Daily Archives: April 29, 2015
Whale Entanglements Up on the West Coast, Fishermen take the Lead!
A record number of whales are becoming ensnared in fishing gear, including a killer whale that died last week north of Fort Bragg, according to federal data released Tuesday by environmental groups. “The fishermen really want to understand the reasons for these whale entanglements and gear interactions,” said Rachelle Fisher, administrator of California’s Dungeness Crab Task Force. “The fishermen I talk to say nobody wants to entangle whales.” Read the rest here 17:06
Stone-crab harvest looks healthy, prices booming
Fishermen are still pulling traps in the final two weeks of stone-crab season, but early indications suggest a step toward a return to normal harvests. “Late-season production has stepped up which could bring us close to a number in the range of a normal season,” Bill Kelly, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association, said Tuesday. Stone-crab season opens Oct. 15 and closes May 15. Last season’s commercial harvest of a reported 1.9 million pounds of claws (the only part of stone crabs harvested),,, Read the rest here 14:41
Coast Guard medevacs fisherman 37 miles off Manasquan Inlet, NJ
The Coast Guard medevaced a fisherman Wednesday approximately 37 miles east of Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey. Crew members from the 45-foot fishing boat Vengeance notified watch standers at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay on VHF marine radio channel 16 at 9:27 a.m., stating one of their crew members was experiencing seizure-like symptoms. Read the rest here 14:20
Liberal fisheries bill a total betrayal – Wendy Watson Smith
Changes to the Fisheries Act that the Liberals are trying to push through will be devastating for coastal communities and do not resemble at all the recommendations of an exhaustive panel study conducted by Doelle-Lahey. Cooke Aquaculture is preparing to restock a site at Jordan Bay that just suffered a massive fish kill. Meanwhile, communities are living with dead and diseased fish on their shores, displaced lobster fishers, dead zones in their harbours that do not recover, equipment debris tangled in lobster traps and polluted harbours. photo Read the rest here 13:28
Fisherman dies after being pulled from commercial boat in San Pedro
A man died after being pulled off a small commercial fishing boat Tuesday at the rock breakwater near the Los Angeles Harbor Lighthouse in San Pedro, but it was not clear how he was hurt. Port police say they received a distress call from the boat. Firefighters were dispatched at 1:21 p.m. where they found an unconscious man on the boat, near the San Pedro harbor entrance, said Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Read the rest here 13:09
Inside the ‘brain’ of PH maritime law enforcement ops
MANILA, Philippines – “This, ladies and gentlemen, is the command center. Welcome aboard,” the navy officer told reporters Tuesday afternoon, April 28, as he ushered them into the most important room in the newly-inaugurated National Coast Watch (NCW) Center in Manila. No cameras were allowed inside the facility built and primarily funded by the Americans. Read the rest here 12:54
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 140′ Raised Foc’sle Mid Water Trawler, (2) CATS D399’s, Federal Permits
For specifications, and information and 7 photos of the vessel, click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 12:29
Anticipation Builds as Copper River Salmon Season Approaches
The Copper River Salmon run kicks off the wild salmon season in the Prince William Sound region of Alaska, delighting diners in top restaurants across the United States. Beginning in April, fishermen begin gearing up their boats for another season on the Copper River. Renowned for its remarkable flavor and high Omega-3 content, the Copper River Sockeye run lasts from mid-May until August and continues into the fall when the Copper River Coho salmon run begins. Read the rest here 09:13
Michigan commercial fishing harvest’s value rises in 2014
The commercial fishing industry’s total catch last year in Michigan was down slightly, but its cash value was up. Officials say the total harvest was 200,000 pounds below that of 2013. But the gross dockside value rose $300,000, or more than 5 percent. That’s largely because of a jump in the wholesale price of whitefish. The popular species’ value has risen more than 50 percent in the past two years. Read the rest here 08:27
