Category Archives: South Atlantic
US cold snap was a freak of nature, quick analysis finds
Consider this cold comfort: A quick study of the brutal American cold snap found that the Arctic blast really wasn’t global warming but a freak of nature. Frigid weather like the two-week cold spell that began around Christmas is 15 times rarer than it was a century ago, according to a team of international scientists who does real-time analyses to see if extreme weather events are natural or more likely to happen because of climate change. >click here to read< 12:46
Trump administration backs off Florida drilling proposal
In the face of vocal bipartisan opposition, the Trump administration said Tuesday it would not allow offshore oil and gas drilling in Florida waters, partially rolling back a proposal it unveiled last week. “We are not drilling off the coast of Florida,” said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke at a hastily called news conference in the Tallahassee airport after meeting with Gov. Rick Scott. click here to read the story 19:08 
Hearings set for changes to black sea bass fishing
Interstate fishing managers are holding hearings in East Coast states about a plan to change the rules about one of the Atlantic Ocean’s most popular recreational fisheries. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is considering changing the way it manages the recreational black sea bass fishery. The commission says the proposed changes could alter the way it allocates harvesting limits for the fish. The hearings began on Wednesday in Lewes, Delaware. click here to read the story 13:31
Coast Guard suspends search for fisherman 21 miles east of Myrtle Beach
The Coast Guard suspended their search Saturday at sunset for Howard “Dale” Smith missing 21 miles east of Myrtle Beach since late Friday evening. Coast Guard Sector Charleston Command Center watchstanders received a call at 9:29 p.m. Friday, from the crew of the Addis Sylvester, a 42-foot fishing vessel out of Little River, S.C., stating a crewmember had fallen overboard. Search crews completed 20 searches covering approximately 3,052 square miles. click here to read bulletin 23:47
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
Missing fisherman’s wife: ‘there’s not a person who didn’t love him’
Friday night, 42-year-old Howard “Dale” Smith, reportedly fell overboard on a fishing vessel about 21 miles East of Myrtle Beach, according to the Coast Guard. Today, his loved ones are looking for answers and looking for him. The Coast Guard is continuing their search in the water and air for the missing man. His wife, Cyndi Kramer Smith, describes Dale as someone who always has a smile on his face. photo’s click here to read the story 13:51
Coast Guard searching for fisherman that fell overboard 21 miles east of Myrtle Beach
The Coast Guard is searching Saturday for Howard “Dale” Smith, a 42-year-old fisherman who was reported falling overboard 21 miles east of Myrtle Beach. Coast Guard Sector Charleston Command Center watchstanders received a call at 9:29 p.m. Friday, from the crew of the Addis Sylvester, a 42-foot fishing vessel out of Little River, S.C., stating a crewmember had fallen overboard. -USCG- click here 11:20
Florida: Fishery agency floats commercial bullynet plan
Since Florida has created new rules on commercial harvest of spiny lobster by bullynetters, a federal marine fishery agency wants to hear thoughts on extending the gear regulations beyond state waters. Staff with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold online webinars Monday and Tuesday to outline a draft proposal to federal rules that could resolve “inconsistencies between state of Florida spiny-lobster regulations and those in federal waters off the coast of Florida….”click here to read the story 09:41
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
Key West Couple Charged For Selling Shrimp Without License
A Key West couple is facing charges for selling shrimp without a license. Iliecer Noa, 41, and his wife Carolina Aviles, 37, allegedly posted photos of five-pound bags of shrimp for $40, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Seth Hopp saw the Facebook posts and checked with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to see if the couple had the proper licenses to sell saltwater products. It was determined that neither Aviles nor Noa had a commercial fishing license. click here to read the story 11:00 
Florida fisherman finds Maryland blue crab
A blue crab was tagged by the Smithsonian in Maryland, and then traveled several years to Florida, where a fisherman recently found it. click here to watch the video. Tagged blue crab caught locally raises eyebrows – When Tom Cochran started crabbing in the Crystal River, he didn’t think he’d make the news. But on Wednesday, Cochran caught a crab he considered noteworthy: one with a tag on it that read “Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.” click here to read the story 09:19
Christmas for the Shem Creek Fleet
Save Shem Creek Corp. teamed up with Shem Creek Fisheries this holiday season to raise money for the Shem Creek fleet. In addition to a BBQ plate fundraiser, Save Shem Creek Corp. started a GoFundMe account to raise money for the fleet. Save Shem Creek Corp. recently held a candidate meet and greet and from that they earned a $1,000 profit. The purpose of the event was not to raise money, according to spokesman Will Bagwell so the board agreed to donate it to Shem Creek Fisheries. “Since the fleet was having such a bad season, we thought there was no one better to give it to than them.” click here to read the story 17:36
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
S.C. Senator Stephen Goldfinch calls opposition to seismic blasting and offshore drilling a “vocal minority” of “environmental zealots.”
So, in the senator’s view, every municipality and county on the South Carolina coast has been coerced by a liberal brand of fanatics who have taken environmentalism to a new level, bordering on a religion. This is exactly what the senator has told me. In addition to every municipality above described, he has now defined the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce in the same fashion – and the Business Alliance to Protect the Atlantic Coast. Neither of these are environmental organizations – but they both have studied the facts and come out against seismic blasting and drilling. Many other organizations have done likewise: the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, the Mid Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, the New England Fisher,,, click here to read the op-ed 08:50
US Fish-Bill Unity – Sam Parisi
Recently, Fisherman Jon Johnson wrote an opinion piece in Fisherynation.com (Why Fishermen Fail To Unite and Resist Being Swept Off of Our Historic Fishing Grounds) about the reasons for, and lack of unity in the U.S. fishing industry on fishery issues affecting the industry, and while I agree with most of his points, we must remember we are at fault a lot of the time, without knowing even knowing it. I have always thought if, we together, could agree on the need for a US Fish Bill, we could get real stability for all in our US Fisheries. I am not alone, as I am receiving calls from many representatives of fishing organizations, and of various fishing communities. We need input from fishermen in every region, from every fishery, and I invite you to get involved. Merry Christmas from Gloucester Mass! Sam Parisi, Gloucester 978 491 7722 [email protected] 16:58
SAFMC decides for now to not limit the number of head and charter boats
Some good news. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council at their meeting this month decided, at least for now, to not move forward with limiting the number of charter and head boats in the snapper-grouper fishery. The comments received by the SAFMC were overwhelmingly against limited entry. My thanks to all who submitted comments. One of the important points we made was that the SAFMC really doesn’t know what permitted snapper-grouper charter boats are catching or targeting, whether they are fishing in state or federal waters or even if permit holders are not fishing at all and simply banking the permit. click here to read the story 18:01
Georgia extends shrimp trawling season until Jan. 15, announce the opening of commercial harvest of jellyfish
The state has extended the food shrimp harvest season 15 days until Jan. 15 and announced the opening of the season for the commercial harvest of jellyfish. Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Mark Williams announced Wednesday he was extending the season that commercial trawlers may operate in state waters that are currently open until 6:15 p.m. Jan. 15.,, .,, The DNR also announced that state waters will open for commercial trawling for jellyfish from 6:30 a.m. Jan. 1 until 8:30 p.m. March 31. click here to read the story 16:04
A message from Sam Parisi – When senators and congressmen call you, you know you that your message is getting out there
A message from Sam Parisi – When senators and congressmen call you, you know you that your message is getting out there about the implementation of a US Fish Bill. You wonder why and then you realize that your dream to have federal legislation in the form of a Fish Bill has some merit. I have had calls from Senators on the West Coast and New England wanting to help and giving me advice. One of them said, “Sam this will have the backing of not only those engaged in the fishing industry, but also those associations for conservationists.” click here to read the letter 14:26
Lets meet and build a consensus to have Congress enact a U.S. Fisheries Bill – Sam Parisi
I am a retired fisherman and am very concerned about the fishing future for those who are still engaged in their chosen occupation, and want to devote my time to help protect the future of those that are still fishing. As you know we are faced with many obstacles. I thought we could together fix the problems but there are so many, and the problems continue increasing. From National Marine Monuments closures, forced monitoring costs on those that can’t afford them, allocation cut backs based on science no one has confidence in unless you work for the NOAA, and now a steady wave of industries that want to utilize our traditional fishing grounds along every coast line of the EEZ. click here to read the letter 15:48
Full Committee Markup on 15 Bills – Magnuson Stevens HR 200 Advances, But Not Without a Fight
House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday advanced out of committee revisions to the Magnuson-Stevens Act (H.R. 200 (115)) governing marine fishing and management in federal waters. The law is intended to prevent overfishing, but several conservation groups and Democrats are critical of the way it was written. Only three out of 12 amendments to the bill passed, and the bill moved out of committee on a party-line vote, your host reports. Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who voted against it, called it a plan to “deregulate our oceans and fish everywhere until there’s nothing left.” click here to read the story Watch the hearing click here 15:30
Where have the stone crabs gone? Shortage of Florida delicacy drives up prices
Less than halfway through Florida’s lucrative stone crab season, traps are drying up, dealing another blow to a fishing industry still recovering from a beating delivered by a brutal Hurricane Irma. “Everybody’s feeling it,” said Walter Flores, owner of the Golden Rule Seafood in Palmetto Bay, which has been selling and serving stone crabs since 1943. Normally Flores starts taking orders for holiday crabs about now. But this year, he said, it’s first come, first serve. “We have them,” he said, “but you have to offer more money to get them. It’s almost a bidding war.” click here to read the story 09:00
Mark the Shark, Miami’s Most Famed Deep-Sea Hunter, Fends Off Critics
“Got ’em on!” Mark “the Shark” Quartiano roars while his first mate stabs a shark with a gaff and hauls it out of the placid Atlantic Ocean.,,, After more than three decades in business, Quartiano has earned an international reputation for both his skill in reeling in the monsters of his customers’ dreams and his bravado over killing the creatures. He is perhaps America’s best-known shark angler after starring in dozens of fishing and reality TV shows and attracting a star-studded client list including Will Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, Ice-T, and Rosie O’Donnell. But in recent years, Quartiano has become known less for headlines as a shark-conquering hero and more for accusations that he’s a butcher of the seas. click here to read the story 11:54
Why Fishermen Fail To Unite and Resist Being Swept Off of Our Historic Fishing Grounds
As fishermen it often seems we are beset on all sides by so many issues that would disenfranchise us, derail our efforts to safeguard our industry, destroy our livelihoods and communities, and push us off of the historically wild and free ocean. Whether it is in the name of industrial power production or environmental protection, we are up against marine monuments, death by a thousand cuts regulation, forests of windmills, observers, cameras, and tracking systems watching us like an Orwellian nightmare, and grids of closure areas that threaten to push us onto fishing reservations like the Native Americans who once stood in the path of progress. click here to continue reading By Jon Johnson 18:51
Hearing – National Ocean Policy: Stakeholder Perspectives, Tuesday, December 12, 2017 2:30 p.m.
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), chairman of the Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, will convene a hearing titled “National Ocean Policy: Stakeholder Perspectives,” at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 12, 2017. The hearing will examine the state of the National Ocean Policy and the program’s interaction with existing laws and regulations for ocean management. Witnesses: – Ms. Bonnie Brady, Executive Director, Long Island Commercial Fishing Association – Mr. Christopher Guith, Senior Vice President, Global Energy Institute, U.S. Chamber of Commerce – Mr. Dan Keppen, Executive Director, Family Farm Alliance – Ms. Kathy Metcalf, President and CEO, Chamber of Shipping of America click here to read, and the link will open to watch the proceedings tomorrow @ 2:30 pm
Opinion: Net ban ensnares your right to Florida fish
My interpretation is the people of the state wanted to make sure they could have access to their fair share of the commonly owned fish, and were convinced it was the commercial fishermen who were harming the resource, so their fishing practices had to be modified. Modified, not banned. When the people voted, they did not give authority to define some fish as “gamefish.” Gamefish status went out the window when this new method of protecting our fish went into force. click here to read the story 15:15
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting Dec 4-8, 2017 in Atlantic Beach NC
The public is invited to attend the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Atlantic Beach Oceanfront 2717 W. Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach, NC 28512 Complete (revised) Agenda Click here for details Webinar Registration: Listen Live, Click here To visit the SAFMC click here 11:54
Ban on commercial striper fishing weighed
Stripers were pushed to the brink of extinction in the late-1970s but made a dramatic comeback. Now recreational anglers say the coveted fish again is struggling, and they’re lobbying Beacon Hill to implement new limits that include making the fish off-limits to commercial fishermen. One proposal, filed Rep. Walter Timilty, D-Milton, would limit commercial licenses to fishermen who can demonstrate they’ve caught and sold more than 1,000 pounds of striped bass annually over the last five years. Another proposal, offered by Rep. Thomas Stanley, D-Waltham, would phase out commercial fishing for striped bass by 2025 and establish fines up to $500 per fish for violators of new regulations. click here to read the story 19:29
‘Tis the Season, Mullet Season that is!
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and with its passing marks the beginning of the most anticipated season of the year, Mullet Season. The fall run of the spawning roe-filled lowly little mullet is what put the small village of Cortez on the map as the largest mullet fishery in Florida.,,, That annual bonanza at the end of the year has become increasingly difficult in the past 20 some years since Article X Section 16, or the “Net Ban” was passed in a Constitutional Amendment that banned the use of entanglement nets in the inshore and near shore waters of Florida. click here to read the story 08:36
SBA Offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to Small Businesses In Florida Affected by Hurricane Irma
Small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations located in the declared counties of Florida that have suffered financial losses as the result of Hurricane Irma, should consider applying for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration.,,, Examples of eligible industries include but are not limited to the following: bait and tackle shops, charter boats, commercial fisherman, crabbers, fishing guides, hotels, and marinas, owners of rental property, restaurants, retailers, souvenir shops, travel agencies, and wholesalers. click here to read the press release 11:39
Coast Guard medevacs 51-year-old man from fishing vessel 25 miles southeast of Murrells Inlet
The Coast Guard medevaced a 51-year-old man Monday from a fishing vessel 25 miles southeast of Murrells Inlet. Coast Guard Sector Charleston Command Center watchstanders received a call at 3:45 p.m. from the crew of the Shooting Star, a 42-foot fishing vessel, stating a crewmember was experiencing chest pains. A Coast Guard Air Facility Charleston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew launched at 4:28 p.m. and arrived on scene at 5 p.m. The Dolphin crew hoisted the man and transported him to Georgetown Memorial Hospital. -USCG- 19:12
