Monthly Archives: September 2012
US seafood landings reached a 17-year high in 2011 thanks in part to rebuilding fish populations (But not in New England!) hmm.
“Commercial and recreational fishing are integral to the nation’s social and economic fabric,” said Sam Rauch, deputy assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “To see landings and value climb again this year shows we’re moving in the right direction and that the fishing industry is strengthening as fish populations rebuild.”
http://fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&ndb=1&id=55529
Pulling one out the archives for Stephen Taufen. “Ted Steven’s may be dead, but his virus is affecting every American!”
“Hesitating in the face of evil is equivalent to siding with the enemy” – Marion Pritchard
Senator Ted Stevens. THE Stevens in Magnuson Stevens Act. The much revered Senator from Alaska. The Icon to every quota holding participant in Alaska, and now New England, soon in California. The hero of Catch Shares. Consolidation.
About Stephen Taufen A public watchdog and advocate for fishermen and their coastal communities. Taufen is an “insider” who blew the whistle on the international profit laundering between global affiliates of North Pacific seafood companies, who use illicit accounting to deny the USA the proper taxes on seafood trade. The same practices are used to lower ex-vessel prices to the fleets, and to bleed monies from our regional economy. Worked 20 years in the Alaska seafood industry for processors in cost accounting, fleet management, operations.
Groundswell Fisheries Movement
Welcome to Groundswell’s Public Advocacy website for Alaskan Fisheries
Buying Out Maine’s Fishing Communities? by Ben Martens
Fisheries represent a unique opportunity to think about our natural environment and how it interacts with society. Fish are the last of our wild food sources and, because of their cultural importance to New England, there is still a vast diversity in how these resources are managed, harvested and even consumed. Within the management system, there is uncertainty surrounding this resource because it is highly mobile and out of sight; it is much more difficult to count fish,,,,,,
http://www.workingwaterfront.com/articles/Buying-Out-Maines-Fishing-Communities/15009/
SMAST issues scallop industry yellowtail bycatch advisory, warns industry approaching quota
WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) Sept. 20, 2012 – To avoid reaching the yellowtail limit prematurely, the Fisheries Survival Fund, an industry group that includes the majority of full-time,
limited-access scallop permit holders, urged scallopers to avoid yellowtail by-catch by utilizing SMAST’s by-catch avoidance program. To view SMAST’s yellowtail advisory,
which contains a graphical summary of the closed areas and areas of high yellowtail by-catch, click here
Fisheries committee proposes alternatives to help struggling fishermen
The groundfish committee proposal would allow fishermen to work inside large areas currently closed to fishing that are not considered critical habitat areas. Under the proposal, access to closed areas would be allowed only from May 1 to Feb. 15 to allow fish time to spawn and all vessels would be required to use approved types of fishing gear.
Former New Bedford mayor John K. Bullard, who recently began work as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s regional administrator for fisheries, attended Wednesday’s meeting and spoke in favor of the measure. “There are now only 400 active groundfish vessels in the Northeast,,,,,,,
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120920/NEWS/209200360/1011/TOWN10
Pacific Oyster Genome Shows Stress Adaptation And Complexity Of Shell Formation- Brett Smith for redOrbit.com
Some proteins such as Laminin and different collagens were highly expressed in shells, suggesting some relation to animal connective tissues.
Fishing fund hires ex-AG for probe
Former state Attorney General Scott Harshbarger is under contract to — and has already begun an assessment of — the “governance,
policies and operations” of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund, the locally-based nonprofit corporation announced.
Fund President Vito Giacalone declined comment Wednesday, a day after the fund announced the hiring of Harshbarger
who agreed to take on the task last month, the former attorney general said in a telephone interview. Instead,
Giacalone referred questions to the fund’s newly hired spokesman, David Guarino.
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/topstories/x550074880/Fishing-fund-hires-ex-AG-for-probe
MD’s Crab Harvest Leads Nation – WBAL News
Maryland’s crab harvest last year led the nation. That’s according to figures released Wednesday by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
http://www.wbal.com/article/94116/2/template-story/MDs-Crab-Harvest-Leads-Nation
Sometimes all it takes is a comment to remind me of why I started doing this. Activism.
An article in the Washinton Examiner was posted. “A fisherman sues the feds for acting like crooks” August 16, 2012 by Ron Arnold. From the article: As raw December 1998 swept over the Atlantic off New Bedford, Mass., scallop fisherman Larry Yacubian brought around his boat, Independence, hailed by the Coast Guard. The officers who boarded his fishing vessel didn’t tell Yacubian it was a setup to coerce out of him a ruinous fine and to destroy his life so thoroughly he could never get it back…… Two weeks ago, Captain Yacubian filed the lawsuit that may well restore his money and his life after nearly 15 years of gut-wrenching bludgeoning by the NOAA.
I was going through my emails and saw this [email protected] , Kligo, First: How is the government responsible for a case 15 years ago. Second: Do you think once a government changes that everybody is fired and every position refilled with “conforming” ones? Third: Illegal presidency?
I did respond and linked some articles that he needed to read.
http://www.fishnet-usa.com/NOAA_OLE_GCEL%20Shakedown.htm
http://www.fishnet-usa.com/Decade_of_law_enforcement.pdf
http://washingtonexaminer.com/a-fisherman-sues-the-feds-for-acting-like-crooks/article/2505139
Activism. Live it. Be it.
Scallopers facing 30 percent catch reduction in each of the next two years – southcoasttoday
NEW BEDFORD — The scallop catch could be cut up to 30 percent in each of the next two years in what fishermen say would be a heavy blow to the industry. Deirdre Boelke, a scallop plan coordinator with the New England Fishery Management Council, said the reductions are needed because fewer full-grown scallops are available for harvest…… “The projected catch for 2013 and 2014 is in the neighborhood of 40 million pounds,” Boelke told The Standard-Times after a meeting of the council’s Scallop Oversight Committee in New Bedford on Tuesday. That’s down from just under 57 million pounds in 2011, the latest full-year figures available……”It’s a big hit that will affect everyone,” said boat owner William Wells of Seaford, Va., who chairs the scallop advisory panel, made up of industry members. “Each vessel will lose 46,000 pounds and there’s about 347 vessels. With prices ranging from $8 to $12.50 a pound, just do the math.”
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120919/NEWS/209190330/-1/NEWS01
Abundance of Squid Leads to New Commercial Fishery in Maine – mpbn
The changing climate may be responsible for the emergence of a new commercial fishery in Maine. Earlier in the summer we heard a lot about the abundance of early-appearing soft-shelled lobster. Well, the warmer months also bought a lot of squid into Maine waters — much more than usual.http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/23770/Default.
North Carolina to get tougher on fisheries rules violators – tougher stance on recreational fishing rule-breakers. – hamptonroads.com
The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Marine Fisheries Commission late last year adopted new laws that will place recreational anglers under the same violation schedule as commercial fishermen. The laws go into effect Oct. 1, and violators could lose their licenses for anywhere from 30 days to two years
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/09/north-carolina-get-tougher-fisheries-rules-violators http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/rules-and-regulations
Cash catch: Loan program launched for local fisherman – wickedlocal.com
Sea Surface Temperatures Reach Record Highs on Northeast Continental Shelf
During the first six months of 2012, sea surface temperatures in the Northeast Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem were the highest ever recorded, according to the latest Ecosystem Advisory issued by NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC). http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/press_release/2012/SciSpot/SS1209/
Kerry proves lone fed voice on disaster call By Richard Gaines GDT
The U.S. Commerce Department’s assertion is correct that “diminished fish stocks” played a role in the descent of the Lubchenco into a disaster under the watch of President Obama’s nominee, Jane Lubchenco, as c
hief administrator over oceans and atmosphere, most believe. Even more certain is that the causes of the disaster are murkier and far more complex than that Even more certain is that the causes of of the disaster are murkier and far more complex than that. But in announcing the decision Thursday to grant Gov. Deval Patrick and his colleagues governing New York and the other four New England fishing states the disaster finding that had been the object of increasingly desperate pleas dating back to last Nov. 15, the Commerce Department made sure questions could not be asked not of Roberta Blank,the acting secretary; and not of Lubchenco Read More
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/fishing/x1709879299/Kerry-proves-lone-fed-voice-on-disaster-call
Someone asked Tina Jackson About the “Bailout” – “As head of AAFC would you like to make some sort of official statement?” She Answered.
“That money will never get approved by the house in my opinion. Harry Reid made the pledge to John Kerry to attach it to the Agricultural bill and it won’t get voted on until after the election. I believe the Ag Bill still has ethanol subsidies in it and the Repubs wan’t them removed, ethanol causes higher carbon emissions than gas/diesel and it adds 46 cents,,,,,,,,”
To read the rest, Click Leave A Comment
STEVE URBON: Fisherman calls his enforcement options “starting a payment plan with the anti-Christ.”
September 14, 2012 — Fisherman Stephen Morris still recalls when the Coast Guard “ruined Christmas” in 2005. He was captain of the dragger Jessica and Susan on the way home after a long December trip when the Coast Guard radioed that it wanted to board the boat for an inspection. If you have been paying any amount of attention at all to what has been going on in recent years, you know what’s coming.,,,,,,,,,
Gulf of Maine – Planned fisheries closure leaves locals reeling
Yankee Fisherman Cooperative said the pending “consequence closure” of a section of the Gulf of Maine starting Oct. 1 will significantly impact the co-op and could potentially put it out of business,,,,,,,,,,,,,,U.S. Commerce Department has declared a “disaster” in the Northeast groundfishing industry,,,,, Hampton fisherman David Goethel said the closure will be devastating for the Yankee Fisherman Cooperative and the fishermen of New Hampshire, as the majority of the fleet are gillnetters.
“This is the biggest time a year for them,” said Goethel. “This is when they catch their pollock. There is no other time in the year they can get them.”
Editorial: Hollow disaster call shamefully fails to confront problem GDT
Indeed, even after 10 months, Blank’s embarrassing declaration posted Thursday still can’t be considered as a meaningful response to the disaster request,,,,,,,,,,attributes the fisheries’ failure to the “unexpectedly slow rebuilding of fish stocks.”,,,,,,,,,Read More. http://www.gloucestertimes.com/opinion/x1709877829/Editorial-Hollow-disaster-call-shamefully-fails-to-confront-problem
US Commerce Secretary declares disaster for Alaska salmon fisheries
…….Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell requested a disaster declaration from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank, citing low king salmon runs,,,,,,,,,,http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/us-commerce-secretary-declares-disaster-alaska-salmon-fisheries
Fishermen fight NOAA penalty for accidental catch of porpoises – Bullard Meets NH Fishermen –
PORTSMOUTH — Seacoast-area fishermen told new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Regional Administrator John Bullard on Wednesday that a pending “consequence closure” of a section of the Gulf of Maine could spell the end of the fi,,,,,,,,,Read More http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20120913-NEWS-209130409
BREAKING – Northeast, two other U.S. fishing areas declared disasters. Including Alaska, and Mississippi
“Fishermen in the Northeast are facing financial hardships because of the unexpe,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,also declared in Alaska, because of low returns of Chinook salmon in some key regions, and Mississippi Read More
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/13/us-usa-fishing-disasters-idUSBRE88C17P20120913
BREAKING – Commerce Department listens to pleas from lawmakers and declares fishery disaster – What’s Next?
U.S. Sen. John Kerry announced this morning that the Department of Commerce agreed to the bipartisan request from members of Congress, four New England Governors and many other elected officials for a declaration of a commercial fishery failure in the No,,,,,,,,,,,Read More http://www.savingseafood.org/fishing-industry-alerts/commerce-department-listens-to-pleas-from-new-england-lawmakers-and-declares-fishery-dis-2.html,,,,,,,,,,stocks that have limited their ability to catch enough to make ends meet,” said Acting Secretary Blank. “The Department of Commerce has determined that the diminished fish stocks have resulted despite fishermen’s adherence,,,,,,,,,,,
This mess is a creation of this agency. Lets talk about it! Leave some comments.
Northeast Seafood Coalition Statement on Federal Disaster Funding for Northeast Groundfish Fishing Industry
http://www.savingseafood.org/fishing-industry-alerts/nsc-statement-on-federal-disaster-funding-for-northeast-groundfish-ind-2.html View PDF @ savingseafood link
Are You Confident in NOAA/NMFS Trawl Surveys?
Are you confident in these government agency’s suedo scientific trawl surveys?
At 2:05.00 Russ Brown, Deputy Science and Resource Director of
the Northeast Regional Science Center gets invited to address Mr. Kendalls
questions by Dr Chris Legualt. He was also the lead scientist fot the ECO
SYSTEM SURVEY BRANCH, explains why they are using the gear they are using on Bigelow.
They went through a six year advisory process which included stake holders to get the right gear for surveys,
consulting with industry, the NEFMC, Mid Atlantic FMC, along with key academic stakeholders,
(whoever they are), professors who study fish behavior, and fishing gear, and things like that. Things like that? Fishing gear?
The group then decided what the objective would be, including the protocols to be used on the vessel itself.
He goes on to say,”The Center is conducting an ECO SYSTEM SURVEY.” “A multi specie survey that is not targeting any single specie,
but the objectives of the group was to design a survey to sample a variety of habitats, a variety of species, a variety of sizes within those species,
to really get a picture of what the eco system looks like.
“When you design a survey like that, there are a lot of trade offs you need to make in terms of spatially where you sample,
the types of gear you’re using, etc.”
Trade off’s? In like not collecting the data needed to sample abundance?
Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island governors ask Congress for $100 million in fisheries disaster assistance
WASHINGTON — September 12, 2012 — The governors of Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island today wrote to Senate and House leadership requesting $100 million in federal disaster assistance contingent upon a federal disaster declaration for New England fisheries from the Department of Commerce. The text of the letter follows.
Each of us will collaborate with our fishermen and the Department of Commerce to develop a detailed spending plan to address the needs of our individual communities and states
My only question fisherynation is, are YOU being represented?
