Daily Archives: July 20, 2013
Commercial fishermen let loose to stem the tide of sockeye on the Kenai and Kasilof rivers.
Setnetting in the Kenai, Kasilof and East Forelands Sections of the setnet fishing sites will have their hours extended until 11 p.m. Saturday while the Kasilof River Special Harvest Area will be opened at 5 a.m. Sunday until 7 a.m. Monday for commercial fishermen. continued@peninsulaclarion
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report for Friday, July 19
The Bristol Bay Fisheries Report for Friday, July 19th includes an examination of the large price increase this season in the Bay. We also check out some priorities for the pending reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Act and we’ll explore the controversy surrounding Wal-Mart’s decision to only stock salmon carrying the MSC sustainability label. All of that and more in the Bristol Bay Fisheries Report for Friday, July 19th. listen@kdlg
Lobsterman’s body found in river – Man identified as Anthony Rahn of Portsmouth
Authorities on Friday launched a massive search effort along the Piscataqua River to find a lobsterman who reportedly went missing while diving in the area of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge. continued@seacoastonline
U.S. Representative Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) this week introduced H.R. 2705, establishing a pilot program on the Stanislaus River to protect native salmon and steelhead fish populations.
“This pilot program will help us take action to save the threatened native fish and advance our collective knowledge of controlling non-native predator fish in California. It’s absurd to keep spending millions to try and save native fish while non-natives devour nearly the entire population.” continued@oakdaleleader
ADF&G News Release Announcement: Dutch Harbor Food and Bait Herring Fishery Announcement #4
Posted 14:44:22 dst. Dutch Harbor Food and Bait Herring Fishery Announcement #4 – Westward Region-Alaska Peninsula-Aleutian Islands-Areawide
Publication Date 7/20/13 – 10:am Unalaska – Akutan Districts
Species – Herring – Gear Type – Seine – 24 hrs from 12 noon 7/20/13 thru 7/21/13
Gillnet – Herring – 96 hrs from 12 noon 7/20/13 thru 7/24/13 LINK
California representatives: Federal reports confirm Bay Delta plan not based on sound science
On Friday, several U.S. Representatives from Northern California called on the Brown Administration to withdraw and fully revise their proposed Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) in light of draft environmental documents being found “biased” and “insufficient” by federal agencies in public comments made available Thursday. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service provided these comments to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) as part of a review of the draft environmental impact report/environmental impact statement. continued@lakecountynews
Ever wonder if federal officials jumped the gun in declaring the Atlantic sturgeon an endangered species?
In its listing proposal, the agency, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said that Atlantic sturgeon population numbers in the Carolina region had declined to less than 3 percent of historical levels. Data collected by state agencies seems to suggest otherwise. continued@starnewsonline
Happy Anniversary to Vital Ocean Policy – Andreas Merkl – President and CEO of Ocean Conservancy
This policy directly addresses the key challenge of our time: how to meet the enormous resource demands of a rapidly growing global population without destroying the natural systems that sustain us. The ocean, of course, is at the center of every aspect of this challenge—food, energy, climate and protection of our natural resources. continued@natgeo
Garden State Board of Public Utilities rejects latest plan for New Jersey’s first wind farm proposed off coast of Atlantic City
The state Board of Public Utilities today rejected the latest plan for a 25 megawatt offshore wind farm, saying New Jersey taxpayers would be on the hook for too much money should the anticipated federal grants fall through. continued@nationalwindwatch
Link to nj.com
Herring Town’s Whittenton Pond dam demolition begins along with new accountability to the River Herring
All remnants of the troubled Whittenton Mill Pond Dam are gone for good. Representatives of groups belonging to Mill River Restoration Partnership held a news conference Friday morning on the banks of a section of Mill River known as Whittenton Pond. Within 15 minutes of the end of the press conference an excavator operated by an employee of SumCo Eco-Contracting of Salem tore away what remained of a stone and earthen spillway put into place in 2005. continued@tauntondailygazzette
Regulating fishermen out of business – President Barack Obama’s 2010 National Ocean Policy executive order and his National Ocean Council
In recent years, high fuel prices and stringent federal regulations have combined to take an especially heavy toll on charter boat owners and operators across the United States. President Barack Obama’s 2010 National Ocean Policy executive order and his National Ocean Council’s recent release of a final implementation plan now set the stage for a one-two punch that could choke off access to fishery resources and add to already-high fuel costs by restricting opportunities to develop energy here at home. continued@postandcourior
Fed panel backs $150M in fishing aid – U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee also OKs research mandates for NOAA
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has included $150 million for fisheries disasters in its fiscal 2014 budget proposal for the Department of Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies.And the budget measure includes a number of other directives aimed at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including a proposed requirement that NOAA charter private and commercial fishing boats to carry out cooperative research with an eye toward addressing a long standing gulf between NOAA and the industry regarding credible fisheries science. continued@GDT
“Decentralization” – Senate Appropriations Committee would dissolve NOAA’s Northeastern Regional Office, Provide $150 million in disaster relief, allocated to three regions
A key Senate committee approved a bill that would dissolve NOAA’s Northeastern Regional Office in a proposal some fisheries advocates say could make things easier for the region’s fishermen. “This new approach is seemingly advantageous,” said Jim Kendall, head of New Bedford Seafood Consulting and a longtime critic of NOAA and regulations affecting area fishermen. “Decentralization — it sounds good, and it sounds like it could be very beneficial if it works.” continued@southcoasttoday
