Monthly Archives: August 2015
Greg Fulcher betting on scallop permit consolidation to recoup $7m
Greg Fulcher — who has just bought the scallop vessel Alaska, and fishing permit, for a record-high sum of $7 million — believes sector consolidation will bring management changes in the US. It’s the potential for these changes that makes the amount he paid, to Oceans Fleet Fisheries, worth while. “With the amount of money coming into the industry at the moment; the players and the consolidations; I expect individual quotas are on the way,” he said, referring to a quota system based on allowing individuals to fish their allocated amounts as they see fit, including using fewer, larger vessels. Sadly, Read the rest here 10:12
Stone crabs most expensive seafood in U.S.
Long considered a Florida delicacy, the stone crab is highly sought after by seafood lovers. Literally tens of thousands of stone crab traps are put into the nearshore gulf waters from the Panhandle to the Florida Keys every season, which runs from Oct. 15 to May 15. The annual harvest of claws in 2008 was estimated to be more than 3.1 million pounds. Stone crab, per pound, is the most expensive seafood served in the U.S. Read the rest here 09:35
Tensions build leading up to NC Marine Fisheries quarterly meeting
The fish up for debate is the Southern Flounder, which is one of the most sought after fish in North Carolina. The NCFA and commercial fishermen in the state are uneasy about the possible changes. The groups say it would mean drastic reductions in bag limits for fishermen, which would eventually lead to a sharp price increase for consumers and less dollars for the families and communities of fishermen. Many fishermen say conservationists and other politicians aren’t happy with North Carolina laws that allow gill net use. Read the rest here 08:23
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update August 3, 2015
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates, Click here 08:14
There’s something fishy about the Department of Commerce’s denial of Alan Stein’s FOIA requests
He claims that the Commerce Department and two of its agencies – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its Office of the Inspector General – stonewalled his requests about an investigation that sent a former fisheries official to jail. Arne Fuglvog served on the NPFMC, which oversees assignment of fishing quotas in Alaska, from 2003 to 2006, and on an advisory council to the NPFMC before that. Then he went to work as an aide for Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. He played a large role in moving federal fishery management from purely conservation toward privatization of the resource which has in some areas of the country (and would have in others) sharply reduced the number of fishing vessels and canneries.” Read the rest here 07:24
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
N.S. fishermen happy with Ottawa’s promise to protect independent licenses
Members of the Maritime Fishermen’s Union are pleased that Fisheries and Oceans Canada will begin enforcing a policy that would prevent a corporate takeover of inshore fishing licences. Graeme Gawn, union president for Local 9 in southwestern Nova Scotia, said the federal department announced in late July a tightening of its policy to preserve independence of the inshore fleet in Atlantic Canada’s fisheries. “In our area is where it’s the biggest issue,” Gawn said Tuesday. “We’re facing companies buying up lobster licences, in particular, under questionable agreements.” Read the rest here 22:57
Help save a friendly fisherman!!! – Rodney Baker
My husband Rodney Baker was diagnosed with Metastatic Melanoma Cancer. We have no insurance and no savings, and they want treat this aggressively. We all know what that means. With that being said, him being sick from treatment he will not be able to work. He’s a commercial fisherman, he’s captain of The Casey’s Pride out of Madeira Beach. He’s been fishing for 30+ years, he loves it, besides my children and I fishing is his life. My goal is $5000 for now because I don’t know we’ll need and were not usually the type of people to ask for help,,, Read the rest here, and help if you can. 20:38
‘Summer of the Shark’ continues with 13-foot tiger reeled in off Folly Beach
Commercial fishermen pulled in an 800-pound, 13-foot tiger shark on Saturday less than a mile off the Washout, the popular surfing hangout on Folly Beach. Just what edgy beachgoers need to hear after a few months of big catches and a rash of bites.But the ocean is the wilderness and those big sharks are in coastal waters all the time — they tend to feed behind the breakers or along steep drop-offs. In fact, Joe Morris and Mike Huff of Seasonal Seafood had pulled in a 400- to 500-pound shark earlier that night and on Monday pulled in a 700-pound shark that was 11 feet long. Read the rest here 20:13
Fishermen oppose river diversions to fix Louisiana coast
Fishermen spoke out Tuesday against plans to rebuild coastal Louisiana by siphoning Mississippi River freshwater and sediment into the Bayou State’s disappearing sub-deltas. “I do not believe we have seen evidence that you’re going to build all this land, protect all these people, with these diversions,” said Clint Guidry, president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association, representing commercial shrimpers. Byron Encalade, president of the Louisiana Oystermen’s Association, said he “lived” the effects of a freshwater diversion in operation since 1991,,, Read the rest here 19:05
Marine toxins prompt expansion of crab-fishing closure on Washington coast
State shellfish managers today doubled the area of Washington’s coast closed to crab fishing after finding elevated levels of marine toxins in crab tested north to the Queets River. Effective immediately, recreational and commercial crab fishing is prohibited in 45 miles of coastal waters from Point Chehalis to the Queets River, expanding on a closure in effect since early June that extends 45 miles south to the Columbia River. Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), said the area now closed to crab fishing includes more than half the state’s 157-mile-long coast. Read the rest here 16:59
The Easy Lady – Restoring the wooden boat from keel to chine and one plank above
More often than not, the sentimental and historical value of something is more than the sum of its parts. Such is the case of The Easy Lady, a well-known commercial fishing boat in Shem Creek. She’s owned by Captain Kenneth Ezell who considers her the crown jewel of his career. The Easy Lady has a hydraulic pot hauler and is designed to catch 100 bushels of crabs a day to be delivered to local picking houses. The ship can also be converted to a shrimp boat in under 45 minutes. There is nothing else like it on Shem Creek. Read the rest here 16:32
Deadliest Catch’s First Female ‘Intimidated’ Salty Dogs
Greenhorn Amy Majors is the first female shipmate to join Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch.” She sat down with FOX Business Network’s Stuart Varney, along with Captain Keith Colburn, to discuss why she wanted to hit the rough seas. “I’ve been a fisherman my entire life. I’m third generation… it’s a family thing,” she said. Captain Colburn nearly replaced Majors because she intimidated the all-male crew. Video, Read the rest here 15:51
Boston Fisheries Foundation inducts Dr. Brian Rothschild into Seafood Hall of Fame
The foundation honored Rothschild at the 2015 Boston Seafood Festival for his distinguished research and leadership in the management and sustainability of local fisheries. “Brian has been a major influence in fisheries management policy for decades at a local and international level,” said Richard Stavis, Boston Fisheries Foundation board member and CEO of Stavis Seafoods. Read the rest here 14:00
Russia re-submits claim on vast Arctic seabed at UN
Russia has submitted its bid for vast territories in the Arctic to the United Nations, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. The ministry said in a statement that Russia is claiming 1.2 million square kilometres of Arctic sea shelf extending more than 350 nautical miles or about 650 kilometres from the shore. Russia was the first to submit its claim in 2002, but the UN sent it back for lack of evidence. In 2007, Moscow staked a symbolic claim to the Arctic seabed by dropping a canister containing the Russian flag on the ocean floor from a submarine at the North Pole. Read the rest here 13:42
P.E.I. Tuna fishermen delay season start to let fish ‘fatten up’
Although tuna season is now officially underway on P.E.I., many fishermen are choosing to delay their start. Friday was the first day of fishing, but buyer Jason Tomkins says he didn’t think any of the Island’s 300-plus tuna fishermen were heading out. He says tuna on the U.S. East Coast have been coming in small, and some Island fishermen are holding out. “The fish have just arrived here in the last couple of weeks and a lot of the results so far out of the fish down in the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. have, I guess, been a little less than desirable,” said Tomkins. Read the rest here 10:05
At Sea Monitoring – “Catch accountability for the groundfish industry is not optional,” NOAA Regional Administrator John K. Bullard
NOAA has denied the request by the New England Fishery Management Council in June to use emergency measures to immediately suspend at-sea monitoring for vessels in the Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery. In a letter dated July 30, NOAA Regional Administrator John K. Bullard said the council’s request did not meet any of the criteria for emergency action. The council’s request to suspend at-sea monitoring was viewed as long shot from the moment it was passed,,, Read the rest here 09:27
“Pacific to Plate” bill announced to boost coastal fish markets
San Diego Assembly Speaker Toni G. Atkins has announced that she will introduce legislation, “Pacific to Plate,” to clarify and streamline state laws to make it easier for, and other fish markets like it, to grow and thrive. The proposed state legislation would allow Fisherman’s Markets to operate as food facilities and would allow fresh fish to be cleaned for direct sale at Fisherman’s Markets. It would also let commercial fishermen organize under a single permit, just like Certified Farmers’ Markets. Read the rest here 08:25
Wolves of the Sea – Photographer captures the lives and craft of Paros fishermen
For the past five years, Austrian photographer Christian Stemper has been regularly visiting the island of Paros. Not for the purpose of enjoying its beaches and quaint villages – beautiful as they may be – but rather, to document the lives of its old guard of fishermen. Many of his subjects are in their sixties and seventies, and represent a traditional but dying way of life on the island, as younger people are drawn to more comfortable jobs, and restaurants opt for commercial fish imports in such tough economic times. Read the rest here 08:18
