Daily Archives: November 21, 2015
Earle McCurdy pledges restoration of commercial cod fishery
The provincial New Democrats have announced plans to re-establish a viable commercial cod fishery. At a campaign stop in Petty Harbour on Saturday, NDP Leader Earle McCurdy disclosed the party’s plans to try and make life better for fish harvesters. “The moratorium on fishing the northern cod stock resulted in the largest industrial layoff in Canadian history. The province has been out of the cod selling business for 20 years,” he said in a statement. “It’s time to get back into the cod fishery business. The NDP is committed to get a viable commercial cod fishery once again operating.” Read the article here 20:00
Seward Fishing Community dismayed by FDA precident approving genetically modified fish
Word that the Food and Drug Administration had approved the huma
n consumption of a genetically modified animal for the first time ever Thursday, the dreaded “Frankenfish,” traveled fast in Alaska. Several Seward residents SCN spoke with were not happy about its implications, either for the Alaska fishing industry, or for consumers. In a town that prides itself on the plentiful supply of wild Alaska salmon, halibut, cod, and other species, and on supporting sport and commercial fishing, that’s not surprising. Read the article here 16:14
Toxin Levels Dropping in California Crabs
Seafood lovers and California’s commercial fishermen received good news Thursday as tests revealed dropping levels of the dangerous neurotoxin that has temporarily delayed the state’s crab season. Dungeness crab caught and surveyed from the San Francisco Bay, Half Moon Bay and Morro Bay were found to have safe levels for domoic acid, according to test results from the California Department of Public Health. Read the article here 15:32
Martello to lead Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association
After a lengthy search, the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association has a new executive director set to start in December. The organization, which is funded by a tax on drift fishermen, announced Nov. 12 that Becky Martello would take the top job beginning Dec. 14. Martello replaces Sue Aspelund, who said last spring that she’d like to resign from the position after holding it for about a year. Martello grew up in Bristol Bay and has fished commercially,,, Read the article here 13:38
Oregon and Washington delay crab season because of toxin
Oregon on Friday delayed the Dec. 1 start along its entire coast, after testing in recent weeks showed higher toxin levels in the southern half of the state. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said delay of the season will allow completion of additional testing to make sure toxin levels are safe. And in Washington, officials on Friday also said they’re delaying the season along parts of the coast where it starts on Dec. 1. Read the article here 11:13
36 fishermen taken into custody
Stepping up its protection drive ahead of mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles, forest personnel have taken into custody 36 fishermen in separate mid-sea interceptions along in Odisha in the past four days, officials said. The trawls used by the intruders for fishing along the prohibited breeding zones of the endangered marine animals were seized by the patrolling unit engaged by Forest Department for conservation of the turtles, forest officials said. Read the article here 10:27
NOAA says Haddock flourish, while cod stocks dwindle
The groundfish stock updates released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reflect what the agency says is the continuing deterioration of the Gulf of Maine cod stock, while showing that other stocks such as haddock, pollock and redfish appear to be flourishing. The operational assessment updates were performed on 20 Northeast groundfish stocks, with the results corresponding to the state of the individual stocks through 2014. The news for cod, according to the update, is really no news at all. Read the article here 09:40
Feds: Seafood company owner failed to pay taxes on $2 million
The head of a major seafood processing company based in Gloucester was indicted Friday on charges he failed to pay taxes on more than $2 million in income he earned between 2006 and 2009, according to the . Jack Ventola, 68, who lives in Ipswich and serves as president and part owner of National Fish & Seafood Inc., located at 11-15 Parker St. and 159 E. Main St., was indicted on three counts of filing false tax returns and one count of conspiracy to defraud the federal Internal Revenue Service. Read the article here 08:49
Pew response fails to address EU fishing sector concerns over misleading information
It is disappointing that your response fails to address the issues that we have raised. We drew attention to the startling divergence between the (ICES) view and Pew’s claims about fishing pressure and the state of the stocks off North Western Europe. Turning the Tide, makes the assertion that: Fishing in recent decades, in pursuit of food and profit, off North West Europe has dramatically expanded. Calls by scientists and environmentalists to reduce fishing pressure have been ignored,,, Read the post here 08:07
