaign., and the chefs, who appear to be snobby towards people, and prefer to raise an issue strictly based on vanity, and decorative icon’s.

If the chefs are doing this to take a stand, why won’t they take a stand against world hunger?!

As the new trend in fishery management is eco based management, the seals cannot be removed from the equation. They are now a primary predator in the eco system because of a number of reasons, one in the United States being the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and another being the un palatable appeal of environs, pro and amateur, and the anti fur movement.

I know that the idea of eco based management will appeal to them in the spirit of being “in tune” with the eco system.

It will be interesting to watch them try to separate a top predator in the eco based management system in the name of vanity, because this is apparently what they have taken a stand against, to the point of a boycott of Canadian fish products.

They will now be forced to accept the fact that seals will be on the menu, as there is an over abundance of this resource having a detrimental affect on other species in the eco system.

To focus on fur products and ignore the protein that seals would provide, utilized by the hungry people of planet that don’t get enough of it will expose the chefs as just trendy interlopers looking for attention or humanitarians toward their fellow human beings.

Comment here

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The contentious issue of seals, marine mammal population’s and public comment ignorance.

Posting link’s to story’s for fisherynation.com viewer’s today, and over the past few day’s, some issues stand out and I thought I’d address them. These are my opinion’s, and mine only.

If you agree, or disagree, you have an opportunity to present your opinion. Submit them through the contact, located on the blue menu bar, and they will be featured. Keep it civil, and on point, please, with no insults or vulgar language.

During the week, I posted three articles about “Study shows depleted fish stocks can come back from the brink”, with the claim cod will never recover in Canada because there are no management measures in Canada to foster a recovery, and besides, it’s to late for them.

Two articles contained the doom and gloom analysis of fisheries scientist Jeffrey Hutchings at Dalhousie University.

In two articles, it appears the authors who interviewed Mr. Hutchings were content to accept his opinion without questioning of any other factors related to the cod issue. These were “blame the fishermen”, ignore the problem’s forums.

The third article posted about the study, appeared at Pys.org.

It was like I had never read the first two!

I am used o the articles that are pointed. with the fisheries being the only factor when it comes to fish stock’s, even though I suspect it’s more complicated, but almost simple enough for me to understand.

Why is it that the scientist’s, and the environmentalists choose to ignore the thing’s we can control to increase cod stock’s in the North Atlantic, east and west? They can’t be in denial forever, and they will be forced to deal with reality if they want to eat fish, or if the fishing industry is going to survive.

We are on this sustainability thing, right?

Marine Mammals are increasing in numbers that are now detrimental to the fish stock’s we prefer to see the populations of, increase.

There are seal issues along the Western Atlantic, and on the East Atlantic, also.

Alaska with the exploding populations of Sea Otter’s is having problem’s, getting the Wanted – “Dead or Alive” posters ready.

They too are having a negative effect on species we desire to harvest and consume.

The population has doubled in the last decade which would mean it would double again in five years.

These stock’s and various species provide livelihoods that are even further in jeopardy if these issues continue unabated.

We will discuss the other predatory species of cod herring, dogfish skates and lobster another time.

An interesting event occurred in American Samoa regarding a predatory specie, and three US Government agencies, decided that eradication was worth implementing as the Crown-of-Thorn starfish became a threat to coral, and it was decide euthanasia was the only option. This is a precedent setting event.

A predatory species is predatory species, whether it’s a starfish or a marine mammal.

The comments at the article “EU ban on trade in seal fur set to be overturned” – European court expected to back attempt by pelt traders and sporran makers to reverse 2010 ruling, are a good indication of the general publics’ opinion.

What they tell me is, these people, all of them food consumers, have no sense of the gritty reality of food production, or, life in general.

These are the people that would say eat more chicken, or just vegetable’s, but if they invested 25 minutes into Ray Hilborn, and they were honest, they’d realize fish consumption in a burgeoning human population cannot be replaced. It’s irreplaceable!

The basis for the opposition to harvesting marine mammals is shallow.

To them, it’s about human vanity. Why else would the headline focus on fur and sporrans?

All I see is references to outrage over vanity,

No outrage for the people in Nambia that eat these seals to survive, as the Seals of Nam’s group threatens Adventure Travel and Trade Association (for the upcoming travel summit in Namibia in October); the Namibian embassy in the United States; the Henties Bay municipality; Namibian Ombudsman John Walters; the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources; and numerous other businesses, travel agencies,” to further their shallow campaign.

I really doubt the African nation of Nambia, or it’s hungry people care about the fur, or even sporrans for that matter, but leave it up to people that have warped senses of purpose to threaten a country of poor people by holding back “tourist” dollars!

Based on,,,,,ideology?

Let’s talk about cruelty!

EU ban on trade in seal fur set to be overturned

Namibia: Seal Campaigners Continue With Harvest Protest

Stopping spread of crown of thorns is to kill it

Draft SE otter population assessment out

 “Canada’s cod, and many other depleted fish, unlikely to recover”

“Study offers bleak outlook for fish recovery” 

Study shows depleted fish stocks can come back from the brink

Comment here

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NOAA Fisheries Service? No such agency!

First off, I’m a cranky old person.

I wasn’t always like this, but time and events have taken their toll.

I’m not ready for the dirt sandwich, although, ya never know!

For quite a while now, something has really been bugging me, and it has nothing to do with my crotchetiness.

NOAA, and the National Marine Fishery Service have pulled a MMS.

Recall before Deep Water Horizon, the agency overseeing the offshore drilling operations were under the MMS moniker

Following revelations of cozy industry / agency interactions of lewd behavior, the administration abandoned MMS and changed it to BOEM, trying to erase it’s shameful past.

I guess strippers, drinking bashes and cocaine abuse between regulators and industry had something to do with that if I recall correctly.

In NOAA’s case, the shameful OLE debacle of NMFS must have had the same affect.

It appears NOAA is ashamed of the National Marine Fishery Service name, and avoid using it when ever possible.

They can’t though, and every time I get information about anything, it is communicated through an un official agency called NOAA Fisheries Service, an agency that does not exist!

Looking at the attractive logo, and the ease of pronouncing NOAA Fisheries, it reminds me of slick tobacco packaging.

You know, pretty colors with attractive font’s and graphics, hiding the negative impacts, or in some cases , death from it’s use.

I wanted to know when the official transition had taken place, because they have websites all over the place with the “un official” logo and non name, and as close as I’ve become to them, I didn’t recall any notices about it.

I made an inquiry.

On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 1:45 PM,  <[email protected]> wrote:

I would be interested in seeing the official documentation regarding the shift to the title “NOAA Fisheries Service”Thank you.

I received this.

from: Allison McHale – NOAA Federal <[email protected]>

to: [email protected]

cc: Paul Jones – NOAA Federal <[email protected] _mce_keep=”true”>

date: Thu, Apr 11, 2013 at 5:24 PM

subject: Re: inquiry

 Important mainly because of the words in the message.

Our official name is still the National Marine Fisheries Service.  NOAA Fisheries Service or NOAA Fisheries has for many many years been our common use name since we are the fisheries part of NOAA.

Thank you, Allison, for the response. I appreciate that. BH

I knew that the official name is still National Marine Fisheries service because every time I get a notice with the fancy logo, directly below, it usually announces, “The National Marine Fisheries Service” today,,,” You get it.

With sequestration causing the agency to shut down, yes shut down – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to shut down most agency operations for four mandatory furlough days in July and August in response to sequester-related budget cuts, according to the agency’s acting chief. continued!, I can’t help but to wonder how much money has been spent on converting all the websites, all the stationary, all the everything’s it has been un officially attached to.

That’s one thing cranky old people do. Bitch about the cost.

Comments can be made here

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As grim fishing year approaches, industry tries to deal with new catch limits

BOSTON –  Deep cuts in catch limits will  hit New England’s fishing fleet in less than three weeks, and there’s little  hint any real relief is coming. But regulators and fishermen are still seeking  ways to lessen a blow fishermen warn will finish them off.

As time grows short, Gloucester’s Al Cottone said he and his fellow fishermen  seem to be facing the future in a sort of “state of shock.”

“Everyone’s in denial. They still think, you know, someone’s going to come in on  their white horse and save us,” he said.

“What are people doing to help the industry?”

I’ve tried to mount up and be a rider. I have not been successful.

What I see is herds of black horses being ridden by hypocritical green cowboys riding rough shod over a bunch of un organized fishermen, manipulating natural phenomena, and cherry picking snippets of information to further the cause of the anti fishing conservation groups.

I’ve watched an endless parade of politicians exclaim they would do everything possible to preserve a 400 year old industry that’s reputation has been skewed by a well organized highly financed special interest sector that operates as an army of non profit, tax deductible lawyer assholes who believe they have all the answers. To everything.

Which leads to this.

Plan to open no-fishing zones faces opposition

Allowing commercial fishing in closed areas would bring stocks even closer to ruin, said John Crawford, science and policy manager for the Northeast Fisheries Program of the Pew Charitable Trusts, which is spearheading an effort to slow down NOAA’s approval process long enough to ensure that in-depth environmental impact studies will be done. More than 70,000 residents up and down the Atlantic Coast and 100 scientists have expressed opposition to the plan in comments to NOAA.

“The habitat has to be protected,” Crawford said. “This is the opposite response of what a rational person would have.”

That’s seventy thousand progressives that had nothing better to do than respond to a mega campaign staged by Pew, and  CLF non profit, tax deductible, NOAA insider Peter Shelley, and his for Cods Sake appeal where he ignores facts about the Cod Stocks, as in like, they move?

The big mystery has been solved by an old fisherman in Newfoundland, and he has the answer about where the cod went. His back yard!

Hasn’t seen fishing like this in almost fifty years!

Of course, Shelley’s in denial, and would rather utilize the short comings of the fishery “science”.

“The habitat has to be protected,”

Unless Crawford opposes offshore wind farms along the New England coast, he should keep his Pew mouth shut.

Your View: Polluter blockade of New Bedford wind jobs finally falling

The senior communications manager for the National Wildlife Federation decided he should communicate his feelings about his support of habitat destruction.

Ocean Industrialization is exactly that. Habitat destruction.

I realize Miles Grant, another green energy, crony envirocapitalist, thinks he knows what’s best for the planet, but that’s only because as a communicator, he’s not a listener, or a researcher, because if he were, he would clam up and oppose the destruction caused by pile driving, cable trenching, and chemical spills associated with the construction he endorses.

His masterpiece of hypocrisy is literary pollution in it’s purest form.

Same with Peter Shelley. I’m quite sure he’s a Cape Wind rah rah kinda guy.

I know his boss is!

Which lead’s to this.

Meet John Kassel CLF President / Cape Wind Shill / Advocate of Ocean Destruction, and a crappy blogger, too.

Also included in his article,

Just as there is no doubt that our oceans are treasures, so too is there no doubt that they are being damaged. Bottom trawlers damage huge swaths of the ocean floor with their heavy chains, doors and dredges, likened by some scientists to a bulldozer scraping the delicate floor of a pristine forest. New England’s oceans are rising much faster than predicted. They are also becoming more acidic from harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Recent record increases in precipitation may even be fundamentally altering plankton production, jeopardizing the very productivity of our marine web of life.

As it stands, the commentary of ocean acidification is a legitimate argument.

As far as fundamentally altering plankton production, Kassel mentions nothing of pollution, like estrogen, and chemicals flushed through our bodies being injected into the ecosystem via sewerage treatment, which also have negative affects.

He does hammer away at the fishing industry’s methods of modern day harvesting methods that he finds unpalatable.

I will argue, the notion is unfounded, while he bulldozes his Cape Wind preference as a harmless project that with just the right amount of pixie dust sprinkled on it, will deliver energy to New England with no environmental consequence!

11 years. That’s how long we’ve been waiting for the promise of Cape Wind: clean, renewable energy; new, green jobs; reduced air emissions and carbon pollution; energy at a predictable price over the long-term; and energy security. At a time when the evidence of global warming is overwhelming, and the need for jobs critical, unleashing the potential of this home-grown offshore wind project can only be a good thing.

Now this is rhetorical hyperbole at its finest!

I wrote that on Oct 4, 2012

I posted this on April 14,2013

Which lead’s to this.

Noise Pollution from an Ocean Idustrialization Shill

Your View: Polluter blockade of New Bedford wind jobs finally falling, Miles Grant lives in New Bedford and is senior communications manager for the National Wildlife Federation. Offshore wind energy can and must be developed in a wildlife-friendly manner. Plenty of baloney in this guys display case! Read it here.

Miles Grant’s article has an uncanny familiarity to it. Like it reads like Kassel’s!

Barbara Durkin tie’s this up this loose end nicely.

Which lead’s to this.

BARBARA DURKIN – Your View: Cape Wind offers only empty promises so far. Spanks the communications manager of National Wildlife Federation

April 16, 2013              ENGO, Letter to the Editor, New England, Offshore Wind/Industrialization

Her response to this drivel.  Your View: Polluter blockade of New Bedford wind jobs finally falling continued

NWF makes jobs claims on behalf of Cape Wind that are unfounded. For 22 months, from April 1, 2011, to Dec. 31, 2012, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Wind Technology Testing Center has created zero jobs, according to the federal government’s Recovery Tracker. The MACEC ratepayer surcharge program is the source of the $13.2 million used to develop the testing center. The center also received a $2 million DOE grant, and funding by U.S. taxpayers through ARRA stimulus of $24.7 million. We have no jobs to show for our $40 million spent. continued

Supporting article by Menakhem Ben-Yami  https://fisherynation.com/battlefrontoffshore-wind-industrialization

Nothing will destroy habitat like ocean industrialization. What’s it going to be Mr. Crawford?  Mr. Shelley? Mr. Kassel? More hypocrisy?

(calling Dr. Moe, Dr. Larry, Dr. Curley)

The politicians, if they were honest instead of opportunistic vulture pretenders would realize there is no possible way to support two industries that are non conducive, but because of pie in the sky green wet dreams of “free “energy which is not cost effective, driven with tax incentives, they say the right words hoping they can fool everyone into thinking they can be all things to all people.

Ya know what? They can’t be.

They need to be put on the hot seat, and grilled.

They need to decide.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/14/as-grim-fishing-year-approaches-industry-tries-to-deal-with-new-catch-limits/print#ixzz2QRsrXkJd

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130414/OPINION/304140310

http://www.pressherald.com/news/fishermen-questioning-plan-to-open-new-areas-_2013-04-15.html?pagenum=full

http://bore-head007.newsvine.com/_news/2012/10/04/14224982-meet-john-kassel-clf-president-cape-wind-shill-advocate-of-ocean-destruction-and-a-crappy-blogger-too

Noise Pollution from an Ocean Idustrialization Shill  https://fisherynation.com/archives/7260

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Industry Transformations

I used to jump like an electricians apprentice getting his first jolt every time I’d get an email alert from certain places.

I’d drop everything and post it on newsvine, and in the beginning, fisherynation.

I’m not so jumpy anymore.

I got one today about The Gulf of Maine Research Institutes Trawl to Table rsvp for permit holders and Captains to rub elbows with chefs, restaurant owners, and food service professionals for the day.

The permit owners and captains that do any kind of reading must realize that fishermen and chefs in recent times have meant chefs ripping and gutting fishermen as unsustainable louts, at least in Europe and in Canada, anyway, not to mention the Save the Swordfish days.

The mission is to build awareness of the sustainability of the groundfish ground fish resource and improving the  profitability and resilience of fishing businesses.

There will also be interactive gear displays, the latest in gear research and quality handling technology, and important information on accessing restaurant and food service markets, with an emphasis on the value of promoting underutilized species!

The chef’s will show off the latest in potato peelers, the latest latex glove for safe handling, and pass on important information!

The permit holders will be wondering how to squeeze a couple of extra nickel’s from of a pound of a shrinking commodity, and will be eager to find that margin advantage. Where will it come from, and who will pay for it? That is the question.

One thing you’ll notice about the fishing industry is richness of statistics. For everything, but, here’s one I did not know.

Restaurants sell 70% of the seafood consumed in the United States.

This from the email alert:

Chefs and restaurant owners influence what consumers want. Successful  chefs are most concerned with quality of product, traceability, and  sustainability. Yet, they often lack access to the latest and most  accurate information on Gulf of Maine seafood and the industry that  harvests it. This is your opportunity to have a conversation with chefs  from your area about the importance of sourcing locally and supporting  Gloucester’s fishing fleet.

So. Back to the question. Who is going to get filleted for that margin advantage?

From my seat, it looks like the auctions are the ones that are about to see a drastic transformation.

There is already a drive for fishermen to increase their profit margins by selling direct to savvy consumers.

There are innovate company’s that are offering alternatives to fishermen that remove some of the risks of being a hero, or a zero, depending on whether they “hit the market” or not.

We have been watching this industry transform rapidly.

Which industry entity will experience the next transformation?

I think it will be the fresh fish auction.

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The First Montauk Blessing Of The Fleet Post COVID Brings Great Joy

The message that permeated on every vessel that took part in the first Montauk Blessing of the Fleet post COVID was that it was in fact a blessing it was happening at all. A year ago, the whole country was locking down, so many traditional East End events were canceled, and there was no annual Blessing of the Fleet in Montauk.,, On the F/V Anna Mary, the boat of Captain Anthony Sosinski and Fisherman John “Johnny Loads” Aldridge, family and friends celebrated with cold beverages, pasta salads, chips and dips, and an assortment of tasty home baked cookies. Sosinski displayed his talent of navigating the boat throughout the 75 or so commercial boats of all sizes that paraded from in the Harbor out to the Block Island Sound. Aldridge and his family and friends know what it is to feel God’s mercy. Eight years ago, “Johnny Loads” fell overboard only to be recused the next day by a Coast Guard helicopter as almost every commercial Montauk fishing craft was out there searching for him. >click to read< 12:25

Montauk Blessing of the Fleet – This drone footage by Joanna Steidle shows decorated vessels passing by robed clergymen, who give the boats their blessing. Onlookers can be seen gathered on the docks and shoreline. >click to watch<