Monthly Archives: June 2015
Crew safe after Canadian F/V Bear Cove Point sinks off Georges Bank
The fishing vessel Bear Cove Point sank off Georges Bank on Tuesday morning. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada deployed a team of investigators to Riverport to assess the sunken fishing vessel, named Bear Cove Point, which sank at about 6:30 a.m. All four crew members were rescued by another fishing vessel and were brought back to Riverport on Wednesday. “Within an hour the vessel sunk, there were other fishing vessels around, they were on George’s Bank,” Read the rest here 20:33 Vessel Survey, click here
Record Flooding Could Mean Big Problems for Gulf of Mexico
Record rainfall totals in many parts of Texas the past few weeks means a record amount of freshwater pouring into the Gulf of Mexico – as high as 10 times the normal rate – and that could lead to huge problems for marine life and commercial fishermen very soon, warns a Texas A&M University oceanographer. “When this happens, the coastal waters become stratified, meaning that the lighter freshwater will stay at the surface and cap the saltier, and heavier, ocean water beneath,” he explains. Read the rest here 19:59
New Jersey’s fishing-related businesses sharing over $2 million in post-Sandy recovery grants
266 smaller fishing-related businesses are sharing $2.1 million in grants provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). According to a state release, owners of bait-and-tackle shops, commercial dealers, commercial fishermen, for-hire party and charter boat operators, marinas and those involved in shell-fish aquaculture businesses were eligible to apply to the Department of Environmental Protection for grants of up to $10,000 to help offset some of the costs post-Sandy. Read the rest here 18:03
US Navy holds community forum in Kodiak over war-game misinformation
Navy representatives held a community forum in Kodiak yesterday to address concerns about its training in the Gulf of Alaska, which they say begins Monday. They say many people believe this month’s training will include bombs, sonar, and exercises that will disturb commercial fishing, but say much of that is misinformation. Captain Raymond Hesser says the Navy’s exercises will not disrupt commercial fishing. Read the rest here 17:55
ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section and Advisory Panel meeting in Portland, Me. June 12, 2015
Interstate fishery regulators will meet in Portland, Maine, this week to identify management options for the shuttered Northern shrimp fishery. Regulators are working on an amendment that focuses on the development of a limited entry fishing program. (privatize/eliminate/consolidate) Read the rest here Location Westin Portland Harborview (formerly Eastland Hotel), 157 High Street Portland Meeting Materials & Supplemental Materials 16:00
Florida and Georgia governors hold private meeting on water
The meeting comes as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear a challenge from Florida seeking to limit Georgia’s withdrawals from the Chattahoochee River. Deal requested the meeting with Scott. Florida argues that Georgia is guzzling more than its share of water to slake the thirst of growing Atlanta at the expense of the Apalachicola Bay oyster fishery, which relies on fresh river water mixing with the salty sea to thrive. Read the rest here 14:21
SAFMC, and GMFMC tackle mandatory reporting at joint meeting
Federal fishery managers this week debuted the latest drafts of rules they say will give them more data for crafting fishing regulations. Fishermen have been calling for increased information and science as more regulations are being put in place. Many question the rationale behind the new rules. Currently only commercial fishermen and large recreational head boats are required to report their catch. Also this week, the two councils will vote on moving forward with a plan to set aside spawning areas,,, Read the rest here 13:59
NEFMC Groundfish Committee Wants Emergency Action To Suspend Fishing Monitors
The New England Fishery Management Council’s 
wants the council to request emergency action from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The issue is on the agenda for a June 18 meeting of the council in Newport, Rhode Island. Many groundfishermen say they can’t afforded the added cost of the monitors. The monitors are hired from private companies and their primary job is to collect data about discarded fish. Read the rest here 13:00
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 44′ Novi Lobster, Volvo – PRICE REDUCED!!
For specifications, information, and 11 photos of the vessel, click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 12:13
Colourful lobsters being hauled in across the Maritimes
Lobster season may have been slow to get started but several colourful lobsters are being caught in traps across the Maritimes. Gaston Martin was the latest to haul in a bright blue lobster. “Caught this little bleu guy in one of my traps the other day of Escuminac Point, N.B.,” Martin said in a message. Donald Aubé discovered a yellow lobster in one of his traps off the coast of Petit-Rocher this week. Photo’s, Read the rest here 12:02
Louisiana Lawmakers vote to let Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents enforce federal sea turtle law
State wildlife officials should soon be able to enforce federal laws that require shrimp nets to include escape hatches for
. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Seafood Watch,” a program that recommends seafood choices to consumers and is popular with environmentalists, has recommended at least since 2013 that people avoid Louisiana wild-caught shrimp — which are caught mostly in state waters — because of the ban. Read the rest here 11:15
Putting lipstick on the ENGO Pig – Oregon fishermen and ENGOs in collaboration
During a recent lunch at Sharkbite’s Seafood Cafe in Coos Bay, area fishermen broke bread with an unlikely lunch mate — an attorney from the environmental advocacy group the Natural Resources Defense Council. The purpose of the meeting? For the group to open up communication and find common ground about how fish resource habitats are currently being managed. It’s a discussion that has taken place after years of fishermen and conservation organizations butting heads. Read the rest here 10:46
Fish and Game wants to operate counting projects, test fisheries regardless of shut down
Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game is planning to continue running major commercial fisheries, like Bristol Bay, regardless of a potential government shutdown. Commercial Fisheries Director Jeff Regnart said the plan right now, pending approval by the Department of Administration, is to keep managers and tools in place to run Bristol Bay salmon fisheries this summer. Read the rest here 08:58
Pseudo Swashbuckler Sea Shepherds to Pay Millions to Japanese Whale Fleet
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society agreed to pay $2.55 million to Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research on Monday as part of a settlement to resolve a long-standing legal battle over the anti-whaling group’s tactics against Japanese whaling ships in the Antarctic.The settlement came the same day the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Sea Shepherd’s appeal of a federal court’s finding that the group was in contempt of a court order to stay clear of Japanese whaling ships. Read the rest here 21:48
Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting in Spokane, June 10-16, 2015
The Pacific Fishery Management Council and its advisory bodies will meet June 10-16, 2015 in Spokane, Washington, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Spokane City Center. Download the June 2015 Meeting Notice WITH Agenda (includes full logistics for public comment deadlines) Download the June 2015 Agenda, Listen to the Live Audio Stream (starting on Friday, June 12, 2015) 21:06
Scientists say Newfoundland’s cod stocks are coming back. Can we get it right this time?
Sometimes, it seems as if cod is all anyone talks about, inside the Cupids Legacy Centre and on the streets of St. John’s, where cab drivers and tattooed twentysomethings still talk about family fishing rights. So when scientists announce the cod is coming back, it’s big news. It rubs salt into old wounds throughout Atlantic Canada. And it raises questions: Can we get it right this time? If the moratorium is lifted, can we find a way to manage the fishery sustainably? Read the rest here 17:34
Negotiations Fail to Limit Greenland’s Harvest of Wild Atlantic Salmon
The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) is very disappointed over the failure of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) to limit Greenland’s salmon harvest to sustainable levels, during negotiations to set regulatory measures at meetings that took place June 2 to 5 in Goose Bay, Labrador. Greenland would not budge below a quota of 45 tonnes, which was more than other Parties to the West Greenland Commission (made up of Greenland, Canada, the United States and the European Union), could accept. Denmark on,,, Read the rest here 16:24
Local boats forced off fishing grounds by large Spanish-owned but UK-registered fishing vessels
Simon Collins of the Shetland Fishermen’s Association said large Spanish-owned but UK-registered fishing vessels are obstructing local boats fishing their traditional grounds. Isles MSP Tavish Scott added that the Spanish fishing boats were acting aggressively in waters very close to the Shetland coastline. The vessels, such as the Tahume, the Brisan and the Magan D, are targeting valuable monkfish by shooting miles of gillnets, also described as tangle nets. The nets could be up to 35 miles long forming a wall of netting on the seabed. Read the rest here 15:11
New Jersey files lawsuit against the United States to stop high-energy seismic blasts
Named as defendants are the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration and its Office for Coastal Management, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, which is a component of Columbia University’ Earth Institute. New Jersey says the blasts will be felt “far outside of the study area” and will reduce commercial and recreational catch and harass marine mammals. Read the rest here 14:31
Massachusetts AG sues shellfish official for polluting coastal waters in an attempt to increase his yield of razor clams
Attorney General Maura Healey claims that John H. Grundstrom sprayed bleach on sensitive clamflats while harvesting razor clams in state waters. Forcing razor clams to the sediment’s surface by spraying bleach can yield a large number of clams in a short period of time compared to harvesting by traditional hand raking and digging methods, but at a cost to the environment. When sprayed or injected into mud or sand in tidal areas, kills microorganisms which supply food and nutrients critical for a healthy coastal ecosystem,,, Read the rest here 12:26
Meet Holly Faulkner, lobster buyer – the Big Bras d’Or stalwart is the only female on the job — and she’s proud
One of a handful of designated lobster buyers here at Big Bras d’Or’s Factory Wharf, the 22-year-old has faced the elements head-on since lobster fishing season opened here in mid-May. Her job description includes hauling a few thousand pounds of lobster, six days a week. She has not missed a day of work. Faulkner embraces it, getting down and dirty, hauling 100-pound crates from lobster boats to wharf, to scale and to the truck. “It’s not too bad,” she said. “It’s a good workout. But yeah, I’m pretty exhausted at the end of the day.” Read the rest here 10:43
As Our Oceans Degrade, The Environmentalist Network Stays Focused on their Overfishing Bread and Butter
Canadian scientists warn of artificial sweeteners in oceans. It means that up to 72 metric tonnes (160,000 pounds) of sweetener are pouring into Lake Erie. Because the sweeteners — used in products like diet soda, chewing gum, yogurt and as sugar replacements in tea and coffee to avoid weight gain — cannot be broken down by the human body, the artificial sweeteners pass right through. They cannot be broken down by wastewater treatment plants either, meaning the undiluted sweeteners enter the water supply used as drinking water for humans and animals. Read the rest here 10:08
Gov. Hassan signs into law Great Bay shellfish restoration bill
Gov. Maggie Hassan has signed into law a bill that would allow the Fish and Game Department the closing of clam, oyster and other bivalve areas for restoration efforts in the Great Bay. (here) Why would she close them, when they are being destroyed by high nitrogen levels from run off and the dozen or so waste water treatment plants that continue to degrade the oysters and eel grass that they continue to try restoring? Get your head out of the sand, Governor. FN 09:24
Letter: Lobstering, the last shoe to drop, Ron Gilson, Gloucester
The current brouhaha over NOAA’s proposal to install monitors on lobster boats (”Observer plan riles lobstermen,” June 6) is a bogus, blatant attempt to put the little guy out of business. While the EPA is hell bent on putting thousands of coal miners out of work, NOAA is methodically destroying all that remains of the fishing industry, the successful small boat lobsterman. Protection and indemnity insurance for these “observers,” mandated by NOAA, will put lobstermen out of business. This is the elephant in the room that will kill the industry. Read the rest here 08:43
Government is considering a plan to address the growing grey seal population
The report, drafted by the Fur Institute of Canada, is aimed at creating new markets to support an earlier proposal to slaughter 140,000 grey seals over five years in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence — 70 per cent of the grey seals that frequent the area. Fishermen have long complained that a growing population of grey seals is to blame for eating too many commercially valuable fish, which has resulted in repeated calls for a cull. Awesome. Read the rest here 17:43
Fish declines linked to effects of excess nutrients in coastal estuaries and the abundance of fish in offshore commercial fishery
A comprehensive study of a major California estuary has documented the links between nutrient runoff from coastal land use, the health of the estuary as a nursery for young fish, and the abundance of fish in an offshore commercial fishery. The study, published the week of June 8, 2015, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focused on Elkhorn Slough and Monterey Bay on California’s central coast. ” is nitrogen, whether it comes from an agricultural field or sewage or urban runoff. Read the rest here 16:22
Coast Guard Medevacs Commercial Fisherman 50 Miles Off Ocean City, Md. – Video
An aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., performs a medevac from an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter Sunday, June 7, 2015. The Dolphin crew medevaced a 20-year-old man who was suffering from respiratory issues aboard a fishing boat about 50 miles offshore from Ocean City, Md. The crew of the F/V Apollo contacted Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay watchstanders in Philadelphia at 3:36 p.m. to report the man was in need of immediate medical assistance. Read the rest here Watch video here 15:23
“Consolidation was coming, and now it’s here.” Foreign investment heats up in US Fishing Industry
The Cooke family’s acquisition of scallop firm Wanchese Fish Company on Friday is one of several signs foreign investors are taking the lead on US seafood consolidation, and this spring, their interest seems to be heating up. The US seafood industry ripe for the picking. A source at a US-based Alaska company, owned by a foreign company, said the US market is also likely attractive to investors due to US fisheries reputation for having the gold standard in management, making them a more reliable investment than fisheries teetering on the brink of instability overseas. Read the rest here 14:30
Don Young’s bill concerns Cape Cod Commercial Fisherman’s Alliance
The Chatham-based Cape Cod Commercial Fisherman’s Alliance, as part of the Fisheries Community Coalition, has reservations about the new version, introduced by Alaska Congressman Don Young. “It’s (the Coalition) basically five small community conservation groups from across the country and we had concerns about the Young bill,” explained Claire Fitz Gerald, the Alliance’s policy coordinator and fixed gear sector manager. “ But other fishing organizations take the opposite view and support the new bill. Read the rest here 8-O 13:14
