Monthly Archives: April 2015
Seafood Harvesters of America “National Outreach Days,” in Washington D.C.
On April 28th the Seafood Harvesters of America will converge on our elected representatives to stay the course on a broken Magnuson Stevens Act. As other groups call for flexibility, the primarily catch share fishery group wants to maintain rigidity! The Seafood Harvesters are aligned with the likes of the Pew Charitable Trust, EDF, and the Nature Conservancy. House Resolution 1335, the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act will fix MSA. This is not why this group is in D.C. Read the rest here 10:33
Editorial: Latest cod limits reiterates need for assessment changes
One might think that the lifting of the emergency cod regulations imposed by NOAA last November would bring sighs of relief across the Gloucester waterfront and elsewhere as the new commercial fishing year dawns this Friday. But there is little relief and there are no cheers being heard among groundfishermen here and elsewhere across the North Shore and New England. “Now the game of make-believe begins,” says Vito Giacalone, “Now it’s all about running away from fish that we know exist, but are not recognized by the assessment. Read the rest here 09:27
$10,000 donation to help Shem Creek shrimpers stay afloat
The town of Mount Pleasant extended an early blessing Sunday to local shrimpers in the form of a $10,000 donation to help them cover the costs of operating and competing with the global market. Mayor Linda Page says this is the first donation of its kind to a foundation in support of the fleet and Shem Creek fisheries. The goal is for the town to help support the local fleet any way they can. The 13 boats that sit in Shem Creek have been blessed. While the fishermen wait patiently for the start of shrimping season, Read the rest here 08:29
Greenpeace wins permission to take UK government to court over fish quotas
The UK High Court has given the green light for a full judicial review into whether the UK fishing quota allocation system is unlawful under new European law. The government has given out fishing quota in largely the same way since the mid-90s. About 95% of the fishing quota is awarded to the larger end of the fleet, most notably domestic and foreign controlled industrial fishing businesses – such as the vessel Cornelis Vrolijk – which we previously exposed. It’s symbolic of just how broken the system is. (Breaks in text are links that open in new windows) Read the rest here 21:52Manatee History Matters: Female fishermen of early Cortez
The early fishermen who settled Cortez used skipjacks, or shallow draft sail boats, to bring in their commercial catch. Their nets were made of natural fibers that were heavy when wet and required treatment and drying between uses. Their work was demanding and sometimes dangerous, but they persevered. What you may not know is that some of these hard-working fishermen were women. (And yes, they referred to themselves as fishermen, regardless of their gender.) Read the rest here 20:16
Bumble Bee Foods, 2 others charged after employee died in pressure cooker
On Oct. 11, 2012, Jose Melena, 62, entered a 35-foot oven at the company’s Santa Fe Springs plant to make a repair inside the machine, which is used to sterilize thousands of cans of tuna at a time. Unaware that Melena was inside the oven, other plant workers loaded several carts that altogether held about 12,000 pounds of tuna, shut the door and turned on the oven, prosecutors said. In a statement, the company said it disagrees with and is “disappointed by the charges” filed by Los Angeles prosecutors. Read the rest here photo 18:53
PInks are out competing sockeye salmon for food at sea, report says
Growing numbers of pink salmon are out competing sockeyes for food in the ocean, causing the reds to grow slower and smaller. That’s the claim of a new study by Seattle and British Columbia researchers, who say the race for food ultimately affects sockeye abundance and survival. Greg Ruggerone is a senior scientist at Natural Resources Consultants in Seattle and study co-author. He says it was aimed originally at finding causes for declining sockeye runs at British Columbia’s Fraser River in 2009. Audio, Read the rest here 18:34
Jeff Davis: Peabody deal is ‘platform’ for more scallop vessel buy-outs
The deal by Bregal Partners and other investors for US scallop fishing firm Peabody will be a platform for more vessel acquisitions in the sector, said Jeff Davis, who will be CEO of the new company. On April 23, former American Seafoods International and Baader North America CEO Davis confirmed the buyout of Peabody and its eight scallop vessels, which is being renamed Blue Harvest Fisheries. Read the rest here 17:02
Survey shows number of blue crabs in Chesapeake Bay rising
An annual survey by marine officials shows a significant increase in the number of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission says the overall bay-wide crab population increased from 297 million crabs to 411 million crabs, a 38 percent increase. The long, cold winter kept the numbers from being higher. The survey shows about 28 percent of all adult crabs in Maryland died due to the cold weather. Read the rest here 16:25
Sea Shepherd attorneys to attend Makah whaling meeting next Wednesday in Port Angeles
A legal team from the Sea Shepherd Screwball Society will be among the activists at a public meeting Wednesday, April 29 who’ll oppose the Makah tribe’s campaign to resume whaling. The Owens head Peninsula Citizens for the Protection of Whales. They argue that the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 is “the whales’ treaty with the government.” It bans the killing of whales. For their part, the Makah argue that they reserved the right to hunt whales and seals when they signed the . Read the rest here 15:11
Always Top Quality! Your Seafreeze Ltd. Preferred Price List for APRIL 27, 2015
Contact our sales team today @ 401 295 2585 or 800 732 273 Click here for the complete price list from Seafreeze Ltd. We are Direct to the Source-We are Fishermen-We are Seafreeze Ltd! Visit our website! 14:27
Bob Fraumeni beats the odds fishing the Pacific
Bob Fraumeni gazes out the window at the vibrant float homes and fishing vessels docked at Fisherman’s Wharf and beyond to the wind-tossed waves of the Inner Harbour. “I’ve been scrumbling around down there since I was about 10,” says Fraumeni, owner of Finest At Sea, a leading provider of wild seafood on the West Coast. “For some reason, I’ve had this incredible desire to find out what was in the water. I remember at the age of four, all I wanted to do was go fishing.” Read the rest here 14:05
A five-year failure – Jes Hathaway, Editor in Chief, National Fisherman
Catch share programs have been heralded in all corners of the country, first by NGOs and second by some of the fleet owners, fishermen and processors to whom they have brought success.The counterbalance to those claims of success are of course the thousands of voices of fishermen and many more thousands of supporting small businesses put out of work as a result of catch share programs. But even worse, at least one catch share program was implemented with such haste,,, Read the rest here 11:27
3-Minute Market Insight – Rockfish Market Update: Prices, Inventories, Fresh vs Frozen Markets
Bad weather kept boats at the docks, drying up both fresh and frozen inventories. The fresh market for Rockfish fillets is 40 cents higher than frozen products with much less labour, so processors are leaning towards the fresh market right now. Pacific Rockfish Inventories will Strengthen as the Market Floods with Fresh Products. Watch the video here 11:12
P.E.I. Lobster season opening under discussion
Officials from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans will be on a conference call with fishermen in the region Monday to update the start of the lobster fishing season. On Thursday DFO decided to delay the April 30 opening of the spring lobster fishery due to ice in many harbours. No new date for the opening was set. That is expected to be discussed on the conference call. Read the rest here 10:35
Jake’s Story: The Art on Ellefson Dock
The art of hand repairing fishing nets is something every commercial fishing family used to know, when the fishing industry dominated small Washington Island, north of Door County. Today, one man is keeping that tradition alive. As Jake Ellefson looks at himself through an artists eyes he says, “man, I didn’t think I looked quite that bad!” The 88-year old is looking at paintings that capture Jake’s upholding of tradition; hand repairing fishing nets. Read the rest here 10:13
Ventura County Commercial Fishermen’s Assn. founder Pete Dupuy dies at 79; vocal opponent of commercial fishing regulations
On Dec. 7, 1973, San Fernando Valley motorcycle salesman Pete Dupuy took off in his Cessna plane to meet a couple of friends at a camping area in Mexico. Exactly what happened there became a matter of bitter dispute, but Dupuy’s airplane ended up riddled with bullet holes,,, Dupuy, who for the last several decades headed a commercial fishing operation based in Ventura and was a vocal opponent of government regulations on the industry, died April 16 at his home in Tarzana. He was 79. Read the rest here 07:46
Coast Guard responds to sinking fishing boat east of Manasquan Inlet, NJ
The Coast Guard is responding to a fishing boat that is taking on water Sunday 20 miles east of Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay watchstanders received a report from a good Samaritan aboard the fishing boat F/V Nemesis at 12:20 p.m. that the fishing boat F/V Navigator was taking on water. Read the rest here 18:35
New Bedford top port again thanks to scallops
New Bedford was the 
in 2013, landing $379 million worth of seafood, according to a new report. The finding by Icelandic Bank Research marks the 15th consecutive year the city has been the nation’s most prosperous port, even as the total volume of fish harvested statewide has declined. Local fishermen and officials say the reason for New Bedford’s success is due largely to scallops, the state’s most valuable species. Read the rest here 15:19
Lean year for New England cod ahead as shutdown looms
Catch limits set to take effect this week will take a bite out of an industry that dates back to America’s colonial past: New England cod. But Gulf of Maine cod are what fishermen call a “choke species,” as they must also stop fishing for some other species when the cod fishery shuts down. Haddock, pollock and hake — groundfish that, like cod, dwell on the ocean bottom and share space in with it in markets, restaurants and seafood auctions — will also be harder to come by. Read the rest here 15:09
Minister Keith Hutchings – Time may be right to discuss U.S. seal products ban
Recent comments in the national media by Bruce Heyman, the United States ambassador to Canada, that he wanted to foster deeper trade relationships between the U.S. and individual provinces of Canada got Keith Hutchings thinking about seals. Hutchings, the province’s minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs, decided to write to Heyman about the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) passed by the U.S. Congress in 1972 that includes a ban on seal products being imported into the U.S. Read the rest here 13:54
Canadian F/V White Diamond heading to the Grand Banks for three months of Crab Fishing
Captain David McIsaac, from Richmond, is taking the 65-foot White Diamond crab boat to the tail of the Grand Banks with five crewmembers and a monitor from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. “The P.E.I. quota was small, so it was either go big or retire, so I decided to go big,” he explained. It was hard to make a living on a 20,000-pound quota. The quota for the Grand Banks is 750,000 pounds. Read the rest here 13:17
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update, April 26, 2015
The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance is dedicated to its mission of continuing to help create sustainable fisheries without putting licensed fishermen out of business.” Read the update here To read all the updates, click here 10:43
Texas Legislators look for ways to save commercial oystering
A fight over 23,000 acres of sea bottom in Galveston Bay has the state reconsidering how the commercial oyster industry should operate in the future. At issue is a lease signed by the Chambers-Liberty Counties Navigation District, giving Tracy Woody and his father-in-law, Ben Nelson, the sole ability to harvest oysters in 23,000 acres of Galveston Bay. When the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and General Land Office refused to recognize the lease,,, Read the rest here 10:24
Search continues for missing fisherman Ron Ingraham, Lost at Sea for twelve day’s last year
The Coast Guard continues to search Saturday for a missing mariner after the fishing vessel he was aboard capsized approximately one mile west of Lanai. While Ron Ingraham remains missing, the Coast Guard rescued Kenny Corder after he and Ingraham went into the water at 12:12 a.m. Friday from their 34-foot fishing vessel Munchkin. In a strange twist, Ingraham is the same man who was lost at sea just months ago. Corder, also commercial fisherman on Molokai and Ingraham’s good friend, said they had done that run hundreds of times. Read the rest here, and here 09:09
Industry Infrastructure – shore-based businesses crucial to industry survival
Angela Sanfilippo, executive director of the Massachusetts Fisherman’s Partnership, with offices in Gloucester and New Bedford, emphasizes that without these supportive allied businesses, the fishing industry would not exist. “The fishing industry is not only the boats of the fishermen,” she said, noting that the infrastructure on land, which includes the wharves where fishing boats dock, ship chandleries that sell supplies, repair facilities, seafood auction houses, and the truck drivers who transport fresh fish to market all play a key role in maintaining the area’s commercial fishing industry. Read the rest here 08:28
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
Instead 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
