Monthly Archives: October 2012
THE APPARENT MENTALITY OF EDF & CATCH SHARE PROPONENTS
My Alask
a connection was ranting about the scmucks at EDF and I thought I’d share it with you. It is the second EDF related communication to my mailbox tonight. The other one was about a sell out saying, well, nothing like this, and I like this a Hell of a lot better. It’s all true. BH
Catch share proponents like EDF are not comfortable with just writing out the truth of what they want, or what they are willing to do to others’ rights in order to get what they want. They won’t simply write the US Congress or even the Washington Post or whatever major news venue, and use straight-forward facts about failures around the world of catch share systems, and reveal their true thoughts and intentions. To real fishermen, those thoughts apparently go something like this. Read More http://bore-head007.newsvine.com/_news/2012/10/24/14679201-the-apparent-mentality-of-edf-catch-share-proponents?threadId=3597029&commentId=71406506#c71406506
Carbon Emissions Threaten The Fishing Industry By Shrinking Fish Sizes
Check the links. Its a Pew Allstar Cast! Plenty of those Oldie but Goody’s.
A team of researchers projecting carbon emissions into the future has determined that they could have a severe effect on fish populations – shrinking the size of some species by as much as 24%. That could mean a huge blow in the future to the beleaguered fishing industry. The findings were published in Nature Climate Change this week.
“We were surprised to see such a large decrease in fish size,” If its Danial Pauley and Boris Worm, there are no surprises here!
Robert E. Beal Named ASMFC Executive Director
In accepting the position, Mr. Beal stated, “I am honored and privileged to serve as the Commission’s Executive Director and work for people I admire and for a cause I feel so strongly about. It’s been nearly 20 years since passage of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act and the states, through the Commission, have achieved many impressive accomplishments from species rebuilding, improved data collection, to sound stock assessments for data poor species such as American eel and shad and river herring. I am excited about the opportunity to work with the states, in concert with our federal partners, to build upon these successes and address the challenges that are ahead.”
http://www.savingseafood.org/council-actions/robert-e.-beal-named-asmfc-executive-director-3.html
New Crab Study in Southeast Alaska – Fishermen’s News
Female red king crab from the Juneau area will be the subject of a study to optimize the diet of larval king crab by the Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Oregon State University.
http://fnonlinenews.blogspot.com/2012/10/new-crab-study-in-southeast-alaska.html
Industrialized…Fishing??? How about a Green Energy Industrial Assault?
I guess it’s OK to plant hundreds of 600′ tall (that’s equivalent to a 60 story building) wind towers on prime fishing grounds off of Delaware; but, according to this “Scraping the Seafloor Smooth” op-ed in the NY Times and posted on https://fisherynation.com/archives/1374 “heavy bottom trawling” is leveling off sea mounts and doing drastic damage to our ocean bottom http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/opinion/industrialized-fishing-scrapes-the-seafloor-smooth.html?_r=1
“Heavy trawling takes place all around the world, including off the coasts of the United States. In the scientists’ study area — the Mediterranean Sea near Spain Read More
WASHINGTON -As part of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above strategy to expand safe and responsible domestic energy production, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Tommy P. Beaudreau today announced that BOEM has reached agreement on a lease for commercial wind energy development in federal waters that covers 96,430 acres approximately 11 nautical miles off the coast of Delaware. http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=bgwiiwiab&v=001Qll-Xe3DdxHqK5lM72iXgwxYClSTDUSBzbveiZFTiSwiGVm2WZQWqbhVVsFKOsW7poG992q9ow6_4JaEyxu-Q88tL-FAH3TqR-r62mC9dtcML3XW7OLlNwc8wpTtBq1T4LzZfIUcYFSdM_pGeTgZKZPmBtWPrxSY1h6VKvN_Y-OsTPwYIOKTqA%3D%3D
US Army Corps Assesses Oyster Crisis-Apalachicola- Chattahoochee-Flint water basin, Since 2005, the Corps has restricted the water flow from Lake Lanier
Eastpoint, Fla. – The last couple of months have been tough on oystermen in Franklin County, and projections look bleak. That’s why stake holders of the Apalachicola- Chattahoochee-Flint water basin invited the Army Corps of Engineers to see the devastation for themselves. The stakeholders say it basically boils down to an unbalanced system. The lack of fresh water is causing oysters to die at a rapid rate, and if you couple that with a lack of funding for research and infrastructure projects, it’s a catastrophe in the works. “There’s nothing out there to look forward to.” Devin Barber, an oysterman of 13 years says this is the worst he’s seen the bay. http://www.wmbb.com/story/19887019/us-army-corps-assesses-oyster-crisis
Program aims for better oyster management DailyComet.com – Louisiana’s 1.6 million acres of public oyster beds.
By Nikki Buskey State officials are launching a pilot program to better manage Louisiana’s 1.6 million acres of public oyster beds. The Vessel Monitoring System Pilot Program aims to collect data on oyster harvests on public grounds by requiring tracking units on harvest boats. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will provide the tracking units to licensed oyster harvesters for free, with costs limited to minimal maintenance and care.The state is contracting with Pole Star Space Applications, a fleet management and monitoring company, to provide,,,,,,,,Read More http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20121023/ARTICLES/121029848?tc=ar
Update: Coast Guard suspends search for missing Haines fisherman F/V Darlin’ Michelle
A Jayhawk helicopter and C-130 from Air Station Sitka were dispatched to the scene. A Wings of Alaska plane on a scheduled flight from Haines to Skagway and a tour company helicopter from Skagway assisted with the air search. An Alaska State Troopers’ boat and fishing vessels from Haines were helping with the search on water. Darlin’ Michelle is captained by Haines fisherman Ted Lynch. Several independent reports from searchers identified Lynch as the missing fisherman, who was commercial shrimping in the Tayia Inlet between Haines and Skagway. Skies were clear and sunny in the area Tuesday afternoon. But the National Weather Service has a gale warning in effect through Tuesday evening for the Upper Lynn Canal with a north wind of 35 knots and gusts up to 50 knots forecasted. Seas were expected to reach 7 feet. Read More http://www.ktoo.org/2012/10/23/authorities-searching-for-missing-haines-fisherman/
CAPITAL GAZETTE: rockfish survey records all-time low-But lets not get ahead of ourselves! Article, and Analysis. Saving Menhaden Fisheries
Also critica
l to the striper stock’s health is adequate food, principally menhaden. For year fishermen and fishing conservation groups have argued that too many adult menhaden are being harvested from the Chesapeake, and as a result a significant ,,,,,Analysis: The article, “Outdoors: Rock survey records all-time low” in the Capital Gazette, alleges that the current rate of menhaden fishing is having a negative impact on predator fish species, such as striped bass, even though the science behind these claims,,,,Read More.
Scientists offer tips for Alaska king salmon study – Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner – Scientists offer tips for Alaska king salmon study
Canada Plan to cull 70,000 grey seals gets Senate panel’s approval.
The Senate’s fisheries committee has endorsed a contentious cull of 70,000 grey seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence over a four-year period, in a bid to conserve cod stocks. But critics say that plans for a cull have been driven by politics, not science.
A group of marine biologists at Dalhousie University in Halifax issued an open letter last fall that said a cull could produce unintended consequences, including further depletion of the cod. (now THAT makes alotta sense!!!) One cannot credibly predict from a science perspective whether a cull of grey seals would have a positive impact on cod or negative impact on cod … or no impact whatsoever,” he said. (I’m thinkin’ outside the box. It’ll help the cod!)
Salmon won’t be getting help from Delta gates, This year the gates will not be closed.
Water diversion gates in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta near Walnut Grovewill not be closed this month to assist migrating salmon, as they were last year. The Delta Cross Channel Gates, operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, were built in 1953. They are typically open in fall to divert fresh water from the Sacramento River to the interior of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This reduces the salinity of water exported from the Delta for urban and farm use. In recent years, concern has emerged that salmon migrating upstream to spawn in the Mokelumne River are disoriented by flows diverted through the gates and often end up spawning in the wrong stream. So the gates were closed last year for 10 days in October, which may have contributed to a rebound in salmon production at the Mokelumne River Hatchery, operated by the state Department of Fish and Game.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/23/4930924/salmon-wont-be-getting-help-from.html
Scraping the Seafloor Smooth,impact of bottom trawling. The New York Times
Click the link in the article for a study conducted by somebody. A real sleeper. These people will not rest until fishermen are eradicated.
It is hard to grasp just how industrialized commercial fishing has become. You may know about the problems inherent in fish farming. You may have read some of the stunning accounts of work aboard the factory ships that catch, process and freeze fish. But there is no better way to grasp the scale of industrial fishing than to consider the impact of bottom trawling. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/opinion/industrialized-fishing-scrapes-the-seafloor-smooth.html?_r=1
Economic relief needed for fishermen – US Senator Jeanne Shaheen
In recent years, New Hampshire fishermen have seen their incomes decline as federal regulations designed to end overfishing have limited the amount of fish they can catch. To make matters worse, these often-onerous regulations haven’t helped the cod population rebound as expected. In fact, a 2011 scientific study by the National Marine Fisheries Service found so few codfish in the Gulf of Maine that the quota for the upcoming fishing year must be set extremely low — so low that it jeopardizes the survival of New Hampshire’s fishing industry. The Survey SUCKS!BH
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20121021-OPINION-210210309
Permit Income, Crew Size Rule for Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish
US – NOAA Fisheries has published a final rule (77 FR 64237) for Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Permit Requirements and Dual-Permitted Vessel Crew Size. The rule was effective on 19 November, 2012. The rule eliminates the earned income qualification requirement for the renewal of Gulf of Mexico commercial reef fish permits, and increases the maximum number of crew members for dual-permitted (commercial and charter) vessels.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council determined the existing earned income requirement in the reef fish fishery is no longer necessary. The regulation pertaining to the maximum number of crew stipulates that dual-permitted vessels without a certificate of inspection are limited to a three-person crew when fishing commercially. The increase to four crew members would most directly benefit commercial spear fishermen, by allowing two persons to remain aboard, resulting in improved safety during commercial diving operations.
This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.
Electronic copies of the amendment and final rule may be obtained from the NOAA Fisheries Web site http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/pdfs/Gulf_Amendment_34_EA.pdf
NEFMC Groundfish Committee’s Oct. 11 Meeting Prompts Discussion Related to Closed Area Access and Transboundary Stock Shares- Lots of Audio
NEFMC Groundfish Oversight Committee met last Thursday to continue development of Framework Adjustment 48. HAMPTON, N.H. – October 11, 2012 – The New England Fishery Management Council’s (NEFMC) Groundfish Oversight Committee met last Thursday to continue development of Framework Adjustment 48 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. Throughout the discussion, there were several key issues that emerged as focal points for a great deal of Committee and public comment, as well as debate.
With ‘Deadliest Catch’ cameras onboard, crabbers head to Bristol Bay -an increasing presence of Alaska Natives and Alaskan-owned boats.
The Bristol Bay red king crab fishery opened Monday with a larger quota, Hollywood on board again, and an increasing presence of Alaska Natives and Alaskan-owned boats. “We call it the Yupikest catch,” said Morgen Crowe, executive director of the Coastal Villages Region Fund (CVRF), the community development quota group in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. CVRF has purchased three crabbers, the Bering Sea, Arctic Sea, and North Sea, and about a third of combined crew members are Yupik Eskimo deckhands. While none are captains yet, that’s only a matter of time and training, Crowe said, adding that the crew earned $50,000 to $80,000 during the last snow crab season, Crowe said. The Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) program allocates a percentage of,,,,,,,,,,Read More http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/deadliest-catch-cameras-onboard-crabbers-head-bristol-bay?page=full
Missouri men facing commercial fishing violations – unlawful harvest of shovelnose sturgeon on the Mississippi River
For the Daily Gate City WAPELLO – Two southeast Missouri men face 74 counts and more than $43,000 in fines and civil damages for the alleged unlawful harvest of shovelnose sturgeon on the Mississippi River in Louisa County. Robert Housman, 43, of Sikeston Mo., was charged with 35 counts of unlawful take and possession of shovelnose sturgeon and two counts of setting entanglement gear (commercial fishing nets) in a closed zone for a total of $3,671 in fines. The state also is seeking $18,000 in liquidated damages from Housman. Michael Dye, 39, of Charleston, Mo., was charged with 34 counts of unlawful take and possession of shovelnose sturgeon, two counts of setting entanglement gear (commercial fishing nets) in a closed zone and one count of no commercial fishing license for a total of $3,772.50 in fines http://www.dailygate.com/news/article_ccca543c-1c7d-11e2-8439-0019bb2963f4.html
Recognition abounds for UMass professor Brian Rothschild By DON CUDDY – HEAR! HEAR!
NEW BEDFORD — Accolades are piling up for UMass Dartmouth professor and renowned marine scientist Brian Rothschild. This month, National Fisherman magazine announced it was giving Rothschild, 78, its Highliner Achievement Award for a lifetime of service to the fishing industry. Rothschild is one of four honorees from around the nation to be recognized the by the magazine of record for the commercial fishing industry. “These are the people who bring hope to their fishing communities,” National Fisherman editor Jessica Hathaway wrote in the November issue. “Their work sheds light on the way things can and should be done in the fishing industry.”
The announcement from National Fisherman comes at the same time that New Bedford’s Prince Henry Society selected the professor for its Man of the Year award, presented to an individual whose work has benefited the Portuguese community. Many of boats in the New Bedford fleet are owned and crewed by Portuguese fishermen. At UMass Dartmouth’s School of Marine Science and Technology, Rothschild and Dr. Kevin Stokesbury developed an innovative video survey for counting sea scallops in 1996 that is credited with preventing the collapse of what has become the most valuable fishery in the U.S. Rothschild was the founding dean of SMAST in 1995 and is known around the world for his work in population dynamics, biological oceanography and fisheries management. He has worked in fishery science for more than 50 years and has published nearly 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and reports.
The Prince Henry Society presented the award during the Society’s annual banquet at White’s of Westport on Saturday evening. Later this month, Rothschild flies to China at the invitation of the Shanghai Ocean University, where he will be the featured speaker at an event celebrating the university’s centennial year.
“To be honored by my Chinese colleagues in ocean science, my friends in the fishing industry, and my friends and neighbors in greater New Bedford is a tribute that I share with all of my friends and colleagues who have sharpened my commitment to discovery and public service,” Rothschild said in a university press release.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121022/NEWS/210220315/1018/OPINION
Get ready. More Secrets. NOAA Rule Would Restrict Access to Fisheries Data – NMFS Director Samuel Rauch declined an interview request through a spokesperson.
by Erik Stokstad on 19 October 2012,
Every year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spends about $40 million to put independent observers on fishing vessels, where they collect data on what’s caught in U.S. waters. The information is crucial for evaluating how well fishery management plans are working. Now NOAA wants to limit public access to these data in order to protect confidential business information. While the fishing industry welcomes the proposal, scientists and environmental groups are anxious. “Our worry is that this will limit third-party involvement in fisheries management,” says Lee Crockett of the Pew Environment Group in Washington, D.C. Public comments are due by 21 October.
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2012/10/noaa-rule-would-restrict-access-.html?ref=hp
Commercial fishery for black sea bass ends after four months – Closed – Cape Hatteras to Key West, Fla.,
The year-long commercial fishery for black sea bass closed earlier this month after being open for just four months, a preemptive measure designed to protect recovering fish populations throughout the Atlantic Ocean. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the fishery’s 309,000-pound annual catch limit – the amount of fish that can be harvested each year without adversely affecting population levels, according to federal regulators – was reached early.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20121021/ARTICLES/121029971/-1/news01?p=1&tc=pg
Northern Eagle, The Ultimate Factory Trawler
Built to suit a specific purpose, the Northern Eagle trawler is incomparable to any other fishing trawler of its like. Owned by the American Seafoods conglomerate, the vessel’s functionality extends to more than being only a trawling vessel for the Pollack specimen of fishes and encompasses the entire ambit of the fishes’ processing and further treatment for consumption, across the globe. The demand generated for the Pollack forms an important constituent of the fisheries sector worldwide. It is only through the operational commitment of fishing vessels like the Northern Eagle trawler vessel that there has been able to be maintained a steady tandem between the demand and supply of the Pollack specimen, found only in the freezing Arctic. http://maritimesecurity.asia/free-2/maritime-security-asia/northern-eagle-the-ultimate-factory-trawler/
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update October 21, 2012
The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance is dedicated to its mission of continuing to help create sustainable fisheries without putting licensed fishermen out of business.”
http://hosted.vresp.com/1181479/5174a2d2c8/545569281/ad93d20bca/
Coast Guard helps New Bedford vessel sinking off Nantucket
NEW BEDFORD — A New Bedford fishing vessel, in danger of sinking early Saturday morning, was saved following prompt action from Coast Guard crews. The 84-foot steel dragger Luzitano was around 40 miles southeast of Nantucket, when the crew discovered flooding in the engine room. Coast Guard watchstanders received a distress call from the Luzitano at approximately 4:18 a.m reporting that they were taking on water with seven people aboard. Although the Luzitano had three dewatering pumps onboard, they were not keeping up with the flooding. A Jayhawk helicopter crew and a Falcon Jet crew launched from to assist the fishermen and delivered two additional pumps to the Luzitano. With the additional pumps the crew was able to keep up with the flooding which resulted from a four-inch hole in the engine room. The Luzitano was making its way to Woods Hole on Saturday where a Coast Guard crew is scheduled to escort them to New Bedford. “This case is a good example on why it is important to contact the Coast Guard immediately,” said Scott Backholm, the command duty officer at Sector Southeastern New England. “The faster we have visibility on a situation the faster our rescue crews can respond.” The Luzitano, built in 1978, is owned by the Hope II, Inc. http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121021/NEWS/210210356/-1/NEWS
Don Cuddy
SSC Meeting: October 23-25, 2012 North Charleston, SC
- SSC Meeting: October 23-25, 2012 North Charleston, SC
Crowne Plaza, 4831 Tanger Outlet Blvd., North Charleston, SC 29418; phone: 843/744-4422
Meeting Agenda Briefing Book Materials (posted 10/9; updated 10/17)
Socio-Economic Panel (SEP) Meeting : October 22, 2012 North Charleston, SC
Crowne Plaza, 4831 Tanger Outlet Blvd., North Charleston, SC 29418; phone: 843/744-4422
Meeting Agenda Briefing Book Materials (posted 10/9; updated 10/17)
