Daily Archives: March 10, 2015
Newfoundland/Labrador – Stakes are big in shrimp fishery
The little northern shrimp gets picked on a lot in what is called Northern Shrimp Fishing Area 6 off the province’s northeast coast. The bullies include the offshore factory-freezer trawlers and inshore boats from all over the province that steam to the large expanse of water off the northeast coast of the island and southern Labrador. The overall shrimp resource has been declining in recent years and there’s controversy over which sector — the offshore or the inshore — should take the biggest hit in quota in coming years. Read the rest here 16:28
Debate continues about quotas as thousands of tonnes of herring pulled into boats off Parksville Qualicum Beach
While the Pacific herring are one of the most abundant fish in B.C.’s coastal waters, many communities have suffered a decrease in stock suspected from overfishing. The main controversies lay on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, around Haida Gwaii and on the central coast where First Nations and various scientists fear the herring are in a fragile state despite the federal government’s decision to reopen herring fisheries. Though herring stocks are struggling to recover in neighbouring waters, here in Parksville Qualicum Beach we’re seeing record highs. Read the rest here
Coast Guard officer relieved of command after grounding of 87-foot patrol boat
The Coast Guard officer who was relieved of the command of a Jonesport-based cutter is being investigated for his role in the grounding of the 87-foot patrol boat last month and several other incidents that called his ability to command into question, the Coast Guard said. Senior Chief Petty Officer Christopher Bouchard was relieved of his command of the Moray on Friday and temporarily reassigned to the Coast Guard sector field office in Southwest Harbor. Read the rest here 14:46
Federal judge grants preliminary injunction to block Pacific Seafood acquisition
Stepping in to avert a potential monopoly, a federal judge has granted commercial fishermen a preliminary injunction to block Pacific Seafood Group from acquiring Ocean Gold Seafoods. The fishermen have alleged that Pacific Seafood would have a monopoly over the groundfish, whiting and coldwater shrimp markets if it acquires Ocean Gold, a large fish processor in Westport, Wash. The ruling Friday by Judge Owen Panner in U.S. District Court in Medford came after the Oregon Attorney General’s office described the potential merger as “presumptively unlawful given the degree of market concentration.” Read the rest here 14:12
Happening Now: PFMC set to vote on new forage fish rules today
Regional policymakers are expected to act today on an ecological plan that would mark a significant shift in the way West Coast fisheries are managed. The years-in-the-making proposal aims to protect several species of forage fish that are often overlooked, but provide a crucial food source for salmon and other marine wildlife. The plan reflects a move toward more broad ecosystem-based management, rather than the species-by-species approach that characterized previous policy. Click here to listen live. Read the rest here 11:57
Tragedy: Captain Larry Wayne Sears dies after becoming ‘entangled’ in line
A 64-year-old Shag Harbour captain is dead after he was pulled overboard while lobster fishing in the Cape Sable area Monday night, according to Nova Scotia RCMP. Barrington RCMP say Larry Wayne Sears was hauling lobster pots with his two crew members on the Four Ladies when “it appears the trawl line became snarled in the hauler.” Read the rest here 11:03
“Waterway Hurricane Evacuation Smartphone App for Commercial Fishing Vessels,”
Louisiana’s commercial fishermen soon will have an app to help guide them during the rough waters of hurricane season. Titled “Waterway Hurricane Evacuation Smartphone App for Commercial Fishing Vessels,” the app is for fisherman to use as a reference deciding which way to head when a hurricane is forecast. The WAVE app project is underwritten by a $34,330 grant by the New Projects Fund of LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio. Read the rest here 10:27
Dispute continues over herring roe fishing rights in Barkley Sound
A confrontation between the Tseshaht First Nation and commercial fishing boats was avoided Sunday when a federal department postponed a herring fishery in Barkley Sound. A herring roe fishery was scheduled to open at sunrise by the Island’s West Coast area, but a last-minute announcement from Fisheries and Oceans Canada held off this activity, citing that stocks were not ready for harvesting. Tristan Nano photo Read the rest here 09:35
Eastlink sues Newfoundland fishing vessel for subsea cable break
An arrest warrant has been issued for a Newfoundland fishing vessel after another subsea telecommunication cable was broken last summer off the coast of Atlantic Canada. In a statement of claim filed last week in federal court, Nova Scotia-headquartered Eastlink accuses the vessel of damaging its cable, costing the company nearly $1 million in repairs. It was at least the fourth time an underwater cable was snapped by a fishing vessel in the region between May 2013 and July 2014. Read the rest here 08:33
Sardine ban looms as fishermen weigh disaster funds –
With the number of sardines along the Pacific coast plummeting, a commercial fishing ban looms on Monterey’s most iconic fish. “Our fishing is making the crash so much worse than it would have naturally been,” said Geoff Shester, California program director for the advocacy group Oceana. “This is unquestionably and unequivocally a result of overfishing.” “I’m sure Oceana will be banging the drum saying, ‘Oh no, the sky is falling, you can’t take one more fish,’” Diane Pleschner-Steele (CWPA) said. “They’re just so off the wall. They’re incredible.” Read the rest here 08:05
