Monthly Archives: July 2013
Dr. Larry D. McKinney, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies – EPA Regulation Blamed for Huge ‘Dead Zone’ in Gulf
The ‘dead zone’ is caused when nitrogen-based fertilizer washes off Midwestern farm fields, and then is washed down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. “We have seen the ‘dead zone’ get bigger as Ethanol is required in our fuels,” he said. McKinney says it’s ironic that the federal agency designated to protect natural resources is directly responsible for killing fish in the Gulf. continued@woai
Gulf-Wide Decreases in the Size of Large Coastal Sharks Documented by Generations of Fishermen
A group of scientists at Dauphin Island Sea Lab have examined 80 years of records from three of the oldest fishing rodeos in the United States, and have seen a marked decrease in the size of certain large coastal sharks. continued@newswire
BP oil still assaulting Gulf beaches, getting more toxic
The Deepwater Horizon catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, BP’s spilled oil is continuing to assault Louisiana’s beaches — and now we have lab tests showing that these giant tar mats are more toxic than ever.
Washington Fish and wildlife officers on patrol for poachers
Sgt. Erik Olson and Officer Mike Apple were looking for crab poachers in the central Puget Sound area Monday. video@kirotv
Cantwell, Herrera Beutler introduce bill to help Washington fishermen
Local fishermen could soon be allowed to refinance federal loans if Revitalizing the Economy of Fisheries in the Pacific Act, a bill championed by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Washington Republican, is signed into law. [email protected]
The National Marine Fisheries Service Unacceptable Response to the New England Groundfish Disaster – Where is the Groundfish Mitigation?
From the letter; In July 2012, the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) Executive Committee met with the National Marine Fisheries Service Acting Assistant Administrator Sam Rauch, and Regional Administrator John Bullard to “brainstorm the future of groundfish in 2013 and beyond, especially mitigation alternatives for low ACLs.” Read the statement from the Associated Fisheries of Maine
National Park Service ignores National Marine Fisheries Service FishWatch Program while endorcing two private enterprises eco-labeling programs
Last month the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service (NPS) announced that it was now requiring that vendors at all of the food service establishments in its parks, monuments, etc. serve seafood that is certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council or identified as “green” or “yellow” in reports prepared by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Read the Seafood Coalition notice
The Long Haul, Part 4 – Protected Seals Raise Many Questions
In years past, seal hunters received a bounty of five dollars a nose to keep the population in check. Now, seals are federally protected, and their numbers have been steadily rebounding, with many thousands now living in local waters year-round. They’ve become a major tourist attraction, but local fishermen see the seals as just another threat to their livelihoods. continued@wcai
Gloucester Daily Times Editorial: NOAA ‘openings’ hardly the help fishermen deserve
The announcement by NOAA Northeast Administrator John Bullard that the agency is looking to open up portions of long-closed groundfishing areas primarily off Cape Cod and Nantucket area may seem like a viable gesture in the wake of the
job- and industry-killing Gulf of Maine cod limit cuts and the tight clamps on other stocks that took effect May 1. continued@GDT
NOAA step won’t aid local boats – “The area they want us to fish does absolutely no good to the Gloucester and New England fleet,”
A proposal to open portions of at least two areas previously closed to fishing in the waters off Cape Cod and Nantucket, with tight restrictions, would hold no benefit for Gloucester’s fishermen casting nets from smaller vessels and little for the few working larger off-shore boats, fishermen and others said Thursday. continued@GDT
South Atlantic Region FISHERY BULLETIN – Fishermen are reminded that the red snapper season in will not open in July 2013.
The opening of the commercial and recreational fishing seasons for red snapper will not occur in July 2013. info here
A controversial halibut catch sharing plan is once again up for public comment in Alaska
The National Marine Fisheries Service published the proposed halibut catch sharing plan June 28, with 45 days for public comments. The plan creates a combined catch limit for the commercial and charter sectors, with each receiving a 
percentage of the allowed harvest, beginning in 2014. continued@alaskajournal
FW: Small Boats can (and might well be) favored in Fishing – from Stephen Taufen
This hits on oft-repeated Groundswell messages: 1) No one owns the fish of the sea; 2) subsidies lead to industrialization, overfishing; 3) small boats create more jobs; and … you can read the rest… Somebody please tell our US Senators to stop the catch share industrial model and get back to enlivening coastal, fishery-dependent communities!!! Keep your eye on what EU does… just like Iceland (now clawing back their once-distributed quotas).
Fishing quotas can be redistributed to favour smaller vessels – high court
Bristol Bay sockeye salmon run struggles to hit escapement target
More than 20 million sockeye salmon have passed through Bristol Bay this season, and the massive run is on target to hit its escapement goals. But a vessel that capsized in the Igashik continues to leak fluid into one of the bay’s rivers, closing a commercial fishery that has lost at least $100,000 due to a closure in effect since Friday. continud@alaskadispatch
Dipnet fishery on Yukon better than anticipated
Harvesters on the Lower Yukon River have landed close to 50,000 oil rich Yukon summer chums to date in the river’s first commercial dip net fishery. continued@thetundradrums
Lone Star Update… No Fuel Sheen Spotted Thursday
No fuel sheen was spotted during the latest observation flight of the sunken tender Lone Star. KDLG’s Mike Mason has this update.
Wildlife troopers in Unalakleet cited a man Tuesday for unlawful subsistence fishing.
Troopers seized the 25 king salmon, along with 10 chums and 1 pink as evidence. continued@kdlg
The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a notice of intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service
“Every single fish matters in keeping these rockfish from going extinct,” said Center attorney Catherine Kilduff. “Some rockfish can live to be 100 years old, so wiping out Puget Sound rockfish is like clearcutting an old-growth forest.” continued@commondreams
Some 200,000 fish reported dead at Lower Elwha fish hatchery after a water pump failure.
Hatchery staff counted roughly 200,000 dead coho salmon, spawned last fall, and about 2,000 dead yearling steelhead trout at the hatchery over the weekend, Lower Elwha Klallam tribal officials said in a statement released Wednesday. Hatchery officials said the coho deaths represented about 50 percent of this year’s production. continued@peninsuladailynews
Alaska files cross-appeal in fishing case it won against 13 subsistence fishermen
About two dozen fishermen were found guilty in May after trials before a judge in Bethel. Those who decided to contest their convictions filed appeals in June, launching a process that could last months before formal arguments are made. The Yup’ik fishermen were cited last year during a poor king salmon run. continued@adn
Chilliwack Walmart sees renewed protest against farmed salmon again
Local members of the National Salmon Feedlot Boycott were making some noise at the Chilliwack Walmart Wednesday. Chants of “Boycott farmed salmon!” and “Wild salmon forever!” were heard across the busy parking lot in the Eagle Landing development. [email protected]
Fisherynation, Your Seafreeze Ltd. Price List for July 11, 2013 has arrived
Click here for the complete pricelist at Seafreeze Ltd. Where the only thing they treat our fish with is respect!
The Long Haul, Part 3 Dwindling Baitfish Stocks Worry Fishermen and Regulators
When it comes to commercial fishing, the little fish are just as important as the big ones. It’s the baitfish—smaller species like river herring and Atlantic herring—that support the entire commercial fishing industry. continued@wcai
NOAA eyes lifting closures — with mandated monitors
NOAA spokeswoman Maggie Mooney-Seus said Tuesday that the areas that would be opened under the change would includes parts — but not all — of Areas I and II and the Nantucket Light Ship area. NOAA will be taking comments on all sides of the issue for the next “month or so,” then will look to address any issues and move forward. “The goal is to get this done as fast as we can this year,” said Mooney-Seus. continued@GDT
Ministers Welcome New Vessel CCGS S. Dudka to the Canadian Coast Guard Fleet – This is $2.9 mil?
The new vessel was built at ABCO Industries Limited boatyard in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. The $2.9 million vessel is used primarily to support Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Conservation and Protection program in the Department’s Gulf Region continued@marketwired
Fish talks stalled but US given 18 months extension – US will pay US$63 million /12,000 days where the Vessel Day Scheme is in force
Parties to Nauru Agreement nations—the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Papua New Guinea—control Pacific waters where the majority of skipjack is caught in the Pacific. continued@islandsbusiness
Meeting info for August 5-8 NEFSC stock assessment data collection program review
Northeast Fisheries Science Center is conducting a workshop with an independent, expert panel on August 5-8, 2013, in Woods Hole, Mass., to focus on evaluating the data collection process the Center uses to develop its fishery stock assessments. The panel will conduct the peer review in an open public forum. Following the workshop, the Center will post the outcomes from the peer review online. For more information, please visit the meeting website
Vale accused of dumping ‘lethal effluent’ in Labrador Bay
is facing charges under the Fisheries Act for allegedly dumping “lethal effluent” in Anaktalak Bay, near the Voisey’s Bay nickel mine site. In all, Vale is facing three charges, according to court documents. continued@cbcnews
Coast Guard assists one from sinking vessel near Guemes Island, Wash.
At approximately 5 p.m. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a mayday call from Clam Digger, a 59-foot fishing vessel, reporting that it was taking on water with one person aboard. continued@uscgnews
US government assessment of BP oil spill ‘will not account for damage’ – National Research Council
The US government cannot hope to arrive at a full accounting of the environmental destruction caused by the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico using its current methods, an expert panel has said. ontinued@the guardian
