Daily Archives: December 26, 2015
Bluefin tuna sighted early in season off Outer Banks
Bluefin tuna season is here again, traditionally running from November through March, sometimes into April, and there have already been landings in Carteret County, as well as some anecdotal reports of the prized commercial fish showing up off the Outer Banks. Bluefin tuna are a sought-after commercial finfish for sushi, and individual fish can sell for several thousand dollars on the international market. Matt Frost, owner and operator of Homer Smith Seafood in Beaufort, said as of Wednesday he’s had about 6,100 pounds of bluefin tuna landed at his fish house. Read the article here 20:20
‘Wild Alaskan’ floating strip club owner guilty of dumping human waste in harbor
The owner of a crabbing boat that was converted into a floating strip club off the shore of an Alaskan island has been found guilty of illegally dumping human waste into a harbor. KMXT-FM reports that Darren Byler on Wednesday was found guilty in federal court of illegal dumping of sewage and lying to federal authorities about it. The jury found his wife Kimberly Riedel-Byler not guilty of the same charges. Prosecutors say Byler piped raw sewage from bathrooms aboard the 94-foot “Wild Alaskan” into the Kodiak harbor instead of taking the waste 3 miles offshore. Read the rest here 20:06
Factory trawlers praised for halibut conservation
What a difference a year makes for the halibut bycatch controversy in the Bering Sea at the December meetings of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in Anchorage. The flatfish factory trawlers, vilified for much of this year, reported vigorous and voluntary efforts at halibut conservation, and even received praise from the Pribilofs. Their zeal was prompted by what might be termed resolution number two-by-four of the fish council last summer, which slashed halibut bycatch by 25 percent. “I’m glad what is happening now is happening,” said Swetzof, who was furious when the issue first arose last year,,, Read the article here 18:32
Falmouth selectmen support keeping Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center facility in Woods Hole was built before men walked on the moon and is due for an upgrade — but whether that happens at its current home in the village remains to be seen. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and Department of Commerce are doing a facilities study on the Woods Hole campus, which dates to 1961 and houses both research and administrative facilities. NOAA spokeswoman Teri Frady said repairs, renovations or replacement are all possible options, but any definitive direction is still a long way off. Read the article here 12:36
Must Read – Fears for our fishery, Father Ed Brophy, St. Alban’s
Fellow Newfoundlanders, according to the news, a large Newfoundland fish company called Quin-Sea is about to be taken over by an even larger company from Denmark. The Danish company is called Royal Greenland. I find this disturbing. For me, it is a cause for grave concern. With the stroke of a pen, with the signing of a bill of sale, Royal Greenland of Denmark will be the major shareholder in one of Newfoundland’s largest fish-producing companies. In other words, major decisions about the company, the quotas the catching of shrimp and crab, the production — in fact, all major decisions — could be made by a large company in Denmark. Read the op-ed here, and think! 09:23
Discard Mortality: What happens when a fisherman tosses a fish back overboard? It’s not a frivolous question.
What happens when a fisherman tosses a fish back overboard? It’s not a frivolous question. The government bases catch quotas and other rules in part on the mortality of tossed fish, and there isn’t always accurate data available about how many fish survive the fling. Now, a group of New England scientists says it’s finding that a surprisingly high percentage of the lucky fish might live to swim another day. Read the article here 08:44
