Daily Archives: July 1, 2014
Coast Guard medevacs injured 70-year-old man from Noyes Island, Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard medevaced a 70-year-old man with an eye injury from Noyes Island approximately 34 miles from Klawock Tuesday. Sector Juneau command center personnel received the request for medevac from the crew of the 37-foot fishing vessel F/V Haida Spirit. Read more here 18:08
New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell speaks out a special listening session in Gloucester
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — July 1, 2014 — Mayor Jon Mitchell today spoke out on the topic of fisheries management at a special listening session in Gloucester, Massachusetts hosted by Congressman John Tierney and Congressman Peter DeFazio,,, Read more here 17:54
Center for Sustainable Fisheries Statement on Bill No. 4742 – Listening Session with Congressman Tierney and Congressman DeFazio
Tuesday, July 1, 2014 – On May 29th, the House Natural Resources Committee (“the Committee”) passed (23-17) Congressman Doc Hasting’s Bill No. 4742 (“the Bill”), called the “Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act,” to reauthorize and amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (“MSA”). The Center for Sustainable Fisheries (“CSF”) is supportive of the Bill because it re-iterates Congress’ intent to have a science-based management system that includes three tenets of good science: transparency; cooperation; and collaboration. By affording flexibility to the Councils and Secretary the Bill also re-iterates Congressional intent to balance and equally meet all goals of the MSA in Fishery Management Plans (“FMPs”) and management measures. Read more here 16:00
New Puget Sound smelt fishing regulations hope to stop decline in population
The state Fish and Wildlife Commission has taken on new measures for smelt fishing in Puget Sound to keep the populations from dwindling. “The new regulations preserve sport and commercial fishing opportunities while providing needed protection for smelt,” Wecker said. The new regulations are: Read more here 15:34
Season was ‘all over the board,’ says P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association as unsettled spring lobster fishery closes – video
P.E.I.’s spring lobster fishery closed Monday and many fishermen hauled their traps to put another unsettling year behind them.,, Some fishermen say the Island needs more fish processors, while others say holding facilities are needed to keep lobster well after the season closes. “We have an industry that’s all over the board when the season starts,” said McGeoghegan. Read more here 14:52
Hey! Who knew?!! NOAA predicts below-average season for commercial harvest of brown shrimp in western Gulf of Mexico
The harvest of brown shrimp in the western Gulf of Mexico is expected to be 53.2 million pounds, which is slightly below the historical 52-year average of 56.5 million pounds, according to NOAA’s annual forecast. The prediction covers the period from July 2014 through June 2015 for state and federal waters off Louisiana and federal waters off Texas. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes, yeah yeah yeah. Read more here 14:29
Fishing data collection grants announced
Data on commercial fishing is almost always described as inadequate for making sound decisions about quota and regulations. States and the federal government have formed the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) to conduct research into data collecting. Read more here 11:25
Yukon River king run hits the border
FAIRBANKS — The first Yukon River 
; now it’s just a matter of how many more will follow. The state is hoping at least 42,500 kings will pass the sonar before the king run is done, which would satisfy the goal set in an international salmon treaty with the Canadians to ensure the future of the run, which has declined dramatically in the last several years. Read more here 11:18
Massive influx of workers strains Emmonak water system, temporarily closes fish plant
Lower Yukon River commercial fishermen stopped fishing for a day last week when a water shortage forced the only processing plant in the region to temporarily shut down. With no ability to process the fish, fishermen avoided fishing until Thursday, when the plant was able to reopen. It has remained open since. Read more here 10:51
Canadian shrimp processors face survival test on falling quotas
The shrinking quotas for coldwater shrimp in Canadian waters, and the connected rising prices, mean raw materials cannot sustain the current number of plants, industry sources have warned. The inshore fishery quota has declined from some 175-180 million pounds in 2009/10 to 85m in 2014, and sources within the processing sector are agreed that this is . Read more here 08:54
Maine Lobster Board Launches Global Initiatives
The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative has a simple message for the world: Eat more lobster. The 11-member board formed late last year is launching its first initiatives to market the state’s most famous product to consumers, restaurants and retailers in response to record harvests that have caused falling prices. Read more here 08:45
Commercial vessel may be tied to dead menhaden
A vessel with the fish-processing company Omega Protein caught more menhaden than it could carry and rolled about 30,000 of the small, silvery fish back into the ocean off the eastern side of the Eastern Shore, said Rob O’Reilly, chief of fisheries management for the commission. Read more here 08:26
Drakes Bay oyster farm denied Supreme Court hearing
Oyster farmer Kevin Lunny’s reaction to what looked to others like the last legal gasp of his operation at punched right to the point: “It’s not over until the last oyster is shucked.” Read more here 08:20
Fisheries scientists head out for summer sea census – Most of the catch expected to be haddock, dogfish, silver hake and lobster
Ten scientists with Fisheries and Oceans Canada headed out from the dock at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography on Monday for a three-week research trip to conduct a so-called sea census. The goal is to determine the health of Canada’s East Coast fish populations and check on the state of the water they live in. Read more here 07:12
Stonington’s Neptune, old but reliable, coaxes a living from the sea – Photo gallery
STONINGTON — Neptune lumbers into port a bit late, her hold not quite as full of fish as some other days, her winches and outriggers a bit arthritic with rust. But cut her a break: she’s the oldest boat in the Stonington fleet. “She was built in 1967 by Luther Blount of Blount Marine,” says her captain, Alan Chaplaski. Read more here 04:58
Public Comment Begins For Sea Lion Protections
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