Daily Archives: October 3, 2015
No legal barrier to South Australia’s fur seal cull in Coorong and Lower Lakes
Tens of thousands of long-nosed fur seals have taken to the lower stretches of the River Murray, causing problems for the local commercial fishing industry. I certainly think we need to proceed with a sustainable harvest,” Mr Pasin said. “These seals are wreaking havoc in the lakes and Coorong, they’re decimating the ecology, harming the industry and impacting on the culture of the Ngarrindjeri people.” Authorities have estimated there are as many as 100,000 fur seals in South Australian waters, reducing the fishing catch in the Lower Lakes and Coorong by 70 per cent. Read the rest here 19:51
28 Americans aboard cargo ship missing off Bahamas after hurricane
The crew of the El Faro, 28 from the U.S. and five from Poland, reported that the ship was listing at 15 degrees before they lost contact with authorities as the ship passed near the lightly populated Crooked Island at the height of the storm. The vessel carried 685 containers and had an EPIRB on board, which transmits distress signals. An initial ping was received Thursday morning, but no new ones have followed,,, Read the rest here 14:09
Could fish markets suffer when customers start buying from the wharf?
The Newfoundland and Labrador government announced this week it is relaxing rules for people buying fresh local seafood right from the wharf, to give individuals and restaurants greater access to fresh fish. A fish market owner in Twillingate says letting people buy seafood right from those that harvest it could hurt his business. While the new rules might be good for customers, who will have access to better products at cheaper prices, Watkins worries about how the new regulations will affect the bottom line of fish markets like the one he owns. Read the rest here 13:08
Lawsuit claims sexual harrassment, worker retaliation at seafood company in Skagit County
A seafood company that harvests and processes shellfish in Skagit County is accused of allowing a supervisor to sexually harass several female workers, according to a federal lawsuit filed Thursday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The commission alleges Trans Ocean Seafoods Inc., which does business as , violated federal civil rights law in not properly responding to complaints that a supervisor made unwanted sexual comments to four workers on multiple occasions in 2012. Read the rest here 12:26
Suncor Energy Offshore methanol leak being probed
Suncor Energy is investigating after a methanol leak was discovered from a subsea drill centre in the Terra Nova field. The leak occurred on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Suncor estimates that 3,000 litres of methanol were released into the sea. Methanol pumping was stopped once the leak was detected and a remotely operated vehicle found a subsea methanol line to be the source. The Canadian-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board is reviewing the incident and Suncor is also investigating. link 10:33
Southern New England Fishermen try to preserve the lobster industry
Lobster fishermen packed a hearing at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection headquarters on Friday, and said pesticides in the sound and predators like black sea bass are killing the crustaceans. “New York will not resolve their and the fishermen are taking a blunt,” said Roger Frate, a fisherman from Darien. Marine experts and scientists with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Southern New England Lobster Subcommittee considering potential management tools to help preserve the species, such as moratoriums and trap limits. Read the rest here 09:47
Tuna fisherman angry at Kermadec Sanctuary
Despite conservationists hailing the New Zealand government’s decision to turn the Kermadec Islands into a giant marine sanctuary, covering 600-thousand square miles, it hasn’t gone down well with some in the fishing industry. Charles Hummet, who’s based in Nelson, runs a tuna fleet out of Fiji. He told Jim Mora there was no consultation with the industry and says it’s a short-sighted decision. Absolutely staggered really because we talk about our quota management system and how it’s such a good system we’ve got and so on and to suddenly announce in New York,,, Audio, Read the rest here 09:25
North Haven fisherman found dead aboard circling boat
A 78-year-old North Haven man was confirmed to have died Friday afternoon aboard his lobster boat that was found racing in circles off the Rockland breakwater. Robert Staples died despite the efforts of emergency crews, who performed CPR aboard the lobster boat Legacy and at the dock of the Coast Guard station, said Maine Marine Patrol Sgt. Matt Talbot. The lobster boat, based out of North Haven, was first spotted by the crew of the Maine State Ferry Everett Libby shortly before 3 p.m Video, Read the rest here 09:11
Fed money for fish study a good sign
As part of $6.9 million in federal disaster relief, the National Marine Fisheries Service approved federal funds for an industry-based survey of Gulf of Maine cod, a species whose apparent decimation led to drastic reductions in catch limits and a fisheries disaster declaration. Gov. Charlie Baker and other Massachusetts elected officials have criticized federal fishery regulators for refusing to consider alternative scientific methods for estimating fish stocks. The School for Marine Science and Technology at UMass Dartmouth has developed new methods for assessing sea life. Read the rest here 08:34
