Daily Archives: May 15, 2013
2 escape burning lobster boat off Wells, Maine
Two crew members of the 36-foot lobster boat Miss Ellie escaped safely after the boat caught fire off the coast of Wells just before 8 a.m. Wednesday. continued
UBC study finds fish species shifting to the north because of climate change
Climate change has been forcing fish to head north in search of cooler seas for nearly four decades, according to newly published research. In paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature, a University of British Columbia scientist said global fisheries are being increasingly dominated by warm-water species, which will cause major changes in the industry. “We expect to see a change in the fishery’s catch,” said William Cheung. “The fishing industry will have to adapt to change in the new species.” continued
DFO confirms farm raised salmon in the Garnish River of Newfoundland
DFO confirms farm raised salmon are in the Garnish River in Newfoundland. The escaped salmon appear to be healthy as far as being lice free. There are concern’s that the farmed fish could breed with wild salmon These escapes are called trickle escapes, but the numbers are unsubstantiated and could be much larger. More information will be posted.
Fishermen seek regulation of lobster price
Fishermen will not head out on the water before the price of lobster is set next year, says PEIFA president Mike McGeoghegan. (CBC)
The P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association is looking to Îles de la Madeleine for a model to get higher lobster prices. McGeoghegan thinks he might see a solution in Îles de la Madeleine, the Quebec archipelago sitting in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence north of P.E.I. Prices there are set each week by a local marketing board which looks at how much buyers make when they sell the product to restaurants and retailers. continued
Support Available to Help Fishermen Interested in Investing in More Environmentally-Friendly Technologies
Opportunity for fishermen to u
pgrade to semi-pelagic doors which are expected to help reduce fuel consumption, and reduce the physical impact of trawl systems on the sea bed. Opportunities also exist for support and equipment for vessels to transition to electronic reporting, in which vessel trip report data can be submitted electronically rather than via paper. Details here
Alaska to Bring In Estimated 179M Fish This Summer
The summer harvest season for wild Alaska salmon officially opens on May 16, with a projected harvest of 179 million fish. continued
For Tax-Exempt Groups, How Much Politics Is Too Much?
Murky And Contradictory Rules In brief, there are three big categories of tax-exempt groups. Those under section 501(c)(3) are charities engaged in charitable work. They’re allowed to do only minimal political activity. At the other
end of the spectrum are Section 527 organizations. These are purely political and are required to disclose their donors. In between are 501(c)(4)s. They can do issueadvertising and some campaign politics, but not too much. continued
The price of cod – The Fisheries Broadcast with John Furlong
A harvester worries about this year’s cod fishery with a price that’s looking like it will be below last year’s – and a conversation with Danny Dumeresque about getting away from some aspects of the fishery and maybe getting closer to some aspects of politics. audio opens in another window so you can browse and listen
National Strategy for the Arctic Region Announced
(SitNews – Ketchikan, Alaska) – The Arctic is rapidly changing. While the Arctic region has experienced warming and cooling cycles over millennia, the current warming trend is unlike anything previously recorded. As sea ice diminishes, ocean resources are more readily accessible. This accessibility, along with recent scientific estimates indicating the presence of significant energy and other resources, have inspired strong interest for new commercial initiatives in the region, including energy production, increased shipping, scientific research, tourism, and related infrastructure development. continued
Stone crabs season turns sour after a super start – Poor harvest called lousy luck, nothing more
When commercial fisherman Shane Dooley of Pine Island pulled his first stone crab trap of the season on Oct. 15, he laughed out loud. It was loaded with crabs. “We want ’em all like that one, baby,” he said. Florida’s stone crab season ends today, and it didn’t fulfill its first-day potential: Fishermen got a few weeks of good landings, but then the crabbing died. continued
Coast Guard stops illegal fishing; releases endangered sea turtle and 5 sharks
BROWNSVILLE, Texas — An endangered sea turtle and five sharks were released back to the ocean late Sunday night after the Coast Guard spotted Mexicans fishing illegally in U.S. waters, approximately 1 mile north of the U.S. and Mexico border. continued
Cormorants – A problem on our local marshes?
Medina Journal-Register – This destruction of the environment became more evident to me in recent years when I went on a few fishing trips to the Cape Vincent area of the St Lawrence. Not only were the birds everywhere but their 
white crap covered the islands where they nested and had eliminated all vegetation. It turned my stomach to see it and you didn’t want to get down wind of these areas. continued
Drakes Bay Oyster Company fighting for the survival – federal agencies purposefully manipulated and misrepresented scientific data
townhall.com – Despite the President’s pledge, the government officials involved in the decision to close the doors of DBOC were persuaded by science that was manipulated by several government agencies – the Marine Mammal Commission, the U.S. Geological SurveyService, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of the Interior. All of these agencies lack significant oversight, accountability, and transparency, and as a result have gone unchecked in their manipulation of data. continued
Panama City approves moving ice house
The News Herald – PANAMA CITY — City commissioners heard details of a proposal to build the largest commercial and residential development in the city’s history Tuesday night. However, most of the people who filled nearly every seat in the City Hall meeting room came to talk about the ice house. continued
Strong catches follow end of lobster fishermen’s protest – Fisheries Minister Sterling Belliveau talks MSC certification?
Strong lobster landings were reported in many northern Nova Scotia harbours as fishermen returned to the water Tuesday. Nova Scotia fishermen voted 196 to 52 at Monday’s meeting in favour of ending their protest after meeting with provincial Fisheries Minister Sterling Belliveau. Belliveau, who hadn’t attended three prior meetings, came armed with a promise to provide financial support for Marine Stewardship Council certification of lobster as a sustainable fishery. He also promised the establishment of a panel with representatives of the lobster industry from the three Maritime provinces that will look at structural issues and creating efficiencies in the fishery. continued
Well-heeled enviros have Markey’s ear
Ed Markey, U.S. Rep. and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, is running pop-up ads all over YouTube, one of which tells us that “the special interests are attacking” the poor man. I think I know at least one special interest that is not: the environmentalists who have infiltrated NOAA and taken over fisheries management, with disastrous results in the Northeast. I say this because the primary architect of catch shares and sector management, Monica Medina, was one of the hosts of a Markey fundraiser in Washington scheduled to be held last evening. continued
