Monthly Archives: April 2015
Oyster poaching continues on bay despite enforcement efforts
Waterman Edward “Bruce” Lowery lost his Maryland license to harvest oysters five years ago, after racking up more than three dozen violations. He was convicted of fishing at the wrong times, in the wrong places and using the wrong equipment. But that hasn’t stopped him from oystering in the. Lowery, 49, says he bought a piece of land in Virginia — a “$3,000 piece of nothing” where he has never lived — to secure a commercial license from that state. Virginia regulators didn’t ask about his record in Maryland. Read the rest here 10:30
Smeltdown: Small fish continues Great Lakes vanishing act
Like so many fish people associate with the Great Lakes, the rainbow smelt is an invasive species. The approximately 6-inch fish is native to the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, but moves into freshwater to spawn. It was first stocked in Crystal Lake in Benzie County in 1912, after several unsuccessful attempts to stock smelt in the St. Mary’s River to support another transplanted fish, Atlantic salmon. Smelt were found in Lake Michigan in 1923 and then spread throughout the Great Lakes. The commercial harvest of smelt on the Great Lakes reached 4.8 million pounds by 1941. Read the rest here 10:03
Battle for red snapper begins in Gulf
“The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s 
has failed to adequately account for the size and well being of the red snapper stock in the Gulf of Mexico,” Byrne says. “They have continued to use outdated and ineffective methods to each sample for red snapper and measure how many fish are getting caught as soon as the season begins, and they have frankly lost all credibility.” Read the rest here 09:50
D.B. Pleschner: Sardines are not being overfished
In recent weeks, sardines have been a hot news topic again. Environmental groups like Oceana complain that the sardine population is collapsing just like it did in the mid-1940s. They blame “overfishing” as the reason and maintain that the fishery should be shut down completely. Today, in truth, Pacific sardines are perhaps the best-managed fishery in the world — the poster fish for effective ecosystem-based management,,, Read the rest here 08:50
Researchers to Conduct Harbor Seal Catch-and-Release in Alsea Bay April 7
Researchers at Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute, Moss Landing Marine Labs, Alaska SeaLife Center and San Jose State will conduct captures of harbor seals within Alsea Bay April 7 and in Netarts Bay April 8 and 9. These captures will be boat-based and will involve researchers catching and restraining adult male seals for a short period of time. The purpose of this research is to attach external satellite tags to the heads of the seals, which will then relay locational data for the animals over time, They will also receive pedicures, full body massages, and attend a sweat lodge purification ceremony. Read the rest here 19:58
Missing Fisherman’s Body Found in Kodiak Harbor
Kodiak Police Chief Rhonda Wallace said Saturday that a preliminary identification indicates it is 27-year-old Mihay Kalugin, a crewman aboard the fishing vessel Competition, who disappeared six weeks ago. Kalugin was last seen in downtown Kodiak in the early morning hours of February 22nd, a Sunday. Reutov said he was told Kalugin was having a raucous Saturday night on the town between fishing trips and had gotten into a fight on the docks with three other men the night be disappeared. Read the rest here 18:21
Redland Bay in the claws of Crabman and Crab Watch Qld
A Redland Bay man who has seen his once secluded fishing spot turn into a hotspot for illegal crabbing has taken matters into his own hands. Gavin, also known as “Crabman”, knew that something had to be done. That something, he decided, was the creation of Crab Watch QLD, a Facebook group that reports, names and shames those who go against the rules of crab fishing. “Crabman is just the voice of a lot of people who have identified a problem in our fishing community,” Crabman said. Read the rest here 17:56
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for April 3, 2015
Click here>> Weekly Update for April 3, 2015 as a PDF 17:27
Con Group Oceana wants West Coast Sardine Fishing shut down immediately!
West Coast fisheries managers will likely shut down sardine fishing this year in the face of evidence that the stock is declining. The commercial fishing fleet hopes that the Pacific Fishery Management Council will not be so concerned that they shut down other fisheries, such as mackerel and anchovies. However, the conservation group Oceana wants an immediate shut down. The group says this would leave food in the ocean for sea lions and other wildlife and speed the rebuilding process for sardines. Read the rest here 13:43
New England Clammers Fishing For Surf Clams (Rare Pictures of A Little Known Fishery)
When I first published a few pictures of this type of fishing boat it was a few images taken in the harbor. I did not know that we would ever fish in close proximity to these boats. I have never seen them working before and definitely never this close to us. Apparently herring and clams were hanging out in the same area because we were on a collision course with them every time we turned around. Not good when you are trying to fish but pretty cool when you are interested in learning about another fishery and you have a good camera. Multi images, Read the rest here 11:32
Alaska groups seek cut in salmon bycatch caught by pollock industry
Tribal organizations and fishing groups in Alaska are urging federal fishery managers to drastically reduce the number of king salmon allowed to be inadvertently caught by commercial pollock trawlers each year. Industry representatives, however, say the harvest of king salmon bycatch has never come close to reaching those limits. They also say some of the salmon caught is frozen and distributed through food banks. “The pollock fishery and the boat owners and the captains are all very, very well aware of the crisis that is occurring in these communities,, Read the rest here 11:18
State boards 2 clam dredging boats off Provincetown, seizes clams, one Skipper arrested on unrelated charge
On the morning of March 24, Massachusetts Environmental Police patrolling off the coast of Provincetown in the patrol boat Jessie observed two fishing vessels, the Aimee Marie and Miss Maegan, harvesting the surf clams in less than 12 feet of water, according to Peter Lorenz, communications director for the Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs. Read the rest here 10:36
National Marine Fisheries Service’s Office of Law Enforcement returns to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor
A federal fisheries agency office is reopening in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, as soon as three enforcement officers are hired and trained, according to Kevin Heck, acting deputy special agent in charge, in Anchorage. In recent years, the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Office of Law Enforcement has been flying in agents from around the state for short tours of temporary duty lasting between a week and a month, Heck said Monday Read the rest here 07:57
DFO makes large seizure of lobster and scallops in Victoria Beach
Gary Hutchins of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans confirmed that officers made what he called a large seizure of lobster and scallop meat in Victoria Beach on Sunday night, March 29. Hutchins says because the investigation is still ongoing, he isn’t prepared to provide any more information at this time, but when charges are laid, possibly within two or three weeks, more information would be available to the public. Read the rest here 22:55
Point Lookout fish wholesalers get probation for buying illegally caught fluke, ordered to pay $58,000 each
Two owners of a Point Lookout commercial fish wholesaler on Thursday received probation and were ordered to pay $58,000 each in restitution but avoided prison time following their guilty pleas to federal wire-fraud and filing false federal records charges. Both faced more than 20 years in prison, and prosecutors had sought 13-month prison terms. The charges related to the two buying illegally harvested fluke. Michael Mihale, 47, of Oceanside, and Bruce Larson Jr., 36, of Merrick, partners in Jones Inlet Seafood of Point Lookout,,, Read the rest here 17:24
Seattle: Coast Guard stops two commercial fishing boats for safety violations. Why does this happen?!!
The crew of the Coast Guard cutter Wahoo terminated the voyage of the fishing vessel Daybreak in the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Thursday. Law enforcement officers [aboard the Wahoo] observed a lack of life raft, visual distress signals or emergency position indicating radio beacon aboard. There was also an insufficient number of immersion suits aboard. Wahoo’s crew escorted the vessel to Neah Bay. The crew of the Coast Guard cutter Blue Shark terminated the voyage of a state-registered fishing vessel near Anacortes on Wednesday morning. Read the rest here 15:51
Oil Dispersant Used After Deepwater Horizon Spill May Cause Lung Damage
It turns out that an oil-dispersal agent that was used to help control the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico may contribute to the damage of cells in lungs. Scientists have taken a closer look at Corexit EC9500A and have discovered that it very well could cause problems for both wildlife and humans. Read the rest here 12:28
From the Fleet – Setting the Record Straight on Bering Sea Halibut Bycatch, Ludger Dochtermann, Kodiak
We, as Alaska Longline Fishers, are joined by Washington State halibut fishermen who also fish Alaskan waters. In 2012, statewide, 2,009 residents and 565 non-Alaskans held halibut quotas for Alaska waters; and 1,168 crew, as well. Thousands more are deckhands. Many longliners fish the Area 4 districts, waters of the Bering Sea, where the trawl bycatch problem is at its worst. In 2012, 308 Alaskans held 14.8 million pounds, and 186 non-Alaskans held 18.2 million; on average, the non-Alaskan holdings averaged twice what Alaskans held per person. Co-written by Stephen Taufen, Groundswell Fisheries Movement Read he rest here 11:46
Fishing Partnership Support Services – No-cost safety training for commericial fishermen April 9 and 10 in Plymouth
Fishing Partnership Support Services will offer safety and survival training for commercial fishermen at no cost on Thursday, April 9, and drill conductor training on Friday, April 10, at the Plymouth Yacht Club, 34 Union St. Both programs will begin at 7:30 a.m. and conclude by mid-afternoon. A team of experienced marine safety instructors, all certified by the U.S. Coast Guard, will lead the multi-part programs. Read the rest here 08:48
Hundreds of fishermen rescued amid Indonesian slavery probe
Hundreds of fishermen raced to be rescued Friday from the isolated Indonesian island where an Associated Press investigation found that many were enslaved to catch seafood that could end up in the United States and elsewhere. Indonesian officials probing labor abuses told the migrant workers they were allowing them to leave for another island by boat out of concern for their safety. More than 300 fishermen emerged from nearby trawlers, villages and even the jungle to make the trip. Read the rest here 08:10
Price of commercial fishing licenses to increase April 15, Sneads Ferry Fishermen speak out – Video
Six commercial fishing licenses are going up by 60% this year, and will now cost anywhere from $50 to $600. It’s on the minds of many as the shrimping and fishing season nears its start. Commercial fishermen in Sneads Ferry appeared to be split on the issue. Some say with the price of fuel, they hate seeing one more fee increase. Others say they don’t mind the fee under one condition: fix the inlet! Watch, Read the rest here 07:25
Oregon Inlet restrictions eased, re-opening channel for commercial/charter boats
Boats with drafts of up to 5 feet can now use the Oregon Inlet channel, opening the passage to most charter fishing boats just as the Easter weekend gets under way. A temporary emergency order is still in affect for boats needing more than 5 feet of water. They are not permitted within 100 yards of the Bonner Bridge. The Oregon Inlet Guides Association said in a statement that the Coast Guard’s decision to ease restrictions came after receiving feedback from local captains and additional surveying. Read the rest here 19:55
Sadly, Cortez commercial fishing leader Thomas ‘Blue’ Fulford dies at 83
Thomas “Blue” Fulford, who proudly championed the commercial fishing industry his entire life, and served as a leader in the tight-knit Cortez community, died March 28, 2015, at home. He was 83. “He was one of the old-school gentlemen who worked really hard. They believed in what they did, they believed in their families, and in the community. A whole culture is disappearing,” said Karen Bell, owner of A.P. Bell Fish Co. and Star Fish Co. in Cortez. Read the rest here 18:44
The sinking of the Trawler Dalny Vostok – Russia vow’s to continue searching for 13 people missing, investigation begins
Russia vowed Thursday to continue searching a vast area of the frigid Sea of Okhotsk for 13 people missing after a fishing trawler sank, killing at least 56 of the 132 people onboard. Another 63 were found alive in the icy waters off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East, but the likelihood of finding other survivors appeared tiny, given the harsh conditions. Russia’s Investigative Committee has begun a probe into possible charges over safety violations in the early Thursday sinking of the Dalny Vostok, which went down in only about 15 minutes. Read the rest here 16:54 More details here 16:57
Red Cove Seafood Products Inc., owner James Russell Rayner, pleads not guilty on five charges
The case of a Cape Wolfe fish processing company that allegedly failed to meet quality control standards and sold lobster that wasn’t properly stored is going to trial in July. Lawyer Jonathan Greenan, acting on behalf of Red Cove Seafood Products Inc. and its owner, James Russell Rayner, entered not guilty pleas on five charges, two under the Fish Inspection Regulations Act and three under the Food and Drugs Act. Read the rest here 16:24
Rich Figueiredo, Pembroke Mass. Fishing Captain to appear in NatGeo’s ‘The Raft’ debut
A Pembroke man will appear on the debut episode of the National Geographic Channel’s new series “The Raft,” which will air next Sunday, April 5, at 10 p.m. “The Raft” is a test of both survival skills and human nature. Two rafts, each holding a pair of strangers, are set adrift hundreds of miles apart. In the premiere episode, titled “Bump in the Night,” he is paired with a travel writer, Payge McMahon , facing dehydration and swarms of sharks. Figueiredo is now captain of the Iron Maiden, a 98-foot swordfish boat at the Boston pier. Read the rest here 13:58
Pink salmon populations augmented by hatchery programs hurt sockeye returns, study finds
Nations around the Pacific Ocean may have to cap the number of hatchery salmon they release if sockeye salmon runs are to return to sustainable levels, according to a new study. Record high numbers of pink salmon in the North Pacific coincided with the disastrously small 2009 Fraser River sockeye return, while the unexpectedly large 2010 sockeye return interacted with 40-per-cent fewer pinks, said Brendan Connors, co-author of the article published by the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Read the rest here 12:34
New York DEC extends scallop season one month to help baymen recoup after icy winter
A decision by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to extend the bay scallop season by a month is getting a local round of applause. The move, which extends the season until April 30, is seen as a boon to local baymen, many of whom struggled during the long, frigid winter and felt the impacts financially. Read the rest here 11:38
Letter: A ‘fish bill,’ like Farm Bill needed for industry
I agree with both Sens. Warren and Markey that the federal government, not fishermen, should pay for NOAA’s at-sea and dockside observers. We need, first of all, a clear interpretation of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, including the acceptance of other scientific data to be compared to NOAA data. We also need a long-term solution to our fishing industry problems. Read the rest here 11:14
Fishing for scallops not a daily drag – Aboard F/V First Impression in Frenchman Bay
It was an ideal day to join for a day of scalloping aboard his dragger, First Impression.,, His 50th birthday not too long behind him, West has been a fisherman most of his life. He has gone lobstering, chased groundfish such as cod, haddock and flounder when there were any to be had, gone trawling for shrimp until the fishery closed two years ago, and has even leased a site in Frenchman Bay to try his hand at growing mussels and seaweed. What West really enjoys, though, is running a dragger. Read the rest here 09:13
