Daily Archives: December 10, 2013
High school students investigate viability of a flounder fishery in Maine
CASTINE, Maine — Forty-five students from seven of Maine’s coastal high schools have been tasked with solving a unique challenge: What do fishermen need to do to make winter flounder a viable fishery in Maine? The students, some of whom are already fishermen and others who plan to be, more@bdn 18:57
Nat Geo Shill’s for Cape Wind. They don’t mention the impact on fisheries. They foolishly believe it’s an aesthetics issue!
By now, 130 turbines were supposed to be turning above the shallow area of Nantucket Sound known as Horseshoe Shoal. But nothing is there to capture the power of December’s winds, except perhaps for the wings of the long-tailed ducks that winter around Cape Cod. On this side of the Atlantic, Cape Wind’s most vocal opponents included the late Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy and his nephew, environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. From the opposite side of the political spectrum, billionaire businessman and Cape Cod denizen and yachtsman William Koch continues the battle, more@natgeowindshill 18:15
Just pawns in the province’s game – It’s an interesting window into an unsettled future for the Newfoundland fishery.
Late last week, the provincial government released a series of documents on the province’s involvement in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union. Premier Kathy Dunderdale had promised to table the documents, which show primarily that the province played the role of dog-in-the-manger to wring federal concessions in exchange for agreeing to drop minimum processing regulations (MPRs) for fish going to the EU. What’s interesting is the change in the provincial government’s view of the impact of the removal of MPRs. After they were dropped, Premier Dunderdale went as far as to say not a single job would be lost as a result of the deal. Later, she tempered that by saying only a limited number of jobs would be lost. more@stjohnstelegram 16:28
Catch shares for halibut charters set to begin in Southeast, Central GOA – NOAA to implement halibut catch sharing plan in 2014
NOAA Fisheries is implementing a halibut catch sharing plan for the commercial and charter halibut fisheries in Southeast Alaska (Area 2C) and the Central Gulf of Alaska (Area 3A). Prior to the catch sharing plan, the charter sector was managed under a guideline harvest level—a management program that was not optimal in preventing fishing overages when harvest of halibut by recreational anglers on charter vessels increased in areas 2C and 3A beginning in the late 1990s. more@fishradio 15:40
Sportsmen: Killing Kenai kings with kindness? Paper argues catch-and-release a death sentence for many fish.
A new theory has emerged to explain why the world’s largest king salmon are disappearing from Alaska’s Kenai River: Catch-and-release anglers are massacring them with kindness. In a 19-page document that mirrors the format of a scientific paper, Roland Maw, who holds a doctorate in forestry and wildlife management from the University of Alberta in Canada but has for years been involved in commercial salmon research in Alaska, contends that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has seriously underestimated the number of Kenai kings that die as a result of being caught and released. more@alaskadispatch 15:32
Nils E. Stolpe: Flotsam and Jetsam FishNet-USA/December 8, 2013
More astroturf “activism” in herring management – And on the subject of who’s doing and who’s not doing real research to better determine the status of our managed stocks – Sustainability certification – Sleeping with the enemy? – Fishosophy Read about these issues here 12:24
The California Department of Water Resources reveals its $25b Delta plan — but questions remain
A new future for the troubled Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta was laid out for public review Monday in 34,000 pages of analysis associated with two giant water diversion tunnels proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown. The question now for the public and policy makers: Is this the future they want? The California Department of Water Resources released the draft documents as part of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, a proposed $25 billion project to resolve decades of conflict between water demand and wildlife habitat in the estuary at the heart of the state. more@fresnobee 12:00
Some Bristol Bay fishermen sued Monday over the sinking last June and subsequent salvage of the Lone Star
The lawsuit claims the plaintiffs suffered loss of past and future income from commercial fishing, subsistence foods, subsistence and cultural activities and past and future damage to property. Named as defendants are the ship’s owner, Charles Burrece; its crew; Seattle-based Trident Seafoods Corp.; Magone Marine Service Inc., which was involved in the salvage; its president, Daniel Magone; and Resolve Marine Group Inc., which bought Magone’s company. more@juneauempire 11:32
Boat of the Week from the Athearn Agency: 50′ Fiberglass Day Scalloper, 425 Cat, Vessel is in excellent condition throughout.
Specification’s and information here 11:07
Mass. and R.I. Work Together for Mutual Benefit? Who’s benefit?
When, in 2009, Massachusetts and Rhode Island coastal zone managers first mulled over the idea of creating an area of mutual interest, they knew uncharted territory lay ahead. The term “area of mutual interest” — or AMI, traditionally refers to a location designated for partners, under contract, to use for extraction of gas and oil. In this case, the AMI refers to an area designated for the two states to explore as part of the nation’s effort to assess its potential for tapping offshore renewable energy resources. more@ecori (click on the chart at the article) 09:27
Shell Canada proposing major offshore N.S. exploration of 7 oil wells beginning in 2015
Environmentalists worry about the risk of a disaster that could threaten marine life such as whales, swordfish and tuna. “The probability is low, but as we saw in the Gulf of Mexico, the impacts can be enormous,” said Mark Butler of the Ecology Action Centre. He referred to BP’s 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion that killed 11 workers on the rig and caused massive damage. more@cbc 07:02
Keep ‘catch shares’ out of Gulf of Alaska fisheries
Catch shares, also known as rationalization, transfers fishery access rights away from the general public and into the hands of current stakeholders by dividing up the annual catch into shares, called quota, and granting lifetime rights to quota owners. Shares can be bought, sold and leased on a largely unregulated market and typically result in massive consolidation of ownership and a transfer of fishing rights away from active fishermen, who cannot compete with the larger investment community in the market for these capital assets. more@alaskadispatch 05:51
