Monthly Archives: May 2013
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
Fishing Vessel Pauline Four capsizes near Shinnecock Inlet; Captain Stian Stiansen,dead – Mate Scott Finne rescued – Video
HAMPTON BAYS – The U.S. Coast Guard says one person was killed and another person was rescued after a commercial fishing vessel overturned in the waters just east of the Shinnecock Inlet.Southampton Town police found 85-year
-old Stian Stiansen, of East Quogue, on the inlet’s beach. Emergency crews rushed him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. They say a 42-year-old man aboard Pauline Four was rescued after drifting about a fourth of a mile away from the boat. Officials say he is doing fine. continued
P.E.I. fishermen, processors still in disagreement about price of lobster
The Canadian Press – CHARLOTTETOWN — A meeting between Prince Edward Island fishermen and seafood processors ended in frustration Sunday as the contentious dispute over the price of lobster continued. Michael McGeoghegan, president P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association, said his organization could not reach an agreement with the P.E.I. Seafood Processors Association after meeting in Charlottetown for about two and a half hours. continued
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update MAY 12, 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
F/V Pauline IV Commercial fishing boat capsizes in NY,
Bounty owner sued
BRIDGEWATER — Claudene Christian’s mother has filed a $90-million lawsuit against the owner of the Bounty. In it she alleges that he allowed the ship’s “dangerously incompetent” captain and “severely untrained…continued
Compass: New federal ocean policy bodes ill for Alaska – Rep. Charisse Millett, R-Anchorage,
ADN- Alaskans today have tremendous potential opportunities that can provide lasting benefits for decades to come. Plentiful energy and mineral resources, new Arctic shipping lanes, vibrant fisheries, and a bustling tourism i
ndustry are but a few of the areas that could all combine to usher in a new era of unprecedented economic and societal prosperity for the people of Alaska and beyond. Unfortunately, prospects for this bright future could potentially be delayed if not derailed as a result of President Obama’s issuance of the July 2010 and the recently-released National Ocean Policy Final Implementation Plan. continued
Letter: NOAA supports, relies on SMAST fisheries work – William A. Karp, Ph.D. Science and Research Director, U.S. Department of Commerce/NOAA
May 12, 2013 12:00 AM – I am writing in response to Steve Urbon’s May 3 article (“Watch out, NOAA — SMAST is innovating again”) regarding recent research led by Dr. Kevin Stokesbury and his colleagues at the UMass School of Marine Science and Technology using video to count fish in a trawl net. continued
Linda Bean buys Rockland building to meet demands of growing lobster business
BDN – ROCKLAND, Maine — Linda Bean, who has become a major player in the lobster industry, has purchased an 11,000-square-foot building from a Canadian company that had planned to convert the facility into a lobster processing plant. continued
N.C. coast ideal for wind farms, but logistics complicated – The wind shills try to make it look so,,,,attractive.
Industrial sprawl
The chatter persists for good reason. North Carolina has the greatest offshore wind resource along the Eastern Seaboard, according to analysis by the National Renewable Energy Lab. That’s due to a number of factors, including the state’s long coastline, high energy usage among residents, and construction and labor costs that rank among the cheapest in the Southeast. continued
Panama City Decision to Move Ice House is on Thin Ice – Video
WMBB. – An ice house located at Panama City Marina needs to be moved. The ice house is a large structure about 80 feet long and 20 to 25 feet high. It produces ice for a majority of the commercial and even some recreational fishing vessels in the area. Fishing boats from Southport and Watson Bayou also reportedly use the ice source which is privately owned. continued
Samoa Tuna Processors still waiting for permit
The US Army Corps of Engineers has still not issued a permit for construction of a dock and seawall at the Samoa Tuna Processors plant. continued
Squid fishermen fight overblown – Mike Conroy, President, West Coast Fisheries Consultants.
Hearing claims of three squid brail (smaller boat) fishermen, one might think that the larger seine vessel squid fishermen are illegally catching all of the allowable quota. continued
PEI Lobster fishermen block $200K lobster shipment
Protests continue across the Maritimes as many lobster fishermen refuse to fish until lobster brokers agree to pay a higher price, which they say they deserve. continued
Marine mammal predation – “Sea lion solutions are scarce as the 2013 salmon run
The Oregonian – It was a sea-lion kind of week, with lots of media attention (spurred by The Oregonian’s John Canzano) brought to 
. Marine mammal predation on angler-hooked salmon has been worse than ever — so bad, in fact, most anglers have quit fishing during the traditional peak of the run. The blubbery slaughter was well-covered, but no one paid more than lip service to the real question: What can be done? Not much in the short term, said Brent Norberg of the National Marine Fisheries Service office in Seattle. continued
Maritime Lobster fishermen continue fight against low prices
CBC News Posted: May 11, 2013 1:42 PM AT Protests continue across the Maritimes as many lobster fishermen refuse to fish until lobster brokers agree to pay a higher price. continued
Current wholesale lobster prices
| Prince Edward Island | New Brunswick | Nova Scotia | |
| Price for canners | $2.75 – $3.75 | $3 | $3.75 |
| Price for market lobster | $3.25 – $3.50 | $3.50 | $4 |
Slippery eel slides towards disaster – Cupping a tiny, translucent eel in the palm of his hand, “This is worth about one dollar,”
phys.org – In North America, Canada has seen a precipitous drop and introduced severe fishing restrictions, while US authorities classify the fish as “depleted.” Maine, and to a lesser extent South Carolina, are the sole US states allowed to issue commercial licenses for glass eel harvesting. And a May 21 meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission could impose new restrictions. But Kate Taylor, with the fisheries commission, says so little is known about the “very mysterious” eel that US authorities have a hard time deciding what to do. continued
