Daily Archives: December 27, 2015
Waters still rough after new flounder limits
New restrictions on southern flounder stoke showdown between commercial, recreational fishing and conservationists. Neither side can agree on the science; dispute is over whether flounder is over-fished. Politicians keeping a close eye on the controversy. Lawsuits or legislation could follow. All that anyone agrees on in the politically charged controversy over southern flounder is that new regulations that go into effect Friday will reduce the number of fish that are caught. Read the article here 17:27
Opponents seek to reverse decision on oyster farm approval
Even though state and federal agencies have approved plans to establish a 50-acre oyster aquaculture site in Goose Cove, area residents and officials are voicing strong objections to the project and are asking federal officials to revisit the issue. Mark Nadel, a seasonal resident who spends summers on Goose Cove, said the combination of attracting large birds to the area and planes coming and going is a recipe for a repeat of the so-called “Miracle on the Hudson,” ROFLMAO! Read the article here, and support oyster food production! 16:50
Omega Protein : Conservation groups and legislators look to change menhaden regulations
With the lights of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel twinkling in the background, Barry Knight looked at a room full of supporters and realized he no longer was alone. For nearly a decade, the Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates has been trying to wrestle the menhaden fishing industry from the grasp of the state’s General Assembly. An environmentally conscious angler and a rural Virginia Beach pig farmer, he has wondered for years why menhaden are the only species in Virginia waters that are not controlled by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Read the article here 15:31
Md. seafood survives another round on guest worker program
Leaders of Maryland’s seafood industry are cheering an expansion of a guest worker program they deem critical for crab season as part of the $1.1 trillion federal spending bill signed by President Barack Obama this month. But industry leaders say they are concerned about the future. Labor unions, civil rights groups — and, increasingly, political conservatives — have taken aim at the program that brings tens of thousands of seasonal workers to the country annually, including for the crab-picking and oyster-shucking seasons on the Eastern Shore. Read the article here 14:33
Savannah McDormand, 20, mourned after Westport fishing boat death
Savannah McDormand, a 20-year-old woman who was found dead on a fishing boat earlier this week in Westport, N.S., is being remembered as a fun person with a wry sense of humour. “She was very bubbly and very happy-go-lucky,” said Virginia Tudor, the owner of the Brier Island Lodge. Tudor knew the young woman since McDormand was a child on the small island that is home to about 130 people. Tudor says the community is devastated. Read the article here 14:24
