Category Archives: Pacific
Oregon: Coast Guard offers safety training for commercial fishermen
Dungeness crab season is approaching and soon commercial fisherman will be out on the dangerous waters, so the Coast Guard is offering marine safety and survival training for them. The agency says they have five different two-day training sessions scheduled on the Oregon Coast over the next couple of months. Training is designed for commercial fishermen and will provide them hands-on experience with safety equipment and emergency drills. >click to read<17:50
Most Lobsters Caught In San Diego Wind Up On Chinese Plates
“Even a lot of people local don’t even really know we have this species of lobsters,” said Apex Wild Seafood owner David Schulken. “Because not that much of it gets sold here.” The price of a locally-caught spiny lobster is much higher than a Maine lobster imported from the East Coast. “Retail price for spiny’s is around $30 a pound,” Schulken said. “And retail for Maine lobster somewhere between $12 and $15 a pound.” Video>click to read<13:15
A boat takes shape
Though the date of the photo is still unknown, Crescent City resident Richard Evanow says he saw the boat take shape. Featured in a Sept. 25 edition of “Yesterdays: From the Triplicate Archives,” the boat was constructed on Parkway Drive in Crescent City, Evanow said in an email Friday. He said he thinks it was built at Dickson Concrete and was able to outline how such a vessel is created. “The idea is to make a ‘plug’ out of wood using light wood over wooden frames to the shape of the vessel you want,” >click to read<19:16
NH delegation requests Hampton Harbor emergency dredging while Depoe Bay Mayor ready to do jail time for dredging
The congressional delegation from New Hampshire is requesting that emergency dredging of Hampton Harbor be included in the Army Corps of Engineers’ work plan for the 2019 fiscal year. The plan must be submitted to Congress no later than Nov. 20. Sand shoals in the harbor are causing serious issues for those who navigate the waters for work and recreation. The channel is currently only 20 to 30 feet wide in some places and at least two boats have gotten stuck on the shoals this season. >click to read< Declaring her intent to save the town’s harbor from an onslaught of muddy silt, Mayor Barbara Leff said she would do anything — including jail time — to dig the harbor out of trouble following a futile plea for help to federal officials. “We’ve done all the political things we can to get the harbor dredged,”, >click to read<10:49
Washington man gets prison for overharvesting sea cucumbers, must pay $1.5M
The owner of a Washington seafood company has been sentenced to two years in prison for overharvesting sea cucumbers and must pay $1.5 million in restitution — the second large bust of illegal sea-cucumber trade in the U.S. West in just over a year. Hoon Namkoong, 62, was also sentenced Friday to three years of post-prison supervision. He pleaded guilty earlier this year in U.S. District Court in Seattle to underreporting the number of sea cucumbers he bought from tribal and nontribal fisheries in the Puget Sound by nearly 250,000 pounds between 2014 and 2016. His company, Orient Seafood Production, then sold them to seafood buyers in Asia and the U.S. >click to read<10:09
Shark attacks 13-year-old boy diving for lobster at San Diego County beach
A 13-year-old boy diving for lobster was attacked by a shark Saturday morning near Beacon’s Beach in Encinitas, leaving him with traumatic upper body wounds, authorities said. The attack occurred just before 7 a.m. off Neptune Avenue at the foot of Leucadia Boulevard, an hour into opening day of the lobster diving season, authorities said. Chad Hammel was hunting with two friends — an off-duty Oceanside police officer and a state parks lifeguard — when they heard what seemed like a diver’s excited squeals after a catch.,, “His whole clavicle was ripped open,” Hammel said of the victim. ”We told him he’s going to be OK, he’s going to be all right — we got help. I yelled at everyone to get out of the water: ‘There’s a shark in the water!’”>click to read<19:31
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Declares Commercial Fishery Disasters for West Coast Salmon and Sardines
Today, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that commercial fishery failures occurred between 2015 and 2017 for salmon fisheries in Washington, Oregon, and California, in addition to the sardine fishery in California. “The Department of Commerce and NOAA stand ready to assist fishing towns and cities along the West Coast as they recover,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “After years of hardship, the Department looks forward to providing economic relief that will allow the fisheries and the communities they help support to rebound.” >click to read<11:02
Blood, guts and albacore -‘Battlefish’ series gives glimpse into gritty world of West Coast commercial albacore fishing
It’s blood, hooks, aching backs and sun-burnt skin. And cussing. Lots of cussing. A new Netflix series, “Battlefish,” debuted Friday, Sept. 21, giving audiences a raw glimpse into the commercial albacore tuna fishery off the Washington and Oregon coast. The series follows five crews from fishing vessels TNT, Oppor-Tuna-Ty, Intrepid, Judy S and Ashley Nicole from the ports of Ilwaco, Warrenton and Westport during the 2017 albacore tuna season. California-based Pilgrim Media Group, creators of other reality shows such as “Wicked Tuna,” “The Ultimate Fighter” and “Dirty Jobs,” produced the series. >click to read<09:07
Governor’s task force releases draft plan to save southern resident orcas
Draft recommendations from the governor’s southern resident killer whale task force were released Monday, shedding light on a plan to help save the endangered orcas. The draft is filled with actionable items meant to address issues the orcas face, like prey availability, toxic contaminates and vessel traffic. The 45-member task force will have time to suggest changes before the final report is due to Gov. Jay Inslee’s office on Nov. 16. From there, the governor might take executive action or bring recommendations to the state legislature. >click to read<10:03
Fishing vessel burns at Fishermen’s Terminal
Dozens of firefighters responded by land and by water to a fire on a large fishing trawler at Fishermen’s Terminal just after 7 this morning. Seattle Fire says there are no injuries. The fire was burning below deck, which made access difficult. Hoses had to be run down the long dock. But firefighters had the fire under control a short time later.,,, The boat is the “Ocean Explorer“, a 145-foot long fishing trawler based out of Seattle. Lucas Bonnema photos>click to read<13:50
Court battle pits liar vs. liar – Flawed men tussle over who committed Ilwaco strangling
The defendant made his case with a shaking voice. The witness re-enacted a vicious murder with scarcely contained glee. The defense attorney teared up. And after two days of sordid testimony concluded on Sept. 12, U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Leighton said he was no closer to understanding what really happened when Oregon fisherman John Adkins was beaten, then strangled in the Port of Ilwaco in July 2009. Adkins’ former business partner, Erin Rieman, 55, pleaded to manslaughter in 2010, after former Pacific County Prosecutor David Burke gave deckhand Walter Bremmer, 54, full immunity in exchange for his testimony. However, when Bremmer fatally strangled a Hawaii man, Robert “Johnny” Leong, in 2012, Rieman asked to withdraw his plea, saying he only took it to prevent Bremmer from killing his family members. >click to read<12:03
Dory Fleet holds special piece of maritime history
Pacific City, a beautiful stretch along the stunning Oregon Coast, prides itself in being “The Home of the Dory Fleet.” What is a dory? How did dory fishing develop into what it is today in Pacific City? In general, a dory is a 16- 23-foot lightweight vessel with a flat bottom and tall sides made from wooden planks. Our traditional double ended dories were developed in New England in the early 18th Century. Designed for maneuverability, balance, and fairly easy rowing, a dory provides the skilled operator with a stable platform for navigating and hauling large amounts of fish. >click to read<10:25
Pacific Salmon Treaty – Alaska salmon negotiators accept fewer ‘treaty fish’
For more than 30 years, the Pacific Salmon Commission has allocated salmon stocks shared between the U.S. and Canada. It’s re-negotiated every 10 years, and the latest version expires at the end of 2018. Formal talks finished in mid-August. Now, the numbers are out: Alaska will accept a 7.5 percent reduction, compared to 12.5 percent for Canada. In Washington and Oregon, the cuts range from 5 to 15 percent. “There’s some that would consider it to be winners and losers and I think in this case, I think everybody was equally disappointed,” said Alaska Fish and Game Deputy Commissioner Charlie Swanton, who headed Alaska’s delegation. >click to read<08:55
NOAA calls off active search for killer whale J50
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has called off the active search for a sick killer whale that garnered international attention. The southern resident killer whale known as J50 hasn’t been seen for several days and earlier in the week was presumed dead by a scientist, but NOAA and Fisheries and Oceans Canada hadn’t given up hope, until now. “It seems like the window of time she would likely be alive has passed,” said NOAA spokesman Michael Milstein on Saturday. Dan Bate, a spokesman for the department of fisheries, said the DFO and Straitwatch, a marine conservation organization, continued looking for J50 on Saturday, but to no avail. >click to read<10:33
4th Annual Fish and Fleet Festival Returns to the Pillar Point Harbor on Sunday
If you are a lover of seafood, here’s a chance to see the classic fishing boats and colorful crews that go out to the deep sea to catch your favorite dishes. It’s time for the 4th annual Fish and Fleet Festival being held Sunday at the Pillar Point Harbor from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Along with seafood, The Fish and Fleet Festival will also showcase boats that would thrill Ernest Hemingway. One is names Mr. Morgan and it looks like a commercial fishing vessel one would see in a novel or a movie. >click to read<19:22
First offshore wind farm on West Coast is one step closer
The Redwood Coast Energy Authority, with support from several private companies, is one step closer to developing the first offshore wind farm on the West Coast, according to its executive director Matthew Marshall. The authority, along with Principle Power, Aker Solutions, and EDP Renewables, recently submitted a lease application to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. According to Marshall, if approved the lease would give the authority and its partners “site control” over an ocean area of approximately 70 square miles, meaning they have exclusive project rights to that area. This doesn’t mean the project will span 70 square miles, Marshall said, instead it defines the boundaries of where Redwood Coast could put the project. >click to read<14:10
Coast guard joins search for missing orca J50
Coast Guard personnel are assisting members of NOAA’s Fisheries Service in the search for the missing Southern Resident killer whale, J50. An intense search effort was launched Thursday in which a Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Port Angeles, several NOAA researchers in separate boats and multiple whale watching vessels and organizations searched for the 31/2-year-old whale. Various news sources report the whale as dead. >click to read<17:07
Local Fisheries Biologist Pleads Not Guilty to Molestation Charges
A well-known fish biologist and river-restoration expert pleaded not guilty today to charges that he molested a young girl in 2014 and 2015. Public Defender Marek Reavis entered the pleas on behalf of 43-year-old Dr. Joshua Seth Strange, charged with two felony counts of oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child under 10 years old and two felony counts of lewd and/or lascivious acts on a child under age 14. Strange was arrested on a warrant on Aug. 31 at a residence on Highway 96. Deputies reportedly found him hiding in a closet. He is being held on bail of $1.4 million. >click to read<11:32
Search For Missing Fisherman Suspended
The search for a fisherman reported missing Friday night after falling off of his boat into the Pacific Ocean about two miles off the Sonoma County shore has been suspended, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The man, whose name was not available Sunday, fell off his boat, a 40-foot salmon trawler named the “Ricky Leboy,” about 7:45 p.m. Friday, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Athena Stricker. The man was not wearing a life vest, and it wasn’t certain how he fell into the water, Stricker said. A California Highway Patrol helicopter joined a 47-foot Coast Guard vessel in the initial search, and a Coast Guard helicopter later took over for the CHP’s air unit. >link<08:53
‘Slime eel’ massacre caused by Washington man’s boat accident, lawsuit says
An Oregon boater is in a bit of a mess after he caused thousands of pounds of live “slime eels” to die, according to a lawsuit from the company that planned to sell the hagfish to Asia consumers.
Darin Rodabaugh is accused of negligence in a lawsuit from AA Seafood of Depoe Bay. The lawsuit claims Rodabaugh, from Kennewick, Washington, was pulling his boat out of the water at the Port of Depoe Bay on Sept. 10, 2016, and didn’t lower the antenna or mast.,,But more importantly to AA Seafood, it knocked out the power to the warehouse where the company stored 16,400 pounds of live hagfish.,,, This quiet industry went largely unnoticed until 2017 when a truck from AA Seafood carrying 7,500 pounds of live hagfish lost several containers along U.S. 101 near Cape Foulweather about 3 miles south of Depoe Bay. photo’s >click to read<13:39
Impossible Choices: The Complicated Task of Saving Both Orca and Salmon
Decades of politics and foot-dragging have stymied the recovery of threatened and endangered Chinook salmon, while an iconic population of killer whales that depends on them veered toward extinction. Now, a last-ditch effort to save the whales may also be what thwarts the recovery of Chinook. The Southern Resident killer whales are dying. An extended family of 75 orcas living year-round in the sea surrounding the San Juan Islands near Seattle, their numbers never fully rebounded since aquariums that later became SeaWorld captured a third of them in the late 1960s. And there are other culprits. Cargo ships and whale-watching boats zip through the Salish Sea, adding noise that interferes with the whales’ ability to locate each other and their prey. The water they live in is toxic. The Puget Sound outside Seattle is tainted with flame retardant, and PCBs and pollutants gush from nearby rivers into the sea. >click to read<10:13
Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting September 5-12, 2018 in Seattle
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory bodies will meet September 5-12, 2018 in Seattle, Washington at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport 18740 International Boulevard Seattle, WA 98188. Detailed Agenda>click here< Listen to the June 2018 Meeting Internet Live Stream Enter the Webinar ID – The PFMC meetings 2018 Webinar ID is: 530-089-227 Please enter your email address (required)>click here< PFMC meeting page >click here<19:54
Fishermen concerned about salmon boycott at Seattle restaurants
There is new concern about the impacts restaurants may be having on the commercial fishing industry as a growing number of Seattle chefs decide to remove Chinook salmon from their menus to help rebuild the fish population and save the orcas.,, But many are concerned the boycott is counterproductive. Pete Knutson, a long-time commercial fisherman and commissioner of the Puget Sound Salmon Commission, points out that most of the Chinook that end up on restaurant menus are harvested after they’ve already passed through the areas where the orcas feed. Video >click to read<11:18
Sick River: Can These California Tribes Beat Heroin and History?
For thousands of years, the Klamath River has been a source of nourishment for the Northern California tribes that live on its banks. Its fish fed dozens of Indian villages along its winding path, and its waters cleansed their spirits, as promised in their creation stories. But now a crisis of opioid addiction is gripping this remote region. At the same time, the Klamath’s once-abundant salmon runs have declined to historic lows, the culmination of 100 years of development and dam building along the river. Today, many members of the Yurok, Karuk and Hoopa tribes living in this densely forested area south of the California-Oregon border see a connection between the river’s struggle and their own. >click to read<16:01
New Washington DFW director has deep Harbor roots
He grew up hunting and fishing in Grays Harbor County. Now, Kelly Susewind has taken the reigns of the State Department of Fish and Wildlife. It begs the question: After 28 years with Natural Resources, why take on the leadership role in one of the biggest and most criticized agencies in the state? “I debated it, jumping into the fire,” he said. “I had 28 years in at the Department of Ecology, and a passion for natural resources in general. I grew that passion hunting and fishing, and I see the work of this agency as the most important work in the state. I saw it was at a critical point and I like to be where the action is.” >click to read<14:17
Albacore Tuna: A Thrilling Fishery at the Westport Marina
Imagine the thrill of hooking a 20 pound fish that can swim up to 50 mph. Every year, hundreds of such thrill-seekers journey to the Westport Marina for the unique experience of catching North Pacific Albacore tuna. This sustainable fishery is an economic mainstay of Washington’s leading commercial fish landing port. Each summer, when the schools of albacore return, so do their fans, spurring commercial, recreational, and retail activity at the Westport Marina. >click to read<09:05
CALIFORNIA VOTES TO MAKE ITSELF MORE RELIANT ON IMPORTED FISH
California lawmakers passed legislation that would ban drift nets and help save endangered sea animals, but critics argue such a ban would ultimately have the opposite effect.,,, “I don’t know what I’d do,” Mike Flynn — who has depended on drift gill nets to capture swordfish for 40 years — said in a statement to NBC Bay Area. “There’s very few of us left, and we don’t seem to have a chance … we’re being villainized, unjustly.”,, The campaign to ban large drift nets in California began several years ago. Environmental groups — Mercy for Animals, Sea Legacy, Turtle Island Restoration Network and others,,sent a team of photographers underwater with the goal of capturing heart-wrenching pictures of trapped fish. The photos were used by activists to demand a ban. >click to read< In a related post about the photographer, SHOCKER: National Geographic admits they were wrong about “starving polar bear” video – >click to read<10:01
California passes bill to ban drift net fishing
California is set to officially ban commercial fishermen from using drift nets off its coasts. The state legislature passed a bill Thursday that would make it ultimately unlawful for commercial fishers to use shark or swordfish drift gillnets, as well as troll lines and hand lines that are more than 900 feet in length, unless they are used as set lines. The law will set up an transition program to phase out fisherman’s use of shark or swordfish drift nets by offering incentives to those who voluntarily give up their previously received permit. The state would fund the transition by using $1 million in funds from its Ocean Protection Council for whale and sea turtle entanglement.,, The California state bill now awaits Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) signature. He has until Sept 30. to sign it into law. >click to read<15:54
Fisheries Omnibus Bill of 2018 – California Lawmakers Act to Protect Whales, Turtles From Entanglement
The California Senate yesterday sent legislation to Gov. Jerry Brown to sign that requires the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to adopt regulations to prevent whales and sea turtles from being entangled in commercial Dungeness crab lines. West Coast entanglements have skyrocketed in recent years. California commercial Dungeness crab gear is responsible for the majority of entanglements where the gear could be identified, entangling at least 35 whales from 2015 to 2017. Senate Bill 1309 responded to the crisis by requiring regulations by November 1, 2020, and directing the department to restrict fishing as needed until then to prevent a significant risk of entanglements. >click to read<20:33
Oregon boat captain accused of drunken assault on woman at sea
An Oregon man accused of assaulting a woman on a commercial fishing ship he was operating while intoxicated was arrested after a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter located the vessel and sent a response boat to board the ship, according to federal court documents. Branden Michael Vanderploeg of Winchester Bay is charged with assault within maritime jurisdiction and operating a commercial vessel under the influence of alcohol. Vanderploeg, 38, is accused of holding the woman down, punching her repeatedly in the face, slamming her head into a tool box and swinging a fishing gaff at her – a pole with a sharp hook at the end used to stab large fish, >click to read<18:43
