Monthly Archives: April 2015
Coast Guard rescues 3 Fishermen from life raft near Kodiak, Alaska
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew rescued three mariners after a fire started on board their 82-foot vessel north of Kodiak Island Tuesday. The Jayhawk crew hoisted the mariners from their life raft in Stevenson Entrance, approximately 60 miles north of Kodiak, and transported them safely to Kodiak. “We couldn’t fight the fire, it was too smoky; it was scary,” said Scott Beckstrom, captain of the Northern Pride. Read the rest here, video here 16:10
‘Sea Level Research’ Is Seismic Ruse for Oil Exploration – Neal Roberts, Lanoka Harbor, N.J.
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I read with interest last autumn when a retired Princeton University professor emeritus wrote a letter to the editor defending the Rutgers University seismic testing proposed for the ocean floor within 20 miles of Barnegat Light (“Fear Not,” 11/12/2014). The Barnegat Light commercial fishing industry, local officials, New Jersey congressmen and legislators, Clean Ocean Action, Alliance for a Living Ocean and the state Department of Environmental Protection came out against the 2014 Atlantic Ocean project. (photo) Read the rest here 15:48
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 43′ Fiberglass Novi Scalloper – 320HP, 6 Cylinder Isuzu
Specifications, and information and 26 photos of the vessel, click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 12:34
Scallop Fleet Responds to NMFS Criticism of NEFMC Habitat Recommendations
Last week, NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator John Bullard submitted a nine-page letter to the (NEFMC) critical of recommendations made to the full Council by the Council’s Habitat Committee on Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2 (OHA2) . OHA2 is a decade-in-the-making overhaul of the habitat closures off the coast of New England, reflecting the best scientific understanding of the Northwest Atlantic seafloor. Read the rest here Read Administrator Bullard’s letter in full here Read the FSF rebuttal to Administrator Bullard’s letter in full here. 11:57
Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2 – Our View: Lift fishery restrictions to do good for all
The New England Fishery Management Council votes this week on recommendations by the council’s Habitat Committee to lift restrictions in three closed areas. NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator John Bullard and at least one environmental group are arguing against it because NOAA scientists are saying it would harm important spawning areas for species like cod, haddock and yellowtail flounder. (Which is bull shit!) Read the rest here 08:41
Charter captain refutes red snapper commentary
The “scheme” discussed in the commentary by Mr. Brown (4-15-15 issue) is not that the five state plan will destroy the commercial fishery -far from it, as all the states fully understand the importance of the commercial fishery providing safe local seafood to the consumer. The “scheme” is from the many commercial red snapper IFQ (Individual Fishing Quota) owners who mislead the consumers, the seafood houses and restaurants about what they want to do with their commercially harvested red snapper. Read the rest here 08:16
AK fishing updates, ADFG budget cuts
As always in Alaska, lots of fishing is going on from Ketchikan to the Bering Sea. Salmon trollers are back out on the water at Neets Bay near Ketchikan , and it’s hard to believe that the 2015 salmon season will officially kick off in just a few weeks at Copper River. More than 50 boats are dropping pots for nearly 70,000 pounds of shrimp at Prince William Sound after a three year closure. Read the rest here 20:25
PETITION: Chair of the New England Fisheries Management Council Terry Stockwell – Stop Failing the Fish and the Fishermen.
Dear Mr. Stockwell, The New England Fisheries Management Council has failed the fishermen. Since the New England Catch Share policy began in 2010, fishermen and allies have identified problems such as , inappropriate scale of fishing on inshore areas, lack of access for the next generation of fishermen, and lack of transparency. Over the past five years the Council prioritized the Amendment 18 in order to solve these problems. Fishermen and allies worked together to offer various solutions to the Council and yet still, the Council has failed to address these problems. Read the rest, SIGN THE PETITION here 18:55
Endangered and Threatened Species: Critical Habitat for Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale-Proposed rule; request for comments.
We, the NMFS, propose to replace the critical habitat for right whales in the North Atlantic with two new areas. The areas under consideration as critical habitat contain approximately 29,945 nm 2 of marine habitat in the region (Unit 1) and off the Southeast U.S. coast (Unit 2). We have considered positive and negative economic, national security, and other relevant impacts of the proposed critical habitat. We do not propose to exclude any particular area from the proposed critical habitat. Read the rest here 14:10
Tough times intensify in California wetfish industry
California’s wetfish fleet is facing poor prognostic signs for squid, sardines and possibly mackerel fishing this year, intensifying an already-tough situation. These closures add to already-bleak fishing outlooks for other species the California Wetfish Producers Association’s (CWPA) fleet fishes, whose squid, sardines, mackerel fishery continues to be in jeopardy. Concerns are particularly strong for its high-value squid fishery,,, Read the rest here 13:18
Newport Based F/V Corsair sinks 27 miles west of Westport, WA
One of the crewmen aboard the 50 foot F/V Corsair called NewsLincolnCounty.com and gave us the blow by blow of what happened to them off Westport yesterday. Crewman Zeke Estrella told us that it was late in the day and they were putting all the gear away after a day of hauling in a lot of shrimp. Just as they were finishing up, Just as they were finishing up, the Corsair, Read the rest here 13:01
Newport Fishermen’s Wives lawsuit against the Coast Guard – Judge hears arguments
Whether a federal judge agrees to toss the Newport Fishermen’s Wives lawsuit against the Coast Guard seeking to keep the Newport helicopter air station open won’t be known for several days. The Fishermen’s Wives filed the lawsuit last November after the Coast Guard announced on Oct. 2, 2014 that it planned to close its Newport air station and fly central coast helicopter search and rescue missions from bases in North Bend and Astoria. Read the rest here 10:42
Province prepares ground for lobster levy
A lobster marketing levy on sales still isn’t in place in Nova Scotia but the government would be allowed to collect such a fee under legislation it introduced on Monday. Fisheries Minister Keith Colwell said a change to the Fisheries and Coastal Resources Act would enable the province to collect a financial contribution through regulations once the industry decides what form it will take. Read the rest here 10:13
North Carolina: Economic impact on the half-shell
As mollusks go,
are an especially generous lot. They clean the water. They help stabilize eroding shorelines. And they’re delicious, especially with butter. Which is why North Carolina is working on a statewide plan to become “the Napa Valley of oysters,” as several people proclaimed during this month’s Oyster Summit in Raleigh. Business owners, local officials, and marine researchers from across the state gathered at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences to outline bivalve strategies for the coastal economy. Read the rest here 09:24
In the Gulf – Seafood industry stable but struggling
Every year around this time, Kim Chauvin gets angry. The 2010 BP Oil Spill has damaged the success of the seafood companies Kim owns with her husband, David. “You try not to think about it because it can really get you worked up,” she said. The couple own Mariah Jade and David Chauvin seafood companies in Chauvin. Before the spill, business was great, and though they were relatively fortunate in the years following, the market has turned itself upside down. Read the rest here 08:34
Something ‘fishy’ about Mississippi State player’s arrest
Mississippi State forward Johnny Zuppardo might win the award for most bizarre arrest, if such an accomplishment were trophy-worthy. Some of the infractions that may lead to an illegal fishing charge in the state of Mississippi include fishing without a license, or using illegal methods like the use of lime, poison, explosives, Read the rest here 08:18
Los Angeles authorities seek kidnapped sea lion pup
Authorities in California said they are searching for a sea lion pup kidnapped by a group of people on a Los Angeles beach. The Los Angeles Police Department said a witness told investigators two men and two women were seen harassing a pair of pups at Dockweiler State Beach about 3:30 a.m. Sunday and the group allegedly threw objects at the animals, including trash and cinder blocks. Read the rest here 08:07
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
Ruffner voted down for Board of Fisheries
Allocations among different user groups took a forefront since Ruffner’s nomination.Criticisms during the confirmation session came largely from Rep. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, and other legislators who have recently attacked Ruffner’s suitability for supposed allegiance to the commercial fishing industry and lack of representativeness of the Anchorage personal use and dipnetting user base. Read the rest here 21:32
Illegal Lobster Harvest Costs Three $22.4M
Three men convicted of illegally harvesting rock lobsters in South Africa and importing them to the U.S. must pay a $22.4 million restitution order, the 2nd Circuit ruled. Arnold Bengis and Jeffrey Noll pleaded guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to conspiracy to commit smuggling and to violating the Lacey Act, which bans trade in illegally retrieved wildlife; David Bengis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act. Read the rest here 19:40
