Daily Archives: October 29, 2014
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
Politicians blast Scottish Fishermen’s Federation
TWO politicians from the North East of Scotland have urged fishermen to voice their opinions on the future of the industry, as they feel that the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) is failing to engage with key issues, including the Smith Commission. “That is why I am encouraging active fishermen, fish processors, box manufacturers, hauliers and anyone else involved to make their views on the future of the industry known. Read the rest here 14:36
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission may/will shut down Maine shrimp AGAIN!
A technical committee that advises federal regulators strongly recommends extending a moratorium that began in 2014. A draft of the committee’s report says “long-term trends in environmental conditions” are unfavorable for the shrimp. The report pins the decline of the cold-water shrimp on rising ocean temperatures. Read the rest here 13:46
Fishery Convictions – Maritimes Region – October 29, 2014 – Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Maritimes Region, announced today that one company and 52 individuals have been convicted and fined nearly half a million dollars for fishery violations from June to August 2014. The fines total approximately $480,000 and were levied upon conviction for violations that took place in waters from the northern tip of Cape Breton to the New Brunswick-Maine border. Big Halibut numbers! Read the rest here 13:18
PEI Lobster fishermen voting on marketing levy – 1 cent a pound would go toward campaign to increase prices
P.E.I. fishermen vote this week on whether to accept a one-cent-a-pound levy on every lobster landed that would go into a new marketing campaign to push up prices. The levy, a recommendation of the Maritime Lobster Panel, needs a majority vote of support. It would be matched by processors and would raise more than $500,000 on P.E.I. Video Read the rest here 12:34
New chairman at the helm of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission: commercial fisherman Sammy Corbett
The N.C. Fisheries Association, a nonprofit that supports the state’s seafood industry, is pleased with Mr. Corbett’s appointment. NCFA Executive Director Jerry Schill said Monday he was at the special MFC meeting in Washington when Mr. Corbett’s appointment was officially announced. “I congratulated him and asked if he had unlimited minutes on his cell phone,” Mr. Schill said. “He said ‘yes,’ and I told him ‘good, because you’re going to need it.’” Read the rest here 12:18
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 45′ Fiberglass Scallop/Gillnetter/Lobster, 6 Cylinder John Deere 6081 Diesel
Specifications, information and 8 photo’s click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 11:39
Portland Harbor lobsterman, wharf owner retires after 75 years hauling traps
Old habits die hard. In David MacVane’s case, they don’t even retire. “I got a built-in clock, I wake at up three o’clock,” MacVane said as he nibbled a breakfast croissant on Oct. 24 at Cia Cafe in the Knightville neighborhood of South Portland. MacVane, 81, is a Cliff Island native, one of three owners of Portland’s Widgery Wharf. He recently retired from a life of lobstering that began when he was 5. “I used to bait the irons when I was a kid. I got seasick every day,” he said. Read the rest here 10:59
SMAST deploys water glider to study ocean temperatures
Scientists from the UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology drove up to the Fairhaven Shipyard before dawn Tuesday with a bright yellow, 6-foot torpedo-shaped object they call Blue.Blue is something called a marine glider, an autonomous underwater vehicle named after famed solo mariner Joshua Slocum by its manufacturer. Blue is designed to go to sea for weeks at a time to gather information about the water and send it back to scientists. Read the rest here and here 09:45
The impact of the New England Fisherman in Crisis hits Charley Baker, In Mass Governor race, hard
Martha Coakley and Charlie Baker answered questions about when they had last cried. Right away Baker got emotional, describing what a fisherman told him about his sons who got scholarships to play college football. “I told them no. I said, (pause) you’re gonna be fishermen. I was a fisherman. My brother was a fisherman. My father was a fisherman. And I ruined their lives.” That choked me up, too. Video, and Read the rest here 08:27
Maintaining ‘Rigs to ‘Reefs’ program vital to Louisiana
In 2009 and 2011, a combined $44.6 million was swept from “Rigs to Reefs.” In 2013, the Legislature intervened to stop another sweep. These funds are still currently vulnerable to another diversion going forward if Amendment No. 8 fails. The reason it is important to protect these funds is economical and environmental. This program is funded by private companies whose rigs have been decommissioned. Read the rest here 07:55
