Daily Archives: May 22, 2015
Ottawa to upgrade its three fisheries research centres in B.C.
The Conservatives, capping a weeklong string of funding announcements in B.C. in advance of a summer devoted to electioneering, announced Friday more money for the federal fisheries research centres in B.C. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Tories announced “up to” $18 million in funding for the Centre for Aquaculture and Environmental Research in West Vancouver, the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney and the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo. Read the rest here 20:33
Louisiana crab catch rose in 2014, preliminary state numbers show
Louisiana blue crab landings and price rose in 2014 compared to the 2013 catch, according to preliminary state numbers., according to preliminary state numbers. Catch rose about 8 percent and fishers garnered about 20 percent more money for that catch. Fishers in the state caught nearly 42 million pounds of crab in 2014 and brought in a new state record high $62 million for that catch, according to those preliminary number, released this month in the Lagniappe newsletter, a joint publication of Louisiana Sea Grant and LSU AgCenter. Read the rest here 19:41
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for May 22, 2015
Click to read the Weekly Update for May 22, 2015 as a PDF To read all the updates, click here 17:24
Clearwater Seafoods Launches New Argentine Scallop Harvesting Vessel
Omega Protein ‘definitely next’ if Oceana-Daybrook deal goes through
Foreign seafood companies such as Marine Harvest and Royal DSM are likely watching the Oceana-Daybrook deal approval process like hawks to see whether it will allow South Africa-based Oceana to follow through on plans to acquire Louisiana-based menhaden company Daybrook. The $382.3 million deal will be a litmus test for another likely acquisition target: Omega Protein, Tyson Bauer, a senior analyst with . “I think if this deal goes through, Omega Protein is definitely next,” Bauer, who follows Texas-based menhaden catcher and processor Omega Protein, said. Read the rest here 14:44
Green light! Oregon Senate gives fish commish go-ahead to Buckmaster by 18-12 vote
The sportfishing industry and some recreational anglers lobbied hard to stop Gov. Kate Brown’s appointment of Astoria resident Bruce Buckmaster to the commission because of his work on behalf of the commercial fishing industry, but the Senate voted 18-12 to confirm Buckmaster. The Senate also voted 27-3 to confirm Jason Atkinson of Jacksonville to the commission. Senators voted unanimously to confirm 92 other appointments by the governor to various boards and commissions. Read the rest here 14:32
Changes to halibut sharing a ‘callous, desperate’ ploy for votes, says FFAW
A decision by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to deviate from an 
will have a deep impact on fishermen in Newfoundland and Labrador, and greatly benefit harvesters in Prince Edward Island, the home province of Fisheries Minister Gail Shea, a union leader says. “It’s like taking bread from the table of hard-working Newfoundlanders and Labradorians just to buy votes in other parts of Canada,” Sullivan said. Read the rest here 11:00
Southwest Nova Scotia buyers on board with lobster marketing
A significant part of Nova Scotia’s most lucrative lobster fishery could soon be on board with some sort of lobster marketing levy, says Fisheries Minister Keith Colwell. Colwell said Thursday that buyers on the southwestern shore have agreed to pay a fee, although the structure and amount is yet to be determined. “It’s going to be a little bit complex to get it all in place, but at least this is the first breakthrough we’ve had,” said Colwell. Read the rest here 10:53
New Hampshire’s Ayotte puts NOAA Administrator Sullivan on the Hot Seat – New call for outside review of NOAA assessments
The battle over the validity of NOAA fish stock assessments that continually have led to slashed groundfish quotas has reached a higher pitch, with mounting calls for a third-party assessment of the manner the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration assesses fish stocks. Under questioning by U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., on Wednesday, NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan defended the accuracy of the agency’s fish stock assessments and said she would welcome a third-party review of the agency’s methods and performance,,, Read the rest here Watch the video here 08:35
Our View: White House putting politics ahead of fishery science
Something happened Monday that made us wonder if there wasn’t finally some progress being made in fisheries management. About 150 businesses, organizations and individuals with interests in the fishing industry on the East, West and Gulf coasts expressed their support for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Committee work on reauthorizing the act that regulates. After years of losing battles with regulators, of finding too many deaf ears in Congress, of jaw-dropping incredulity over what appeared to be indiscriminate or capricious management that has decimated the Northeast groundfishing fleet, we thought it remarkable to read their letter to the committee chairman: Read the rest here 08:00
