Monthly Archives: November 2014
Behind the Curve? Fast-Warming Gulf of Maine Offers Hint of Future for Oceans
The waters off the coast of New England are warming more rapidly than almost any other ocean region on earth. Scientists are now studying the resulting ecosystem changes, and their findings could provide a glimpse of the future for many of the world’s coastal communities. Read the rest here 12:53
‘Stripper boat’ Wild Alaskan finds success in Kodiak – Video
It’s been quite a ride for the 
, a crab boat turned strip club, since it opened in July. “Business has been wildly successful,” said owner Darren Byler. “We, of course, are in a big fishing port, we cater to a variety of commercial fishermen.” The Wild Alaskan is the first of its kind in Kodiak. “It’s nice to say I come to work on a $3.5-million yacht,” said exotic dancer Destiny Pitman. Read the rest here 11:59
Maine: Cooler water, sustained demand buoy lobster prices
After two years of unusually high catches of lobster off the Maine coast, commercial landings of the iconic crustacean may be falling back a little in 2014. Scientists, fishermen and data buoys all point to as the main reason why the statewide catch may be slacking off a little after the record catches of the past two years. Read the rest here 09:33
Agenda Driven BS: Call to resurrect Marine Conservation Zones is a ‘Mishmash of Misinformation and ignorance’
Ben Bradshaw’s letter in the Independent on Sunday is a call to arms for the immediate designation of 127 marine conservation zones across UK waters, supposedly designed to protect our seas against a ‘climate change battleground’. The signatories to Ben Bradshaw’s letter should know better. Indeed many of them do know better but chose to go along with a simplistic campaign because it carries a clear but misleading slogan which they hope the public will support. Read the rest here 08:41
Supertrawler fishing ban comes to an end amid demands for permanent stop
The Stop the Trawler Alliance said Prime Minister Tony Abbott should make good on his promise in March that: “The supertrawler was banned from Australian waters…It will stay banned”. Read the rest here 08:22
Community supported fishery programs – Fishermen get hands-on with marketing their harvest
Rhonda Hubbard and her husband Jim of Seward started selling and processing their own fish more than two decades ago. Since then, she’s seen more fishermen do the same. “There’s a lot of people that would like to get better access to good quality seafood,” Hubbard said. Hubbard said she wears many hats to make her business work, and the regulatory process can be cumbersome. Read the rest here 07:23
Opposition to the Proposed LNG Project on Lelu Island
The study from SFU found that “The Skeena estuary funnels hundreds of millions of juvenile salmon through the transition from freshwater to marine habitats each year … (and) proposed development in these areas will threaten the fisheries that depend on these fishes.” Read the rest here 19:45
Rescue underway for fishing vessel taking on water 144 miles from Oahu
The Coast Guard is assisting the crew of a sinking fishing boat 144 miles north northeast of Oahu, Sunday. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Command Center received a distress call from the commercial fishing vessel Pacifica at 08:58a.m.,Sunday. Read the rest here 17:58
Deadliest Catch Skipper Elliot Neese was in Unalaska District Court this week for Catching Undersized Crab
Two boat captains were in Unalaska District Court on Thursday after being caught with undersized red king crab. Thirty-two-year-old Elliot Neese is the captain of the F/V Saga. The vessel was cited during a delivery of red kings last week. Dockside samplers found that 3.3 percent of the crab on board was illegal — either too small, or female. Read the rest here 16:29
First Dungeness crab loads reach Marin docks
The first commercially fished Dungeness crab arrived on Marin docks Saturday, much to the delight of shellfish lovers amped to crack open some shells. Western Boat & Tackle in San Rafael got an early load on Saturday that had customers clawing at the store’s seafood counter all afternoon. Read the rest here 15:46
NEFMC Council Meeting November 17-20, 2015 in Newport, RI. – Live Stream information via Webinar
Meeting Materials: Please consult the Council’s website by clicking on November 17-20, 2014 Council Meeting. You will find an agenda and copies of the materials to be considered. Webinar Registration: For online access to the meeting, please click https://www4.gotomeeting.com/
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update, November 16, 2014
The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance is dedicated to its mission of continuing to help create sustainable fisheries without putting licensed fishermen out of business.” Read the update here To read all the updates, click here 10:10
Really? Cut the Chopper from Newport, Transport baby Sea Lion to Sacramento?
“The Coast Guard played an enormous role in making the transport possible with the least amount of time, which is always a No. 1 priority for the sea lion’s health,” said Lauren Campbell, veterinary technician for TMMC. “We have a great partnership with the Coast Guard and because we strive for one goal – to help save Leo – it further his chances of a successful life out in the world,” said Campbell Read the rest here 09:37
UPDATED – New Hampshire’s small commercial fishing fleet is reeling – at odds with NOAA over cod reductions
“The fishermen vehemently dispute this latest assessment,” said David Goethel, captain of the F/V Ellen Diane out of Hampton Harbor. He’s served on the New England Fisheries Management Council and fished for more than two decades, and said the new measures may put him out of business. “It’s a completely idiotic program,” he said. “It is intended to kill fish and kill fishermen.” Read the rest here 09:09 and On the Seacoast, cod fishing blues read it here 10:23
World’s first commercially hatched lobster in Sabah
The world’s first ever commercially hatched lobster successfully bred in Sabah.The ground breaking milestone of the commercial breeding programme was shown to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman who ,,, Read the rest here 08:31
Fishermen’s union speaks out against proposed piloting change in Placentia Bay
FFAW-Unifor suggested the proposal to add an additional pilotage station in Placentia Bay appears to be driven by industrial operators in an effort to save time and money, at the risk of the fishing industry and the marine environment in Placentia Bay. Read the rest here 22:02
Coast Guard assists fishing vessel taking on water near Juneau, Alaska
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Anacapa assisted the crew of the 36-foot fishing vessel 
after their vessel began taking on water near Juneau, Alaska, Friday evening. A Coast Guard Anacapa crewmember successfully patched two holes found in the Pot Luck’s hull and escorted the vessel to Petersburg, Alaska. Read the rest here 17:27
Baker questions federal findings on fishing limits while meeting with Gloucester fishermen today
Local state senator, the minority leader Bruce Tarr, greets governor-elect Charlie Baker as he arrives to meet with fishermen to hear their concerns about the recent ban on cod fishing, at the Gloucester House restaurant in Gloucester, on Nov. 15. Baker questioned research findings used by federal regulators,, Read the rest here 17:07
Phillip Boudreau’s murder off Petit de Grat gradually unfolding in court
The crew of the Twin Maggies have different stories to tell about how Phillip Boudreau was killed. And the three people accused in his death are the only witnesses to how the 43-year-old Petit de Grat man died on June 1, 2013. “Yes,” Craggs said when asked outside of the courtroom if his client and co-crewman Craig Landry, who are not closely related, have different versions of how Boudreau was killed. Read the rest here 13:56
How Bering Sea crab fishing was made safer
The dangers of the Bering Sea crab fishery have been made famous by the reality TV show “Deadliest Catch.” But in the last 15 years, that industry has become much safer, in large part thanks to collaboration between industry, scientists and regulators. Read the rest here 12:29
Editorial: Fishery panel (NEFMC) holds chance to show need for reforms
Angela Sanfilippo,,, violates standards of Magnuson-Stevens that require NOAA to consider the economic impact on fishing communities.,,And given the secrecy of the “unscheduled” study, there are more questions than ever about NOAA’s use of the “best available science” ,, Read the rest here 09:43
Fishermen Question Cod-Fishing Ban Data -one boat couldn’t catch any cod — and that boat happens to belong to the U.S. government.”
“I am certain that the science is wrong by a lot on this one,” said Vito Giacalone,,, David Goethel, captain of the Ellen Diane out of Hampton, New Hampshire, agreed. “I think there are a lot more cod than they are finding,” Goethel said. “I think we’re in the position we’re in basically because one boat couldn’t catch any cod — and that boat happens to belong to the U.S. government.” Video, and read the rest here 08:53
Guest: Pacific Island fishing culture is under attack – Edwin Ebisui Jr. and Kitty Simonds
The president’s final action, announced on Sept. 25, formally proclaimed 490,000 square miles of these waters as part of the PRIMNM. This modification reduced, but did not remove, the harm to our fishermen and communities who depend on these waters for their livelihoods and sustenance and to supply legal, reported and regulated seafood to U.S. consumers. Read the rest here 08:19
Corbett tapped to chair Marine Fisheries Commission
For years, state officials asked Sammy Corbett to serve on the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission. And for years, Corbett said no. But eventually, he began to change his mind. So when the state came calling this year, Corbett finally said yes. Read the rest here 08:01
Voices From the West Coast Tuna Fishery – Interview Clips, Transcripts, & Photos
In the early 1900s, the West Coast tuna industry was born in the small coastal California town of San Pedro, near Los Angeles. An abundant coastal fishery allowed fishing and canning businesses to soon expand to nearby Terminal Island developing into . At the heart of it all was a thriving immigrant community. Read the rest here 22:08
Commercial fishing – Alaska’s largest employer continues to add more jobs to its roster.
Commercial fishing jobs grew last year to a level not seen since the year 2000, according to the state Department of Labor. Driven primarily by an increased salmon harvest, notably from the record run of pinks, fishing jobs grew by nearly 2.5 percent last year. That brought the annual monthly average to 8,400 jobs, just 400 shy of the record over a decade ago. Read the rest here 16:48
El Salvadore national charged with lying about residency to work on Alaska fishing crew
Alaska State Troopers arrested a fishing boat crewmember Wednesday in Unalaska, accusing the man of lying about his Alaska and United States residency on a commercial license. Read the rest here 15:07
Feds Reverse Course, Lift Ban on Fishing for Rare Pacific Bluefin Tuna – Center for Biological Diversity Distraught!
“Bluefin tuna have been decimated by overfishing, and the world has called in their Pacific bluefin tuna fleets — but California fishermen continue to catch endangered Pacific bluefin tuna,” said Catherine Kilduff with the Center for Biological Diversity. “The Fisheries Service is supposed to protect fish on the path to extinction, not push them deeper into crisis. Yet that’s exactly what they’ve done.” Shut up Lady! Read the rest here 13:27
“The entire system is broken, the fishing industry is being driven into the ground.”
Ed Barrett, president of the Massachusetts Bay Ground Fishermen’s Association, says the new regulations to restrict cod fishing in the Gulf of Maine for the next six months are a for the fishing community “complete disaster” for the fishing community. Read the rest here 13:03
