Monthly Archives: November 2015
El Nino shaping up nicely
The numerical models continue to point to a strong El Nino event bringing the promise of heavy winter rains. About two month ago, I had some concerns that it may not bring abundant rainfall; a lot of these apprehensions have gone away, and here’s why. Last year, I and many others predicted abundant rainfall. Obviously, my prediction didn’t come to pass — in large part because of decreasing seawater temperatures in the Nino 3.4 region (an area in the east-central equatorial Pacific) during the vital months of winter. Read the rest here 14:26
Tri Marine reports drop in purse seiners calling into port
Tri Marine International says it has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of purse seiners calling into American Samoa since the high seas were closed to US flagged tuna boats in June of this year. Not only does this affect the supply of fish for StarKist Samoa and Samoa Tuna Processors it also means a loss in revenue for the government and many businesses that supply the purse seiners. Heidi Happonen, spokesperson for Tri Marine says a purse seiner typically spends between $300,000 and $400,000 when in port. Read the rest here 12:46
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update, November 8, 2015
The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance is dedicated to its mission of continuing to help create sustainable fisheries without putting licensed fishermen out of business.” Read the update here To read all the updates, click here 11:52
Grey-Bruce works together to get the fish to the people
When a commercial fisherman in Tobermory was left with a boatload of fish after a buyer backed out Saturday, the community jumped into action to get it to those who needed it most. About 700 pounds of whitefish was trucked back to Owen Sound on Saturday where about 20 volunteers filleted some for the Owen Sound Hunger and Relief Effort, while others were invited to pick up fish fresh off the truck. United Way of Bruce-Grey Executive Director Francesca Dobbyn was contacted at about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday by Guy Nadjiwon of the Gary M fishing boat. Read the rest here 10:48
California’s first offshore wind farm proposed near Morro Bay
This sleepy coastal town of 10,000 people along California’s Central Coast is known for its fishing fleet, nearby Hearst Castle and Morro Rock, a craggy 581-foot-tall monolith that dominates the views to the ocean. But a few years from now, Morro Bay may be known for something else: a huge offshore wind farm. “They want an area where a lot of guys fish,” said Tom Hafer, president of the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization. “We’re willing to work with her on it, but we have some problems with it. We have a lot of areas already taken away. I don’t know how much more we can lose. We’re worried.” Read the rest here 09:35
Fishing boat worth £300,000 is scrapped after Britain’s youngest captain smashed it into rocks
A ship skippered by Britain’s youngest fishing boat captain has been broken up for scrap after the teenager smashed the £300,000 vessel into rocks. Jake Bowman-Davies, 17, lost his way in the dark and ran aground after a two-day fishing trip in the Irish Sea. His father, Tim Bowman-Davies, 42, hoped to save the valuable boat, the second one Jake has lost this year. But it was written off by salvage experts and ended up in several pieces on a beach at Angle, Pembrokeshire. Read the rest here 08:18
Pago Pago: Local businesses feeling impact of purse seiner loss
Some local businesses are feeling the effects of purse seiners cancelling trips to Pago Pago to off load their catches, as a result of a ban on US tuna boats in nearby fishing grounds. Local stevedore company Blue Angel which has been in business for 57 years reports that they have lost 60% of their income as a result of several purse seiners not calling into Pago Pago. Owner Herman Popeye Thomsen says his workers used to be paid $200 to $300 a week. But with the cancellations of purse seiners that normally off load at the local canneries, they are earning only $80 to $90 for 1-2 days of work. Read the rest here 13:23
Massachusetts Man jumps into water after lobster boat catches fire
A man operating a lobster vessel off Crane Beach in Ipswich was uninjured after he jumped into the water when his boat caught fire Friday morning, the Coast Guard said. The unidentified man’s boat, the 1977 28-foot wood-hulled Dawn Breaker, caught fire at 9:30 a.m. for reasons still under investigation, Coast Guard spokesman Robb Ruddell said. The man tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher but jumped into the water after it worsened, he said. Read the rest here 12:05
Big Trouble Looms For California Salmon — And For Fishermen
The West Coast’s historic drought has strained many Californians — from farmers who’ve watched their lands dry up, to rural residents forced to drink and cook with bottled water. Now, thanks to a blazing hot summer and unusually warm water, things are looking pretty bad for salmon, too – and for the fishermen whose livelihoods depend on them. Preliminary counts of juvenile winter-run Chinook are at extreme low levels. These are salmon that are born during the summer in California’s Sacramento River and begin to swim downstream in the fall. Read the rest here 11:38
P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association – Hunter Tootoo a good choice for federal fisheries minister
The head of the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association is pleased with the appointment of Nunavut MP Hunter Tootoo as the new
minister. Up until her defeat last month, Island fishermen had local Egmont MP Gail Shea as their minister. While there were many benefits to that, association executive director Ian MacPherson said Island fishermen are looking forward to a fresh take on the fishery from Tootoo. Read the rest here 09:41
South Carolina: Crabs, other fish showing impact of flood
The onslaught of big crabs into the creeks feeding in the Charleston estuary is among the first indications biologists are getting of the effects of October’s historic flooding on marine life — a wash of water so large that the creeks only now are starting to fall to levels anywhere near what observers would call ebb tides and the offshore remains less salty than usual. Among other shellfish, oyster beds are again off-limits partly because of the flood, while the shrimp catch — so far — doesn’t seem to have been helped or hurt. Read the rest here 08:52
‘Biggest fish of my life’: A Cape Breton fisherman’s hunt for the majestic bluefin tuna
The fishing rod lurched down like it was pulled by a motorcycle, rattling in its holster as the frantic bluefin tuna fought against the hook. It was as thick as three men, long as a kayak, and strong enough to drag the the 40-foot boat in the Northumberland Strait. “Look at him bending that rod,” captain Jeff Mills said to his two-man crew, three kilometres off the coast of Cape Breton. “You feel the boat going?” The rod suddenly straightened out and the line went limp. “Gone!” Mills screamed. The three fishermen stared at one another. Then Mills looked out at the water and realized the fish wasn’t gone; it was swimming toward the boat. Read the rest here 08:06
Louisiana stops issuing new crabbing licenses, citing overfishing
The state has stopped issuing new commercial crab licenses due to overfishing, a move local crab wholesalers say has long been needed in an industry flooded with newcomers. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries officials declared an emergency Thursday following a low blue crab count. The decision “aims to prevent increased fishing pressure and mortality by temporarily prohibiting new entrants into the fishery until more permanent regulatory and legislative measures can be developed to address the reduced stock status,” Read the rest here 07:29
Plymouth fishermen accuse German warships of destroying their crabbing pots
TWO fishermen from Plymouth say their livelihoods have been “ruined” after two German naval vessels allegedly destroyed their crabbing pots. Brothers Brian and Lee Tapper estimate more than £8,000 worth of damage has been done after pulling their broken pots up from the sea bed two weeks ago.Devastated by the discovery, the pair have accused German supply ships Die Bonn and Frankfurt Am Main of tearing through the pots and dragging them almost three miles from their location. Read the rest here 16:02
Vintage San Francisco: Dungeness crab seasons
As a cloud hangs over the upcoming Dungeness crab season, let’s take a look back at happier days on the wharf. Commercial fishing in San Francisco dates back to 1848, according to the California Department of Fish and Game, but until the 1940s most fishermen used nets for commercial crabbing. It wasn’t until the 1940s that traps took over the industry and transformed it into something closer to what we see today. Click here to see some incredible photos! 15:34
Questions, answers about toxic West Coast crabs
A poisonous substance linked to a massive algae bloom off the West Coast has prompted officials to halt recreational shellfishing from Washington to California and is blamed for sickening dozens of seabirds, seals, whales and other marine life. Below are questions and answers about the issue: Q: What is the problem? A: Domoic acid, a naturally occurring neurotoxin, has been found in high levels in a variety of shellfish, which in turn are eaten by predators up the food chain — including humans. Domoic acid poisoning can cause vomiting, seizures and, in severe cases, coma and death. Photo gallery, Read the rest here 14:00
Gov. Chris Christie’s administration adopts artificial reef plan
Gov. Chris Christie’s administration has adopted new rules as a compromise between recreational and commercial fishing interests over access to artificial reefs off the state’s coast, the state Department of Environmental Protection announced Wednesday. The rules give commercial interests continued access to portions of two reefs in state waters, and calls for construction of a new reef for recreational fishing in state waters, the department said in a news release. Read the rest here 12:56
Editorial: Drowning in regulations
President Obama is poised to designate two large areas off the New England coast as national marine “monuments,” to the delight of conservationists who seem much more interested in protecting the ocean than they are in protecting people. Gov. Charlie Baker has written to President Obama to express concern about the impact on the region’s fishermen if the federal government turns part of the New England coastline into a sort of undersea museum — one that only scientists are likely ever to lay eyes on. Baker in his letter raises reasonable concerns about the process — or lack thereof — that led to this point. Read the rest here 12:00
Confluence of factors cause disconnect in salmon pricing
Seafood producers were hoping U.S. consumers would have cheaper salmon this year, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The $8.99 per pound of the U.S. consumer pays at a minimum in Anchorage isn’t making its way back down the chain to the fishermen, whose overall pay has been slashed in half by a cyclone of every possible negative market pressure and a marketing campaign that keeps prices high and attracts fraudsters. Read the rest here 09:23
MLAs hear of capping stack limits – 10 to 30 days to successfully stop the flow of oil after a blowout
Even if companies drilling for oil along Nova Scotia’s offshore had access to a capping stack, the CEO of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board says it could still take anywhere from 10 to 30 days to successfully stop the flow of oil after a blowout. If safety measures like aand other systems fail, “it likely means there’s been damage down at the sea floor and … debris would have to be cleared away, so you have to send in equipment to clear the debris,” Stuart Pinks told the Standing Committee on Resources in Halifax on Thursday. Read the rest here 08:19
Apalachicola Bay not included in Army Corps revised plan
Monday is the only day Floridians will have a chance to comment in person on an update to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manual dictating the control of water through the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River basin. It is the first time since 1958 the Corps has updated the manual for the three-river system, which starts in central Georgia and flows south to the Apalachicola Bay where a lack of freshwater has imperiled the ecosystem and the coastal economy that depends upon it. Read the rest here 20:48
A fisherman’s doubt, and his love of the sea
He is up before the dawn, and, a creature of steady habits, he heads for the seashore. It’s dark when Frank Mirarchi jumps into his black pickup truck, and dark still when he reaches Scituate Harbor. He parks on the town pier and stares at the ocean. But his 55-foot stern dragger is no longer moored there. Actually, the boat is there. But it’s no longer his. It was renamed last June after he sold it — a poignant punctuation point to Mirarchi’s half-century career as a commercial fisherman. Read the rest here 15:01
Senators write in support of Newport, Charlestown Coast Guard helicopter bases
U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have urged the Office of Management and Budget to include funding for U.S. Coast Guard helicopter bases in Newport and in Charleston, South Carolina, in the Coast Guard’s budget. The Coast Guard had sought to close the helicopter bases last year in a cost-saving move, but several lawmakers, arguing that the bases provide critical search and rescue operations, stepped in to get Congress to keep the bases open. Read the rest here 13:50
California delays opening of crab season amid toxic scare
The California Fish and Game Commission voted Thursday to delay opening of the crab-fishing season as officials scramble to deal with a coastal algae bloom that’s left Dungeness crabs with a potentially fatal toxin called domoic acid. Meeting by conference call, the commission voted 3-0 to delay the recreational crabbing season, which was supposed to begin Saturday. The opening of the commercial crab fishing, which is supposed to open Nov. 15, is up to the director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Read the rest here 12:41
Smoked herring connects Cap-Pelé to Haiti – A million cases each year to the impoverished country
For the past century, one of New Brunswick’s most enduring trade partnerships has been with one of the world’s poorest countries. The fishing village of Cap-Pelé has sold millions of crates of smoked herring to the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti. A Radio-Canada crew recently followed the trail, from the smokehouses in Cap-Pelé to the kitchens of Port-au-Prince. The sights, and especially the smells, of smoked herring are part of life in southeastern New Brunswick. Read the rest here 11:18
Fishermen may sue over “The Guardian” newspaper’s migrants claims
The move follows allegations made in The Guardian newspaper that non-EU workers had been underpaid and forced to live on their boats and banned from going ashore. More serious allegations of human trafficking were also made. “The article itself bears out the lack of detailed evidence that you would expect to support such allegations. It cannot be overlooked how serious those allegations are and the scrutiny they have brought to bear on the fishing industry. However the newspaper issued a broad statement saying: “The Guardian stands by its thorough investigation,,, Read the rest here 10:35
Always Top Quality! Your Seafreeze Ltd. Preferred Price List for November 5th, 2015
Contact our sales team today @ 401 295 2585 or 800 732 273 Click here for the complete price list from Seafreeze Ltd. We are Direct to the Source-We are Fishermen-We are Seafreeze Ltd! Visit our website! 09:49
Climate change could lead to more lobster in P.E.I. waters
Prince Edward Island could soon become a lobster nursery on the waves if climate change predictions hold water. A number of scientists at a joint U.S.-Canada Lobster symposium underway in Charlottetown on Wednesday say a slight increase in water temperatures anticipated around the province over the next 50 years could have a significant impact on the number of lobsters in the waters off the Island. “We have to be humble in how we predict stocks will change in the future,’’ said Dr. Remy Rochette of the University of New Brunswick. Read the rest here 09:21
Baker to Obama: Monument plan contrary to regional ocean planning
Governor Charlie Baker today directly addressed his concerns to President Obama about the potential designation of one or more National Marine Monuments off the coast of New England, saying the process has lacked stakeholder involvement and threatens to undermine existing fishery management systems. The Obama administration, under significant pressure by environmental groups, is considering using the Antiquities Act to unilaterally designate areas of deep-sea canyons and seamounts — and possibly an area on Cashes Ledge,,, Read the rest here 08:22
Pacific trading partners release Trans-Pacific Partnership pact details
The long-awaited text of a landmark U.S.-backed Pacific trade deal was released on Thursday, revealing the details of a pact aimed at freeing up commerce in 40 percent of the world’s economy but criticized for its opacity.,, Republican White House contender Donald Trump has labeled it a “disaster.” The TPP would be a boon for factory and export economies like Malaysia and Vietnam. Anticipated tariff perks are already luring record foreign investment into Vietnamese manufacturing and both countries are expected to see increased demand for their key exports, from palm oil and rubber to electronics, seafood and textiles. Read the rest here 07:37
