Monthly Archives: October 2013
N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission: Fisheries advisors sought
N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is looking for commercial and recreational fishermen and scientists for advice on various fisheries topics. Two regional advisory committees — northern and southern — and three standing advisory committees — Finfish, Habitat and Water Quality, and Shellfish-Crustacean — review referred matters from the commission and recommend management strategies. more@jdnews 17:05
Funding for seal marketing draws acclaim, criticism
Animal rights groups said the amount of money being invested constitutes a drop in the bucket when it comes to international marketing. Rebecca Aldworth, with the Humane Society of the United States, told The Fisheries Broadcast that the funding is “yet another futile subsidy to a dying industry.” more@cbcnews 13:24
‘Locally caught?’ It depends – Plenty of Chef no knowledge in this one! Good recipe’s, though!
What’s critical, says Johnson, is supporting local fisheries, whether here, in Oregon, Massachusetts or New Orleans, rather than a 90-foot boat that unloads in California after 30 or 40 days at sea. Wha??? What was the catch method? Best methods are hook and line, rod and reel, and troll (not trawl) caught fish. sheeesh! more@sfgate 12:54
Fishing technique known as trawling can sometimes be productive
High-intensity raking of the seabed, called trawling, is a very effective fishing method that can inflict significant collateral damage on sea life. However, it can sometimes help fish populations to grow, scientists have found. more@sitnews 11:54
F/V FIERCE ALLEGIANCE gets $4M Major Vessel Overhaul at Pacific Fishermen Shipyard
In the fall of 2012, the FIERCE ALLEGIANCE pulled in to Seattle for a major overhaul after her 10 years in the Gulf of Mexico oil field service and 26 years in the Bering Sea as a combination Crabber/RSW Trawler. Pacific Fishermen added an 18” steel I-beam as a full length keel for added directional stability while towing larger nets. [email protected] 11:38
Gloucester F/V Terra Nova Sinks, Two Men Retrieved, then Tragedy
BOSTON − Coast Guard crews rescued two male crew members after a commercial fishing vessel that was taking on water sank three miles east of Cape Ann, Mass., at approximately 10:30 p.m., Friday. The crew reported six feet of water in the forward cabin of the vessel and the onboard pumps were not able to keep up with the flooding. The crew anchored the vessel, donned immersion suits and abandoned ship. photo goodmorninggloucester more@uscgnews 08:22
With Sadness and Regret. It has been noted that Fisherman David Oakes of South Thomaston Maine has passed. Link
The Alaska Fisheries Report
Coming up this week, federal workers are back to work, which means crab fishermen are, too. The government shutdown may impair research on an emerging fishery, and five well-prepared fishermen are safe after their boat burns in the Aleutian Islands. All that, plus, more@kmxt 08:09
Canadian Coast Guard saves lives every day-
There was a full house at the latest luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club of St. John’s, to hear from John Butler, assistant commissioner with the Canadian Coast Guard. “On an average day, we save 15 lives, we assist 52 people in 27 search and rescue cases across this country,” he told the gathering. He cautioned against complacency by individuals and companies, particularly in the harsh environment of the North Atlantic. “If you think you’ve got it licked, you better think again,” he said. “You have to be prepared. You have to know what you’re doing.” more@thetelegram 14:04
Earle McCurdy, president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers: CETA good for fishery. Is it?
McCurdy says minimum processing requirements will be phased out as a result of CETA. These are rules that require some species of fish caught here be processed before export. Processors who want to ship seafood out of province unprocessed will be able to apply for an exemption, according to McCurdy, something he’s not worried about. more@thepacketca 13:32
Details remain elusive on massive EU deal as Ottawa keeps most material under wraps – The deal has obvious benefits with a trading partner with which we have deep historic ties and mutual interests. It also lessens our dependency on the United States, and based on that country’s recent flirtations with economic disasters, it’s a good thing we are broadening our trading partnerships. link
Russians planning major Caribbean oil study
The Russian government last month publicly expressed an interest in Caribbean oil and natural gas exploration, including off the coasts of nations near South Florida. more@keysnet 12:54
Daniel N. Russell says ASMI “sustainable fishing” is not the only issue for certification of seafood.
The problem is that “sustainable fishing” is not the only issue for certification of seafood. Steven Mufson reported (Oct. 3, Washington Post) that six single-shell tanks and a double-shell tank are leaking highly radioactive isotopes and horribly toxic chemicals from Hanford, Wash., nuclear waste dump into groundwater (which goes into our Pacific Ocean). [email protected] 11:26
Four Fort Bragg drag net fishermen, along with the Environmental Defense Fund, hope to create a “fair trade” fish!
Four Fort Bragg drag net fishermen, along with the Environmental Defense Fund, hope to create a “fair trade” fish, which would inform consumers about where, when, how and even who caught their fish. “In recent years the government has been ramping up spending of taxpayer dollars on “catch share’ programs. These programs divide up our nation’s fishery resources for exclusive use by the biggest and fastest fishing operations and then allow corporations and banks to buy and sell these “shares’ for profit,” said Zach Corrigan of Food & Water Watch, as part of extensive public criticism when the program went into effect two years ago. [email protected] 10:57
Dolphin deaths spreading to SC
4 Poachers charged for harvesting undersized oysters from Patuxent River sanctuary
Two Rock Hall watermen were charged last week with harvesting 26 bushels of oysters, of which many were undersized, from a Patuxent River sanctuary. Benjamin Leonard Reihl, 26, and Adam Vincent Reihl, 21, received citations for having a harvest containing 15 percent undersized oysters and for taking oysters from a closed area. Richard Brent Buff, 39, of Port Republic and Patrick Joseph Mahoney Jr., 33, of Annapolis are scheduled to appear more@somdnews 09:31
Marine rescue community speculates squid fishermen of Sea Lion shootings. Kinda like fishermen were targeted for Dolphin deaths on the East Coast!
Wildlife rescuers say four sea lions that washed ashore in Malibu earlier this month died of gunshot wounds. It is unknown how the sea lions were shot. There is speculation among the marine rescue community that fisherman hunting for squid off shore are responsible. However, these claims have yet to be proven, according to a marine fisheries law enforcement official. more@myfoxla 09:15
Cortez fishing community keeps fingers crossed after judge’s ruling against gill net ban
CORTEZ — Karen Bell doesn’t throw anything away in her office at A.P. Bell Fish Co., the hulking gray landmark on the southwest corner of the historic fishing village. She has old mending needles and compasses and sounding equipment used by generations of commercial fishermen. [email protected] 07:20
After city protest over seismic surveys ministry says: Fishermen awarded $77.3m in four years
Fishermen in T&T received over $77.3 million in payments as compensation for seismic activity from five oil companies between 2010 and 2013, the Ministry of Energy reported yesterday. The ministry released the information hours after dozens of fishermen from across Trinidad staged a demonstration in downtown Port-of-Spain yesterday to vent their anger at the impact that seismic surveys have had on fish stock. more@guardianco 07:11
Commercial King Mackerel Season to Re-open for Two Days November 1
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the commercial season for king mackerel in Louisiana waters, previously closed on September 20, will re-open at 12:01 a.m., on November 1 until 12:01 a.m., on November 3 at which time the season will close and remain closed through June 30, 2014. [email protected] 20:38
Where are they now! The Crest, a 133-foot, steel-hulled fishing vessel
Coast Guard pollution response crews from Sector Puget Sound, in Seattle, continue to oversee the mitigation of potential pollution from a presumed abandoned fishing vessel near the Ballard Locks in Seattle, Thursday. The Coast Guard has contracted Global Diving and Salvage to address more than 12 feet of oily water found in the engine room of the Crest, a 133-foot, steel-hulled fishing vessel. A call to Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment Astoria, Ore confirms her to be built around 1933, and I believe her to be the Crest from Portland/Rockland Me. more@uscgnews A little history about these boats 20:02
Evaluating Effectiveness of Fish Stock Rebuilding Plans In the United States by Brian J. Rothschild and Kate Kramer
Recently the National Research Council (“NRC”) published a report of a study about the effectiveness of fish stock rebuilding plans in the United States. A basic thrust of the report is that fishery management plans are administrated in a prescriptive and formulaic manner without regard to the scientific “facts.” The report suggests that a more flexible approach would result in more efficient management. The problems with the prescriptive and formulaic approach are exemplified in the reports discussion of the ten-year rebuilding mandate. It is clear that the drafters of the report are thinking of a scientific approach that is alternate to the current approach. We ask, does the approach advocated by the NRC of the National Academy of Science become the best science available? more@centerforsustainablefisheries
Commercial salmon fishing with purse seines and beach seines are coming to the lower Columbia River in the fall of 2014.
Washington and Oregon plan to allow a limited number of seines in 2014, 2015 and 2016, transitioning to the phase-out of gillnets from the main stem Columbia in 2017. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife started the official process leading to commercial seining last week when it convened a meeting of an Emerging Fishery Advisory Board. more@thecolumbian 14:38
Crushing Pebble: The Pebble copper and gold prospect is drawing fresh heat
Its biggest investor is gone and its staff and contractors have been cut to the bone, but the Pebble copper and gold prospect is drawing fresh heat from a newly formed organization made up of old adversaries of the mine project. The new group is Bristol Bay United, formed by leaders of the Bristol Bay Native Corp., the sportfishing advocacy group Trout Unlimited, and a commercial fishing group called the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association. more@adn14:10
Cantwell sees jobs, progress at Dakota Creek Industries – Building $36 million F/V Blue North
ANACORTES — U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell visited Thursday afternoon for a tour of boat manufacturer Dakota Creek Industries and to watch construction on a vessel that could change the fishing industry. [email protected] 13:53
From GDT: Editorial: Feds who sparked fishing crisis should accelerate solutions + Poached Lobster!
But it’s a little hard to figure how a 16-day “shutdown” would push back the distribution of Saltonstall-Kennedy Act dollars to fishermen and local businesses by more than a month from the original target date, as NOAA officials are now saying. more@gdt and, Two West Roxbury men caught stowing short lobsters gathered on a scuba dive off Rockport’s Old Garden Beach in September faced the charges in Gloucester District Court Tuesday. more here 13:13
Ex-lawmakers join fight to keep Drakes Bay Oyster Company open
William Bagley, a former Marin County assemblyman, and Pete McCloskey, a former Bay Area congressman, filed a 26-page brief this week supporting Drakes Bay Oyster Company’s bid for a rehearing by the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which rejected the company’s case in September. more@petaluma360
A Slash in Quota Pushes US Scallop Prices to a Record High
The price of US scallops are already at a record high level and look set to increase further in the coming months. Since the beginning of the year, prices have soared by a sharp 20%. more@spendmatters 11:29
Seafood industry, trade minister bullish on CETA fallout
The recently signed free trade deal between Canada and the European Union should boost seafood exports and create more jobs in fishing communities, according to Trade Minister Ed Fast. more@cbcnews 10:02
New fishing advocacy group, the Center for Sustainable Fisheries, has ambitious agenda
New Bedford – The first board meeting of the fledgling advocacy group calling itself the Center for Sustainable Fisheries on Wednesday elected former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank as chairman and retired UMass marine scientist Dr. Brian Rothschild as its president and CEO. Former Mayor Scott Lang, who has been steering the organization, said that with both of those men retiring, it was the “perfect opportunity” to bring them into a group that wants a “rational plan” for fisheries management. The group, which hopes to have national reach, has raised $105,000 in three weeks, Lang said. But as it sets out to be a counterweight to environmental groups that have millions of dollars of foundation money at their disposal, fund-raising will be a major issue for the new center. more@sothcoasttoday 04:06
The Eastern Population Segment of Steller Sea Lions Will be Removed from the Endangered List
The eastern population segment includes Steller sea lions from Cape Suckling south to the Channel Islands in California. As part of the delisting NOAA has created a post-delisting plan that will be place for the next 10-years. NOAA confirms that the delisting of the eastern Steller sea lion population will take effect 30-days after the final rule is published in the Federal Register. more@kdlg 22:40
