Monthly Archives: March 2014
This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch … Alaska crabbers sign on for the biggest survey ever.
Alaska’s golden king crab fleet plans to undertake the biggest survey ever on the entire range of the Aleutian Islands golden crab stock. It covers an 800 mile span from Dutch Harbor to Atka. Listen, and read more here 15:34
USCG investigation of the sinking of the U.S. Distant Water Tuna Fleet F/V Majestic Blue
The investigation revealed twenty-two crewmembers safely abandoned ship and were rescued by a sister ship but the master and chief engineer remain missing and presumed deceased. The investigation was unable to determine the exact cause of flooding that originated in the steering compartment where steel work was previously performed during an overseas shipyard visit. However, the investigation determined that the immediate secondary cause of the sinking was due to a shipboard practice of leaving watertight doors open. Read the Report here 12:45
Commercial fishermen file first suit over Saturday’s oil spill in Galveston Bay
A group of Galveston area commercial and sports fishermen have filed the first lawsuit over Saturday’s oil spill in the Houston Ship Channel. Sean O’Rourke of Simon-O-Rourke Law Firm PC in Houston is representing the plaintiffs. Read more here setexasrecord.com 11:56
Boat of the Week from the Athearn Marine Agency: 46′ Atwood Dragger,Lobster,Other,Seining Fiberglass, CAT, 402HP
Specifications, and information here 11:29
Recreational Fishing and Boating Community Calls on Congress to Revamp Marine Fisheries Management
“Congress should establish a national policy to promote saltwater recreational fishing,” said Mike Nussman, president and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association. “In addition, Congress must open the ‘rusted-shut’ door of marine fisheries allocation to achieve the greatest benefit to the nation.”A Vision for Managing America’s Saltwater Recreational Fisheries identifies six key policies that would achieve the commission’s vision. Those recommendations primarily focus on the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Read more here 09:33
Longliners Pitch for Electronic Monitoring
A group of Sitka and Homer longliners hope to demonstrate this season that electronic monitoring can collect most of the data needed for managing the hook and line fisheries. The pilot project is part of an ongoing effort by the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and other longline groups to integrate electronic monitoring as an alternative to having observers aboard boats that longline for sablefish and halibut. Read more here sitkasentinal.com 09:16
SNAPSHOT IN TIME: MAGNOLIA | Fishermen’s Terminal
Then…The earliest fishermen using Salmon Bay were American Indians, specifically the Shilshole-Ahmish (people of Shilshole), who lived in the settlements at the north end of Salmon Bay and fished for their livelihood. Now…One hundred years later, Fishermen’s Terminal remains a welcoming sight for returning professional fishermen and women as they come home from their seasons at sea. Read more here Queen Anne & Magnolia News 08:57
Storm surge prep – Getting ready in Sambro – Video
Fishermen near Sambro headed into port Tuesday ahead of the storm threat. Watch the video 08:24
“Greater Atlantic” First River Herring Technical Expert Working Group on March 27, 1-4pm.Attend via Webinar
NOAA Fisheries,NMFS in collaboration with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, has established a technical expert working group (TEWG) for river herring throughout both species’ range from Canada to Florida, and will continue to work closely with the Commission and others on this plan. Information please click here Webinar registration
NEFMC March 27, 2014 meeting of the SSC beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The SSC Meeting will be held on Thursday, March 27 at the Omni Hotel in Providence, RI Discussion Documents Webinar Registration 07:39
Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City helicopter crew helped fulfill the dream of a Queens boy with a life threatening illness
Eight-year-old Colin Flood, diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, is battling his second round of the disease after fighting it off with chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. An avid fan of shows such as Coast Guard Alaska and the Deadliest Catch, Colin dreamed of being in a Coast Guard helicopter. Due to the serious nature of his condition, it was uncertain whether Colin would be able to experience seeing a Coast Guard helicopter up close. Read more here uscgnews 20:20
Time for BP to get out of the oil business! – Coast Guard, EPA respond to oil discharge in Lake Michigan from BP Whiting Refinery
WHITING, Ind. — The Coast Guard and the EPA are responding to the report of an oil discharge into Lake Michigan from the BP Whiting Refinery in Whiting, Ind. The Coast Guard received a report Monday night from watchstanders the National Response Center of a sheen from an unknown substance discharging from an outflow adjacent to the refinery. Read more here 18:21
Exxon Valdez plaintiffs’ lawyer: 25 years after disaster, justice definitely not served
On the anniversary of the disaster, we checked in with Bob Stoll to ascertain what, if anything, has changed since the Exxon Valdez began leaking. Stoll’s Portland-based StollBerne law firm was enlisted by a class of plaintiffs to recover some $2.5 billion in damages on behalf of Alaskans. What do you remember about that day (or that period)? It was about two weeks before we realized the enormity of the catastrophe,, Read more here 18:01
REPORT: Mid-Atlantic Council Workshop on East Coast Fisheries and Climate Change
“The decision to hold this workshop was driven largely by input from our stakeholders,” said Mid-Atlantic Council Chairman Rick Robins, noting that many participants in the Council’s 2011-2012 Visioning Project had emphasized the importance of preparing for the impacts of climate change on marine fisheries. Read more here 17:21
The Adventures of $uper Ecoman – Contemplation
Flashing across the sky is a blinding streak of Blue, Green and Gold. A split second later, $uper Ecoman arrives at his destination, The Center for United Non Profit Training, and he is shocked. Not because of the unexpected, but the sudden thought of a world without the Eco Fuel that keeps he, and his army of paid eco crusaders alive, Wealth Foundation Funding. Click here 16:02
Florida Gov. Scott Announces Plans for $6.3 Million in Oyster Disaster Funding
“I am excited today to recommend these projects that will share $6.3 million to help restore economic vitality and provide relief to the oystermen and their families who have endured such hardship in the Apalachicola Bay area. In addition to bolstering their industry, this funding will be used to provide vocational and educational training for oystermen and their families so they are able to support their families for generations to come.” Read more here wmbb.com 14:17
Big oil lobbyist serves on federal marine protected areas panel – Dan Bacher
Catherine Reheis-Boyd’s role as a “marine guardian” for both the state and federal governments is just one example of the many conflicts of interests that infest environmental politics in California. California Department of Fish and Wildlife map of South Coast “marine protected areas” that fail to protect the ocean from fracking, oil drilling, pollution, military testing, wind and wave energy projects, corporate aquaculture and all human impacts on the ocean other than fishing and gathering. Read more here indybay.org 13:30
Shellfish Harvester Education Program – Get some training, get your oyster license – Video
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) – New federal regulations are now in place regarding the oyster industry in Mississippi and other states. Anyone involved in the industry in any capacity now has to receive specialized training in the sanitary harvesting and transporting of the delicacy. Read more here 11:24
Deepwater Horizon oil left tuna, other species with heart defects likely to prove fatal
The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill struck at the very heart of fish, a new study says. Exposed to millions of gallons of crude, young tuna and amberjack, some of the speediest predators in the ocean, developed heart defects that are likely to limit their ability to catch food. Read more here wapo 09:02
Gloucester Times Editorial: City Council motion on fed fishing aid sends key message
And while it may have little or no direct impact in the decision making at NOAA or in the hall’s of the state’s marine fisheries leaders, it shows that the city of Gloucester is indeed united in seeking this aid and monitoring where it goes. Read more here 07:54
Canadian Lobster Value Recovery Summit being held March 26-27 in Halifax
A lobster summit will be held March 26-27 in Halifax. Hosted by the three Maritime fisheries ministers, the Canadian Lobster Value Recovery Summit will bring together more than 200 fishermen, processors and industry experts to discuss the four key recommendations outlined in the Maritime Lobster Panel report released last Fall. Read more here the vanguard 23:11
Coast Guard responds to sinking F/V Robert Croll near Salt Point
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Command Center received a call that the 34-foot commercial fishing vessel Robert Croll had struck a rock and was taking on water with three people aboard. The crew entered the vessel’s life raft after it was determined the dewatering equipment onboard was not keeping up with the flooding. Read more here 19:55
Fish, Lesser Prairie Chickens, and “sue and settle” practices – Federal regulations should be based on reality, not agendas
OKLAHOMA Attorney General Scott Pruitt has filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s “sue and settle” practices, which dramatically expand federal regulations without public input. Read more here 18:43
Council For Sustainable Fishing – Help get the best qualified fisheries managers
Good news from last week: Governors Nikki Haley and Rick Scott nominated charter boat operators Mark Brown from Charleston and Robert Johnson from St. Augustine respectively for appointment to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to fill seats for recreational/for-hire representation. Read more here 17:19
This is Fish Radio. I’m Stephanie Mangini. 25 years ago oil invaded Alaskas coastline… Today Kodiak remembers.
“Our emerald isle with its hundreds of miles of coast line is being blackened. Our livelihood and environment is being threatened. Our wildlife is being destroyed. Our surrounding waters and hard work have made Kodiak the largest fishing port in the nation there needs to be a huge effort to clean it up. This community lives by fish and our salmon fishing is about to start. Exxon needs to demonstrate an attitude that excludes and affinity for our environment a love for our land and sea, and respect for Alaskan citizens.” Listen, and read more here 16:26
25 Years After Exxon Valdez, BP Was the Hidden Culprit
Two decades ago I was the investigator for the legal team that sold you the bullshit that a drunken captain was the principal cause of the Exxon Valdez disaster, the oil tanker crackup that poisoned over a thousand miles of Alaska’s coastline 25 years ago on March 24, 1989. The truth is far uglier, and the real culprit—British Petroleum, now BP—got away without a scratch to its reputation or to its pocketbook. Read more here 15:57
Oral argument scheduled in salmon lawsuit
The Cook Inlet Fishermen’s Fund and United Cook Inlet Drift Association allege that the federal government erred when it removed Cook Inlet salmon management from the federal salmon fishery management plan, or FMP, and allowed the State of Alaska to take over without more federal oversight. Read more here 15:39
Coast Guards aims to reopen Houston ship channel
GALVESTON, Texas (AP) – The Coast Guard aimed to reopen one of the nation’s busiest seaports Monday, two days after a collision between a barge and a ship spilled as much as 170,000 gallons of tar-like oil to spill into the waters south of Houston. Read more here myfoxorlando 15:16
Effective Management? – ODFW plans hazing of fish-eating double-crested cormorants, a protected species??
Hazing of double-crested cormorants is set to begin soon in several areas along the Oregon coast in an attempt to improve survival of juvenile salmon and steelhead as they migrate from inland waters to the Pacific, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said Monday. Read more here ktzv.com 15:09
March 25-26 – Northwest Fisheries Science Center’s 4th Science Symposium in Seattle, Washington – Webinar Broadcast
Join us for the Northwest Fisheries Science Center’s 4th Science Symposium, taking place at NOAA’s Western Regional Center in Seattle, Washington. Read information here Webcast instructions here 10:12
