Daily Archives: March 12, 2015
B.C. orders clean-up of decaying and abandoned cannery at Namu
The provincial government has issued orders to clean up “a very dangerous situation” that exists at Namu, on British Columbia’s central coast, where a long-abandoned cannery is collapsing and spilling pollutants into the ocean. The Canadian Coast Guard has launched an operation to remove 25,000 litres of oily water from inside a rusting old freighter in the harbour, and provincial remediation efforts are expected soon on shore. Video, Read the rest here 20:53
Coast Guard rescues fishing boat off Nantucket
The Coast Guard rescued a stranded fishing vessel off the coast Nantucket Wednesday. The Hunter, a 75-foot scallop vessel, sent out a distress call 32 miles east of the island saying the ship was adrift without power after the main engine failed, according to a statement from the Coast Guard. photo credit Read the rest here 20:06
West Coast starfish die-off prompts calls for emergency help from Congress
With millions of starfish dying all along the West Coast, Washington state Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives say it’s time for Congress to intervene and find out why. After getting lesions on their bodies, the sea stars begin curling up and soon lose their legs, shriveling up and disintegrating into mush. Researchers fear the epidemic may be the result of a virus caused by climate change, with the disease showing its fastest progression in warmer ocean waters. Read the rest here 19:35
Cape Cod National Seashore joins cry against clam dredging off Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN — The citation issued by the Mass. environmental police against one of the fishing vessels engaged in the hydraulic dredging of surf clams off Herring Cove Beach in early March was explained by state officials as the consequence of an unplanned encounter that took place while an EPO patrol vessel was on a routine patrol.However, the chronology of events and the dispatch of two important letters to state decision-makers just days before the March 3 intervention involving the F/V Aimee Marie speaks to,,, Read the rest here
This Weekend: Marathon Seafood Festival celebrates locally caught seafood
Those attending can enjoy indigenous offerings like dolphin, Key West pink shrimp, spiny lobster, stone crab claws and crackers piled high with creamy smoked fish dip, a Florida Keys favorite.The weekend celebrates the area’s commercial fishing heritage and serves as a substantial fundraiser for local scholarship programs. Nearly $80,000 has been awarded to Marathon High School students through the Marathon chapter of the Organized Fishermen of Florida, a statewide group that represents the interests and well-being of the commercial fishing industries. Read the rest here 16:23
Latest twist in blueline tilefish tale
It appears that the management of blueline tilefish is turning into a battle of emergency actions.Last week, at the South Atlantic Management Council Meeting in Georgia, a motion was approved that directed the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee to determine if the stock assessment for the tilefish, SEDAR 32, was applicable to the entire range of the species. That includes the waters off New Jersey, which is under the jurisdiction of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. As of right now, there are no limits on tilefish here. Read the rest here 15:49:
Supporting responsible ocean management: Are ‘catch shares’ the right plan?
Sadly, catch shares inherently divide fishermen into haves and have-nots. Initial quota allocations often go to people and companies that were already fishing, endowing them with a huge benefit for getting in the game early. As red snapper limits were set and reduced in the Gulf, small-scale fishermen often bore the brunt of the cost of managing the catch. Since the advent of the program, the number of entities-companies and private fishermen-in the industry is down 39 percent. Read the rest here
Where oh where are the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crabs going?
The Atlantic blue crab has long been a commercially important species for thousands of water-men in the crab fishery industry in Maryland and Virginia. But ecological damage, over-exploitation and now, migration of the species is cause for alarm.,, In all fairness, this is not the first time this migration northward has occurred. In the 1950s, a similar migration of the blue crab was observed. When the ocean waters returned to their average temperature, the crabs disappeared. Read the rest here 12:46
“Air Powered Sampling for Purse Seine Fisheries.” – The Net That Lets Fishermen ‘Preview’ Their Catch
The cannon is ready, the ammo is loaded, and the controller blasts it into the sky. But this isn’t a weapon of war: it’s part of a rescue operation, and fish are the target. It does this by using an air-powered cannon to shoot a mini-trawl into a net, so it can collect a sample of fish. Read the rest here 12:02
Fukushima nuclear pollution hasn’t hit B.C. shore, says researcher Jay Cullen
Four years after a massive earthquake struck Japan, creating a nuclear disaster in Fukushima, research shows nuclear pollution is making its way towards B.C., but isn’t affecting fish. “According to all the measurements that we’ve made thus far, and with our partner Health Canada who have been making measurements of fish since 2011, we’ve yet to detect that marker isotope for fish caught along the coast,” Jay Cullen, a University of Victoria professor, told Daybreak North’s Carolina de Ryk. Read the rest here 11:16
Maine Scallop Fisherman charged with multiple scallop violations
A local scallop fisherman is facing multiple charges after he allegedly dragged for scallops at night in the area of an underwater power cable, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Lucas Lemoine, 33, also is accused of operating his vessel without navigation lights and with possession of undersized scallops, Maine Department of Marine Resources indicated in a prepared statement released Wednesday evening. Read the rest here 10:54
Port Richey prepares to address problems with commercial, unregistered boats
Although the City Council on Tuesday asked the city staff to look at ways to toughen Port Richey’s code concerning the mooring of boats in residential waters, some council members warned that it might not be easy in an area with a longtime culture of commercial fishing. “This issue goes back in the area forever,” Vice Mayor Bill Colombo said. City leaders took up the issue at the request of council member Nancy Britton, who said she is fed up with the growing number of commercial vessels mooring in residential areas. Read the rest here 10:37
