Daily Archives: November 18, 2015
Feature from 1968 on Portuguese fishermen showing Friday Night in New Bedford – Free Admission!
The Dock-U-Mentaries Film Series continues on Friday at 7 p.m. with “The Lonely Dorymen,” a 1968National Geographic program about the Portuguese fishermen who fished for cod on the Grand Banks. Dock-U-Mentaries is a co-production of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, and the Working Waterfront Festival. Read the rest here! 18:39
Groundfish boosts Alaska fishing jobs, 84% of total fish poundage
Alaska’s seafood industry puts more people to work than oil and gas, mining, tourism and logging combined. And the numbers continue to grow, thanks to increased catches of groundfish, primarily pollock and cod. According to the November issue of by the state Department of Labor, fishing employment grew by 0.7 percent last year, boosted by 350 jobs in groundfish harvesting – a nearly 25 percent increase. Gains were made in every month of the year, with employment records set in March and December. Read the rest here 16:08
Santa Rosa: McGuire and Wood to host hearing on crab season delay
State Sen. Mike McGuire, chairman of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Assemblyman Jim Wood, committee vice-chair, are hosting a hearing focused on the delayed opening of the Dungeness crab season. “The California Dungeness and Rock Crab Fishery: Public Health, Ocean Conditions and Maintaining a Strong Coastal Economy” will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, in the main room of the Steele Lane Community Center, 415 Steele Lane, Santa Rosa. Read the rest here 15:32
Bristol Bay sockeye earnings hit decade low
For the first time in a decade, ex-vessel earnings for sockeye salmon coming out of Bristol Bay, Alaska, have fallen below $100 million, despite a “massive” return of 58m fish, according to a sockeye bi-annual market analysis prepared for the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association by McDowell Group. According to the report, 2014 marked the fourth consecutive year that base ex-vessel prices –the price paid to fishermen by a processor for whole fish — were above $1.00/lb, “Bristol Bay seemed to be on a roll; firing on all cylinders and producing strong earnings”. Value fell sharply, however, in 2015,,, Read the rest here 14:00
‘Tis the season in southwestern Nova Scotia! Fishermen gearing up for Nov. 30 start of lobster fishery
Unless delayed by weather, the lobster season in lobster fishing area (LFA) 34 – which takes in all of Yarmouth County and parts of Shelburne and Digby counties – wll kick off the last Monday of November. This year the opening day falls on Nov. 30. Opening day is also known as dumping day. It’s the day that captains and their crews leave wharfs at 6 a.m. in this fishing district to dump their traps at sea – hoping for good catches when they haul them back up. There are around 980 licence holders in LFA 34. With boats weighed down with hundreds of traps,,, Read the rest here 13:24
“Time is not on our side, so we must act now” – Grassroots petition asks US President to save canneries
A grassroots movement has been formed by local businesswoman Mrs Kathy Pilimai and local businesses and working class people to help save the local tuna industry. This citizens movement has put together a petition and hopes to collect 10,000 signatures for every one living in the territory with a valid ID, calling on President Barack Obama to help save the local canneries. The petition is prompted by a statement by StarKist last week that due to a combination of factors which has driven up their costs and made them less competitive, they are looking at moving,,, Read the rest here 12:40
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 45′ Fiberglass Lobster/Longliner 575HP, John Deere
Specifications, information and 25 photo’s click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 11:55
Two fishermen rescued after their boat sinks off Northumberland coast
Two fishermen were rescued after their boat sank off the Northumberland coast. The alarm was raised by the crew of another fishing boat who spotted a man clinging to a lobster pot marker just before 9am on Wednesday. They radioed for help after pulling him on board their vessel, the Boy Liam. Amble RNLI all-weather and inshore lifeboats were launched to search for the second fisherman, and Newbiggin and Seahouses RNLI lifeboats were later asked to join the search. Read the rest here 10:10
It’s Showtime! Controversial flounder decision on MFC agenda
A controversial issue over the future of 
is back on the agenda for this week’s meeting of the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission. After postponing action in August, the commission is scheduled to approve management measures for Supplement A to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 1. The meeting is set for Nov. 18-20 at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, with a public comment period Wednesday night and the business meeting on Thursday and Friday. Read the rest here 09:24
Canada’s new Liberal government says it is currently developing priorities for the lobster industry
Canada’s new Liberal government is in no rush to implement Stephen Harper’s promise aimed at wooing voters in Atlantic Canada during the recent federal election of $20 million in funding for lobster promotion and research. Harper made the pledge Sept. 10 in New Annan, P.E.I. and promised $5 million for research and $15 million over three years to the Halifax-based Lobster Council of Canada to promote lobster sales. Fisheries and Oceans Canada would not address Harper’s promise, saying new Fisheries Minister Hunter Tootoo is developing priorities. Read the rest here 08:44
1 fish, 2 fish: Film examines new seafood counting technology
It appears to be an unanswerable question: “How many fish are in the ocean?” But marine research scientist Kevin Stokesbury is searching for that number, and his findings could have far reaching implications for fisherman facing catch limits. Part of Stokesbury’s efforts have been documented in “Counting Fish”, a film shot and produced by Mattapoisett’s Don Cuddy. In the 1990s, Stokesbury developed new video technology that brought big changes to the scallop industry. The methods showed that scallops were being undercounted with the old methods, drastically increasing catch limits for New Bedford fishermen. Read the rest here 08:01
