Monthly Archives: August 2015
Winlock, Washington – Fish die as vegetable oil runoff from fire enters creek
An oil spill of a different sort appears to have killed hundreds if not thousands of small fish in a Lewis County creek on Tuesday, said a spokesman for the state Ecology Department. Officials believe vegetable oil and shortening that had recently been delivered to a food warehouse in Winlock washed into Olequa Creek, a tributary of the Cowlitz River, as firefighters doused a fire that destroyed the warehouse early Tuesday. The spill killed fish as far as 7 miles downstream, with what appeared to be a “100 percent kill for 5 miles,” Ecology spokesman Chase Gallagher said. Read the rest here 10:11
P.E.I. Lobster fishermen are going to some extreme lengths to keep the crustaceans cold
Like the rest of P.E.I., the lobster industry, now into its fall season, has had to adjust to this week’s hot, sunny weather. Lobsters suffer in the extreme heat and can die off if they get too warm, so fishermen and buyers have been taking extra measures to keep their catches cool. “Lots of ice,” said Shelby Ellsworth, a Miminegash fisherman. “Ice, and we always measure in the tank. We never leave out lobsters out on the open. Always measure it with ice.” Sandra Gaudet, a buyer with L&S Marketing, says the fishermen are going to some extreme lengths to keep the crustaceans cold. Read the rest here 09:26
710-lbs. Atlantic Bluefin tuna caught in Conception Bay with rod and reel
Greer Hunt Jr., 23, landed his first Atlantic bluefin tuna Tuesday, using just a rod and reel to haul in the massive fish. He shares the only licence to catch Atlantic bluefin tuna in Conception Bay with his father, Greer Hunt Sr. They are also the only fishermen in Newfoundland allowed to catch them using a rod and reel. The Hunts have a quota of a tonne and half per year, but they can also take part in the commercial fishery as well. Read the rest here 09:12
David Goethel: Fishermen’s anger justified
Recently, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker called the requirement for fishermen to pay $710 per day for catch monitoring “the most perfect example of an unfunded mandate” and continued on to call the policy “ridiculous” and “outrageous.” As a fisherman with close to 50 years experience in the fishery, I could not agree more but think your readers and editors need more context to understand the fishermen’s anger. Read the rest here 08:41
In The Upper Midwest, Summertime Means Fish Boils
Long ago, when settling the Great Lakes, Scandinavian immigrants brought with them an ingenious method of feeding lots of people, on the cheap. Mark Weborg, whose family immigrated to the area in the 1800s, says his family has been doing fish boils for generations. “I’m the fourth generation, my son-in-law is the fifth generation, here, at commercial fishing in Door County,” Weborg says. “My great-great-great-grandfather brought [the fish boil] over here from Norway. And we used to have it around the sheds just for the crew.” Read the rest here 20:02
Meetings will shape AK fishing futures: salmon vs coal, setnet ban, NPFMC, BOF, IPHC
It’s a meeting line up like never before for Alaska’s fishing industry. Starting off this Friday – the state Department of Natural Resources will hear both sides on competing claims to water rights for salmon streams at Upper Cook Inlet’s Chuitna River or to dewater the region for what would be Alaska’s biggest coal mine. The decision could set a state precedent. A decision is expected on or before October 9.Next Wednesday, August 26, is the state Supreme Court hearing on the setnet ban proposed for Cook Inlet and five other Alaska regions. Read the rest here 18:03
Ocean Warming Blamed For Northward Shift In Lobster Population
The lobster population has crashed to the lowest levels on record in southern New England while climbing to heights never before seen in the cold waters off Maine and other northern reaches — a geographic shift that scientists attribute in large part to the warming of the ocean. The trend is driving lobstermen in Connecticut and Rhode Island out of business, ending a centuries-old way of life. In northern New England, meanwhile, lobsters are booming. The population in the Gulf of Maine — a body of water,,, Read the rest here
Whole Foods partners with American Tuna, expands Pole & Line Tuna and Deck Hand Premium Cat Food lines
American Tuna announced the expansion of its partnership with Whole Foods Market with the introduction of three new products for the popular Pole & Line Tuna and Deck Hand Premium Cat Food lines. All Pole & Line and Deck Hand tuna are caught by artisanal fishermen using a sustainable method called “Pole & Line caught” in which fish are caught one at a time. “Our partnership with Whole Foods is helping fishing families keep a century-old tradition of sustainable, small-scale fishing alive,” said Natalie Webster, a member of one of American Tuna’s founding families. Read the rest here 15:55
Seal 1, White Shark 0 – a life-loving seal slapped a pursuing great white shark in midair
Researchers with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy said they were out Monday in waters off Cape Cod for a twice weekly great white shark survey when researcher Greg Skomal captured the footage. “The escape was incredible to witness. We’ve seen three predations over the last two years, and this was a first — to watch a white shark leap from the water in an attempt to grab a grey seal. The seal won that battle but shortly after the same shark successfully consumed a different seal further offshore,” Watch, Read the rest here 14:33
Deepwater Wind Opponents of RI Wind Farm Head to Court
The first off-shore wind farm in the United States will have Rhode Islanders footing the bill at $497 million above market cost, taxpayers claim in Federal Court. The Aug. 14 lawsuit comes less than a month after Deepwater Wind touted the installation of its first foundation component for the Block Island Wind Farm. With construction “now imminent,” plaintiffs Benjamin Riggs and Laurence Ehrhardt say a federal judge must enjoin Deepwater’s power-purchase agreement with Narragansett Electric Co., more commonly known as National Grid. Read the rest here 14:09
Third Time’s a Charm for F/V Paige Marie
When owner David Sorensen brought his 58-foot seiner F/V Paige Marie into the Columbia River last December, his 42-year old steel boat was showing its age, despite regular maintenance since he bought it in 1998. He was heading for the Tongue Point ramp on the east side of Astoria where J & H Boatworks has been modernizing good old boats with hull extensions, new houses and systems since 2006. Like the Tongue Point Industrial Area, formerly a WWII navy base, the Paige Marie also had a long history and a lot of miles under her keel. Read the rest here 13:55
Group led by Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance buys ARC hatchery
The Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance was the first to sign on to the effort to purchase the business about eight months ago, according to a joint statement from non-profit organizations, local legislators and towns that has been working on the project. The non-profit group was successful in sparking the interest of several investors, including Wellfleet Shellfish Promotion and Tasting which oversees that town’s OysterFest, and “a consortium of Cape Cod families who understood the important role shellfish play in the local economy and environment,” Read the rest here 13:18
Fish skin fashion is coming to the catwalks
What’s more, fish leather is an eco-friendly material; a byproduct of the food industry. “We only use fish skins from the food industry, which would otherwise go to waste,” says Sirpa. She admits, however, that it is not the easiest material to handle. “We order our materials from small fish tanneries, and the technology we use to produce the fish leather is kind of a commercial secret,” she smiles. “I can only tell you that it is quite a complicated process with many stages, including cleaning the raw fish skins and taking the oils away, followed by drying and dying. Read the rest here 09:20
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for Aug. 17, 2015
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates, Click here 09:03
Making a Living in Maine: ‘Diving for Scallops’
For James Sewell, diving for scallops on the ocean floor off Maine’s jagged coastline transcends making a living – it’s what keeps him alive. In 2009 Mr. Sewell lost his right arm in a snowmobile accident. Less than a year later, he plunged back into the familiar cold sea, unsure if he could still dive. Just a few decades ago, hundreds of fishermen in Maine made a living harvesting sea scallops by hand along the ocean floor (“diver scallops,” as opposed to “day-boat scallops,” which are harvested by boats that drag nets across the ocean floor). Now, with scallop populations under pressure, Mr. Sewell is one of only about 30 active scallop divers left in his state. Read the rest here 08:01
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
A Look inside the F/V Araho Wheelhouse, along with Advances in Electronics and Trawl Technology
Advances in electronics and trawl technology are taking some of the guesswork out of finding fish, making the harvesting of those fish more efficient and environmentally sound, and improving the efficiency of hauling them aboard. One of these advancements is the complete line of electric winches recently delivered by Rapp Marine for the O’Hara Corporation’s DNV-classed, 194-foot stern trawler F/T Araho, ensuring the vessel is fully equipped for bottom and pelagic trawling. NET Systems offers a wide range of trawl netting for several fisheries including bottom and midwater trawls as well as cod ends and trawl doors. Read the rest here 19:01
F/V Avalon Owner hit with big fines for spill, and salvage bill – Has a Payback Plan
The state Department of Ecology has fined the owner of Avalon, a 1929 wooden purse seiner, $16,244 after it sank and spilled diesel near Brinnon on Sept. 14. The owner, Randall Schleich, 56, of Brinnon, said he plans to partially contest the ruling, although he said he doesn’t have the resources to hire legal counsel and accepts responsibility for the spill. “They can get a judgment against me, take all my property and force me into foreclosure, but I’d like them to give me the opportunity to pay this off.” Read the rest here 12:26
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update, Aug 16, 2015
The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance is dedicated to its mission of continuing to help create sustainable fisheries without putting licensed fishermen out of business.” Read the update here To read all the updates, click here 11:12
FFAW President Keith Sullivan says Time to Increase Cod Quotas is now
The president of the FFAW says you might not see a commercial fishery in the next couple of years, but he says there’s certainly an opportunity for an increase in quotas. Keith Sullivan says the industry is still fighting some misconceptions in the province, but this year he says they will land the highest value ever for the fishery. He says the fishery remains a driver in the province, and will be for some time and he pointed to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Listen, Read the rest here 10:48
In the shadow of Key West, change ahead for a neighboring island
On a morning run between restaurants, he waves to locals as the smell of fish overwhelms the air. Mongelli, a long-time Conch, opened the Hogfish with one sandwich on the menu in 2002. Since then, he has seen Stock Island’s oceanside growth from a Key West outskirt — it’s just five miles from Duval Street — with shrimpers and fishermen to an island on the brink of major development. “Throw Cuba into the mix, I think Stock Island will be a jumping-off point. I think it will be a boom town,” Read the rest here 10:25
Alaska salmon season may finish a bit short of forecast
Alaska’s salmon season has seen ups and downs, but it will be a stretch for the total catch to reach the forecasted 221 million fish. “It just depends on how these late-returning pink salmon at Prince William Sound performs, and whether or not pinks pick up at Southeast. It’s possible, but we would still have to harvest around 30 million more salmon,” mused Forrest Bowers, deputy director of the state’s Commercial Fisheries Division. One of the biggest stories of the season, of course, was the surprising double run of sockeye salmon (reds) to Bristol Bay,,, Read the rest here 10:14
