Category Archives: South Atlantic
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for August 09, 2019
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< From Our Executive Director – Glenn Skinner, The NCFA will be hold a meeting Thursday, August 15 from 3-6pm at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott located at 2090 W.15th Street, Washington, NC to discuss the proposed changes to the Southern Flounder FMP.,,, This issue is very important and we encourage everyone involved in the Flounder fishery to attend 11:04
‘Disgusting and embarrassing’: Sunken shrimp boat spurs call for changes in Port Royal
Only the top of the shrimp boat’s pilothouse was visible Wednesday morning from the Port Royal dock where the 60-foot vessel had floated abandoned for months. The shrimp boat sank Tuesday, sending fuel into Battery Creek and calling attention to the other rotting, junk-laden and abandoned boats amassed at the town-owned dock. “If those folks owe us money or they’re not shrimping, they don’t need to be here,” Willis said. “This is supposed to be a working shrimping dock.” Video, >click to read< 13:03
FISH & MEN: A film on the High Cost of Cheap Fish
We hope the fishing families and pioneers featured in this film will inspire a movement,,, For centuries, cod fed the world and helped build a nation. Nowhere was that more so than in Gloucester, Massachusetts – America’s oldest fishing port. But, today all that has changed… From California to Maine, small fishing communities struggle to survive. The iconic American fisherman is in a perfect storm of foreign competition, erratic regulations and rising costs. Trailer, photo’s, of some of the best people on the planet. Please support this effort. >click to read< 14:51
North Carolina: Petition seeks to introduce new rules to commercial fishing industry
A petition by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) could have a major impact on the commercial fishing industry. The petition seeks to:
Limit shrimpers workweek from five days (Monday-Friday) to three (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). To designate areas as shrimp trawl management areas. Reduce the size of nets allowed and restrict gear in these newly designated areas. The federation says the reason for the petition is to reduce the amount of by-catch. By-catch is the anything in the net that’s not your intended species. It’s common for shrimpers to catch juvenile fish in their nets while shrimping. >click to read< 12:07
SC anti-drilling group calls on DHEC to pull back seismic permit approvals
Don’t allow three companies to conduct seismic blast testing offshore, an environmental group is telling state regulators. The South Carolina Environmental Law Project urged the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control to work with federal regulators to reconsider approvals given four years ago. The request, which is not binding, was sent Tuesday. It comes after DHEC in July rejected plans by WesternGeco, a Texas-based exploration company to conduct seismic testing offshore. It is one of six companies seeking federal permits. >click to read< 17:15
DeSantis Names 11 to His Red Tide Task Force
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday announced the appointments of 11 “expert researchers and leading scientists” to the recently re-organized Red Tide Task Force. The governor was joined in Englewood, epicenter of 2018’s monumental Red Tide event, for the announcement by Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Noah Valenstein and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Executive Director Eric Sutton. For more than 15 years, this Task Force had been inactive and without funding until its re-organization by FWC today at DeSantis’ direction. >click to read< 11:49
2018 Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries
Number of US fish stocks at sustainable levels remains near record high – Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the Status of U.S. Fisheries Annual Report to Congress, which details the status of 479 federally-managed stocks or stock complexes in the U.S. to identify which stocks are subject to overfishing, are overfished, or are rebuilt to sustainable levels. >click here to read a rundown of the report< To read the report, 2018 Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries >click here< 15:26
Walk scheduled to remember Lowcountry crabber
Friends and family of a Lowcountry crabber who drowned last week in Charleston Harbor will gather Friday night to remember him. Terrance Singleton, 30, went missing on July 24 from his pro-crabbing vessel. His disappearance was discovered when the Coast Guard Cutter Cormorant was headed out to conduct a training exercise and spotted his 20-foot crabbing boat off of Fort Johnson,,, Singleton operated T and J Seafood with other members of his family and was one of three crabbers in the family, his aunt, Marsha Singleton said. She said all that mattered to him was his two sons, ages 5 and 9, and crabbing. >click to read< 12:07
N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries: southern flounder ‘overfished’; harvest cuts in works
State fisheries managers have released a new overview of commercially important fish stocks, and a commercial fishing advocacy group and the state branch of a recreational fishing conservation nonprofit seem supportive of its results.,, fisheries managers are working on Amendment 2 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan. This amendment, if the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission adopts it at its meeting Wednesday through Friday, Aug. 21-23 in Raleigh, would implement measures to reduce both the commercial and recreational harvest by 62-72%. N.C. Fisheries Association President and commercial fisherman Glenn Skinner said,,, <click to read< 09:39
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for July 26 , 2019
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ~ GLENN SKINNER The North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) has submitted another Petition for Rulemaking to the Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC). Like the previous petition this one proposes severe restrictions on shrimp trawling in the internal waters of NC. 18:06
NC fisherman catches rare all-blue crab
Dean Bowling has pulled in thousands of crabs from thousands of crab pots during his decades-long career as a commercial fisherman. This week, for the first time in his life, he caught one that caused him to stop what he was doing and call his daughter, Jillian. “‘You’re not gonna believe what I caught in the trap today,'” Jillian Bowling recalled her dad saying. “So I said, ‘Send me a picture’ and he sent me a picture and I could not believe my eyes. I called him immediately and said, ‘Do you know what you have? That’s amazing. That’s one in a billion.'” >click to read< 17:41
7-foot mako shark tagged off Texas reappears off North Carolina’s Outer Banks
A 7-foot-5-inch-long mako shark tagged last year off Texas appeared Wednesday morning off North Carolina’s Outer Banks. His tracker pinged at 7:48 a.m. in the waters off Hatteras, a popular tourist area on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore,,, The shark has traveled more than 14,400 miles in 16 months, at times at speeds of up to 100 miles a day, researchers say.,,, “He’s the first mako we’ve tracked out of the Gulf of Mexico and into the Atlantic,” the organization tweeted. >click to read< 10:20
Captain admits throwing illegally caught fish overboard in NC
A fishing captain has pleaded guilty to throwing away fish in North Carolina to prevent the Coast Guard from seizing it. Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that 51-year-old William Juel, of Little River, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to disposing of illegally caught fish in North Carolina. Authorities say the Coast Guard approached his boat, the Island Runner, and boarded it in November 2017. >click to read< 09:54
North Carolina – Seismic firm moves to override state decision to deny offshore testing permit
A company recently denied state permits to conduct seismic surveys for oil and natural gas off the North Carolina coast is appealing to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to override the decision. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management found in June that WesternGeco’s proposal to conduct geological and geophysical surveys in the Atlantic was incomplete, inconsistent with the state’s enforceable coastal management policies and would harm fish and other marine life and put at risk coastal habitats and the coastal marine economy. >click to read< 09:14
To the Gloucester Fish Commission, I propose that you request Markey and Warren vote in favor of this new bill
MSA Reauthorization: To the Gloucester Fish Commission, I am asking you to vote in favor of H.R. 3697, the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act, co-sponsored by Congressman Don Young, and Congressman Jeff Van Drew.,,, I propose to you that you request that Senator Ed Markey, and Senator Liz Warren vote in favor of this new bill, and that they recognize the importance that the agency they fund, use other credible science from other sources, such as SMAST, and fisherman funded science. The agency holds all the cards, and by law does not have to consider any other science at all, let alone the what really could be the best available that is excluded by NOAA, by default. This is unacceptable moving forward. By Sam Parisi >click to read< 14:35
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for July 19 , 2019
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<08:50
Nitrogen from sewage and farms is starving Florida corals to death, study says
Nitrogen from improperly treated sewage and fertilizer runoff from farms and lawns is starving Florida Keys corals to death, according to a new study published in the journal Marine Biology. The study led by Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Looe Key, in the Florida Keys, showed that higher nutrient. levels in Florida waters is a key cause of coral bleaching and death. As nutrient runoff from farming and from a growing population increases the amount of nitrogen levels in the water, corals are actually dying before >click to read<15:56
Faye Passanisi – Fair winds and following seas to my writing colleague and friend, Bill Allen
Greetings, I’d like to share about Bill Allen ~ my writing colleague, and friend. Bill and I “met” due to an “accidental click” on my computer 4 years ago. 6 months after my “accidental click,” I was FB “friended” by Bill Allen and the same day was asked to co-write PORT BLISS with him and JW Gooding.,,, Bill was quick, witty and had a sense of humor. It was a pleasure to co-write with him and get to know him and he would tell me that I was everything good in his life. He did not want PORT BLISS to come to an end but it had to, eventually, in order to get it published. >click to read< 22:24
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for July 12, 2019
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<11:30
Saving Sylvia II: The story of restoring a historic wooden boat from NC
An old wooden boat built in 1934 is less than three months away from being fully restored and tying up in the water on Shem Creek.,, “These fishing villages, like Mount Pleasant used to be, are slowly disappearing and dying. And the boats are dying with them,” he said. A short while later, Graham was skimming through a magazine called Wooden Boat. He flipped to the last page of the publication titled “Save a Classic” to browse the wooden boats for sale and laid eyes on Sylvia II, a core fishing sound boat in Morehead City, N.C. Photo’s, >click to read< 09:24
Fight Against Atlantic Menhaden Certification Moves to Next Round
The objections raised by sportfishing groups in opposition to certification of the industrial Atlantic menhaden fishery as a “sustainable fishery” are scheduled to be heard by an independent adjudicator on July 8 and 9. In March, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP), Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and American Sportfishing Association (ASA) filed an objection—which was later combined with a similar objection raised by The Nature Conservancy and Chesapeake Bay Foundation—to the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) recommendation that Omega Protein should receive a certification of sustainability for its U.S. Atlantic menhaden purse-seining operations. >click to read<13:53
Two prolific Charleston chefs escape the kitchen and find peace at sea
It’s a little after 2 p.m. on a Monday and the wooden shrimp trawler, built in 1969, sits low in the water at the Wando Dock on Shem Creek. Emily Hahn takes the leap first, nimbly navigating the portside of the Miss Paula in her clunky fishing boots, leaning one deeply tanned arm against a cable as she nods toward the galley.,, The irony that a former Top Chef contestant would not be able to swing it in the boat’s kitchen makes Hahn smile. She’s smiling a lot, actually,,, Hahn says that after a few months of full-time shrimping, she finally has her sea legs, and she’s been able to wean off her daily dose of Dramamine. “We’ve been making some pretty epic crew food: shrimp and grits, ceviche, fried fish tacos, eggs in a hole with fried onions and bacon.” The crew was understandably happy when they discovered their new mate’s skills, “they’re like ‘Oh — you can really cook!” >click to read<10:17
State of SC, Mount Pleasant never inspected Shem Creek dock before collapse
It wasn’t closing time. But when the dock at The Wreck on Shem Creek collapsed Saturday night, the party was pretty much over. Karen Hollings was one of 20 people police say fell into the water. She was enjoying the evening, celebrating her friend’s birthday at The Wreck of the Richard & Charlene restaurant. While socializing on the dock, a random thought of a deck collapsing at a party crossed her mind. She didn’t dwell on it. Five minutes later, her mustard-colored sweater and black cocktail attire was soaked and she was swimming to a nearby boat for safety. >click to read< 10:13
Black gill showing up early
Black gill showed up early this year in Georgia’s shrimp. The evidence came from the first trawl of a day-long research cruise out of Skidaway Institute of Oceanography on June 21. Researchers aboard the R/V Savannah lowered the net in the commercial fishing grounds just off of Wassaw Island and pulled up a catch so disappointingly small it could fit in a backpack. But among the dozen fish and handful of starfish were two brown shrimp. And one was inky black around its gills. “It’s really early,” said University of Georgia graduate student Megan Tomamichel, as she examined the shrimp. “But we’ve had a lot of warm weather.” >click to read< 12:09
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for June 28, 2019
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<15:09
TV crabber nets Conch Key lodge, marina
“Deadliest Catch” crabber Erik James didn’t just check into a room at the Bayview Inn Motel & Marina, he bought all 11 rooms, the bay bottom and the four parcels the hotel sits on. He has rebranded it as the Conch Key Inn & Marina and given it a funky, tropical motif of at least five different colors. “I painted it all bright colors so people can see it, and I’m going to build the gnarliest place in town,” he said. “As everything else around changes, I want this place to stay as a real fishing village and a place where locals can come and have a beer, be comfortable and bring their dog.” >click to read<17:27
Proposed “Let Them Spawn” bill looks to further regulate NC fishermen
There’s a debate going on in our state right now concerning fishing. A new bill just passed the North Carolina House. It’s focused on certain species and how to regulate them. The bill looks at what you can keep and what you have to throw back. There are several fish this bill targets: Southern flounder, Spot, Atlantic Croaker, Kingfish, Striped Mullet, and Bluefish – all species lawmakers say have been declining for years.,,,The bill, known as the “Let Them Spawn” bill would require state fishery managers to set a minimum size limit to try and let 75% of these 6 species reproduce at least one time. >click to read<14:03
Making the Cut! – Former Wilsonian featured on “Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks”
As a boy, Daniel Blanks fished all the little farm ponds around Wilson County. On Sunday night, Blanks will be featured on the popular National Geographic television series “Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks” as he and commercial fishing partner Zack Shackleton angle for bluefin tuna 40 miles off the North Carolina coast in the Atlantic Ocean.,, Then this year, the “Wicked Tuna” producers were looking for new captains. Blanks’ girlfriend sent in an application to “Wicked Tuna” hoping to get on the show. “We were kind of joking about it saying they would never pick a little boat like us to be on and sure enough, they called us,” >click to read<08:41 9 p.m. Sunday
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for 06/21/2019
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<18:06
A Forage Fish War – Canadian company targets critical forage fish in Atlantic and Gulf
The two U.S. menhaden fisheries are in the Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf,,, Omega Proteins, headquartered in Canada, has sought certification that the fishery is sustainable.,, Now it has sought the same certification in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a joint statement from the American Sportfishing Association, the Coastal Conservation Association, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.,, “The ASA, Theodore Roosevelt , and CCA, have formally objected, That steep price (of MSC certification) caused Sport Fish Magazine writer Doug Olander to pen a satirical op-ed,,,That prompted a swift backlash by Omega Proteins, “According to the ASMFC [Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission], Striped Bass are overfi…>click to read<17:23
