Daily Archives: June 19, 2013
The Esther II: A father’s boat, a son’s heart
TREMONT – Back in the 1940s and ‘50s, Charles Orville Trask used to set out from Bass Harbor and head 20 miles offshore to lobster fish and tub-trawl for hake around Mount Desert Rock, Great Duck Island, and Frenchboro. Tra
sk used to be an assistant sales manager for Ditto, Inc., in Chicago, pre-photocopier. He was fairly successful, but had a bad spell after his first wife divorced him. He returned to Maine and married Esther Moore, a teacher who was born and raised on Gotts Island (and was a sister of famous Maine author Ruth Moore). continued@BDN
Rare North Pacific Right Whale Sighted Off British Columbia Coast
For the first time in over 60 years, a North Pacific right whale has been spotted in British Columbia waters. Fisheries and Oceans Canada biologist James Pilkington made the discovery while surveying for whales off the west coast of Haida Gwaii aboard the CCGS Arrow Post, a Canadian Coast Guard vessel, on June 9, 2013. continued@marketwired
Louisiana needs to spend seafood promotion dollars
Time is running out for the state to spend millions of dollars aimed at convincing consumers Louisiana seafood is safe to eat. Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne told the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board on Wednesday that five months remain to spend $16 million still left from $30 million BP gave the state after an oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. The money will expire in November unless BP agrees to an extension. continued@The Advocate
Canada: Gutting of Federal Fisheries Act Remains in Legal Limbo at 1 Year C-38 Anniversary
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwired – June 19, 2013) – One year ago in an unprecedented attack on nature and democracy Canada passed Bill C-38, which made sweeping changes to environmental protection laws t
o ease the way for industrial developments like oil pipelines. However, faced with massive and persistent citizen opposition and First Nations’ legal challenges continued@marketwired
USCG suspends search for missing F/V Swift crewman 25-year-old Alan Young of Chehalis, Wash.
The Coast Guard suspended its search late last night for a crewman who went overboard from a fishing vessel near Hoonah. Alaska State Troopers identified the missing deckhand as 25-year-old Alan Young of Chehalis, Wash. sadly continued@kcaw
From the Moderator – Let’s be fair John Bullard, You’re the Master of Folksy Feel Good Babble
John Bullard, NE Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service, which is his official title, began his comments at the NEFMC meeting this Tuesday morning recalling his interactions with Richard Gaines, Staff Reporter, Gloucester Daily Times The recollections of Bullard of a relentless technician of journalistic excellence were interesting, and are telling of the new revisionist history era that we are entering. , continue here scroll down
Editor: RTI dumping can’t be ignored. R. Burkosky – CFV BC MAID ll
As an elected representative for the commercial gillnet fishing fleet, I want to caution the public not to accept an Environment Canada whitewash of this obviously serious situation. continued@bclocal
American shad coming back in Potomac River
WASHINGTON – Dozens of springtime festivals are devoted to this type of fish that is so endangered, it’s now off limits to fishermen. But in the Potomac River, the American shad is making a comeback. continued@wtop
Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board oversight shifted to lt. governor
BATON ROUGE, La. – Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne has received new responsibilities from state lawmakers, giving him oversight of a board that promotes Louisiana seafood. The seafood board had only modest funding before the BP oil spill in 2010, with about a $300,000 annual budget. It had been largely autonomous, under some oversight from the wildlife and fisheries department. But the board’s profile was raised when it received $30 million from BP for a seafood marketing campaign, to reassure visitors that Louisiana’s seafood was safe. continued@houmatoday
Lawmakers ask NEFMC to update closed areas and allow access while protecting habitat
Mr. John K. Bullard Regional Administrator National Marine Fisheries Service 55 Great Republic Drive Gloucester, MA 01930
Mr. C. M. “Rip” Cunningham Chairman New England Fishery Management Council 50 Water Street Newburyport, MA 01950
We understand the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) are currently nearing the conclusion of a lengthy effort to develop what is known as the Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Amendment. continued here
John K. Bullard, Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service to hold Constituent Call on Draft Resources Document for Groundfish Industry
On Monday, June 24th, from 3:00 – 5:00 PM, NOAA Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Regional Administrator John Bullard will be hosting a public conference call to solicit feedback from fishermen and other stakeholders on the draft Working Document on Resources to Support the Northeast Groundfish Industry. details here from an agency that skews details! Like their official name.
Dongwon Industries, the owners of StarKist Samoa wants to build a USD $34.3 Million tuna cannery, but not here
Dongwon Industries, the owners of StarKist Samoa wants to build a USD $34.3 Million una tuna cannery and loining plant in Doma, West Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. The official said the project will make use of the Solomon Islands rich fisheries resources and it will benefit the people and the economy by providing more job opportunities, bring in foreign currency and improve the standard of living. [email protected]
IRS will pay employees $70 million in bonuses – I wonder if NOAA/NMFS is still forking bonuses from the AFF?
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa says his office has learned that the IRS is executing an agreement with the employees’ union on Wednesday to pay the bonuses. continued@oregonlive
Adak’s Seafood Processing Equipment Sold as Unit to City of Adak and the Adak Community Development Corporation
The equipment from Adak’s fish processing plant was auctioned off in one piece Tuesday morning. The City of Adak and the Adak Community Development Corporation jointly submitted the winning bid of $1.8 million. continued@kucb
Coakley and Cod By Matt Rigney the author of In Pursuit of Giants: One Man’s Global Search for the Last of the Great Fish,
Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley announced on May 31st that the state will sue the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for setting cod limits so low that they amount to the “death penalty” for Massachusetts fishermen. In doing so, Coakley joins a long line of opportunistic, reactive and ill-informed politicians who shake a fist at the federal government as a diversion from offering any real solution to the problem of overfished ground stocks off the coast of New England.continued@valleyadvocate
Thanks Danny, The truth about Carlos Rafael hurts so I had to say something!
The yack coming from the waterfronts of New England is, the article written by Danny McDonald, “Carlos Rafael and His Fish Are the American Dream” has pissed off quite a few people, and who could blame ‘em? Maybe you didn’t get a chance to read it, because the other fishery websites, for some strange reason, never posted it, avoiding it like the plague. Read the article(linked) if you haven’t already. continued here
OPINION: The comfort of being apolitical
AS the marine and commercial fishing industries continue to be ruthlessly dismantled by politicians and international environmental groups, for little else but political gain, can we afford the luxury of remaining apolitical? As I’m sure you are well aware, the mass exclusions zones now declared by Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke, was initiated by the PEW foundation from the USA. Pew, along with other NGOs, have spent millions of dollars to get what they want. This seems to be, total evacuation of fisher people from planet earth. continued@marinebusiness
With king salmon returns slowing to a trickle, Alaska managers roll out closures
Abysmal king salmon returns to the Kenai River already have fisheries managers curtailing fishing in one of Alaska’s most popular fisheries — and wondering what’s next. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game ordered closures on the Kenai and Kasilof rivers for personal-use and sport fishermen Tuesday. “When you look at numbers going to the Kenai, it’s alarming,” area commercial fisheries biologist Pat Shields said Tuesday. “It’s forced our hands. ”continued@alaskadispatch
