Daily Archives: April 20, 2015
Nearly 700 lobster traps damaged in Norwell brush fire
A Norwell lobsterman lost hundreds of traps and other equipment Sunday in what one fire officials called a “freak” brush fire. Norwell Fire Capt. Jeff Simpson said flames reached as high as 40 feet in the air as the fire just off Bowker Street tore through stacks of lobster traps, specialized marine rope, a dingy and boat fuel. No one was injured, but Simpson said the damage could reach $100,000. Read the rest here 21:07
Who are Alaska’s biggest fishing whiners?
Alaska’s fisheries are targeted by many different gear types, from dip nets to big Bering Sea catcher processors. Fish Radio went down to the docks to hear what Kodiak fishermen believe are the whiniest group, Probably those who are less fortunate in catching the most fish. Definitely the trawl fleet. The state wide fishing fleet. I do believe it’s the Listen, and read the rest here 20:57
Coastal communities look to federal budget to restore coast guard cuts
Coastal communities from Parksville to Placentia are watching tomorrow’s federal budget closely for funding to restore the cuts to coast guard services that have closed bases across the country, putting communities at risk. “Our communities rely on the coast guard. Seconds matter when there’s an emergency, but Prime Minister Harper is gutting our coast guard services,” said Keith Sullivan, President of Unifor’s Fish, Food, and Allied Workers (FFAW). Read the rest here 20:27
Menendez, Pallone hope to ban Atlantic offshore drilling
Offshore drilling would be banned in the Atlantic Ocean under legislation Sen. Robert Menendez and Rep. Frank Pallone say they will introduce in both chambers this week. The New Jersey Democrats announced the legislation on Monday, the five-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Pallone said the Deepwater Horizon spill is a reminder of the lasting environmental and economic damage that oil spills can cause. Read the rest here 18:26
‘The Hole’ a spawning sanctuary for big fish?
The Georgetown Hole is the stuff of legend — tiers and tiers of deep ocean ledges swarmed by species after species of fish. It’s the generations-old “sweet spot” where boats once pulled holds full of the monsters seen in the old photos, game fish almost as big as a man. Now regulators want to put the bottom off-limits as a marine spawning sanctuary to help restore the overall stock and maybe bring back those monster fish. Read the rest here 15:00
NMFS proposes reclassifying the humpback whale into 14 distinct population segments
NOAA Fisheries
Louisiana Fisheries Forward’s shrimp and crab fisheries Dock day planned for Wednesday in Larose
Wednesday’s dock day will offer industry updates and hands-on demonstrations. It is designed to keep Lafourche and Terrebonne area commercial fishermen up to date on new technology, best practices for quality and handling and safety news and regulations. Specific topics include fishery task force updates, TEDs, shark guards and gear modifications, LaTer Direct Seafood, boat freezer applications, safety demonstrations and nano-ice machine demonstrations. Read the rest here 14:14
On BP oil spill anniversary, ex-NOAA director urges major changes in federal spill contingency plan
Five years after the BP oil spill, the National Contingency Plan used by federal agencies to respond to major environmental threats still needs to be revamped to adjust to the lessons from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster, said , a marine biologist who ran the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during the spill. During the BP spill, Lubchenco said, federal responders were forced to adapt on the run. (They fell flat on their faces!) Read the rest here 12:06
Europeans call for more fishing industry support
EUROPEANS believe the fishing industry has a vital role to play in feeding a growing world population but have accused governments of failing to do enough to support the sector. The findings come in the first ever pan-European survey of attitudes among consumers towards the fishing industry and to eating fish as part of their regular diet. Read the rest here 09:48
Some better news for haddock, and fishermen. Really?
THE GLOOMY clouds hanging over New England’s fisheries lifted a bit last week when the NOAA reported that several species were no longer overfished off US shores, including haddock in the Gulf of Maine. Regardless, a battle continues between the fishing industry, environmentalists, and regulators as to the extent that some types of fishing affect the ocean floor’s ecosystem. In a new effort to study those impacts, the New England Fishery Management Council is expected to vote Thursday on creating a 55-square-nautical-mile reference research area. Read the rest here 07:44
