Daily Archives: November 2, 2015
Dungeness crab: Toxic algae could delay Northern California season
Bay Area fishermen are worried that the Dungeness crab season could be delayed by high levels of a naturally occurring toxin that’s harmful to humans. Don Marshall, a fishermen out of Pillar Point Harbor in San Mateo County, said the Northern California fleet is worried that the commercial season, slated to open Nov. 15 in time for Thanksgiving, could be delayed for weeks and even months. The Nov. 7 opening of the recreational season could also be pushed back. “If we lose the Thanksgiving market and the holiday market, that’s a crusher for us,” Read the rest here 21:28
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for Nov. 2, 2015
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates, Click here 17:39
Starkist threatens to move ops away from American Samoa due to rising wages, fishing rules
US tuna canner Starkist has imposed a hiring freeze in 
and warned that it is considering shifting some of its production to Ecuador and Senegal,,, In a statement this Monday, the company owned by South Korea’s Dongwon Industries said the recent decision by the US Congress to raise minimum wages in American Samoa has dealt the company a “financial blow” and is the latest challenge to affect its local cannery. “Our cannery has been directly impacted by the closure of access to the high seas and NMFS needs to recognize the unique nature of American Samoa’s small and developing economy,” according to the statement. Read the rest here 16:55
3MMI – Typhoon Ravages Hokkaido Chum Salmon Harvests
This is Robert Reierson and here is the seafood news for Monday November 2nd, 2015. — The Hokkaido Fall Chum fishery is nearing it’s end, with the final catch expected to be 110,000 metric tons. After a typhoon hit Eastern Hokkaido in Early September, some fishermen’s set-net gear was damaged and the fishery halted. By missing the peak season in Early October,,, Watch the video here 12:01
Guardian investigation – Revealed: trafficked migrant workers abused in Irish fishing industry
A year-long investigation into the Irish prawn and whitefish sector has uncovered undocumented Ghanaian, Filipino, Egyptian and Indian fishermen manning boats in ports from Cork to Galway. They have described a catalogue of abuses, including being confined to vessels unless given permission by their skippers to go on land, and being paid less than half the Irish minimum wage that would apply if they were legally employed. They have also spoken of extreme sleep deprivation, having to work for days or nights on end with only a few hours’ sleep, and with no proper rest days. Read the rest here 11:34
U.S. Coast Guard Unveils a New Model for Cooperation Atop the World
The United States Coast Guard announced Friday the creation of a new international forum for cooperation in the Arctic. Signed at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, the new Arctic Coast Guard Forum will include coast guards or similar agencies from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the United States. “Today’s historic Arctic Coast Guard Forum represents a critical step forward in our collective efforts to promote safety, security and environmentally responsible maritime activity in the Arctic,” said Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft. Read the rest here 10:50
Damen Shell Dredger Delivered to Dutch Cooperative
The Dutch fishing cooperative YE 118 Noordland BV has taken delivery of its new shellfish dredger from Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam. While the vessel shares the same hull design as other fishing vessels built previously at the yard, it is the ground-breaking techniques used in the product harvesting and handling methods that set her apart. There are a number of challenges facing the razor shell fishing sector – perhaps the most pertinent is being able to harvest an undamaged product. This is due to the fact that razor shells are fragile and thus easily broken. Read the rest here 09:45
A whaler remembers: One of N.L.’s last whale hunters shares his story
The South Dildo Whaling and Sealing Museum is housed in a small nondescript building along the main road into the Trinity Bay community. Inside, artifacts and memorabilia commemorate the last days of whaling off Newfoundland’s coast — a time when men took to the high seas to hunt the biggest catch of them all. Dozens, if not hundreds, of items line the walls and tables and sit inside protective glass cases — everything from photos to whale bones to harpoons, knives and even a human-sized harpoon gun bolted to the floor. Almost everything inside this museum belongs to Vaughan George, former whaler and collector extraordinaire. Read the rest here 09:07
Report: Gloucester landings down, but worth more – Haddock Skyrockets
The value of those 2014 Gloucester landings, however, actually rose to $46 million in 2014 from $42 million the previous year. The report showed landings of Atlantic cod — which declined more than 50 percent in 2013 — rose about 4 percent, or 180,000 pounds, to 5.2 million pounds in 2014. About 4.3 million pounds, or about 83 percent, of that cod was landed at Massachusetts ports. But the value of cod landings — which fell 52.8 percent in 2013 to $10.5 million — declined another 11 percent to $9.4 million in 2014. Haddock was a far different story than cod,,, Read the rest here 08:23
ASMFC 74th Annual Meeting – St. Augustine, FL November 2 – 5, 2015 Listen Live.
Board/Section meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning at 8:00 a.m.on November 2nd, continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 1:45 p.m.) on November 5th. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to the proceedings of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s management boards/sections during the Commission’s 74th Annual Meeting, November 2-5, 2015. Registrants will also be able to view presentations and motions as they occur. For a detailed agenda and meeting materials, Read the rest here 07:56
