Daily Archives: June 25, 2015
A Tale of Two Whales: Seven-Year Study Indicates Steady and Upward Trends for Blue and Fin Whales in Southern California
A new study led by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego indicates a steady population trend for blue whales and an upward population trend for fin whales in Southern California.Blue and fin whales are common inhabitants of the Southern California Bight, the curved region of California coastline with offshore waters extending from San Diego to Point Conception (near Santa Barbara, Calif.), but little is known about their use of the area. Read the rest here 19:31
‘Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks’, ‘Port Protection’ & ‘Yukon River Run’ to Premiere in July on NatGeo
Following the premiere of Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks comes a new series, Port Protection. The remote, fog-shrouded community of Port Protection is tucked into the northwest corner of Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, and surrounded by the freezing waters of the North Pacific. A small band of extraordinary people push the limits of survival, living an isolated and risky life of self-reliance with no roads, no government and no cops. Yukon River Run:On Alaska’s Yukon River, three raft crews each begin preparations for a trek downstream to sell goods to native villages. Read the rest here 18:59
FWC approves lobster incentive to harvest lionfish
Lionfish are pretty to look at but that’s about it says commercial fisherman Rachel Bowman. “The lionfish are gorgeous but extremely detrimental to our environment not picky eaters. A lionfish can consume anything 2 inches smaller than itself,” says Bowman. And that healthy appetite, says Bowman, may one day pose a threat to commercial fishing. She says, “Only a matter of time before snapper, grouper and lobster show a decline because of lionfish.” The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says man is the lionfish’s best predator. Read the rest here 18:39
NOAA Spends $25 Million for 2015 Recommended Projects of the Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program
Today, NOAA Fisheries announced that it is recommending 88 projects for a total of $25 million under the 2014-2015 Saltonstall-Kennedy (SK) Grant Program. This is the most significant amount of funding ever granted by NOAA under this decades-old program. The recommended projects — which represent every region of the country and U.S. territories — are listed below. Read the rest here 17:17
Norwegian shipbuilder Kleven to build two new stern trawlers for Icelandic seafood company Samherji
The vessels will be 80m long and with hulls of ICE 1A* class, and equipped with a wide range of Rolls-Royce equipment, including main engines, thrusters, automation, winches and the fuel efficient Wave Piercing design “Our design and equipment will help ensure that these will be among the most effective and modern fishing vessels in the world,” said John Knudsen, Rolls-Royce President Commercial Marine. “The vessels will be equipped with our latest B33:45 main engine, and they will be the first among fishing vessels to feature our Wave Piercing bow design.” Read the rest here 16:20
Alaska – Early salmon catches underweight – “We’ve seen small fish before, But nothing like this.”
Workers statewide from offices of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, or ADFG, are just beginning to notice an early in-season trend of smaller-than-average fish. Throughout the state’s early season salmon fisheries, particularly sockeye and chum, fish are coming in shorter and lighter for their age. “It’s still pretty early in the game,” said ADFG fisheries scientist Eric Volk. “That being said, fish are a little bit smaller than they usually are. It may not be a pattern this early, but we have seen declines in size-at-age.” Even seasoned fishermen are puzzled. Read the rest here 15:23
Mississippi extends recreational Red Snapper season through October
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Executive Director Jamie Miller announced Thursday morning that anglers will be allowed to harvest Red Snapper in state waters from July 16 through Oct. 31. The bag limit will be two Red Snapper per person with a minimum size of 16 inches. Anyone catching Red Snapper is required to report the catch to MDMR. Read the rest here 15:08
Maritime fishermen seek extension to lobster season
Lobster fishermen around the Maritimes who got off to a late start because of the cold spring, are waiting to hear from the federal government about a possible extension to their season. Karen McCavour runs a lobster shop and her husband is a lobster fisherman. She said she thinks landings are down 50 per cent because of the late start to the season. Lobsters migrate with the warmer weather. Fishermen in the area will need to pull their traps out of the water by Monday unless the federal government steps in and offers a delay. Read the rest here 10:56
Khong Yai fishermen threaten to idle boats
The fisheries association in Trat’s Khlong Yai district has threatened to stop work on July 1, the deadline set by the government for all fishing boats to register and comply with the EU’s illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing rules. “The government wants to appease European countries, which buy only 30-billion-baht worth of fishery products per year from Thailand. But this would cause considerable damage to the Thai fishing industry, which is worth more than 100 billion baht. Read the rest here 10:24
California Fisheries in Crisis: impact of drought and illegal marijuana grows
“In our fourth year of this historic drought, we have to find ways to protect our fisheries from the impacts of the driest years on record, and the devestating impacts of rogue marijuana grows. The combination of the drought and rogue grows have resulted in unprecedented fish kills, have put endangered species on the brink in many California watersheds, and are hammering away at our coastal and port economy, which contribute billions of dollars annually to our state,” Senator Mike McGuire said. Read the rest here
Big Jazz and Seafood Shindig at Viking Village commercial fish dock in Barnegat Light Saturday!
Viking Village will host the seventh annual Jazzy Scallop & Seafood Festival this Saturday, June 27 at the Viking Village commercial fish dock in Barnegat Light. Attendees will get the chance to sample “Viking-fresh” seafood prepared by local restaurants as chefs battle for ballots with their original recipes for the “Best Seafood Dish.” Jazz music will be provided by the local musicians of The Jimmy Merchant Band, who performed at last year’s festival. This multifaceted event/fundraiser will run from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Info, Read the rest here 08:17
The most extensive and harmful toxic algal bloom ever recorded on the West Coast continues
“Right now, I’m fishing out of Monterey,” said Porter McHenry, president of Half Moon Bay Seafood Marketing Association, and a local commercial fisherman. “I’m fishing for anchovies. The buyers are shipping them to big pens in Australia as tuna feed. (The anchovies) can’t go for human consumption.” For the most part, McHenry seemed largely unconcerned with the domoic acid levels along the Coastside, especially because the local fishing activity has naturally slowed for the summer months. “It’s not that bad. You just can’t eat the guts,” he said. Read the rest here 07:53
