Daily Archives: January 29, 2016
Lump sum payments never promised to scallop fishermen, says FFAW
The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union says it never promised lump sum payouts from a compensation fund for scallop fishermen from the Strait of Belle Isle. Union representative Jason Spingle took the stand Friday, in a lawsuit brought by 71 fish harvesters from the Great Northern Peninsula and south coast of Labrador. He told the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador that talks about compensation began in 2011. Nalcor agreed in 2014 to pay $2.6 million to compensate fish harvesters. The union argues that the money is to be paid out over 30 years,,, Read the rest here 17:19
Local Boat Heads South For ‘Wicked Tuna’
With the severe storm passed and the snotty seas subsided, the Ocean City-based sportfishing boat “Foolish Pleasures” with Captain Dale Lisi and crew left the resort area on Monday for the Outer Banks in North Carolina to begin preparing for the latest season of “Wicked Tuna.” Lisi and the “Foolish Pleasures” based at the Ocean City Fishing Center in West Ocean City were chosen as one of a handful to participate in and appear on the latest season of “Wicked Tuna.” Read the article here 16:45
‘AN UNGODLY SOUND’ – Eagle III boat captain recalls harrowing experience
The Eagle III’s wheelhouse was filled with frigid sea water and Glenn Burkhow was fully submerged, swishing around like a piece of clothing inside a washer. Desperately needing air, Burkhow saw a pocket and pushed his mouth to it, sucking in deeply with his lips. He got a small gulp, then tried to get another, only to suck in a lung full of salt water. Then he felt a hole in the bottom of the boat at the top of his head. He pushed toward the opening and burst out of the water, filling his lungs with a desperate gasp. Read the article here 14:45
Blue crabs poised to make comeback in Delaware – Oysters problematic
Last spring and summer, crabs were in short supply, and combined with other factors, prices for them peaked at more than $300 a bushel. Crabs are a summer delicacy in Delaware, but last year’s prices meant many restaurants and consumers had to cut back – and in some cases do without. But there is good news growing in the sands of the Delaware and other nearby waterways: The crabs are coming back. Delaware’s projected forecast for the 2016 blue crab harvest is just over 4 million pounds, up 1 million pounds from last year’s projection. That should be good news both for the state’s commercial fishers and for consumers. Read the article here 12:42
Seal cull not yet warranted despite large salmon diet say researchers
Harbour seals off B.C.’s South Coast may consume up to 60 per cent of the Strait of Georgia’s young chinook and coho salmon every year, according to UBC research. Growing concerns about B.C.’s salmon numbers has focused on orca populations and rising water temperatures in the past, but this study suggests the dramatic increase in the harbour seal population in recent decades may play a role as well. Still, the connection between low salmon stocks and a large harbour seal population is not clear enough to warrant a seal cull, scientists warn. Read the foolishness here 10:49
Mass. Senate approves lobster processing bill
The state Senate on Thursday approved legislation allowing the processing and sale of frozen, in-shell lobster parts in the state. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, updates a 1997 law that prohibits wholesalers in Massachusetts from selling frozen, shell-on lobster tails in the state. The law was intended to curb mutilations of undersized lobsters. Supporters including the Massachusetts Lobster Association say lifting the restrictions will give the lobster industry a boost by opening markets and helping develop a viable local processing market. Read the article here 10:07
Video – Coast Guard medevacs fisherman 75 miles off Cape May, NJ
Gulf of Alaska fishermen to council: don’t experiment with our fisheries
A majority of 
Gulf of Alaska groundfish trawlers will voluntarily suspend fishing in order to attend the North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Portland, Oregon the first week in February. They are concerned that the recent State of Alaska proposal to restructure their fisheries would seriously harm their livelihoods and the economies of their fishery dependent communities. “This is really quite unique,” said Julie Bonney, executive director of the Alaska Groundfish Data Bank based in Kodiak, Alaska, in a press release. “Fishermen agreeing to stand down, essentially losing income, in order to make this trip to provide their input demonstrates just how important this change in management is to the fishing industry.” Read the article here 08:28
Fishing industry fighting cost of at-sea monitors
Fishermen are opposing new catch-monitoring costs that could take effect March 1, as a judge’s ruling this week gave the industry a setback in efforts to block the transition from government funding. John Haran of Dartmouth, manager of a local fishery sector, said in December that transferring the regulatory costs to the fishing industry could put more than 40 local groundfishing boats out of business. Local fishing industry tycoon Carlos Rafael said the costs — potentially about $700 per monitored trip — could mean repeated expenses of $14,000 across 20 groundfishing boats in his fleet. Read the article here 07:50
