Daily Archives: May 13, 2013
Maine alewives heading for newly opened fishways this week – In time, the St. Croix River could have the largest alewife run in the country.
BAILEYVILLE Me.— Alewives are expected to swim upriver of the Grand Falls dam on eastern Maine’s St. Croix River this week for the first time in 22 years. continued
SMAST Video Technology Shows Promise to Improve Groundfish and Flat Fish Stock Surveys
savingseafood.org – Dr. Kevin Stokesbury, whose work in developing the SMAST Scallop Video Survey was essential to transforming scallop surveys in the 1990s, is collaborating again with the fishing industry, NOAA Fisheries, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, SIMRAD, and his colleagues from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) to improve groundfish and flat fish stock surveys using video data collection. This new method shows promise to improve accuracy by increasing spatial coverage and to allow the conducting of surveys without fish mortality. continued
Clatsop County fishermen make a living in Bristol Bay, Alaska – County Democrats take stand against Pebble Mine
“The Bristol Bay commercial salmon fishery is critical to our family’s livelihood and to thousands of other fishermen across the United States,” said Randy Wall, a commercial fishermen on the Brown Bear fishing vessel. “My family has commercial fished for generations and we take pride in providing Bristol Bay salmon to people all over the world. “This is one the of last remaining sustainable sources of salmon left on earth and the Pebble Mine could destroy it forever.” continued
Louisiana Shrimpers optimistic over new season
Shrimp season opened Monday morning, and fishermen headed into state waters with a certain amount of optimism following years of dismal catches. “Fishermen are always optimistic,” said Clint Guidry, president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association. “Between hurricanes, flooding, losing our boats and our homes, we have to be. It would be really easy just to quit and leave. But this is what we do. This is our culture.” continued
Maryland to limit female crab catch
The Department of Natural Resources announced that it was lowering the daily allowable catch of female crabs, effective Thursday. The The number of female crabs increased substantially despite the overall decline, and remained well above the threshold scientists say is needed to sustain the population. But officials said they would seek to reduce the female crab harvest by 10 percent as a precaution, to boost prospects for a good spawn this year and possibly spark a rebound in the highly prized crustaceans. continued
Sea Tow Captain Raced To Save Fishermen – Lester Trafford credited with saving deck hand after trawler F/V Pauline IV capsized.
westhamptonpatch.com – Lester Trafford, a Sea Tow captain and a diver who volunteers with the Hampton Bays Fire Department, said he knew what he had to do when he heard the Mayday calls of a capsized boat in the Shinnecock Inlet. Without a second thought, he jumped on his boat Sunday afternoon and headed out into the choppy waters. Within five minutes he was in the inlet, helping to search for the captain and deck hand of the commercial fishing boat that overturned. continued
The CLFer’s just can’t get it right! Saving Seafood’s crew set’s ’em straight. AGAIN!!!
– May 13, 2013 — The Conservation Law Foundation’s (CLF) blog post, “Top Ten Reasons to Protect New England’s Closed Areas,” argues that Framework Adjustment 48,,,,,,,,,Top Ten Reasons?? Who do they think they are?!! Letterman? continued
Carteret County approves resolution against critical habitat designation – Public input on the proposal is open through May 24.
JDNews.com – 
BEAUFORT — Carteret County has gone on record against a federal proposal to designate area beaches as critical habitat for nesting sea turtles. “The designation of critical habitat 35 years after the listing of the loggerhead sea turtle (as a threatened species) is the wrong management tool for the conservation of the species, and the Carteret County Board of Commissioners will continue to support the protection and recovery of the loggerhead seat turtle by utilizing effective management guidelines and rules already in place, while evaluating new practices as they develop,” the resolution reads. continued
Naval activity may contribute to porpoise strandings
(Phys.org) —Sonar used by the navy may cause porpoises to get trapped in fishing nets and killed, according to a recent study. continued
New Hampshire Fishermen try to stay afloat in face of drastic quotas cut’s
The fear was that fishermen at small ports like Seabrook’s Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative might not survive the measure. Yankee is the only remaining fishermen’s cooperative in the Granite State and the one that handles most of New Hampshire’s landings from Rye to Seabrook. “We have about 20 boats remaining,” Yankee’s manager Red Perkins said Friday. “Five years ago we had about 35. Over the past years, some fishermen have sold their permits. I’d say there were about eight who did that.” continued
Prince Edward Island Lobster crisis needs legislature recall: NDP
The provincial NDP is calling on Premier Robert Ghiz to reconvene the P.E.I. Legislature this week to deal with the crisis in the lobster industry. Fishermen tied up their boats last week to protest low prices running around $3 a pound, which they say is not enough for them to break even. A series of meetings between processors and fishermen has failed to resolve the crisis. continued
Can cod and crab co-exist? – The Fisheries Broadcast with John Furlong
We look at the relationship between cod and crab and whether they can co-exist. Also: the challenge of finding fish plant workers in this province; and a new wharf in Musgrave Harbour causes more problems than it solves. audio link
Marin Voice: Red herrings in Drakes Estero oyster debate – Jeffrey Creque is a member of the Alliance for Local Sustainable Agriculture
Only in Drakes Estero are reputed environmentalists working overtime to destroy our capacity to produce what the Monterey Bay Aquarium calls a “super green” sea food. continued with links to related articles in the side bar
Mexico wins complaint over U.S. rules for dolphin-safe tuna fishing – NOAA proposal irks Mexico
When President Obama dined with Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto this month at the Mexican leader’s official residence, the meal started with “laminas de atun,” thin slices of tuna. The appetizer was not a surprising choice. Mexico has tried to get its yellowfin tuna on American plates for decades. Its fishermen are essentially frozen out of the lucrative U.S. market because they catch tuna with a method that has led to the demise of millions of dolphins, and falls below a standard U.S. officials set as “dolphin safe.” continued
Builder: Bluenose II (wink!) meets specs – Consortium responds to concerns design could lead to sinking
BRIDGEWATER — The upright walls in the hull of the Bluenose II have been inspected and meet some of the highest standards in the industry, says the head of the consortium rebuilding the famed wooden schooner. continued
Fisheries minister meeting with fishing associations later today, as the Maritime “Tie up” protest continues
Hundreds of Nova Scotia lobster fishermen will stay tied up Monday as they fight for better prices from processors. In northern Nova Scotia, 400 crews intend to stay at dock after voting to hold out for higher prices. Representatives from fishing associations from Pugwash to Glace Bay are due to meet with Sterling Belliveau, the fisheries minister, later Monday. continued
Crabs to crawfish! – Longview Washington fisherman catching a different crustacean
TDN.com – Outside of Michael Furford’s mobile home next to the skiff boat he’s repairing, wire crawfish pots stack the wall, almost reaching the roof. Furford said it took him about two years to make the pots, or traps, and the nearly 150 others floating beneath the water at Coal Creek and Willow Grove. A crab fisherman for 25 years, Furford is just starting to get his feet wet in the crawfish, or crawdad, game, making a business out of what is typically recognized as a child’s hobby. continued
Cutting back – Closure fresh in memory, setnetters innovate for king conservation
Peninsula Clarion – Gary Hollier has a king salmon problem. The commercial setnetter has had it for a few years and he’s far from the only one. Most of the east side setnet fishery in the Cook Inlet was largely shut out of their fishing season last year after seeing their fishing time drastically reduced in 2011 in the name of king salmon conservation. With last season’s federally-declared economic disaster hanging over his head, and the threat of being largely shut out of another season in 2013 looming, the 42-year veteran of commercial setnetting decided to make some drastic changes of his own. continued
Dropping prices, rising sustainability issues hit Maritime lobster fishery
The Globe and Mail – Maritime lobster fishermen are tying up their boats, protesting prices they say are so low they can no longer afford to fish. While prices are a constant flashpoint, this year a ‘stunning’ development and a new stamp of sustainability are complicating matters. Here are three challenges fishermen are grappling with this season: continued
Gov. gets deaf ear from White House on fisheries as Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor to President Obama Dummies Up!
Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor to President Obama, has declined to explain why the White House turned a deaf ear to the pleas of Gov. Deval Patrick for relief from what Patrick told her were “impending drastic cuts” in landings allowed the groundfishing fleet concentrated in his state. continued
