Daily Archives: May 28, 2013
Louisiana Seafood News: The Aristocratic Louisiana Oyster
A little over two years ago Jim Gossen gave a talk to a group of Louisiana oystermen gathered on Grand Isle. He had filled boxes with the prettiest oysters from both the east and west coast. Beausoleil oysters in one little box, and Island Creeks in another. Putting them on a table he told the group, “these oysters are three times better than yours, they must be because they are getting more than three times the price.” continued
Begich, Wicker, Schatz Introduce NOAA Corps Amendments Act
MarineLink.com – U.S. Senators Mark Begich, Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced legislation to strengthen the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Commissioned Officer Corps as a national asset and improve its ability to recruit and retain talented candidates like other uniformed services. continued
Fishery resource status of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to be assessed
During the next three months researchers and technicians of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) will evaluate the state of exploitation of the fishery resources of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. The research work will be carried out onboard the vessel Vizconde de Eza, belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Magrama). The ship left the port of Vigo on 25 May, toward the Regulatory Area of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) to develop three fisheries research surveys: Platuxa, Flemish Cap and Black Halibut 3L. continued
Federal minister says N.L. briefed on EU trade talks – “the EU is strongly pressuring Canada to abolish minimum processing requirements”
Canadian fish products are subject to high EU tariffs. (CBC)
International Trade Minister Ed Fast says he has been talking with Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Kathy Dunderdale about trade negotiations between Canada and the European Union, a day after Dunderdale revealed she has been under pressure from the Harper government to make a major trade concession. In a speech to the St. John’s Board of Trade on Monday, Dunderdale said the Muskrat Falls loan guarantee nearly fell apart when Ottawa suddenly demanded the province give up the requirement that fish landed in Newfoundland and Labrador be processed within the province. continued
Maine lawmakers divided over bill to end fines for lobster bycatch
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers are divided over a proposal to remove penalties for Maine-based groundfishing trawlers that catch lobsters in federally regulated waters. The proposal, L.D. 1549, is designed to ensure that the state’s dwindling groundfishing fleet can keep the lobsters that come up in trawl nets and sell them in states that allow such lobsters to be landed. continued
Methods to consider predators in Fishery Management according to Pew
Predator-prey relationships can have profound effects on fish populations, but they are generally not considered explicitly in fisheries management. Several methods are available today to incorporate predators, a practical step toward ecosystem-based management. continued
Alaska Fish Radio – Laine Welch – A grim outlook for sea otters versus Southeast Alaska fisheries.
Sea otters are cleaning out valuable commercial fisheries in Southeast Alaska – they have been at it for decades. A second report updates the financial hit the otters have caused to the region’s fisheries since 2005. continued
“The maggots screaming on the sidelines, they’re done. They can scream all they want. Nobody can save them,” Carlos Rafael
Carlos Rafael and His Fish Are the American Dream???
Rafael is currently railing against the lobbying effort of the smaller New England groundfishermen who he says are trying to put a cap on the amount of permits one individual can own. “They are like mosquitoes on the balls of an elephant,” he says of the smaller operations in the port. “Biting, biting, biting, until finally [the government] is going to say (edited) off, we got to do something.” They’re screaming anyway. Smaller fishermen want federal regulators to change the rules, saying it unfairly benefits the large operations like Rafael. This pisses him off. Why should he be punished for his business acumen, he asks? continued
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Ottawa pressing N.L. on fish processing, says premier – Kathy Dunderdale says PM has often raised idea of dropping processing requirements at Europe’s request
Provincial regulations dictate that fish landed in Newfoundland and Labrador must be processed in the province, in the interest of protecting jobs for local plant workers. But Dunderdale said those regulations are a sticking point in trade talks between Canada and Europe, because the Europeans want a free market on Canadian fish, no matter where the catch is landed. continued
4 fishing boats stuck on sandbar in Tabusintac freed up
At least four fishing boats that were stuck on a sandbar in Tabusintac for about five hours on Monday afternoon have now been freed up and are slowly making their way back to Wishart’s Wharf. .In light of the recent tragedy, Monday’s events had everyone scared, said Kevin Kelly, who was on one of the stranded boats. continued
Ocean Exploration: The drug for rich people. “There’s no doubt discovering things is an absolute drug in some ways.” Oil and Gas, anyone?
Wealthy backers support scientific efforts to explore deep seas –A small but growing number of wealthy patrons, enamored of the possibilities of undersea exploration, are donating the use of ships, submersibles and other resources to support missions that might otherwise be unaffordable…“I wanted to be sure to fund this enough so that they would have the people and resources to absorb this stuff, describe it and publish it, to have it available” said Cameron, He is also an adviser for Woods Hole’s new Center for Marine Robotics, which aims to speed development of advanced ocean technologies through partnerships with private companies in fields such as oil and gas exploration.washingtonpost.com continued
Louisiana Fishermen fight major river diversions – “We are being sacrificed in hopes that we can build land with these diversions,”
HoumaToday.com – Fishermen are protesting large Mississippi River diversion projects they fear could damage productive fisheries in the Barataria Basin and east of the river. But the diversions are necessary for saving the coast, state officials and environmentalists say. Clint Guidry, president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association, said a number of industry groups have joined forces to form The Save Louisiana Coalition, continued
Alaskans debate whether religion of Native Alaskans is more important than state salmon fishing rules
GodDiscussion.com – A hot debate is going on in Alaska over whether the religious rights of Native Alaskans are more important than state salmon fishing rules in light of a recent case in which a judge ruled that the needs of salmon 
trumps everyone’s and anyone’s religious rights. continued
In Maine, green crabs threaten clamming – green crabs’ population explosion
“They’re consuming everything in the environment, even plants,” said Chad Coffin, president of the Maine Clammers Association, whose group is preparing an all-out offensive against the species. “We may be facing the end of the commercially viable soft-shell (clam) population,” he said. “I think it is dire.” continued
Atlantic Salmon Federation Calling for Better Salmon Monitoring
The Atlantic Salmon Federation is calling for more rigorous monitoring and research to prevent the escape of farmed salmon into the wild after the recent discovery of 25 farmed fish in the Garnish River on the Burin Peninsula. VOCM’s Linda Swain reports. continued
