Daily Archives: June 27, 2013
Norigs 3 Coalition wants action on Georges Bank moratorium – more than just verbal assurances
Asked by this newspaper about the federal government’s position on the issue of mirror legislation to extend the moratorium to 2022, the response from the federal department of Natural Resources was this: “There is currently a federal policy moratorium on all oil and gas activity on Georges Bank until 2015. This complements a provincial statutory moratorium that runs until 2022.The extension of the policy moratorium until 2015 was a joint decision between the federal Minister of Natural Resources and the Nova Scotia Minister of Energy,” said department spokesperson Joshua Kirkey. continued@THE VANGUARD
Commercial fishing scheduled for District 5 Goodnews Bay, District 4 Quinhagak
The Department of Fish and Game has announced a commercial fishing opening for Kuskokwim District 5, Goodnews Bay. The opening is scheduled to start on Saturday, June 29th, for twelve hours from 9 a-m until 9 p-m. Fish and Game says the open area for this period is reduced. continued@kyuk
New fishery could boost food security for Alaskans
The establishment of a new artisanal commercial fishery in Alaska could improve food security for the state, according to authors of a newly published article in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. continued@The Seward Phoenix LOG
Guest View: Congress needs to take the reauthorization of the Magnuson Act seriously – By Brian J. Rothschild, Montgomery Charter Professor of Marine Science and Technology, SMAST
The passing of Richard Gaines, investigative reporter for the Gloucester Daily Times, silenced a voice that illuminated governmental excess in regulating the fishing industry. Thinking about Richard’s untimely death, I wrote the following memorial on the future of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the law that governs fisheries management in the U.S.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act is scheduled to be reauthorized this fall. Rumor has it that a material reauthorization is unlikely because anticipated changes are anticipated to be controversial. Failing to materially reauthorize the act is a serious lapse in public policy. The current version of the act does not protect the fishing industry and the public from governmental excess because, as a practical matter, the current form of the act does not ensure the operation of the checks and balances among the legislative, judicial and executive branches. continued@southcoasttoday
Jewelers Join Fishermen & Others to Urge EPA to Protect World’s Greatest Salmon Fishery
“When a foreign mining company lobbies Washington for permission to dig the largest open pit mine in North America in the middle of one of Alaska’s most ecologically sensitive areas, it is clearly time for the White House to say ‘no,'” said Brian Leber, President of Leber Jeweler Inc., and a third generation jeweler. “The EPA has the authority to prevent this travesty, but they need to act now.” continued@watchlist
Halibut bycatch delivered to Kotzebue food bank – Feed the People!
The halibut is the bycatch from trawlers that is delivered to Kodiak. The delivery was arranged by Bainbridge Island Wash.-based Sea Share, an organization that redirects fish once thrown overboard to food banks. 
said the group has donated more than 180 million seafood meals throughout the United States. continued@newsminer
Drought conditions threaten Sacramento River salmon
The problem is that Shasta Lake, the largest in the state, risks running out of cold water before salmon migrate upriver from the ocean for their fall and winter spawning runs. If that were to happen, the salmon population, which has 
rebounded strongly from several years of sharp declines, could face lethal warm temperatures in the river. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which owns Shasta Lake, has a duty under the Endangered Species Act to preserve a so-called “cold water pool” in the reservoir to protect spawning salmon in the Sacramento River. [email protected]
Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is considering removal of limit on swordfish catch
The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) says analysis of logbook and observer data indicates that swordfish catch rates in the American Samoa longline fishery are extremely low, with the majority of fishin trips having no swordfish. The SSC is proposing a no limit of swordfish per trip, and this recommendation and others will be considered by the Council when it meets in Honolulu June 26-28. [email protected]
Coast Guard rescue’s four fishermen and their dog from F/V Ocean Viking 190 miles southwest of Kodiak Wednesday.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 17th District command center received the crew’s distress call around 8:30 p.m., relayed through a Trident Seafoods employee in Chignik who heard their call over VHF-FM Channel 16, reporting that the 76-foot fishing vessel was taking on water and the crew was abandoning ship into a life raft. continued@uscgnews
rescueME Introduced to Commercial Market – the world’s smallest personal locator beacon
Marine communication and safety specialist Ocean Signal presents what they call the world’s smallest personal locator beacon at this year’s Seawork International, through U.K. distributors International Safety Products. Following receipt of certifications for use throughout Europe and the U.S. in April, the rescueME PLB1 is now available from Ocean Signal’s worldwide network of distributors. [email protected]
Drift fishermen ease into season
The Kenai Dock is busy this time of year as drift gillnetters put the last touches on their boats, launch them into the mouth of the Kenai River and prepare to snag a portion of the Cook Inlet’s sockeye salmon run. While the first opening to fish was Thursday and fishermen had a chance to go in again Monday, Anne Poso, longline logistics manager at Snug Harbor Seafoods, said there were not many boats in the water yet. continued@peninsulaclarion
Clearwater Seafoods Inc to add $45-million vessel to clam fleet
Clearwater Seafoods Inc. closed $350 million in new debt facilities Wednesday that will be used to add a $45-million vessel to its clam harvesting fleet. When it’s fully operational, the company’s third clam harvester will increase Clearwater clam sales to about $100 million by 2017 from $60 million, Clear-water treasurer Tyrone Cotie said in an interview. continued@chronicleherald
Is Phillip Boudreau really a victim? by Phonse Jessome
Phillip Boudreau is a murder victim and they rarely need defending but maybe he does. It might be easy to blame him for what happened but it seems to me that is like blaming the bullet, not the finger on the trigger. continued@cbcnews
savingseafood.org: Inaccuracies Abound in Joint Press Release from the Conservation Law Foundation & Earthjustice
The press release misstates important facts about groundfish, starting with a quote from CLF’s Senior Counsel, Peter Shelley: “cod are in the worst condition ever in the history of New England fishing and probably getting worse.” But, while both Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine cod stocks are certainly in the middle of a rebuilding process, neither faces historic low’s. continued@savingseafood
Our mutual reliance on the ocean
Whether their primary purpose in your life is recreational or commercial, the Gulf fisheries more than likely play some role. You might enjoy fishing with your children and grandchildren or your parents and grandparents. You might be in the business of hauling nature’s blessings from the Gulf and selling them to seafood processors. Or you might just enjoy cooking up a fresh gumbo or shrimp stew with the fruits of others’ labor. continued@houmatoday
Vancouver: Area A Crab Association upset as fishery suddenly closed
Crab fishermen were told on Friday afternoon that the fishery would be halted, and Area A Crab Association executive director Dan Edwards is at a loss as to why. continued@northernview
New yellowtail flounder survey on tap – Long awaited commercial fleet collaborative research inclusion is finally realized
NEW BEDFORD — Five fisheries scientists based in Woods Hole came to the city Wednesday and spelled out the details of a new yellowtail flounder survey to be performed from commercial fishing vessels in August. The effort is designed to bring commercial fishermen into the process of conducting surveys, and to give the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s survey ship Bigelow something to compare to. The NOAA is looking for two boats big enough to berth five scientists and five crew members, who will work 24-hour days in shifts for 12 days. continued@southcoasttoday
