Category Archives: Pacific
Save salmon; kill sea lions
Another spring, another much anticipated migration of “Kings of the Columbia,” our Pacific Northwest’s most revered salmonoid, the chinook salmon. Or perhaps not. At one-time chinook and their cousins migrated upstream by the hundreds of thousands. No longer. Salmon and steelhead are on the fast track to becoming endangered species. The Columbia River has its problems when considering fish migrations. The dams, commercial transportation, irrigation demands, you name it. These problems are solvable, but it will take time. There is now one glaring problem that can be simply and quickly resolved. >click to read<15:05
95 year old wooden boat – The Lady Mabel is back on the water after repairs in Charleston
One of the Charleston Marina’s oldest wooden boats, The Lady Mabel, made it back into the water on Thursday morning after spending two months undergoing repairs at the Charleston Shipyard. The 52-foot boat was tall enough to stop traffic, as the draw bridge to the marina had to be opened for it to pass. Mabel is a 95-year-old wooden boat that is still used as a commercial fishing vessel. Few fishermen still use wooden boats and even fewer use boats as old as Mabel. >click to read< 14:29
Coast Guard assists fishermen near Humboldt Bay
The Coast Guard assisted four Dungeness crab fishermen aboard a 45-foot commercial fishing vessel a half-mile west of Table Bluff, Monday evening. The Miss Jessie crew contacted Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay watchstanders via VHF-FM channel 16 around 5:30 p.m., reporting their fishing vessel had lost steering in 10-foot seas and 30-mph winds just outside the breaking surf. The boat crew towed the Miss Jessie across the bar to Woodley Island Marina, where they moored up around 9 p.m. Monday. -USCG- video>click here<19:30
Iconic Monterey boat the San Giovanni on dry land for some TLC
The last remaining large scale wooden fishing vessel in Monterey has been hauled out to dry dock for renovation. The San Giovanni has been at home port in Monterey harbor for almost 60s years and the boat has become a piece of history in the community. Until four years ago the crew was still taking the boat out on commercial fishing expeditions, making it the only wooden boat of it’s size still operating in Monterey. After the work is completed on the San Giovanni this spring her captain plans to put her back in action. >click to read<08:12
Governor-Led Orca Recovery Effort to Hold First Meeting on Tuesday
An orca conservation team convened by Gov. Jay Inslee is holding its first meeting on Tuesday. The Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Task Force will focus on ways to help the Northwest’s iconic species. Stephanie Solien, who is co-chairing the Task Force, says many of the remaining orcas are in bad shape. She says the Task Force will focus on three of the well-known threats to the whales. Solien says conservation will be a statewide effort, especially when it comes to saving the chinook salmon the whales feed on. Watch out! >click to read<14:23
The Jones Act Drives America’s Finest Into Exile
America’s Finest, a brand-new 264-foot fishing trawler, ought to be the pride of the fleet. As a newspaper in its birthplace of Anacortes, Wash., explained, the ship features an “on-board mechanized factory, fuel-efficient hull, and worker safety improvements”—priceless features for fishermen operating in the treacherous seas off Alaska. The ship is also said to have a smaller carbon footprint than any other fishing vessel in its region. According to Fishermen’s Finest, the company that ordered the ship, it would be the first new trawler purpose-built for the Pacific Northwest since 1989. Sadly, it seems increasingly doubtful that the ship will ever ply its trade in U.S. waters. >click to read<09:07
ODFW gives up on trapping Willamette sea lions
State officials have decided to give up on trapping Willamette River sea lions and transition operations to Bonneville, where the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife already has federal authorization to trap and kill sea lions. “It’s disheartening given what’s happening in the Willamette, but we don’t have enough staff to cover both locations so we’re moving to a place where we can be more effective,” said Bryan Wright, head of ODFW’s Marine Mammal Program, in a press release this week. In the absence of federal approval to kill California sea lions at Willamette Falls, ODFW attempted a stop-gap program of capturing and relocating sea lions this spring. >click to read<12:19
Old boats live to float
When I was growing up 200 miles from the ocean, my strongest memory of the coast was a rainy spring break when we came down to the beach. I remember walking around the Ilwaco boatyard looking at the old trawlers and dreaming. Out of the water, ships loom over you, their paint perhaps chipping and their brightwork weathered, but still they somehow promise adventure. The ragged bones of old ships are like kneeling giants above you. They seem full of stored kinetic energy, balanced impossibly on wood blocks and spindly jack stands. >click to read< 13:20
Newport Port Commission Chairwoman resigns – fishermen dare commission to raise moorage/equipment rates
There was no explanation or any details about Patricia Patrick-Joling’s resignation or in Commissioner Jeff Lackey’s self-removal as Commission Vice-President. Ms. Patrick-Joling was not immediately available for comment. However, News Lincoln County can report that this week’s port commission meeting saw a large crowd of commercial and private fishermen lambasting the commission for what they described as an ineffective agency and daring the commission to raise moorage rates and rates for use of heavy equipment to load and offload fishing vessels. Comments were often made as to the central, if not pivotal role, that commercial fishing contributes to the port’s income and that if rates are raised to the extent recommended by port staff, they will pick up and move.>click to read<09:39
San Diego’s “Fishy” History: The Birth of Tuna Fisheries
Founding of the American Tuna Fishery – San Diego is often credited with birthing the American tuna fishery. The industry traces back to 1903, when a sardine packer in San Pedro switched to canning of albacore. “Consumers’ acceptance of canned tuna soon led to the development of fishing fleets in both San Diego and San Pedro,” a research paper published by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in July 1978 stated. “San Diego became the major base for the fleet, a position it continues to hold [through 1978].” The first cannery opened its doors in 1909; the first tuna cannery arrived two years later. >click to read<13:31
Newport Port Commission gets an earful from the fishing community
The Newport Port Commission this week got an earful from a large group of commercial fishing families who contend that the port’s financial troubles should not be placed on the backs of the fishing community. The port commission this week was scheduled to consider fee and lease increases which fishermen claim would raise their rent and service rates 18% to 60%. Several fishermen came right out and accused the commission of trying to make up for lost income and other opportunities at the still under-developed Newport International Terminal. >click to read<09:35
Monterey Bay fishermen working round the clock to pull in plentiful squid
In Monterey Harbor, a collection of at least eleven boats have been fishing for squid not far from shore since April 1, their lights visible off the coast at night. When the fishing is good, said Joe Russo, second captain and deckhand on the fishing vessel King Philip, it’s not uncommon for them to spend 24 hours a day netting tens of thousands of pounds of slippery squid with each return to shore. They continue through the spring, summer, and into early fall, if they don’t exceed the quota set by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. >click to read<08:47
45th Annual blessing of the Bodega Bay fishing fleet marks a shorter and uncertain salmon season
The Karen Jeanne rocks and sways as Dick Ogg steers out of Bodega Harbor, past the rocky breakwall where surf-casting fishermen wave from their perches.Behind him, an array of boats fall into line, each decorated with signs and flags, their decks full of fishermen, families and friends. To some this route is a familiar morning commute, the first turn on a many-miles journey in pursuit of albacore tuna, salmon, Dungeness crab or sablefish, depending on the season. To commercial fishermen the harbor marks the safe haven after a dangerous journey. For others, today offers a rare boating adventure – a chance to picnic, take photos and crack open a beer before noon.>click to read<21:29
Raising Lihue II
The Lihue II was more or less an orphan. Its owner abandoned it at the port in mid-November 2017. On Nov. 18, it sank during a storm. Fast action by port employees, the Coast Guard and environmental agencies kept the boat from spilling much oil, but Port Manager Guy Glenn Jr. still had to figure out what to do with it. With help from the state Department of Natural Resources Derelict Vessel Program, Glenn gained legal custody of the boat, and arranged to have Global Diving and Salvage, a Seattle company that has done a lot of work for the state, remove it. (9 photos) >click to read<14:10
Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission adopts new rules for Dungeness crab
Harmful algal blooms complicated commercial Dungeness crab seasons on the Oregon Coast for the past three seasons, threatening the viability of the state’s most valuable fishery.,,The new rules outline evisceration protocols that go into place when levels of the naturally occurring marine toxin domoic acid spike. The toxin can accumulate at high levels in a crab’s guts, but remove the guts and the meat is still safe to eat. The rules also establish 12 distinct crabbing zones on the Oregon Coast, narrowing the areas that can be closed or opened at any given time. >click to read<22:42
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife – Relocation of sea lions not enough to protect Willamette fish runs
Over 25 California sea lions and an unknown number of Steller sea lions continue to prey on salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and lamprey in the Willamette River this month. In the absence of federal approval to lethally remove the California sea lions at Willamette Falls, ODFW attempted a stop gap program of capturing and relocating sea lions this spring. “It’s our responsibility and mandate from the people of Oregon to ensure these fish runs continue,” said Dr. Shaun Clements, ODFW’s senior policy advisor. “So it’s incredibly frustrating to us that federal laws prevent us from taking the only steps effective at protecting these fish from predation.” >click to read<13:49
Commercial Fishing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone – What was being caught and where back to 1950
What is the status of commercial fishing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, the waters from 3 to 200 miles off our coastline? Generally speaking – something that the “bureaucrats in charge” have developed a great deal of facility in doing – it’s pretty good. Since the National Marine Fisheries Service started getting serious about tracking commercial landings (or at making those landings readily accessible) in 1950, the total weight of our domestic landings has increased from 4.9 billion to 9.8 billion pounds. The value of those landings, when corrected for inflation, has increased from $3.3 billion to $5.2 billion, almost as good. Nils E. Stolpe/FishNet USA >click to read<17:03
Oregon Fish and Wildlife commissioners back gillnetters
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission is again pushing for commercial salmon fishermen to get time on the Columbia River. Oregon and Washington state adopted a policy nearly six years ago to slowly phase gillnetters off the river’s main stem, but Oregon has second-guessed the wisdom of the decision. The five commissioners at a meeting in Astoria on Friday said they supported looking into a summer Chinook salmon season for gillnetters — something they attempted to do last year. Commissioners walked back that move, however, after Gov. Kate Brown instructed them to align with her administration and Washington state. >click to read<21:04
Effort to let Anacortes-built trawler fish in U.S. waters runs aground
Federal legislation to authorize a $75 million Anacortes-built factory trawler to work in U. S waters has foundered — for the second time this spring — in the turbulent political seas of Congress. The measure was included in a Coast Guard reauthorization bill that failed, in a procedural vote, to get the support of 60 senators and move on to a final vote. A provision to allow the 264-foot vessel to net and process fish off Alaska failed to make it into the spending bill passed by Congress in March. >click to read<10:19
Coast Guard to Remove 1,500 Gallons of Fuel From Burnt Ship Currently Docked Along Eureka’s Waterfront
The Coast Guard is coordinating fuel removal and salvage operations Thursday for a fishing vessel that caught fire Wednesday near Eureka. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Humboldt Bay pollution responders have determined the 47-foot vessel, Midori, is safe to tow to the Eureka Municipal docks, where a reported 1,500 gallons of diesel will be removed before the boat is salvaged. Fuel removal has not been scheduled. >click to read<23:17
‘Two guys are doing all of the work’: Orcas’ inbreeding may devastate the population
Just two male whales fathered more than half the calves born since 1990 in the population of southern-resident killer whales, a sign of inbreeding, scientists have learned. “It was a shocker to find out two guys are doing all of the work,” said Ken Balcomb, director of the Center for Whale Research and an author on a paper published this week in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Animal Conservation. The findings are based on a new genetic analysis of the whales that frequent Washington’s Salish Sea and Puget Sound. >click to read<20:15
Coast Guard comes to aid of boat on fire off coast of Trinidad
A Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and four-member crew were dispatched to an area about 12 miles off the Trinidad coast this morning after reports of a boat on fire were received. The fishing vessel Midori called the Coast Guard just before 9 a.m. and reported that they had a fire on board. The five people on board Midori soon abandoned the burning vessel and got into a life raft. They received assistance from a second fishing boat, the Pacific Bully,,, >Video click here<>click to read<21:15
Charges filed in high-grading case against Ilwaco charter skippers
Several local charter skippers and crewmen could soon be reeling in hefty fines and jail sentences. Following a nine-month Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife investigation, the state in early April filed a total of 37 criminal charges against six men affiliated with Pacific Salmon Charters: David Gudgell, 57, of Seaview; Robert Gudgell, 56, of Longview; Thomas Merriman, 61, of Sammamish; Brian Cables, 59, of Ilwaco; Patrick Gore, 28, of Deer Island, Ore.; and Richard Mercado, 52, of Tacoma. Investigators say the men systematically urged,,, >click to read<14:55
NOAA ship crashes in Seattle’s Lake Washington Ship Canal
A research vessel with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) crashed Monday while passing through Seattle’s Montlake Cut of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, according to witnesses and a spokesman for the agency. The incident — which resulted in damage to one of the ship’s propellers, hull dents and paint scrapes — remains under investigation, NOAA spokesman David Hall said in an email. The boat, which the agency calls The Rainier, “made contact with the seabed and a concrete wall,” Hall said. No injuries were reported. >click to read<10:50
Investment pool could help sustain fishing on Washington coast
One of the knottiest problems confronting the Lower Columbia commercial fishing fleet is how to enable the next generation to begin the costly climb into owning their own permits. A new private $2 million investment pool aims to facilitate a “permit bank” — a kind of matchmaking service between willing sellers and qualified buyers who agree to keep their boats anchored in the economy of Ilwaco, Chinook and Nahcotta. >click to read<08:54
Conservationists, West Coast bottom fishermen embrace ‘grand bargain’
People who love fresh Northwest seafood and the sea should take note of what happened this week in a hotel conference room by Portland’s airport. There, the Pacific Fishery Management Council approved a plan to protect more coral, sponges, reefs and other sensitive animals and formations from the nets of bottom trawlers who work off the West Coast. The measure also offers something for fishermen: a reopening of some prime fishing areas that had been off-limits. >click to read<18:22
Illegal shellfish trafficking ring caught on video
Pierce County prosecutors have charged several men in a seafood trafficking case, including the former Natural Resources Director for the Tulalip Tribes. According to case documents, Joseph Hatch Sr. and his son, Joseph Hatch Jr., poached at least a thousand pounds of Dungeness crab and shrimp, selling the shellfish over several months in 2015. Hatch is a Tulalip tribal member and was serving in his role as head of natural resources while officers monitored his movement over five months. Video, >click to read<10:51
PFMC Sets West Coast Salmon Season Dates
This week the Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted ocean salmon season recommendations that provide recreational and commercial opportunities for most of the Pacific coast, and achieve conservation goals for the numerous individual salmon stocks on the West Coast. The recommendation will be forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service for approval by May 1, 2018. “It has been another challenging year for the Council, its advisors, fishery stakeholders and the public as we strive to balance fishing opportunities with the conservation needs we are facing on Chinook and coho salmon stocks, both north and south of Cape Falcon,” said Council Executive Director Chuck Tracy. >click to read<17:52
New rule: “no discharge zone” bans vessels from releasing sewage into Puget Sound
Recreational and commercial vessels will not be able to release treated or untreated sewage into Puget Sound waters under new rules approved by the state aimed at improving water quality. The Department of Ecology on Monday officially designated a new “no discharge zone” in Puget Sound to protect shellfish beds, public beaches and sensitive marine environments from harmful bacteria. There are dozens of such zones across the country, but this is the first in the Pacific Northwest. The state estimates about 215 commercial vessels and 2,000 recreational boats >click to read<16:30
Pacific salmon ‘more abundant than ever’, new study claims
Pacific salmon are generally “more abundant than ever.” That is the provocative conclusion of a new paper published in Marine and Coastal Fisheries by Greg Ruggerone of Seattle’s Natural Resources Consultants and James Irvine of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The study used historical commercial catch and escapement data for the entire Pacific region for both wild and commercial hatchery salmon over a 90-year period, up to 2015. There is one caveat, however: Ruggerone and Irvine analyzed only data for pink, chum and sockeye salmon. >click to read<09:13
