Daily Archives: February 15, 2016
Connecticut: Stonington Fishermen look to Sen. Blumenthal for change
Gambardella Wholesale Seafood used to unload boats every day at the Stonington Pier but now they are lucky if they see two boats a week pull into the harbor. They say federal fishing limits are putting their industry on ice. Joe Bombster who usually hauls in scallops on the Patty Jo says when they fish for Fluke the limits on catches force them to throw back most of it. “Every tow after that you have to just throw them back that amount over the side,” says Bombster. “It’s dead so it serves no purpose at all for anyone.” Additional photos, Read the article here 17:40
Trawl Modifications to keep fish out of N.C. shrimp nets prove surprisingly effective
Shrimpers and biologists surprised the experts last summer by using modified trawl nets that drastically reduced the amount of popular fish caught and discarded. The nets were fitted with a variety of devices beyond what is already required, including “spooker cones” that scare away fish before they enter the net, additional escape openings called fisheyes, and tailbags with larger mesh. The tailbag is where the catch collects at the end of the net. Biologists and fishermen were amazed how effective the test devices were, said with the Division of Marine Fisheries. Read the article here 16:49
Groundswell – New England Fisherman Steve Welch takes on Catch Shares, Council & Government Regulation
Commercial fisherman, Steve Welch of Plymouth, Mass. speaks against essential fish habitat proposals, and strongly opposes mentality of regional fish council that is ruining our industry. Groundswell notes that such anti-Catch Share feelings are common among many in Alaska,,, We need to bottle Steve Welch’s boldness and right feelings and get far more fishermen to go to council meetings and tell them and the Secretary of Commerce that enough is enough. It is time to end the hubris of RFMCs and their political appointees. Listen, and read the rest at groundswellalaska.com 14:36
Objections registered to 3PS MSC cod certification will be heard by adjudicator
A hearing on whether the Canadian southern Newfoundland cod fishery in 3 PS will get MSC certification was held on Feb. 10. The Southern Newfoundland cod fishery, in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, has completed its MSC assessment, and the certifier has recommended certification for the major fishery gear types for both inshore and offshore cod. This certification has been in process since 2013, and is being strongly supported by WWF and the clients, Icewater Fisheries and Ocean Choice International. The certification is a requirement for sales of this cod into the European market. Read the rest here 13:55
Dan Bacher – Crab and salmon fisheries threatened by a ‘historic crisis’
Legislators, members of commercial fishing families, fishing group representatives and Brown administration officials testified about the dire situation that the salmon and crab fishery is in during the 43rd Annual Zeke Grader Fisheries Forum of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture held at the State Capitol in Sacramento on February 11. “This forum works, but the fishermen are not,” said Senator Mike McGuire, Chair of the Committee, in his opening comments. “The salmon and crab fisheries are threatened by a historic crisis. We’re facing a fishery disaster that will impact many families.” “We’ve gone from abundance to scarcity. The crab fishing fleet is sitting at the docks right now,” said McGuire Read the article here 12:16
America’s lobster industry sending less lobster to Canada as processing grows
U.S. lobstermen, clustered in the coastal New England states, have long sent a large amount of their catch to Canada’s Maritime Provinces, where some two dozen companies process millions of pounds of lobster meat every year into everything from vacuum-sealed lobster meat packages to lobster pate. The processed lobster ends up in products like lobster ravioli and lobster pot pie that are growing in popularity with consumers. But the dynamics of the processing industry are slowly changing. America exported about 69 million pounds of lobster to Canada in 2014, and the 2015 figure was less than 67 million, federal data show. Read the rest here 11:13
Proposed bill could put Connecticut fishermen out of business
A battle brewing in Washington could mean big changes for Connecticut fishermen. Those fishermen, and some environmental experts say that the proposal for changing who controls Block Island Sound could have dangerous effects. Block Island Sound is way out there, off the end of Long Island, but it is used by Connecticut fishermen all the time, and it’s used as a breeding ground for a very important kind of fish. Both could be hurt by changes proposed in Washington. Congressman Lee Zeldin from Long Island has introduced a bill that would change it so half would be controlled by New York and Half by Rhode Island. Video, read the rest here 09:07
P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association asking for separate deputy minister
The P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association is asking the province to appoint a separate deputy minister of fisheries. Association President Craig Avery says the association took a wait-and-see approach when Premier Wade MacLauchlan combined the agriculture and fisheries portfolio following last May’s election. However, Avery — a veteran fisher himself — says the industry is now convinced something needs to change. Read the rest here 08:01
For some reason, codfish off the province’s south coast aren’t living to a ripe old age.
“The obvious question is what’s going on?” said Rick Rideout, a research scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). Rideout was the lead scientist on DFO’s science advisory report for last fall’s 3Ps cod stock assessment. The number of new fish in 3Ps seems to have improved in recent years, Rideout said Thursday, but the stock’s trajectory has taken a downward turn. “It’s above the limit reference point, but it’s certainly below the target of where we’d like it to be,” he said. There’s certainly some reason for concern, yeah.” Read the rest here 07:44
