Category Archives: Mid Atlantic
D.C. court rules fisheries remain closed to help right whales
Thursday, a federal district judge ruled two lobster fisheries can remain closed to protect the lives of right whales moving through the area. The case began nearly two years ago as a set of environmental groups Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Law Foundation, Defenders of Wildlife and the Humane Society of the United States filed a complaint against the federal government because they disputed the finding of “no jeopardy” to right whales in the lobster fisheries, despite the finding that an average of 3.25 right whales a year would die through gillnet fishing operations. >click to read< 10:31
Uncle Sam wants you to eat more shark
Late last month, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) sent out a newsletter,, “While overfishing has greatly depleted some shark populations overseas, U.S. shark fisheries are some of the most sustainable in the world,” it read. I did a double take, racking my memory for the last time I saw shark as an option at the grocery store or on a restaurant menu.,, So why is NMFS encouraging eaters to eat more shark? Pointing to its strict fishing quotas, the agency suggests that eaters buying American-caught shark can now do so without guilt. >click to read< 07:19
The Giga and Terra Scam of Offshore Wind Energy
Can anti-fossil fuel policies based on climate crisis alarmism possibly get any more insane than this?,, Wind “farms”? Like some cute, rustic Old McDonald family farm? Are you kidding me? These would be massive offshore electricity factories, with thousands, even millions, of turbines and blades towering 500-700 feet above the waves. Only a certifiable lunatic, congenital liar, complete true believer, would-be global overseer or campaign-cash-hungry politician could possibly repeat this IEA hype – or call these wind energy factories renewable, sustainable or eco-friendly. >click to read< 09:25
It’s Peconic Bay scallop season on the North Fork
A calendar hanging in the northforker office has holidays marked in bold red letters. In November, there are three such days: Election Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. If we had any say on the contents of said calendar, a fourth holiday would be added on Monday, Nov. 4: Peconic Bay Scallops Day. >click to read< 08:15
The One that Didn’t Get Away: The Atlantic’s Largest Menhaden Fishing Fleet Faces Penalties
At a meeting this week in New Hampshire, commissioners from Florida to Maine voted unanimously to find Virginia out of compliance. Eric Reid is a commercial fisherman who represented Rhode Island at this week’s meeting. “I got boats sitting at the dock too. And when the fed said fishing is over, we stayed tied to the dock. We didn’t write a letter saying ‘hey I’ve got 150 employees as well and we need to make money and we’re going.’ We stopped,” Reid noted. “It kinda rubs my nose in it a little bit. I don’t care for it.” >click to read< 08:50
A Fish Bill Update from Sam Parisi, and a scheduled meeting in Gloucester with all invited!
Dear Fisherynation Readers, I wanted to share some information about a project that I have an interest in seeing advance, a U.S. Fish Bill. I am pleased to let you know that today, a staffer from Senator Markey’s office responded to my request to help draft a Fish Bill. I had a good conversation with the staffer that also requested a meeting with Massachusetts fishermen and local politans to discuss and endorse a U.S Fish Bill. >click to read< 18:07
Underproduction? Offshore wind gets a warning from its biggest developer. Orsted
The world’s biggest developer of offshore wind farms issued a reality check to the industry, saying it has overestimated the amount of time its turbines are generating electricity. Copenhagen-based Orsted A/S announced that offshore wind farms wouldn’t produce quite as much power as previously forecast. The adjustment could shave millions of dollars of revenue a year off each project. It’s also a warning to other developers who may have used similar analysis to estimate the economics of their projects. >click to read< 16:44
Patrick C. Keliher Elected ASMFC Chair
New Castle, NH – Today, member states of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) thanked James Gilmore of New York for an effective two-year term as Chair and elected Commissioner Patrick C. Keliher of Maine to succeed him. “It is both a great honor and huge responsibility to be trusted to lead the Commission for the next two years. >click to read< 09:26
The Battle Over Menhaden Harvesting in the Bay
“The menhaden issue is a very complex issue the commission is currently facing,” says Toni Kerns, ASMFC’s director of Interstate Fisheries Management Program and Policy Development. The ASMFC is a group that, under federal law, manages and oversees coastal fisheries including the menhaden species. Essentially, the ASMFC has regulatory authority. Video, >click to read< 08:30
Omega Protein Disappointed by ASMFC Vote on Menhaden Fishery Non-Compliance
Omega Protein is disappointed in today’s vote by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Menhaden Management Board to request Virginia’s menhaden fishery be found out of compliance for exceeding a cap on harvest in the Chesapeake Bay. “In the last decade, we have made a concerted effort to fish outside the Bay whenever weather conditions and the location of the fish have made that possible,” said Monty Deihl,>click to read< 18:34
Regulators say Virginia firm caught more menhaden in Bay than allowed. Feds will decide what happens. – >click to read< 19:33
Maryland DNR rescues trapped whale off shore of Ocean City
A trapped whale was rescued recently in the waters off Ocean City, thanks to officers from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Sgt. Andrew Wilson said he and his crew were on patrol near Ocean City on Oct. 24 when suddenly, a transmission came through: a whale spotted offshore was stuck and unable to get free. Upon discovering the animal, officers noticed its tail was entangled by two buoys and a fishing gear line, according to Wilson. >Video, click to read< 13:09
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 78th Annual Meeting in New Castle, NH. October 28 thru 31, 2019
The agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled Board meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of Board meetings. Interested parties should anticipate Boards starting earlier or later than indicated herein. >click to read the agenda< Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Monday, October 28th at 8:30 a.m. and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 12:15 p.m.) on Thursday, October 31st. >click here for webinar access< 17:19
‘A Whole New Industry’: N.H. To Work With Neighboring States On Offshore Wind in Gulf of Maine
New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts will work together on large-scale offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine. Stakeholders from the three states met today in Manchester talk about the possibilities and obstacles for that new industry. The event was hosted by the Environmental Business Council of New England at the state headquarters of Eversource, which is developing several large offshore wind projects elsewhere in the Northeast. >click to read< 14:06
Senators Markey and Sullivan introduced the Ocean, Coastal and Estuarine Acidification Necessitates (OCEAN) Research Act.
This bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Science Foundation, which lapsed in 2012. The bill strengthens investment in research and monitoring of poorly-understood acidification processes in coastal and estuarine areas, and engages coastal communities and the seafood industry through an Advisory Board and collaborative research grants. >click to read< 15:57
Bonnie Brady: A Diversity of Experience
“What you see is what you get,” is how Bonnie Brady, a longtime Montauk resident and EH Fusion Party candidate for East Hampton Town Board, described herself in an interview with Star staff this week. “I’d like to think of myself as a fair, honest person, someone who would work their butt off” for constituents. As executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, Ms. Brady has long been a proponent of that industry’s interests, which in recent years means she is also a vocal opponent of the proposed South Fork Wind Farm, which fishermen fear will disrupt or destroy their livelihood. >click to read< 08:56
Congress considering safety, climate change for fisheries
Congress is getting involved in fisheries in a couple key areas: safety and climate change. The FISH SAFE Act, and, Climate Ready Fisheries Act of 2019. Republican Rep. Don Young is leading a bipartisan effort along with Rep. Jared Golden (D, Maine) to improve safety, introducing the Funding Instruction for Safety Health, and Security Avoids Fishing Emergencies Act.,,, The most recent climate change legislation, also bipartisan, was introduced by Rep. Joe Cunningham, (D- S.C), and is co-sponsored by Reps Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Francis Rooney (R-Fla.) and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), and is meant to help “low country” fishermen, but the impact, should it pass, would presumably help fishermen nation-wide. >click to read< 21:51
Efforts underway to streamline fisheries disaster relief
With an increasing number of fisheries disaster requests coming from all over the United States, members of Congress and the federal government are looking for ways to improve the relief process.,, Summer 2018 brought disappointing results for many fishermen across Alaska,,, The slow process isn’t unique to Alaska. ways to improve the relief process, introduced Senate Bill 2346 by Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in July, seeks to speed up that process, in part by expediting relief funds being disbursed to fishermen. It also seeks to add avenues for relief for non-commercial fishermen, including charter operators. >click to read< 15:00
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 57′ DMR Scalloper, 350HP Cummins, 12 KW Genset
Specifications, information and 26 photos >click here< Vessel is in good condition. Vessel has had extensive work done in past 2 years. To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 12:42
Commercial and conservationist interests competing fiercely for space on increasingly crowded seas
A conference Tuesday at New Jersey’s Monmouth University brought together industry and environmental groups, who agreed that communication and coordination are essential to sharing the ocean. “Ocean activity is on the rise, and it’s exponential,” said Timothy Gallaudet, deputy administration of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a retired rear admiral with the Navy. “There has been 400 percent growth in ocean activity over the last 25 years.” >click to read< This is my footnote. If you are in the fishing industry, you are being marginalized, sold out. You better figure out who’s on your side, fast, or simply be eliminated. 09:13
20th anniversary ceremony: Preserving the Memory of Those Lost at Sea in Montauk
It rises up 15 feet, an 8-foot bronze sculpture resting atop a 7-foot granite base. Standing closer to the cliff’s edge than the lighthouse itself, a soaring and sobering reminder of just how tenuous the relationship is between fishermen and waters that both provide a living and claim life without warning. Commercial fishing is one of the most dangerous professions on earth, and the memorial, and this Sunday’s October 20 ceremony honoring the 20th anniversary of its completion are a reminder of how closely that danger hits home and how many lives it touches. >click to read< visit lostatseamemorial.org 15:39
East Hampton Candidates Debate Future
The candidates fielded questions on issues ranging from offshore wind and energy sustainability to coastal retreat due to climate change,,, On how the proposed South Fork Wind Farm will affect local fishermen, Mr. Gruber said the Danish firm Orsted, which now owns Deepwater Wind, the original company that got leases and power purchase agreements for the project, knows from its experience in Europe the importance of not locating wind farms in fishing grounds. “If there is displacement [of fishermen] it is compensated as a matter of law,” said Mr. Gruber, adding that the proposed wind farm, is on Cox’s Ledge, “one of the most fertile fishing grounds in the northeast.” >click to read< 11:42
Drowned Fisherman’s Mom: ‘I Want To Know What Happened To My Son’
Services have been set for the young commercial fisherman who died Monday off the coast of Montauk. Justin Charles Zinno, 26, of Narragansett, Rhode Island, passed away unexpectedly on, October 14, his obituary said. Born in South Kingstown, he was the loving son of Karen Darke and Charles Zinno and his wife Emmeline (Westcott) Zinno. Justin was a hardworking commercial fisherman working beside his father and brother his whole life, his family said. Please >click here for services details, and the rest of the story< In lieu of flowers donations in Justin’s name may be made to the Pt. Judith Fisherman’s Scholarship Fund, PO Box 386, Narragansett, RI, 02882.
Congressman Elijah Cummings Has Died at 68
Maryland Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a longtime advocate for civil rights and a leader in the Democratic caucus who led multiple investigations into President Trump as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, has died. Mr. Cummings died early Thursday at Gilchrist Hospice Care, a Johns Hopkins affiliate, due to complications from longstanding health challenges, according to a statement from his office. He was 68. Word of Mr. Cummings’s death drew condolences from Democratic and Republican lawmakers Thursday morning. >click to read< 14:35
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 69.3” Steel Dragger/Gillnetter, Cummins KT19-M, W/ Federal Permits
Specifications, information and 5 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 15:12
RI lobsterman goes overboard, drowns off NY coast
Justin Zinno, 26, is being remembered by his family as a loving son and a hard-working man. His mother told Eyewitness News he was well-liked in the community and worked as a lobsterman for years prior to the accident. Tiverton police say Zinno left the Main Street port aboard the Sakonnet Lobster II. The vessel was about 75 nautical miles southeast of Montauk when he went overboard, according to Lt. Daniel Raymond. >click to read< 21:02
Booming wind industry’s big worry
Land-based turbines are rising by the thousands across America, from the remote Texas plains to farm towns of Iowa. And the U.S. wind boom now is expanding offshore, with big corporations planning $70 billion in investment for the country’s first utility-scale offshore wind farms.,,, The Interior Department cited the surge in corporate interest for offshore wind projects in saying it wanted more study before moving forward. It directed Vineyard Wind to research the overall impact of the East Coast’s planned wind boom.,, Federal fisheries officials have been among the main bloc calling for more study, saying they need to know more about the impacts on ocean life. >click to read< 14:23
Candidates Face Off for East Hampton Town supervisor and town board
The debate, sponsored by the East Hampton Group for Good Government, saw discussion of a familiar range of topics including the proposed offshore wind farm, affordable housing, the board’s plan to relocate the town’s shellfish hatchery from Montauk to a residential area in Springs, the near-constant traffic to and from East Hampton Airport in the summer months, and other environmental and quality-of-life issues. Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, said that “the whole point” of the wind farm “is to shave peak,” or offset electricity demand during peak periods, “and improve resiliency. It does neither.” >click to read< 13:47
Huffman Gets Bleak Input on Fisheries
On Oct. 5, North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman held a public meeting in Arcata to discuss updating the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the federal legislation that governs ocean fishing. Huffman brought together a roundtable of regional and local officials, a Humboldt State University professor and a few representatives of the local fishing industry to offer feedback on the failings — and successes — of the MSA. >click to read< 10:22
New York sues U.S. Commerce Department over commercial fluke fishery quotas
New York State has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Commerce Department challenging the “unlawful and unfair” 2020-2021 quota allocated to New York in the commercial fluke (summer flounder) fishery, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Letitia James announced yesterday. New York is seeking a revised allocation that would give the state’s commercial fishing industry an equitable share based on current — not 40-year-old — fluke fisheries data. >click to read< 09:48
14 Stocks Reviewed, 2019 Northeast Groundfish Operational Assessment Report is Available
Pre-publication copies of our report on the 2019 operational assessments for 14 Northeast groundfish stocks are now available. The document will be reformatted later for publication in an NEFSC document series, but the content will not change. You may download the pdf version of the document >click here to review< . For more information or assistance obtaining a copy of the report Ariele Baker, NEFSC Population Dynamics Branch, 508.495.4741
