Monthly Archives: May 2015
Monterey Italians recalled in new book
Monterey Peninsula resident Mike Ventimiglia’s ancestors fished, worked the canneries, operated and owned fishing boats as a well as a cannery on Cannery Row in Monterey. This collection of vintage photos was brought together from various sources including personal family collections, local library archives and from personal albums of the members of the Amici Club, an organization of individuals of Sicilian Italian descent. Read the rest here 19:00
The May 2015 SMAST Yellowtail Flounder Survey begins, and we have our first update!
This innovative survey , another SMAST/industry collaborative, is underway. The Captain is Ronnie Borgeson. Ronnie has the F/V Angenette, which is his own boat. Crew is Tim Barrett of the F/V Odessa, Al Gerry of the F/V Raptor, and Meghan Lapp of Seafreeze Ltd. The SMAST team is Dr. Kevin Stokesbury, Erin Adams, Travis Lowery, and Eli Powell. Also on board is Don Cuddy of the Center for Sustainable Fisheries. We will be receiving daily updates from the vessel, and here is todays: Photos and the update here 15:04
Mayday Mayday: Democratic Control Over Our Fish is Going Down
Fishermen and the public came to the Council meeting to provide input on the fleet diversity amendment to the New England groundfish Catch Share policy only to be shut down by the Chair of the Council. When I asked the Council Chairman Terry Stockwell if he could allow time for the group of fishermen, students, and hospital representatives to testify he said “no”. Not only did he insist “no” in response to my plea that he consider how far folks had traveled – in some cases 4 to 5 hours – instead of listening and being a public servant, he called me an “asshole” publicly. Read the rest here 12:50
Anchorage, Seattle greet first fish of Copper River salmon season
The ceremonial first fish of the Copper River salmon season has arrived in Seattle on an airplane from Alaska. Thousands of pounds of salmon arrived on an Alaska Airlines jet painted like a giant fish on Friday morning at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Fishing season on Alaska’s Copper River Delta began this week. Seattle eaters as well as restaurant chefs look forward to the delicious fish to arrive soon after the first fish come out of the water. Video, Read the rest here 12:02
This red herring is relevant: fisherman
When you are fishing on the Atlantic ocean, and have done so for years, there’s an expectation of what you will be pulling into your boat. But once in awhile, something comes over the gunnels that makes a fishermen stop and look, and scratch his head. Andy Murphy of Long Harbour did just that when he saw red herring coming aboard his boat off the community one day about a week ago. And he said the herring, with their bloody scales, looked eerily familiar to the herring that fishermen pulled aboard in 1969 when phosphorus made its way into the bay,, Read the rest here 11:20
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for May 15, 2015
Click to read Weekly Update for May 15, 2015 as a PDF To read all the updates, click here 10:50
Fixing a catastrophe: Divers removing 90,000 tires from ocean
An estimated 700,000 tires were dropped into the ocean off Hugh Taylor Birch State Park in the early 1970s in a failed attempt to create an artificial reef. At the time, before anyone had figured out how to recycle tires or burn them for electricity, tire dumps were appearing all over the United States. The Osborne Tire Reef was intended to be an environmentally friendly way to dispose of steel-belted radials. The bundles of tires would attract fish — which are drawn to vertical structures — and provide a foundation for the growth of corals. But not much coral grew on them, Read the rest here 10:45
$10 Million budget Proposal to get better counts of Gulf red snapper makes headway
The next time government researchers go out in boats to collect data on snapper with fishing lines and underwater cameras, they might have a flood of additional data to include in their fish count: information gathered by recreational anglers, charter boat captains and academic researchers. A $10 million budget proposal by U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Indian Shores, directs the federal fisheries service to award funds to everyone from commercial fishing operations to marine science laboratories for projects that collect data on fish populations. Read the rest here 09:46
Boards and Commissions Director Gillis resigns days before Board of Fisheries nominee due
ANCHORAGE—Gov. Bill Walker’s Boards and Commissions Director Karen Gillis has left her position amid growing controversy over a Board of Fisheries seat that has yet to be successfully filled. Walker, who is required by Alaska Statute to appoint a person to the seat by May 19, has previously appointed two candidates to the open seat; neither has lasted longer than a month. Though staff in the governor’s office confirmed Gillis’ departure, they have refused to discuss when she left, or release an updated list of candidates for the open seat. Read the rest here 09:33
“Deadliest catch”? Not even in the top three
In the 11th season of Discovery Channel’s flagship show “The Deadliest Catch,” the title’s fallacy still goes largely unnoted. Crab fishing on the Bering Sea isn’t the deadliest fishery in the United States, and it hasn’t been for the entire run of the show; it’s not even in the top three. Two East Coast fisheries are the ones where fishermen are most likely to become fish food. Groundfish—including cod and flounder—on the East Coast was the deadliest fishery in the U.S, followed by Atlantic scallops. The third, with which I have personal experience, is Dungeness crab fishing on the Oregon and Washington coasts. Read the rest here 08:36
Unalaska City Council supports smaller bycatch reduction, mayor says
Even without a formal resolution, the Unalaska City Council does agree with the mayor that any cuts to halibut bycatch allowed to trawlers should not exceed 10 percent, according to Mayor Shirley Marquardt. Last week’s newspaper incorrectly reported that she failed to win the city council’s support on the issue. At the April 28 meeting, Marquardt called for a halibut bycatch reduction of no more than 10 percent, versus the 50 percent supported by a group of Alaska state legislators. Read the rest here 16:39
Fate of the blueline tilefishery is now in the hands of the National Marine Fisheries Service
The species grabbed anglers’ attention in February when the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council requested that NMFS take emergency action on bluelines when it learned commercial fishing boats out of North Carolina planned on landing tilefish in New Jersey to take advantage of a no-limit loophole. A week after the Mid-Atlantic made its request, The SAFMC directed its Science and Statistical Committee (SSC) to determine if its earlier assessment, SEDAR 32, was applicable to the entire Atlantic Coast. Read the rest here 13:11
Climate change impact on lobster already visible, Lobsters struggle for breath in warming ocean
Warmer water temperatures and more acidic conditions seem to make lobster larvae grow more slowly, preliminary studies have found. A researcher at the University of Maine is collaborating with a professor at the University of Prince Edward Island on what impact climate change could have on lobster. University of Maine Masters student Jessica Waller is trying to figure out why the larvae are growing more slowing, by testing them in the water conditions expected 85 years from now due to climate change. Read the rest here 10:26
Crab-laden longliner almost submerged at Lumsden wharf
Most of a longliner carrying 19,000 pounds of crab was found almost underwater Thursday morning at the wharf in Lumsden. Nobody was aboard the Miss Cape Freels at the time of the incident. Devon Cross, the nephew of the boat’s captain, told CBC News that the vessel was fine around 3 a.m., but was clearly in trouble about three hours later, when his uncle was called. Read the rest here 10:17
MV Miner cleanup on hold while Cape Breton lobster fishery underway
Cape Breton fishermen say they’re relieved the cleanup of the MV Miner is being put on hold while lobster season is underway. Work to remove the ship, which ran aground off Scaterie Island in 2011 while being towed from Montreal to Turkey to be scrapped, is nearly completed. But to prevent any potential interference with the busy lobster harvest, that work has been put on hold. Read the rest here 10:08
Congress must protect Louisiana’s shrimping industry – “Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act” (HR 1907).
Consumer Reports found banned antibiotics on samples of imported shrimp collected from the shelves of major retail chains, such as Kroger, Wal-Mart, and Costco. The illegal trade schemes that allow tainted shrimp to evade food safety laws and reach our dinner plates are the same fraudulent trade practices that jeopardize our local shrimp industry, which sources from natural, sustainable stocks that do not need antibiotics. That is why Louisiana’s shrimp consumers and,,, Read the rest here 09:49
Upcoming Alaska Navy training exercises prompt protest plans for Saturday
A Navy training exercise planned in the Gulf of Alaska has sparked heated opposition in a small commercial fishing town nearby whose residents say the drills are taking place in the critical habitat of breeding and migratory marine life. Migrating salmon and other marine animals will be harmed by explosions, sonar and up to 352,000 pounds of debris that includes toxic materials like mercury, lead and cyanide, said Emily Stolarcyk, program manager for the Eyak Preservation Council. Read the rest here 07:53
Judge Dismisses Newport Fishermen’s Wives Helicopter Lawsuit Against Coast Guard
Despite the dismissal, the Fishermen’s Wives say the lawsuit ultimately staved off the Coast Guard’s plan to close the Newport air facility last December. The Fishermen’s Wives filed the lawsuit last fall shortly before the planned closure of the Newport Air Station and resulted in an injunction for several days before President Obama signed legislation prohibiting removal of the rescue helicopter prior to January 1, 2016. Read the rest here 07:22
Scientists discover that the Opah is a warm blooded fish!
In a paper published today in Science, researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describe the unique mechanism that enables the opah, a deepwater predatory fish, to keep its body warm. The secret lies in a specially designed set of blood vessels in the fish’s gills, which allows the fish to circulate warm blood throughout its entire body. Read the rest here 17:21
Greenpeace says Marine Stewardship Council is Living in Fisheries Fantasyland!
Imagine if you’re sick or injured and your doctor gives you the ‘all clear’ while still developing your treatment plan. You’d get a new doctor, right? Well, the latest tuna fishery recommended for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification could be given the blue fish tick based on the same faulty logic. There are plans being developed to improve the fishery, but, so far, little evidence of action or results. The certification covers five purse seine vessels currently fishing for skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye tuna in the Indian Ocean,,, Read the rest here 16:04
Maryland NRP Investigating Illegal Commercial Fishing Operation in St. Mary’s Co.
On Tuesday morning, officers received a complaint about a large number of dead fish floating near Town Creek, a tributary of the Patuxent. Searching the area, officers saw a vessel, the McKenzie Leigh, unloading fish at a nearby pier. The vessel was holding about 14,000 pounds of croaker and other species of fish, many appearing to be undersized. Read the rest here 15:36
Giant conger eel caught off British coast
An eel longer than a double decker bus has been caught off the coast of Britain. The 20ft conger eel weighed 131lb (59.5kg) after it was gutted and was caught off Plymouth in Devon. Fisherman caught it by mistake after it became tangled in their trawler’s nets. The conger eel landed at Plymouth Fisheries was caught by the inshore trawler ‘Hope’. Scott Govier: “I’m a commercial fisherman, and it was just a normal days fishing – business as usual. “When we pulled it up I was stunned, because it was so huge. Read the rest here 15:14
U.S. Department of Justice says owner of fishing vessel that fouled Penn Cove owes $2.8 million
The man convicted of abandoning his derelict vessel, which sank and spilled oil in Penn Cove in 2012, owes $2.8 million for the cost of removal and damage, the federal government said this week. Rory Westmoreland’s fishing vessel Deep Sea was illegally anchored in Whidbey Island’s Penn Cove before it caught fire, sank and spilled thousands of gallons of oil into the waters in May 2012. The spill forced the temporary closure of a nearby shellfish farm. Three years later,,, Read the rest here 11:15
North Shore lobster fishermen to ask for season extension
North Shore lobster fishermen will make an official request to Fisheries and Oceans Canada to extend their season by the end of the week, says the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association. But there are no guarantees either extension will be granted. DFO says it will make a decision on a case-by-case basis, but that June 30 marks the end of P.E.I.’s lobster season because it’s generally around the time lobsters start moulting, or shedding their shells. Read the rest here 10:59
No consultation, No communication – New transatlantic cable causing headaches for crab harvesters
Crab harvesters off the southeast Avalon are upset over a new fibre optic cable being laid through their fishing grounds. Avalon MP Scott Andrews is speaking out against the project. He’s representing the interests of crab harvesters, who think the timing couldn’t be worse given the recent start of the crab season. “It’s been a real pain in the ass,” he said. “There’s been no consultation, no communication. Now they’re being told they’ve got to up and root their pots and move them away from where this fibre optic cable is going through.” Read the rest here 10:43
Robert Ridgewell, 74, a salty fisherman until his final few days
Robert Ridgewell surely had saltwater pumping through his veins. A salty lobsterman from Phippsburg, Mr. Ridgewell was 10 when he began fishing on his father’s boat in Portland. He lobstered during the summers and fished during winters. And for the next 64 years, he dedicated his life to doing what he loved – fishing. He died unexpectedly on May 2. He was 74. “He was a fisherman,” said a soft-spoken Laura Ridgewell, his wife of 50 years. “He was always at sea. It’s where he was happiest.” Read the rest here 09:33
UMass researchers win scallop fisheries grants
SMAST won $373,922 for Dr. Kevin Stokesbury’s continued development of video scallop surveys on Georges Bank. His methods have revolutionized the scallop biomass estimates in recent years, helping turn scallops into the species that keeps New Bedford at the top earning port in the United States for more than a decade. A grant of $160,738 went to Dr. Catherine O’Keefe for further development of a bycatch avoidance system that collects real-time information from fishermen about “hot spots” of yellowtail flounder, which can then be avoided by the scallopers. Read the rest here 08:34
Fishing Methods Guide, produced by Seafish
“Years and years of research and development has gone in to gear technology over the years, allowing fishermen to be more selective with the catch. Yet, most people never get the opportunity to see fishing gear in operation – they have very little appreciation of how it works and what it actually looks like when it is fishing. Fishermen will know and understand their own gear very well, but even they rarely see what happens with the gear beneath the water, usually having to rely on the resulting catch to gauge how the gear is working.” See the download here 08:18
Affidavit spells out allegations against Maine elver dealer
William Sheldon is accused of encouraging elver fishermen, some of whom were undercover federal agents, to fish in prohibited areas and of buying elvers that he knew had not been legally harvested. The allegations described in the affidavit constitute violations of the federal Lacey Act, which prohibits interstate transport or transactions of any species of fish or wildlife illegally harvested or handled in any state. According to the document, anyone found guilty of knowingly violating the Lacey Act faces a potential fine of up to $250,000 and as many as five years in prison. Read the rest here 20:43
N.C. Wildlife Federation’s Sound Solutions Campaign targets gear
The federation, a statewide conservation organization advocating for the state’s wildlife and habitat, held a press conference Tuesday at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, releasing what its described as a comprehensive campaign to maintain the inshore waters of the state. This campaign includes recommendations to state legislators and agencies to support more environmental protection and restoration and tighten regulations on certain fishing gears, particularly gill nets and trawls. Read the rest here 17:18
