Monthly Archives: May 2015
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
Fishermen, Businesses, and Fishing Organizations Support House Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Bill
On Saturday, May 16, a diverse group of 20 businesses, 51 organizations, and 80 individuals representing fishermen and fishing communities from the East, West, and Gulf Coasts jointly signed a letter delivered to Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT), the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, supporting HR 1335, the “Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act,” which would reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Read the rest here 21:09
Coast Guard terminates charter boat voyage in Buzzards Bay for expired operator license, fishing violations
The Coast Guard terminated the trip of a 23-foot charter vessel today in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, due to an expired operator’s license and evidence of illegal fishing. During a random safety boarding, a crew from Coast Guard Station Woods Hole, Massachusetts, boarded the vessel and discovered the master’s license had expired in 2008. Upon further inspection, the crew found black sea bass which were illegally caught during the off season. Black sea bass season does not open until May 23rd in the State of Massachusetts. Read the rest here 20:47
Indonesian fishermen fighting for $2.6m unpaid wages
One of New Zealand’s largest fishing companies could become embroiled in a dispute with Indonesian fishermen who claim they are owed more than $2.6 million in unpaid wages. The 53 fishermen walked off fishing vessel the Pacinui when it docked in Timaru in February 2013, saying they had not been paid and were owed a total of around $2.68 million. The ship they worked on was chartered by New Zealand fishing company Sanford Ltd – one of the country’s largest fishing corporations, which turns over $450 million a year, and made a $22.4m profit in 2014. Read the rest here 19:18
NOAA Whoever Reminds Trap/Pot Gear and Gillnet Fishermen That New Rules Go Into Effect June 1, 2015
New limits and dates set for Atlantic bluefin fishing
Atlantic bluefin tuna limits are being altered. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued a temporary rule in the Federal Register of Friday, May 15, 2015 changing the retention limits for the general and angling categories and announcing a new start date for the purse seine category. The new limit for the general category runs from June through August while the new limit for the angling category is in effect immediately and lasts through the end of the year. Read the rest here 14:04
N.C. Commercial shrimpers will have to add second bycatch device on June 1
The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission approved the new requirements as part of Amendment 1 to the N.C. Shrimp Fishery Management Plan. A bycatch reduction device is a fishing-gear modification designed to reduce the catch of finfish that do not meet the size limits or are too small to market. Currently, North Carolina requires shrimp fishermen to use one state-certified bycatch reduction device in shrimp trawls and skimmer trawls. Read the rest here 13:47
Port Clinton Fish company owner invests $170,000 into business
The business, located by the Madison Street dock, has new windows, steel siding and signage. A new roof was installed about a year earlier. Rich said he believes the site has housed a fishing company since the 1920s. “It was the largest freshwater fish company in the world,” said Rich, a Castalia resident. “Railroad cars came right out here where we park and would take the fish to Chicago and New York.” The Stinson family has owned the Port Clinton Fish Co. since Rich’s dad, Lee, purchased it in 1974. Read the rest here 13:31
Strong weekend for eastern Cape Breton lobstermen
Warm temperatures, sunny skies and decent prices greeted Cape Breton’s eastern shore fishermen at the wharf during the opening of their annual lobster season. It is a much different scenario than the one that played out two years ago when prices fell as low as $3.25 a pound in some areas. A lobster fisherman of over 40 years, Billy Wadden of Main-a-Dieu spent the morning cleaning up his boat in preparation for the annual blessing of the fleet. Read the rest here 11:58
The right to fish fairly – Marty Frost, Salter Path, N.C.
After reading your article in the Wednesday, May 13th edition entitled “Sound solutions targets gear,” one thing is for certain — conservationist organizations such as the N.C. Wildlife Federation won’t stop until it controls the N.C. state fishery management and the very lives of those who depend on the water to make a living.,, The commercial fishermen of North Carolina have given until they can’t give any more. They have been lied about, spit on and jeered for problems they didn’t create alone. Read the rest here 11:34
Fishermen Plan to Hold Summer Event at Menemsha
The Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust will host its first ever Meet the Fleet event this summer in Menemsha to showcase the Island’s working waterfront. “We hope to just educate the public — just the struggles and the reasons why the fisheries are in the state they are in,” Mr. Keene said. “And then the positive side to what our group is trying to do.” He hoped the event would allow people to meet the fisherman “and get a personal side to the whole industry.” Read the rest here 11:20
Owner Of Sunken Scallop Boat Says Captain Tried To Warn Approaching Vessel
The owner of the Elizabeth J said the captain of his ship attempted to radio the Nina Marie shortly before the sport fishing boat . Southampton resident Jeff Kraus, who was not on the boat at the time of the accident, said his vessel was traveling at about 3 knots and fishing for scallops when the captain spotted the Nina Marie on the boat’s radar approaching at roughly 20 knots. Read the rest here 10:59
Fisheries law renewal reignites conflict between fishing industry, environmentalists
The impending reauthorization of the federal laws governing commercial fisheries has mobilized environmentalists who contend that any relaxation of existing rules amounts to capitulation to reckless fishing interests and endangerment to the fish populations. Since 1996 the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Act has been the underpinning of rebuilding fish stocks across the United States, say powerful non-profit environmental groups and their backers. Relaxing the rules now would be disastrous, they argue. Of course, they are wrong! Read the rest here 08:12
Demystifying Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management
Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) became a major initiative of resource managers around the world beginning in the 1990s. Unlike traditional management approaches that focused solely on the biology of a particular stock, EBFM provides a more holistic approach to fisheries management – one that takes into account the complex suite of biological, physical, economic, and social factors associated with managing living marine resources. Read the rest here 20:32
Have wind turbines ruined Britain’s prized lobster haul?
This area of the North Sea is by far the UK’s most prolific lobster ground. Before the boats were barred from entering it, in mid-2013, to allow for the construction of a 35-turbine windfarm, it provided more than 15% of the 3,500 tonnes of lobster taken from UK waters every year. Landed at Bridlington, and the smaller the lobsters – and a large quantity of crabs and whelks – are mostly exported and are highly prized in France, Spain and Portugal. Read the rest here 18:08
Seattle-based trawlers facing prospect of 50% halibut bycatch cut – Whopping salmon harvest, and A new, safer Vicky
Many Alaskans are speaking out against the more than 6 million pounds of halibut dumped overboard each year as bycatch in trawl fisheries targeting flounder, rockfish, perch, mackerel and other groundfish — not pollock., Whopping salmon harvest – In all, Alaskans are bracing for a huge season — state managers project a harvest of 221 million salmon, a whopping 39 percent higher than last year., A new, safer Vicky – Few fishermen go to sea without their Vickies — the small, sharp Victorinox Swiss Army knife used for everything that needs a quick cut. Read the rest here 16:15
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update, May 17, 2015
The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance is dedicated to its mission of continuing to help create sustainable fisheries without putting licensed fishermen out of business.” Read the update here To read all the updates, click here 10:59
Kirk Fish Co. rides out another stone crab season in Goodland
Goodland’s afternoon stickiness pushes through the doorway of the fish house where Patty Kirk is hand-mixing her umpteenth batch of mustard sauce. It’s May 11, a Monday, four days before the end of stone crab season. She’s been at it every day since October 15, save the Sundays after Easter, alongside her husband, Damas, 61, and their 24-year-old daughter, Kelly. Where stone crabs are king, the stone crabbing Kirks are royalty. Video, read the rest here 09:52
The Eel Story: Giant Fish Big, But Not That Big
A conger eel said to be up to 21ft in length when it was caught off the coast of Devon was actually only about 6-7ft, officials at the port where it was sold have said. The fish weighing 72.5kg (160lb) was hauled aboard the inshore trawler Hope by fishermen from Plymouth who tweeted pictures of their catch. According to Plymouth Fisheries the eel is thought to be around 6-7ft (2m) long, though the fisherman who hauled it onboard said it could have been a few feet longer. Read the rest here 09:14
For California salmon, truck rides and bucket lifts
What do you do when you have 30 million young salmon ready for their big journeys downstream, but drought and development have dried your riverbeds to sauna rocks? In California this year, you give the fish a ride. State and federal wildlife agencies in California are deploying what they say is the biggest fish-lift in the state’s history through this month, rolling out convoys of tanker trucks to transport a generation of hatchery salmon downstream to the San Francisco Bay. Read the rest here 08:45
Alaska boats link in giant flotilla to protest military plan
Nearly 50 commercial fishing boats linked together with line, creating a massive flotilla to draw attention to their protest of the Navy’s planned exercises in the Gulf of Alaska. The linked vessels were part of a group of more than 100 boats that set out from Cordova onto Orca Inlet, which opens onto the Gulf of Alaska, on Saturday. “I’ve never seen anything like it on my life,” said organizer Emily Stolarcyk, program manager for the Eyak Preservation Council. “We had boats rafted five boats deep.” Read the rest here 08:01
Big Green Bureaucracy – Commercial fishermen fight to fish near NASA
George Sweetman must follow the crabs. This year, they lure him to the shallows surrounding NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where the beginnings of a blue crab revival crawl inside his steel traps. But a plan to phase out his trade from these remote waters could claw back a recent turnaround in the fortunes of Sweetman and others who fish the Mosquito Lagoon — the northernmost section of the Indian River Lagoon — killing off their unique heritage.But the feds say he and others who fish commercially must go because they clash with the government’s conservation mission. Read the rest here 20:10
In Benton, dinner crowd says alewives are good eating
The menu included locally smoked whole alewife and two varieties of alewife chowder and lobster, along with traditional sides such as corn, potatoes and rolls. It was a sold-out crowd Friday night at the Benton Grange as about 100 people came together in what is becoming an annual feast to celebrate the Benton Grange, or alewife. The dinner is a way to recognize the small fishes’ annual spring run from the Gulf of Maine upstream to spawn in inland lakes. Benton has the distinction of hosting the largest run in the state and one of the largest on the East Coast, estimated at nearly 3 million fish. Read the rest here 19:14
Had it with high halibut bycatch? Tell the NPFMC by May 26
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