Monthly Archives: November 2013
PEER says electronic monitoring progress still dry-docked – Fishing fleet compliance? or Public Employee Job Security!
“Cost effective electronic systems that meet both regulatory and scientific demands are nowhere near deployment,” said Jeff Ruch, executive director of PEER, a national non-profit alliance of local, state and federal scientists, and others dedicated to upholding environmental laws and values. “Grafting 21st century technology onto the decks of an 18th century industry is no simple task.” more@cordobatimes 16:06
Experimental Gear – Another try at video-counting the fish – Video
The black hull of owner Danny Eilertsen’s
F/V Justice emerged in the distance on Tuesday as a half dozen marine researchers from UMass Dartmouth waited on Union Wharf in Fairhaven. Eilertsen’s boat is playing host to the second round of testing of a radically different method of counting fish, a notoriously difficult thing to do, but the thing that everybody says they want and need. Among those climbing aboard was Dr. Kevin Stokesbury, more@sct
F/V Aspasia Skipper honored for role in Icy Strait rescue
John Hagen’s name did not make the news last June, when he intentionally beached his troller Aspasia in Icy Strait to rescue Tim Lane, who was drifting by in a waterlogged survival suit. The major news — sadly — was the loss of Lane’s crewman, 25-year-old Alan Young, whose body was never found despite an intensive land and sea search covering 450 square miles. Young had gone overboard from Lane’s boat, the Swift, sometime in the night [email protected] 15:07
Report: Overhaul the Maritime lobster industry
The panel had some strong suggestions for various players in the industry, including fishermen’s organizations, governments, processors and dealers, pointing to a debilitating distrust and blame game among the various sectors. more@chronicleherald 11:42
Lobster fishermen wary of Maritime panel report
Lobster fishermen say they’ll carefully examine the recommendations put forward by a three-province panel looking at the future of the industry. more@cbcnews 11:29
MSA Re-Auth Roadshow: Angela Sanfilippo — Magnuson reforms for a sustainable fishery
This is a portion of the testimony of Gloucester’s Angela Sanfilippo before members of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Oceans Atmosphere and Coast Guard on Monday at the State House in Boston. Flexibility. Stability. Responsibility. Accountability. Regulators must take responsibility for their actions and not blame the fishermen when a mismanaged regulation causes destruction of the stock and the ocean environment. more@GDT
Dorchester watermen confront Maryland DNR Secretary Gill
High increases in licensing fees, idle oyster bottom and voracious striped bass were among the issues that confronted Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Joseph Gill when he came here Tuesday to speak with the Dorchester County Council and local watermen.One waterman said he paid $3,200 this year to work on the water, and another said his fees totaled $2,800. more@cecildaily 11:02
‘When Crab was King’ opens Friday 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Pratt Museum Special Exhibits Gallery
“When Crab was King” opens with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Pratt Museum Special Exhibits Gallery. The exhibit combines the Kodiak Maritime Museum’s exhibit, “When Crab Was King: Faces of the Kodiak King Crab Fishery 1950-1982,” with stories of the commercial king crab fishery in Kachemak Bay more@homernews 10:49
Commercial fishermen fight striped bass bill
“Let’s make no mistake about it. This bill exterminates the commercial fishery by 2025,” said Darren Saletta, a Chatham resident and founder of the Massachusetts Commercial Striped Bass Association more@capecodonline 09:33
Webinar: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council SSC discussing the economics of red snapper allocation today
Socioeconomic Scientific and Statistical Committee Friday, November 8, 2013 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST Sign in here 09:00
Fishing industry: New SBA loan program available, but may not help
According to Scituate fishermen 
, while well intended, the loans probably won’t help the majority of those struggling in the fishing industry. Mirarchi said he doesn’t want to “dismiss the SBA program as worthless.” “It’s certainly welcome and in some cases it might help,” he said. “But unfortunately not for most.” more@wickedlocal 08:47:09
The politicians will brag that this is a success, while they claim to be pushing to help, but really, Mirarchi is being kind when saying well intended. This SBA loan program help’s very few, if any. Most of these guy’s are all in already. We need effective politicians that can deliver. Where are they?
NOAA: No giant floating island of tsunami debris
Federal officials say there is no island of debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami floating toward the United States. [email protected] 08:04
Fukushima: Arranging the Deck Chairs While Death Comes from Japan
Fukushima continues to leak, and leak at ever increasing rates and the latest prediction is that this contamination will continue until 2015, at the earliest. Until then, will the Pacific Ocean be poisoned beyond repair (if this has not happened already)? That little tidbit was from Global Research. I’m sure they are just trying to scare us, right? I mean how can a little radioactive water do any damage? more@opednews 07:55
MSA Re-Auth Roadshow: ENGO Perspective! Scallopers Haul Back a Short-Sighted Vision
Scallop industry lobbyist Drew Minkiewicz argued that the scallop industry was so well self-managed, so willing to reinvest its gold into critical research and development that the American taxpayer was apparently resisting paying for, so sea-turtle-friendly, so responsible, and so much—well—better than the federal government that the scallop fishery should just be turned over to the fleet to manage itself. (this from a lousy lawyer that defends the NMFS better than they can, then turns around and threatens to sue them!!) CONTINUOUSLY – Bad Petey. more@talkingfish 18:08
Bad Petey must’ve missed this testimony by Dr. Kevin Stokesbury, probably the most important of all, for if he had, he wouldn’t have published such a nasty little rant. What would compel someone as narrow minded as he, to mock a real attorney that isn’t on the ENGO dole? Something to think about anyway, and Stokesbury’s testimony will explain why. Link
Fallen stars: Wasting disease spreading along West Coast, including Humboldt County tide pools
Local starfish appear to be dying of a disease spreading along the West Coast that causes the invertebrates to lose their arms — and in the most advanced cases disintegrate. “It’s potentially important because sea stars are an important predator in the intertidal, and they consume mussels, and mussels are really good at occupying a lot of space and pushing other things out. The wasting disease was first noticed on the West Coast in June. more@advocatenews 16:01
Alaska’s 2013 Commercial Halibut Season Wrap Up – This is Fish Radio. I’m Stephanie Mangini.
At noon today long liners are retiring their halibut gear for the remainder of 2013. Early numbers show that there was over a million pounds left of the nearly 22 million pound harvest. That could leave quite a hefty sum of fish bucks floating in the water. listen@fishradio 15:51
The Last Fishermen of Long Island
Photographers Doug Kuntz, 57, and Tara Israel, 30, are both natives of Eastern Long Island. Although they grew up decades apart, both Kuntz and Israel were drawn to a similar subject: the small-scale commercial fishermen who search for seafood in the Long Island Sound, using essentially the same techniques their families have for centuries. As these fishing families dwindle in the face of environmental regulation and competition from big business, Kuntz and Israel share their memories from many mornings out at sea. [email protected] 15:29
Bristol Bay Red King Crab Fishery Has Successful Catch Up – All worries are history now
All worries are history now after a delayed start for the bulk of the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery, with a lot more crab caught in a shorter period of time than in other years. more@fishermensnews 14:57
Wonder if the Center for Biological Diversity will sue the Mahi Mahi?!!
Mahi Mahi was found to have better than a couple dozen baby sea turtles in it’s belly. 14:32
From the Deckboss: Salvage plans in works for sunken F/V Arctic Hunter
Here’s a situation report on the grounding of the F/V Arctic Hunter near Dutch Harbor. more@deckboss 14:05 Dutch Harbor Effort Continues to Remove Fuel From Grounded Crab Vessel link
MSA Re-Auth Roadshow: Northeast Seafood Coalition Policy Director Vito Giacalone Testifies
Giacalone testified about the immediate reality affecting small groundfish fishing businesses in the Northeast region. He said long-term policy improvements will not matter if there are no fishermen left when policies are implemented. “We are in the midst of a crisis that needs immediate attention,” Giacalone said emphatically. more@NESC Written testimony here 13:46
Scientists unable to completely explain the mystery of the missing blue crabs
A year and a half ago, there seemed to be no shortage of good news about blue crabs. The annual winter dredge survey estimated 764 million blue crabs were in the Bay, the most in 19 years and a huge jump from the previous year. The governors of Maryland and Virginia issued a joint news release talking about the “extraordinary explosion in juvenile blue crab abundance.” [email protected] 13:19
Lobster levy for marketing fund recommended – one cent per pound!
The money would fund a new lobster market intelligence institute and develop a comprehensive marketing campaign, in a partnership with government. more@cbcnews 12:56
Commercial fishing is a strong thread in the social fabric, – Understanding Values in Canada’s North Pacific
Commercial fishing is a strong thread in the social fabric that has held BC’s coastal communities together for generations. The industry’s impact is typically boiled down to dollars and cents, leaving the wider societal impacts poorly documented and largely underrepresented in fisheries policy and marine planning. Yet these values are no less important to the people who make their livings on the sea. more@ecotrustca 12:26
Maine Lobster Industry Transitions As Lobster Harvesting Continues to Surge
Mark Murrell of GetMaineLobster.com discusses the Maine lobster industry and improvements he and others in his line of work believe should be made to processing facilities and marketing campaigns in the state. [email protected] 11:48
Federal Register – SBA: Massachusetts Disaster #MA-00056 Declaration of Economic Injury
This is a notice of an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) declaration for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, dated 11/01/2013. Incident: Commercial Fishery Failure. Incident Period: 05/01/2013 through 04/30/2014. Effective Date: 11/01/2013. EIDL Loan Application Deadline Date: 08/01/2014.
The following areas have been determined to be adversely affected by the disaster:Show citation box Primary Counties: Essex, Plymouth. Contiguous Counties: Massachusetts: Barnstable, Bristol, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk. New Hampshire: Hillsborough, Rockingham. more@federalregister 10:58
New queen conch harvest limits in effect off St. Croix
The new commercial trip limit is 200 queen conch per vessel per day, according to the Southeast Regional Office of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service. more@virginislandsdailynews 10:34
Just Now! The Midnight Sun steams into Gloucester past Cape Pond Ice the coolest place in town.
09:50
Boat of the Week from the Athearn Agency: 45′ Dixon Tuna/Longliner – LOADED!
Specification information here 09:36
N.J. Fishermen, Pallone have a Beef with NOAA – Yeah? Well, Peter Baker says…….
New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) yesterday expressing his concern over preliminary estimates of summer flounder catch made during the 2013 summer. more@njnewsroom 07:34
