Daily Archives: February 3, 2016
The Many Problems With the Proposed Fish Farm in San Diego
If you’ve ever driven north on Interstate 5 and passed through the section with industrial feedlots for cattle, you know the smell. It’s unforgettable. Besides the obvious odor, though, there are serious environmental, animal welfare and human health issues associated with these large-scale meat production facilities. Those issues are similar to environmental concerns about offshore aquaculture – or factory fish farms in the ocean. In Ry Rivard’s Jan. 19 story, “State Probing Experimental Hubbs Fish Breeding Program That’s Spawned Deformities, Mixed Results,” he called attention to the prevalence of disease and deformity in hatchery-raised white seabass in a smaller project run by Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Read the rest here 22:57
Warming ocean may bring major changes for US northeast fishery species
NOAA scientists have released the first multispecies assessment of just how vulnerable U.S. marine fish and invertebrate species are to the effects of climate change. The study examined 82 species that occur off the Northeastern U.S., where ocean warming is occurring rapidly. Researchers found that most species evaluated will be affected, and that some are likely to be more resilient to changing ocean conditions than others. “Our method identifies specific attributes that influence marine fish and invertebrate resilience to the effects of a warming ocean and characterizes risks posed to individual species,” said Jon Hare, a fisheries oceanographer at NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) and lead author of the study. Read the article here 20:00
Innovation competition seeks solutions in Nova Scotia’s seafood industry
Louisbourg Seafoods and Cape Breton University have teamed up to launch a competition that aims to crowdsource solutions to problems facing Nova Scotia’s billion-dollar fishing industry. The inaugural SEA++ competition, launched at CBU’s Verschuren Centre for Sustainability for Energy and the Environment last week, has placed more than $5,000 prize money up for grabs. Contestants have until Feb. 9 to register ideas capable of growing NS aquaculture, improving the efficiency, safety and sustainability of the province’s fixed and mobile fishing infrastructure; enhancing how well its fishing industry works at an enterprise level and also boosting its ability to develop and sell new products. Read the articles here 17:10
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 38′ H & H Tuna boat, 435HP 8 Cylinder CAT
Specifications, information and 15 photo’s click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 12:19
Emergency closure ordered for two Maine scallop fisheries
Maine scallop fisheries in Cobscook Bay and Owls Head will face an emergency closure after Maine’s Department of Marine Resources (DMR) identified a 30% exceeded removal target. The closures will be effective on Saturday, Feb. 6, the DMR said. In addition, harvesting in the St. Croix River will be limited to one day per week for draggers on Wednesdays and one day per week for divers on Fridays during the months of February, March and April 2016. Based on direct input from the Marine Patrol and independent industry participants,,, Read the article here 11:29
Bristol Bay backlash after Walker taps Ruffner to replace Johnson on Fish Board
Governor Bill Walker announced five nominations to the state board of Fish and Game on Tuesday. On the list again this year for a Fish Board seat is Robert Ruffner of Kenai, who would replace Fritz Johnson, a commercial fisherman from Dillingham. If confirmed, it will be the first time the Fish Board would not have a member from Bristol Bay. When Governor Bill Walker announced five appointments to the state boards of fish and game on Feb. 2, he named a Soldotna scientist for the seat currently held by Dillingham’s Fritz Johnson. That was a surprise for many in the Bay,,, Audio, Read the rest here 11:02
Lobster larvae settlement index shows highs and lows
Scientists and researchers in both Canada and the U.S. are developing a lobster larvae settlement index that could predict “what’s coming down the pipe” for the commercial lobster fishery as far as stocks go. At the University of Maine, Richard Wahle, research associate professor of Marine science, has been studying the America lobster for close to 30 years, collaborating with researchers all along the eastern seaboard to “develop predictive tools for population trends through an understanding of larval transport, settlement and post-settlement processes.” Read the rest here 10:38
Legal dispute causing tension between fishing crews in Strait of Belle Isle
A fisherman from Flower’s Cove says the legal dispute over who will benefit from a scallop compensation fund is causing tension in the Strait of Belle Isle area. “Me, I got no bad friends with anyone, but you knows it’s drawing some tension between families and crews,” said Jarvis Walsh. Walsh was in St. John’s to observe the trial in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador. Read the rest here 10:26
Chinook Salmon: 9 Facts About Oregon’s Official State Fish
The state of Oregon designated the Chinook or king salmon as its state fish in 1961. The newly minted state of Alaska then followed suit in 1962. Here are nine facts about the Chinook salmon that help to explain why it is so important to fishing in Oregon and elsewhere. 1. The Chinook is the biggest of all of the Pacific salmons, growing as long as 53 inches and weighing as much as 126 pounds,,, Read the rest here 09:54
Tanner crabbing underway as consolidation adds complications
Fishing industry consolidation has complicated the lives of Tanner crab fishermen and processors, but it looks like they’ll still have access to the whole quota and won’t have to leave 10 percent in the water. Bering Sea commercial crab fisheries are underway, with fishermen catching Tanners at a faster pace than snow crab, according to Miranda Westphal, of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Unalaska. And Icicle Seafood’s withdrawal from the crab fishery shouldn’t leave any Tanners “stranded,” thanks to an emergency federal action. Read the post here 08:45
The port of Galilee/Point Judith has lost an iconic member, Jack Westcott
Jack B. Westcott, 91, of Charlestown, passed away Monday. He was the husband of Elinor Pinkham and the late Lillian (Holmes) Westcott. He is survived by three sons, his daughter, and many grand, and great grand children. Born in Wakefield, he was a son of the late Charles and Ruth (Champlin) Westcott. Mr. Westcott was a Commercial Fisherman, who worked out of Pt Judith for many years. A celebration of his life will be held, Saturday, February 13 from 12 Noon – 3 pm at George’s of Galilee Restaurant, 250 Sand Hill Cove, Narragansett, RI. In lieu of flowers, family requests memorial donations to the Pt. Judith Fisherman’s Scholarship Fund, PO Box 386, Narragansett, RI 02882. obituary 08:00
