Monthly Archives: November 2015
Increase in acidity may not be harmful to coral reefs after all
A combined team of researchers affiliated with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences has found, via a five year study, that increased ocean acidification may not pose the threat to coral reefs that scientists have thought. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes their study and why they now believe that an increase in green house gas emissions many not have the devastating impact on coral reefs that most in the field have assumed would occur. Read the rest here 17:41
N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission to take action on southern flounder supplement
According to a release from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, the state agency that enforces marine fisheries rules and conducts fisheries research, the MFC is scheduled to select and approve management measures for supplement A to the southern flounder fishery management plan (FMP) Amendment 1. The proposed supplement, and the MFC’s use of the supplement process, has drawn both support and opposition. A recent release from the N.C. Fisheries Association, a nonprofit supporting the seafood industry, criticizes the proposed supplement. Read the rest here 15:35
Bristol Bay fishermen petition the State to intervene regarding sockeye salmon prices.
An online petition that went live Nov. 3 had more than 821 signatures from fishermen and other supporters as of Nov. 10, asking the State of Alaska to intervene regarding sockeye salmon prices. Erick Sabo started the. He wrote it up this summer, but waited to open it up for signatures until fall had come, and nothing had changed about the summer’s low prices. “I hate to see fifty cents, I can’t believe it,” he said. “I’ve been in a state of shock and depression since I put the boat up. And even though we’re at this terrible level, I think it is bringing people together.” Read the rest here 15:06
Sri Lanka releases 126 Indian fishermen
In a humanitarian gesture, Sri Lanka has freed all the 126 Indian fishermen arrested by its navy for allegedly poaching into the country’s waters. Their release on Monday came as Lanka and India completed the formalities for the release of fishermen detained in each other’s country for allegedly fishing in each other’s waters, Colombo Page reported. All fishermen are from Tamil Nadu. Indian authorities are also expected to release 37 Lankan fishermen from their custody. Read the rest here 14:12
Oak Bluffs Selectmen Try to Cool Heat Over Scallop Closure in Sengie
Oak Bluffs selectmen this week tried to broker a compromise solution in a heated dispute among town shellfishermen over the closing of Sengekontacket Pond to bay scalloping. Shellfish constable David Grunden opted to close the pond to scalloping this year because of a large number of seed scallops and small number of adult scallops. The decision was unanimously backed by the town shellfish committee. Read the rest here 13:03
Gulf shrimpers contend with falling prices, tainted imports
Worrying about bills and plummeting shrimp prices, Dwayne Harrison stopped to apply for a mowing job one morning recently before dropping his nets in the Houston Ship Channel. The 65-cents-a-pound he was getting last week for small, head-on wild shrimp is one-third the price of a year ago and less than his catch brought in 1998, the year he bought his 50-foot vessel, Angel Lady. Harrison, 51, is among Gulf shrimpers who say they’re leaving the business or are barely afloat, and many blame imports, which make up more than 90 percent of the . Last year, imports rose by 143 million pounds and are up another 2 percent in 2015. Read the rest here 10:22
Fishermen’s Energy Loses Bid for Wind Farm Leases Off LBI
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held an offshore land lease sale for the purposes of developing future wind farms on Monday, Nov. 9. Although a locally held company, Fishermen’s Energy, participated in the auction, it lost out to two other concerns. The proposed areas for wind farms off Long Island would also affect the squid fishery and mackerel catches, Mayor Kirk Larson said. “It’s not just scallops. It could affect who knows how many fisheries.” Read the rest here 09:51
New hope for the fishery
Nowhere in Canada has the devastation of a fishery and the decimation of a fisherpeople been greater than on the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. Federal and provincial fisheries policies have, for many years, especially since the and during the Harper administrations, catered to the powerful influence of large fish companies, fisheries unions and federal foreign trading practices. Ninety per cent of our once great resource has disappeared and 90 per cent of what is left is under the control of a few elite, wealthy, powerful people,,, Read the rest here 09:21
Hilborn Says Newsweek Article “May Set a New Record for Factual Errors”
Dr. Ray Hilborn, Professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington, takes issue with Newsweek’s August 9, 2015 article “Our Taste for ‘Aquatic Bushmeat’ Is Killing the Sea” and its bleak picture of the state of worldwide seafood. The article quotes Dr. Sylvia Earle, a former chief scientist at NOAA and now a National Geographic explorer-in-residence. The article incorrectly claimed that 90 percent of global stocks had been removed in the last half-century and that 90 percent of the worlds stocks were unsustainably harvested. The latter statement was corrected to 29 percent after staff pointed out the error. Read the rest here 08:10
Seine or insane? Switch to new fishing method still clouded by practical questions
Under a plan by disgraced former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, the beginning of the end of commercial gillnet fishing on the main stem of the Columbia River is little more than a year away, but it’s still not clear if gear banned on the river for decades will ultimately replace gillnets. Oregon and Washington’s advisory group and fishery managers in both states are waiting for new information to be released that could clarify what the impacts of the proposed replacement gear — beach and purse seines — are on Columbia River salmon. Read the rest here 20:02
Former NOAA official pushed regs that benefit his company
The head of a company that receives millions of dollars from the federal government to provide at-sea watchdogs has a long history of advocating for the strict regulations that now benefit his company. Andrew Rosenberg wears many hats. He heads up the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He is an unpaid affiliate professor of natural resources and the environment at the University of New Hampshire. He is a biologist with expertise in fisheries, once serving as the Northeast regional administrator for the . And he is the president of MRAG Americas, a consulting company that earns most of its gross revenue from NMFS. Read the rest here 18:04
Pacific cod may have learned to hunt seabirds, research indicates
You could call it revenge on the birds. While many marine birds are well known for their skills at diving into the sea to pluck out fishy meals, there is now solid evidence that some Pacific cod have turned the tables on the avian species. The practice came to light a few years ago when seafood workers in Dutch Harbor noticed that some of the cod they were processing came with extra features — partially digested birds in the fish stomachs. Read the rest here 16:47
Tropical Storm Kate to be fourth Atlantic hurricane of 2015
Tropical storm Kate is likely to become the fourth Atlantic hurricane of the 2015 season on Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 10) as it races northeast away from the Bahama Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center. At 9 a.m., Kate had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, just below hurricane strength, and was about 350 miles south of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and 600 miles west of Bermuda.On its forecast track, Kate would pass north of Bermuda. But forecasters urged those on the island to monitor its progress, as high surf and windy conditions were possible. Read the rest here 16:29
Opinion: Herring fishery needs integrated management plan
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his diverse, representative cabinet on Nov. 4, with Nunavut MP Hunter Tootoo appointed as the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Will Minister Tootoo create fisheries policies “by looking at evidence and listening to scientists,” as Trudeau promised at a rally of supporters on that euphoric day after the federal election? It certainly would be a refreshing change from the ways of Tootoo’s predecessor, Gail Shea, in the Harper-led cabinet. Read the rest here 12:46
Memories of a Highliner’s Son, by Big Tom Brancaleone
My family fished out of Gloucester on the Joseph & Lucia I, II and III, for over 50 years- as boat owners, captain and crew. They worked hard and were successful in their labors. They were known for being fair to their crews and had a propensity for fishing in bad weather. As a child I can remember the worried look on my mother’s face as our home on the Boulevard shook and the storm windows squealed and shuddered. The boat was out in yet another storm. Their hope was to be the only boat to market and to fetch a big price when they finally made it back to port,,, Read the rest here 11:11
Province orders fisheries review after Manitoba fish get ‘do not buy’ rating
The province has ordered a review of Manitoba’s fisheries after a scathing review from sustainable fisheries organization 
. On Monday, Seachoice released a report that gave fish caught in Manitoba’s three largest lake a “do not buy” rating. All species of fish caught in Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis should be avoided by consumers and retailers until more sustainable fishery methods are in place, the report said. Read the rest here 10:31
The first year of a three-year experiment allowing commercial fishing for whitefish in southern Lake Huron is wrapping up.
Tom Goniea, the administrator for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ commercial fishing program, said 
of Pinconning had collapsed his trap nets before pulling them. “He’s done for the season now,” Goniea said. “I was out on his boat (Oct. 26) when he did his last set of the year.” Goniea said the experiment likely will continue in 2016. “I see no reason why it wouldn’t at this point,” he said. “He was relatively successful this year considering the fact he missed the first two months of the season. Read the rest here 09:43
Salmon Farms Blamed for Virus Outbreak
Commercial salmon farms in Puget Sound are harming wild salmon but the federal government refuses to act, the Wild Fish Conservancy claims in court. A virus outbreak in 2012 at farms off Bainbridge Island in Puget Sound “likely had significant adverse effects on the wild fish,” but the government will not reconsider a 2011 determination that commercial farms do not significantly impact threatened wild salmon, according to the Nov. 4 lawsuit in Federal Court. Read the rest here 08:51
Counting Fish – A Film by Don Cuddy
New England groundfishermen are in trouble, with catch limits set so low that many boats remain tied to the dock. But the industry has little confidence in the NOAA survey that provides the raw data used for the stock assessment. Accurately counting fish populations in the ocean is a daunting task however and everyone agrees on the need for better science. SMAST researcher Kevin Stokesbury may have found a solution. Read the rest here 08:10
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for Nov. 9, 2015
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates, Click here 17:55
One of British Columbia’s most unusual and dangerous fisheries is poised for a comeback.
Gooseneck barnacles, which grow on the rocks below the high tide line off the west coast of Vancouver Island, are prized in Spain and served as appetizers by high-end restaurants across North America. With a shell-like top and stubby stalks of rich meat beneath, goosenecks resemble clumps of asparagus. However, the best ones are hard to reach and risky to harvest. “It could be a really big industry, we just got to get the word out,” Read the rest here 16:27
Lobster industry told to leverage Canadian brand
The Canadian lobster industry has been missing the boat for years by failing to capitalize on an iconic and trustworthy symbol known the world over. “We have a superior product here in this country, but fail to use this incredible branding image that is entirely free,” said Stewart Lamont of the Tangier Lobster Company in Nova Scotia. “We have one of the most effective branding stories possible and we have it in one word – Canada.” Lamont told the U.S.-Canada Lobster Symposium recently the industry that intrigues and delights him is a fractured and chaotic system,,, Read the rest here 14:29
Co-op boss slams reports of exploited fishermen
A West Cork fisheries spokesman has rubbished reports that there is widespread exploitation of immigrants in the fishing industry. The manager of Castletownbere Fishermen’s Co-op, John Nolan, has accused the media of making ‘wild, sensational and unsubstantiated statements’ about the industry this week.‘I am not saying there is no abuse,’ Mr Nolan told The Southern Star, ‘but it certainly isn’t widespread, and sensational headlines that claims that there are up to 8,000 people being exploited hurt our industry. Read the rest here 13:03
Timeline of proposed aquaculture expansion deemed too fast
Monday is the deadline for public comment on a proposed, $75 million salmon hatchery in Marystown, one that has divided opinions in the community and far beyond. Norwegian company Grieg Seafarms is planning a major expansion of Newfoundland and Labrador’s aquaculture industry with a state-of-the-art facility, the largest in Canada, and sea cages in Placentia Bay and Long Harbour. But many don’t see the expansion as a positive move and they want the province to slow down. Read the rest here 12:35
Cass Gidley Fish Stories
This story was first published in the Sausalito Marin Scope in 1985. Some years ago, as I relaxed on board a sailboat anchored off Gate 3, two large crabs suddenly flew into the cockpit, splattered across the deck and fetched up in a corner, legs waving in outrage. That was my first meeting with Cass Gidley, a cheery looking fellow in a dinghy full of crab pots, nets, and fishing gear. “I started commercial fishing in 1941 — got bit by the bug. Me with no experience, but I liked the sea. I leased a 40-foot double-ender, the Nina, and fished crab, salmon, and albacore. Read the rest here 09:57
Levittown fisherman admits $632G illegal catch, gets 7 months
At a hearing in U.S. District Court in Central Islip late last month,
Anthony Joseph, 51, “expressed remorse” before his sentencing, according to his lawyer, Chad Seigel of Manhattan. You are treated more equitably and fairly if you drink and drive on our roads and endanger other citizens than if you violate the fisheries rules and regulations,” said attorney Daniel Rodgers, a former Suffolk prosecutor, who is executive director of the group New York Fish of Cutchogue. Read the rest here 09:29
From croaker to clams: Commercial fishing in OC
Ocean City is home to a substantial commercial fishing fleet that works our surrounding waters to harvest marketable resources from clams to swordfish. Visitors to the resort can see the commercial boats tied up at the West Ocean City harbor and some might wonder what they fish for and how. The following is a short description of a few of the commercial fishing operations that go on around Ocean City. Read the rest here 08:00
Coast Guard searching for vessel in distress off New Jersey
The Coast Guard is searching Sunday for a vessel in distress off the shore of New Jersey. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia received a mayday call on VHF marine radio channel 16 at approximately 12:45 p.m. Sunday from the fishing vessel Interlude, stating the vessel was taking on water and heading into port. The Coast Guard launched an MH-65 dolphin helicopter from Air Station Atlantic City, New Jersey, the cutter Ibis and multiple assets from Station Atlantic City to search for the fishing vessel. Link 19:56
U.S. crab-fishing troubles could boost B.C.
B.C.’s crab fishermen are waiting to see if demand picks up for their catch as the presence of an algae-borne toxin postpones much of California’s crab fishing. Storms have dissipated an algae bloom off B.C.’s coast. Even at its height in the summer, the massive bloom did not have the high concentrations of algae associated with demoic acid that showed up off the U.S., said Ian Perry, a research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Nanaimo, on Friday. That has allowed B.C.’s fishery for sweet Dungeness crab to remain open. Read the rest here 15:29
