Daily Archives: October 12, 2015
Dead menhaden wash up on Eastern Shore after fish spill from Omega Protein boat
Last Wednesday, said Omega spokesman Ben Landry, the John Dempster was pulling in hundreds of thousands of menhaden from the bay when the net apparently ripped on some bottom debris and dumped about 75,000 dead fish into the water. It’s an unfortunate accident that occurs maybe two or three times a year, he said. Omega notified the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, he said. On Friday, he said, they got reports that the wave of dead menhaden would strike land, probably around Smith Beach and Cherrystone Inlet. Read the rest here 21:47
Mobile clean-up opportunity presented to Shell as alternative to dispersants
As the clock ticks down to the final decision of the Canada Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (NSOPB) on Shell Canada’s proposed drilling program in the Shelburne Basin, the calls are getting louder from the fishing industry and communities along Nova Scotia’s south shore for regulators to put some environmental teeth in the company’s emergency response plan in the event of an oil spill on the southwestern Scotian Shelf. Read the rest here 21:08
Mutiny on the Majestic Blue – A captain held captive by his own crew. A boat flying the U.S. flag but violating every American law
Captain wanted. No experience necessary. The ad described a gig as master of a Western Pacific tuna fishing boat, an American ship with a crew of 24 men. The vessel was a purse seiner, a steel-hulled fishing boat that used a gigantic rectangular net that closed like a drawstring purse to catch tuna for StarKist, America’s most popular tuna brand. He sent an email. Less than 15 minutes later he had a response. It didn’t come from the address listed, but from someone at a Korean company called Dongwon. “When can you be here?” the email asked. Read the rest here 16:58
Hake: A Guide to Handling and Quality
The aim of this guide from the Irish Sea Fisheries Board (BIM) is to provide practical and contemporary guidelines on the handling and quality of hake, at all stages, from capture to the first point of sale. Optimal handling and storage practices at sea and ashore are essential elements in the management of fish quality and the achievement of maximum return on national and international markets. Read the rest here, 9 images for comparison. 14:49
House Committee approves territorial waters protection
A bill that includes an amendment by Congresswoman Aumua Amata for protection of territorial waters from federal regulations has been approved by the House Natural Resources Committee. The congresswoman’s amendment specifically prohibits the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce from restricting fishing access in any state or territorial marine waters, or the Great Lakes, under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service or the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries unless the restrictions have been developed with and approved by the US Fish and Wildlife Agency of the affected state or territory. Read the rest here 13:25
Marathon man jailed for 121 illegal lobster – Second man escaped by jumping off boat
More than 100 marine-resource conservation counts were filed against a Marathon man late Monday after law officers surprised a boat making a nocturnal landing. Jose Carlos Acosta Arias, 37, was carrying a mesh bag with 77 wrung lobster tails when he stepped off a “blacked-out vessel” near the oceanside of 74th Street in Marathon. A second man aboard the small boat jumped overboard and escaped by swimming away. The man’s identity is known and warrants for his arrest were being filed, FWC Officer Bobby Dube said. Read the rest here 12:33
Adak seeks cod quota, factory trawlers cry foul
Despite factory trawler opposition, Adak wants federal regulators to guarantee a minimum amount of Pacific cod each year, in hopes that the local fish processing plant will re-open. The Aleutian Islands Pacific cod catcher vessel fishery and shoreplant delivery requirement is on the agenda of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting this week in Anchorage. The bottomtrawl factory trawler’s lobbying group, , condemned Adak’s request. Read the rest here 10:32
3MMI – Small Pollock Creates Strong Minced Market, Brazil’s Economy Impact on Global Seafood Market
3-Minute Market Insight: As Alaska Pollock continues to land with smaller sized fish (500-750 grams), the Minced Pollock market continues to grow. Pacific Whiting supply is short, pressuring Pollock inventories for the production of Surimi. The weakened Brazilian Real has deterred Portuguese producers of Salted Cod to export product to the Latin American country. The big question now is where will the Atlantic Cod go, as Portuguese processors hold large inventories of the raw materials that would typically be used for Salted Cod production. Watch the video here 09:18
Fishtown Local: Something smells fishy
Okay, here we go again. Another behind-the-scenes effort has begun behind our backs, the way it happened before. The newest NOAA effort has begun toward creating a marine national monument in the Cashes Ledge area — about 80 miles east of Gloucester — as well as the deep sea coral and seamount area south of Georges Bank, traditional catch areas for our fishermen. Meanwhile, concerned by what it regards as a lack of transparency and undue influence from conservationists,,, Read the rest here 08:03
