Daily Archives: October 5, 2012
VIMS cracks the case of blue crab parasite
Marine researchers have spent 15 years trying to nail down the life cycle of a single-celled parasite fatal to blue crabs. On Thursday, they announced they cracked the case. “Describing the entire life cycle of the Hematodinium was an important breakthrough for us,” said Jeff Shields at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in Gloucester Point. “Having all stages in culture means we can now really start picking the life cycle apart to learn what the organism does and how it functions.” Armed with this new knowledge, researchers hope to stem infections that are a growing concern to wild fisheries and aquaculture operations. The parasite is harmless to people
http://www.wdbj7.com/news/virginia/dp-nws-blue-crab-parasite-20121005,0,394412.story
Despite Tumult, NOAA’s Lubchenco Would Like 4 More Years
It’s been a tumultuous few years for marine biologist Jane Lubchenco, the head of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She’s confronted an unprecedented and politically sensitive
oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, struggled to keep expensive satellite programs on track, and butted heads with Congress, which sank her efforts to reorganize NOAA’s climate science programs and appoint the agency’s first chief scientist in nearly 2 decades. Still, Lubchenco says she’d like to keep her job if President Barack Obama is reelected in November.
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2012/10/despite-tumult-noaas-lubchenco-w.html?ref=hp
Maine Voices: Diversity, versatility important to future health of fisheries
By PATRICK SHEPARD
In light of the recent disaster declaration for the New England groundfishery, fishermen and managers need to begin planning for the future of this important industry to ensure that affordable opportunities exist for young fishermen as groundfish stocks rebuild. Let’s fast-forward, for a moment, to when populations of cod and haddock are commercially abundant off Maine’s coast once again. What will this mean for local fishermen? The shocking, short answer is that most Maine fishermen won’t have the rights to be able to catch those fish. While there’s been a lot written about the high abundance and low price of lobsters this year, one thing that hasn’t been discussed is that most of the fishermen in this state don’t have the federal permits required to catch anything other than lobster.http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/diversity-versatility-important-to-future-health-of-fisheries_2012-10-05.html
CALIFORNIA: ACSF Opposes Sanctuary Expansion of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
October 5, 2012 — The Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries (ACSF), formed in 2000 to represent the commercial and recreational fishing interests of the six harbor communities in the central coast of California, released a statement opposing the expansion of the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. The ACSF represents an area that includes the current sanctuary. The ACSF’s letter of opposition explains why regional fishermen oppose expansion of the Sanctuary and believe that it should instead focus on improving its governance and community relations.
Read a PDF of the letter here http://www.savingseafood.org/images/acsfletterresfexpansion.pdf
Anglers debate OC offshore wind farm – Dredging and fishing near turbines could (will)be prohibited
ANNAPOLIS — If a wind farm is ever built off the coast of Ocean City, it could enhance recreational fishing by creating artificial reefs, but hurt commercial fishermen who dredge in the area by taking up valuable bottom with cables and lines. A number of steps still need to be taken before the offshore farm, which could include between 50 and 100 wind turbines, becomes a reality. Still, Catherine McCall of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said the department is taking steps now to minimize the impact on the fishing community. “The largest impact could occur to gear types that tend to make contact with the bottom, so your trolls or your dredges. The connections between each of the turbines require cables or lines and you don’t want people dredging or trolling over that,” McCall said. McCall said where dredging would be prohibited would be decided during the siting process. Depending on who installs the project, all fishing near the turbines could be prohibited for safety reasons. Gov. Martin O’Malley’s Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012 passed through the House of Delegates but never came to a vote in the Senate. The bill is not necessary to build a farm but would encourage construction by requiring that Maryland power suppliers get a certain amount of power from wind. Similar legislation is expected in 2013 as proponents continue to try to jump start wind farming in Maryland.
http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20121005/WCT01/310050009/Anglers-debate-OC-offshore-wind-farm
