Monthly Archives: February 2016
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for Feb 15, 2016
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates, Click here 15:31
Transportation Safety Board investigating sinking of fishing boat off Yarmouth
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is investigating the Feb. 15 sinking of the fishing vessel that occurred off Yarmouth. The TSB is sending a team of investigators to Pubnico, Yarmouth County, which was the home port of the fish dragger Don Cadegan. According to the TSB, the Don Cadegan ran aground and subsequently on Monday. The TSB said the three-person crew was picked up by another fishing vessel. When contacted by the Vanguard, the owner of the Don Cadegan said he did not know a lot of details, but said everyone on board the vessel at the time of the incident had been safely picked up by another vessel. Read the rest here 13:05
Notice of Intent To Review Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Boundary Expansion
The Expansion Working Group, as the basis for their recommended expansion models, has considered four broad thematic categories, which include: (1) The Colonial and Pre-Contact Period, (2) Commerce, (3) Conflict, and (4) Coastal Heritage. Veterans groups, historians, archaeologists, divers, the preservation community, the general public and the MNMS Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) have asked NOAA to consider expansion of the sanctuary as a means to protect and conserve these wrecks for current and future generations. In Federal Register, Read the rest here 11:33
Alaska Fish & Game plans to cut 30 positions in upcoming budget
“Like, I think, most of the department you’ve seen, there was pretty steady growth for about a 10-year period. For the last three years we’ve seen a pretty significant decline,” Brooks said. In three years, the department has cut 100 positions, Brooks said. There are two pieces of legislation in the works that would help raise revenue for the department. House Bill 137 would increase fees on fishing and hunting licenses. And House Bill 251 would assess an additional 1 percent tax on the commercial fishing industry. Read the rest here 11:18
POMs Virus devastating the Tasmanian oyster industry – facing financial ruin. Overnight.
An outbreak of Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome is cutting a swathe through the Tasmanian oyster industry. Third generation oyster farmer Ben Cameron discovered he’d lost $1.5million worth of baby oysters in a day. Richard Whittington, Vet scientist, Sydnney UNI This is the worst disease that we’ve actually seen in Australia in terms of its capacity to kill animals en masse within days and put people out of business within days. Video, Read the rest here 08:58
Rightfully, Scottish Fishermen’s Federation accuses think-tank of “pulling the wool over people’s eyes”
A think-tank has been criticised for showing “a complete lack of understanding” of fisheries management in a new report shaming the UK, Denmark and Spain for mismanaging their seas. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) said yesterday the New Economics Foundation (NEF) was also “pulling the wool over people’s eyes” by cherry-picking facts. NEF’s report – Landing the Blame: Overfishing in the Northeast Atlantic 2016 – claimed to have uncovered the EU countries most responsible for setting fishing quotas above scientific advice. It highlighted the UK, Denmark, and Spain as the worst offenders in terms of the total tonnage of fish quota set above advice. Read the rest here 08:09
Two fishermen rescued 6 miles offshore near San Francisco after commercial vessel capsized
Two fishermen were rescued six miles offshore near San Francisco after their fishing vessel capsized on Monday morning, according to the United Sates Coast Guard. The Coast Guard received a distress call from the Jack D 7 at 10:02 a.m., reporting that the vessel was taking on water. The crew attempted to report their coordinates, but that information turned out to be inaccurate. The boat was found roughly six miles away from the position reported by the crew, according to the Coast Guard. Read the rest here 07:36
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
Dick Grachek responds to “Cod stocks on south coast of Newfoundland ‘OK but not great’
From the above linked article posted on Fishery Nation.com: “The spawning stock is now between the ages for four and seven years, which [lead researcher Rick] Rideout called a ‘pretty restricted’ age.” Click here to read the article “Basically, fish are not surviving to those older ages, they’re coming into the stock … but they’re not surviving to older age, and again, that’s a big concern.” Then abandon MSY management! A majority of younger fish comprising the spawning stock is a function of Maximum Sustainable Yield management (MSY). This MSY management balances the numbers of larger spawning fish taken out of a stock against the numbers of individuals of smaller younger fish entering the stock or “recruitment”—guess what, this yields a highly unstable stock of smaller younger fish. Read the rest here 19:47
Fisherman arrested after reportedly trying to ram fishing vessels with his fishing vessel near Sitka
A Klawock man faces a slew of charges, including boating under the influence, after Alaska State Troopers say he ran his fishing vessel over other vessels’ deployed gear near Sitka on Saturday. Troopers said in a Sunday dispatch that 33-year-old Timothy D. Demmert was taken into custody after several calls shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday, reporting “a fishing vessel attempting to ram other vessels” during the Sitka Sound winter salmon troll fishery near Cape Edgecumbe. Read the rest here 18:45
Tanner crab fishermen receive OK to catch quota
It’s official. 
fishermen can catch their whole quota, and not leave 1.4 million pounds unharvested at the bottom of the Bering Sea because of a surprising provision in the federal rules governing the crab rationalization program that blindsided fishermen and processors late last year. That oversight nearly cost the industry some $5 million. That’s good news as the Tanner fishery moves along, with 72 percent of the eastern Tanners harvested as of Monday for 8.1 million pounds by eight boats catching an average of 37.4 crab per pot. Read the rest here 12:30
Cod stocks on south coast of Newfoundland ‘OK but not great’, says researcher
A new study into the state of cod stocks off the south coast of Newfoundland and Labrador shows a decline and high mortality rates. Lead researcher, Rick Rideout, says while stocks aren’t in terrible shape, there is reason for concern. “3PS cod is currently what we would call in the cautious zone … it’s certainly below the target of where fisheries management would like the stock to be,” said Rideout. “We’re okay, but we’re not great.” “Our estimates of mortality are really high right now, as high as we’ve seen in monitoring this stock,” Read the rest here 10:24
Vero Beach couple escalates war on Lionfish with the Frapper Trap
Relationship experts say the secret to lasting love is to have something in common. For some couples, it’s a shared interest in travel, wine or maybe binge-watching the same drama series. But for one Vero Beach couple, the tie that truly bonds them is a devotion to lionfish. To be specific, Bob and Maria Hickerson share a passionate love for the removal of lionfish from Florida’s waters. “Lionfish are one fish that we actually want to fish to extinction,” Maria Hickerson said. Read the article here 08:59
Alaska: Fisheries politics was rough for all in 2015; let’s at least have a working truce in 2016
Gov. Walker’s recent appointment of three individuals to the Alaska Board of Fisheries seems to send the message “Let’s move on.” 2015 was unique for Alaska fisheries, especially in Cook Inlet. Many things happened to make people unhappy. The Alaska Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit by the Cook Inlet Fishermen’s Fund, commercial fishers, who asked the court to require the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) to provide more red salmon fishing time for them in the setnet fishery regardless of the impact on the Kenai River late-run king salmon. The court upheld the discretion of ADF&G managers to protect the kings. This significantly cost the setnetters. Next came the court’s rejection,,, Read the rest here
BREAKING- Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia found dead at Texas ranch
Associate Justice Antonin Scalia was found 
Saturday on a luxury resort in West Texas, federal officials said. Scalia, 79, was a guest at the Cibolo Creek Ranch, a resort in the Big Bend region south of Marfa. According to a report, Scalia arrived at the ranch on Friday and attended a private party with about 40 people. When he did not appear for breakfast, a person associated with the ranch went to his room and found a body. Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia, of the Western Judicial District of Texas, was notified about the death from the U.S. Marshals Service. Read the rest here 17:34
Video – California Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Could Start Next Week
State officials opened the central coast of California to recreational Dungeness crab season on Thursday and commercial season could open as soon as late next week, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said. Some state fishermen have said they want to wait until the whole state tests clean before commercial season opens. The California Dungeness Crab Task Force may make a decision on whether to open commercial crab fishing on Tuesday during a conference call to discuss the matter. Video Read the rest here 16:10
Cotten, council get a bycatch reduction plan earful from Gulf of Alaska trawlers
An administrative push to keep fishing jobs in coastal communities is butting heads with the trawl industry claiming they provide the jobs in the first place. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council will continue studying a bycatch reduction plan unpopular with Gulf of Alaska trawlers. The option, known as Alternative 3, would allocate individual bycatch caps to groundfish vessels in the Gulf of Alaska rather than the target species. The council is making changes at the fleet’s insistence. The council passed a series of chinook salmon bycatch limits and halibut bycatch reductions in 2011 and 2012, leading to bycatch-related shutdowns of the trawl fleet. Read the rest here 13:23
Commercial fisherman moves operation north of Martin County to avoid polluted water
Lake Okeechobee releases continued to flow into the St. Lucie Estuary Friday night, creating another night of worry for local business owners who who rely on clean water to make a living. Commercial fisherman, Chuck Anderson, says the St. Lucie River used to be his ‘sweet spot’ for fishing and crabbing. “I would stay down there all year long, fishing and crabbing. I made a very good living at it.” But in 2013, that took a big turn. Three years later, his business is still not bouncing back. “You couldn’t pay me to go down there now. I don’t want my hands in there.” Read the rest here 11:23
Video – Maine Lobster Sales Surge in Winter for Chinese New Year
In New England, the appetite for Maine lobster peaks in the summer, but halfway across the world, that hunger hits in the dead of winter. Lobster has become a big part of Chinese New Year, which is the week of Feb. 8-12. It;s the nation’s largest celebration, and as Cindy Han, a board member of the and American Friendship Association explains, it is centered around food. “Almost every Chinese New Year meal is going to have fish,” said Han. It’s one dish in particular that’s surging in popularity: Maine lobster. Video, Read the rest here 10:26
Small commercial fishing boats need life rafts this month
Fishermen in Southeast Alaska (and Nation Wide) are learning about new safety requirements for life rafts that take effect later this month. The changes are included in past Coast Guard re-authorization bills and will mean smaller fishing boats will have to have a life raft to go three miles offshore. Coast Guard commercial fishing vessel examiners were in Petersburg this month offering free dockside exams for boats getting ready to go out in a variety of fisheries this month and next. The examiners held a question and answer session to brief fishermen on new requirements and spent a good part of their time answering questions about the new life raft requirement for smaller fishing boats. Read the rest here 09:36
HEADS UP! Kannad Marine has issued a recall of its Kannad SAFELINK EPIRBs emergency beacons
Kannad Marine has issued a recall of its Kannad SAFELINK EPIRBs emergency beacons due to a design flaw that could result in the beacon not operating in an emergency situation. The beacon’s yellow body plastic may prematurely age when subjected to specific environmental conditions. This has the potential to impact on the device’s long term effectiveness in the field. Kannad Marine says it believes the issue would impact beacon effectiveness in only a small number of cases. However, Read the rest here 09:01
Black Point Fish Trap to close due to windmill farm cable installation
The largest and oldest fish trap in Rhode Island will be closed due to the installation of the undersea transmission cable that will connect the Block Island Wind Farm to the mainland. Rich Fuka, the President of the R.I. Fishermen’s Alliance, returned a phone call from The Block Island Times, confirming the fish trap “will have to suspend operations, which is a very big deal for Rhode Island. It’s our state’s oldest fishery.” Fuka said it was also the largest. The fish trap is located at the mouth of the west passage of Narragansett Bay. The fish trap cannot be moved, both Fuka and Mastrati acknowledged. The fish trap is not a fishery, but rather the location where the floating fish traps are used. Read the rest here 18:20
