Monthly Archives: March 2013
Will GE salmon opposition be the ‘kiss of death’ for Aquabounty?
Avaaz.org, self-described as an international citizens group, has collected nearly 1 million — 991,340, to be precise — signatures for its “Stop the Frankenfish attack” petition against Aquabounty’s application as of last Thursday, and that is just the most recent news to break. Read more
Meet the New Boss, Acting NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan
Dr. Kathryn Sullivan assumed the role of Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Acting NOAA Administrator on February 28, 2013, where she had been serving as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction and Deputy Administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as performing the duties of NOAA’s Chief Scientist, a vacant position. She is a distinguished scientist, renowned astronaut and intrepid explorer. Read the profile
Portsmouth’s Tom Nies to lead the New England Fishery Management Council
The 18 members of the New England Fishery Management Council recently selected Tom Nies of Portsmouth as the agency’s new executive director. He succeeds Capt. Paul Howard, who served in the role for 16 years. Howard’s last day was Friday, and Nies steps into the post on Monday. Read more
Meeting Notice – NEFMC, Groundfish Oversight Commitee and Advisory Panel
March 6, 2013 – Groundfish Oversight joint with Groundfish Advisors http://www.nefmc.org/nemulti/meeting_notice/130306MtgNoticeWakefield.pdf
Groundfish managers from afar hold workshop – The Who Fishes Matters Tour – On the Cape
BARNSTABLE — Cape fishermen will hear from a panel of fisheries experts from Canada and France, and get to brainstorm ideas for solutions to social, environmental, economic and other concerns at a workshop tomorrow today from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Lorusso Tech Solarium at Cape Cod Community College. Read more
Workers reeling from fish plant closures
More than 300 fish plant workers have been blindsided by the closure of the three P. Janes and Sons seafood processing plants in Newfoundland on Monday, but another fish plant owner says he hopes to hire most of the displaced workers. Read more
Permit system puts tougher regulation on fishermen, scientists who catch great white shark
On Feb. 6, the California Fish and Game Commission accepted a petition to consider endangered status for the northeastern Pacific population of white sharks, which range from Alaska to Mexico, and out to Hawaii. The petition cited recent studies suggesting the population is much smaller than expected: 339 sharks in the northeastern Pacific, excluding juveniles. Without a stable population of these top predators, coastal ecosystems would be thrown into turmoil, said Goeff Shester of Oceana, one of three environmental groups who wrote the petition. “It’d be like an African Serengeti without lions,” he said. Read more
“The big boats are taking over and they’re killing the little guys off,” Small fishermen’s plight discussed at forum in city
PORTSMOUTH — Participants in the Who Fishes Matters Tour fisheries forum Monday night discussed ways to improve the beleaguered catch share system of fisheries management. Read more
Gulf fish-counting method needs scrutiny, lawmakers say
Those stocks are used to determine catch limits and have long been a source of contention for the fishing industry and environmentalists. Environmental groups concerned about dwindling stocks of vulnerable species say overfishing could affect the Gulf region’s ecology and economy for decades. Fishermen say current catch limits are based on flawed science and have cost coastal communities jobs and other economic benefits. Read more
Prince Edward Island Activists Call for Ban on GM Salmon
Canadian-based group Islanders Say No to GM Salmon is calling on Premier Ghiz to ban the production of genetically modified (also known as genetically engineered or GE) Atlantic salmon eggs in PEI. As the United States edges closer to approving human consumption of GM salmon in the next months, increased attention is now focused on Canada, and in particular PEI, as the only source of GM salmon eggs on the planet. Read more
‘Phantom’ fishing discards seen skewing fish quotas – absurdities which helps explain the poor quality of NOAA fisheries science
Calculating discards, an essential component in the fishery management system, has evolved into a knot of absurdities which helps explain the poor quality of NOAA fisheries science, says David Goethel, a commercial fisherman and member of the New England Fishery Management Council. Read more
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
Fish farmer denies disease killing fish
Activity at Snow Island’s salmon farm on the Eastern Shore is a reflection of a harsh winter, not disease, says the company’s operations vice-president.“We’ve had a harsh winter.” Read more
Meanwhile, over in Scotland, Fish farms are ‘wiping out Scotland’s wild salmon’
NEW research has raised fresh claims that fish farms are wiping out Scotland’s iconic wild salmon. Read more
Coast Guard and Navy Rescue Guam Fisherman
Coast Guard and Navy search and rescue crews partnered to provide assistance to a local fisherman whose vessel began taking on water and quickly capsized 13 nautical miles off the coast of Guam, in the vicinity of Galvez Banks, south of Merizo. Read more
Wild Fisheries Are Sustainable by Law – Vito Giacalone, third-generation commercial fisherman based in Gloucester, Mass.
If your seafood is coming from a United States fishery, it is, by law, coming from a sustainable fishery. Read more
Vito Giacalone’s entry is one included with other’s. The comment’s at these blogs are interesting and revealing about how uninformed the general public is when it comes to harvesting seafood.
Adak’s seafood processing plant won’t open this summer
That’s disappointing news for Pat Davis. He owns the 48-foot F/V Cascade, and fishes for halibut and black cod near Adak. He says being able to deliver to the Icicle plant saved him a 450-mile run each way to Unalaska. Read more
Alaska fishermen reaffirm Responsible Fishery Management (RFM) support
04 March, 2013 – The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute released a resolution this week supporting the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s decision to withdraw from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)’s process for certification. Read more
SSC: Scientists Recommend Management Options for South Pacific Albacore, False Killer Whales, Hawai`i Bottomfish
Honolulu – The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) that advises the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council concluded its three-day meeting Thursday in Honolulu. Read more
Fisherman fights to keep Moque Head fog horn
A fisherman from Main-a-Dieu, N.S., is challenging a plan by the Coast Guard to shut down a fog horn on Moque Head. Ken
Wadden says the fog horn is used by 60 boats at the height of the fishing season Read more
Shell abandons Arctic drilling in 2013
Royal Dutch Shell announced Wednesday that it will not drill in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Alaska this year, declaring a cease-fire in one of the nation’s fiercest political battles over energy development and environmental protection. Read more
‘Who Fishes Matters Tour’ comes to Portsmouth
PORTSMOUTH — The Who Fishes Matters Tour is coming to the Port City tonight. “In every industry where consolidation has taken place, we have seen rapid signs of ecological, social and economic degradation. The fishing industry is proving to be no different,” said Brett Tolley of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance. “Most at risk are the fish and the family fishermen, particularly those with the smallest ecological footprint and less capital to buy or lease access to fisheries.” Read more
Gloucester man ‘pardoned’ for ’80s fish scam
Bordinaro was among roughly a half dozen New England fishing industry executives who pleaded guilty to such scams, according to a 1991 report. All were charged with falsifying documents in their contracts with the Defense Personnel Support Center of Defense certifying that Canadian fish were caught by U.S. fishermen in U.S. waters, a requirement of all Defense-related government contracts. Read more
To the editor: Fishing rules are about government control – Beverly Johnson Gloucester
Between 1932 and 1933, Joseph Stalin determined to centralize control of agricultural production in the Soviet Union. Read more
To the Editor: Why can’t fishermen earn a living? by Sam Parisi Gloucester
What will it take to have our government help or even allow our fishermen to earn a living? Read more
At-Sea Monitoring Costs Too Expensive
The letter asked NOAA to fully fund the at-sea monitoring program, and even suggested a system of virtual monitoring. Read more
To the Editor: Frank clarifies lobbying for fishermen – by Barney Frank
I am writing write to clear up confusion caused — embarrassingly — by my failure to fully remember a law I co-authored. Read more
Herring harvest: Inside the last commercial fishery in San Francisco Bay
SAN FRANCISCO BAY — Dennis Deaver was doing his taxes late at night at home in Alamo when he got an urgent call. It was time to hunt in San Francisco Bay. The herring were running. A school of the silvery fish had followed the tide in and were slathering millions of their tiny golden eggs in shallow waters near Tiburon. In days, maybe even hours, the fish would disappear back into the ocean Read more here
From the Deckboss
Wild!, In case you care, We want in, and as always, read the comments here
