Category Archives: South Atlantic
Florida – Bill passed to eliminate fuel tax for commercial fishing
The fishing business is expected to grow and create new jobs, now that lawmakers have passed a commercial fishing and aquacultural purposes bill that will reduce the cost of doing business in the industry. The Legislature’s passage of the Tax on Sales, Use and Other Transactions bill on Friday means that taxes will be waived on dyed diesel fuel used in the marine industry. continued
NOAA swordfish plan met with opposition at public meeting
If the U.S. government wants to create new opportunities to harvest more swordfish in order to fulfill its international quota by creating a new open-access commercial handgear permit, it should happen anywhere but South Florida. continued
Dolphin deaths add to mystery in Indian River Lagoon
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Add bottlenose dolphins to this year’s list of species dying mysteriously in the Indian River Lagoon. continued
Georgia Fight over fish now awaits a signature
Times-Union/Jacksonville.com – ATLANTA | A small but determined effort is under way to convince Gov. Nathan Deal to veto legislation that would protect the red drum, or red fish, from commercial fishing. continued
Campaign seeks veto or red-drum restrictions
ATLANTA — A small but determined effort is under way to convince Gov. Nathan Deal to veto legislation that would protect the red drum, or redfish, from commercial fishing. continued
Make sure fish counts are right
The federal government owes it to the people, businesses and natural resources it oversees to get it right when it comes to questions of science. The question of getting an accurate scientifically sound count on fish when determining government policy is a no-brainer. continued
Gulf fish counts to be examined – senators want the GAO to settle the dispute.
WASHINGTON — Congress’ investigative arm has decided to act on a request from a bipartisan group of senators and will review how the federal government calculates fishing stocks in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic. Fishing stocks, which are used to determine catch limits, have long been a source of contention between the fishing industry and environmental groups. continued
Early signs iffy for shrimp harvest in Charleston area
The Post and Courier – 
Shrimp — those tasty native Lowcountry crustaceans — are looking slim so far for the spring and the summer. But commercial shrimpers say it’s early yet. And if the past few years have shown anything, it’s that the always uncertain crop has been even more hit-and-miss. continued
Georgia legislators vote to put redfish off limits to commercial fishing
ATLANTA – The Georgia Senate voted to join South Carolina and Florida in protecting the popular red drum from commercial fishing by designating it as “game fish” only. continue reading
Give the public answers on jellyfish proposal
Proponents of a new jellyfish harvesting and processing industry in Beaufort County say they want to start fishing for the Asian delicacies by May. But that’s too fast. State environmental regulators say many questions remain 
unanswered. And the public first got wind of the proposal in early March. It needs more time to ask questions and give feedback. Cannonball jellyfish are the most common jellyfish in our waters, but they are not harvested or eaten here. In Asia, however, continue reading
Biscayne Bay Shrimpers suggest a warm winter and after-effects of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf are causes for this year’s dreadful season.
Steve Heintz says the food shrimp harvest season in Biscayne Bay that opened Nov. 1 has been the worst he’s seen in nearly 30 years of commercial fishing. “Last year was bad, but not anywhere near as bad as this year,” Heintz said i
n an interview earlier this month. “I’ve gone ten times and my biggest night was 250 pounds. It’s so bad that I’ll only go when I hear they caught some. Then, when I go, it’s already over.” continue reading
Fish stocks rebound under federal plan
Roughly two-thirds of depleted fish stocks across the country have rebounded significantly under federal rebuilding plans. But certain species within the South Atlantic region – which includes North Carolina – continue to struggle, according to a report released this month by the Natural Resources Defense Council, or NRDC. continue
Florida Stone-crabs: Harvest down, prices way up this year
MARATHON, Fla. (AP) — In 46 years as a commercial fisherman, Gary Graves says he has never seen a stone crab harvest season as poor as this one. Graves, who runs Keys Fisheries in Marathon — the main supplier for Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach — says his catches are down 40 percent since the season opened Oct 15. continued
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Seeks Public Input on Use of Vessel Monitoring Systems
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is requesting public input on management alternatives that may require the use of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) on vessels with a Federal South Atlantic Commercial Snapper Grouper Permit, both unlimited or trip-limited (225 pounds) permits. The Council is not considering the use of VMS on private recreational or for-hire vessels unless these vessels have a South Atlantic Federal Commercial Snapper Grouper permit. continued
Ed Killer: Red snapper may come home again for anglers
Is there a new tide turning for fisheries management? The National Marine Fisheries Service, the arm of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration that oversees fishing regulations in federal waters, announced this week it is receiving public comment on the possible opening of an annual red snapper fishing season in South Atlantic waters. For recreational and a small number of commercial fishermen, this is good news, isn’t it? continue
2 commercial fishermen accused of robbing stone-crab traps
State wildlife officers nabbed two suspected stone-crab trap robbers Friday afternoon near Ballast Key with the help of some eyes in the sky. Both men are commercial fishermen, according to jail records. Read more
From Chris McCaffity – Please sign the Petition – Support for Alternatives to Vessel Monitoring Systems
Target: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Sponsored by: Chris McCaffity Stopping this Vessel Monitoring System law from passing will help to keep similar invasions of our privacy from spreading to other areas of our lives. Please think about how you would like to be required by law to install an expensive and intrusive Vehicle Monitoring System in your car to make sure you did not park in No Parking Zones. What if you were one of only 5% of drivers required to do this? Would you think a video camera monitoring only the no parking zone to insure 100% of drivers complied with the law would be fairer? Sign the Petition
Georgia Red fish protected from Commercial Fishermen under House bill
The red fish, or red drum, Georgia’s state saltwater fish, would be protected from commercial fishing under legislation approved Monday in the state House. It would protect the red fish for recreational fishing by designating it a game fish. 
“It does not take the red fish off your dinner plate,” Watson said. “You’ll still be able to catch the limit.” Watson said the fish is farmed commercially in North Carolina and Texas, so it should still be available to restaurants. link In case you want to write to him http://www.house.ga.gov/Representatives/en-US/member.aspx?Member=784
A NOAA proposed rule would let recreational swordfish anglers sell their catch to dealers commercially to help the U.S. fulfill its quota.
For about $20, South Florida recreational swordfish anglers could become commercial fishers fishermen under a new rule amendment proposed by NOAA Fisheries. Read more here
Two commercial fishermen face 1,300 fishing violations
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissionwere charged with a total of more than 1,300 conservation violations Tuesday after being found inside a no-take zone in the Dry Tortugas, marine law-enforcement officers report. Both men were cited for harvesting 664 yellowtail snapper — one misdemeanor count for each fish — seized from the commercial boat Candelaria, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Read more here
South Atlantic Tilefish harvest limit to begin
The daily vessel trip limit will decrease to 300 pounds effective Monday, Feb. 18. NOAA Fisheries has determined 75 percent of the 541,295-pound annual catch limit will be landed by that date, according to a Southest Fishery bulletin. Read more here
Unwanted lionfish may help end ban
Lionfish now range up and down the East Coast and can be found throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish dangers: • They compete with native aquatic species for food and habitat • Eat young gamefish and commercially harvested species • Are venomous to humans, and stings cause conditions from a mild rash to death • Females can release up to 30,000 eggs per spawn and can spawn three times a month Read more here
Sewage spill closes shellfish beds in Charleston S.C.
Shellfish harvesting beds in a portion of the Intracoastal Waterway in Charleston County were closed Wednesday due to a sewage spill at the Sullivan’s Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to the S.C. Department of Environmental Health and Control. Read more here
Volusia planning artificial reefs a mile from shore
“You know I have been a big supporter of our artificial reefs program,” Councilwoman Pat Northey said Thursday of the system the county has been rapidly expanding since 2010. “But there are a lot of questions out there about this. I’m certainly not saying no today, but I’m saying I have a lot of questions yet.” Read more here
South Carolina. Fishing industry suffers as drought worsens in Beaufort County
When Larry Toomer hauled in 60 crab traps Tuesday, it was another reminder of how bad the winter fishing season has been. The owner of the Bluffton Oyster Co. caught about 150 blue crabs — only two bushels. Last year, he pu
lled up 20 to 30 bushels a day. Now? “We’re barely breaking even.” Drought is making the seawater saltier and driving many crabs too far up freshwater rivers and creeks to catch legally, Toomer said. Read more here
Hurricane Sandy Emergency Supplemental Funding U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Facilities To Be Repaired
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will receive $68.2 million to make repairs to 25 national wildlife refuges and three national fish hatcheries from Florida to Maine. The funds will be invested to restore facilities to their pre-Sandy condition. Projects will include debris field clean-up, rebuilding roads, trails, and other public access facilities, and restoring important ecosystems that benefit communities as well as wildlife. In many areas, the Service will restore facilities to be more resilient and withstand future storms and rising sea levels. Read the list here
Ocean Blasting Opposed by Members of Congress
The plan, proposed by the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management last year, would open the Mid-Atlantic to seismic surveys, using sound blasts louder than a jet engine to penetrate thousands of feet into the seabed. In addition to being the first step towards drilling in the Mid-Atlantic the effects of the exploration itself are hazardous to marine life big and small causing a range of impacts to from panic to death for miles. Read more
Read this article, and review the attached link’s. ” Have you heard about the slaughter that lies ahead for those marine mammals we’ve been saving?” Read more
Fishing was his life…and his death. Fisherman Peter Stilwell, Pompano Beach, Fla.
After a painful recovery from a bacterial infection that nearly killed him, Peter Stilwell told his family in Pompano Beach he was finally ready to go back to sea and his first love: the deep-water hunt for swordfish.”He wanted to get his life back,” said Martin Stilwell, who dropped his 55-year-old brother at the train station last week so he could join the crew of a commercial longlining boat at the Outer Banks in North Carolina. “He had fishing in his blood.”But on his first day back at work in what is ranked as the nation’s most-dangerous profession, Stilwell disappeared without a life jacket from the deck of the 57-foot Fine Tuna. Read more
NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed Actions for Red Snapper in the South Atlantic – Comment Period Ends May 13, 2013
Read the bulletin here
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