Category Archives: Mid Atlantic
Massachusetts Enacts Striped Bass Conservation Regulations
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has implemented two new striped bass conservation regulations aimed at reducing release mortality:
• Effective immediately, it is unlawful for any fisherman to gaff or attempt to gaff striped bass measuring less than 28 inches total length, and for a commercial fisherman fishing on an open commercial striped bass fishing day to gaff striped bass measuring less than 34 inches total length. >click to read<10:36 ‘There’s going to be no fish to fight over at all’: The Chesapeake Bay’s rockfish population is falling – >click to read<14:46
Trump officials halt plans to expand offshore drilling
The Trump administration is hitting pause on its ambitious and controversial plans to expand offshore drilling in the Atlantic. Newly confirmed Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said the agency has indefinitely sidelined its exploration of offshore drilling options as it grapples with a recent court order that blocks similar drilling in the Arctic. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Thursday, Bernhardt said the department has decided to wait on the outcome of appeals to the March case before deciding whether to move forward with additional drilling plans. >click to read<17:14
Maryland District 36 Delegation raises concerns over ‘War on the Shore’
When the four members of the District 36 delegation to the General Assembly got together for an annual breakfast sponsored by the Kent County Chamber of Commerce, discussions about this year’s recently completed legislative session led the lawmakers to talk about what Del. Jay Jacobs dubbed a “War on the Shore” and its leading industries, agriculture and seafood.,,, Rob Newberry, chairman of the Delmarva Fisheries Association, said from the audience that environmental groups clobbered the seafood industry this year.,, click to read<10:12
Maryland overfishing imperils rockfish population – Recreational anglers are largely responsible
“The recent stock assessment shows that early action is needed to slow the decline and restore this fishery to sustainable levels,” Virginia Marine Resources Commissioner Steven G. Bowman said in a statement.,,, Recreational anglers are largely responsible. Since 2008, they have killed eight times more striped bass than commercial fishermen, with Maryland anglers harvesting a huge haul: nearly three times the number of fish taken by Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware and North Carolina — combined. >click to read<14:49
Assessing the consequences of oil spills on commercial fish
Each spring, Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua) travel from the Barents Sea to spawn further south along the Norwegian coast from Møre to Lofoten, releasing millions of eggs into the ocean. These eggs then begin their own journey, developing into fish larvae as they drift with the currents, north and east towards the Barents Sea. The journey is perilous and their chance of survival is small. For every million eggs, only about 800 larvae survive the first half year. Their fate depends on the movements and prevailing environmental conditions of the North Atlantic Current, >click to read<09:17
Captain Rescued from 77 Foot Clam Dredge After Experiencing Medical Issue
Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers rescued the captain of a clam dredge after he experienced a medical incident while fishing in the Atlantic Ocean. Ronald Garay, captain of the 77 foot commercial clam dredge Mary T, was operating in the Atlantic Ocean south of Point O’ Woods, Fire Island, when he began to experience shortness of breath and called for assistance over Marine VHF radio. The Marine Bureau heard the call and dispatched a rescue boat, Marine Kilo, crewed by Officers Keith Magliola and Christopher DeFeo, who are both New York State Certified Emergency Medical Technicians. >click to read<08:54
New super sturdy lobster trap goes into production
The Lobster Trap Co., which aims to build a more robust trap than what is now available, is making its first commercial manufacturing run of its plastic product this lobster season. The Yarmouth-based company started taking orders three weeks ago and plans to produce at least 10,000 lobster traps for the 2019-20 lobster season along the southwestern shore of Nova Scotia. The new trap design, which meets regulations for use in Canada and the U.S., would replace the wire-mesh components of current traps with polyethylene-based plastic. >click to read<11:41
This summer crisis could take the steam
This year federal authorities are imposing a steep reduction, and a few regions of the East Coast are restricted to fishing, months prior to the lobster season gets rolling. East Coast herring fishermen brought over 200 million pounds of these fish to docks lately as 2014, but the catch of this year will be limited to less than a fifth of that total. The cut scrambling for fresh lure sources, is leaving with herring for generations in Maine lobstermen, who have baited traps and concerned about their capacity to find lobster. >click to read< 12:40
Maryland Act Boosts Offshore Wind Market
Maryland state lawmakers have passed the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) of 2019, which would incentivize the development of 1.2 GW of additional offshore wind energy off the coast of Maryland. US Wind Country Manager Salvo Vitale testified last month before the Senate Finance Committee and House Economic Matters Committee,,, urging passage of the legislation while citing the significant economic benefits that the legislation would make possible by incentivizing the development of 1,200 MegaWatts of additional offshore wind energy off the coast of Maryland. >click to read<14:14
You should read this. Right whale extinction crisis gains momentum on Capitol Hill
Leaders from industry, science and advocacy convened on Capitol Hill this week for a congressional briefing and panel discussion on the North Atlantic right whale extinction crisis. Despite being a busy week in Congress, the room was packed with attendees interested in learning more about the status of the right whale and opportunities for Congress to support the recovery of the species. NRDC cosponsored the briefing and I had the pleasure of presenting on the panel, which was held in cooperation with Representatives Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Jared Huffman (D-CA). The panel provided a compelling overview of the severe threat posed by entanglement, ongoing and future actions aimed at reducing right whale deaths, and the international cooperation needed to secure the whale’s future. >click to read<20:51
DFO – Atlantic mackerel stocks down 86% over past 20 years
The latest stock assessment for Atlantic mackerel contains grim news for one of the region’s most iconic fish. Scientists say the spawning population is now at 86 per cent of pre-2000 levels, and the number of fish surviving to breed is at all-time lows. An assessment by DFO says mackerel are in the “critical zone” where serious harm is occurring and recovery is threatened by overfishing. Adding to the uncertainty are changing environmental conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence where mackerel spawn. >click to read<09:30
As wind giants set sights on NY, fishermen demand a role
As global wind-energy interests set their sights on more than a dozen offshore U.S. energy area’s, two longtime British fishermen who act as go-betweens to the offshore wind industry and the fishing community advised Long Island fishermen to stay vigilant and demand a seat at the table when waters are divvied up. Two dozen Long Island fishermen gathered in Montauk Monday to hear how two veterans of Europe’s maturing offshore wind industry worked to bring their industry into discussions on siting projects in waters that have traditionally been their workplace. It hasn’t been easy, and successes have come only recently, they said. >click to read<16:46
Man charged with illegal lobster fishing in Greenwich, Stamford
A 72-year-old Stamford lobsterman has been arrested on hundreds of charges of illegally fishing from 94 lobster traps in the waters of Stamford and Greenwich at the end of last year. Eugene Karbowski, of Cedar Heights Drive, has been charged by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection with 94 counts of fishing untagged lobster parts,,, After his arraignment Tuesday before Judge Bruce Hudock at the Stamford courthouse, Karbowski’s defense attorney Bruce Koffsky said his client has been a lobsterman for decades, back when someone could make a living doing it. Koffsky said.,,, The great lobster die-off in the west end of Long Island Sound in 1997 has thrown the industry into a tailspin and reduced the number of lobstermen in the area from 311 in 1998 to 76 in 2016. >click to read<
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Avalon, NJ April 8-11, 2019
The public is invited to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s meeting to be held at Icona Avalon Resort, 7849 Dune Dr, Avalon, NJ 08202, Telephone: 609-368-5155 , Briefing Materials & Agenda Overview Agenda >click here< Attend Meeting with Adobe Connect >click here< To Listen Live!! 21:28
Southampton Trustees Win Appeal Against Brookhaven Baymen’s Association
The Southampton Town Trustees were handed a victory in their long fight against the Brookhaven Baymen’s Association, which fought against Southampton’s rules requiring fishermen to be Southampton Town residents to fish within town waters. In 2009, the Brookhaven Baymen’s Association challenged the Trustees’ authority to make it criminal for non-resident fishermen to harvest migratory fish in town waters. The lawsuit was filed after an incident the year before, when a bayman from Brookhaven was ticketed by the Town of Southampton for anchoring a gill net in Moriches Bay. >click to read<12:53
Mafia tactics employed at New Bedford scallop hearing
On March 20 th at the public hearing for Amendment 21 General Category Scallops in New Bedford an incident occurred in the audience that raises serious questions about IFQ management and the consequences of them. A New Jersey fisherman, who was in the area looking at boats for sale, decided to attend the public hearing that night. As he entered the room he was approached by a well known local fishing industry entrepreneur, who now sells boats and fishing quota , and who he has previously done business with. He is also handling the sale of the boat the fisherman is looking to buy. He aggressively gave the fisherman the fifth degree of questioning about why he was at the meeting, leaving said fisherman with an uneasy feeling of intimidation, as the questioning implied don’t testify against the plan. >click to read<09:00
Con Groups File Intent to Sue to Protect Atlantic Sharks, Giant Rays From Lethal Longlines, Gillnets
On behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity and Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice today filed a notice of intent to sue the Trump administration for failing to protect oceanic whitetip sharks and giant manta rays from being killed by longlines and huge nets used by U.S. fishermen in Atlantic fisheries. >click to read<13:59
An April Fools Day Prank and a Hack!
Yesterday was April 1st commonly known as April fools day, a day when people pull pranks for whatever reason suits them. Fisherynation published an April Fool prank claiming that President Donald Trump had announced a complete moratorium of the planning, development, and construction of Offshore Windfarms. If you just read the first paragraph of the article you believed that it was true. If you did read the whole article you would discover that it was a prank and you felt cheated, even mad that someone could pull the wool over your eyes like that, because if you are a fisherman this was your most fervent hope because only the president has the power to stop this outrageous boondoggle at this time. The article was by Boris Badenuff which should have tipped you off. [Rocky and Bullwinkle, Russian collusion?] ,,, The point of the prank,,, >click to read<07:36
President Trump Announces 12 Year Ban On Offshore Wind Power Development
April1st – Early this morning President Donald J. Trump announced a total moratorium on the
planning, development, and construction of offshore windmills for the next twelve years. The President
cited numerous reasons for his decision and declared “This part of the Green New Deal is dead, the only
thing green about offshore wind is the money being thrown around of which the taxpayers and
electricity users will be forced to pay back in excessive electric rates and subsidies.” By Boris Badenuff>click to read<21:15
Bait crisis could take the steam out of lobster this summer
Members of the lobster business fear a looming bait crisis could disrupt the industry during a time when lobsters are as plentiful, valuable and in demand as ever. America’s lobster catch has climbed this decade, especially in Maine, but the fishery is dependent on herring,,, The loss of herring is also a heavy blow to the fishermen who harvest the species, said Jeff Kaelin, who works in government relations for Lund’s Fisheries, a herring harvester based in Cape May, New Jersey. >click to read<13:18
At-Sea Monitoring 2019 Coverage Levels and Reimbursement for Groundfish Sector Fishery
NOAA Fisheries announces that for fishing year 2019 the total target at-sea monitoring coverage level is 31 percent of all groundfish sector trips. Additionally, for fishing year 2019, NOAA Fisheries will continue to reimburse 100 percent of industry’s at-sea monitoring costs. In 2018 and 2019, we received Congressional appropriations that have been and will continue to be used to reimburse sectors for 100 percent of their ASM costs. This reimbursement will continue at 100 percent for the 2019 fishing year. As in past years, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will administer the reimbursement. For more information, >click to read<15:44
New measures to protect striped bass being eyed for the fall.
Fishermen were given the floor at a meeting of the civilian Marine Resources Advisory Council in Setauket to suggest and opine on measures to limit so-called discard mortality — essentially the unintended killing of fish that are too small or over the limit of the one fish at 28 inches that anglers are allowed to keep in a season that starts April 15 through December 15. Suggestions included everything from banning surfcasting and commercial fishing nets to requiring hooks that limit damage to fish. The measures were alternately greeted by heckles or applause from the standing-room-only crowd of chiefly fishing boat captains and anglers from across Long Island. “The whole problem is dead discards from the recreational fishery,” said commercial fisherman John German of Brookhaven, who criticized the “inhumane” practice of catching fish with barbed hooks. “You eliminate that you’d be in fine shape.” >click to read<
Coast Guard study of travel routes underway
The Coast Guard has begun a study of vessel traffic in and around the seven offshore energy lease areas south of the Islands to determine if any new vessel travel routes are necessary to improve navigational safety, according to Tuesday’s notice in the Federal Register.,,, “The study’s future results will provide important information for orderly development of the New England offshore wind area in a way that ensures safe navigation for all mariners.”,,, A vessel transit layout announced in September was from a Massachusetts state government-organized fisheries working group on offshore wind, with one east-west route, one north-south route and one diagonal route. But in early December, Rhode Island commercial fishermen said they needed wider corridors, in the range of 4-miles wide, to safely maneuver their vessels. >click to read<13:11
Gas pipeline would ‘rip up the clam beds’ in N.J. for New Yorkers’ sake, foes say
Richard Isaksen has been clamming and crabbing in Raritan Bay and fishing lower New York Bay for 50 of his 63 years. It’s a hard life, but it’s the only one he knows, and all he wants for himself and his fellow fishermen is to be able to keep plying those waters. “We ain’t asking for nothing,” said Isaksen, of Middletown, who’s the skipper of the 65-foot fishing boat Isaetta and president of the Belford Seafood Coop in Monmouth County. “We just want to make a living.” But that could much tougher, Isaksen said, if state regulators join federal counterparts in approving the so-called Rarian Loop, a 23-mile underwater natural gas pipeline that would run along the sea floor across Raritan Bay and Lower New York Bay to Brooklyn. >click to read<13:36
NOAA, BOEM, Fishing Industry Sign New Memorandum of Understanding
NOAA Fisheries, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) signed a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding that brings local and regional fishing interests together with federal regulators to collaborate on the science and process of offshore wind energy development on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. >click to read<12:52
NOAA official talks ‘damage’ to scallop industry from offshore wind
Michael Pentony’s initial comments came when asked in an editorial board meeting if offshore wind gives the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cause for concern about the sustainability of the scallop industry, particularly with regard to wind turbines off New York. He began,”I think it’s difficult to say that we have concerns about the sustainability of a three- to five hundred million dollar a year fishery.,,, >click to read<10:07
NOAA questions BOEM’s Vineyard Wind environmental impact study
Michael Pentony, the head of NOAA’s Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, warned in a March 15 letter that the report on Vineyard Wind completed by the U.S Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in December included conclusions that were not well supported by data and needed additional analysis of several key angles of impact. “We determined that many of the conclusory statements relating to the scale of impacts for biological and socioeconomic resources are not well supported in the document,” Pentony wrote in his letter to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. “Specifically, impacts categorized as major appear under-inclusive, while impacts designated as moderate seem overly inclusive.” >click to read<18:36
Vineyard Wind impact on fish under scrutiny – NOAA Fisheries criticises several aspects of BOEM’s draft environmental impact statement of 800MW project >click to read<
More fluke could be coming for Connecticut fishermen
Last week, the MAFMC and the ASMFC increased the annual coastwide commercial quota for summer flounder for 2019-21 to 11.53 million pounds. While states will continue to receive allocations based on their historic landings up to 9.55 million pounds, landings after that will be divided equally among mid-Atlantic and southern New England states.>click to read<10:33
Fisherman: New Jersey shark fin ban bill punishes wrong people
A New Jersey assembly committee will vote on a bill Monday that would prohibit the selling, trading, distribution or possession of any shark fin that has been separated from a shark prior to its lawful landing. The bill is part of a larger national and international movement to crack down on illegal shark finning, but fishing industry members here say this particular bill will also hurt local fishermen not involved in the illegal trade.,,, Greg DiDomenico, president of the Garden State Seafood Association, said the act will harm the legitimate U.S. fishermen. “The U.S. is a leader in shark conservation and this legislation causes waste in U.S. fisheries,” DiDomenico said. >click to read<11:48
NOAA/NMFS Seeks Comments on Proposed Measures for the Jonah Crab Fishery
NOAA Fisheries seeks comments on proposed measures for the Jonah crab fishery that complement the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Jonah Crab.,,, Proposed measures include limiting Jonah crab harvest to those who already have a limited-access American lobster permit, a minimum size, protection for egg-bearing females, and incidental catch limits.These proposed regulations do not expand trap fishing effort. They propose to regulate the catch of Jonah crabs that is already occurring in the American lobster fishery. >click to read<13:20
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