Daily Archives: August 17, 2015
Nova Scotia Fishing industry slams proposals on capping offshore blowouts
Potential regulations that would allow Shell Canada up to three weeks to cap a subsea blowout while drilling off the coast of Nova Scotia are not being met favourably by at least one fishing industry representative. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency issued its approval in June of Shell Canada’s plan to drill up to seven exploration wells at the Shelburne Basin, roughly 250 kilometres offshore. Shell’s plan includes predictions that it would take 12 to 21 days to bring a vessel and a capping system in from Norway. Shell said it would keep a backup capping stack on standby from either Scotland, South Africa, Singapore or Brazil. Read the rest here 18:05
The real culprit behind the war on watermen is pollution
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been accused of waging a “war on watermen,” and watermen are fighting back, seeking changes in the way the bay’s fisheries are being managed. They say their livelihoods are being undermined and their culture threatened. They are right about that, but they are directing their anger at the wrong people. The bay is choking on an overload of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment from a variety of pollution sources. The results of this over-enrichment are massive population explosions of algae that turn the water to pea soup from spring to fall. This cloudy water blocks sunlight from underwater grasses, reducing this critical habitat for crabs and juvenile fish to only 20 percent of historical coverage. Read the rest here 15:27
They say The Sky isn’t Falling. I disagree! The sky has fallen, and Fishermen are paying for it. Pharmaceuticals in our water
There’s no way around it, the headlines are disturbing. They describe fish and birds responding with altered behavior and reproductive systems to antidepressants, diabetes medication, and other psychoactive or hormonally active drugs at concentrations found in the environment. About 90% of pharmaceuticals found in the environment arrive there after being excreted. Wastewater treatment plants, meanwhile, are exploring possibilities for boosting their ability to remove pharmaceuticals from sewage. Read the rest here 13:49
Disabled Scalloper Rescued Off Nantucket
Derelict Boats Are Subject of North Carolina Survey
Abandoned and derelict boats dot waterways and marshes all along the N.C. coast, in some cases creating hazards to navigation and other safety or environmental problems, but aside from a handful of local regulations in various communities little has been done to address the problem. Storms, particularly hurricanes may be to blame for many vessel groundings, abandonments and related debris. Economic stress and other changes, such as the decline of commercial fishing industries in villages and small towns and financial problems for individual,,, Read the rest here 12:42
3-Minute Market Insight: What Happened to the Coho Salmon Market?
Coho Salmon prices have plummeted over the past year for wild caught Coho’s out of Alaska. So what happened to the Coho Salmon market? Ken Radcliff reports the news about wild Coho Salmon from Alaska, along with price information regarding the over supply last year. Watch the report here 10:11
New guidelines for scallop fishing in protected Cardigan Bay could be drawn up after world’s largest study
New guidelines for sustainable scallop fishing in a protected area of the West Wales coast could be drawn up thanks to the world’s largest ever fishing impact study. Scientists from Bangor University, working together with the Welsh Fishermen’s Association, Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales have published their findings from the study, funded in part by the European Fishery Fund. Researchers spent 18 months preparing for the major fishing experiment in which 12 different sites were fished at different intensities by commercial boats. Read the rest here 09:20
Salmon fishing shut down on the Fraser River in the Lower Mainland
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans shut down all salmon fishing in the Fraser River from the mouth to the railway bridge in Mission. Concerns over the number of sockeye salmon prompted the restrictions on commercial, First Nations and recreational activity. The summer runs are coming in with 3.5 million fewer fish than forecasted numbers. Lower river levels and warmer water temperatures expected to lead to a much higher mortality rate at salmon spawning grounds. Video, Read the rest here 09:08
Fishing safety demonstration Aug. 18 in Wedgeport aimed at raising awareness
Prior to the 7 p.m. tournament boat send-off Tuesday evening, Aug. 18, a local fishing crew will participate in an emergency safety drill and life-raft demonstration. This demonstration will be held at 6 p.m. at the Wedgeport Breakwater Wharf. Safety demonstrations such as this are part of an ongoing initiative to raise awareness of the importance of fishing safety, including training, emergency preparedness and having proper safety equipment onboard. Earlier this year, Fishing Safety Now, a plan by and for Nova Scotia’s fishing industry was launched Read the rest here 09:00
