Daily Archives: August 29, 2015
North coast of Washington reopens to crab fishing
The recreational and commercial Dungeness crab fisheries on the northern coast of Washington is to reopen effective immediately, state shellfish managers announced Aug. 28. Earlier this month, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) closed crabbing on the northern coast – from Point Chehalis north to the Queets River – when levels of marine toxins posed a threat to public health. That area, including Grays Harbor, is now open. Ayres noted that the use of crab pots is prohibited after Sept. 15, when the commercial fishery ends. Read the rest here 21:46
Closure – Body of sunken El Jefe boat captain recovered
The body of the captain of a fishing boat that sank earlier this week in the Ambrose Channel was recovered Friday afternoon, authorities said. A private dive team found the body of, captain of the fishing vessel El Jefe, in the cabin of the 40-foot boat, said Capt. Steve Jones, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police. The El Jefe, which periodically docks in the Belford section of Middletown, sank Tuesday evening, prompting multiple marine agencies to launch a search for the ship and its passengers. Read the rest here 11:10
‘Godzilla’ El Nino Is Awakening, and Headed Toward California
Rising temperatures in the Pacific Ocean continue to reinforce the brewing El Nino “Godzilla” that forecasters said Thursday could rival the strongest on record. According to the latest climate update from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there is a 90 percent chance that El Nino will continue through winter as conditions are similar to prior El Nino years that brought massive amounts of rainfall to California. While forecasters are wary to predict the exact impact El Nino could have this fall because of a persistent,,, Read the rest here 10:59
Analysis: France looks at night rescues to lift partial wind farm fishing ban
Fishermen in France are vehemently opposed to an offshore wind project under development off Le Treport. Commercial fishing within offshore wind installations is banned in most of Europe, with the notable exceptions of Denmark and the UK. The GNC has so far recommended that fishing be allowed in the Fecamp, Courseulles-sur-Mer and St-Nazaire projects, all awarded to EMF, within certain constraints. At Fecamp for example, the GNC recommends that trawling be allowed, but not within 200 metres of the rows of turbines, and no fishing of any kind where the inter-array cables converge around the substation. Read the rest here 10:29
FWC to finalize barracuda rules
State fishery managers will give final approval this week to fishing regulations that will finally set commercial bag limits on barracuda. The vote comes after Florida Keys fishing guides, captains and recreational anglers have been calling for years for commercial limits on what they call one of the most important flats fish. Currently there is no limit on the harvest of barracuda. There is a two-fish-per-day recreational bag limit. Read the rest here 10:16
Hurricane Katrina turned this guy into a seafood mogul
It’s a spring day on the Louisiana bayou, and Bozidar “Bo” Jakov Cibilic is hauling in a metal crate of oysters. Cibilic grew up on the water, and on a good day he brings in 15,000 pounds. Things haven’t always been this way. The industry took a beating after Hurricane Katrina, and while Cibilic’s boat survived, he had to put business on hold for six months because the oyster beds were damaged during the storm. During that time, he did odd jobs and some work for the state, which contracted fisherman to test the seabed for pollution. Still, Cibilic, 25, was lucky. His boat, which was built by his father 25 years ago, had been stored in a marina so it withstood the storm. Read the rest here 10:01
“Kelly Ann”–Fisherman catches First Tuna–Eats the Heart
A fisherman on the “Kelly Ann” was fishing for haddock, but instead caught a 800 lb. tuna. The Tradition is that you must eat your first tuna’s heart. More photos here 09:15
Ex-capitol security head charged with “illegally” arresting fishermen in Bantayan Island.
A former security officer of the Cebu provincial government and 11 others are facing complaints before the Office of the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor for allegedly “illegally” arresting fishermen in Bantayan Island. Loy Anthony Madrigal and other 11 respondents were sued by Donato Villaceran, the boat captain of the fishermen whom the former illegally apprehended while in the waters off Kinatarcan, Santa Fe town in Bantayan Island last Wednesday. Madrigal, who is a resident of Kanagahan, San Remigio, is the founder of the Guardian of the Seas, an anti-illegal fishing group composed of fishermen in northern Cebu. Read the rest here 09:01
Small boat Pacific cod fishery to open Sept. 1
Summer fishing in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands is winding down, and smaller catcher vessels will have access to an extra 1,700 metric tons of Pacific cod this fall after some quota went unused by other fleets. Krista Milani, from the National Marine Fisheries Service, said her agency typically reallocates unused Pacific cod quota to the smaller fleet toward the end of each summer. Catcher vessels less than 60 feet in length using hook and line gear are only allocated quota for the A season, which begins in January each year,,, Read the rest here 08:26
‘It’s really wicked bittersweet’ – Fair Wind, Billy!
Well, they could have just laid him out atop a wooden pyre and lit him up like a viking, but that might have been a tad extreme even for Bill Skrobacz’ friends at the Crow’s Nest. In his 63rd year, after more than four decades of being whipsawed by the life of a commercial fisherman, William Dixon Skrobacz has had enough. He’s had enough of the physical rigors of fishing that have gnarled his hands and hobbled and scarred his legs. He’s had enough of NOAA regulations up the ying and last winter’s snow up the yang. The view from where Skrobacz stands (or in this case, sits) is simple: He did not leave fishing; fishing left him, or perhaps more accurately, was ripped away by suffocating layers of bureaucracy and regulations that have stranded him with fewer places to fish and not enough fish to carve out a living. Read the rest here 08:01
