Monthly Archives: October 2014
Enviros look for way forward after Antarctic fisheries motion fails at international meeting
Conservationists are trying to determine a way forward after the annual Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting ended on Friday. Representatives of 25 nations gathered in Hobart over 10 days for the CCAMLR meeting. The Antarctic Ocean Alliance, a coalition of 30 environmental groups including , said Russia and China blocked,,, Read the rest here 20:49
ALL EYES ON PORT ORFORD : Fishermen continue cleanup, contemplate impact of last weekend’s storm on crab season
The damage done by last Saturday’s storm that hammered the Port of Port Orford could have far-reaching implications. Waves slammed into the cement dock at the Port of Port Orford last Saturday as local fishermen raced to keep a disaster from turning into a financial catastrophe. Brett Webb, a port commissioner and a commercial crab fisherman, knew if boats started getting tossed off of the dock they could be looking at a long-term closure. Read the rest here 19:47
North Carolina’s Walter Jones Calls On Administration To Fight For Bluefin Tuna Quota Increase
“After years of steep quota reductions, U.S. bluefin tuna fishermen have more than done their part,” said Congressman Jones. “The economic costs to them, their families, and the communities they support have been severe. Now that science shows the stock is fully rebuilt, that sacrifice should not go unrewarded.” I love this guy! Read the rest here 18:05
Pirate fishing targeted in Congress – new laws likely passed this year!
Congress is set to act on a measure aimed at stopping fish pirates from dumping millions of tons of illegally caught fish and shellfish in world markets. For decades, no fishery has been pinched harder than Bering Sea king crab, which last year alone went up against 100 million pounds of pirated crab from Russia. Listen, Read the rest here. 17:11
UPDATED! Don’t whisper a word, but, a very, very interesting rumor is floating about!
We have received word from the guys out back in the shipping/receiving department of Fisherynation, that someone has supposedly resigned from the effective immediately and will be helping fishermen out through the Nature Conservancy! My most reliable contact on the inside wouldn’t budge. We have heard who it is, but until we see something “official” our lips are sealed. 16:35 UPDATED 18:42 Dempsey Resigns, Takes position with Nature Conservancy! Read the tea leaf in the comment section!
Always Top Quality! Your Seafreeze Ltd. Preferred Price List for October 31, 2014
Contact our sales team today @ 401 295 2585 or 800 732 273 Click here for the complete price list from Seafreeze Ltd. where The Only Thing They Treat YOUR Fish is With Respect ! Visit our website 14:03
Is fleet diversity key to sustainable fisheries?
Titled “Consequences of fleet diversification in managed and unmanaged fisheries” and written by Sustainable Fisheries Group postdoctoral scholar Matt Burgess, the study was published today in the e-First section of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Burgess used a mathematical model to show that fleet diversity helps managers by,,, Read the rest here 13:36
Coast Guard puts off Oregon S+R base closing; Charleston SC still a question
The U.S. Coast Guard might be close to budging on plans to remove a search and rescue helicopter and shutter a base on the Stono River. A similar base in Newport, Ore., just won a reprieve. Whatever is or isn’t happening with South Carolina delegation members is being kept low key and largely under wraps. The Dec. 15 date is significant because it is after the election and four days after the scheduled expiration of a Congressional,, Read the rest here 13:12
The Fishing Partnership New Bedford: F R E E V A C C I N E S ! Flu – Pneumonia – Tetanus
Fishing Partnership has partnered up with the Southcoast Health Van to provide FREE vaccines. Tuesday, November 4th 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Location: Whaling City Auction Address: 64 Hassey Street, New Bedford, MA 02740 For more information, contact Deb Kelsey at 508-884-6661 or Monica DeSousa at 508-991-3043. WALK-INS ARE WELCOME You do not need health insurance to participate in this clinic. 12:31 http://fishingpartnership.org/
Portland draws even with Gloucester in fish landings
While the port of Portland has finally pulled even with Gloucester, Massachusetts, in fish landings, it could be a hollow victory as federal regulators prepare to impose a new set of restrictions that will likely batter the groundfishing fleets in both ports. Read the rest here 11:52
Defense Department logs in against wind turbine project
The long-anticipated response from the Department of Defense on the proposed Eastern Shore wind turbine project was released Thursday and it is so strongly negative against it that it could very well deep six it. The letter from the Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx says of the proposed Great Bay Energy Center wind turbine project,,, Hey Denny! We don’t want Cape Wind! Read the rest here 09:25
A scrapped IPO offers a raw look at China’s rampant overfishing of tuna
China hauls in 12 times more fish that it admits to catching, according to a report by the EU parliament, and regularly exceeds international limits on fishing certain species. How can China be so casual about flouting its commitments? The drama surrounding a recent Hong Kong draft IPO filing (pdf)—and its hasty withdrawal—offers some clues,,, Read the rest here 08:08
Lobster fishermen look to fill local plates, including selling their catch off their boats
There are no official numbers as to how many people buy at local wharfs, although Brzeski believes fishermen do stand to benefit from people’s buy-local preferences. “People are starting to think about that: if I sell my lobsters directly to the consumers, it’s fresher, it’s better, maybe I can make a little bit more and become a little bit independent of the buyers that are trying to keep the prices as low as they can. Read the rest here 22:10
Long Island Sound Lobsters Make Their Return – Lawmakers and Fishermen praise pesticide restriction
Connecticut’s Lobsters are making a comeback. Life-long lobster fisherman Mike Kalaman confirms the lobster catch from the Long Island Sound is more bountiful than we’ve seen in years. Video Read the rest here 21:54
We Remember
In 1991, what became known as “The Perfect Storm” began forming hundreds of miles east of Nova Scotia; lost at sea during the storm were the six crew members of the Andrea Gail, a sword-fishing boat from Gloucester, Massachusetts. 16:52
Lawsuit filed over new rules for hired halibut skippers
The changes to the individual fishing quota, or IFQ, program revolve around the hired master program, and when a quota holder can have someone else catch their fish. Under the planned changes, catcher vessel-derived quota received by transfer after February 2010 cannot be fished by a hired master, with certain exceptions Read the rest here 15:21
Is This the End of the Line for Louisiana’s Vietnamese Shrimpers?
On a two-net trawler at the mouth of the Mississippi River, a Vietnamese shrimping crew burns fake money and incense. The captain, Phuoc Nguyen, throws rainbow-colored candies into the brackish bayou water. “When you make a promise to your ancestors, you have to give back,” says his wife, Sandy Nguyen, who comes from a long line of shrimpers in Vietnam. She and her husband blessed their 65-foot shrimping trawler in Buddhist tradition,,, Video, Read the rest here 12:29
New Bedford again leads the nation in value of seafood catch, Gloucester takes huge losses
For the 14th year in a row, New Bedford ranked first in the nation for the commercial value of fish landed in 2013, NOAA Fisheries announced Tuesday. New Bedford landed 130 million pounds of seafood last year but, boosted by the highly valuable sea scallop, its value was $379 million. Gloucester’s catch also declined significantly, dropping from 83 million pounds in 2012 to 62 million last year, sinking its value to $42 million from $57 million. Read the rest here 12:12
Butterfish—Little Fish Big Science
For this assessment, scientists developed a new method for estimating fish abundance that takes changing environmental conditions into account, something that will become increasingly important as the climate changes and the oceans warm.,,, Much of that uncertainty was caused by the fact that butterfish shift their distribution in response to changing bottom water temperatures.,, The breakthrough came when scientists devised a way to account for the effect of bottom water temperature,,, Read the rest here 11:09
Survey: Shrimp in US rife with murky labeling
Consumers around the nation can’t be sure what kind of shrimp they’re buying if they simply look at the label or menu at supermarkets, grocers and restaurants, an advocacy group says. Oceana did a DNA-based survey of shrimp sold at outlets in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Portland, Oregon; and various spots around the Gulf of Mexico. Read the rest here 10:44
AquaBounty Fined for Violations on GE Salmon
Officials in Panama have fined AquaBounty Technologies $9,500, stating the facility is operating in violation of environmental regulations as it experiments with genetically engineered (GE) salmon. Read the rest here 10:20
Astoria, Oregon, Top West Coast port in pounds landed last year
A report from NOAA/NMFS shows Astoria, Oregon, topped West Coast ports in pounds of fish landed last year. The report released Wednesday shows 159 million pounds of fish landed at the docks at the mouth of the Columbia River in 2013. The fish were valued at $50 million. Read the rest here 09:47
Great Lakes fishery managers need insight on climate change impacts
Great Lakes fishery managers worry that their operations may be harmed by invasive species, habitat loss in the long run, according to a new study. Read the rest here 08:52
Menhaden Fishing Ports Top NOAA’s Newest List; Support Coastal Communities
The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition is pleased to note that five of the nation’s top ten ports are largely supported by the commercial menhaden fishery, according to NOAA’s latest Fisheries of the United States report, released today. In Reedville, Va., Empire-Venice, La., Intracoastal City, La., Cameron, La., and Pascagoula-Moss Point, Ms., Read the rest here 20:33
NOAA/NMFS Releases Fisheries of the U.S. 2013
As we close out National Seafood Month this week, NOAA/NMFS released the Fisheries of the U.S. 2013 report
today. Each year, we compile key fisheries statistics from the previous year into an annual snapshot documenting fishing’s importance to the nation. Inside the 2013 report, you’ll find landings totals for both domestic commercial and recreational fishing by species. This information allows us to track important indicators such as annual seafood consumption and the productivity of top fishing ports. 19:57
Lobster keeps Maine fishing ports among top nationwide in value
Stonington remained Maine’s top port for overall value of its commercial fish landings, which had an estimated total value of $49 million,,,, Nationally, New Bedford, Massachusetts, had the highest value of landings for 2013, thanks to the Atlantic sea scallop fishery, while Dutch Harbor, Alaska — where the popular reality television show “Deadliest Catch” is filmed — ranked second. Read the rest here 19:31
Conservative regulations likely even though striped bass spawning stock is up
Last week the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that the 2014 juvenile index which measures striped bass spawning success in Chesapeake Bay is 11.0, nearly equal to the 61-year average which is a big improvement from recent years,,,Striped bass from the Chesapeake Bay area migrate north to Rhode Island and as far as Maine,,, Read more here 19:14
Professional Environmental Litigation Hitmen oppose ahi increases in Western Pacific- To Sue NMFS AGAIN!
Hawaii’s longline fleet may be rejoicing over a new opportunity to catch ahi, under a new agreement that allows them access to quota from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa and Guam. Earthjustice is examining legal options and is likely to take The National Marine Fisheries Service to court for approving the rule change, Henkin said. Read the rest here 17:38
Real Cape Hippie – We Now Harvest The Blood Of Half A Million Horseshoe Crabs A Year
Man I hope horseshoe crabs don’t watch Fox News. All of our bitching about how we are a socialist country now, how the government takes our hard earned money and redistributes it to the poor? That shit must sound kinda petty to a horseshoe crab. While Tea Party conservatives are railing about Obamaphones, somewhere there is a horseshoe crab screaming,,, Read the rest here 15:28
