Daily Archives: February 5, 2015
Proposed National Marine Sanctuary nominated off California coast
The formal documents were submitted this week to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for consideration on Monday. The stretch of coast affected includes both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties and runs from Cambria to just north of Gaviota. On the water, the area is sandwiched between two already existing Nation Marin Sanctuaries; Monterey Bay to the north and Channel Islands to the south. Read the rest here 22:48
Coast Guardsman shot 2 colleagues, ambushed cops
A Coast Guard member shot two colleagues at a Cape Cod condo complex early Thursday, lit a car on fire to hamper police, planted fake bombs and then opened fire on officers, authorities said. The episode, which the police chief in the town of Bourne called “crazy and hectic,” left one woman dead, another woman and an officer wounded, and the suspect in custody. Read the rest here 22:05
CDFW to Host Public Meeting on Ocean Salmon Fisheries
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) invites the public to attend its upcoming annual ocean salmon information meeting. A review of last year’s ocean salmon fisheries and spawning escapement will be presented, in addition to the outlook for this year’s sport and commercial ocean salmon fisheries. The meeting is scheduled Thur., Feb. 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sonoma County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Blvd. in Santa Rosa. Read the rest here 20:16
Maine to consider $3 million bond, other measures to combat shellfish-threatening ocean acidity
Rep. Mick Devin, D-Newcastle and the most vocal voice in the fight against acidification, said the arithmetic is simple. “Our marine economy is at stake here. The lobster fishery alone is worth $1 billion,” he said during a news conference Thursday. “No one comes to the Maine coast to eat a chicken sandwich. We lose our lobster, we lose our clams? We’ll lose tourism as well.” Read the rest here 19:19 Ocean Acidification articles @WUWT
Eyak Salvaged, Back In Sitka
The Eyak is back in Sitka. Ten days after the 80-foot tender and mail boat ran aground and sank just north of the Goddard hot springs, it’s back afloat — after a virtual alphabet soup of state and federal agencies and local companies worked together to salvage it. At about 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon (1-30-15), the tugboat Marauder chugged into Sitka Channel with the Eyak in tow. Those watching as the vessel was tied up at Sitka Sound Seafoods said the plan for now is to take the Eyak to Wrangell for repairs. Read the rest here 17:49
These animals are eating each other! – Genetics lab unravels mystery whale killing at sea
Little was left of the kill when biologists reached the scene. Frenzied swimming churned the ocean surface. Geysers of bloody water sprayed into the air. Hungry seabirds circled in search of leftovers. But by the time the large research ship arrived at the scene, all biologists could find was a slick of oil from the vanished victim. That, and the unidentified animal’s lungs and heart. Read the rest here 17:01
Alaska senators hope to toss overbroad fishing-discharge regs overboard
“The flawed regulation is written so broadly that it would penalize Alaska’s fisherman and more than 8,000 boats statewide simply for rinsing fish guts off their deck, or rainwater washing other materials off their decks,” Murkowski’s office wrote in a statement on the 2014 bill Thursday. Read the rest here 16:33
Are green and greed links a bit fishy?
Serious questions need to be asked of the world’s most prominent environmental organisations. How many of them are bankrolled by multinational corporations? Do they really think that they are immune to “greenwashing”? To bring it all closer to home, how many of the green NGOs lobbying Brussels in my industry – fishing – have taken money from Shell, BP, Coca-Cola, Monsanto and HSBC, as has? And of those that shake their heads, how many are funded by bodies like the Pew Foundation, awash with corporate dollars? Read the rest here 12:52
Snow crab fishery off to slow start – Harvests expected to pick up as more vessels move out of Pacific cod and bairdi tanner crab fisheries
Harvest figures for the commercial Bering Sea snow crab indicate it’s another slow start season for this fishery, a total allocation of 6.8 million pounds notwithstanding. Daily harvest reports posted by NOAA Fisheries Service in Juneau show that through Feb. 3, vessels fishing with individual fishing quota have harvested 23,402,226 pounds, or 38 percent of their total allocation of 61,155,000 pounds. Read the rest here 12:28
Cautionary fish tale from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef marine reserve
All told, vessels have been catching 39% less seafood—roughly 4500 metric tons—in the Great Barrier Reef than before the closure, Fletcher and colleagues report in a paper published online ahead of print in Ecological Applications. (There was no change in the areas to the north and south.) Annual revenue fell by AU$58 million, rather than the predicted AU$13 million loss. Although some studies have shown that fish populations increased inside the reserves, the fishing outside hasn’t seen a benefit—even 9 years later. Read the rest here 11:45
Jersey Shore Fishing: DEP Proposed Rules for reefs up for comment
“Recreational and commercial fishing are vital to New Jersey’s economy, providing more than $2.5 billion in economic benefits each year,” Commissioner Martin said. “This compromise will address the needs of commercial fishermen and recreational anglers, and will result in restoration of federal funding that is vital to the development of artificial reefs that provide tremendous commercial and recreational benefits.” Read the rest here 11:34
Did Alaska Fish Board appointee really discover an endangered species?
Kenai Peninsula fisherman Roland Maw, Alaska Gov. Bill Walker’s controversial appointee to the Alaska Board of Fisheries, claims in his resume to have been responsible for a significant scientific achievement, the first identification of a new, endangered species in North America. Maw was unable to direct Alaska Dispatch News (Medred) to any such reference, however, and an independent search could find none. Read the rest here 11:19
Letter: Time for changes to Maguson Act – Tony Austin, Hubert, N.C.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act, enacted in 1976, set up the council system, has been reauthorized by Congress several times, and has become like “Matun, the old blind beggar, bandaged from brow to chin. Eyeless, noseless, and lipless — toothless, broken of speech, seeking a dole at the doorway he mumbles his tale to each;” Read the rest here 08:36
