Bigelow Breakdown – Fish Survey at Risk of Skewed Data?

May 12, 2016 Marine Science, Mid Atlantic, New England

Even before mechanics found deeply pitted bearings near crankshafts in its generators, problems that could have led to catastrophic engine failure, the Henry B. Bigelow was running more than a month behind. Now, the government research vessel is embarking on its annual spring voyage later than ever before, a delay that could have serious consequences for scientists’ ability to assess the health of some of the 52 fish stocks they survey, from the waters off North Carolina to the eastern reaches of the Gulf of Maine. The Bigelow typically leaves Newport in March for the spring survey, but this year was delayed by routine maintenance for more than a month. When it finally left its shipyard in Brooklyn, N.Y., last month, it had to return to port to ride out a nor’easter. Then the mechanics discovered the problem in its generators, and the ship didn’t depart until last Friday. Read the rest here 11:28

Bigelow Breakdown, deeply pitted bearings, R/V Henry B. Bigelow, survey month behind

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Ocean Resource Privatization

Articles Posted by Date
November 2024

M T W T F S S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30

« Oct

November 2024
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30

The New England groundfish debacle (Part III): who or what is at fault? Nils E. Stolpe/FishNet

It took me a while to decide how to most accurately describe the situation that has been visited upon the New England fishing communities that are and since colonial times have been dependent on the groundfish fisheries.

NILS STOLPE: The New England groundfish debacle (Part IV): Is cutting back harvest really the answer?

While it’s a fact that’s hardly ever acknowledged, the assumption in fisheries management is that if the population of a stock of fish isn’t at some arbitrary level, it’s because of too much fishing. Hence the term “overfished.” Hence the mandated knee jerk reaction of the fisheries managers to not enough fish; cut back on fishing. What of other factors? They don’t count. It’s all about fishing, because fishing is all that the managers can control; it’s their Maslow’s Hammer. When it comes to the oceans it seems as if it’s about all that the industry connected mega-foundations that support the anti-fishing ENGOs with hundreds of millions of dollars a year in “donations” are interested in controlling. Read the article here

Recent Posts
- Japan: Bluefin tuna goes for $145,000 as pandemic dampens New Year auction
  
  The top price paid for a tuna at the first auction of the year at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market fell for the third year running, with Read More »
- Rep. Lamar Smith has valid reasons for investigating NOAA
  
  Reading the news lately, one might think that Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) is some sort of backwards character from the 19th century, a “member of the Read More »
- Report: Increase in Alaska commercial fisheries landings despite nationwide decline
  
  A recent report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows a slight decline overall in the United States’ commercial fishing industry, but one state – Read More »
- Men involved in Oregon crabbing boat tragedy identified
  
  The Coos County Sheriff’s Office identified the captain on Thursday as 52-year-old Port Orford resident Glen Burkhow. Burkhow survived the Tuesday night accident in which the Read More »
- Updated: Video available – Coast Guard medevacs wounded lobsterman
  
  A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod medically evacuated an injured 41-year-old lobsterman Tuesday 130 nautical miles east of Cape Cod. At about 10:15 a.m., a Read More »
- A Fisherman’s Family
  
  Melba Willis of Harkers Island has been around commercial fishermen her whole life. Her dad, husband and even her father-in-law worked on the water. She married Read More »
- Our view: Bay State’s ‘Sacred Cod’ has become NOAA’s sacred cow
  
  Yes, NOAA can show “scientific” data suggesting that these dire cuts — up to 77 percent for the Gulf of Maine cod catch — may be Read More »
- Mass. AG urges easing of fish limits – request that President Obama “ask” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to institute lesser catch reductions
  
  Gov. Deval Patrick has been urged by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley to request that President Obama “ask” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to institute lesser Read More »
- Editorial: Ex-AG’s report, hardly independent, needs further review
  
  But it was clear from the start that the Preservation Fund, which paid for Harshbarger’s services, essentially had the probe and the report right under its own Read More »
- The Fisherman is the Ultimate American Hero – Fish and Men
  
  A decade ago, while living in coastal New Hampshire, Darby Duffin had a conversation with the wife of a local fisherman. That conversation “hit me in Read More »
- Coast Guard searching for Fort Pierce fishing captain who fell overboard
  
  The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for 31-year-old Russell Minor, the captain of a 46-foot fishing vessel who reportedly fell overboard at 2:57 a.m. on Sunday Read More »
- Amputations, broken bones among the injuries caused by winches on fishing boats
  
  For crews working on fishing boats in Alaska, danger lurks in a helpful and possibly innocent-looking device: the winch. Winches are hauling devices on which cables Read More »
- More fishermen using personal flotation devices; still room for improvement
  
  Commercial fishing has been getting safer as more people heading to sea are willing to wear personal flotation devices, says a fishing safety consultant with the Read More »
- Commercial Dungeness crab season under way in the Bay Area
  
  After a fair amount of nail-biting about whether the season would open on time, commercial fishers brought their first haul of Dungeness crab to Bay Area Read More »
- Congress gave $300 million to help fisheries. The Great Lakes got zero. Why were they left out?!
  
  The nationwide shutdown was especially ill-timed for fishers in the Great Lakes. “We had reports of commercial fishermen in Michigan who had a catch with absolutely Read More »
- Offshore wind foes sue New Jersey and Danish turbine developer over tax break
  
  The lawsuit was filed Thursday by two residents’ groups that are opposed to offshore wind projects and three electricity customers from Ocean City who seek to Read More »
- Scientists confirm first two-headed bull shark
  
  (Phys.org) The study, led by Michigan State University and appearing in the Journal of Fish Biology, confirmed the specimen, found in the Gulf of Mexico April Read More »
- Peterhead community and famed fishing family mourn loss of ex-skipper James West
  
  James West, a father-of-five, was born, raised and married into fishing families, leaving little surprise that he went straight to sea aged 15,, Mr. West, who Read More »
- Decaying, dangerous wharves to be fixed under $70M plan for N.B. harbours
  
  Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier announced the money at a news conference in Caissie Cape, a 30-minute drive north of Moncton and one of the harbours in Read More »
- Grand Isle scrambles to clean up after freak storm: “It was like a baby hurricane”
  
  Businesses, residents and town workers in Grand Isle scrambled Wednesday to pump out water and clear debris ahead of a second batch of bad weather expected to Read More »
- Seismic air guns found to harm balance organ in rock lobsters
  
  A team of researchers with the University of Tasmania and Curtin University has found that seismic air guns used for oil and gas exploration can damage Read More »
- Alaska Wildlife Troopers do job without discriminating – Col. James E. Cockrell
  
  Protecting Alaskans and their wildlife resources is the mission of the Alaska Wildlife Troopers. This mission is executed fairly and equally with no discrimination to any Read More »
- Asian demand pushes up B.C. Dungeness crab prices
  
  Dungeness crab is selling for more than the price of lobster at Granville Island, where the cost of the West Coast delicacy has been driven up Read More »
- Lobster prices – ‘There is a problem with the whole system and it has to be addressed’
  
  The group that markets P.E.I. lobster says this year’s price is good, but could be better. The Lobster Fishers of P.E.I. Marketing Board says fishermen are Read More »
- It’s a waiting game for this year’s Fraser River pink salmon run
  
  For this year’s Fraser River pink salmon run, the commercial boats hoping to fish in local waters are stuck in a wait-and-see scenario. With run numbers Read More »