Daily Archives: July 4, 2013
A Gay Couple from Maine Explain “He’s the lobstah in my pot” “He’s the clam in my chowdah” Oh Yah
Seth welcomes a gay couple from Maine, who just voted to legalize same sex marriage. (right click – open new window) Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update: Gay Couple from Maine.
Lobstermen relieved at routine pace of harvest – After last year’s glut sank prices, they call this season’s normalcy ‘a good thing.’
Lobster season appears to be back to normal this year. And normal is good. continued@portlandpressherald
University of Southern Mississippi asks Professor / Chairman Vernon Asper to step down from Commission on Marine Resources
Chairman Vernon Asper has resigned from the Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources, following a recommendation from his employer — the University of Southern Mississippi, where he has been a Professor of Marine Sciences for the past 27 years. “The university administration had become concerned that my continued service on the commission was becoming a liability to the university,” Asper said Wednesday morning. “They want to keep the university separate from this kind of controversy.” (Controversy? Like the IG’s final audit report on DMR?) The report also mentions conflicts of interest between Walker and his wife Sharon, who has been employed by two major subgrantees — the University of Southern Mississippi and the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies. Walker’s son, Scott, served on the board of trustees of the Nature Conservancy, which was the recipient of grants, another conflict of interest. DMR also used CIAP funds to purchase property owned by Scott Walker. This could get interesting! Chairman Vernon Asper steps down from Commission on Marine Resources (updated)
Inspector General’s final audit report on DMR cites numerous mismanagement issues (updated)
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries Division – Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Season to Open July 15
The opening date is based on an evaluation of the biological, social and economic information to maximize the benefits to the industry and the public. In making its determination, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries Division used the best available scientific information including samples collected by using trawls and bag seines in TPWD routine data collection. continued@statetexasus
June meeting NEFMC Council Report
River Herring/Shad Catch Cap’s considered, Wide Ranging Groundfish topics addressed, SSC reports on Monkfish ABC’s and CATT work, Habitat Alternatives selected for analysis, and other Council considerations.
Antarctic Crabs May Be Native, Evidence Suggests
July 4, 2013 — A new study has cast doubt on the claim that crabs may have disappeared from Antarctica only to return due to warming sea’s. The theory surfaced two years ago following the discovery of a major colony of King crabs (Lithodidae) in the Palmer Deep, a basin in the continental shelf off the Antarctic Peninsula. It was thought the species may have left the continent between 40 and 15 million years ago and was returning as seawater temperatures rose. continued@sciencedaily
Walmart’s need for Russian pink salmon likely exceeds available MSC supply – John Sackton, Seafoodnews.com
First, in their recent letter to suppliers, Walmart acknowledged that there was only a single Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) approved by SFP, which they called a ‘very small project led by WWF for chum salmon in the Tugur River of Russia.’ They said that there were other ongoing discussions in both Russian and the US, but that at present none of these had resulted in publicly announced improvement projects. Meanwhile, the available Russian MSC salmon is not sufficient to meet Walmart’s needs. continued@savingseafood
Tabusintac fisherman Tabusintac fisherman – community is still grieving – Video Report
The northeastern New Brunswick community of Tabusintac is still grieving the loss of three fishermen after their boat ran aground on a sandbar in May. Fishermen had been complaining about the narrow channel in the area and had 
urged Fisheries and Oceans Canada to dredge the area. Ian Benoit, Samuel-René Boutin, 23, of Saumarez, and Alfred Rousselle, 32, of Brantville, were all killed when their boat capsized after it became stuck in a narrow trench that allowed boats to pass through a sandbar. continued@cbcnews
Concerns about coast guard communications closure in St. Anthony NL
Local fishermen and officials in St. Anthony had a meeting Wednesday to discuss concerns over the pending closure of the community’s coast guard communication centre in March 2015. continued@cbcnews
Petit-de-Grat murder suspect Craig Landry released on $50K bail – Carla Ann Samson, was released on a $25,000 bail.
Craig Landry appeared in court on Thursday and was released on a $50,000. As part of his release, Landry has to live with his mother in Petit-de-Grat. He cannot leave Nova Scotia. Landry’s curfew has been set from 12 p.m. to 6 a.m. and he must report to the local RCMP office daily. The 40 year old must also handover his passport and not apply for a new one. Landry can’t have any contact with his co-accused or Boudreau’s family or own firearms and explosives. Carla Ann Samson, charged with accessory after the fact in Boudreau’s murder, was released on a $25,000 bail. continued@cbcnews
DEAR JOHN 2.0: Will “concerns” re. hatchery salmon lead to ‘loss of political support’ in Alaska for the ‘wild’/‘enhancement’ strategy?
An open letter to John Sackton, Editor of Seafood.com By Bertrand Charron, Editor of SeafoodIntelligence.com, Dear John, I believe it is high time – since my first ‘Dear John’ editorial of February 2012 – for a ‘Dear John 2.0’, as two of your well-articulated video comments during the past week do warrant praises and rebuttals of sorts [email protected] Lots of links, lots of information here. A lot to think about.
Scotland: Wester Ross sea trout burdened by lice
RECENT monitoring of juvenile wild sea trout, witnessed by the Salmon & Trout Association (Scotland) (S&TA(S)), in Little Loch Broom has revealed fish carrying huge numbers of parasitic sea lice. continued@fishnewseu
Fishermen accuse DFO of sinking progress
Fishermen who are part of a lobster advisory committee found themselves questioning where the ‘advisory’ part comes in as they expressed frustration at a recent meeting over issues that seem to keep coming “down the hill” from DFO in Ottawa. continued@the vanguard
Fish farm fight continues – The Friends of Port Mouton are back on task after the restocking of the fish pens in Port Mouton Bay.
Ruth and Ron Loucks presented a slideshow on some of the affects the farm is having on the bay. The slideshow showed photographs of pink coloured waste leading away from the fish farms in trails, along with a lighter coloured oily slick. Other photos showed a thick brown foam that collected on Summerville Beach and Carter’s Beach. continued@theadvance
Hammerhead shark protection debated – National Marine Fisheries Service pushed by WildEarth Guardians and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
A proposal to protect the great hammerhead shark has sparked a debate over whether federal protection is necessary to conserve a majestic ocean predator or whether this would just impose an unnecessary burden on the fishing industry. continued@sunsentinal
Program To Explore History Of Commercial Fishing In Door County
The July 11 Gibraltar Talks program will focus on the interesting history of the commercial fishermen who ventured out into the waters of Green Bay from the small port of Fish Creek. They would set, lift, and mend gill nets. continued@doorcountydailynews
The B.C. Court of Appeal has ruled a Vancouver Island First Nation has the right to conduct commercial fisheries.
The 10-year legal fight over fish and shellfish fisheries wound its way to the Supreme Court of Canada before the final word was released Wednesday from the province’s appeal court. The 
Nuu-chah-nulth went to court saying its people have been fishing and trading their catch long before Europeans arrived, and that translates to modern-commercial fishing rights. continued@globalnews
Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance filed lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C
