Monthly Archives: March 2013
Department of Aquaculture, Agriculture and Fisheries official’s obstruction case delayed
The obstruction case against a senior civil servant has been delayed until April 26 to allow the prosecutors to disclose the case to the defence. Read more
Related –Provincial fisheries official charged with obstruction, Deputy premier not aware if he’s under investigation –
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update MARCH 3, 2013
“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.” Read the update here
Miss Ally crewman mourned – Fisherman Joel Hopkins, “He was full of life, and a hard worker. … Everything he did, he just did with excitement, and just loved life.”
“The service was upbeat,” said Phil Williams, pastor of the Calvary United Baptist Church, who helped to organize the service.
“It was really focused on celebration of his life. From start to finish, it was about Joel. It was very warm, personal. There was some laughter, of course, amidst the tears.” Read more
LETHBRIDGE: Turbine buffs beware: There be growlers out there – ocean industrialization
Growlers, in the parlance of fishermen and aquaculture farmers of New Brunswick, are those submerged aggregations of gravel, rock and ice that rampage up and down the waters. Read more
A NOAA proposed rule would let recreational swordfish anglers sell their catch to dealers commercially to help the U.S. fulfill its quota.
For about $20, South Florida recreational swordfish anglers could become commercial fishers fishermen 
under a new rule amendment proposed by NOAA Fisheries. Read more here
Maine DMR to hold off on new lobster measures
After holding more than a dozen meetings along the Maine coast in January, state fishery officials have decided not to pursue any new management measures for Maine’s most valuable fishery. “We’re not going to pursue anything at this time,” Keliher said to a packed room of more than 100 people, most of them fishermen. Read more
Texas Game wardens targeting poachers along border
For four days, Texas wildlife officials worked around the clock in an attempt to disrupt criminal activity along the border. And the operation, which began Monday, resulted in 15 citations or arrests, state officials said. They dubbed their mission Operation Shark Fin and put teams in the water in the Gulf of Mexico, the Rio Grande and Lake Falcon. Read more
Study contains good news for bluefin tuna
The study, which will go on for several more months, emerges as NOAA Fisheries is poised to propose a rule to reduce bluefin tuna bycatch. Read more
Tuna at tipping point
The drop follows similar plunges in the other two bluefin species, the Atlantic and the southern, which are now protected by catch quotas that experts say need to be applied to their Pacific cousins as well. Read more
Tracy Warner — Salmon return; so do sea lions
The annual arrival of the salmon is soon followed by the sighting of the first California sea lion, followed soon by the first photographers snapping shots of indiscriminate predators making meals of the world’s most valuable fish. Lawyers soon follow, being the dominant species. Read more
PEI Fishermen try to stay positive after rough season
The P.E.I. Fishing Association says it’s mulling over the idea of unifying its lobster fisheries under one brand in hopes of selling Island lobster for a premium price. Read more
Coast Guard rescue 2 from sinking fishing vessel near Bodega Bay, Calif.
Coast Guard Station Bodega Bay received a mayday call at 3:32 p.m. from the 30-foot fishing vessel Yardbird stating the vessel was rapidly taking on water one mile from shore with two people aboard. Read more
The wave of Ocean Industrialization is building – NOAA IS BENT ON AQUACULTURE: or With friends like this….
The wave of Ocean Industrialization is building. Wind mill farms that grow nothing, Open Ocean Aquaculture, Tidal Generation (which makes sense), and Ocean Mining. It appears to some, that plunking all kinds of junk in the ocean will solve all of man kinds problems! We’ve posted quite a few articles about Ocean Industrialization lately. Featured writer Dick Grachek reminds us about NOAA’s Ocean Aquaculture philosophy. We should all be very concerned.
NOAA IS BENT ON AQUACULTURE: or With friends like this….“NOAA backs aquaculture”, SAMUEL D Rauch III, NOAA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, has released a statement stressing the importance of the aquaculture industry to both the US economy and the environment. Speaking on 21 August, [2012] he observed that: Read more here
Cape Wind faces political push back
In what has become a familiar exchange over the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm, federal lawmakers from outside of Massachusetts are once again pressuring President Barack Obama’s administration for information on his support for the project. Read more here
Canada’s New Year’s Resolution: Standing Against Salmon Feedlots
With the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently affirming Infectious Salmon Anemia virus (ISAv) to be present in coastal waters beyond eradication, concerned Canadians are standing against the salmon feedlots that are threatening British Columbia’s wild salmon population. In 2012, under the government’s investigation into the decline of local sockeye salmon, the Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River, also known as the Cohen Commission, reported “the potential harm posed to Fraser River sockeye salmon from salmon farms is serious or irreversible.” Read more here
Pebble Mine & the Clean Water Act By Nanci Lyon
While Alaska may host a wide variety of people, thoughts and ideas, I think we can all agree that salmon are an important part of calling this great state home. Whether in our belly, on the end of our line or in our net, salmon feed us, provide jobs and support a multi-billion dollar a year economy. Our salmon are iconic. Read more here
The Fishy History of the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish Sandwich
Groen was working ungodly hours and had twins to feed at home—$75 was not cutting it. He noticed that a restaurant nearby owned by the Big Boy chain was doing something different—they had a fish sandwich. “My dad told me, ‘If I’m gonna survive, I’ve got to come up with a fish sandwich,’” says Paul. So Groen went to work creating a simple, battered, halibut-based prototype, with a slice of cheese between two buns. Read more
After The Spill: The Environment And Economy Of The Gulf
In July 2010, the oil spill caused by the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion fouled beaches and wetlands, killed wildlife, and ruined seafood businesses. Nearly three years later, as the civil trial against BP begins, those who live and work in the area continue to feel the disaster’s effects. Transcript and audio here
Expect salmon quotas near 2012 levels
Overall, the pink forecast of 6.23 million fish is up from 5.98 million in 2011. “We can’t tell you why we have so many pinks. Let’s just enjoy them,” Pattillo said. “It’s pretty phenomenal.” Read more here
Port of Galilee Rhode Island lands $2.9M to rebuild fisheries infrastructure
“Modernizing the Port of Galilee is a smart investment that recognizes the importance of the fishing industry to our economy and will help spur business activity, create jobs and boost Rhode Island’s economy. Fishing is critical to our economy. Read more
Japan’s whale hunt could be over, say Sea Shepherd leaders (good thing for them!)
THE Japanese whaling fleet is heading north, prompting hopes of an early end to the whaling season. Read more
Salmon farm expands; N.S. sends vet to investigate fish deaths
A controversial Eastern Shore salmon farm is expanding. Read more
NOAA to pay boat monitors, maybe with research money
NOAA Fisheries on Friday announced its intention — depending on the unresolved government sequester — to pay for costly onboard compliance monitors that it requires on fishing vessels in the Northeast.
But how they may do it is already drawing criticism. Read more
Small boats face double fishing hit – Fed, state fishing rules sock small operators – unintended consequences
At the back of the groundfishery’s pecking order is a small group of small boat fishermen operating in the three-mile wide confines of state waters with state permits. Don King is one of them. In a Feb. 5 letter to the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission, Diodati explained that he would not allow the state boats greater access to intermittently closed areas because just outside the state waters, bigger boats — boats of a scale and equipped for the rigors of offshore Georges Bank — have been scooping up cod. Read more here
New study reveals how sensitive US East Coast regions may be to ocean acidification
Zhaohui Wang, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and his colleagues sampled the waters off the US East Coast about the R/V Ron Brown. Starting in the waters off Galveston, Texas, they worked their way around the Louisiana and west Florida coasts, past the Florida Straight, and up the eastern seaboard,,,,,,,read more
Great white sharks off California given greater protection
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Great white sharks off the coast of California gained protection on Friday as regulations took effect designating them candidates for future listing under the state’s Endangered Species Act. Read more
Using Amount of Fish Caught as Measure of Fisheries Health Is Misleading
“The sea is a big place. Most fish are small. So it stands to reason that it is difficult to work out with any degree of accuracy just how many fish live in the sea. One way is to measure how many fish we pull out of it. But is that the best way? Or even an accurate way?” asks an editorial in this week’s (Feb. 21) issue of Nature.The topic is featured on the cover of the journal and debated in two “Point/Counterpoint” commentaries, one jointly written by Ray Hilborn and Trevor Branch of the University of Washington, and the other by Daniel Pauly of the University of British Columbia. Read more here
Part 1 of 3 – The State of World Fisheries – Ray Hilborn Video here
Seal Hunt Cancelled For Hay Island In Nova Scotia
Spokesman Robert Courtney says the hunt has been suspended because there is no market for the pelts. (check the comments!) Read more here
Gulf Coast senators ask for investigation of National Marine Fisheries Service
Eight senators from coastal states asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate the way the National Marine Fisheries estimates the size of fish populations in U.S. waters. Called stock assessments by the fisheries service, those estimates are used to set annual catch limits for recreational and commercial fisheries. Read more here
Women in the fishing industry highlighted in Portholes Project
NEW BEDFORD — During March, the Working Waterfront Festival’s Portholes Project will present three programs exploring the theme “Women in the Industry.”The programs kick off at 7 p.m. March 8 with “Mothers, Daughters, Wives: Songs, Poems and Stories from Women in Fishing Families.” The closing program March 28 will feature Linda Greenlaw of “Perfect Storm” and swordfishing fame. Read more
