Monthly Archives: July 2014
New Seine Skiff Based on Tug Boat Design
In June, 2014, Seattle-based Snow Boat Company delivered a new 24-foot by 13-foot seine skiff to King Cove, Alaska for the area M salmon fishery. The boat is one of the largest seine skiffs in Alaska, and almost begs not to be considered a skiff due to the size and power. The new skiff is more like a tug than a traditional skiff, and many design features are a departure from traditional skiffs known throughout Alaska. Read more here 23:22
Senate subcommittee releases new draft of fisheries act
The newest draft of the Magnuson-Stevens Act proposes changes to fisheries management including new fees, sustainability standards, and a possible national marketing effort. The U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard chaired by Alaska Sen. Mark Begich released the latest draft version of the act July 21. Read more here 23:14
Dead menhaden reported in Chesapeake Bay leads to Inquisition by Sport Fishers, explanation by VRMC
Experts still aren’t sure what killed thousands of dead menhaden that local fishermen reported floating in a long line near the northern stretch of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel over the weekend. And they say they might never know. Read more here Social media posts from area fishermen indicate a commercial boat from Omega Protein was in the area at the time. Read the comments here! 19:15
Murkowski Urges Mickey D CEO to Reject Greenpeace Campaign Against Pollock! Is he nuts??
Senator Lisa Murkowski today reached out to the President and CEO of McDonald’s, urging him to ignore an anti-fishing campaign from Greenpeace that is attempting to shut down one of the most sustainably managed fisheries in the world. Murkowski cites McDonald’s own website and promotional materials touting the company’s support for Alaska Pollock sourced from a “wild-caught and sustainable fishery.” Read more here 17:36
UNE researcher gets $1.7M grant to aid fishing industry – will research the mortality rate of winter skates
A federal agency has awarded a University of New England researcher and his colleagues $1.7 million for a research project they hope will help increase revenues for the fishing industry. “If our proposed study is as successful as our previous otter trawl project, it could result in increased revenues to the commercial fishing industry,” Read more here 16:05
Two California Men Plead Guilty to Fishing Violations in Sitka – They paid for it too!
It was on June 30th that Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted the captain and crew of the fishing vessel “Chief Joseph” while it lay at anchor in Still Harbor in Southeast Alaska. When they did so, they observed signs of recent fishing aboard the vessel. Read more here 15:52
Steller sea lion lawsuit parties ask court to change timeline on reimbursement decision
Fishing industry plantiffs and federal defendants have asked for a new timeline to decide reimbursements in the lawsuit over Steller sea lion protection measures.The Alaska Seafood Cooperative, The Groundfish Forum and the Freezer Longline Coalition asked the federal government to reimburse them $1,208,409.87 for attorney fees and costs in the lawsuit. Read more here 13:08
BOSTON – Local fishermen protest new lobster restrictions
State legislators and members of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association gathered at the State House on Wednesday to voice concerns about new regulations banning the use of lobster trap and pot gear from Jan. 1 to April 30 off much of the state’s coast. “It seems the new regulations are quite draconian and are being proposed without a corresponding public policy based on facts,” Read more here 12:35
Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay: When Partnerships Work
Too often, environmental groups, regulators and fishermen find themselves cast in antagonistic roles on marine issues. Prolonged legal and regulatory battles frequently top headlines, while successful conservation partnerships go unheralded. The Chesapeake Bay, long plagued by problems like pollution and runoff, is benefitting from one such partnership. Read more here 11:10
Tribes air issues with non-Indian sport, commercial fisheries
The four Columbia River treaty tribes reminded Washington and Oregon this week on how much they disagree with the way the states manage sport and commercial fall salmon fisheries downstream of Bonneville Dam. Read more here 10:54
Washington and Oregon approve nine nights of Columbia River gillnetting
Washington and Oregon today adopted Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday night gill netting periods from Aug. 3 though Aug. 21. The 9-inch-mesh nets are expected to catch 2,200 chinook the first week, 6,600 in the second week and 14,400 during the third week, said Robin Ehlke, a biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Read more here 10:39
Scientists study capelin reproduction cycles in Trinity Bay
Researchers are keeping a close eye on how capelin are spawning and developing off the waters of Newfoundland. Scientists have flocked to Bellevue Beach in Trinity Bay — one of the most important capelin spawning areas in the province — to find out why the fish are thriving in these waters. Read more here 10:14
ROCKLAND, Maine: Crowds roll in for the Maine Lobster Festival – Get down they-ah! Continues through Sunday
THIS JUST IN!- America’s Tall Ship USCG Cutter Eagle to arrive in Rockland Friday, at 3 p.m – The grounds of the Maine Lobster Festival were crowded early Wednesday afternoon as the kicked off on the city’s waterfront. “We offer local, fresh and sustainable lobster, and we love to share it with people both near and far,”,,, Read more here 09:08
Feds say no to fish-kill preventive water releases from Trinity Lake used to cool the Klamath and Trinity rivers
Federal officials today told local tribes and North Coast officials that extra water releases from Trinity Lake used to cool the Klamath and Trinity rivers for fish may only occur in an emergency — when enough fish begin to sicken. Public Affairs Officer Mat Maucieri of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said that due to the ongoing statewide drought,,,Read more here 07:41
This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Southeast AK has best Dungeness season ever; More fishing updates
This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch … Lots of fishing going on from one end of Alaska to the other. With a few exceptions, most of Alaska’s salmon fisheries are rather lackluster. statewide the salmon catch has topped 87 million and more than 47 million of those fish are sockeye salmon. Nearly 29 million of the reds are from Bristol Bay,,, Read more here 19:57
Fisherman injured at sea due remuneration despite pre-existing condition: a federal appeals court has ruled.
The owner of a commercial fishing vessel must pay for lodging, food and medical expenses for a ship crew member who suffers from long-term anemia after a 2008 accident on the boat, even though his condition may have been related to his prior hepatitis C diagnosis, a federal appeals court has ruled. Santos Ramirez was a crew member on a commercial fishing ship owned by Seaford, Virginia-based Carolina Dream Inc. for eight years, court records show. Read more here 19:28
Long Island, NY: County Attorney To Explore Legal Action On Behalf of Commercial Fishing Industry
The Suffolk County Legislature at its July 29 General Meeting unanimously passed a resolution, sponsored by Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk), asking the County Attorney to explore legal action against the Federal Government on behalf of Suffolk’s commercial fishermen to correct inequitable fishing quotas. Read more here 19:06
Alright Fishermen. Listen up! How a Club of Billionaires and Their Foundations Control the Environmental Movement and Obama’s EPA
Think NOAA/NMFS! How a Club of Billionaires and Their Foundations Control the Environmental Movement and Obama’s EPA A new report was released today by the Senate Environment and Public Works committee, and it is damning. All this time that climate skeptics are accused of being in the employ of “big oil” is nothing more than a projection of their own greed. Read more here Read the Senate.gov report 17:25
Can Chinese customers cotton to Canadian claws? Nova Scotia’s Tangier Lobster looks East as U.S. sales slump
Tangier needs buyers willing to pay a premium price. Before the recession, Nova Scotia lobster exporters could rely on the U.S. market to wolf down a sizeable share of their annual output. Now, Tangier’s American sales are down, and the company is looking to make up the difference in Asia — particularly in the massive market emerging in China. Read more here 16:12
Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum honors Biloxi’s seafood heritage with Hall of Fame
This weekend a new building loaded with 300 years worth of Biloxi’s rich seafood and maritime history will open. The museum opens to the public Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Inductees to the museum’s Heritage Hall of Fame are listed. .Read more here 13:39
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 34′ COI Inspected Passenger/Charter/Dive/Research 315HP, 6 Cylinder Yanmar
Specifications, information and 11 photo’s click here 12:55 To see all the boats in this series, Click here
Operator: Stranded Eco Tour Boat Was in Restricted Area
A group of whale watchers expecting only an afternoon tour were forced instead to spend a long night at sea after their boat was snagged by a mooring cable off Massachusetts, officials and passengers said Tuesday. Passengers will receive a refund on their $50 ticket, a $100 gift card for a future Boston Harbor Cruise and $500 cash for their troubles! Read more here 10:53
Who Let the Fish Out: Fish Hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest – vigilante fisherman? or some eco crazed fanatic?!!
Early in the morning of May 13th, 2014, an unknown fish vigilante stole into the Tokul Creek Fish Hatchery in the suburbs of Seattle and cut the padlocks on the juvenile steelhead trout pens, opening the passage between the hatchery and the river. Read more here 10:20
House passes bill to amend Endangered Species Act
The House passed legislation Tuesday that would modify the Endangered Species Act. Republicans said that making the data publicly available would result in a more transparent process. (We want transparency!) But Democrats said the changes would only slow down the process of designating whether species are endangered. (We don’t want transparency!) “These bills will instead increase the amount of red tape,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.). (Think National Ocean Policy) Read more here 09:50
F/V Demi Lynn, sinks at her Warren Town Wharf berth
The 40-odd foot fishing boat, owned by Bristol resident Manuel “Butch” Perreira, sank at its Warren Town Wharf berth some time overnight Saturday into Sunday, coming to rest on its port side. “Nothing sadder than seeing a man’s boat on the bottom,” said one fellow fisherman who was watching crews go about their work. Read more here 09:28
Impact of Deepwater Horizon oil spill on coral is deeper and broader than predicted
A new discovery of two additional coral communities showing signs of damage from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill expands the impact footprint of the 2010 spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The discovery was made by a team led by Charles Fisher, professor of biology at Penn State University. Read more here 08:52
EU Commissioner Damanaki will not return to Greece or Greek politics – approached by international organizations
Greece’s current European Commissioner, Maria Damanaki, will not return to Greece or Greek politics when her tenure ends in October, Kathimerini understands. Damanaki holds the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries portfolio and it is thought that she will continue in this field after leaving the Commission. Sources said she has already been approached by international organizations. (I’m thinkin’ Pew/EDF/Oceana) Read the rest here 08:06
F/V Huachinango saved from sinking by crew, Coast Guard
A commercial fishing vessel from Brownsville is slowly making its way back to port Tuesday, thanks to some quick actions by its crew and Coast Guard units. The Command Center received a distress call from the 68-foot-long shrimping vessel Huachinango (“wha-chin-ahn-go”), taking on water 37 miles offshore of Baffin Bay at approximately 1:30 p.m Read more here 07:38
Hampton NH fisherman catches crustacean sensation
An extremely rare marine creature has been creating quite a buzz around Hampton Beach since a local fisherman pulled it from the mouth of Hampton Harbor last week. Josiah Beringer found a bright orange calico lobster with dark blue spots in one of his traps July 23 and decided to donate it to the Explore the Ocean World Oceanarium for educational purposes. Read more here 07:10
