Daily Archives: May 29, 2015
The Dangerous art of chasing Patagonian toothfish in the Southern Ocean
Blistering sub-zero winds, icy cold sea spray and monster swells are all in a day’s work for the fishermen on the hunt for the Patagonian toothfish in deep Antarctic waters. A large fishing vessel docked in Albany’s port this week, on Western Australia’s south coast, with its 70-tonne cargo of toothfish set to be snapped up by seafood lovers across the globe. The ship’s Edward Templer said the Antarctic climate was unforgiving. In each expedition, the crew spend at least two months in open water 4,500km south west of Albany, Read the rest here 21:31
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for May 29, 2015
Click to read the Weekly Update for May 29, 2015 as a PDF To read all the updates, click here 20:37
Frank Mirarchi – A Scituate fisherman’s perspective on government’s fisheries management
Thank you for the editorial “White House puts politics ahead of fishery science” published on Tuesday, May 26. You have provided your readers an insight into the utter dysfunction which pervades the government’s management of New England fisheries. By way of background, the Secretary of Commerce declared the northeast groundfish fishery an economic disaster in September, 2012. Subsequently, Congress appropriated approximately $33 million in disaster assistance to be distributed by the National Marine Fisheries Service,,, Read the rest here 20:20
Offshore wind farm shot down again by New Jersey
New Jersey has taken the winds out these “fishermen’s” sails again. Fishermen’s Energy, a Cape May-based alternative energy developer, lost in its latest attempt for approval to build a wind farm off the coast New Jersey. The state courts have sided with the Board of Public Utility noting the board did not believe the benefits outweighed “the risks and costs of using an unproven technology to produce electricity,” according to the Press of Atlantic City. Read the rest here 17:35
Greg DiDomenico: Fisheries law deserves reauthorization
The Garden State Seafood Association, a statewide organization promoting the interests of the commercial fishing industry and seafood consumers in New Jersey, last week joined with 150 businesses, organizations and individuals on the East, West and Gulf coasts to express support for the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee’s work on reauthorizing the act that regulates U.S. fisheries. Read the rest here 17:15
Halibut bycatch cap reduction should reflect what we know about the resource
As a fishery scientist who has worked for more than 20 years with trawl fishermen to reduce salmon, crab and halibut bycatch, I find the recent rhetoric around proposed North Pacific Fisheries Management Council changes to the cap very frustrating. In particular, I hear media campaigns underwritten by environmental NGOs claiming, “It’s been 20 years since the halibut bycatch cap was last reduced,” implying that this has created a conservation issue. Read the rest here 14:28
It’s time Gov. Paul LePage released bonds Maine’s working waterfronts depend on
In 2010 and 2012, Maine voters approved $14.25 million in bonds to support multiple conservation priorities, including the privilege of fishing communities to pass on critical working waterfront access sites to the next generation of commercial fishermen. We encourage Gov. Paul LePage, who supports many of Maine’s vital natural resource and economic development programs, to authorize the sale of voter-approved bonds to fund projects already approved by the Land for Maine’s Future Program to move working waterfront preservation forward. Read the rest here 11:56
FFAW calls for increased focus on marketing of Newfoundland and Labrador’s valuable cod resource
ST. JOHN’S, May 29, 2015 – The need for a focus on marketing of our cod resource is evident following a decision by the price setting panel to reduce the price paid to harvesters for cod. The panel responded to cries from processing companies for cheaper fish, to the detriment of harvesters who worked hard to improve quality and are already dealing with resource declines in other sectors. This was a disappointing result given that cod is so important to many harvesters in this province. Read the rest here 09:47Alder Point N.S. celebrates 60th Blessing of the Fleet
Back in 1955, Eunice MacFarlane and four others sat around a kitchen table and organized the first ever Blessing of the Fleet in Alder Point. This year’s time-honoured ritual is being held on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.The lobster boats will steam up the Alder Point Gut and then slowly, one-by-one, will pass by the government wharf where local clergy will sprinkle them with holy water. The St. Anne’s Church choir will sing hymns and people, including MacFarlane, will toss flowers and wreaths into the water in remembrance of those who have died. Read the rest here 08:22
Is NOAA Stacking the NPFMC Deck? – Alaska members appeal recusals
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council will spend the first four days of its weeklong meeting in Sitka beginning June 3 deciding on a series of deep cuts in the halibut bycatch allocation for the Bering Sea groundfish bottom-trawl fleet, but it may do so without a majority of the votes on the final decision coming from the Alaska delegation. The council, which has 11 members with six appointed from Alaska, could hold a final vote without two Alaska members, David Long and Simon Kinneen, unless the NOAA, reconsiders its decision to recommend them for recusal. Read the rest here 08:03
