Monthly Archives: June 2014
Disputed National Marine Fisheries Service data leads to a correction
After significant objection from the recreational fishing and boating community, the National Marine Fisheries Service is taking steps to correct a key fisheries economics report that misleadingly indicated that the domestic commercial fishing industry in the United States was significantly larger than the recreational fishing industry. Furthermore, the corrected data show that the domestic commercial fishing industry actually decreased by $2.3 billion in 2012. Read more here Read the “correction” 14:24
Dixon’s Marine receives $175,000 expansion loan from ACOA
In response to growing demand for larger vessels, particularly in the United States, Dixon’s Marine has purchased a hydraulic trailer and yard jockey that will allow this family-owned business to haul vessels up to 60 feet in size. In addition, Dixon’s will be completing facility enhancements in order to accommodate this equipment. Read more here 13:57
Seafood Processing Company Pushes Forward With New Jobs Plans – Video
CURRIE – Construction continues at the future headquarters of Acme Smoked Fish of North Carolina, and so does the company’s push to fill jobs. Read more here 11:35
The Sockeye are Moving in the Egegik and Naknek-Kvichak Districts
The sockeye are starting to move in Bristol Bay as fishermen are getting increasing amounts of fishing time. KDLG’s Mike Mason has this report about how things are looking in the eastside districts. Listen to it here 11:22
Another fishing industry bashing article – this time it’s fuel subsidy
Here are some excerpts from the recent Guardian’s fuel subsidy article: “Fuel subsidies ‘drive fishing industry’s plunder of the high seas’ Spain, France, UK, US and Japan among countries giving generous fuel subsidies enabling industrial fishing far offshore, says Global Ocean Commission Read more here 10:06
Little effect from slavery accusations on fish-product exports so far: ministry
“Importers are still ordering Thai fishery products as usual. Exports to the US and the European Union should not be affected by the problem,” Srirat Rastapana, permanent secretary of the Commerce Ministry, said yesterday. Read more here 09:57
Opa-locka man gets prison for taking lobster traps
An Opa-locka fisherman who pleaded guilty to charges of taking lobster traps in Biscayne Bay has been sentenced to 18 months in state prison, according to the Miami-Dade state’s attorney’s office. Read more here 09:53
Judge requires Cook Inlet Fisherman’s Fund to reimburse state for lawsuit costs
ANCHORAGE — A judge ruled Wednesday that a commercial fishing group should pay part of the State’s cost for the lawsuit regarding management of the Cook Inlet salmon fisheries in 2013. Read more here 09:34
Rebel with a cause
A FORMER Grimsby fishing boat skipper has been ordered to pull his nets off a local beach because he is allegedly breaking EU rules. Now 76-year-old Earnest Cromer has said he will defy the ban and is prepared to go to court to fight his corner to challenge what he regards as bureaucratic EU rules. Read more here 09:28
NMFS studies humpback delisting
The National Marine Fisheries Service has responded favorably to the State of Alaska’s request to delist humpback whales, and will now proceed with a status review. According to a release from the agency, scientists estimate that there are 5,833 whales in that population segment, or DPS. Read more here 08:56
Martha’s Vineyard: Islanders question local benefits of offshore wind project leases
Concerns about how Martha’s Vineyard will benefit from a commercial offshore renewable wind energy project 12 nautical miles south of its shores dominated discussion at a public hearing to discuss the proposed leasing process and transmission route at a public meeting Monday night in the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Tisbury. Read more here 08:27
Seafarers UK: Maritime industry to supply free safety devices
SEAFISH has welcomed the news that the UK maritime industry bodies’ have pledged more than £150,000 in additional funding to provide more commercial fishermen with free Read more here 08:00
GDT Editorial: Amid Fiesta prayers, don’t forget true needs of fishermen
The full-fledged opening of St. Peter’s Fiesta Wednesday night means that much of Gloucester’s focus over the next five days will be on the city’s rich fishing heritage and on Gloucester’s fishing families, with special nods to those who have,,, Read more here, maybe. Pay-wall 07:19
NAFO cites foreign ships with illegal catches – Spanish vessel issued serious citation for hiding excess catch
Canada’s Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) released a list of two vessels cited with not recording catches and off the coast of Newfoundland. Spanish vessel Puente Sabaris and Russian ship Melkart-3 were issued citations in May 2014. Read more here 20:22
Environmental Group Says Lobster is “Poor Choice” for Pregnant Women – “Them’s fightin’ words!”
Later this summer, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) plans to raise concerns about mercury levels in lobster within the context of a draft update to federal consumer guidelines for seafood consumption. As a Maine resident (and someone who has been covering mercury in seafood more than a little recently), I immediately sat up and took note at the mention of . Read more here 20:01
Seeking More Volume
A fishing vessel owner has two options for increasing the volume of his vessel’s hull and its money-making fishhold — one can add more length or add more beam. The latter is likely to gain the most volume and, when regulations limit length, adding beam may well be the only option. Read more here 19:02
Changes in forage fish abundance alter Atlantic cod distribution, affect fishery success – What do you think?
Writing in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, researchers from NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) show how the fishermens’ observations and the assessment results could both be accurate. Read more here 17:41
Fisher or fisherman? What do Kodiak harvesters prefer?
This is Fish Radio. I’m Stephanie Mangini. Is the word fisherman gender biased? Since the beginning of time the word fisherman has been used to describe a person who captures fish and other animals from a body of water. Fish Radio asked fishing men and women of Kodiak what they thought of the more gender neutral name change. Listen, and read more here 16:21
Legislature eyeing another layer of fishing enforcement – would allow NOAA OLE in North Carolina waters.
The state House and Gov. Pat McCrory want to enter a “joint enforcement agreement” with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and task the North Carolina Marine Patrol with enforcing both state and federal regulations in coastal waters. But the North Carolina Senate went in the other direction by specifically saying they are opposed to the proposal. Also cited in the resolution was a recent report by the U.S. Inspector General about possible corruption in the enforcement branches of NOAA and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Read more here 13:02
VMRC approves 10 percent reduction in blue crab harvest – New regulations would shut down blue crab dredging, limit number of bushels
NEWPORT NEWS — A weak female blue crab population, continued predator infiltration and a need to conserve juvenile blue crab growth have prompted members of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to move forward with staff recommendations to reduce the female blue crab harvest by 10 percent. (anyone mention the reduction to the predators?) Read more here 12:33
Gulf Council reaffirms red snapper reallocation to recreational anglers while holding sector accountable
The committee reaffirmed its support of reallocating a greater share of the combined quota to the recreational sector above a set benchmark
as part of the process toward final passage of the management plan changes to Amendment 28 – Red Snapper Allocation. Read more here 12:22
Scallop fishermen argue against shortening season on Cobscook Bay
DENNYSVILLE, Maine — Patrick Keliher, Commissioner of the state Department of Marine Resources, came to listen to scallop fisherman on Tuesday afternoon. . Some of them gave him an earful. Leo Murray of Lubec called it “crazy.” Tracey Sawtelle of Lubec called it “baloney.” Read more here 12:12
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: Edward T. Gamage 68′ Steel Stern Trawler 540HP, CAT 3412 Diesel
Specifications, and information, including 40 photo’s click here 09:59:32
Commercial crabber fined for failure to report horseshoe crab harvest
DNREC Natural Resources Police, Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Agents cited commercial fisherman Travis J. Mick, 31, of Milford, for failure to report horseshoe crab landings Enforcement’s investigation found that Mick had harvested approximately 3,000 horseshoe crabs over a two-day period without reporting his take. Read more here 09:24
Spiny dogfish shark boom bane for N.S. fishermen
According to the report, in 2013 there were nearly six times more tonnes of spiny dogfish caught in the 2013 survey off Nova Scotia, compared to the 2012 survey. A total 259,461 tonnes of spiny dogfish were recorded off the coast in 2013, compared to 44,310 in 2012 and just 3,353 in 2011. Read more here 07:26
Tierney sets talks on fisheries here with House panel chief
The federal disaster aid to fishermen and industry stakeholders is in the pipeline, and now much of the industry’s attention — here and across the rest of the coastal United States — has turned to the…Read more here if you can get by the pay-wall 06:47
Problems turning Bluenose II rudder means it’s unlikely to sail this summer
LUNENBURG, N.S. – Nova Scotia’s historic sailing schooner the Bluenose II needs a modern hydraulic system to turn its 3,200-kilogram rudder and make it seaworthy, says the senior government official overseeing the vessel’s restoration. Read more here 06:40
High Court Clears Way for Bristol Bay Initiative
The Alaska Supreme Court has cleared the way for an initiative that would require legislative approval for major mining operations in the Bristol Bay watershed, like the proposed Pebble Mine. Read more here 06:33
