Daily Archives: May 19, 2015
Blue crabs lead banner North Carolina fish catch
Blue crabs were the stars in a banner year for North Carolina commercial fishing. Fishermen sold 61.7 million pounds of finfish and shellfish in 2014, a 23 percent increase over the previous year, according to a news release from the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries. It was the first year landings had increased since 2010. The dockside value was $93.8 million, the most since 2002. “It’s certainly good news, and good news is needed,” said Jerry Schill, president of the North Carolina Fisheries Association. Read the rest here 22:36
Seals threaten Scottish cod stock recovery
PREDATORY seals are constraining the recovery of cod stocks in Scottish west coast waters, research by the 
suggests. The study found that, although fishing has now halved, predation by seals has rapidly increased to compensate, eating up more than 40 per cent of the total stock. Seals have, historically, been anecdotally blamed for the reduction of Atlantic cod stocks. Grey seals are believed to consume nearly 7,000 tonnes of cod each year off the west of Scotland, where landed catches now amount to only a few hundred tonnes. Read the rest here 20:40
The Enviro’s are Howling over the Icelandic whale meat shipment to Japan
Environmentalists reacted angrily Tuesday to a controversial shipment of fin whale meat to Japan by an Icelandic whaling company, saying it flouted international conservation agreements. Iceland and Norway are the only nations that openly defy the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC’s) 1986 ban on hunting whales. Icelandic whalers caught 137 fin whales and 24 minke in 2014, according to the anti-whaling group WDC, compared to 134 fin whales and 35 minkes in 2013. Read the rest here 19:59
Mississippi Shrimp fishermen ready for 2015 season
Biloxi, Ms. Commercial fishermen in Mississippi are busy repairing their boats and loading supplies in preparation for the upcoming shrimp season. The 2015 season is expected to open sometime in early June. Last year, the season began on June 18, but opening day will likely be earlier, this year. Commercial shrimp fishermen are certainly anxious to drop their nets and get the 2015 shrimp season underway. The docks are alive with activity as shrimpers prepare. And early indications, are promising. Read the rest here 19:25
Search for Bella Coola fisherman suspended
The search for a fisherman who went missing near Bella Coola last Friday has been suspended. RCMP conducted a three-day search for the 35-year-old local man after he was reported missing at 6:40 p.m. on May 15. He was last seen cleaning the deck of his commercial fishing boat at 5:30 p.m. but nobody noticed he was missing until 6 p.m. Read the rest here 17:09
Sea You Home Safe! Seafish is calling on the UK’s fishermen to think about their safety
Seafish is calling on the UK’s fishermen to think about their safety after research revealed 46% of commercial fishermen consider their job to be dangerous but 34% say they rarely or never wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD). Seafish’s safety at sea campaign, Sea You Home Safe, is continuing to call for the 12,000 fishermen across the UK to think about their safety before setting sail, with 7,000 new lightweight PFDs given to UK fishermen over the past year. Read the rest here 16:42
Former Fish Board appointee Roland Maw fined $7k in Montana charges
Roland Maw, Gov. Bill Walker’s controversial appointee to the Alaska Board of Fisheries, pleaded no contest last week to illegally obtaining resident hunting and fishing licenses in Montana. As first reported by the Peninsula Clarion, Maw pleaded no contest to seven counts of license violations that he faced in Montana. According to the court order filed May 14 by Beaverhead County, Montana, Justice of the Peace Candy Hoerning, Maw purchased Montana resident licenses every year from 2008 to 2014. He claimed Alaska residency during those same years. Read the rest here 13:39
Launching marks milestone in Eastport breakwater recovery process
Eastport – With the launch of the Triple Trouble last week, the community took a step toward overcoming the devastation caused by the Dec. 4, 2014, collapse of the Eastport breakwater. The 48-foot lobster boat took its maiden voyage to the Griffin family pier at Quoddy Bay Lobster in Eastport, arriving to a small crowd of well-wishers shortly after 1 p.m. May 15. The Griffins’ boat, Double Trouble II, was one of three to receive major damage when the breakwater collapsed, said Eastport Port Authority Executive Director Chris Gardner. Read the rest here 12:30
Louisiana Shrimp Season begins – Good catches, low prices mark opening day
Area fishermen reported good catches but low prices on the opening day of the spring shrimp season. “It’s kind of early to predict it now,” said Al Marmande of Al’s Shrimp Co. in Dularge, who expects his first catches to come in Tuesday afternoon. Marmande said he will have a good sense of the season by the end of the week but has heard reports of a good amount of brown shrimp along the coast. “I’m hearing they’re catching a few small shrimp, but not too many large shrimp,” he said. “They’re catching,,, Read the rest here 11:49
A Week in the Life – Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Law Enforcement Weekly Report
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. The FWC Offshore Patrol Vessel Vigilance made its maiden voyage out of Destin. On its first patrol, officers attempted to stop a vessel in federal waters about 10.5 miles south of the Destin Pass. When they approached, the officers noticed the suspect vessel turn and began throwing red snapper from the boat. Lots more. Read the rest here 09:19
Malpeque lobster boats stranded by sand bar
At least two boats were stuck and nearly a dozen more stranded in Malpeque Harbour on P.E.I.’s North Shore over the weekend. Low tides created a sandbar, making it nearly impossible for boats to get back to the wharf. Chris Wall is a lobster fisherman from Malpeque and was able to leave the Harbour just before the water levels got too low. He said for those who were left, there isn’t much choice but to wait until the tide comes back in. Read the rest here 08:47
Dwayne Samson begins trial for Phillip Boudreau’s death
A Cape Breton fishing boat captain accused of killing a man on the water begins his trial Tuesday in a case that has rocked the village of Petit-de-Grat to its core. Dwayne Matthew Samson is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 43-year-old Phillip Boudreau in 2013. A jury has already found fisherman James Joseph Landry guilty of manslaughter. Two other crew members aboard the Twin Maggies boat also face charges connected to Boudreau’s disappearance. Read the rest here 08:30
Walker’s appointments director resigns after two failed fish board nominations
The official charged with picking appointees for state boards and commissions has left Gov. Bill Walker’s administration, a spokeswoman said Monday.Walker wouldn’t answer questions about the official, Karen Gillis, in a news conference Monday, saying her departure was a personnel matter. Several people involved in fish politics attributed Gillis’s departure to a dispute with the governor over his potential selection of a candidate viewed as aligned more with sportfishing interests than commercial fishing interests. Read the rest here 08:19
