Monthly Archives: November 2013
Virginia’s oyster harvest hit 406,000 bushels for the 2012-2013 season – biggest in 26 years
Virginia’s oyster harvest hit 406,000 bushels for the 2012-2013 season, outpacing the previous year by nearly 60 percent and marking the largest harvest since 1987, officials say. The previous year’s oyster harvest in Virginia was 257,000 bushels — 124,000 bushels from public oyster grounds and 133,000 bushels from aquaculture operations. [email protected] 21:25
New foundation looks to rewrite federal fisheries act with help from Montauk fishermen
Commercial fishermen in Montauk got a chance to meet with a new group of advocates for fisheries reform at Inlet Seafood last Friday afternoon. The Center for Sustainable Fisheries, based in New Bedford, Mass., is planning to do nothing short of rewriting the 1976 federal Magnuson-Stevens Act, which they believe stifles fishermen while doing little to protect the health of fisheries. more@eastendbeacon 20:59
BP Oil spill claims process still stalled
Due to procedural complications of the BP civil claims process, money that was dedicated to certain kinds of claims is sitting idle. The Seafood Compensation Program was created to dedicate money to the claims of those who commercially harvest seafood on the coast, specifically for the owners of fishing vessels, fishermen and members of a boat’s crew. more@dailycomet
Electronic Monitoring Systems Need to be Fishermen Tested and Fishermen Approved – This is Fish Radio. I’m Stephanie Mangini
It’s the fishermen who will shape Alaska’s electronic monitoring program. Fish Radio has talked about the need for volunteer boats to test out new electronic monitoring systems. But what does the new onboard technology actually involve for fishermen? listen@fishradio 19:49
Dr. Louis Daniel, Director of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries new chairman of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
A 1995 graduate of the Ph.D. program in William & Mary’s School of Marine Science at VIMS, Daniel has served as an ASMFC Commissioner since 2007. Established in 1942, the Commission is a deliberative body of the Atlantic coastal states, coordinating the conservation and management of 25 near-shore fish species from Florida to Maine. Daniel replaces Paul J. Diodati of Massachusetts. more@vims,edu 15:33
Carillion Canada to Pay $250,000 for Federal Fisheries Act Violations
Following a full investigation by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, chargeswere laid against Carillion Canada Inc., and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. The charges followed the repeated deposits of sediment into the Magnetawan River watershed due to insufficient sediment and erosion control measures. more@DFO 14:43
Brussels-based (CETA) memo contradicts Canadian statements – says N.L. fish will help European processors
“I have to talk to both Canadian and European trade people (about this),” Simms told The Fisheries Broadcast, adding that his next question is, “To what extent do processors in the European Union want the raw material from the Newfoundland and Labrador coast to feed their plants?” THEY WANT IT ALL!! more@cbcnews 14:31
The discussion on CETA and the $400 million fisheries fund is hitting on a recurring question: is there enough information out there about the proposed plans? We’ll look at how the debate is shaping up politically, from the viewpoint of three very different participants. Listen, thefisherybroadcast
Fisheries Minister Gail Shea supports lobster report – Maritime Lobster Panel made 33 recommendations to improve industry
Among the report’s 33 recommendations included a levy on every pound of lobster landed so that money could be used to market the product. Another suggestion was that lobster prices be set before fishermen head out for the season. Shea has some of her own recommendations for the lobster industry as well. more@cbcnews 14:16
Our Voice: Thumbs up to Hastings and Cantwell – Close the buffet – “Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act,”
To the House Committee on Natural Resources for approving the “Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act,” which would protect endangered Columbia River salmon from California and Steller Sea Lions. [email protected] 14:06Center for Sustainable Fisheries President Dr. Brian Rothschild to recieve Highliners Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pacific Marine Expo
Chief Operating Officer Kate Kramer said, “He is receiving the Highliners Lifetime Achievement Award, which is typically given to those on the front lines of the fishing industry to recognize the work they’ve done,” The fledgling Center for Sustainable Fisheries introduced itself to fishermen in Mauntauk, N.Y. on Friday as its president headed west. Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association in Montauk, arranged the session and about 15 fishermen attended. more@southcoasttoday 13:35
The Gulf Seafood Institute Position Paper Details it’s Platform for MSA Reauthorization
The Gulf Seafood Institute (GSI) has authorized a position paper detailing the organizations platform on the upcoming reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). The position paper has been presented to the House Resources and Senate Commerce Committees during recent meetings on Capitol Hill. [email protected] 13:05
A year ago today – F/V Twin Lights sank taking Captain Jean Frottier – CG report due
PROVINCETOWN — A year ago today, the Twin Lights scallop boat sank 2 miles north of Race Point Light. Capt. Jean Frottier of Wellfleet, attempting to free fishing equipment reportedly entangled in another fisherman’s lobster traps, went down with his boat. In the coming weeks, the Coast Guard expects to release a report of its investigation, Frottier left behind his wife, Laurie, two daughters and a son. more@capecodtimes 07:55 Donate to the Frottier Family Fund
Using more scallop parts could create new industry
Point Judith scallop captain Michael Marchetti had a conversation with Peg Parker, the executive director of the Rhode Island-based Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation. They talked about scallop guts, or viscera, Fishtown Local: Feds’ cruelest joke of all – It’s not so economical comical now that “real job’s” are at stake, eh?
Can I believe what I’m reading? (Yes, you can) Is this some kind of colossal joke? (No, it’s not!) It seems more like a story from The Onion, which specializes in sick humor on the national level. But yes, it’s true. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat from Maryland has had a running battle with NOAA for years, accusing it of operating without congressional oversight and incorporating a flawed decision-making process, particularly in the Chesapeake Bay region. (Well, it’s much more than that, Gordon.) more@GDT 00:11
Quinlan Brothers Limited get’s $100,000 to determine if it is economically viable to extract Omega 3-enriched oil from shrimp waste
Preliminary research by the Bay de Verde-based seafood processor has shown that oil can be derived from shell waste that is highly valued as a premium nutritional supplement. more@thepilot 23:23
Bluefin tuna quota demand slammed by environmentalists
Susanna Fuller of the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax said Canada would set a dangerous precedent if it asks members of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas to allow fishermen to catch more of the lucrative, but vulnerable fish. more@cbcnews 17:58
Named after a true Hero, Coast Guard Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter Charles David Jr. to be homeported in Key West
The Charles David Jr., is the first Sentinel Class Fast Response Cutter to be homeported in Key West.Charles Walter David, Jr was a Coast Guardsman who was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his actions Feb. 3, 1943. more@uscgnews Charles Walter David, Jr: African-American Hero in a Segregated Service link 16:28
Marine Sanctuary’s. The Focus is Eliminating Fishing, but only for Humans!
The team gathered information from two data sets — satellite and geolocation animal tracking data, and a database of 24 conditions caused by humans that put stress on those species, compiled by Benjamin Halpern at UC Santa Barbara. Researchers used this data to determine which of the 24 stressors would impact the marine predators the most, and where, Maxwell said. Man-made issues like fishing, pollution and climate change affect each of the bay’s top marine predators differently. The authors hope this data will push marine sanctuaries toward better legislative power, as most sanctuaries don’t have the political clout to enforce as many sustainable practices as they would like, Maxwell said. more@montereyherald 15:38
PNA tuna MSC Certified product hits European market – I wonder how.
The Pacifical tuna is skipjack tuna caught from wild schools (rather than using Fish Aggregating Devices or FADs) and carries the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabel. more@solomanstarnews Read TUNA SHOWDOWN. Is this conflicting information? 13:47
WDFW Regional Director Guy Norman gets an earful
WDFW Regional Director Guy Norman visited the county board of commissioners to discuss land acquisition and other issues and heard lots of input, with harshest criticism directed at the highest levels of the department. The major item of friction was a proposal that came to light last summer in which the department would purchase hundreds of acres in the Skamokawa basin and turn them into wetlands. [email protected] 13:16
Crab fishermen have negotiated a $3 per pound for wholesale crab to start West Coast Dungeness Season
The kickoff at 12:01 a.m. Friday morning occurred amid choppy waves and windy weather, making it the first of many safety dilemmas to come for fishermen. The usual risks inherent in crab fishing are compounded this year by a lack of information. A weather buoy 20 miles out of Pillar Point Harbor has been malfunctioning for months, leaving boaters reliant on weather data drawn from up near San Francisco. more@hmbreview 13:08
UNH professor’s latest book The Mortal Sea: Fishing the Atlantic in the Age of Sail,” wins praise
It is largely a sad story of a cornerstone American industry that has been in peril for more than 150 years, long before the advent of factory trawlers. It is a story about the long impact of humans on their environment and the dire consequences attributable to the idea that the sea and its abundance were immortal and everlasting. Between the 1850s and 1870s awareness of the problem built, and states started forming fish commissions. Over the first 75 years, it was fishermen saying something needed to be done and scientists saying there was no problem and the men should keep fishing. more@unionleader 12:45
Changes coming to Maritime Lobster Fishery
Two reports recommend the establishment of a shore price before the lobster season starts. more@troymedia 12:14
South Africa: Nation Hosts International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).Convention of Tunas Meeting
is a Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) that is responsible for the management of tuna and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. South Africa will be represented by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, as well as a variety of stakeholders including tuna small scale fishers, in the meeting that will run from Monday to 25 November. [email protected] 11:59
Joshua James – Great rescuer helped harness sea
It was 125 years ago this month that the shoreline of Hull became the scene of one of the most remarkable maritime rescues in history. Sadly, the story of that rescue is now largely unknown, even among the local population and today’s maritime professionals. James, widely and justifiably considered the greatest lifesaver of all time, had as a child witnessed the drowning deaths of his mother and sister (at “The Gut” separating Hull from Peddocks Island), and subsequently embarked on an incomparable career that began when he made his first rescue at the age of 15. more@bostonherald 10:56
SMAST Findings from “choke species” yellowtail survey bode well for scallopers – Video
Dr. Kevin Stokesbury of the UMass School for Marine Science and Technology said that the eight trawls counted so far from the trip indicate plentiful yellowtail on Georges Bank, which is something that scallopers have contended for years. Stokesbury said that NOAA fisheries estimates were that each of his trawls would yield five to 10 yellowtails. In fact, the SMAST team counted many times that amount, over 300 in one instance. more@southcoasttoday 10:13
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update NOVEMBER 17, 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 Udate 09:20
Coast Guard rescues 5 from sinking F/V Longshot 120 miles south of Mobile
The captain of the Longshot reported water had flooded the lazarette, which caused the stern of the vessel to start taking water over the stern. Aircrews delivered two dewatering pumps; however, the Longshot crewmembers were not able to pump water out of the lazarette faster than the in-flow of water. more@uscgnews video 20:07
Shea extols trade agreement with EU at P.E.I. oyster conference
WOODSTOCK – Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea told an oyster conference Friday that Canada has some of the most rigorous standards in the world to ensure that its aquaculture industry is safe, healthy and sustainable. more@theguardian 14:26
