Daily Archives: March 16, 2015
NJ Senate influenced by the Humane Society moves to ban shark fin trade
The New Jersey Senate has passed a bill to ban the trade, sale and distribution of shark fin products and may now join several U.S. states and territories with already with similar laws. The bill introduced by Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), along with Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Somerset) in May 2014, passed today by a vote of 28 to 10 according to The Humane Society of the United States. Read the rest here 19:58
“Deadliest Catch” Vessel Aleutian Ballad, From a Colorful Past to Industrial Tourism
The Aleutian Ballad was a crab boat for 23 years before it was converted into an industrial tourism ship. The crabber was shown on the Discovery Channel hit series The Deadliest Catch when it was hit by a 60-foot rogue wave that rolled the ship on its side. But that night in 2005 wasn’t the first time a rogue wave knocked the ship over, co-owner David Lethin said. Read the rest here Take the tour! Click here 16:47
Lack of Nation to Nation relationship between the Canadian Government and Indigenous fishermen causes conflict
On Monday March 9, 2015, a fishing trial began outside a Vancouver Court House. With the lack of Nation-to-Nation relationships between the First Nation and the Canadian Government, disputes – in this case fishing disputes – must be handled by the provincial courts, even when the provincial court overrides the decisions by the Supreme Court of Canada. Read the rest here 16:10
Salvage Crew Waiting For High Tide To Free Stuck F/V Joyce Lynn II – Video
If at first you don’t succeed, wait for high tide and try again. That could be the motto Monday for TowBoatUS as they again try to free a commercial fishing boat which ended up beached just north of the Port Everglades jetty Friday night. Attempts over the weekend failed to budge the boat. TowBoatUS salvage expert Travis Bason said Sunday the vessel’s rudder and prop were a problem. Read the rest here 14:18
Costco’s fish import licence suspended
Canada’s food safety watchdog has suspended Costco Canada’s fish import licence. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the retail giant is not reliably following food safety controls on a consistent basis. The agency says Costco is in violation of federal fish inspection regulations and the suspension on imports went into effect on Feb. 26. Read the rest here 13:45
Federal officials plan to track every fish and crustacean shipped to U.S. ports
Before any seafood enters the U.S. market, officials said, it must contain information that federal, state and local officials currently do not ask for: its origin, who caught it, when and with what. That data can be taken by any federal, state and local authority at a port and submitted to a central database for tracking. Conservationist groups that pushed the administration to better protect global fishing stocks for years cheered the report. Michele Kuruc, vice president of ocean policy for the , called it historic. Read the rest here 12:37
From Iceland to New Bedford: Waste not, want not for fisheries
The materials in question — cod heads, livers, skin and intestines — are as about as raw as it gets but they are nothing to sniff at, and the numbers bear that out. In 1981, the Icelandic cod fishery produced 460,000 tons, worth $340 million. In 2011, only 180,000 tons came ashore but these “holistic” fish swelled the cod coffers to $680 million that year. Read the rest here 10:42
Maine survey to assess depleted shrimp nearing completion
Shrimp trawlers and trappers are collecting samples for state regulators in the Gulf of Maine. The Maine Department of Marine Resources is paying four trawlers $500 per trip and allowing them to sell up to 1,800 pounds of shrimp per trip. It is also allowing five trappers to keep up to 100 pounds of shrimp per week for personal use. Read the rest here 09:46
Tradex 3-Minute Market Insight: Controversial Halibut Bycatch Reductions; Stock Scarcity Closes Golden King Crab Fishery
After speaking to a few Alaska trawl boat groups, some feel the recent decisions by IPHC are unfairly weighted on the trawl fisheries The Golden King Crab is the most abundant species of crab in their Alaska range; however, the closure announcement comes as a result of abnormal and EXTREMELY low harvests this season. Watch the update here 09:31
Letter: NOAA’s action still leaves out smaller boats
To the editor: With regard to NOAA’s accepting parts of a proposal of the Northeast Seafood Coalition and Gloucester fishermen: I still fail to see how this will help the small boat and fisherman who cannot go out to Georges Bank. How can this help them? It seems the larger boats have a better chance to make a living and that can be good, but what about the small guy? Is NOAA going to help them? I think it’s about time that NOAA think about the entire fleet, and not just cater to the bigger vessels. SAM PARISI Gloucester @GDT 07:35
