Monthly Archives: May 2013
Pretty Penny Pritzker, Chicago billionaire, to face tough congressional questions in Commerce confirmation hearing
Her hearing will see her questioned not only about the economy and stubborn unemployment numbers – plus topics from Alaskan fisheries to overseas trade – but about potential mine fields. They include her off-shore investments, role at a failed suburban Chicago bank and tortured relations with labor, including at Hyatt. continued
Fishermen in Prince Rupert say new monitoring requirements are too costly, DFO has a hidden agenda of ridding the coast of the commercial fishery
northernview.com – Fishermen from Prince Rupert and as far away as the Nass Valley claim they are being unfairly targeted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, claiming the DFO has a hidden agenda of ridding the coast of Fishermen from Prince Rupert. continued
Tsawwassen First Nation fisherman fighting U.S. over native fishing rights
South Delta Leader = A Tsawwassen First Nation fisherman caught with $4,000 worth of Dungeness crab about 700 metres south of the Point Roberts border has found himself embroiled in a court case that could have broad implications for First Nations fishing rights. Steven Stark, 34, is an elected member of the TFN legislature and sole provider for his wife and three children. He is on trial for illegal fishing in the U.S., and faces up to a $10,000 fine or one year in prison if convicted. continued
Omega Protein Corporation reconstitutes Reedville fleet, cuts workers
Omega Protein Corporation just added two newly converted fishing boats to its Reedville plant after warning for months it would have to reduce its fleet by two boats once Virginia and other Atlantic states imposed a quota on the commercial menhaden fishery. But Omega says that, despite the new additions, its Atlantic fleet is still seeing a net reduction of two vessels overall, and the company has cut shoreside workers and fishing crews, as it likewise warned it would. continued
Commercial fisherman charged with slashing tires on trucks of other fishermen at town ramps – turf war erupts on Long Island
RiverheadLOCAL – A 60-year-old Flanders man is charged with third-degree criminal mischief in connection with slashed tires on trucks belonging to local commercial fishermen, according to Southampton Town Police. continued
F/V Ocean Negotiator Crew safe after rescue from boat near Baccalieu Island
This vessel, Ocean Negotiator, ran into trouble on Tuesday 42 nautical miles northeast of St. John’s. (Courtesy Navigator Magazine/TriNav Marine Brokerage)
Gander Search and Rescue says four crew members from a vessel which capsized about 70 nautical miles northeast of St. John’s have been rescued by the crew of another ship. A Search and Rescue spokesperson said the Ocean Negotiator began taking on water earlier on Wednesday. All four crew members aboard the vessel managed to get into a liferaft. They were all wearing immersion suits. continued
Washington Fishing Ports: Keeping Pace with Today’s Commercial Fishermen
Fishermen’s News online – Westport Marina, located in the Port of Grays Harbor, Washington boasts the state’s largest fish landing port. The marina is currently home to 285 annual boaters, two-thirds of which are the commercial fleet, including several tribal commercial fishing vessels. During the fishing seasons, transient commercial fishing boats arrive from California, Oregon, Alaska, other Washington ports and Canada, with a modest-sized charter fishing fleet still operating out of the marina. continued
Many Factors Will Affect 2013 Wild Salmon Prices
Fishermen’s News – About this time every year, the big question on the minds of commercial harvesters is what price per pound they will get for their investment of time and effort in Alaska’s commercial wild salmon fishery. continued
Former National Marine Fisheries Service director Eric Schwabb is outta here! Headed to the National Aquarium
Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) May 22, 2013 National Aquarium, a leading cultural attraction and economic engine anchoring Baltimore’s Inner Harbor for more than 30 years, announces Eric Schwaab as its first-ever Senior Vice President and Chief Conservation Officer (CCO). With a realignment of priorities that emphasizes an updated conservation mission, Schwaab’s appointment represents the Aquarium’s new dedication to serve as a national leader in ocean preservation and environmental stewardship. continued
From the Deckboss – Feds and American Seafoods are talking – pinched for “essentially stealing fish,”
Last week brought news of some big enforcement actions against American Seafoods, the top operator of pollock factory trawlers in the Bering Sea. The company is facing more than $2.7 million in fines for allegedly shorting catch weights, or “essentially stealing fish,” in the words of federal authorities. continu
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How does the Chesapeake Bay spell antacid relief? O-Y-S-T-E-R-S!
Like ocean waters around the world, the Chesapeake has become more and more acidic as a result of rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Now, by studying oyster populations in relation to acidity levels, a team of researchers has concluded that oysters — particularly their shells — can play a significant role in reducing that acidity. continued
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is seeking committee applicants
PANAMA CITY BEACH — The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is seeking applicants for the following panels and committees: Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) Advisory Panel, Special Coral Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), Special Mackerel 
SSC, Coral Advisory Panel and the SEDAR Workshop Pool. continued
Seven major Commercial Fisheries cleared by NOAA of harming or posing a threat to the iconic sturgeon
fishnewsseu.com – A DRAFT Biological Opinion released by US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today, found that seven existing commercial fisheries in New Jersey pose “no jeopardy” for Atlantic sturgeon. This determination, formalised by a Section 7 Consultation required under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), applies to the northeast multispecies, monkfish, spiny dogfish, Atlantic bluefish, northeast skate, squid/mackerel/butterfish, and summer flounder/scup/black sea bass fisheries. continued
AUDIO: Dr. Kevin Stokesbury Discusses Alternative Survey Techniques for Stock Assessments at the MSA Reauthorization Oversight Committee Hearing
(We are so lucky to have this guy.) “To me the way forward is to get out there, and work with the fishermen measuring what’s going on. If we can use new technologies to look at these populations clearly and simply, perhaps we can start grasping their underlying dynamics,” Dr. Stokesbury said. continued
Seafood packers struggle with shrimp shortage – Gulf shrimp proving to be hard to come by this year
BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) — Seafood Lover owner Steve Edwards is determined not to raise his shrimp prices — at least for now — despite a lag in supply this season. Edwards has been primarily buying shrimp from three boats in the area for the past 30 years. He knows the shrimpers’ costs are up and their catches down, he said. continued
Grafton IIlinois to buy 10 acres for light industry – Asian carp fish processing plant to make byproducts such as fish oil and fish meal.
The Telegraph – American Heartland is the licensee of Falcon Protein’s patented process of turning Asian carp – an invasive species of U.S. inland waterways – into fish meal and fish oil. Grafton residents Ben Allen and Bryon LeBeau also make up American Heartland Fish Products, formerly known as Inland Fisheries Processing and Marketing Research Center. Last November, the group closed on its building and land. The plant also will bring jobs to the area. continued
Florida Fisherman found dead in Osceola lake
Orlando Sentinel – An Osceola County commercial fisherman died late Monday or early Tuesday when he fell overboard while trying to untangle nylon fishing lines, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. continued
PEI Lobster glut leads to quotas amid low prices – Prices remain low as boats return to the water
Many P.E.I. lobster fishermen face daily quotas on their catches because the processors say they’re being overwhelmed by large catches. The quotas, which started over the weekend, range between 500 to 1,000 pounds per boat. It’s adding to boiling frustrations after low prices sparked protests last week. continued
Atlantic Canada’s halibut fishery has been given the Marine Stewardship Council’s sustainable seal of approval.
“We’re all for it,” Bill Murphy, cost control manager with Fisherman’s Market International Inc. on the Bedford Highway, said in an interview Tuesday. The non-profit U.K. council certified the federally managed fishery
as sustainable after SCS Global Services of California conducted a two-year, third-party assessment. The certification means Atlantic halibut can carry the council’s blue eco-label. continued
Stubborn fire burns aboard fishing boat at Port Townsend Boat Haven
Peninsula Daily News – PORT TOWNSEND — A commercial fishing vessel on the ground at the Boat Haven caught fire when welding sparks ignited combustible material in the hold, firefighters said. continued
Shellfish industry pins hope on Freeport research
Clammers, who have been anecdotally documenting green crabs devouring the clam populations for the last few years, are now getting a chance to put defensive measures in place with this project. They also hope to get some reassurance from the scientific data that the defensive measures work. continued
Maine’s elver industry could be shut down in August
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An interstate fisheries commission postponed a decision Tuesday on whether to scale back or even shut down the highly profitable baby eel fishery in Maine and South Carolina after members decided they needed more time to weigh options. continued
Deaths of 3 Tabusintac fishermen could have been prevented, peers say
Ian Benoit had complained to the provincial government about the shallow channel earlier this spring, according to his father-in-law. (Jennifer Choi/CBC)
cbcnews – As the northeastern community of Tabusintac still struggles to come to grips with the loss of three fishermen over the weekend, some people say their deaths could have been prevented. Samuel-René Boutin, 23, of Saumarez, Alfred Rousselle, 32, of Brantville, and Ian Benoit, 35, of Tabusintac were killed when their boat capsized early Saturday morning. The boat had hit a sandbar in rough seas and began taking on water. continued
Some found guilty in Alaska illegal fishing case
BETHEL, Alaska (AP) — A Bethel judge has ruled against some of nearly two dozen Yup’ik Eskimo fishermen cited for illegally fishing king salmon in the Kuskokwim River during a poor run last year. Several of the fishermen were found guilty Monday after their trials by judge resumed. Magistrate Bruce Ward adjourned the cases last month until he could determine whether the fishermen have a spiritual right to fish for king salmon when restrictions are in place, as they claim. continued
DENIAL, DELUSION AND NMFS STILL DOESN’T KNOW ITS NAME
“Fishlink Sublegals.”- The third “Managing Our Nation’s Fisheries” conference was held on 6-9 May, 2013 in Washington, DC. Titled, “Advancing Sustainability,” the national event, sponsored this time by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, is in preparation for the upcoming Congressional Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act (MSA) reauthorization, a law set to expire in September of this year. continued
This is not good, friends. Not good at all. Parasites in Yellowtail Flounder Could be Preventing Population Rebound
Yellowtail liver with Ichthyophonus granulomas. Photo courtesy of Dr. Roxanna Smolowitz.
Scientists at the Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CCF) in Massachusetts are researching the effects of a fish-killing parasite recently observed in Georges Bank yellowtail flounder populations. The organism, Ichthyophonus, progressively invades its host’s vital organs, destroying their liver, kidneys, and heart. It generally afflicts older fish in a stock, which are also the most important for repopulation. continued
Homer-based North Pacific Fisheries Association has received a $147,400 NFW Foundation grant to use electronic monitoring
Homer-based North Pacific Fisheries Association has received a $147,400 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Fisheries Innovation Fund grant for a two-year project to use electronic monitoring in the pot and longline cod fisheries. National Marine Fisheries Service is providing another $120,000 in matching funds. NPFA president Buck Laukitis said the focus would be on the small boat cod fleet. The grant was awarded while NPFA was wrapping up a similar grant project for smaller halibut boats. continued
ASMFC 2013 Spring Meeting Tuesday, May 21, 2013 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM EDT – Listen via webinar
Webinar Registration The webinar will provide audio and visual access to the proceedings of the ASMFC management boards meeting from May 20-23, 2013. For a detailed agenda and meeting materials, go to http://www.asmfc.org/spring2013Mtg.htm. Register to listen The eel management board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is voting Tuesday on proposed new regulations. The three options are to keep the status quo, close the fishery or set a catch quota.
Shell Canada Ltd to deploy seismic survey ships to survey deepwater sites off Nova Scotia’s southwestern shore.
Starting next week, Shell will begin exploring about 12,200 square kilometres of an area known as the Shelburne Basin. The 3-D seismic survey program is to continue until early September, reporters assembled near the ships were told Saturday. It’s the largest seismic program in the province’s history. If the exploration activity bears fruit, initial drilling is expected to begin in 2015.The provincial government’s analysis of potential energy reserves indicates some 120 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and eight billion barrels of oil could be extracted. continued
