Monthly Archives: April 2014
Protecting Marine Biodiversity with ‘New Conservation’
The debate raging within the conservation community over “new conservation” appears to be essentially a religious war, with doctrinal beliefs well defined and the rancor and defamation appearing to grow each month. Read more here 11:05
Is NOAA studying river herring to death?
If you’ve been following the (mis)management of river herring over the last few years, you may not even be surprised at the latest shenanigans of the NOAA fisheries officials: a delay tactic in the form of a “working group.” Read more here 10:57
Pols Reeling Over Shortened Red Snapper Season
In the midst of the pressure cooker of a U.S. Senate race, it’s rare that political rivals agree on anything. But in Louisiana, red snapper fishing is having a rare unifying power for U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and U.S. Rep Bill Cassidy. Over the last two days, the opponents in the fall election have spoken out against the great injustice that looms with the potential of the shortest red snapper fishing season ever recorded in the Bayou State. Read more here 09:45
Fishing’s Low Ecological Footprint
Confirmation of fishing’s relatively low ecological footprint was provided recently in the publication of the European Environment Agency statistics on energy use by sector. Fisheries are lumped together with agriculture and forestry but this group has the lowest consumption of fossil energy in oil/tonnes equivalent by sector. Read more here Click for NFFO website 09:03
Center for Biological Diversity Legal Petition Seeks Ban on Pacific Bluefin Tuna Fishing
SAN FRANCISCO— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a legal petition urging the National Marine Fisheries Service to prohibit fishing for Pacific bluefin tuna, which has suffered a 96 percent decline since large-scale fishing began. Read more here 08:20
Ruling rejects Massachusetts and New Hampshire challenges over science, economic impact
“In our brief, we cited Justice (Antonin) Scalia’s view that an amount of deference is a permission slip for an arrogation of power,” said Brian Rothschild, president and chief executive officer of the Center for Sustainable Fisheries, which joined the state of Rhode Island in filing amicus briefs on behalf of the plaintiffs. “The problem is that in cases like this, judges are left with really difficult technical decisions. That’s the reason for the deference.” Read more here 07:35
“Our federal government is basically slapping us in the face,” Inshore Fisherman Jason Spence
Newfoundland fishermen protest Canadian inshore shrimp quota cut – “If somebody doesn’t draw the line, and step up to the plate for us, we are finished,” he said. Read more here undercurrentnews 16:32
Flawed Science, Flawed Agency. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns Flawed Judgement on behalf of NOAA/NMFS
U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns has ruled in favor of NOAA in the federal lawsuit filed by Massachusetts charging that NOAA failed to utilize the best science available last year when instituting draconian cuts to groundfish catch limits, as well as failing to consider the adverse economic impact of those cuts. Coakley, in a statement, said her office is reviewing its option for appeal of Stearns’ ruling. Read more here at GDT 15:30 Judgement here
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having problems with webex broadcasting the Council meeting. Try
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/
Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing F/V Yvonne Michelle Fisherman Rene Lopez
The Coast Guard suspended its search at about 9 a.m. Thursday for a 30-year-old man who was reported missing from a fishing boat 45 miles east of Manasquan Inlet Wednesday. Missing is Rene Lopez of Newport News, Va. A crewmember from the fishing boat Yvonne Michelle contacted Coast Guard watchstanders via VHF-FM Channel 16 at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and reported Lopez was missing and believed to have fallen overboard. Report here 12:35
Reidar’s Manufacturing recieves loan through the South Eastern Economic Development Corporation
Two local businesses, the Inn on Shipyard Park in Mattapoisett and Reidar’s Manufacturing in New Bedford, are the latest recipients of loans through the South Eastern Economic Development Corporation. SEED said the loans will allow the companies to grow and create some 20 new jobs. Read more here 11:34
Montauk fishermen take criticism of offshore wind to feds
Workers from the federal office in charge of leasing offshore lands to wind farms knew they were facing a skeptical audience when they traveled to Montauk Tuesday morning to discuss their leasing program with Montauk fishermen. Read more here windwatch.org 10:06
Charles Schumer: Senate bill would fix fluke fishing rules
Provisions from Schumer’s bill that will be added to Senate reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation Act include: A mandate for a new plan for management of the fluke fishery based on “best available science,” instead of outdated or flawed fisheries data. Consideration of the migratory movement of fluke in allocating commercial and recreational catch quotas. Read more here newsday 09:32
Jim Budi dismantles Sammy Fretwell’s Oceana talking points about the S.C. shrimp industry
In the article “Careless fishing causes depletion of marine life” by Sammy Fretwell, reporting on an Oceana study, readers were misled by out-of-context statistics and by omissions. The report painted a bleak picture of wild-caught shrimp, ignoring the reality of a vastly improved conservation landscape. Read more here 09:27
Ship safety systems still voluntary, despite TSB pleas
A federal initiative to improve safety on fishing vessels remains voluntary, despite being repeatedly flagged by the Transportation Safety Board, which believes it should be made mandatory. Read more here 08:10
Regional Fishery Council News
April 10 Last day Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Vancouver, Washington. Last day Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Last day of Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Montauk, New York. April 10-14 North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. 22:37
Search is on for missing F/V Yvonne Michelle fisherman Renee Lopez, 45 miles off Manasquan, NJ
MANASQUAN, N.J. — The Coast Guard is searching for a 30-year-old man approximately 45 miles east of Manasquan Inlet Wednesday after he was reported missing from a fishing boat. Missing is Renee Lopez of Newport News, Va. Read more here 21:51
Maine scallop season strongest in 12 years – fishermen caught 424,547 pounds of scallop meat
Maine’s four-month scallop season that ended in March apparently will be the state’s strongest in years, despite a harsh winter and new regulations unpopular with some fishermen, preliminary data show. Read more here 21:03
Outdated Cape Wind financial boondoggle – Putting fishermen’s livelihoods at risk
Not only is the project outdated, but its location in the heart of Nantucket Sound has now been determined to pose significant risks to a variety of endangered and threatened species. The controversial project would also jeopardize public safety, put fishermen’s livelihoods at risk, and desecrate sacred tribal lands. Read more here 20:26
Judge’s Groundfishing Rulings Bring Mixed Reaction in Maine –
There was mixed reaction today from environmental advocates following a couple of recent decisions by a federal judge regarding New England’s groundfishing industry. Listen, and Read more here 18:17
Then, there’s this obligatory piece from CLF Shyster Peter Shelley, Court Issues Decisions on NOAA’s Fishing Rules here
This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch — A much smaller salmon catch is expected this year – projection for 2014 down 47%
Alaska’s total salmon catch for this year is projected to be down by almost half of the 2013 haul. State fishery managers are calling for an all species harvest of just under 133 million salmon, down about 47% from last year’s record haul of 283 million fish. Read more here 17:40
Angry fishermen protest outside DFO offices in N.L.
Angry fishermen held demonstrations in several locations in Newfoundland and Labrador on Wednesday, to protest cuts to shrimp quotas. The department says the reductions are needed to conserve shrimp stocks. The FFAW has said the cut will affect about 1,500 fishermen, nearly all of whom live in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Read more here 16:24
Effects from BP spill linger
That clamor is gone, but scientists continue to do research, and they say untold damage is still being wrought on Gulf of Mexico wildlife. This week, the National Wildlife Federation is releasing a report that updates how dolphins, sea turtles, bluefin tuna, pelicans and other marine life in the northern Gulf have fared in the past four years, and their prognosis is grim. Read more here 08:08
Fishing, energy interests spar over possible LI wind farm lease – BOEM Sweet Talks Before Ramming It In!
Tensions between ocean fishing interests and offshore-wind-energy planners were evident at a meeting in Montauk Tuesday as federal regulators set the stage for leasing hundreds of miles of the Atlantic for wind farms. Read more here newsday 07:48
Cold winter puts damper on Louisiana seafood – Bad year expected
It’s going to be a tough year for Louisiana seafood. Crawfish are already off to a slow start in terms of size and availability, and some of the same conditions responsible for that crawling pace could play havoc on crabs, shrimp and oysters later this year. Experts are blaming the one harvesting variable humans can’t control — a long, cold winter. Read more here 06:38
Shiprider agreement – U.S. Coast Guard ,RCMP the power to board ships make arrests in Canadian or American waters.
Canada and the U.S. signed an agreement Tuesday that removes the international maritime boundary as a barrier to law enforcement. The Eastern Region International Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement Operations, also known as Shiprider, gives the U.S. Coast Guard and the RCMP the power to board ships and make arrests, whether in Canadian or American waters. Read more here cbcnews 06:02
6,000 commercial fishing vessels – few occupational health and safety inspections
According to the Transportation Safety Board, there are roughly 6,000 commercial fishing vessels operating in Newfoundland and Labrador. But just 38 safety inspections were carried out in the past three years, according to provincial figures obtained using access to information. That’s about a dozen a year, or one a month. Read more here 05:46
Closing Ports to Stolen Fish
The oceans are vast and humans are small — as the monthlong hunt for a vanished Malaysian jetliner demonstrates. Think of the challenge, then, for law enforcement and fisheries managers in going after fleets of shady boats that engage in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Read more here 05:20
