Daily Archives: August 13, 2015
NOAA adds Insult to Injury with Observer Coverage – Governor Baker will push for Industry Inclusion in Assessments
With a crystalline portrait of America’s oldest seaport serving as the backdrop, Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday attacked NOAA’s plan to force fishermen to pay for at-sea observers on their boats and reiterated his pledge to help convince the federal fishing regulator to consider science other than its own. “Under the federal rules, there’s currently one source of truth and that source of truth is designed and delivered by NOAA,” Baker said. “NOAA operates under a standard that’s called ‘best available information’ and at this point in time the only best available information is theirs.” Read the rest here 20:57
Seafood industry chief slams WWF ‘treachery’
NO Australian primary producer should trust the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) according 
president Karen Collard. Ms Collard has been angered by WWF’s public support for the net fishing bans proposed by the state government. “WWF is enacting a long-term plan to end all fishing in Australian waters – and exert the maximum possible control over all other primary industries as well,” she said. “By supporting the decrease of Queensland seafood production, WWF are increasing demand on poorly managed foreign food Read the rest here 19:24
The Harvey Haddock Report – Fullabullard to Fishermen, DROP DEAD!
At a meeting here in NYC on august 12, 2015 the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council voted in favor of economically devastating quota cuts in the summer flounder fishery of 29% for each of the next three years. 70 commercial and recreational fishermen were at the meeting to plea for a delay so the North East Fishery Science center could review the stock assessment data using different data inputs. But the council cowardly co towed to Fullabullard’s bullying and rubber stamped the reductions. Read the rest here 18:28
The O’Hara Fishing Dynasty – Knowing when to fish or cut bait
On July 31, O’Hara Corporation launched the first American fishing vessel that will be able to chase fish through polar ice off the coast of Alaska. Now in its fifth generation, the O’Hara family business has shown the ability to adapt as fishing technology, two world wars, and changes in international fisheries laws upended the industry. “Every generation had its bad thing to deal with,” said Frank O’Hara Jr. Frank Jr.’s great-grandfather started the fishing family dynasty in 1904 when he launched a Gloucester sailing vessel, the Francis J. O’Hara, Jr., which fished for cod, haddock, and halibut off of Georges Bank until it was sunk by a German U-boat in 1918. Read the rest here 13:39
Denmark Finds Sea Shepherd Guilty of breaking the Faroe Islands Pilot Whaling Act
On Friday, Netherlands-based marine conservation charity, Sea Shepherd Global, and five Sea Shepherd volunteer crewmembers were found guilty in a Danish court of breaking the Faroe Islands Pilot Whaling Act. All parties also face a subsequent conviction of public disturbance. The volunteers were facing charges relating to the “crime” of interfering in the slaughter of over 250 pilot whales on the killing beaches of Bøur and Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands on July 23. Read the rest here 12:36
Charleston, OR – F/V Drill Conductor Workshop
CHARLESTON — The Alaska Marine Safety Education will be offering a two-day drill conductor course Aug. 31-Sept. 1. The course is free for commercial fisherman and meets training requirement 46CFR28.270.Participants will learn emergency procedures and the use of safety equipment aboard commercial fishing vessels. This class will be physically demanding, including timed immersions suit donning, entering the water and liferaft, starting dewatering pumps, extinguishing fires, etc. Register online at www.amsea.org, call Steve Kee at 541-756-9224 or email him at [email protected]. Link 11:53
Coast Guard rescues 2 Fishermen from grounded vessel near Ocean Shores, Wash.
Coast Guard crews rescued two mariners from a grounded 42-foot commercial fishing vessel near Ocean Shores, Tuesday. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, from Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, Ore., extracted the mariners and safely transferred them to local EMS personnel at Ocean Park for evaluation. Watchstanders received a mayday call from the Fishing vessel Tamara over VHF-FM channel 16 at 5:47 a.m., stating the vessel had gone aground. Read the rest here 10:02
Wearing Rose Colored Glasses on P.E.I. – High hopes that Invasive green crabs could become lucrative commercial fishery
P.E.I.’s first commercial green crab fishery is underway. Fourteen fishermen have been granted licences from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans to fish this invasive species until mid-November. Not a lot of green crab has been landed so far. Fishermen believe the two recent harsh winters have knocked numbers down. Luke Poirier says chefs have been making the crab into a single-bite appetizer using Cajun-style spices. He believes a successful soft-shelled crab fishery will be established eventually on P.E.I. Read the rest here 09:47
F/V Jamie K safely removed from the water
The Jamie K, the commercial fishing vessel that ran aground off of Cape Blanco on July 21, has been removed from the water with help from a crew from Bandon. The accident led to a dramatic rescue of the four crew members by a U.S. Coast Guard swimmer, who safely swam with each person to shore at night during high winds. Led by Bandon resident Mike Berry, the 52-foot vessel was removed last week, an operation that took the entire week. The process involved diving to tie cable underneath the boat, which was on its side just off the beach near offshore rocks. Read the rest here 09:20
State control of red snapper fisheries creates problems – Tom Marvel, owner/operator, F/V Sea Marvel
Much has been written about the ongoing debate over red snapper, most recently by J. Scott Butherus of the Naples Daily News in July. I would like to offer a different perspective. The article criticizes the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council for treating red snapper as one homogeneous group and therefore managing them as such. However, biologically they are one group. It seems the article takes issue with current management, more so with how fishermen are managed as opposed to how the fish are managed. Read the rest here 08:49
