Category Archives: National
Portland waterfront rezoning moves forward, Fisherman’s Wharf project doesn’t
As the Portland Planning Board moves forward on changes that will restrict commercial development on Commercial Street, the project that prompted it is no longer in play. The $40 million Fisherman’s Wharf mixed-use project planned for Fisherman’s Wharf on Commercial Street by Bateman Partners LLC is completely withdrawn, spokesman Mark Robinson said Wednesday. Ken MacGowan, owner of Custom House Wharf, said, “As a property owner I feel like we’re not being heard anymore.” But others, including lobstermen Willis Spear and Bill Coppersmith, both of whom are on the Waterfront Working Committee, pressed the importance of preserving the working waterfront. >click to read<11:36
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 59.9′ Gladding & Hearn Steel Dragger, Cat 3408, State/Federal Permits
Specifications, information and 5 photos >click here< The entire pilothouse was replaced, including systems, wiring, crew accommodation and electronics approximately two years ago. Galley, foc’sle area and pilothouse are all finished to yacht standards. All electronics and pilothouse systems new in the past two years. This vessel is in extremely good condition. To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 12:17
North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District candidate Phil Law Responds to N.C. Seafood Industry questions
Phil Law (Republican) is a candidate for North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House. Law is running in the primary on April 30, 2019. The general special election is September 10, 2019. Note: The general election will be held July 9, 2019, if no primary runoff is needed.,,, Question 5.) What do you think of windfarms in the ocean off our coast? I do not favor this idea. >click to read< 13:33
Earth Day: Not a Single Environmental Prediction of the Last 50 Years Has Come True
We should be thankful that the gloom-and-doom predictions made throughout the past several decades haven’t come true. Fear-mongering about explosive population growth, food crises and the imminent depletion of natural resources have been a staple of Earth Day events since 1970. And the common thread among them is that they’ve stirred up a lot more emotions than facts. >click to read<10:23
OPINION: Bristol Bay’s future is in our fish and natural resources
We are just a few of the many young adults whose livelihoods depend on the clean water and pristine land that has sustained the people of Bristol Bay since time immemorial. As Pebble tries to sell Alaskans on its sham of a mine plan, this time by focusing on jobs, we want to clear something up: We oppose Pebble Mine. We want to protect the environment that provides the resources to sustain our communities and families, and we won’t stop until our work is done. >click to read<11:17
NOAA scientist: Offshore wind projects will likely affect viability of fishery surveys
At a special session of the New England Fisheries Management Council covering offshore wind, Wendy Gabriel, of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, outlined a wide number of concerns for the organization regarding the development of wind power along the coast. Chief among the concerns was the organization’s ability to continue conducting viable fishery surveys – which provide much of the data that the council uses to establish fishing quotas. “The bottom-line here is, nearly all of the long-term fishery independent surveys that have coverage will be affected,” she said during the session. >click to read<10:06
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for April19, 2019
>Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<09:39
New England Fishery Management Council explores monitoring alternatives
The New England Fishery Management Council continues to work on an amendment to improve monitoring within the groundfish fishery, with a particular emphasis on generating more options within the dockside monitoring alternatives. Meeting for three days this week in Mystic, Connecticut, the council approved several additions and modifications to the original range of groundfish monitoring alternatives, with an eye toward completing a draft environmental impact statement in time to schedule public hearings later this year. The council also requested its Groundfish Committee “expand the number of options,,, >click to read<08:26
Meet the seal seller keeping Good Friday traditions alive in Newfoundland
The seal hunt is not what it used to be, and neither is the habit of eating flippers on Good Friday, but at least one retailer in Newfoundland is doing his part to keep the custom alive. Reg Taylor of Taylor’s Fish, Fruit and Vegetable Market will be selling seal by the seashore this week. “We were very lucky. The truck got back late last night,” Taylor told The St. John’s Morning Show on Wednesday. “Picked up a load of flippers and carcass, and they’ll be on the waterfront.” >click to read<16:48
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 50′ x 4′ Ext. x 24′ Novi Lobster Boat
Specifications, information and 9 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< Vessel is in excellent condition. 14:35
Gloucester Captain offers classes for aspiring Fishermen
Capt. Joe Sanfilippo fished out of Gloucester for more than 20 years alongside siblings and family members. For much of that time, a seed was germinating.,,, Which brings us to the germinating seed. Sanfilippo, as the industry evolved, often thought there might be a better way to give aspiring commercial fishermen a head start entering the profession. Now he is trying to pass along the very mechanics of working on a commercial fishing boat,,, “My goal is to have a commercial fishing training center in Gloucester, almost like a vocational school,” Sanfilippo said. >click to read<21:20
‘We Were Blindsided:’ Crab Fishing Closure Could Mean Millions in Losses
At the April 9 Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting, the security check-in station resembled a metropolitan airport with a long line of people stretched out the courthouse doors and halfway down the stairs to Fifth Street. All seats in the chamber were filled, the space between the chairs and the wall was filled with people standing, and others waited outside the door for a chance to speak. The source of the commotion was a sudden and unexpected closure of the Dungeness crab fishery. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife had ordered all crab fishermen throughout the state to remove their gear from the ocean by April 15. >click to read<14:40
DC Circuit Sinks Challenge to Fishing Bycatch Rule
The D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the government’s method of counting fish and other sea life that are unintentionally swept up in commercial fishing nets. The NMFS changed its method for counting bycatch in 2015,,, The 2015 change puts trained reporters, typically biologists, on a sample of fishing boats to count bycatch. Their numbers are then extrapolated across entire fleets, giving the government an estimate to work with. Conservation group Oceana challenged the new rule,,, >click to read<19:25
Pawning off one farmer as representing all is a cheap trick in the dam-removal campaign
Advocates for tearing down the Snake River dams made a scheming move last week in Olympia, but they didn’t fool Eastern Washington lawmakers. If anything, their failed strategy strengthened the resolve of many of our region’s legislators, who were frustrated by the misrepresentation. Here is the story: A Seattle-based marketing firm sent out news releases this month saying that an “unlikely alliance” of fisherman, farmers and small business owners was gathering April 10 at the state capitol to support creating a forum focused on the dams. >click to read<13:07
Friday Funny – backup plan for wind power by Anthony Watts
As we all know, wind power can’t function well as a primary energy generator, the erratic nature of wind means you always need a backup for base load generation. Typically this is from coal, nuclear, or hydroelectric power. But, Josh thinks he’s found the perfect backup plan for wind power. >click to read< www.wattsupwiththat.com 10:23
Resolutions Introduced in 3 States to Designate 2019 as International Year of the Salmon
State representatives from three states are introducing resolutions and a joint memorial this week to recognize 2019 as International Year of the Salmon.,, Rep. Geran Tarr of Alaska, Rep. Debra Lekanoff of Washington, and Rep. Ken Helm of Oregon are working on the initiative in concert with the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization. >click to read<20:01
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 87.7 Steel Shrimper/Longliner/Scalloper Cat 3412
Specifications, information and 22 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< This vessel has big power and a big reduction at 720 HP with 7:1 gear. She pulls hard, great 2 dredge scallop boat. 12:07
Your Thoughts? New rule would turn back clock for US fishing industry
A Proposed Rule – Shipping Act, Merchant Marine, and Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) Provisions; Fishing Vessel, Fishing Facility and Individual Fishing Quota Lending Program – >click to read< In the second half of the 20th century, the U.S. fishing industry was plagued by too many boats chasing too few fish. Overfishing was rampant, profits for fishermen were low and the federal government fueled the flames by subsidizing the construction of new fishing vessels with taxpayer dollars. By the mid-1990s,,,, Now the Trump administration wants to forget all of those hard lessons learned and begin subsidizing new fishing vessel construction again in a rule proposed last November that could be finalized any day. >click to read<09:11
High-Stakes Hunt for Crab: ‘Deadliest Catch’ Returns for Milestone Season 15
Discovery’s Deadliest Catch welcomes you to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, for its 15th season on Tuesday, April 9. New to the fleet is the cutthroat, no-nonsense Captain Steve “Harley” Davidson with the 148-foot-long Southern Wind. The boat is the second-largest in the fleet, behind only Captain Keith Colburn’s boat The Wizard. Harley, who has captained the Southern Wind for 15 years, doesn’t make friends easily — including Captain Keith, who considers Harley as enemy No. 1. >click to read<13:24
Always Top Quality! Your Seafreeze Ltd. Price Sheet for April 2019 Has Arrived!
Contact our sales team today @ 401 295 2585 or 800 732 273 T review the complete price list from Seafreeze Ltd., >Click here< – We are Direct to the Source-We are Fishermen-We are Seafreeze Ltd! >Click here< to visit our website!12:07
Fishy Business | New Patagonia Film ‘Artifishal’ Highlights Devastating Impact Of Fish Farms
Salmon’s delicious, isn’t it? Laid out on a bed of rice, with a drizzling of teriyaki sauce over the top, yeah it’s making you drool just thinking about it. But, and we hate to be a buzzkill on you like this, have you ever stopped to consider where your salmon’s coming from? Or for that matter, where loads of that tasty-looking fish you see in your supermarket originates? These are the questions that sit at the very heart of Patagonia‘s new film ‘Artifishal’. Produced by the Patagonia founder, and big-cheese, Yvon Chouinard himself, the documentary looks to address wild fish, wild rivers, and the habitat destruction that’s come as a result of fish farms and fish hatcheries. Video trailer, >click to read<11:34
Behind the Scenes with Wicked Tuna
The men on the dock were the tuna boat captains who head the cast of the upcoming eighth season of the National Geographic channel’s reality show Wicked Tuna, airing this year. They had spent the summer fishing—and filming—and had plans to ply the waters throughout the fall, but for the moment they were fulfilling the responsibilities of their other job: TV star. “We’re just fishermen who got a shot at doing something really cool,” says T.J. Ott, who captains the Hot Tuna on and off the show, which has developed a cult following. >click to read<21:27
This Nest of Dangers: Gillnetting in 1884, 1887, and 1975
Just now, it’s raining axe handles out there; it’s the weekend of Fisher Poets in Astoria, and I’ve been reading the annual report of the U.S. Life Saving Service from the 1880s. Those Cape Disappointment reports tell of hard work, and a hard life, and a harder death. To begin with, the Life Saving reports describe the gillnet fishery of 1884:,, “In the lower part of the Columbia River there are annually employed at least two thousand of these boats, manned by four thousand fishermen. During the season the fishing goes on day and night,.,,, Nearly a century later, in 1975,, “A long time Bristol Bay fisherman spotted [gillnetter] Les Clark of Chinook [profiled in the April 3, 2019 Observer] on Wednesday, Sept. 17, and asked if he could shake his hand. ‘You’re the only man I’ve ever heard about … who got caught in his net reel and came out of it alive.’ Mr. Clark shook the man’s hand heartily. Great read. >click to read<19:25
Sen. Marco Rubio Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Promote U.S. Shark Conservation
U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) reintroduced the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act (S. 1008), bicameral legislation that recognizes the sustainable and economically-valuable fishing practices of U.S. shark fishermen and promotes U.S. standards for shark conservation and humane harvest abroad. >click to read<11:19
Maine elver season gets slower start, but values still above average
Maine’s elver fishery got its start on 22 March, and at two weeks in, the average price-per-pound is sitting well above historical averages. Maine’s elver fishery made headlines last year as the prices being paid for the baby eels hit historic highs, with some reporting getting prices of over USD 2,500 (EUR 2,225) per pound. Maine Department of Marine Resources landing statistics show that the fishery brought in USD 21.7 million (EUR 19.3 million) in 2018, with an average seasonal price of USD 2,366 (EUR 2,105) per pound, making it the second-most valuable fishery in the state behind lobster. >click to read<10:42
406 Day: National Campaign for Awareness of EPIRB, Emergency Locator Beacon Importance
Editor’s Note: Coast Guard members in your area may be available to discuss 406 Day and the importance of EPIRBs and PLBs.,,,Saturday, April 6, is 406 Day, a national campaign run by NOAA to spread awareness of the importance of emergency position indicating radio beacons, or EPIRBS, and personal locator beacons, or PLBs, in boating safety. In 2018, the Eighth Coast Guard District responded to over 200 distress signals from EPIRBS aboard aircraft and boats. An EPIRB works by transmitting a signal that is picked up by a satellite and then relayed to a rescue coordination center. >click to read<13:41
Canadian-U.S. Lobstermen’s Town Meeting set for this weekend
The University of Maine’s Lobster Institute will host the 15th edition of the Canadian-U.S. Lobstermen’s Town Meeting at the Westin Portland Harborview Hotel on Friday and Saturday, April 5 and 6. The theme of this year’s meeting is “Two Nations, Two Fisheries: Shared Challenges, Shared Opportunities.” Lobstermen, dealers, processors, scientists and policymakers from the Northeast United States and Atlantic Canada will gather together for discussions about the status of the lobster resource and the business of lobstering. >click to read<19:06
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 36′ Northern Bay Tuna/Charter, 430HP, 6 Cylinder Volvo
Specifications, information and 19 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here<15:42
Lake Erie walleye quotas up but ‘devastating’ drop for perch, says commercial fishery
The allowable catch limit for yellow perch in Lake Erie has dropped by as much as 32 per cent for the part of the lake near Chatham-Kent, Tim Tiessen, president of the Ontario Commercial Fisheries’ Association, said Monday. The quota is dropping by about 20 per cent for commercial fishing boats operating south of Essex County.,,, “That’s going to be hard for the fisherman,” On the plus side, the quota for walleye is going up about 20 per cent across Lake Erie. The binational Lake Erie Committee of fishery managers from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Ontario recently decided the total allowable catch limits,,, >click to read<16:43
