Monthly Archives: January 2014
No green light for Cape Wind – Cape offshore wind energy foes suffer setback
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday denied a petition by wind-farm opponents appealing the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of the proposed Nantucket Sound project. “The Alliance to Protect Nantucket, the town of Barnstable and their financial backer — coal billionaire Bill Koch — have failed yet again in their continuing campaign to use the courts to delay the financing of Cape Wind,” company spokeswoman Mark Rodgers wrote in a statement about the decision. Read more@capecodonline 08:56
American Samoa: Longliner Owners positive of meeting with governor
After meeting with members of the Tautai Fishing Association yesterday Governor Lolo Moliga has asked for two weeks to review all of the issues raised by the longliner owners. The meeting was in response to requests from the association to the govenror for assistance in helping them survive. Read [email protected] 08:45
Starkist CEO hits back at Bumble Bee ‘buy American’ comments
Frank Pogue, vice president of marketing and corporate affairs for Starkist, hit back at comments from Bumble Bee Foods CEO, Chris Lischewski, over rules on who can supply US government food contracts. Starkist — which defended its “Made in America” claim to Undercurrent News last year — and Tri Marine International are clashing with Bumble Bee Foods and Chicken of the Sea over the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) strict “buy American” standards for where tuna is cleaned, canned and shipped, reported the The Hill, on Jan. 8. Read more@undercurrent 07:59
Maine Blood Wormers: We’re not to Blame for Clam Flat Devastation
Invasive green crabs have decimated the livelihoods of Maine clammers in recent years. And now green crabs are coming to lawmakers’ attention. Today the Marine Resources Committee heard public testimony on a bill that aims to restore ravaged clam flats by allowing towns to prohibit both clam and marine worm harvesting. But worm diggers say the bill unfairly targets their industry for a problem they have nothing to do with. Patty Wight reports. Listen @mpbn 19:22
Slumping Maritime lobster prices focus of March meeting – Summit in Halifax in March will focus on Maritime Lobster Panel recommendations
Fisheries ministers in the Maritimes will host a summit in March to discuss ways to restore prices in lobster markets. The lobster value recovery summit will be held in Halifax March 26 – 27. The summit will focus on the recommendations from the Maritime Lobster Panel report, which was presented to the three ministers in November. Read more@cbcnews 18:52
Sens. Murkowski & Begich differ on EPA and Bristol Bay
This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Alaska’s US Senators don’t see eye to eye on the EPA at Bristol Bay. Their views can be heard here 18:36
In depth: Fins Up for Oregon’s Albacore Tuna Season – Trollers land second highest to-the-boat value in past decade
It was almost the worst of times. It was almost the best of times. After another lackluster opening that spawned worries among commercial fishermen, the Oregon albacore tuna fishery went on a wild late season run to bring in 10,104,702 pounds of tuna that fetched to-the-boat revenue of $15,916,410. Those numbers easily bested the 10-year averages of 9.8 million pounds and $11.9 million. Read more@fishermensnews 17:42
Walmart Agrees to Work With ASMI on Sustainability Particulars
The nation’s largest retailer has reaffirmed its commitment to buy Alaska seafood, and will work with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute on sustainability issues to meet needed criteria. Sustainability of the state’s seafood is mandated by the state’s constitution. Read more@fishermensnews 17:28
Taking the Helm of an American Tradition
Southern New England Fishery News did an interview with Kip Files, the Captain appointed by Mystic Seaport to be Master of the Charles W Morgan’s 38th voyage slated for May, 2014. Read the interview at SNEFN on page 25 of the December issue. Click here, scroll down 16:05
Mississippi Commision on Marine Resources keeps oyster season open
BILOXI — The Commission on Marine Resources, against the recommendation of its Shellfish Bureau, voted 3-0 Tuesday to keep oyster dredging season open for 30 days more. Richard Gollott, a CMR commissioner who’s also vice president of the shrimp-packing firm Golden Gulf Coast Packing Co., pushed for the longer season during a presentation on the oyster reefs by the DMR’s Fisheries Division. Read [email protected] 13:10
Martin Fish Co. asking county leaders to dredge West Ocean City harbor
A persistent sandbar at the entrance to the West Ocean City commercial fishing harbor is causing problems for incoming fishing boats, meaning additional dredging may be needed to improve maritime traffic. John Martin, of Martin Fish Co., said the sandbar between buoys 11 and 12 has been keeping 80-foot fishing trawlers from getting into the harbor with their daily catch. The boats only can get in when it’s high tide, and even then, Martin said, they’re scraping the bottom. That’s because the harbor is 10 feet deep, and his boats have a 12-foot draft. Read more@delmarvanow 12:46
A commercial fishermen’s group Plans Ads Thanking Begich for Pebble Stance
A commercial fishermen’s group is running TV ads thanking Sen. Mark Begich for his opposition to the proposed Pebble Mine. Bob Waldrop is executive director of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association. He says ads will begin running Wednesday. Read [email protected] 12:10
John Price, owner of J.P.’s Shellfish, pleads guilty to federal cash transaction charges
The owner of an Eliot seafood company pleaded guilty Tuesday to a dozen federal charges for directing an employee to stagger more than $157,000 in cash withdrawals to avoid Treasury Department reporting requirements. The money was used to buy live lobsters off the dock. Read more@portlandpress 11:33
Marshfield, Massachusetts: Local fishermen react to federal disaster relief funding
John Haviland, a fisherman from Marshfield, said issuing fishermen a check, though well meaning, is not the answer. “Commercial fishermen want to be allowed to catch fish and be commercial fishermen,” he said. “We want to fish.” He said while $75 million sounds like a lot of money, “the pool is relatively large for that amount of money.” “By the time it gets to the fishermen, there is not going to be enough to sustain them,” he said. Read more@wickedlocal 10:25
Lobster marketing wars? Canada launches effort to develop unique Canadian lobster brand
When someone orders lobster at a restaurant in New York City, chances are the menu touts it as “Maine” lobster. Ask someone on the streets of San Francisco where lobster comes from, chances are they’ll refer to our great state. Lobster is to Maine as bourbon is to Kentucky. It’s iconic and an incredibly valuable piece of the overall Maine brand. Read more@bdn 08:48
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries to hold public meetings on shellfish habitat
The meetings will begin Wednesday in Bayboro, followed by one Thursday in Morehead City. Meetings also will be held Feb. 4 in Swan Quarter, Feb. 5 in Manteo, Feb. 6 in Ocracoke, Feb. 11 in Wilmington and Feb. 12 in North Topsail Beach. Read [email protected] 08:06
Federal Judge Ancer Haggerty: Protect wild fish from hatchery operations
PORTLAND, Ore. — A judge has ordered federal fish managers to do more to ensure that hatchery fish don’t harm wild salmon and steelhead on the Sandy River this year. Federal Judge Ancer Haggerty’s ruling could jeopardize the release of hundreds of thousands of juvenile fish from the Sandy Hatchery this spring — and mean fewer fish returning to the river for anglers to catch between 2015 and 2017, the Oregonian reported today. Read [email protected] 21:19
Huge haddock tows from Georges Bank land in Nova Scotia – Fish sent to U.S., where windfall coincides with lower Canadian dollar
A huge increase in the haddock catch off Georges Bank has the southwestern Nova Scotia port of West Pubnico booming this week. Pubnico’s concrete wharfs have been swarming with forklifts and semi-trailer trucks for days as the fleet lands some of the 16 million kilograms of Georges Bank haddock available for fishermen to catch this year. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has increased the 2014 quota by 250 per cent, to 16,470 metric tons. Read more@cbcnews 19:48
A Fisherman-Owned Fish Market
Berkeley is no stranger to progressive food-related business models – Now, the city is also the site of a fisherman-owned fish market: Bonita Fish Market (1941 University Ave.), which was opened by a pair of active commercial fishermen, Hung Nguyen and Phat Vo, in downtown Berkeley in November. Although the shop is small and carries a limited, seasonally dependent selection of fish, Bonita is one of the most exciting new markets to open in the East Bay in years. Read more@eastbayexpress 19:34
Canada approval of Aquabounty egg production challenged in court
In their suit, the groups Ecology Action Centre, Living Oceans and Ecojustice claim the federal department did not follow its own legislated rules, failing to do a full risk assessment before clearing a US company to produce the eggs in Prince Edward Island. The court challenge demands the release of documentation on how the Harper government made its regulatory decision and the data and studies it was based upon. Read more@undercurrent 17:28
The Shrinking Portions of Fish Aid Pie – Federal Budget Includes $75 Million In Aid For Struggling Fishing Industry
A portion of that funding will go to compensate commercial fishermen in the Northeast for losses in profits after the allowable harvest of several species of “groundfish” were cut deeply last year, and for the foreseeable future. It is not yet known how much of the funding will go to the Northeast fishermen specifically or how much, if any, will be made available for New York fishermen. Read [email protected] 17:20
Newport: Water Rescue off South Jetty – F/V Eclipse aground on the south jetty.
Coast Guard Yaquina Bay got a call at around 8:30 Monday evening that a crab boat, with three crewmen returning from sea with a full load of crab, had lost propulsion right after they came through the tips of the jetties. Large ocean swells turned the 55-foot Fishing Vessel Eclipse completely around and pushed it into the north side of the south jetty, damaging the vessel on its port side below the water line. Holes were ripped in the ship’s bottom and water came pouring in to the hold. Read [email protected] 16:13
New England Fishery Management Council Meeting Cancellations – Bad Weather
Dear Stakeholder and Interested Parties: The following meetings have been cancelled based on the poor weather conditions that are predicted for tonight and tomorrow. Updated notices will be sent out and we will update the NEFMC calendar accordingly. – The January 22 Herring Advisory Panel Meeting – will be rescheduled to February 13. – The January 22 Recreational Advisory Panel Meeting – new date TBD. Regards, Pat- Patricia M. Fiorelli Public Affairs Officer New England Fishery Management Council 50 Water Street, Mill 2 Newburyport, MA 01950 – 978.465.0492, ext. 106 – [email protected]<mailto:pfi
Boat of the Week from the Athearn Marine Agency: 56′ Duffy Fiberglass Lobster/Tuna – 550HP, Volvo Diesel
Specifications and information here 12:41
Injunction Denied for Bay Area Herring Fishing
Commercial fisherman in the Bay Area cannot gather spawning herring within a protected quarter-mile, a federal judge ruled, refusing to issue an injunction. U.S. officials informed Bay Area fisherman in November 2012 that fishing would not be allowed within one quarter of a mile offshore of the shoreline of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Read more@courthousenews 11:52
Japan says Kennedy dolphin tweet improper
TOKYO – Japan accused critics of its annual dolphin hunt — including U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy — of being hypocrites for not lamenting the killing of cattle and chickens in their countries for food. The southwest fishing town of Taiji finished its annual roundup of bottlenose dolphins Tuesday, a longheld tradition that Kennedy called “inhumane” in a message on Twitter. Read [email protected] 11:41
New Hampshire, Mass, Seek Applicant’s for New England Fishery Management Council
US Fisheries Champion Congressman Walter Jones enters discussions of proposed wind energy in Carteret
Congressman Walter Jones has entered the discussions over a proposed wind energy facility that would be located in Carteret County. Jones, R-NC, has requested a meeting with Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense John Conger to discuss the defense department review of the proposed project. Read [email protected] 09:02
Narwhal tusk smuggler faces extradition hearing – Gregory Logan, of New Brunswick, may be tried in U.S. for money laundering
A New Brunswick man convicted of smuggling narwhal tusks into the United States is facing an extradition hearing in April. The U.S. Department of Justice wants to try Gregory Logan, of Woodmans Point, for money laundering. Logan’s defence lawyer Brian Greenspan described the case as “international double jeopardy” during a brief court appearance in Saint John on Monday to set a date for the hearing. Read more@cbcnews 08:31
Coast Guard rescues 4 from F/V Jo Marie near Brookings, Ore.
SEATTLE — A Coast Guard boatcrew from Station Chetco River, in Brookings, Ore., rescued four people after a 62-foot fishing vessel allided (collided?) with the Chetco River South Jetty, Monday evening. The crew of the fishing vessel Jo Marie contacted the Coast Guard via VHF-FM radio at 8:16 p.m. Read more@usdgnews 06:46
