Monthly Archives: March 2013
Board of Fisheries adopts change to Kenai king escapement
The Board of Fisheries changed the escapement goal for late-run king salmon on the Kenai River March 21. The new escapement goal, which passed unanimously, is 15,000 to 30,000. The change is based on a change in sonar counters 
from split-beam to DIDSON. The board took up the Cook Inlet issue as part of its statewide finish meeting, held in Anchorage March 19 to 23. continue reading
Letter to the Editor: NOAA system needs thorough overhaul – Susan Waller, Rockport, Ma.
Three years ago, I watched a horrifying movie at Gloucester High School which showed fishermen having to throw overboard half, if not more, of everything they caught. They couldn’t even give away their bycatch to the needy — all those fish dead, overboard and doing nobody any good. continue reading
EPA requiring ships to better clean dumped ballast water that’s blamed for invasive species
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The Environmental Protection Agency has issued new requirements for cleansing ballast water dumped from ships, which scientists believe has provided a pathway to U.S. waters for invasive species that damage ecosystems and cost the economy billions of dollars. continue reading
Editorial: Sound science? Maybe, but always read the fine print.
Spin is eternal. Always read the fine print. That’s the message that interested citizens should take from the Interior Department’s review of a scientific-integrity complaint by former Bureau of Reclamation official Paul Houser, a scientific-integrty officer who lost his job when he had the gall to do his job. continue reading Scientific integrity? It’s a fine slogan and guide, but it’s rarely the final word when it comes to government.
Maryland Electronic Crab Reporting Gaining Interest
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) – Maryland crabbing industry officials say electronic harvest reporting is catching on. continue reading
Push for aid for fishery intensifies as budget process begins
WASHINGTON — Less than three months after an effort to provide a pool of aid to distressed fisheries across the nation died at the end of the last Congress, efforts to secure disaster relief funding for New England fishermen are heating up on Capitol Hill. continue reading
Feds: Sperm whales near Miss. River are different!
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — About 1,300 sperm whales in the northern Gulf of Mexico may be different enough from others in their endangered species to be considered for specific protections, the federal government said Thursday. continue reading
Fishing quotas cut for yellow perch, pickerel
Commercial fishermen on Lake Erie have had their quota for this year reduced. The Lake Erie Committee announced the total allowable catch for 2013 on Thursday. continue reading
CLF and CLF Ventures: or we get rich by litigating the hostile takeover and trading away of public resources for corporate exploitation while claiming to save the planet. Dick Grachek
The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) and their “strategy-consulting arm” CLF Ventures apparently have become fisheries Policy Makers, Litigators, Fishing Quota Fund Administrators, and the authors of a “suite” of fishery conservation goals and the “metrics of success” of this suite of goals.
CLF and CLF Ventures engineered this catch share privatization scam right from the beginning—with the help of some Cape Cod “fishermen”. The Cape Cod Trust program was set up as a “success story”, a prototype for the implementation of the Amendment 16 catch shares program, the market-based atrocity that we have today. CLF Ventures (most deservedly) collects fees along the line “…as the strategy-consulting arm of the Conservation Law Foundation.”
It’s the “doing good while doing well” credo of “Free-Market Environmentalism, the Enviro- Capitalists” or translated: We get rich by stealing and trading public resources while claiming to save the planet. continue reading!
New lobster processor in Gouldsboro to hire 160, start this summer
GOULDSBORO, Maine — Once again, there are signs that the former Stinson Seafood sardine cannery in the village of Prospect Harbor is coming back to life. Two years ago, it was Live Lobster that was trying to reincarnate the sprawling 100,000-square-foot cannery as a lobster processing plant. This year, it is Maine Fair Trade Lobster, a joint venture between Garbo Lobster and East Coast Seafood. continue reading
Money for aquaculture, but not wild salmon, critics note – MPs say federal budget fails to respond to Cohen report on B.C. salmon decline
Money in this year’s federal budget for aquaculture has c
ritics wondering when Ottawa plans to speak up for wild salmon on the west coast. continue reading
Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Management Measures for Groundfish Fishery for 2013: DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS IS APRIL 15, 2013
Controversial ocean fertilization project defended by B.C. village
Dumping of iron-rich soil off Haida Gwaii still being investigated by Environment Canada – 
The head of a small First Nations community in British Columbia plans to go ahead with a second controversial iron fertilization project in the North Pacific, despite an international outcry and ongoing investigation by Environment Canada. continue reading
Maine Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee tables bill to reorganize lobster council
Lawmakers want more information about who in the industry will bear the brunt of funding for the Maine Lobster Promotion Council. The cost is to be divvied up among various interest groups — from lobstermen who harvest the catch to those who sell, transport or process it. continue reading
What effect did the ABC campaign have on fishery matters? More on Seals. The Fisheries Broadcast with John Furlong
Remember the ABC campaign that Danny Williams launched when he was premier. What role did that play in scuttling a chance for Newfoundland to have a say in its own fisheries matters. The discussion includes the role of the environmental “movement” audio here
Too many seals?
In 1991, researchers counted six seal pups on Muskeget Island just northwest of Nantucket. In 2007 they counted 2,096. That, in a nutshell, describes the trigger for this past Saturday’s Outer Cape Seal Symposium. More than 200 scientists, fishermen, and other people involved in coastal activities gathered at the Chatham High School auditorium to learn, share, and work on a process for dealing with what can, at times, seems like a fish-eating flippered invasion. continue reading
Bay Weld celebrates 100th boat
Homer Tribune – Bay Welding Services, Inc. passed a landmark this month in the completion of its 100th steel-fabricated boat. This boat is the biggest yet, and the fifth one for the Alaska State Troopers. “One of the things we’ve done is take commercial fishing concepts – what they look for – and integrate that into recreational and patrol boats,” said Eric Engebretsen, general manager of Bay Weld. continue reading
VIDEO: Crews raise, move sunken fishing boat – F/V Dawn Till Dusk see’s daylight!
The fishing boat Dawn Till Dusk, that sank February 4 at its mooring at the Annapolis Royal Causeway, was sucessfully raised off the bottom and towed to the wharf Wednesday morning and afternoon. Photo gallery, and video. continue reading
Port Sulphur man accused of trying to kill fisheries agent
PORT SULPHUR, La. – A 50-year-old Port Sulphur man has been booked with attempted murder after allegedly attacking a fisheries agent who tried to make him stop harvesting oysters in a polluted area, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said Wednesday. continue reading
The fishing vessel Enterprise in New Bedford harbor
The fishing vessel Enterprise in New Bedford harbor on Monday, 3/25/2013, loaded with herring. They made the 9 am bridge opening and tied up at the Norpel fish processing facility to unload their catch. Notice the way the vessel loads heavy by the stern allowing easy observation of the weight of her catch. jj the fisherman
Thank you Massachusettes Senate candidate Steve Lynch for including fishermen in the debate with Ed Markey
Thank you Steve Lynch for bringing the New England fishermen’s concerns to the debate, and holding Ed Markey’s feet to the fire. He dodged the subject once and you came back with the issue again! Thank you. BH
Menhaden: Overfished or bad research?
REEDVILLE—A new scientific study released February 1 on the status of menhaden along the Atlantic coast has resulted in more questions than answers on whether the species are overfished—a claim that led to a decision last December by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to slash the allowable catch by 20%. continue reading
Board of Fish does not act on task force proposals
The Alaska Board of Fisheries met last week to look at statewide finfish issues, and took up a proposal submitted by the Upper Cook Inlet Task Force that would have provided new guidelines for the management of Kenai River chinook salmon for the upcoming season. also, The 2013 halibut season opened Saturday to decidedly wintery weather, with gale and storm warnings coupled with heavy freezing spray warnings for most of the Gulf of Alaska. continue reading
On the Menu This Easter in Newfoundland: Seal Flipper Pie
In Newfoundland, having a “scoff” (the local word for “big meal”) includes some pretty interesting food items unique to the region: scrunchions (fried pork fat), cod tongues and fishcakes, for example. But perhaps the least appetizing dish, which is traditionally made during the Lenten season—specifically on Good Friday and Easter—is seal flipper pie. continue reading, bon appetite
Newfoundland government gives another loan to seal processing plant
DILDO, N.L. – A seal processing plant in Newfoundland will get a $3.6 million loan from the provincial government this year. continue reading
Asian carp may be back in Lake Erie, scientists worry
Is the dreaded Asian carp swimming in Lake Erie again? It’s a mystery as big as the lake. The question terrifies several agencies in the U.S. and Canada, but one scientist says there is a strong likelihood it is back. continue reading
There’s more to shrimping than trawling
DELCAMBRE – Experts from the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant met with area shrimpers to help them become more efficient, learn new technology and comply with federal fishing regulations. “We are talking about effic
iency and quality,” said Thomas Hymel, AgCenter and Sea Grant extension agent. “The challenge the Louisiana shrimping industry has is to bring in a quality product competitive with imports.” Hymel said the state’s shrimping business has lost significant numbers. “The folks out there now are the survivors.” continue reading
Maine Elver Fishermen’s Association founded – Elver fishermen organize to preserve the fishery
ELLSWORTH — More than 40 elver fishermen gathered at the Ellsworth Elks Club on Tuesday afternoon voted to form a new association to lobby on their behalf before federal fisheries regulators. continue reading
New Power in the Heart of the Alaskan Beast: faithful Cummins diesel engines replaced with state-of-the-art version.
MarineLink.com – Fans of the popular Discovery Channel series “The Deadliest Catch” thrill at the sight of the 113-foot, black-hulled Time Bandit’s bow rearing out of a cresting wave. Onboard men launch and recover 1000-pound crab pots while chilled Arctic seas wash over the working deck. In the wheelhouse, the crab boat’s skippers Andy or Jonathan Hillstrand monitor the deck crew and the boat’s electronic navigation equipment. continue reading
North Lake fish plant to reopen with new owners – California-based owners will employ 100 people at the facility
The fish plant in North Lake is preparing to open again with new owners who plan to employ about 100 people. The 13-year-old plant, which had changed ownership and closed a few times in the past five years, was recently purchased by a California-based company. continue reading
