Daily Archives: May 4, 2015
Texas Rep Sponsors Bill to Stop Foreign and Illegal Fishing in US Waters by Mexican Boats
A critical vote in a House Committee on Thursday unanimously passed H.R. 774, the “Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015.” Its goal is to stop foreign and illegal fishing in US waters. The bill provides for increased enforcement activity by the Coast Guard, which stops, seizes, arrests and fines Mexican fishermen poaching in Texas and U.S. waters. Such activity is almost a daily event at Coast Guard bases in South Padre Island, Port Aransas and Port O-Conner. Read the rest here 16:12
UPDATED: Coast Guard suspends search for Captain Kenneth Martin of Fishing Vessel Sea Beast
The captain of a Neah Bay fishing vessel missing since his boat capsized Sunday has been identified by his family. The Coast Guard search for Kenneth Martin was suspended at 9:30 p.m. Sunday after a 17-hour search. Martin, skipper of the Sea Beast, was not seen after his crew got off the 52-foot commercial fishing vessel before it overturned in the Pacific Ocean about 14 miles west of LaPush early Sunday morning. Read the rest here 15:35
Breaking News – Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Closure
Published on May 4, 2015 Today we have some breaking news out of the Gulf of Alaska. NMFS closed directed fishing for groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska on Sunday by Non-Rockfish program catcher trawl vessels. Watch the video here 15:13Alaska turns up the heat on proposed B.C. mines, Lt. Gov. Mallott to meet with cabinet ministers, business and First Nations leaders
In a visit that coincides with mining week in B.C., Mallott will meet with B.C. Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett, Environment Minister Mary Polak, industry representatives and First Nation leaders. The Alaskan fishing, conservation and aboriginal representatives are in B.C. to build alliances in their push for more scrutiny of the potential effects on Alaska waters that support a multi-billion-dollar fishery. Read the rest here 14:12
P.E.I. lobster fishermen tied to dock while Mother’s Day lobster exports drift away
P.E.I. lobster fishermen will lose out on some of the biggest days for lobster sales with the delayed start to the season. Fisheries and Oceans will update fishermen in the Gulf Region on Monday. So far, the earliest lobster fishermen will be able to set traps is Thursday. Traditionally Island fishermen see brisk sales on Mother’s Day. However, it takes two days to ship lobster to off-Island markets. Read the rest here 13:44
Rep. John Fleming: Congress not going to gut red-snapper management for benefit of recreational anglers
Freshman Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) proposed an amendment in a House Natural Resources Committee meeting last week that would have transferred red-snapper management authority from the federal government to the states. Rep. John Fleming, Louisiana’s only other representative on the committee, abstained from voting on Graves’ amendment, which drew the ire of recreational fishing-industry leaders. In an interview with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, he explained his reasons for not voting: Read the rest here 12:12
Special interest group continues effort to get setnet ban on 2016 ballot
A proposed voter initiative to ban setnets in urban parts of Alaska is making its way toward the ballot, while a lawsuit over its legality continues. The Alaska Fisheries Conservation Alliance has been collecting signatures throughout the state to put the proposed ban on the August 2016 ballot. President Joe Connors said in an emailed statement that the signature-collecting is going well. “We are confident we will reach our goal,” he wrote. Read the rest here 11:24
Maine legislators reject (alewive) gaspereau-blocking bill – Canadian delegation credited for helping convince Maine committee
A legislative committee in Maine has unanimously rejected a bill that would have blocked the gaspereau migration in the St. Croix River. Last week, Canada was represented at public hearings by Frank Ruddock, acting consul general in Boston and Harvey Millar, the area manager for the Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Among other things, they reminded the committee of Canada’s shared interests in the St. Croix River and emphasized the importance of the restoration of the gaspereau population. Read the rest here 10:43
Diversion! EDF and “Partners” Pay For Full Page Add to Squash Fishing Communities in Louisiana
Andy Nyman, a wetland scientist at LSU, said scientists discussed the need to counter (what they call) misinformation being spread about future sediment diversions. When nonprofit coastal groups offered to pay for the advertising space, Nyman and Mike Carloss, a retired official with the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, started working on a draft. The advertisement was paid for by the Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition which is made up of the Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. Read the rest here 08:46
Two environmental groups say European Union nations continue to overfish their Atlantic waters
The Pew Charitable Trusts said that in many cases the EU’s Atlantic nations set fishing limits “contrary” to the recent reform of the Common Fisheries Policy and continue to overfish for dinnertime favourites such as North Sea cod and hake. In its report Turning the Tide, Pew also said catches of North Sea cod, an iconic species in Europe, has slumped from 300,000 tons in the early 1970s to less than 30,000 tons recently. Read the rest here 08:03
