Daily Archives: February 28, 2014
ARDORs, hair crab limited entry revived –
JUNEAU — The bill to resurrect the Alaska Regional Development Organization program and the now-unique vessel-based limited entry system for the currently closed Korean hair crab fishery is on its way to Gov. Sean Parnell after a House floor debate as strange as the measure’s weird path through the Legislature. Read more here 23:10
Commercial Vessel Discharge Reform Act gains support Cordova District Fishermen United supports exemptions for commercial fishing vessels
Pending federal maritime legislation to exempt commercial fishing vessels from certain requirements of the Clean Water Act, which could otherwise result in substantial fines, is gaining widespread support with commercial fisheries groups.”Onerous,” was just one of the words John Renner, vice president of Cordova District Fishermen United, used to describe the situation facing commercial fishing vessel owners and operators who could otherwise be subject to fines for activities such as deck washing. Read more here 21:51 cordovatimes
Maine lobster landings value jumped $23 million in 2013 – overall value of Maine’s lobster landings in 2013 was $364.5 million
ROCKPORT, Maine — Thanks to a 20-cent increase in the average price lobstermen received for their catch, the landings value of Maine’s most lucrative commercial fishery jumped by more than $20 million in 2013. Read more here 21:33 BDN
One of the worst stone crab seasons on record in Southwest Florida – video
It’s shaping up to be one of the worst stone crab seasons on record in Southwest Florida. Fishermen say octopi are stealing the crabs right out of their traps. A crab trap is like a diner for an octopus. The crabs can’t go anywhere, so an octopus can go to town eating everything in the trap. Read more here 20:47
Marketing Maine Lobster: Effort Intensifies Amid Big Harvests
Maine’s lobster catch topped 100-million pounds again last year – proof that the surging supply of the state’s signature seafood shows no signs of dropping off. A shortage of markets for all that product Read more here 18:35
This is Fish Radio. I’m Stephanie Mangini. Halibut surveys do it deeper – and shallower – and need more boats
Plans to expand halibut surveys by 30% have been trimmed a bit but boats are still needed to help. Each summer halibut scientists survey 1,300 stations from Oregon to the Bering Sea. Read more here 16:12
EPA Moves to Protect Bristol Bay from Pebble Mine
The Environmental Protection Agency today announced that they are using section 404 C of the Clean Water Act to halt development of the Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska. Section 404 C authorizes the EPA to prohibit or limit projects that would have an unacceptable adverse impact on the environment. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy made the announcement during a teleconference this morning. Read more here 15:43
Out in Left Field – “and their Senate leaders reward them with $33 million in fisheries welfare”???
“Our recreational sector was never looking at handouts to sit at home like the New England commercial sector, but we were just looking for an honest hand so that our folks can keep fishing,” Donofrio added. Ya Gotta read more here! 12:53
Process underway now to plan ahead for upcoming lobster seasons
If things go as planned, lobster fishermen in southwestern Nova Scotia won’t find themselves wondering at the 11th hour whether there will be any changes to their season in the weeks leading up to the opening of the 2014 fall fishery. Read more here 12:41
SHORT NOTICE: Full Committee Legislative Hearing on Magnuson Stevens at 9:30AM. Tune in here
Washington, D.C. – On Friday, the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a balanced hearing on the state of fisheries management in the United States. The hearing comes after Democrats used Rule XI of the Committee rules to force an additional day of testimony on a Republican proposal to gut the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Democrats pursued the Rule XI move earlier this month at the latest in a series of hearings Republicans have held on our nation’s primary law governing fisheries management. The Republican-led legislation, floated in December as a discussion draft with no input from Committee Democrats, would undermine protections that are critical to maintaining the healthy fish stocks and marine ecosystems vital to U.S. fishermen. LINK IN FROM HERE LIVE
Energy giant, BP, has failed in a judicial bid to stop payments from a fishing compensation fund.
The company claimed that some of the claimants did not suffer at all from the disastrous 2010 oil spill, and that in some cases names have being invented. Read more here 08:20
$11 million in federal fishery disaster money will help restore oyster and blue crab fisheries in Mississippi
Both were declared disasters following a 2011 season ruined by freshwater from the opening of the Bonnet Carre spillway. Read more here 07:53
N.H. fishermen wait for allotment of federal fish disaster funds
SEABROOK — Officials at Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative are pleased about the nearly $33 million in fishery disaster relief funds allocated to those in the Northeast who make their livings on the sea, but they have yet to learn how much of the money will trickle down to New Hampshire’s commercial groundfishing fleet owners. Read more here 07:39
Fishermen to net millions: Federal funds help struggling industry Read more here seacoastonline.com
Editorial: Hail fishing aid when it reaches those who need it
But you should excuse fishermen and even federal and state lawmakers if all this good news didn’t exactly touch off celebrations along the docks, and in the halls of government, where people like Congressman John Tierney called it simply “the next critical step in the process.” That’s because it’s also clear that this money — desperately needed by front-line fishermen months ago — is still weeks, and likely months from reaching them. Read more here 03:19
