Monthly Archives: February 2014
Cianbro, others push for renewal of offshore wind power tax credits – JUST SAY NO!
Businesses working to launch the first offshore wind energy facilities in U.S. waters urged Congress on Monday to renew tax credits they said are “absolutely critical” to kick-starting an industry that could bring significant numbers of jobs to Maine and other coastal states. Read more here @Portland Press 10:20
Effort to relocate lobsters from Portland Harbor to encroach on scallop fishing area
PORTLAND, Maine — An effort to trap and relocate lobsters from Portland Harbor to make way for dredging work will temporarily infringe on scallop fishing in those areas,, Read more here 10:00
N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission has chosen a compromise on a controversial shrimp trawl amendment.
In a split vote, the commission chose an amended management option as one of its preferred options for the shrimp fishery management plan Amendment 1 on Friday at its Feb. 19-21 meeting at the Crystal Coast Civic Center. Read more here 09:34
GDT Editorial: NOAA monitor coverage was agency’s only true, fair choice
It is, as our federal lawmakers all noted, good news to learn that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries service will cover the cost of the on-board monitors who now regularly keep tabs on the catches hauled in by fishermen by joining them on their trips. Read more@GDT 09:24
CLF Environmental Lawyers Attack Industry Lawyers on Closure Issues Using Research That Fails To Support Their Own Recommendations
WASHINGTON — February 24, 2014 — The following was released by Andrew E. Minkiewicz and Anne Hawkins of the Fisheries Survival Fund : Last week, the lawyers at the Conservation Law Foundation used a posting on their Talking Fish blog (“Industry Lawyers Wrong on Closed Areas Science: An Open and Shut Case, February 18, 2014) to attack our Read more here 08:23
New England Fishery Management Council Meeting – February 25 – 26, 2014 in Danvers , Ma. LISTEN LIVE!
February 25-26, 2014 – New England Fishery Management Council Meeting at Double Tree Hotel 50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 01923 Phone: 978/777-2500 ; Fax: 978/750-7959 Read the agenda here Webinar Registration here 06:43
New Bedford Mayor writes commerce secretary on fishing relief
Mitchell suggested using the money to boost industry efforts to participate in fisheries science; retrain fishermen who have been forced out; support service programs for crew and families; assist with loans; and maintain on-shore infrastructure support. Read the article here 01:58
NOAA Regional Director John Bullard – NOAA sees ‘status quo’ on closed fish areas, ignoring climate affects on fisheries
NOAA Regional Director John Bullard, in a letter to the New England Fishery Management Council, indicated the federal agency will not stand with fishing advocates in their preference for opening up a greater portion of Stellwagen Bank as part of the new rules being drafted to determine where commercial fishermen will be allowed to fish beginning in the winter of 2015-16. Read more@GDT 00:24
Exposed; “The Devolution of the Seas,”, Alan Sielen opts for outdated and refuted information on tuna stocks
WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — February 24, 2014 — Writing in an essay originally published in Foreign Affairs, (“The Devolution of the Seas,” November/December 2013) Alan Sielen, a Senior Fellow for International Environmental Policy at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, paints a dire picture of the state of the world’s oceans, claiming that “humanity has come perilously close to reversing the almost miraculous biological abundance of the deep.” But in his highly selective and misleading portrayal of the current state of fisheries management, Mr. Sielen gets several key facts wrong, and recirculates ideas that are either highly disputed or have been thoroughly refuted by the marine science community. Read more here 18:52
Green Crabs & climate change pose threat to Maine shellfish- It’s bigger than Maine. Its from Mass to the Canadian Maritimes FERTILIZER!
One of Maine’s oldest commercial fisheries is in trouble, and the reason appears to be a very aggressive and very hungry predator. “Everything’s disappearing,” says Abden Simmons of Waldoboro, who is a member of the state Shellfish Advisory Board. “The only thing living there is the green crab. So what’s living is being eaten up. Clams, mussels, oysters, everything.” Read more@wlbz2 18:07
Skull found in Westport crab pot Skull found in Westport crab pot
The partial human skull was found Friday morning in a crab pot about 2 miles off of Westport. The fisherman set the pot the previous week in water 90-to-100 feet deep. Read more@fresnobee 17:57
Can Environmental Scientists be Environmental Advocates? Doesn’t the advocacy degrade the objectivity of the science?
I just learned that Daniel Pauly serves as a Director on the Oceana Board: “Dr. Daniel Pauly (The University of British Columbia) Pauly is a renowned fisheries scientist. Since 1994, Pauly has been a professor at the Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia. He currently serves as the principal investigator of the Sea Around Us Project at the Fisheries Centre, where his global, multi-year analyses of marine ecosystems has allowed him to reach startling and important conclusions, most critical among them that fish populations are declining rapidly all over the world.” Read more here 17:27
I believe Daniel Pauly to be the ultimate Pew crackpot.
A must read blog (along with Fishosophy, of course!) Recommended by Nils Stolpe
The blogger is Jonathan Gonzalez, a graphic designer with a solid and obvious commitment to ocean conservation. What separates him from the crowd, and what brought his blog to my attention, was his unwillingness to accept at face value the myriad of commonly held “truths” of marine conservation and his willingness to devote himself to researching what’s really going on in our oceans and in our fisheries. Five minutes invested in reading the “about me” page on his website, Read [email protected] 17:06
New England Fishery Management Council Meeting – February 25 – 26, 2014 in Danvers , Ma. LISTEN LIVE!
February 25-26, 2014 – New England Fishery Management Council Meeting at Double Tree Hotel 50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 01923 Phone: 978/777-2500 ; Fax: 978/750-7959 Read the agenda here Webinar Registration here 15:31
China ship blasts Pinoy fishermen with water cannon – The makings of a Trade War with China.
MANILA, Philippines – A Chinese coast guard ship used a water cannon last month to drive Filipino fishermen out of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, showing aggressive enforcement of new Chinese fisheries rules, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said yesterday. Read more here 14:33
Senate and House Bills to reauthorize Magnuson to be Published side by side in Atlantic Coast Fishery News
Senate and House Bills to reauthorize Magnuson to be Published side by side in Atlantic Coast Fishery News. As a commercial fisherman, or shore side industry, you probably are interested to know our commercial fishing paper is publishing the full text of both the House and Senate Bills. Further we will publish the analysis of the Center for Sustainable Fisheries, which will explain in basic terms, which Bill tends to resolve current problems with Magnuson. Read more here 14:10
Tuna: Super Fish
Athletes of the Sea Let’s clarify one thing up front: Tuna are not ordinary fish. They are athletic freaks of nature, built for raw power, speed and endurance. They can withstand intense cold, dive to crushing depths and swim at speeds approaching 50 miles per hour. Read [email protected] 13:59
Shut up, and Pay up. BP gets slick in trying to undermine gulf oil spill settlement
It would be perfectly proper for BP, the giant British oil company, to feel a sense of corporate remorse. “Buyer’s remorse,” however? That’s a different story. In full-page ads, BP ridicules payouts it believes are undeserved, including $8 million to famed chef Emeril Lagasse and $173,000 to an escort service. Read more@latimes 13:38
Record Sales and Earnings for High Liner Foods in 2013
“Following years of exceptionally strong growth, we are pleased to report that in fiscal 2013, High Liner Foods achieved the highest sales and earnings in its history,” announced Mr Demone, CEO. “The acquisition of American Pride bolstered sales in the fourth quarter and contributed to a strong finish to the year, which overall, has been a successful year, but hasn’t been without its challenges. Read more@thefishsite 08:29
The Downeast Salmon Federation hopes ‘planting’ salmon eggs in rivers will restore population
The technique simulates natural activities of salmon reproduction. A female salmon creates a nest, called a redd, in the gravel of a streambed or riverbed in the fall. Using her tail, the fish scoops out a pit, lays her eggs, then covers them with gravel to protect them until they hatch in the spring. Read [email protected] 08:05
Cape Cod fishermen hoping for a lifeline as the region faces ongoing cod shortages
The fishermen of Cape Cod have been forced to approach the American government for a bailout to save the region’s fishing community. Falling catches, caused by a combination of overfishing and a predatory seal population, are driving many fishermen out of business, The Telegraph reported.Permits worth £50,000 ($85,000) just five years ago are now barely worth the paper they are printed on, Read [email protected] 07:00
‘Deadliest Catch’ captain to speak at fishermen’s forum in Rockland
ROCKPORT, Maine — The annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum is known for having a full slate of seminars about new regulations, marketing strategies, management, fishing techniques and other related topics. This year, forum organizers are going the extra mile to bring in some entertainment, too. Read more@BDN 06:37
Canada siding with U.S., Denmark on High Arctic fishing moratorium
Canada is preparing to join the United States and Denmark in pressing for a moratorium on commercial fishing in the international waters of the High Arctic as climate change makes their bounty accessible for the first time in more than 800,000 years. Read more@globeandmail 04:58
Coastal Villages Region Fund protesting low 2014 halibut quota
Because of catch limit changes by the International Pacific Halibut Commission, the Coastal Villages Region Fund’s (CVRF’s) allowable catch will be reduced by almost 50 percent. During a brief two-week period in summer 2013, some 184 commercial halibut captains caught 210,248 pounds of halibut, exceeding the Coastal Villages’ quota for the year. Read more@alaskadispatch 04:54
What happened to the price of shrimp?
Since 2010 the price of shrimp has more than doubled, forcing giant Darden Restaurants to try to divest themselves of Red Lobster and their “endless shrimp” buffet. Over 90% of all shrimp consumed in the US comes from outside the US, with most imported shrimp grown in filth ponds flooded with antibiotics. In spite of this, Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) has been devastating global shrimp farm populations, and the disease isn’t the only thing pushing shrimp prices higher. The Commerce Department recently ruled that China, Ecuador, India, Malaysia and Vietnam have all unfairly subsidized shrimp exported to the United States. Read more@us15campaign 19:39
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission taking a longer look at regulating sea-cucumber take
On second thought, the state’s proposed limit on taking sea cucumbers has been pushed further down the calendar. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission initially decided at its Feb. 12 meeting to follow the agency’s staff recommendation for a boat limit of 200 animals per day for sea cucumbers, to become effective April 1. Read [email protected] 17:53
The Western Flyer has drawn the attention of a Canadian documentary filmmaker.
“This is a part of our history,” said Ian Hinkle, a former resident of Port Townsend who now lives in Victoria. “It’s sad to see a wooden boat rotting in a yard, but it has done its part and can still communicate things that are very important,” he added. “Boats like this are important. They capture the past.” Hinkle spent Friday morning filming the outside of the vessel for use in “Reaching Blue,” a 15-minute film produced by Ocean Networks Canada Read more@PDN 16:49
Experiment: Converting the American Samoa Longline fishery into the Science fishery – audio
As part of the experiment, Carlos Sanchez of the Longline Association is conducting experimental fishing targeting species such as yellowfin and bigeye using non-longline gear and technological equipment. Sanchez, “isn’t going to be the art of fishing, but the science of fishing” Audio here 15:38
Governing the high seas – the push for UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),
Mining is about to begin under the seabed in the high seas,,,The biggest failure, though, is in the regulation of fishing. Overfishing does more damage to the oceans than all other human activities there put together. The Economist 15:04
CF/V Ivy Rose Delivers the Crew of C/FV Cape Dorset Safely in Trepassey at 01:30 this morning
Joint Task Force Atlantic says the crew of the Cape Dorset arrived in Trepassey overnight Saturday, after being picked up by another boat when the vessel sank off the Burin Peninsula. Read more@cbcnews 14:15
