Daily Archives: February 1, 2016
Tyaskins man banned permanently from commercial fishing in Maryland
Adam Rodney Antes, 33, of Tyaskin, was found guilty of taking oysters from protected waters over a two year period, over harvesting and harvesting undersized oysters, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. He was assessed 60 points on his tidal fishing license, according to DNR, which is nearly double what is required to trigger the revocation hearing process. On Jan. 11, four days before he was given the revocation, Antes was charged with another eight counts of oyster poaching. Officers set up surveillance on the vessel, Kimberly Dawn, tied up near Bivalve Harbor in Wicomico County, after they acted on a tip. They saw piles of oysters on the boat’s deck, according to DNR. Read the rest here 16:27
Only 3 percent of juvenile salmon survived California drought in 2015
Only 3 percent of the juveniles of an endangered salmon species survived the drought along the Sacramento River in 2015 despite extraordinary efforts by federal and state officials to save them, federal officials said Monday. It marked the second straight year that the vast majority of juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon were cooked to death on the Sacramento, according to data released by the National Marine Fisheries Service. In 2014, only 5 percent of the juveniles survived. Read the rest here 14:42
Fishing Not to Blame for Sea Lion Deaths
Recent media accounts report how sea lion pups are stranding on shore and dying in record numbers because there aren’t enough sardines and anchovies – sea lions’ favorite food – to support their growing population. For example, the Orange County Register, even after acknowledging the cyclical nature of the ocean and marine species, points to overfishing as the problem. (see story here). “While it seems all too common these days to blame the ocean’s woes on overfishing, the truth is far different in California. Fortunately, we do have an accurate picture. It’s a graph that shows for the past 1,400 years,” said Diane Pleschner-Steele, executive director for the California Wetfish Producers Association Read the article here 12:42Connecticut delegation wants state to have input on proposed fishing rules
The state’s congressional delegation has sent a letter to a congressional subcommittee requesting that 
be allowed to testify on a proposed bill that would transfer 150 square miles of federal fishing grounds to the control of Rhode Island and New York. The legislation would move the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in Long Island Sound to a new landward boundary between Montauk, N.Y., and Point Judith, R.I. New York Rep. Lee Zeldin introduced the bill which was aimed at striped bass management. The subcommittee is slated to hold a hearing on the bill Tuesday. Read the rest here 11:17
Maine Scallop Fishermen ticketed for illegal moorings
Nine people were summoned recently for illegal boat moorings at the Edmunds Boat Launch in Cobscook Bay, the most productive scallop fishing area in the state. The mooring moratoriums, and the lack of space in Eastport, “led us to believe we would be the only game in town and therefore we would be overrun,” Edmunds Harbor Master Heron Weston said last week. As a result, the Washington County commissioners, acting as administrators for the unorganized territory, decided the state-owned property should join the list of other harbors with mooring moratoriums. Read the rest here 08:41
A fishy business: Dramm Corp. turns fish scraps into organic fertilizer
Dramm Corp.’s Algoma plant is turning recycled fish scraps into a $2.2 million fertilizer business. The business got its start in the 1990s when Algoma resident Chuck Bowman began gathering dead alewives from the beach and fish offal left by fishermen at the Algoma Marina, turning them into fertilizer in a garage. “The demand for organic fertilizer is increasing,” says Hans Dramm, chief financial officer. “There are lots of exciting opportunities. Our fertilizer does the right thing by preventing fish remains from filling up a landfill or being washed down a sewer system.” Read the rest here 08:24
Jersey Shore Rally Urges Obama Admin to #KillTheDrill, #ProtectOurAtlantic
U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and Congressman Frank Pallone (N.J.-06) today were joined by over 100 local leaders, environmental and tourism groups, Jersey Shore business owners and residents at a rally on the Asbury Park boardwalk to demand action to guard the Atlantic against offshore oil and gas exploration. The Obama Administration is currently planning to allow oil production off the coast of Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia, putting New Jersey’s economy and shore communities at significant risk of a catastrophic oil spill. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is expected to release its revised plan in the coming weeks. Read the rest here 08:07
