Daily Archives: August 5, 2015
Big Three Conspire to Fix U.S. Tuna Prices, Wholesaler Says in Antitrust Class Action
The “oligopolistic structure” of the nation’s three largest packed-seafood companies – StarKist, Bumble Bee and Tri-Union – helps them conspire to fix tuna prices, a class of wholesalers claim. Olean Wholesale Grocery Cooperative filed the federal complaint Monday against Bumble Bee Foods, Tri-Union Seafoods and StarKist. Tri-Union, the only name that may be unfamiliar to U.S. consumers, sells its canned fish under the trade name Chicken of the Sea. Read the rest here 19:42
Thanks to Regulatory Induced Effort Reductions, Money for At Sea Monitors to last through October!
NOAA now says it expects to continue paying for at-sea monitoring of Northeast multispecies groundfish vessels through Oct. 31, two months longer than the federal agency initially projected. The news that that permit holders will have at least two more months before they have to absorb the responsibility for paying for at-sea observers on their boats certainly is welcome, even if the reason for it is not. “Due to reduced effort (by fishermen), the money is lasting longer,” Jennifer Goebel, a spokeswoman at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Gloucester, said Wednesday. Read the rest here 17:10
US wants struggling fishermen to pay for observers
Now, with federal funding for the controversial program set to run out this fall, the region’s long-beleaguered fishermen are being told they have to pay for the observers themselves — or they can’t fish. “This could be the final hit that pushes us into bankruptcy, causing the collapse of the whole fleet,” said Phil Lynch, 45, a Scituate fisherman who has persisted while the number of groundfishing boats in the region has plummeted by more than 70 percent over the past decade. “The guys still left will be gone.” Be sure to read the comments at the bottom. Read the rest here 15:23
Feds Sidestep Law to Let BC’s Biggest Fishery Sell Pacific hake as Farm Feed
The economic squeeze of a Russian trade embargo has prompted Canada to sidestep its own laws by allowing B.C.’s biggest fishery to sell thousands of tonnes of high-quality fish as slurry to feed farmed salmon and chickens. Russia is the dominant market for B.C.’s most abundant food fish, locally known as .,, But a 2014 Russian embargo banning the purchase of many Canadian exports including seafood, means that a fishery worth $40 million annually in landed value each year has lost its primary market. Read the rest here 14:19
9 men cited for illegally harvesting shrimp in Terrebonne Parish
Nine men were cited for illegally harvesting shrimp in Terrebonne Parish. Three shrimp boats were using skimmer nets during closed season, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Officials spotted the illegal activity around 2:30 a.m. on Friday, July 31. Agents say they cited Jeremy Bourg Jr, 19, of Chauvin, and John N. Bourg, 48, of Houma, for using skimmer nets during a closed season and seized 1,782 pounds of shrimp. Adrian J. Lovell, 30, of Houma, and Rich J. Verrett, 49, of Houma, were cited for using skimmer nets during,,, Read the rest here 13:03
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 44′ LeBlanc Cape Forchu Sword/Tuna, CAT 3406, Loaded!
Specifications, information and 17 photo’s click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 12:19
Lower than expected scallop landings drive price spike
Auction prices in both New Bedford, Massachusetts and Newport News, Virginia spiked in the last week of July; just after data was released confirming what that the 2015-2016 harvest was on track to fall short of expectations. “Prices were up by a good dollar to the boat over the last week,” David Cournoyer, general manager of Marder Trading in New Bedford, “They got as high as $13.60 per pound for the 10/20s, with 20/30s going into the high $12 range, pushing $13 even.” A second source, speaking anonymously, put prices increased in the high $15,, Read the rest here 10:08
Toxic algae blooming off West Coast endangering marine life and forcing seafood bans
This coastal ribbon of microscopic algae, up to 64 kilometres wide and 198 metres deep in places, is flourishing amid unusually warm Pacific Ocean temperatures. It now stretches from at least California to Alaska and has shut down lucrative fisheries. So-called “red tides” are cyclical and have happened many times before, but ocean researchers say this one is much larger and persisting much longer, with bringing severe consequences for the Pacific seafood industry, coastal tourism and marine ecosystems. Read the rest here 09:32
Totally Unacceptable! Shell given OK to take 21 days to cap a deep well oil blowout off N.S. coast
Federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq has signed off on Shell Canada’s plan for dealing with a potential deep-well blowout on the Shelburne Basin. Under its Well Containment Plan, Shell says it can have a primary capping stack in place within 12 to 21 days after a blowout. In the environmental assessment for the project, Shell Canada says the capping stack equipment would be brought in from Stavanger, Norway. Shell says it would also deploy a backup capping stack from either Scotland, South Africa, Singapore or Brazil. Read the rest here
New Bedford fishing tycoon Carlos Rafael fighting move to dismiss lawsuit
After Labor Day, as the weather cools off, a lawsuit against the state filed by local fishing industry tycoon Carlos Rafael will begin heating up in Bristol Superior Court, his attorney predicts. Rafael retained attorney John Markey Jr. to sue the Division of Marine Fisheries in December over the agency head’s decision to cap the monetary award Rafael is entitled to in the disaster relief program created by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Congress early in 2014. A motion to dismiss the suit was filed by the state on Monday; Markey said he will oppose it. Read the rest here 08:23
Gillnetter F/V Native Son II ‘in the right place at the right time’
They had been fishing off of Boston for groundfish in state waters on Monday morning and the day was just about over for the crew of the Native Son II as the 40-foot gillnetter made its way through the glistening late-summer sunshine back into Gloucester Harbor. Little did Capt. Chris Chadwick and his crew realize they were about to be drawn into a real-life drama in which they’d eventually come to play the pivotal role of Good Samaritans. Read the rest here 07:58
