Daily Archives: May 30, 2015
SMAST survey of groundfish has potential to improve regulation
It was May 14, a Thursday. The big yellow Caterpillar roared to life beneath us, throbbing through the steel deck plates; a signal that it was time to cast off the surly bonds of earth. Capt. Ron Borjeson backed the Justice down. The Justice is a scallop boat, but as the net reel above the stern ramp proclaimed, we were rigged for groundfish. But this was to be no ordinary fishing trip. Kevin Stokesbury was heading a scientific expedition, targeting groundfish but trying to count rather than catch them. The flatfish net on the Justice was designed to enable fish to pass through the mouth and escape through the open end unharmed. Their passing would, however, be filmed by cameras mounted inside the net, with their number and species recorded on video and stored for later analysis. Read the rest here 22:52
OP-ED: Fears Mount over NPFMC halibut bycatch quota vote
I have been an Alaskan since 1996. I live and work in Dutch Harbor and have built a labor and equipment company providing services to the Amendment 80 vessels. The North Pacific Management Council is meeting in June to decide whether to adjust the Amendment 80 fleet’s allowable halibut by-catch. The Council’s decision is likely to cost Alaskan jobs. We have been providing longshore services either directly or indirectly since 1998. Our company has grown from a few hard working Alaskans to a little over 120 employees. Read the rest here 18:37
Bristol Bay’s halibut fishery is underway!
“There are halibut around and people are beginning to catch them,” said Susie Jenkins-Brito, the regional fisheries coordinator for the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. Jenkins-Brito said the group had its first report of halibut caught in the area on May 22, and other fishermen in the area have started going out to catch halibut as well. There are 28 fishermen who have permits to harvest BBEDC’s quota in the area on longline vessels, out of 35 who initially applied. Read the rest here 18:20
Women put off fishing and brewing by safety and macho behaviour
Macho behaviour and safety fears are putting women off working in the brewing and fisheries industries, according to research. Genevieve Kurilec, a commercial fishing captain, who runs the Chix who Fish Facebook group and website, said: “In my experience women tend to be more safety conscious and detail oriented, which makes us an excellent asset to any crew working in a dangerous occupation.” There would always be men in society who patronised women, she claimed. Read the rest here 16:45
Digby Fisheries officers stay busy, seize halibut and scallops and lay numerous charges
Department of Fisheries 
area have had a busy month – since April 10 they have seized halibut in Delaps Cove, scallops at the Digby wharf, and carried out a detailed inspection of the documentation of a fishplant in Delaps Cove. Various infractions – discovered six bags of scallops that had been segregated from the rest of the catch, seized 208 pounds of scallops and have laid charges for an inaccurate hail, fishermen offloading halibut in Delaps Cove without having hailed, found cooked lobster aboard a groundfish dragger, Read the rest here 15:23 [CORRECTION: an earlier version of this story INCORRECTLY said that halibut was seized in Delaps Cove, when in fact the halibut was seized in Parker’s Cove. The Courier regrets the confusion. (1:40 p.m. May 31, 2015)]
Maine Elver fishermen report ‘horrible’ season
The 2015 elver fishing season has come to a disappointing end, local fishermen say. “Horrible,” fisherman Abden Simmons described it. “I don’t think I’ve caught half of what my quota was.” “Normally we have an eight-week season, but this year we had a four-week season,” Darrel Young, head of the Maine Elver Fishermen Association, said. The season actually began March 22, but Young didn’t catch his first elvers until May 3. Prices per pound of elvers ranged throughout the season from under $1,000 to a high of $2,700, Read the rest here 15:04
Fisheries observer Talilla Schuster – Provincetown upbringing, science and water-based career
Coping with homesickness, eating food that she is not used to, losing sleep with an erratic schedule, “grumpy fishermen and [her own] grumpiness” also are all part of her job. She knows her presence is not always a picnic for the fishermen either. “Having an observer onboard is a bit of a nuisance for the fishing crew. There are certain things I do in order to do my job that disrupts their routine no matter how hard I try not to,” she says. Read the rest here 12:17
Inland Fisheries – Asian carp study reveals market for the invaders
The despised Asian carp in the Illinois River has been beaten with baseball bats and harpooned with arrows at local events, but a study from the University of Illinois commissioned by the city of Pekin shows that it may be time to invite them to the dinner table. The recent study, performed by the university’s Illinois Business Consulting School, shows that there is a market for Asian carp for human consumption, and non-human consumption for use as fertilizers, animal feed or beauty products, in both national and international markets. Read the rest here 11:43
Blaine Marina to close after more than 50 years supporting fishing community
The Dodd family is known for being consummate entrepreneurs and it showed in their business, which not only sold fuel and supplies to fishing boats but just about anything else people in town needed, including furniture, appliances, floor coverings, groceries and hardware. We’re going to miss it. We made a lot of friends over the years,” Mike Dodd said. “I’ll especially remember the camaraderie with the fishing community and the residents.” More importantly, the business and the Dodd family were well-known for their willingness to extend credit,, Read the rest here 11:27
Cape Breton lobster website directs you to lobster, fresh off the boat
A new website is highlighting where people in parts of Cape Breton can purchase fresh lobster right off the boat. Lobster fishermen from Bay St. Lawrence to Gabarus — what’s known as area 27 — have launched a website that shows users a map of all the ports where lobster is sold and what hours it is available. Most lobster from area 27 is exported, says Veronika Brzeski, the project manager for the fishermen in the area. Read the rest here, and visit http://capebretonlobster.com/ 10:11
White House vow to veto fishing law changes sends a very poor message to fishermen
David Goethel, a Hampton, New Hampshire-based fisherman of species such as cod and haddock, said the threat of a veto is premature and a “very poor message” to send to fishermen who are struggling with tough catch quotas. He said Young’s proposal is “common sense in fisheries management” and deserves a hard look. Goethel said Young’s proposal could help Northeastern regional managers rebuild cod while allowing fishermen to still seek similar species such as haddock and Pollock. Read the rest here 08:44
South Carolina – Price for local shrimp could drop this year amid predictions of increased landings
There could be a drop in local shrimp prices this year. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is predicting a big increase in the number of shrimp. DNR says the last two years, the local shrimp output has been around 300,000 pounds, but this year, they’re predicting more than 500,000 pounds of white shrimp, almost double. The big reason behind the shortage was the winter weather. This year because of a fairly mild winter, more shrimp could grow. Video, Read the rest here 08:20
Gulf Shrimpers Taking a Beating Thanks to Cheap Imported Shrimp.
Previously crippled by disease, imported shrimp from countries such as Indonesia have made a major comeback and have flooded the U.S. market, experts say. In summary, shrimp wholesale is remarkably cheap right now and that means bad business for the local guys. “The industry is in outrage right now,” Thomas Hymel, specialist for the LSU AgCenter, said Tuesday. Last year, much of the foreign, farm-raised shrimp product was decimated by a disease called early mortality syndrome, or EMS. Less shrimp in the market meant a bump in prices. Read the rest here 07:54
