Daily Archives: July 24, 2014
Senate Commerce Committee approves S 2094, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act
Incidental discharges by commercial vessels less than 79 feet, all commercial fishing vessels including seafood processors. Read more here 17:36
Flooding 60-foot F/V Endeavor contact Coast Guard for assistance at 09:15 this morning, tied up 12:20 this afteroon
NORTH BEND, Ore. — A Coast Guard boatcrew from Station Yaquina Bay, in Newport, assisted three men aboard a commercial fishing vessel taking on water about 10 miles north of the Yaquina Bay bar, Thursday. The crew of the 47-foot Motor Life Boat was able to safely pass portable dewatering equipment to the vessel and provided escort to the Port of Newport. Read more here 17:14
Important facts about the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) savory, beautiful swimmer
Of all the edible crabs, the blue crab is the most abundant and popular. Many Americans prefer crab meat to any other kind of seafood, and yet, these leggy crustaceans were once believed to be poisonous. Crab fishing is one of the largest shell fish operations in the U.S., employing thousands of fishermen and processors. According to the latest figures,, Read more here 16:09
Mind Boggling – Wild Salmon Harvests in Alaska Top 71 Million Fish
Commercial seafood harvesters in Alaska delivered some 71,053,000 salmon to processors through July 21, and the catch keeps growing. Preliminary harvest figures from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game put the catch at 38,485,000 sockeye, 26,011,000 humpies, 5,775,000 chum, 624,000 coho and 384,000 Chinook salmon. Read more here 14:54
Annual Redneck Fishing event to spotlight jobs, Catch as many Asian carp as fast as possible
There is a good-food, good-jobs theme at this year’s Redneck Fishing Tournament in the Illinois River community of Bath. Economic development and elected officials from across central Illinois are expected to join the two-day contest, Aug. 1-2, in the community of 300, about 60 miles northwest of Springfield. The contest is simple. Catch as many Asian carp as fast as possible from the Illinois River. Read more here 12:55
Southern California Man Ordered To Pay $10,000 for Commercial Fishing Violations
Adam Crawford James, 32, of Winnetka was sentenced to three years probation and revocation of all California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) licenses for the duration of his sentence. In addition, he was ordered to pay $7,000 to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund and an additional $3,000 to the city of Santa Monica in fines and penalty assessments. Read more here 12:46
Alaska State Troopers: 6 boats seized for fishing outside permitted area in Southwest
Six fishing vessels were seized this month after their operators were discovered drifting gillnets one to two nautical miles outside an open fishing area in Kulukak Bay in Southwest Alaska, state troopers say. The operators and permit holders aboard the boats were charged with misdemeanor commercial fishing in closed waters. Troopers said all the fishermen are from Togiak, a village of nearly 900 people 67 miles west of Dillingham. Read more here 12:38
Another Species, Another Center for Bio Diversity Petition To Prohibit Pacific Bluefin Tuna Fishing
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the receipt of, and request public comment on a petition for rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act. The Center for Biological Diversity, a non-governmental organization, has petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce to promulgate regulations to prohibit fishing for Pacific bluefin tuna and to identify specific reference points used to determine if overfishing is occurring or if the stock is overfished. Read more here 12:27
P.E.I. and Nova Scotia: Lobster licence stacking to reduce fishery
A new plan to allow P.E.I. and Nova Scotia fishermen to hold more than one lobster licence will reduce the number of traps in the water. Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea made the announcement in a news release overnight Wednesday. The new rules will,, Read more here 10:12
Fire at Millennium Marine USA ruins boats
EASTPORT, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — This weekend’s grand opening of the Millennium Marine USA in Eastport is on hold. That’s because of a fire that destroyed two boats being built for fishermen. The sprinkler system managed to save the building from burning down last night. Read more here 09:20
US Fishermen that land Sharks in some states will be penalized by ignorant politicians
Shark finning, a deplorable practice, is becoming the rally cry for some ignorant politicians to remove the ability of US fishermen to fill a niche market that is being dismantled simply because they cannot tell the difference between legal and illegal fishery issues. These state enacted bans are another assault on fishermen that play by the rules. Are they to just throw the legally landed shark products into the landfill, wasting condemned portions? Read Massachusetts to ban shark fin trade 09:07
Maine lobster shedding its shell caught in photos
When a lobster first sheds its shell, the new shell is so soft that it feels like a rotten banana. Occasionally they come up in lobster traps, and are commonly referred to as “jelly bellies”. They’re so soft that an elastic band would crush their claws, and they can’t be sold for wholesale because they would get crushed. Read more and view the pictures here 08:17:
Virginia Marine Resources Commission revokes licenses over oyster violations
NEWPORT NEWS — The commercial fishing licenses of four local watermen were revoked Tuesday for numerous and repeated criminal oyster violations. Two of the watermen, , are from Gloucester. Daniel T. West is from Newport News and Kenneth W. Jenkins lives in Norfolk. Read more here 07:40
Climate Change Threat To New England Fisheries
WGBH News’ Stephanie Leydon reports, in part two of our FOCUS report on climate change, there is evidence that warming waters are impacting one of the region’s most vital natural resources: seafood. GUESTS- John Bullard – National Marine Fisheries Service. Jackie Odell – Northeast Seafood Coalition. Watch the video here 07:25
New Critical Turtle Habitat in Place, Somone should tell the Turtles! “We’re in a natural lull”
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The number of loggerhead sea turtle nests on the South Carolina coast is down sharply this year but apparently there is no cause for concern. Figures from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources show there have been only about 1,700 loggerhead turtle nests recorded this year compared with a record of almost 5,200 a year ago. Read more here 07:05
