Monthly Archives: May 2013
PEI, NB fishermen demanding better prices – They argue questions require an immediate response:
The Sou’Wester – While they have been locked in a word of words for the last several months over carapace size, lobster fishermen in PEI and New Brunswick now find themselves allies in a battle to convince processors to close a major price gap compared to other major fishing areas on the Eastern Seaboard. continued
Maritime Fishermen’s Union Local 4 buys life jackets for fishermen
sou’wester – The province’s fishing industry is working on becoming safer, with more fishermen recognizing the importance and comfort of state-of-the-art life jackets. To aid this effort the Maritime Fishermen’s Union Local 4 recently pu
rchased life jackets for its 40 members in Antigonish and Pictou counties. continued Fishermen blocking ports in PEI continued
The Saving Seafood Crew exposes the Myths of Blue Ocean Institute’s Elizabeth Brown
n her online article, “Reopening New England’s Closed Fishing Areas Would Be Bad For Mammals, Too,” the Blue Ocean Institute’s Elizabeth Brown echoes these claims, stating: “We need to fully evaluate these effects before any areas a
re reopened.” But Framework 48 will not simply “open” these closures. The proposal only allows fishing sectors the ability to apply for access to these areas, after which, NOAA will weigh their requests against any possible environmental impacts. continued
California – Largest dam in state history torn down – Video
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) — Monterey County supervisors gave their OK for the largest dam removal project in state history. The San Clemente Dam is eighteen miles from the coast in the Carmel Valley. Joyce Ambrosius with the National Marine Fisheries Service said the steelhead numbers have been dwindling over the last couple of years. “It’s been down to 91 in the last couple of years, where in the 1960’s it was in the thousands of fish. So we are right on the edge of them blinking out here,” she said. continued
Salmon management suit moved to Alaska
Alaska Journal of Commerce – The lawsuit over salmon management was recently moved to Alaska district court. Judge Reggie B. Walton granted the request to move the lawsuit to U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska May 3. The National Marine Fisheries Service, or NMFS, and other defendants in that suit had asked for the location change in February. continued
The Bottom Line: Embracing Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management
National Geographic Society – The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the bedrock law governing U.S. fisheries, is up for debate and amendment in Congress. This conference will formally launch the reauthorization discussion. continued
Opinion: Cook Inlet’s commercial fisheries define region’s culture, traditions By Emilie Springer
homernews.com – The fight over who gets what and how to divide access between sport and commercial fisheries is complicated. There are all perspectives of voices and identities ramping up to fight it out. The conflict and bitter commentary on this is distressing. It is so convoluted by money and politics and the role of tourism on the Kenai from Anchorage and Mat-Su visitors. continued
Louisiana Senator continues with threat to shutter snapper season
BATON ROUGE — The drive by a state senator to outlaw the possession of Gulf red snapper for recreational and commercial fishermen as well as everyone else in Louisiana cleared its first hurdle Wednesday, and the debate now heads to the full Senate. continued
N.S. lobster fishermen join P.E.I. price protests – Buyers offering between $3.75 and $4.00, fishermen demand $5.00
Lobster fishermen in Guysborough, Antigonish and Pictou Counties are following the lead of fishermen on Prince Edward Island and tying up their boats. continued
Junk in the Ocean! UMaine unveils floating turbine base that could be future of wind energy
The 65-foot-tall turbine prototype is a one-eighth-scale version of the huge 6-megawatt turbines that would create a 5-gigawatt farm 20 miles off Maine’s coastline by 2030. About 170 turbines, each taller than the Washington Monumen
t, would create the 5 gigawatts of energy, which is equivalent to the energy output of five nuclear power plants. Officials estimate that project could bring $20 billion of private investment to the state and create thousands of jobs. (Well! Alrighty then!) continued
Jackie Odell, Northeast Seafood Coalition @ “Managing our Nation’s Fisheries” conference – timelines should be replaced with fishing mortality rate-based strategies,
Odell Wednesday offered an alternative to 10-year, or any rebuilding timelines. They “should be replaced with fishing mortality rate-based strategies, which on average over the long term will rebuild a stock to biomass (that will produce)
maximum sustainable yield. Such a strategy would achieve the core objective of fisheries management, to sustain commercial and recreational ‘fisheries’ while preventing overfishing. continued
Editorial: Fish panels’ united Magnuson stand sends powerful message
The relatively rare, unified stand by all eight U.S. fishery management councils calling for more flexibility within the Magnuson-Stevens Act may not make a whit’s bit of difference for fishermen and waterfront businesses in Gloucester and elsewhere. continued
Lobstermen blockade lobster Beach Point plant
CBCNews –
The blockade went up at the Beach Point plant early in the afternoon. RCMP were on the scene and the protest was peaceful. At least two trucks delivering lobster to the plant were turned away. Nobody on site at the plant was willing to comment. continued
P.E.I. lobster fishermen demand $5 per pound – “We’ve had enough. …”
The Canadian Press – Donnie Johnston, another lobster fisherman, said he’s determined to receive $5 per pound before he agrees to set his traps. “The only people not making money from lobster is us,” he said. STAND UP, Boys! continued
On “Forage Fish”, Pew’s Peter Baker Misses the Mark, savingseafood.org tears through the dogma.
The paper’s recommendations are based around the assumption that “forage fish” is a legitimate and useful categorization of species to be used in fisheries management, and that the various “forage species” can be managed under the same broad guidelines. Specifically, continued
“New Bedford will be the primary staging port for Cape Wind”
offshore junkyard
The state’s top environmental and energy official on Wednesday said he’s “absolutely convinced” that the South Terminal in New Bedford will be the primary staging area for Cape Wind, despite the offshore wind farm’s developers exploring other options in Rhode Island. continued
Tahoe Lobster Co. Crawdad trap theft tops $21,000
tahoedailytribune.com – Tahoe Lobster Co. traps have continued to disappear from Lake Tahoe, threatening the lake’s first commercial crawfish harvest operation. Tahoe Lobster Co. Owner Fred Jackson said 160 traps have gone missing since last fall, a loss of more than $21,000 including the lost crawfish haul. Four sets of 10 traps disappeared late last month from their location off the northeast shore, he said. continued
Stone crab season closes May 16 in Florida
The commercial and recreational harvest of stone crab claws in Florida closes on May 16, with the last day of harvest on May 15. This closure occurs each year during the species’ peak spawning season to help protect and sustain Florida’s valuable stone crab resource. Stone crab season will reopen on Oct. 15. continued
Popular red snapper makes a comeback
South Florida Sun-Sentinel – WASHINGTON – Over 18 years of running Old Dixie Seafood in Boca Raton, Larry Siemsen has seen supplies of locally caught red snapper dwindle and prices double, thanks to decades of over-fishing and recent federal restrictions to help the popular fish recover. But now the red snapper is making a comeback near Florida’s shores, saved by those strict federal limits. And Florida anglers, state officials and boat captains — who say they’re finding far more big, healthy snappers – are clamoring for looser limits on this favorite for catching and eating. Not so fast, conservationists say continued
Management Measures for Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Finalized Today
NOAA Pirate fishing poses unnecessary threat to US fishers (it’s fishermen)
WWF – “While our nation’s fisheries managers focus on many issues this week, they urgently need to figure out how to get illegal fish products out of the US seafood supply. (Like these guy’s care about you, right?) continued
Good News for Some Local Gulf Fishermen and Property Owners
wjhg.com – Potentially good news for both recreational and commercial fisherman, as well as local property owners. You still have time to file for an oil spill claim against BP. continued
New research: All fisheries important to food security on Kenai Peninsula
HomerNews – The Kenai River Sportfishing Association has used elements of a recently released study about food security on the Kenai Peninsula to assert that commercial fishing should be curtailed in favor of sport and personal-use fishing. Not so fast, according to the one of the authors of the study, Philip Loring. continued
Prince Edward Island Lobster price protest could spread
CBCNews – Most P.E.I. lobster fishermen remained tied up today in protest over low lobster prices, and the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association says the protest could spread across the Maritimes. P.E.I.F.A. executive director Ian MacPherson said this morning most fishermen are not on the water. A few sailed out of North Rustico Harbour, Savage Harbour, and a couple of ports in West Prince. continued
Lobster prices come in about $3: government continued P.E.I. fishermen tie up boats in lobster price protest continued
Fisheries Crime
HuffPo – “World fish stocks are being rapidly depleted, and valuable species are nearing extinction. Because fish are a valuable commodity, the last decade has seen an escalation of transnational and organized criminal networks engaged in fisheries crime.” So declares the website of a new Environmental Crime Program. continued
New Bedford – Wind energy blows into town
So everyone is excited, yes? Maybe not. We noticed that there were very few people from the fishing industry in the gathering, and none among the speakers. Seafood consultant Jim Kendall, who shows up at all of the meetings of whatever it is, is among those concerned that fishermen will be kept away from wind turbine farms. One is, while fishermen here are being told that they will be allowed to use trawlers, in Denmark only net fishing will be allowed, not trawling. That’s a red flag for Kendall, who said he suspects there will be similar rules here regardless of what’s being said now. continued
Letter to the Editor: This is an open letter to NOAA regional administrator John Bullard. Dear John, I’m leaving you. You’ve lost me. Paul Cohan, Captain, F/V Sasquatch Gloucester
This is an open letter to NOAA regional administrator John Bullard.
Dear John, I’m leaving you. You’ve lost me. You’ve tripped yourself up in your misinformation too many times.
The honeymoon is over. It’s all over. My heart is broken. And I’m angry. Do you actually expect anyone to believe this gurry barge you just attempted to foist upon the public as truth? This is Gloucester. We still hear the shrill echos of your elitist “nobody is guaranteed a job for life” — unless you’re “the Shredder” and his enforcement gang. Then your callous “day of reckoning” comment! Bet you wish you could take that one back! continued
NOAA seeks comment on 5-year R&D plan
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