Monthly Archives: May 2015
Great Lakes Commercial fish netters getting more for less
It’s no secret that I do not like commercial fishing. I don’t like it in the oceans where the greed of commercial netters and long-liners have a long record of collapsing stocks of fish with little regard to sustainability. The oceans are huge compared to the Great Lakes. Commercial fishing in the Great Lakes has an even worse record. Commercial fishermen mined the native lake trout in all the Great Lakes except Superior to the point the invasive lampreys could finish the job of extirpating them. Read the rest here 16:30
Do any of these issues, and notions bother you? Or is it only me?!!
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is gathering leaders in science, activism, media and the seafood industry at its home-base in Monterey, California for two days of in-depth discussions on sustainable food — especially seafood — this week. The event, “Sustainable Foods Institute”. Issues: Consultant: Thai slave labor reports are real – Whiskas maker to get into aquaculture by 2020 – Paleo diet days numbered, says panelist – Atlantic bluefin tuna stock down 96% on management failure – Damanaki floats idea of US-EU-Japan collaboration on global fisheries protection – Stakeholders relay ‘blood and guts’ story of West Coast groundfish climb to sustainability – Aquarium pumping expertise into ASEAN sustainability efforts Read the rest here 14:43
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 44′ 11″ x 17′ Novi Lobster,1987, Fiberglass, Volvo
For specifications, information, and 11 photos of the vessel, click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 11:19
Good hauls, lower prices expected as lobster season opens
ARISAIG — “I’ve got 11:58,” Gerard MacDonald called from the lobster boat’s bow. “I’ve got :58, too,” yelled another captain on the boat idling behind MacDonald’s vessel. “Imagine that,” declared MacDonald. “Our watches are synchronized.” Two minutes later, at the digital stroke of noon, they and the rest of the local lobster fishing fleet, held captive by ice for 11 days, charged past the Arisaig wharf breakwaters. Monday was trap-dumping day on the Northumberland Strait. Read the rest here 10:47
An open letter to NOAA, Sam Frontiero, Gloucester
Well, John Bullard, you have put the final nail in the fisherman’s coffin and you must be proud. You have taken away the livelihood of the fisherman and the thousands of related jobs to the industry. You must be proud. You have hurt our young people’s chances for an education with your junk science, people paying their mortgages and so much more. You must be proud. I’ve always said along with power comes corruption and NOAA has shown that now and in the past. Read the rest here 10:30
Passamaquoddy tribe and state trying to find middle ground over use of fyke nets
Passamaquoddy tribal leaders and the Department of Marine Resources met Tuesday morning, trying to reach some common ground about a new emergency rule. The chief of the tribe would not go into detail about what the meeting was about, but he said these meetings are because of some disagreement between the two parties, specifically the use of fyke nets . Video, Read the rest here 09:05
America’s Most Dangerous Job Is Still Fishing
Alaska’s commercial fishing industry remains one of the most dangerous in the United States, despite a series of government regulations designed to help fishermen in the state. But as Willem Marx reports, safety training that is currently voluntary may prove the best survival solution for those operating in this deadly environment. Video report here 08:54
Sea stars impacted by wasting disease spotted in chilly Alaska waters
A mysterious disease that causes sea stars to form lesions, lose arms, and eventually completely disintegrate was recently spotted en masse in the Gulf of Alaska. Konar said the location is part of the reason this mass die-off — which is believed to have started near Monterrey, Calif, and now stretches from Baja California to here — seems more troubling than similar past occurrences. The cause of wasting disease is still unknown, with a group of scientists,,, Read the rest here 08:29
Fishing boat capsizes spilling oil into Fraser River near Richmond (with video)
Oil spilled into the Fraser River after a 26-metre fishing boat capsized at a Richmond marina, according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. No one was aboard the ship and there are no reports of injuries after the vessel, Western Crusader, overturned at the Shelter Island Marina in Richmond shortly before 8 a.m. A Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft was sent after the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria received a distress call, Read the rest here 07:29
Settlement reached in fishing boat sinking that claimed two lives
Paperwork was filed Tuesday in Knox County Unified Court on behalf of the estate of 27-year-old Thomas Hammond of Rockland, who was one of two crewmembers lost when the fishing vessel No Limits sank off Matinicus Island on Nov. 1 during a storm. Also lost in the tragedy was 15-year-old Tyler Sawyer, who lived in St. George and Waldoboro. The boat was owned by captain Christopher Hutchinson, who survived the sinking. Read the rest here 19:51
North Carolina Wildlife Federation Proposes Drastic Policies to Protect Coastal Habitats
MOREHEAD CITY – A wildlife conservation nonprofit is looking to make some changes to the way our state cares for its coastal ecosystem. The new policies would promote oyster restoration, habitat protection and stricter fishing gear regulations. “If we keep going the same direction, then our coast will be in peril,” said David Knight, policy advisor with the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. “Large mesh gill nets, small mesh gill nets, shrimp trolling in inland waters, but all of these issues,,, Read the rest here 18:14
Alaska’s salmon season officially starts tomorrow, May 14!
Alaska’s 2015 salmon season officially gets underway tomorrow, May 14th. Trollers in Southeast Alaska fish for king salmon nearly all year long, but the official start is 
near Cordova. The 500-plus fleet is set for the first 12 hour opener on Thursday amid the usual media hoopla. The harvest at Copper River this year is set at 2.2 million sockeye salmon and a conservative six thousand kings. In following weeks, various salmon openers will kick off all over Alaska,,, Read the rest here 17:51
South Shore lobstermen design gear to both protect whales, ‘get our lobstering back’
Some lobstermen plowed snow and worked side jobs during the three-month closure that ended May 1. Others repaired their equipment and puttered around, living off their savings. South Shore lobstermen John Haviland and Mike Lane spent the downtime poring over more than 1,000 pages of data and methodology from the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. The new plan bans the use of lobstering equipment from Feb. 1 to April 30 off Cape Cod Bay and beyond, shutting down the local industry for the winter. Video, Read the rest here 16:59
New classification rules for U.S. fishing vessels – DNV GL Tackles Safety through Standards
New classification rules for U.S. fishing vessels address safety issues through collaboration, new rules and an eye towards economy. With this in view, U.S. legislation requires that all new fishing vessels of at least 50 feet overall in length are to be built and maintained to classification rules. Read the rest here. For an excellent breakdown of this, (it’s expensive!) Read SAFE-BOAT SMART-BOAT: Time to grasp an understanding of new USCG safety requirements Click here photo 15:56
Blessing of the Nets – Ceremony at Port Dover Harbour Museum honours commercial fishermen
PORT DOVER – We can all taste the results of the commercial fishing industry – delicious meals a plenty in towns like Port Dover. What the general public doesn’t witness is the risk each fisherman encounters on Lake Erie for weeks at a time. During those moments, it doesn’t hurt to have someone watching over you, which is where the annual Blessing of the Nets and Fishermen’s Memorial Service comes into play. Read the rest here (photo) 12:44
New Tool Aims To Help Scallop Fishery Adapt To Climate Change
Researchers with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy that analyzes data on changes in the ocean, the scallop population, and the economy. The tool is unique, according to Jon Hare, director of the NOAA fisheries lab in Narragansett. He said the goal is to give scallop fisheries the chance to prepare for climate change, and “use this model to evaluate how the population would respond to ocean acidification and changes in management.” Read the rest here 12:05
Lobster season begins on the North Shore and in Cape Breton
Traps are being prepared and loaded onto boats by fisherman in northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton for the first day of their lobster season. “Feels great to get back at ‘er,” says Colin MacDonald. At Ballantynes Cove, 20 minutes north of Antigonish, around a dozen fishermen like MacDonald were up before 5 a.m. getting ready. Read the rest here 11:55
Lightening Raid! Lobsters liberated in Dublin
Members of the National Animal Rights Association (NARA), Direct Action For Animals, and Alliance For Animal Rights swooped on the Ka Shing Chinese restaurant as busy Friday trade got under way about 7.30pm. A number of the activists fished the lobsters out of the tank at the entrance to the Wicklow St premises before putting them into bags and quickly exiting the restaurant. Video, Read the rest here 09:05
NOAA out of touch with scallop grounds, Fred Crabtree, New Bedford
NOAA is proposing more regulations on the scallop industry, to justify its existence (“Council expected to vote on scallop grounds,” April 23). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has regulated the finfish industry to almost non-existence. The draggers that are still fishing have to buy fishing time from the draggers that stay tied to the dock. The scallop fishery would also be in the same shape were it not for UMass Dartmouth. Read the rest here 08:25
Times are tough – Rockland refuses to waive fees for Maine Lobster Festival
The Maine Lobster Festival will have to shell out money to the city for the annual summer waterfront celebration. The council voted 4-1 Monday night to reject fee waivers. The rejection means the organization will have to pay $14,250 to use the downtown city-owned waterfront parks this year. “We know these are difficult times for taxpayers and the council,” Plourde said. Read the rest here 08:03
Dead fin whale arrives in Vancouver on bow of cruise ship
Department of Fisheries and Oceans officials are trying to figure out how a fin whale died and arrived in the city’s harbour Sunday on the bow of a cruise ship. The whale, spotted at the port near the Clarke Drive access point, has since been towed away so a necropsy can be performed. He said the ship operator immediately notified authorities after noticing the whale and crew members have been interviewed. The mammal was brought into to the port so a team of experts could examine it. Read the rest here 07:47
Commercials to fish Tuesday night in lower Columbia – 14 hours of commercial fishing for spring chinook
Washington and Oregon officials have approved 14 hours of commercial fishing for spring chinook salmon Tuesday in the lower Columbia River. The Columbia River Compact on Monday adopted a fishery from 4 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday from Beacon Rock downstream to the ocean. Tangle nets with 4.25-inch-maximum mesh are required. Read the rest here 20:48
Cashing in! “Developing the Blue Economy on Florida’s Gulf Coast.”
Building on a strong fishing history and an ideal spot in the midst of three national estuary programs, the Sarasota-Manatee-Charlotte county region already is building momentum on its own as a maritime economic development engine, a report commissioned by Gulf Coast Community Foundation says. From boat building to artificial reef design to turning the region’s mullet roe into a valuable delicacy, the region has developed a coastal economy that employs 30,000 at 1,839 businesses with payrolls in excess of $600 million per year, according to the report. Read the rest here 19:14
Unalaska city council ducks halibut bycatch issue
When Mayor Shirley Marquardt goes to bat for the industrial fishing fleet in the struggle over halibut bycatch next month in Sitka, she won’t be speaking on behalf of the Unalaska City Council. The city council did vote to pay her way to the meeting, but avoided the halibut bycatch issue. The fish versus fish battle puts halibut one side, facing off against yellowfin sole, turbot, flounder and other flatfish, and Pacific ocean perch, sold mainly in Asia by the Seattle-based distant water fleet. Read the rest here 18:46 This revealing article has miraculously, disappeared!
Vandalism to lights and buoys endangers mariners in Pacific Northwest
The Coast Guard is asking for the public’s help to put a stop to the vandalism of aids to navigation throughout the Pacific Northwest. Several navigational lights in the region have been vandalized rendering them inoperable or limiting their visibility. Recently the batteries were deliberately and illegally removed from a light marking a red and black dayboard on a tower at Reach Range H Rear Light and other aids near Gray’s Harbor. Graffiti applied to the Elk Rock Island Light 13 near Portland, Ore., obscured the green dayboards making them harder to see at a distance and more difficult to read in general. Read the rest here 16:46
Super Bait
A new type of bait is changing the game for anglers and commercial fishermen alike. Fishing Physics holds the patent to the new super bait, and there is nothing else like it. This eco friendly fish bait… made out of a special hydro gel is a better fish attractant, reusable, and cost effective. A handful of commercial boats are trying out the bait right now. Perry says fishermen are doing a comparison of live bait to theirs. Audio, Read the rest here 15:55
South Africa’s Oceana Group in acquisition talks with US menhaden harvester Daybrook Fisheries
South Africa’s Oceana Group is in acquisition talks with the parent company of
. Daybrook produces around 60,000 metric tons of fishmeal and 30,000t of fish oil, from its processing operations in Empire, Louisiana. The company also has 11 purse seine vessels and ten spotter planes. Although Daybrook is the second largest in the sector, the company is much smaller than Omega Protein, the biggest player. Read the rest here 15:14
Cold water blamed for slow crab season in Cape Breton
First it was the ice, and now frigid water temperatures are causing more problems for Cape Breton crab fishermen. Main-a-Dieu fisherman Joe Forgeron isn’t worried about meeting his 285,000-pound quota by season’s end on Sept. 1, but he figures it may take longer than last year.Forgeron, who fishes out of Louisbourg, said the colder-than-average water temperatures translate into slower-moving crab, which means smaller-than-average catches. “This season’s been all right, but, Read the rest here 15:00
Steve Train, lobsterman
Dropping out of college doesn’t lead to financial hardship in every case. When Steve Train, 48, left Northeastern University in Boston as a young man, he had only 12 courses left to take before he would graduate with a business degree. By then, however, the Long Island resident had decided he wanted to be a lobsterman. So he decided to spend his limited funds on buying more lobster traps and a larger boat, rather than pay for college tuition for a degree he would never need. Read the rest here 14:51
Federal employment minister Pierre Poilievre says fish plants must boost wages
Canada’s employment minister says changes to temporary foreign worker legislation will not be reversed or delayed after complaints by New Brunswick fish plant owners. Pierre Poilievre says the solution to the shortage of workers that fish plant owners are concerned about is very simple, “hire unemployed New Brunswickers.” “Let me be blunt, employers do have to raise wages if they can’t attract enough employees. That’s the free market, that’s how it works.” Read the rest here 14:33
