Daily Archives: January 18, 2014

MSA – National Workshop Invitation in Seattle from Dr. Brian Rothschild, Center for Sustainable Fisheries President and CEO

viewer-call-to-action-e1381518852468Dear Friend,  On behalf of the Center for Sustainable Fisheries (CSF) and the National Fisherman I would like to invite you to a public workshop on reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) at the Renaissance Hotel in Seattle at 12:30 pm on Tuesday, February 11, 2014.  Our workshop is scheduled just after the Pacific Council meeting to be convenient for those attending the Council meeting. As you know, the MSA is up for reauthorization this year.  Several months ago there was a general feeling that the existing law would be changed very little.  This would constrain fisheries-management improvements that would arise from the new language. Read more here 22:22

A top NOAA fisheries scientist has proposed dramatic change in yellowtail flounder stock assessments

smastBrian RothschildNEW BEDFORD — A top NOAA fisheries scientist has proposed a dramatic change in the way the agency makes its stock assessments for yellowtail flounder. The proposal by Dr. William Karp, director of the Northeast Regional Science Center, embraces the view of Dr. Brian Rothschild, professor emeritus at UMass Dartmouth. It reduces the reliance on statistical models that have proven unreliable and inadequate, instead calling on NOAA to employ additional data and information that it previously wouldn’t consider. Read more@southcoasttoday  19:36

Defendants in F/V Lone Star Lawsuit Seek To Move Case to Federal Court in Anchorage

c-salvage_picIf the case goes to federal court, an eventual jury trial to fault and damages over the Lone Star would be in Anchorage, not Dillingham. Two of the defendants sued by Manokotak fishermen after the sunken tender Lone Star ruined their season are attempting to have the case moved out of 3rd Judicial District Court. KDLG’s Dave Bendinger has more here  16:12

Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers seized 2 tons of illegal Apalachicola oysters

Law enforcement officials seized 4,000 pounds of illegally harvested oysters earlier this week in Apalachicola and stopped the haul from heading to seafood markets. The oysters were harvested from bars closed until summer and are an example of the recent wave of abuse on a resource that state agencies, oystermen and the Gulf community have been scrambling to bring back to healthy levels. Read [email protected]  16:06

MSA – Federal fishery law changes leave fishing communities vulnerable – Darren Platt, Commercial Fisherman, Kodiak

scales_of_justice_2From the article – However, there are issues that both parties should be able to effectively address, despite ideological disparities. One of these is the re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the federal law dictating how U.S. fisheries are managed. Many within the fishing industry believe that the MSA needs to be overhauled and rewritten, as numerous intentions of the law have gone unrealized due to vagaries within the law itself. Most notable is a systematically neglected mandate within the act — the requirement that fishery managers “account for the importance of fishery resources to fishing communities.” Read more@alaskadispatch  15:35

MAN! That was fast! Maine closes six scallop grounds for season to protect resource – Video

HALLOWELL, Maine — Six areas along the Maine coast where scallops had been allowed to be caught on a limited basis were closed to harvesting, effective immediately, for the remainder of the season. The closure was announced Saturday by the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Commissioner Patrick Keliher has the authority to impose emergency closures for up to 90 days. Read more@bdn  13:48

Video: Refurbished rescue boat moved to new home in Provincetown

PROVINCETOWN — Around noon today a refurbished surfboat completed a long journey to a new home at a Cape Cod National Seashore lifesaving station at the Cape tip. Watch video and Read more@capecodonline 10:01

C-NLOPB investigating 6,000-litre spill, how it was measured

The province’s offshore regulator wants some clarification on how the Hibernia consortium measures the size of oil spills. The decision comes in the wake of a crude oil spill near the platform in December. On Jan. 3, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board issued an incident bulletin after being notified of a leak by the Hibernia Management Development Company (HMDC). Read more@cbcnews  09:19

Alaska’s congressional delegation has been churning out press releases to trumpet Alaska-bound funds in the trillion-dollar spending bill

Alaska’s congressional delegation had been pressing for $150 million in fish disaster funds. Among the other projects they’re highlighting in the spending bill: More than $100 million for construction of aviation buildings at Fort Wainwright and $82 million for a building at Fort Greely. The bill includes $10 million for the Denali Commission. Read more@alaskapublic  09:03

Halibut catches down 11% – Early start for fishery

FISH-With-Mic-Logo-GRAPHIC-303-x-400-e13601487575222014 Pacific Halibut Catch  Here’s the break down of who gets what. HALIBUT FISHERY BEGINS MARCH 8 – ENDS NOVEMBER 7, 2014   Read more here  02:33