Daily Archives: January 19, 2016
AK plans to cut salmon bycatch in Bering Sea pollock fishery; Comments wanted
Federal fish managers are proposing changes to the Bering Sea pollock fishery to better reduce bycatch of Chinook and chum salmon, and they want input from the public. The fishery now has separate programs to account for takes of the two salmon species – for Chinook, incentives are provided to each vessel to avoid bycatch at all times. For chum salmon, Intercooperative agreements help the fleets avoid areas of high bycatch. The North Pacific Council wants to integrate the two programs. Read the post here 19:22
NE Fishery Management Council SSC Meeting, Boston Jan. 20, 2016 SSC – Listen by webinar
The public is invited to listen in to the January 20, 2016 Scientific and Statistical Committee Meeting (SSC). It is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn Boston Logan Airport, 100 Boardman Street. : Use this link Hilton Garden Inn for further information about the venue. Click here for Webinar Registration Notice, and Agenda here 16:37
North Carolina Fisheries Association – SPECIAL UPDATE!!!
SPECIAL UPDATE!!! Attached above is a pdf flyer for several meetings this coming Monday, January 25th, all to be held at the Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern. Please print out the flyer and post it on your bulletin board if you have one, or distribute to encourage fishermen to attend the Annual Meeting! 10:00 – 2:00 Bycatch Reduction Workshop 2:00 – 3:00 Southern Shrimp Alliance Survey 3:00 – ? NCFA’s Annual Meeting. Attendance at NCFA’s Annual Meeting is very important as critical issues will be discussed, including southern flounder and the election of the Board of Directors will be held. If you cannot attend, please send a proxy to [email protected] or call (252) 633-6232 ext 102.Ocean fish catches 50% higher than reported, study suggests
Humans are scooping millions of tonnes more fish out of the oceans than official statistics show — about 50 per cent more, estimates a new Canadian study that sheds some light on the extent of the problem and on who’s catching all those extra fish. Statistics compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and cited by the study show that global marine catches between 1950 and 2010 peaked in 1996 at 86 million tonnes before declining by around 0.38 million tonnes per year. But by scouring out and including around the world, the new study by Daniel Pauly and Dirk Zeller at the University of British Columbia and their 400 global collaborators,,, Read the article here 15:30
Study: Narragansett Bay temps reached record highs, lows last year
An oceanographer at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography said temperatures in Narragansett Bay hit record highs and lows in 2015. Jeremy Collie said the temperatures represent the “most extreme” fluctuations observed since the school started surveying the waters 56 years ago. The findings came from GSO’s Narragansett Bay Fish Trawl, which is done to sample fish every week in the bay and track seasonal or annual changes of marine life. Water temperature also is recorded weekly at the same site off Wickford Village in North Kingstown. Collie has managed the trawl since 1998. Read the article here 12:25
US announces withdrawal from crucial fisheries treaty with Pacific nations
The United States has given Pacific Island nations notice that it plans to withdraw from the South Pacific Tuna Treaty, one of its most important aid, trade and geopolitical arrangements with the region. The 27-year-old treaty is set to expire 12 months from the date of the withdrawal notice. The announcement came after Washington agreed to pay $128 million ($US89m) for its 2016 fishing days, but within months reneged on the deal saying its fleet could not afford to pay. The US action risks its boats being shut out of hundreds of thousands of square kilometres of ocean as other global fishing powers, including China, gain more access. Read the article here 11:18
UCSC professor explains toxin’s effect on crab
UC Santa Cruz Professor of Ocean Science Raphael Kudela explained how this unusual phenomenon occurred and what we can expect next year as part of the university’s Science Sunday lecture series. “The duration of the 2015 bloom and the intensity of the toxicity were unprecedented, and that led to record levels of the toxin in species such as anchovies, razor clams, and crabs,” Kudela said. “We also saw the toxin in organisms and parts of organisms where we thought it was not supposed to be, like the filets of fish.” Read the article here 10:25
The quest to save South Mississippi’s oysters – Fishermen begin oyster relay under DMR program
The quest to save South Mississippi’s oysters continued Monday. Coast fishermen were out on the Mississippi Sound all morning working to relocate oysters. The fishermen were working with the Department of Marine Resources to not only save the oyster crop, but to also save their livelihood. For the first time in months, the was alive with activity as fishermen readied their boats for a day’s work. Over the past five years, many of these fishermen have had a very limited amount of time on the water, if any. “Everybody’s excited to do it,” said fisherman Shelby Cooper. Read the article here 10:12
Anna Maria crabber vs. shark fisher debate begins
It was a standing-room only meeting, as attendees filled the seats inside the chambers and filled the hallway. Anthony Manali, a stone crabber and owner of Captain Anthony’s Stone Crab Store, was the first to speak. “I don’t care if you shark fish,” Manali said. “You can shark fish all you want. But that inside line on the beach has historically been where we make most of our income at the beginning of the stone crab season. It’s very important for us to be there.” Manali had brought the stone crab issue to the commission in December, saying late-night shark fishers were destroying many of his stone crab traps. Manali valued his loss — traps and potential catch over several years — at $40,000. Read the article here 08:53:
Sneads Ferry Fishermen voice their concerns about portion of New River proposed to close
Camp Lejeune officials proposed shutting down a portion of the New River which could cost fishermen thousands of dollars. Many of the fishermen in Onslow County are concerned about an eight and a half mile portion of the New River that could be shut down in the coming months. One fisherman 9 On Your Side spoke with says the reason this is all coming into play is because Camp Lejeune officials say old bombs scattered across the river bottom could still be active. Video, Read the article here 08:16
Our View: The state let down fluke fishermen
As frequently as the federal government is criticized for regulations that make it harder to keep groundfish vessels operating in the black, it is disappointing that it was state regulations that failed fishermen last week. One of the local boat owners that saw hoped-for profits disappear — a result of the necessary and justifiable decision to flee foul weather and seek safe harbor — offered to trade off fluke quota at the end of the season for the opportunity to land what he had aboard last week. The state wouldn’t allow it, based on different fluke seasons for ports in different states. Read the op-ed here 07:38
