Daily Archives: February 5, 2013

Virginia charter boat operator admits illegal striped bass catch

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) – A charter boat operator has pleaded guilty to federal charges of trafficking in illegally harvested striped bass. William W. Lowery IV is scheduled to be sentenced May 9.  Read more here   November 9, 2012 VIRGINIA BEACH (AP) — Five charter fishing boat captains operating out of Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach have been indicted for allegedly selling illegally harvested striped bass. Read the story here

Maryland offshore wind plan likely to pass, but will it be built?

After years of trying, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is poised to win approval from state lawmakers in the coming weeks for a field of towering windmills in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more here

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Meeting Schedule – February 5 – 8, 2013

February 5 – 8, 2013  View Committee Agenda  View Council Agenda  To watch this meeting live, click here! February 5, 2013 – Day 1 – Closed session all day

Testimony will be taken on the following: Reef Fish Framework Action for Vermilion and Yellowtail Snapper ACL and Venting Tool Requirements Regulatory Amendment to Adjust 2013 Red Snapper Quotas  Texas Cooperative Shrimp Closure

Exempted Fishing Permits (if any) Open Public Comment

NPFMC Ecosystem Committee, February 5, 2012, 8:30 am (Pacific Time)

 Ecosystem Committee DRAFT Agenda updated 1/25/2013  Tuesday, February 5, 2013 8:30am – 12:30pm Benson Hotel, Portland, ORnpfmc

To listen to committee meeting via webex, go to: https://npfmc.webex.com/   Read the Agenda draft

Editorial: Ex-AG’s report, hardly independent, needs further review

But it was clear from the start that the Preservation Fund, which paid for Harshbarger’s services, essentially had the probe and the report right under its own thumb.  And instead of answering questions, the report itself — released through selected public presentations last week, yet still protected under attorney-client privilege, as its own pages note — has unfortunately raised new ones. Read more here

Congressman John Tierney eyes Saltonstall-Kennedy Act money for fisheries aid

“From Gloucester, Massachusetts to Mississippi to Alaska, fishermen in several states are facing near catastrophic economic situations,” Tierney wrote in an email to the Times. “Despite the Department of Commerce’s recognition of these disasters with emergency declarations in 2012, sufficient relief still has not been provided. This is unacceptable.”  Read more here