Daily Archives: January 9, 2015
Moe Van Doren, Larry Adler, and Curly Stewart – Saving New England’s Cod Fishery
On Friday, the New York Times ran an op-ed by University of New Hampshire historian W. Jeffrey Bolster describing the long history of the decline of the stock of cod off the coast of New England. Van Doren then sites Jonathan Adler and Nathaniel Stewart’s Tragedy of the Commons dogma, that would save the day! Wait till you read his recommendation to save New England!! Read it here 22:28
Lobstermen nervous over possible federal closures
“The Large Eastern Maine habitat management area is exactly that: large, encompassing nearly 1,700 square kilometers of the most productive lobster fishing grounds in New England,” said Stonington lobsterman and Maine Lobster Advisory Council member Genevieve Kurilec McDonald. “While the current proposal does not include a restriction on lobster gear, I’m not willing to gamble on the uncertainty that lobster gear could be restricted in the future under Option 5.” Read the rest here 20:24
SAFMC REMINDER: January 1, 2015 brought changes to federal fishing regulations in the South Atlantic
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council reminds commercial and recreational fishermen about several fishery openings and closures in federal waters of the South Atlantic effective January 1, 2015. Read more here 17:33Slime eels – the most disgusting fish in the ocean
What some call disgusting, others call delectable. That certainly applies to hagfish, also known as slime eels. They not actually eels, though, and there is some debate if they are even true fish. They have been called the most repulsive creature in the ocean. When alarmed, a hagfish excretes enormous amounts of mucous from glands in its skin. One hagfish can produce enough sticky slime to fill a milk container. The slime is thought to be a defense mechanism which clogs the gills of any predator. Read the rest here 16:54
Western Pacific Fishery Management Council Fishery News
Pacific Islands Fishery News is the newsletter of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. The latest edition of the Pacific Islands Fishery News is now available! Your feedback is welcome! Lots of info in a neat package. Click here to read it. 16:23
Great Lakes commercial fisheries issues to be discussed at Michigan Fish Producers conference
and Michigan State University Extension will be coordinating a daylong, educational program on current issues affecting the Great Lakes commercial fishing industry. Topics include changing water levels, prey fish populations, sea lamprey control, contaminants, sustainability and purchasing local fish. The program will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31 as part of the Michigan Fish Producers Association Annual Conference at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, Michigan Read more here 15:05
Ketchikan man sentenced for Coast Guardsman assault
A 55-year-old Ketchikan man 
has been sentenced to four years in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Jon William Munhoven, who also spells his name Mundhoven, was sentenced Wednesday in Juneau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt sought a 10-year sentence and called Munhoven one of the most violent men he had ever seen in court. Read the rest here 12:38
In the News -SMAST Prof. Emeritus Brian Rothschild Named Hjort Scholar
SMAST Prof. Emeritus Brian Rothschild has been appointed a Hjort Scholar by the Hjort Centre for Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Bergen, Norway. According to the appointment letter, recipients of Hjort Scholarships are “… scientists whose research is deemed to promote scientific innovation and understanding of marine ecosystem dynamics.” He is currently President and CEO of the Center for Sustainable Fisheries (CSF), a science-based, non-profit organization “devoted to the onservation of our fisheries resources and the economic development of our fishing communities.” Read the rest here 12:06
More than 400 call for new rules on fish farming in Nova Scotia
More than 400 people from community organizations across Nova Scotia turned out for a rally in Halifax on Thursday to issue a joint call for aquaculture reform. The head table at a news conference organized by the Nova Scotia chapter of the Atlantic Coalition for Aquaculture Reform included dozens of representatives of conservation groups, commercial fisheries organizations and even tourism operators. Read the rest here 09:47
Habitat Hearings over, New England Fishery Management Council tackles options
Federal regulators are deciding the scope of a management plan for thousands of square miles of fishing grounds off New England that has deeply divided fishermen and conservationists. The 
is working on the long-awaited plan for federal waters from Maine to Rhode Island. It includes a host of options including opening areas closed to fishing and adding new restrictions to open areas. Read the rest here 09:11
Letter: Can a fish bill, like Farm Bill, aid fishermen? – Sam Parisi, Gloucester
In my lifetime, I never thought I would see things this bad. The fishing industry is at an all-time low, and as long as NOAA calls the shots we are doomed. When the 200-mile limit came into effect, it enabled us to be rid of the foreign trawlers who raped our sea. Now, that has somehow left our fishermen to be wrongly blamed for depleting our fisheries. Something needs to be done now before there is no fishing industry left. Read the rest here 08:24
Details emerge on latest round of fisheries disaster aid
Approximately 130 groundfishing permit holders are expected to qualify for disaster aid announced Wednesday, splitting up $3.8 million among them with different, catch-based rates. That’s only one group of potential recipients of an $8.3 million round of disaster money destined for the Massachusetts industry. The state released the second of three funding rounds, headed for those who didn’t qualify under the first, which went to federal permit holders who caught 5,000 pounds over the last four years. Read the rest here 07:36
