Daily Archives: April 25, 2015

Migrant boat ‘captain’ accused of sailing 850 people to their deaths is just a lowly ‘nasty good-for-nothing’ deckhand

Passengers aboard Tunisian Mohammed Ali Malek’s doomed 66ft fishing boat were charged up to £1,300 each. It sank killing all but 24 on board in the worst maritime disaster since the Second World War. A simple fishing trawler deckhand who knew the sea well but was hopelessly ill-equipped to captain a boat holding so many people, callous Malek allegedly boasted to fellow fishermen in his hometown of Sfax that he would strike it rich from the trade in migrants desperate to start a new life in Europe. Read the rest here 17:00

Federal ‘Fluke Fairness Act’ would correct inequitable treatment of L.I. anglers: Schumer, Zeldin

The current system of federal regulations for fluke fishing has created a complicated patchwork of quotas and rules for each state in the region, according to a press release from Zeldin’s office. “The …data collection system for commercial landings that was in place during the time period that established individual states’ percent allocation of the summer flounder annual commercial quota caused inherent inadequacies in New York’s allocation,”  Cornell Cooperative Extension fishing expert Emerson Hasbrouck, Read the rest here 13:47

Prepping for salmon: Truncated season a response to drought, conservation efforts

pillar point jim andersonInstead of a typical flurry of commercial fishermen prepping for the start of salmon season next weekend, the docks at Pillar Point Harbor have been relatively calm — despite regional indications there are bountiful populations of the drought-impacted fish. The length of commercial seasons are determined by the health of the fishery. This Bay Area season will run May 1 through Aug. 29, with nearly two weeks of blackout dates. Although the season could have potentially been longer based,,, Read the rest here 12:56

Lower Columbia select-area gillnetting delayed a week

Oregon and Washington fishery managers this week delayed commercial gillnet fishing in select areas by one week until more is known about the size of this year’s spring Chinook run. The select area fishery in the lower Columbia River has been shut down since March 31 due to the continued presence of upriver spring Chinook, but the Columbia River Compact had scheduled the fishery to open for two short days this week. Those openings are now rescinded. Read the rest here 11:36

U.S. to focus on climate change, oceans as new chair of Arctic Council

The United States is starting its term as chair of the Arctic Council by adamantly steering clear of geopolitical and military issues, in favour of focusing on social and environmental stewardship of the North.,, The U.S. plans to put climate change at the centre of its leadership. Kerry said that there is a plan in place to try to curb black carbon and methane emissions which, he said, have more devastating environmental effects than C02. Read the rest here 10:38

Sealing advocates applaud idea of federal funding, but not approach

Sealing advocates from across Canada are excited the federal government is putting money into the industry, but some say the new fund’s focus on marketing is the wrong approach. This week’s federal budget included the, which rolls out over five years and is specifically targeted at ensuring Inuit can make use of an exemption to the European Union’s seal ban.  “Clearly it seems like European people have decided that seal hunting was immoral,” says Gil Theriault with the Magdalen Islands Seal Hunters Association. Read the rest here 10:25

Contentious! Gill-net strategist appointed to fish and wildlife commission

Gov. Kate Brown set the hook on sport anglers this past week with her appointment of an Astoria gill-net industry strategist to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. Bruce Buckmaster’s  nomination, due for Senate confirmation in a hearing May 14, is already drawing rapid and rabid fire. A closed meeting scheduled for Wednesday in the Oregon State Library to introduce appointees to invited user groups was canceled late Friday by the governor’s office. Spokesmen for both the Oregon chapter of the Coastal Conservation  Association,,, Read the rest here 09:51

SPECIAL REPORT: SHRIMP SAFETY – Six shrimp you might find at the store, And how to choose the best ones!

Shopping for shrimp is confusing. Packages can have so many labels that it’s hard to know which ones to trust. One way to separate the best from the rest is to buy sustainably farmed or responsibly caught shrimp. We believe that your best choice is wild shrimp especially those that have been responsibly caught in the U.S. Avoid shrimp caught in Louisiana??? Funding for this project was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts!! Read the rest here 08:41