Daily Archives: December 19, 2014
Court finds Radical environmentalist anti-whaling Sea Shepherd’s in contempt
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a commissioner to determine how much Paul Watson and members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society he founded owe Japanese whalers for lawyer fees, damage to their ships and for violating the court order to stop their dangerous protests. The Japanese whalers are demanding $2 million in addition to their attorney fees and damage and cost to their ships for warding off the protests. Read the rest here 21:00
North-east boat Budding Rose brings in bumper 13-tonne haul of cod
A 13-tonne haul of cod – caught in a single day by north-east boat the Budding Rose – highlights healthier times for the fish in the North Sea. The industry has endured year after year of quota and days-at-sea cuts in recent years after stocks dwindled to alarmingly low levels. But conservation measures pioneered in Scotland have,,, Read the rest here 19:46 The Budding Rose website.
Herring fishery closed off WA’s South Coast, fish limit reduced in response to report
The closure of a herring fishery off Western Australia’s south coast has been labelled “draconian” by the state’s peak commercial fishing body, with claims 100 jobs could be lost. Minister for Fisheries Ken Baston announced the closure of the South Coast G-Net fishery from March 1 next year in response to a report that showed stocks have declined,,, Read the rest here 19:04
Northeast Fisheries Science Center – Distribution of Fish on the Northeast U.S. Shelf Influenced by both Fishing and Climate
The four species studied– black sea bass, scup, summer flounder, and southern New England/Mid-Atlantic Bight winter flounder – have varied in abundance and have experienced heavy fishing pressure at times over the past 40 years. Scientists examined the distribution of the four species,,, Read the rest here 16:57
To Save Our Wild and Native Seafood, We Have to Eat It
If you live on the East Coast, West Coast, or Gulf Coast or even the Great Lakes, chances are you’re still able to get some fish caught wild in your coastal waters or freshwater inland “seas.” However if you’ve looked closely at the fish in your local supermarket – regardless of where you live – chances are you’ll find your fish originates from just about anywhere else in the world. Read the rest here 16:21
Thai Union set to acquire Bumble Bee for $1.5bn
Thai Union Frozen Products has entered into a binding agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of North America’s largest branded shelf-stable seafood company – Bumble Bee Foods. The $1.51 billion purchase is set to marry two of the most recognized seafood brands in the United States — San Diego-based Bumble Bee and Thai Union-owned Chicken of the Sea. Read the rest here 15:06
Fishing captain saved 9 Chinese fishermen from burning ship – honored for his heroic, lifesaving actions
Eleven Chinese fisherman, four badly burned or dying, floated in a life raft near their boat that had exploded into flames in the middle of nowhere in the Pacific Ocean. The smoke plume caught the eye of a helicopter pilot scouting for tuna for a fishing vessel skippered by Point Loma native Capt. Gregory Virissimo. Over the next several excruciating hours, the captain and his crew raced to the rescue, hauled the men onto their own vessel and coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force to fly in doctors and medical supplies. Read the rest here 11:39
Gulf of Maine lobster forecast to give industry early warning
Early indicators of lobster movement could help the industry prepare for the kind of conditions that occurred in 2012, when unusually high ocean temperatures prompted lobsters to shed their 
hard shells and migrate toward shore several weeks earlier than usual, resulting in a market glut and plummeting lobster prices. Read the rest here 10:57
Barrie Deas: Fishing ports caught in the net of new quota cuts
Once again it is politics, not fish left in the sea, which is destroying our fishing communities. This time it is an ill-conceived policy to reach Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) across all fisheries by 2015 that is to blame. MSY is a theoretical measure of the catch that can be taken annually from a stock consistent with its highest sustainable long-term yield. Paradoxically, MSY is a measure of economic efficiency but it is not economically efficient to bankrupt the fleet to get there. Read the rest here 10:02
NOAA’s Draft Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2 – Mayor Kirk pushes fishery options to N.E. panel
Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk is urging the New England Fisheries Management Council to keep in mind the perilous plight of the Gloucester and Northeast groundfishing fleet as it maps out habitat protection areas as part of a major NOAA ocean zoning project. New Bedford Mayor John Mitchell expressed concerns similar to Kirk’s. Yet, in the course of its hearings, the council has also been receiving comments from groups such as the ,,, Read the rest here 09:11
Louisiana Shrimp season called average
The fall shrimping season, which comes to a close on some state waters Monday evening, has been average for area fisherman. “I’ve seen better seasons and I’ve seen worse seasons,” said Daren Martin, owner of Martin’s Fresh Shrimp in Chauvin. Read the rest here 08:47
Challenging NOAA’s “Arctic Report Card 2014” on polar bears
This year, polar bears are virtually the only species that NOAA mentions in their Arctic Report Card – they’ve put all their icon-eggs in one leaky basket [what happened to walrus??]. But polar bears are doing so well that to make an alarming case for polar bears as victims of Arctic warming, many important caveats had to be left out or misrepresented. Some details given are simply wrong. Read the rest here 08:30
