Daily Archives: January 21, 2015

“All this is thrown away because of one man in Oregon,’’ – Commercial fishermen unhappy with Columbia River reforms

Commercial fishermen have reiterated their disgruntlement with the Columbia River reforms adopted two years ago by the Washington and Oregon fish and wildlife commissions. At a public hearing earlier this month in Tumwater before the Washington commission, several leaders in the lower Columbia commercial community made their unhappiness with the reforms known. Read the rest here 21:26

Biggest fish in the ocean receives international protection

Tuna and other fish species may congregate around , but new rule reduces the chance that the giant sea creatures could get caught in nets targeting those species. Fishermen also learned that whale sharks are so large that they naturally attract tuna, much like a FAD.,,, Read the rest here 19:37

David Bayes: Major bycatch reduction essential to halibut fishery

In recent seasons, halibut users across the state have been tightening their belts. Biologists tell us that, though the total number of halibut in Alaska’s waters is at a very sustainable rate, those halibut are now growing more slowly than usual. Since halibut are regulated based upon the “total number of pounds in the sea,”  rather than “total number of fish in the sea,” the longline and charter fleets are facing allocation cutbacks. Read the rest here 16:27

Cape Cod – Seal control measures suggested – 200,000 or more of them sitting on our shores

With many fishermen complaining about the scourge of seals for decades and the recent phenomenon of great white sharks arriving to nosh on the blubbery – and protected – pinnipeds, Chatham officials had plenty to say when asked to comment on ways to deter “nuisance” animals. “They really aren’t endangered. I can’t see how 200,000 or more of them sitting on our shores can be (endangered),” said Selectman Chairman Florence Seldin last week, adding that they were so many in one of the Martha’s Vineyard harbors last year that boat traffic stopped. Read the rest here 15:59

Sea lions back in Port of Astoria’s sights

 The smelt are back in the Columbia River — and so are the sea lions trying to eat them. And the Port of Astoria is once again providing a resting place for hundreds, if not , of sea lions at the East End Mooring Basin. The only thing staff has done is to protect the Port’s property and get the sea lions off the docks, said Executive Director Jim Knight during a meeting Tuesday. He estimated between 2,000 and 3,000 sea lions head Astoria’s way for fishing season. Read the rest here 14:46

Always Top Quality! Your Seafreeze Ltd. Preferred Price List for January 21, 2015

SF-Boat1-PersistenceContact our sales team today @ 401 295 2585 or 800 732 273  Click here for the complete price list from Seafreeze Ltd. We are Direct to the Source-We are Fishermen-We are Seafreeze Ltd!  Visit our website!  14:07

Federal regulators consider lessening ban on single lobster pots

New regulations set by the National Marine Fisheries Service ban the use of lobstering equipment from Feb. 1 to April 30 off the Massachusetts coast. The goal is to reduce the chances of whales becoming entangled in the gear.The also ban single pots – or one trap per buoy line – outright starting June 1. Lobstermen would therefore have to tether multiple pots along a single line. But the state Division of Marine Fisheries is challenging the federal rules to allow single pots close to shore in three areas. Read the rest here 11:41

Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 36′ Fiberglass Lobster/Gillnet, Cummins

lb3779_01Specifications, and information and 22 photos click here  To see all the boats in this series, Click here  11:04

Antarctic toothfish poaching ships shrug off New Zealand navy

Staying hidden behind sea ice and large waves, sailors aboard a navy patrol boat from New Zealand sneaked up on three suspected poaching ships, then took photos and video of the fishermen hauling in prized fish in banned nets from the ocean near Antarctica. Seemingly caught red-handed, the crews of the rusting vessels just kept on fishing. Read the rest here 09:24

Harbour authorities threaten to quit in face of federal cuts – Newfoundland and Labrador singled out!

Hundreds of harbour authorities around the coast of  are apparently considering resigning in the face of federal government cuts to people and services that support the program. Harbour authorities are mostly volunteer driven, and carry the responsibility of operating, managing and maintaining upwards of 300 harbours around the province. Read the rest here 08:49

Report: Atlantic menhaden are in better shape than regulators thought

Environmentalists and commercial fishermen have clashed for years over Atlantic menhaden and whether there are still plenty of the little fish left in the sea. Now a draft of a  that incorporates more comprehensive data from coastal states stretching back to the 1950s, as well as alternative model scenarios, appears to indicate menhaden might not be in such bad shape after all. Read the rest here 08:00