Category Archives: Mid Atlantic
F/V Lady Brittany Update: Coast Guard investigating fisherman overboard from New Jersey boat, was deceased when brought to New Bedford
Details are few about the loss of a commercial fisherman who reportedly went overboard off the coast of Nantucket and wasn’t recovered until some 40-50 minutes later. The name of the fisherman hasn’t been released yet and it is not known if he was local.,, The Lady Brittany was still at Sea Watch International Friday afternoon. Two dock workers who didn’t want to give their names said they heard the crew was “throwing the gear” when the fisherman was “in the wrong spot” and got hit by a hose and he fell overboard. >click to read< 18:54
Ørsted Forms Research Partnerships to Advance Technology for Protection and Conservation of Right Whales
The company plans to apply the project’s learnings to develop tailored processes and procedures to better protect the North Atlantic right whale during survey, construction and operation phases of their U.S. offshore wind farm portfolio. The ECO-PAM project will ensure the company can act to solve the global climate crisis, while preserving local ecosystems. >click to read< 13:00
Maine DMR wants to close the pogy fishery to newcomers for 2 years while it crafts a new FMP/Enforcement plan.
“Closing fisheries is kind of a radical step and a dangerous step because it eliminates diversity,” said Commissioner Pat Keliher. “We’re not saying close it in perpetuity. Close it to see if there is a different approach here that would allow us to get both enforcement and reporting back under control.” Keliher said the 2019 menhaden season was challenging because of “a perfect storm of circumstances.” A sharp reduction in the herring quota spurred huge growth in the menhaden fleet, with 50 new boats rushing to satisfy the $485 million lobster industry’s need for substitute bait. >click to read< 07:23
Huge crowd! 1,800+ People voice concerns at Ocean City offshore wind turbine meeting
On Saturday, hundreds of homeowners, residents, and Ocean City visitors packed into the Ocean City Convention Center to make their voices heard about 800-foot offshore wind turbines potentially being built along the resort town’s shoreline.,, The turbines , which would be installed by two companies, U.S. Wind and Orsted, would bring renewable energy to the resort town. But that’s a cost that some aren’t willing to pay. >click to read< Ocean City offshore wind: what you need to know from public hearing – >click to read< Huge crowd has their say over wind farms off Maryland and Delaware – >click to read< 12:41
Full Committee Markup, Legislative Hearing on Sustainable Fisheries
The Committee on Natural Resources will hold a markup on Wednesday, Jan. 15. On Tuesday, Jan. 14, our Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee will hold a legislative hearing on six bills that make our oceans and fisheries more sustainable in the face of manmade threats. The Committee’s full schedule and witness lists are available below. As with all hearings and markups, these events are open to media and the public. >click to read< 07:37
BOEM Report Key to Offshore Wind’s Future
The forthcoming report from the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on the cumulative environmental impacts of the Vineyard Wind project will determine the future of offshore wind development. BOEM’s decision isn’t just the remaining hurdle for the 800-megawatt project, but also the gateway for 6 gigawatts of offshore wind facilities planned between the Gulf of Maine and Virginia. >click to read< 15:48
Concerns over horseshoe crabs spur discussion about limiting harvest
When Long Island beaches come alive at high tide with hundreds of thousands of horseshoe crabs, looking to spawn under the spring and summer moons, it’s also time for many fishermen who track those cycles to harvest the arthropods at their most plentiful. Most use their catch for bait, but some sell them to markets, where they are shipped either for other fishermen’s purposes or medical uses.,, Jamie Hummel, who fishes from Hampton Bays, said baymen like him take only their limit, and need only enough to keep their conch pots baited through the year. He said if anything regulators should look to limit or end the market for selling horseshoe crabs. >click to read< 14:25
Survey say most Delaware beachfront residents oppose Skipjack Wind Project
Residents along Delaware’s beach areas don’t want a proposed offshore wind farm originally planned for Maryland. 84 percent of respondents to a survey on offshore wind are primarily opposed to two things, said the Caesar Rodney Institute’s David Stevenson.,, The Skipjack Wind Project, originally slated for Ocean City, Maryland, would use 850 foot-tall wind turbines, whose manufacturer said are roughly the size of New York City’s Chrysler Building. >click to read< 10:06
Fishery FUNDD Act: Reps. Palazzo and Huffman Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Federal Fisheries Disaster Relief Program
Representatives Steven Palazzo (MS-4) and Jared Huffman (CA-2) have introduced the Fishery Failures: Urgently Needed Disaster Declarations Act (Fishery FUNDD Act), which will improve the federal fishery disaster process and ensure more timely disaster relief for impacted communities. The Fishery FUNDD Act would set a timeline for the federal government to respond to a fishery disaster request, and set a timeline for disbursal of appropriated funds following a disaster. >click to read< 14:05
Chesapeake Bay: Targeting male blue crabs for harvest is preventing female crabs from having offspring
The Bay’s crab fishery is currently regulated to limit the harvest of female crabs, in a so-far successful effort to ensure that enough survive to reproduce and maintain the crustacean’s overall abundance — and sustain the estuary’s most valuable fishery. But researchers have wondered — and even worried at times — if harvesting more male crabs (or jimmies, as watermen call them) than females could be having an impact on the population. >click to read< 17:27
Feds answer lawmakers’ calls to fast-track replenishment of Dune Road
Army Corps of Engineers will begin seeking bids Wednesday for a project to replenish a severely eroded beach along Dune Road in Hampton Bays after lawmakers pushed for the federal agency to fast-track the work. The barrier island has sustained several washovers since October in the area near the Shinnecock Commercial Fishing Dock, the state’s second-largest fishing port, putting millions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure in jeopardy. >click to read< 16:04
Future of offshore fish farming in federal waters at issue in court
The potential environmental and economic consequences posed by proposals for fish farming in federal waters dictate that Congress — not a federal agency — must decide how to regulate the industry, an attorney told a federal appeals court Monday. At issue before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was a September 2018 ruling by a federal judge who threw out National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s rules for fish farms in the Gulf of Mexico, saying Congress never gave the agency authority to make them. >click to read< 14:58
Meet Chris Schillaci who Joins Greater Atlantic Region’s Aquaculture Program! – In December, Chris Schillaci joined the Greater Atlantic Region’s aquaculture program, bringing ten years of experience to his new role. We asked Chris a few questions as he was settling in. >Click to read<
RODA Calls for 4 Nautical Mile Transit Lanes in New England Offshore Wind Areas
Today, RODA submitted a proposal to the U.S. Coast Guard, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and the National Marine Fisheries Service calling for the designation of 4 nm transit lanes through the New England wind energy lease areas. 4 nm transit lanes would preserve safe and efficient passage along the routes most often used by fishermen. >click to read< 08:30
Fishermen call for 4-nautical-mile lanes between offshore wind turbines – >click to read<
Long Island: Study to assess whether shellfish dredging affects Oyster Bay Harbor
Researchers from Stony Brook University plan to study how mechanical shellfish harvesting kicks up sediment in Oyster Bay Harbor over the coming year. How the sediment affects the environment under the waves is a hotly contested issue that could impact negotiations for a new lease on the town’s shellfish beds. Baymen, independent shell fishermen, allege that shellfishing company Frank M. Flower & Sons Inc.’s methods are damaging the environment. The company’s lawyer said he expects the study to show their methods are safe. >Click to read< 16:25
A commercial fisherman, Stephen E. McCullough, passes away
Stephen E. McCullough, 48 of Cape May, New Jersey, passed away on Thursday, January 2, 2020 after an extended illness. With a passion for being on the water, Steve worked as a commercial fisherman since his teenage years. Steve is dearly missed and forever loved by his family. Steve’s family will receive friends from 10am until 11am on Thursday, Jan. 9th, at the Spilker Funeral Home in Cape May. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested through “In Memory Of” online at www.inmemof.org/steve-mccullough – These funds, in honor of Steve, will be distributed by Steve’s family to a future distressed family (or families) within the commercial fishing industry. >click to read< 07:18
Bycatch – From problem to opportunity. Nils E. Stolpe/FishNet USA
For as long as I have been involved in the commercial fishing industry, and that’s going back for what is approaching forty years, there has been a widespread feeling that “things would be better if this industry were administratively housed in the Department of Agriculture (DOA).” Whether at the state level, in state waters within three miles of the coastline, or the federal level beyond three miles, there’s always been a sort of wistful “wouldn’t it be great if we were over there” view of the DOA, and the reasons for this aren’t awfully difficult to fathom. The Department of Agriculture, no matter whether state or federal, is mostly focused on promotion, and fisheries agencies, no matter the level, are regulatory in nature, in organization and in attitude. This is glaringly obvious with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal fisheries agency, which in recent years has become almost totally focused to the virtual exclusion of anything else on limiting – rather than enhancing – the commercial production of fish and shellfish. >click to read< 15:06
A rundown on the proposed offshore Skipjack Wind Farm
When it comes to discussions of the proposed offshore Skipjack Wind Farm and the related proposals to bring cables carrying the wind-generated power ashore at the Fenwick Island State Park, there seem to be two — maybe three — schools of thought, generally. Officials from the company that wants to build the turbines says they will be barely visible from the coast; opponents say otherwise. Those who favor the projects,, Those who are against it often cite,, And then there are those who simply feel they need more information in order to make an informed comment or decision. >click to read< 14:00
Sam Parisi: Its 2020 and time to move this industry forward!
Here we are again, at the end of the year, and decade for that matter, as 2019 is ending, and its time to move forward. As some of my fellow Fisherynation readers know, I am motivated to try improving the U.S. fishing industry for our country’s working U.S. fishermen. I have reached out to my Senators Markey, and Warren, and also to Congressman Moulton to help draft a US Fish Bill. This is an opportunity for everyone in this ridiculously diverse industry from sea urchin, and scallop divers, to clam dredgers, and every faction of the industry, traditional, and exotic, to have personal input into a bill built for you, built by you, and built by your fellow industry members. >click to read< 16:50
The Holidays in Tilgham
It was an island holiday celebration with the lighting of the giant crab pot tree and boats covered with beautiful lights moving through Knapps Narrows on Tilghman Saturday evening, Dec. 14. The evening began with a cocktail party for the adults at the Characters Bridge Restaurant, and cocoa and cookies with Santa for kids at Phillips Wharf Environmental Center. 19 photos >click to read< 12:59
Commercial Fisherman James Wallace “JW” Cicchitti, 33, of Cape May has passed away
James Wallace “JW”Cicchitti , – 33, of Cape May passed away on December 20, 2019. JW truly was a “jack of all trades” but his true passion regarding his working career was fishing, he worked on his father’s fishing boats from the time he could walk and later became a commercial fisherman. He not only went fishing for work but also for fun. He had a passion for the water whether he was working on it or just enjoying the view. He had the biggest heart and kindest soul; he loved his family more than anything and spent his life trying to do his best for them. >click to read< 07:56
Federal appeals court upholds Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument
Fishing groups sued over the creation of Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a 5,000-square-mile area that contains fragile deep sea corals and vulnerable species of marine life. The monument was established in 2016.,,, Attorney Jonathan Wood, who represents the fishing groups, said previously that the matter deserves to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court but that he would need to consult with his clients before making a final decision. >click to read< 15:03
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 79.8′ Steel Lobster Boat, Cat 3412, Auxiliarys, Reduced Price
Specifications, information and 15 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 13:38
Have you had enough?
Since its inception in 1976, the agency charged with managing our fisheries, the NMFS, has overseen their decline, a decline which in most cases was a product of their own machinations.Usually most ideas the government has for managing our lives are well intended but terribly executed, this was a prime example. NMFS, for all that it was intended to be and do for our fisheries, has failed and in some cases, this wasn’t by mistake, but by design. By John Rice, >click to read< , and the comment venue is open there! 13:37
Omega Protein Statement on Menhaden Fishery Moratorium
Omega Protein is disappointed in today’s decision by the Secretary of Commerce to impose a moratorium on Virginia’s menhaden fishery. This is the first time that a moratorium has been placed on a fishery that is not overfished and is healthy by every measure. The ruling is the result of a requested federal non-compliance review from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC),,, >click to read< 15:52
Study: offshore renewable energy installations rough on marine life
Researchers suggest that if marine renewable energy devices (MREDs) – such as wave energy converters and wind turbines – are placed in marine environments without consideration of environmental consequences, marine life could be severely damaged. That stands in stark contrast to the environmentally friendly mindset that drives such devices in the first place. The study insists that these energy devices can greatly advance climate goals but cautions that greater thought must be given to when, where and how they are implemented. >click to read< 12:41
Wind Energy Is Not Renewable, Sustainable Or Climate-Friendly
Wind turbines continue to be the most controversial of so-called “renewable” energy sources worldwide. But, you say, wind energy is surely renewable. It blows intermittently, but it’s natural, free, renewable and climate-friendly. That’s certainly what we hear, almost constantly. However, while the wind itself may be “renewable,” the turbines, the raw materials that go into making them, and the lands they impact certainly are not. And a new report says harnessing the wind to generate electricity actually contributes to global warming! >click to read< 09:11
In the Peconic Estuary, A Perfect Storm Hits Bay Scallops
Warming water temperatures, hypoxia (a deficiency in oxygen), ocean acidification, and harmful algal blooms, said Christopher Gobler of Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, are each a stressor to the bivalve and local delicacy. The occurrence of more than one at one time, he said, may be responsible for the die-off (may be) ,,, The bay scallop fishery is “notorious for booms and busts,” Stephen Tettelbach, >click to read< 08:04
Warren proposes ‘Blue New Deal’ to protect oceans. Where Warren’s Blue New Deal Falls Short
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Tuesday proposed a “Blue New Deal” plan in what she calls an effort to protect oceans and rebuild the economy associated with oceans. The proposal was influenced by a question from an oyster farmer at the CNN presidential town hall on the climate crisis in September,,,“I said I would, and I meant it,,, >click to read< 11:03
An Environmental Lawyer Explains Where Elizabeth Warren’s Blue New Deal Falls Short – Warren’s plan does recommend folding the US into the United Nations Law of the Sea treaty,,,, Furthermore, the Blue New Deal aims to rebuild America’s fisheries, an effort that “would support an additional 500,000 jobs and generate an additional $31 billion in sales impacts,” >click to read< 11:09
Measure to help protect, enhance working waterfronts passes U.S. House
The measure, introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, D-1st District, would provide $24 million in federal grants and loans to states, which could allocate funding to municipalities, nonprofits and fishing co-ops for projects that preserve or improve working waterfront infrastructure. If approved by the Senate, it also would create a task force at the Commerce Department charged with identifying threats to working waterfronts, including climate change and marketplace pressures. >click to read< 09:02
Two New York companies and owners plead guilty to seafood sales fraud
In a plea agreement with the government, Roy Tuccillo Sr, and his son, Roy Tuccillo Jr and two of their food processing and distribution companies, Anchor Frozen Foods Inc, and Advanced Frozen Foods Inc pleaded to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They admitted to importing giant squid from Peru, marketing it as octopus, and using email and wire transactions to sell it to grocery stores in interstate commerce. >click to read< 13:39
