Category Archives: Pacific
Washington State could end net pens for fish by 2024
By 2024, Washington could ban all net pens where nonnative fish are raised commercially. A bill approved Thursday by the Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources and Water Committee would keep the state from renewing the existing leases as they expire between 2022 and 2024. No new leases are being issued but the state has legal obligations to honor current leases. The proposal also calls for an extensive study of the practice of raising fish in large pens by companies that lease space in Washington waters. It would be presented to the Legislature in January 2021. >click here to read< 14:41
New bill could put Washington salmon farms in jeopardy – >click here to read< 
Crabbers battling on several fronts
This is an announcement directed at the Washington Dungeness Crab Fishermen’s Association general membership. We have a meeting, Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Ocean Center, 1600 N. Montesano St. in Westport. Washington coastal crabbers have endured overwhelming changes in management and profitability over the last 10-15 years. The one thing Washington crabbers could count on year to year was the unknown. >click here to read< 10:21
US review shows pesticides harm threatened salmon, whales
Federal scientists have determined that a family of widely used pesticides poses a threat to dozens of endangered and threatened species, including Pacific salmon, Atlantic sturgeon and Puget Sound orcas. The National Marine Fisheries Service issued its new biological opinion on three organophosphate pesticides — chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion — after a yearslong court fight by environmental groups. >click here to read< 19:58 
Nearly every governor with ocean coastline opposes Trump administration drilling proposal
The Trump administration’s proposal to open vast portions of US coastline to oil drilling was met with ferocious opposition from a number of the coastal governors it would affect. At least one governor, Florida’s Rick Scott, a Republican, asked for and received a waiver from the administration. That move by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke drew accusations of favoritism, which have been denied. But the fact remains that nearly every governor with ocean coastline opposes drilling off their coast or, in one case, has concerns. >click here to read<11:12 
Our View: Loss of Gillnetter magazine signals bellwether change
For all who care about the fishing industry and Columbia River heritage, the end of the Gillnetter is a sad occasion marking the close of an era (see “Magazine documented the life of fishermen,” The Daily Astorian, Jan. 8). Combined with the atrophying of the Columbia River Fishermen’s Protective Union and the death Jan. 8 of legendary Ilwaco fish processor Pierre Marchand Jr., the loss of fishing’s longtime trade publication signals a bellwether change. >click here to read the story< 17:51 
Commercial crab season to open Monday but local crabbers want another test done
Following several delays, the commercial Dungeness crab fishing season for Humboldt, Mendocino and Del Norte counties is opening Jan. 15, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday.,,, Trinidad commercial crabber Craig Goucher said there are currently no plans to set gear Jan. 12. Instead, he said, local crabbers plan to wait until Jan. 15 to drop gear. “We’re going to set some test gear out and get it processed and determine what the pick out is,” he said Wednesday afternoon. “We can legally get that sample on the 15th.” >click here to read< 09:34
Negotiations could further delay crab catch – Columbia crab fishermen can start placing their pots in the ocean Friday morning, but first they have to settle on a price with processors. >click here to read< 10:17
Oceantech company offers benefits for lobster industry
When Premier Stephen McNeil toured the Volta Labs startup house in Halifax last month, one company that seemed to catch his eye was SeaSmart, a new oceantech company based in Mahone Bay. Led by CEO Mark Lowe, the SeaSmart team has developed “smart lobster traps” that contain sensors to tell whether lobsters have entered the trap. The system tells fishermen, while they are still on dry land, whether there is enough product in their traps to justify going out to sea to harvest them. >click here to read<23:00
Commercial Dungeness Crab Season to Open in Northern California
The northern California Dungeness crab fishery in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties will open 12:01 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018. The opener will be preceded by a 64-hour gear setting period that will begin at 8:01 a.m. Jan. 12, 2018. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham had delayed the season a total of three times after crab quality test results in November and December indicated that crab were not ready for harvesting. Jan. 15 is the latest the Director can delay the season due to quality testing. >click here to read<21:23
The last Gillnetter: Magazine documented the life of fishermen
They cleaned out the office after Christmas. Into the moving van went the old signs and the newspaper clippings documenting achievements and battles for river fisheries. Out went the boxes filled with index cards listing the names of past Columbia River Fishermen’s Protective Union members — and the dates they died. And the faded photographs and paintings of fishing boats that have sunk, sold or come to rest in museums. And boxes of old Columbia River Gillnetter magazines, a union publication founded in 1969. click here to read the story 12:15
FISHBILL-US: Fishermen, Lets unite like never before!
It becomes clearer by the day that our industry needs protection in the form of legislation for fishermen and supporting industries. While fishermen and those supporting industries are struggling to survive in various regions, many of them await federal assistance in already declared federal fishery failures, much of it beyond their control. Congress has mandated the NOAA is the agency that controls the “best available science”, while other data is not considered, by law. This must be addressed as we watch the industry retract based on the science many of us have no confidence in. They control our fate. click here to read the full post 20:22
Atlantic salmon-farming company sues Washington state to keep its Port Angeles site open
Cooke Aquaculture Pacific has filed a lawsuit seeking to continue running its Atlantic salmon farm in Port Angeles. The suit, filed Thursday in Clallam County Superior Court, declares that Hilary Franz, commissioner of public lands, erred in revoking the company’s lease to operate the Port Angeles farm. Franz on Dec. 15 demanded Cooke shut down the farm and remove the fish and equipment. There are nearly 700,000 Atlantic salmon at the farm. click here to read the story 15:03
Trump admin intends to roll back ban on offshore drilling
The Trump administration Thursday announced plans to roll back a ban on new offshore drilling off the coasts of Florida and California and is considering more than 40 sites for leasing of natural gas and oil production. The proposal is yet another blow to the Obama-era environmental agenda, and it has the potential to open up nearly all US federal waters that were previously protected. The proposal would increase drilling sites off the coasts of Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico. It would reinstate leasing sites in Pacific and Atlantic waters. click here to read the story 16:53
Washington DNR chief: Cooke to dismantle fish pens at Ediz Hook
State Department of Natural Resources officials began discussions Wednesday with Cooke Aquaculture Inc. representatives on dismantling the company’s Atlantic salmon fish farm off Ediz Hook, said state Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, the elected head of DNR. Franz canceled the New Brunswick, Canada-based company’s aquatic-lands lease Dec. 15, citing violations including Styrofoam discharges, a defective anchoring system and operating 500 feet outside of its leasehold area by placing its anchors outside the boundaries set in the agreement. click here to read the story 15:43
Foreign fishermen settle human trafficking suit
Two Indonesian fishermen who say they were enslaved on an American fishing boat have settled their lawsuit against the vessel’s owner seven years after escaping and being granted special U.S. visas as victims of human trafficking, their lawyers told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The attorneys said Sorihin, who uses just one name, and Abdul Fatah settled their lawsuit against Thoai Van Nguyen, the California-based owner and captain of the Sea Queen II. The settlement outlines steps Nguyen must take to continue to fish but does not disclose a financial award. The captain denies all allegations of abuse or human trafficking and has always followed federal laws when employing foreign crews, Nguyen’s attorney said. click here to read the story 14:32
Crab Fishing in California: Risky Business
Dungeness crab, buttery and served steaming hot, is a Christmas tradition on many central California tables. But two years ago families had to forgo their holiday treat, and they were not the only ones to suffer. California fishermen were crippled by an unprecedented algal bloom that contaminated crabs with a neurotoxin called domoic acid, which is deadly to humans. That shut business down through the most lucrative part of the season, from Thanksgiving to Christmas. click here to read the story 11:41
Port Townsend: Port commission votes to evict tenant
The Port of Port Townsend commissioners voted unanimously Dec. 13 to evict a commercial salmon and tuna fisherman from the port’s Boat Haven moorage facility. The tenant is Joel Kawahara, 62, of Quilcene. Both the commissioners and Kawahara declined to offer details about the eviction. When asked why Kawahara is being evicted, Commissioner Peter Hanke said, “It’s a legal matter. Call our attorney.” click here to read the story 08:51
Follow your dreams – Little Bro teaches this family some life lessons
Let me introduce you to Little Bro. We all know that person struggling to find their passion, right? It’s a common trope, “Office Space,” the lost soul floundering in an unfulfilling job. That was my brother for a great many years. In a culture relentless in its obsession with college and upward mobility, those with gifts and talents outside the curriculum are undervalued. The people who actually make the world function with hands, backs and brains get little in the way of direction. click here to read the story 12:37
Study finds U.S. regulations to protect killer whales near B.C. coast effective
American regulations that limit vessel noise and traffic around endangered killer whales off the West Coast are working, a new study says. NOAA said in its review of regulations adopted in 2011 that the changes are benefiting southern resident orcas without having negative effects on the local whale watching and tourism industries. Regulatory changes implemented by the American government prevent vessels from going within 200 yards, or 182 metres, from the whales.,,, Canada’s Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc said last fall that similar regulations will be in place before the spring,,, click here to read the story 14:45
The fate of the Northwest’s largest energy provider may decide future of our salmon
When they were first built, Columbia River dams like Grand Coulee and Bonneville were technological wonders that placed the Pacific Northwest on the edge of the future. Millions of acres of farmland were irrigated. The dams fueled the growth of urban areas around Seattle and Portland, and powered reactors at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation that produced the plutonium for the bomb dropped on Nagasaki in World War II. Salmon and the region’s Indian tribes were a second thought during this period — until the dams took their toll. click here to read the story 13:21
A tricky break for business fishermen: Pacific halibut catches more likely to drop subsequent 12 months
It‘s going to be a tough year for many Alaska fishermen. After announcements of a massive drop in cod stocks, the industry learned last week that Pacific halibut catches are likely to drop by 20 percent next year, and the declines could continue for several years. That could bring the coastwide catch for 2018, meaning from Oregon to British Columbia to the Bering Sea, to about 31 million pounds. Scientists at the International Pacific Halibut Commission interim meeting in Seattle revealed that survey results showed halibut numbers were down,,, click here to read the story 09:57
Oregon Coast crabbing closure impacts the industry
In the middle of a parking lot on the Charleston Marina a large square of crab pots sits six pots high and 12 wide. Fisheries and fishermen alike are geared up for the commercial crabbing season that has been pushed back to Jan. 15. ,,, Fishermen have spent the last month without any income and will spend at least two more weeks without pay because of closures. Adams said that the local economy is really where the crabbing closure hits hardest. click here to read the story 09:09
The last remaining California Department of Public Health advisory for Dungeness Crab was lifted Friday – click here to read the story 10:03
Major Fight Shapes up Over Salmon Harvest in the Columbia River
Agreements that have reigned for a decade on how to divide the catch of salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin expire on the last day of 2017. The new plan is so contentious that multiple sides have promised to sue over it. What are the outrageous details? Same as the current ones. But the moment is a pressure point that allows old arguments to resurface. The current agreement, which expires at midnight on Dec. 31,,, click here to read the story 05:54
Remembering the Salty Lady’s Roger Thomas
In the 1940s, a boy named Roger Thomas first walked knee-deep into the breaking waves of Monterey Bay, fishing rod in hand, and fell in love with the Pacific Ocean. Last Tuesday, 83 years after he was born, he passed away in San Francisco. Thomas, a fisherman who dedicated his life largely to protecting California’s Chinook salmon, reportedly died peacefully, several months after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Thomas’s best friend Jacky Douglas, also a fishing boat skipper, sat by his side as he took his final breaths. click here to read the story 23:07
All Hands on Deck! Sam Parisi gives an update on efforts to get a Fish Bill, wants to know what YOU want included!
First let me thank Fisherynation.com for publishing my letter. I have received many emails and calls from fishermen and fisheries association’s, and it has been great to have them join in with me. I have also had many ask what is this Fish Bill all about ,and they deserve and answer. To be clear, I do not know how to write a bill, and at some point a Senator or Congressman will have to write the bill, with all the specifics spelled out. Now is the time to discuss and add input about what you’d like to see in your US Fish Bill. In the meantime, here is a brief summary of what some of us would like the bill to do. click here to read the story 18:42
The Illegal Black Market – Abalone haul costs man $500,000
A Chula Vista man who owns a seafood company was fined $15,000 Dec. 18 and ordered to forfeit $500,000 in proceeds stemming from his illegally importing abalone from Mexico without specifying from where it came. Yon Pon Wong, 65, the owner of the Lucky Company, pleaded guilty to false labeling in the U.S. in which he sold 148,500 pounds of abalone and falsely stated where he obtained it. click here to read the story 17:46
British Columbia court grants injunction to fish farm, ending protests
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has granted an injunction to Marine Harvest Canada’s Midsummer Island farm, which is located amid a series of islands in the Broughton Archipelago, about 50 kilometres east of Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. Protesters began occupying the farm in September, although Molina Dawson, a protester with the Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw Nation, said they scaled back their activity while the legal proceedings were underway. Justice Peter Voith said in the decision that the protesters’ presence “gives rise to real safety issues” and he agrees that Marine Harvest will suffer irreparable harm if the occupation of the farm continues. click here to read the story 15:24
Current fishery situation is not sustainable – Kent Martin
I feel compelled to comment on the article in the Eagle (12/21/17) from the Columbia Basin Bulletin, “Group Tests Fish Trap above Cathlamet.” I attended the Wild Fish Conservancy presentation to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission and noted several inaccuracies, and the CBB added a few more. 1. Fish traps were never the “massive” harvest technology on the Columbia. They were outlawed in 1936 in Washington and 1948 in Oregon because many, if not most, were vertically integrated with the fish packers, and were being used to manipulate fish prices. I confronted one of the Wild Fish Conservancy people on this, and he admitted this was the case.,,, click here to read the story 10:43
Commercial crab fishing to open Jan. 15 on the Washington coast
Washington’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery will open in coastal waters Jan. 15 after a six-week delay, state shellfish managers announced today. Fishery managers for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved the opening in coordination with fishery managers from Oregon and California. click here to read the notice 19:37
Fishing Vessel Owners Marine Ways incorporates on March 28, 1919.
On March 28, 1919, Fishing Vessel Owners Marine Ways is incorporated. A group of halibut-schooner owners, who are also members of the Fishing Vessel Owners Association, form the new company because they are frustrated by a lack of shipyard capacity in Seattle. Their shipyard will build halibut schooners and dories and will repair, retrofit, and maintain all types of vessels. The yard is located at the Port of Seattle’s Fishermen’s Terminal, the homeport for the Seattle-based North Pacific and West Coast fishing fleets, which opened five years earlier. It will be a vital part of Fishermen’s Terminal and the maritime industry in Seattle over the next century. Photo’s, click here to read the story 19:08
Port of Newport evaluation – some good, some not so much
An evaluation audit of the Port of Newport brought up a number of issues that are common knowledge – the main one being it’s all about the Newport International Terminal (NIT) which has been, for a number of years, in various stages of partial completion. The auditor told the Port Commission this month that the port’s income is rather thin because they have haven’t finished the terminal. Money pledged from the federal government wasn’t spent in time because the port didn’t have an operator for the facility. click here to read the story 09:50
