Daily Archives: October 30, 2014
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
