Monthly Archives: September 2013
October is National Seafood Month – Where people eat the most/least seafood. This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch
October is National Seafood Month – a distinction proclaimed by Congress more than a quarter century ago to recognize one of our nation’s oldest industries. Government figures show that nationwide, the seafood industry contributes $60 billion to the U.S. economy each year. more@fishradio 22:14
Catch Limits Increased in Atlantic Herring Fishery
NOAA Fisheries NMFS today announced that we are it is increasing the catch limits for Atlantic herring fishery, due to the healthy condition of the Atlantic herring stock, [email protected] 22:09
Health Exchange Info for Fishermen and Fishing Groups – Information from UFA
Health Care Open Enrollment to start October 1 Info on the Affordable Care Act for Fishermen and Fishing Groups Read the Details in Public Notices 20:59
Atlantic Herring Management Area 2 Trip Limit Removed Effective October 1, 2013
Changes Coming Tuesday to the Marine Weather Forecasts for Southwest Alaska – audio
The National Weather Service is rolling out some significant changes to the marine weather forecast for the Bristol Bay region. KDLG’s Mike Mason has the details @kdlg 20:30
PETA Lobster Shutdown. Maine DA: No charges to be filed
District Attorney Geoffrey A. Rushlau sent a letter Monday afternoon to officials at the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, saying he did a legal analysis and determined the state statute only applies to sentient beings, and does not apply to invertebrates. more@bdn 20:01
Attn Gillnet Fishermen: Gulf of Maine Gillnet Fishery Closure to Protect Harbor Porpoise WILL NOT be implemented tomorrow!
Today New Bedford: Officials promise to continue to fight for fishermen at annual blessing ceremony
The trials and tribulations fishermen face every day — from the perilous journeys to their limited benefits — were highlighted in speeches aboard the stately schooner Ernestina Sunday afternoon. “It’s not just an industry, it’s the livelihood of people,” said Attorney General Martha Coakley at the 44th annual blessing of the fleet. Two such committed individuals were awarded the Offshore Mariners’ Wives 2013 Friend of the Fishing Industry award — Angela Sanfilippo and J.J. Bartlett. more@southcoasttoday 17:51
Dollar Value of commercial catch to Sonoma County Fishermen in 2011? $14.3 million
The commercial fishing industry is often overlooked in the annual Sonoma County crop reports, but it was a $14.3 million dollar industry in 2011, nearly all of it from Dungeness crab, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s figures included in the 2012 crop report. The value of the commercial catch in 2001 was $3.1 million. The breakdown and [email protected] 17:34
“We mean business.” Virginia Marine Police target poachers as oyster season opens
NEWPORT NEWS – Oyster season opens Oct. 1, and the Virginia Marine Police will combat oyster theft by air, land and sea in an intensive effort to end poaching. “We mean business. We will vigorously pursue anyone who violates the oyster regulations, and we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law,” said Virginia Marine Police Chief Rick Lauderman. “Stealing oysters from the public oyster grounds, private leased grounds or from oyster sanctuaries in particular will not be tolerated. Oyster poaching in Virginia will stop.” more@vagazette 17:18
Bringing Your Livelihood to the Table (at that Council Meeting) Makes an Impact
Fish managers of the North Pacific Council need the boots on deck prospective. Bringing a first hand experience to the table can make a huge impact on decisions made in the fishing industry. When the council sits down this week by catch and on board observers are just a few hot topics they are tackling. more@fishradio 14:59
Sea lions, Gulf quotas, salmon bycatch top NPFMC agenda
A final decision is scheduled for Steller sea lion protection measures at the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s October meeting. The council will meet Oct. 2-8 in Anchorage, with Steller sea lion protections slated to come up Oct. 3. Other items on the agenda are fishing limits for several crab stocks including Bristol Bay red king crab and Bering Sea snow crab, final action on an economic data collection program for Gulf of Alaska trawlers and groundfish harvest specifications. more@alaskajournal Livestreaming information is here 13:31
BP oil spill trial: NOLA.com reporters cover it live from the courthouse
Monday, Sept. 30, marked the beginning of the second phase of the civil trial against BP and its partners in the ill-fated Macondo oil well. The news team at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune will cover every day of the trial. Find comprehensive updates and analysis on our Gulf Oil Spill page, and follow business reporter Mark Waller and environment reporter Mark Schleifstein on Twitter or in the window below. [email protected] 11:24
Coast Guard Closes Depoe Bay,Siuslaw,Tillamook Bay,Coos Bay,Umpqua River Bar Entrance’s Due to Hazardous Condition’s
The Coast Guard will re-evaluate the bar closure’s on an ongoing basis and will re-open the waterway as soon as the offshore weather improves. The Coast Guard understands the effects these closures have on commerce and will make every effort to re-open these waterways as soon as they are considered safe for navigation. more@uscgnews 08:02
Aquaculture insider: the diseases that could ruin my industry
The damaging escape of a virus from an abalone farm is no surprise, an aquaculture insider explains; the industry has serious problems and some sites are breeding grounds for diseases and parasites. [email protected] 07:39
Walleye Pollock – A bounty of fish: Questions about sustainability
It sounds too good to be true: There are so many fish that Seattle-based boats haul in more than a million metric tons of them every year without depleting the population. “It still boggles my mind how much is a million tons of fish,” says David Fluharty, an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. “To actually catch that much protein . . .”more@crosscut 07:17
How Government shutdown will Affect NOAA Emloyees and other agency’s
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, based in Silver Spring, will lose about half of its staff in the face of a shutdown. According to a recent Commerce Department document outlining its shutdown plan, roughly 6,600 NOAA employees would stay on the job. Most of those workers would come from the National Weather Service, which is required to continue functioning because its work can identify “imminent threats to protect life and property.” In addition, about 500 employees from the National Marine Fisheries Service, which regulates and enforces laws related to marine wildlife, would also stay on the job. However, even with those exceptions, approximately 5,400 NOAA employees — about 45 percent of the agency’s workforce — would be sent home. more@thedailyrecord 20:18 4 comments
All around Washington State, Salmon returns to the Rivers
A major annual salmon migration from sea to river happens around the state in the fall. Community festivals, salmon bakes and 10K runs are scheduled to recognize this annual event. The Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office also is releasing six, 2-minute videos that focus on those affected by the decline of salmon populations and those working to restore salmon and salmon habitat, all available on YouTube. Commercial fisherman Marc Jerkovich, Gig Harbor more@maplevalleyreporter 18:26
Seismic airgun activities place Georgia’s right whales at risk during oil exploration
Highly endangered right whales, which give birth in the waters off Georgia, could be harmed by the use of seismic airguns to explore for oil and gas there, said panelists at a forum Thursday night at Savannah State University. In its draft environmental study, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management estimates that seismic airgun activities planned for an eight-year span for the Atlantic will injure and possibly kill 138,500 dolphins and whales. more@savannanow 17:56
Defending the Lionfish while slamming Artificial Reefs
The spear-it-on-sight mandate and eradication tournaments targeting Gulf of Mexico lionfish are well-meaning sleights of hand. Now the hobgoblin of anyone who bottom-fishes, lionfish have been portrayed as a serious threat to the Gulf’s recreational and commercial fishing businesses because they eat the fry of red snapper, grouper and triggerfish. more@nwfdailynews 17:35
Regulators in New England cap river herring catch
The caps proposed Thursday by the New England Fishery Management Council during their meeting on Cape Cod target so-called mid-water trawlers, which catch herring by pulling a large net between them. The caps limit the trawlers to a total of 500,000 pounds of river herring in three areas off New England. [email protected] 17:15
Alaska Board of Fisheries focus will be on Pacific cod Oct.18-22
Thirty-six proposals related to Pacific cod will be up for consideration when the Alaska Board of Fisheries meets Oct. 18-22 in Anchorage. In addition to submitting written public comments, the board is inviting the public to offer oral testimony during the meeting, beginning Oct. 18. Any person intending to testify in person must sign up at the meeting site at the Anchorage Hilton by 2 p.m. on Oct. 18. The testimony will continue until everyone who has signed up and is present have had an opportunity to speak, the board said in an announcement issued in late September. more@cordobatimes Board of Fisheries website Agenda 13:08
Community Supported Fishery: Beaufort seafood business to sell shares in exchange for fresh fish – video
“There’s less infrastructure, (fewer) boats,” Craig Reaves says. “If something doesn’t change, there’s not going to be a fishing industry.” So he’s adopting a model small farmers have turned to to bolster business — community-supported sales. Reaves, who owns Sea Eagle Market in Beaufort, has spent decades connecting with fishermen across the state and serves on the board of the S.C. Seafood Alliance. He’s been searching for a way to help preserve fishing heritage and believes a community-supported fishery might be the answer. more@islandpacket 11:32
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update September 29, 2013
“The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance is dedicated to its mission of continuing to help create sustainable fisheries without putting licensed fishermen out of business.” Read the Update 11:08
Glider Palooza 2013 – Diving ocean gliders capture valuable data
“That boat is right where we want to be,” Rock said, glancing down at his GPS screen and pointing to where a big fish dragger, with long mantislike stabilizer arms spread wide, towed a net right through the area where the torpedo-shaped glider should be waiting for them. more@capecodonline 10:49
NH Public Hearing: October 16, 2013, Marine Aquaculture License Amendment – Proposed Shellfish Aquaculture Operation
The proposed amendment would be for an Aquaculture License held by Michael Chambers of the University of New Hampshire and would modify an existing Marine Aquaculture License (2013-12) by adding three shellfish species and six seaweed species to a license that currently allows for growth and sale of steelhead trout and blue mussel. [email protected] 09:58
Better Sitka fisheries aim of scientist’s work
SITKA, Alaska — Jamal Moss is one of the scores of scientists working on the most exhaustive studies to date on the fisheries of the Gulf of Alaska. Moss, a principal investigator for the ongoing 
Gulf of Alaska Integrated Ecosystems Research was in Sitka last week preparing for another study of Southeast fisheries. The multi-year project started with a pilot study in 2010 and focuses on the survival rates of black cod, Pacific cod, rockfish, pollock and the arrowtooth flounder. more@adn 09:35
Exploring aquaculture on Newfoundland’s south coast
Check out the videos above as CBC’s Mark Quinn takes a closer look at farming on the south coast of the island, and the ups and downs the industry is experiencing. more@cbcnews 09:22
North Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting September 30 – October 8
Agenda, (updated 9/27) September 30 – October 8, Anchorage Hilton. To listen live while the meeting is in session: npfmc.webex.com 08:43
The Will of Wanchese by Susan West
Wanchese, North Carolina, wears its heart on its sleeve. Located on the southern tip of Roanoke Island, where the Roanoke and the Croatan sounds spill into the Pamlico, the fishing port holds a fiery grip on the lashes binding it to the sea. “We might go down, but we’ll go down swinging,” says fish dealer Billy Carl Tillett, sitting in his office at Moon Tillett Fish Company in Wanchese. The office sits high above the harbor, like the osprey nests over the marsh on the outskirts of town. more@workingwaterfront 08:12
