Daily Archives: March 2, 2016
Missing shrimp boat and captain found
A small shrimp boat bound from Abbeville to Biloxi was located Monday afternoon, Coast Guard officials said, after it went missing for nearly a week. Two people were on board the 28-foot Tina H when it was found, about 17 miles south of Biloxi, and hoisted to safety. They were taken to the Naval Air Station at Belle Chasse. They were reported to be in good health. The vessel remains anchored in ocean waters. Rescuers were searching Gulf waters from mid-Louisiana to Biloxi in search of the boat, which had last been seen Abbeville Feb. 23 Read the rest here 22:54
Carlos Rafael released on $1M bond, puts home and business up for collateral
New Bedford fishing magnate Carlos Rafael will be allowed to return to his Dartmouth home under strict bond conditions and to continue working while facing federal conspiracy and falsification charges, a judge ruled Wednesday. Rafael and his wife agreed to place their home on Tucker Road in North Dartmouth and the Carlos Seafood building, on South Front Street in New Bedford, as collateral for the $1 million bond. Prosecutors said the total value of the two properties is about $900,000. Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy warned Rafael sternly during his detention hearing in U.S. District Court in Worcester that any violation of his bond could result in a warrant for his arrest and the loss of his home and business property. Read the rest here 16:51Coast Guard Tows Disabled Fishing Boat 200 Miles To Cape Cod Bay
The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane towed the 95-foot fishing vessel Megan Marie after it became disabled Saturday about 200 miles southeast of Cape Cod. Watchstanders at the First Coast Guard District Command Center received notification at approximately 10 p.m. Saturday that the Megan Marie, homeported out of New Bedford, had a fouled propeller and was in need of assistance with five people aboard. At 10:15 p.m. Saturday the Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane was diverted to assist. Read the post here 16:21
Winter Crabbers Start Strong Despite New Quota for Norton Sound
Commercial crabbers are on track for another strong harvest on Norton Sound. So far, fishermen are on par with last year’s record-breaking catch, but they stand to make less money because of a new, reduced quota. According to Jim Menard, the area manager for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the new limit is less than half of last season’s total haul. “Last year, there were 99,000 pounds caught and this year, the quota is just over 41,000 pounds,” he said. “There will be a difference there.” Read the rest here 15:20
Myths that won’t go away – Stories about fisheries sustainability that are simply wrong
The scientific literature, print and e-media are full of stories on fisheries sustainability that are simply wrong – yet keep getting repeated and are widely accepted. This page highlights the most ubiquitous of these myths, and provides a summary of the true situation with respect to the issue addressed. – All Fish Stocks will be Collapsed by 2048 – 70% of the World’s Fish stocks are Overfished – Large Fish of the Ocean were 90% Depleted by 1980 – We are Fishing Down the Food Chain Have you seen one of these fishery myths in recent media? Reach out via email or twitter and let us know! Click here 14:41
Deadliest Catch star Sig Hanson survives heart attack
Capt. Sig Hansen, the chain-smoking, coffee-chugging star of the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch, has survived a brush with his mortality. Hansen’s daughter, Mandy Hansen, shared a photo on Instagram of her father in a hospital bed with a caption reading: “Capt survived the ‘widowmaker’ !! Beating a heart attack ain’t easy. Welcome back boss”. Hansen skippers the F/V Northwestern, which targets king and snow crabs on Alaska’s Bering Sea. Get well soon, Cap. Read the rest here and another here 13:12
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 35′ H & H Charter/Tuna/Lobster, 6 Cylinder John Deere
Specifications, information and 14 photo’s click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 12:38
Dan Bacher – Sacramento Salmon Ocean Abundance Forecast Is Half Of Last Year’s
The federal government last week released its data on the projections for the upcoming ocean and river salmon seasons in California and Southern Oregon — and it’s not looking good. Commercial and recreational anglers are bracing for further fishing restrictions this season, based on relatively low abundance estimates for Sacramento River and Klamath River fall-run Chinook salmon, the two drivers of the West Coast fishery. The estimate of Sacramento River salmon that can be found in the ocean in 2016 is less than half of last year’s forecast of 652,000 fish. The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), a quasi-governmental body that crafts the seasons and regulations for salmon, groundfish and other fisheries,,, Read the rest here 11:01
Ventura harbor closure takes an economic toll, thanks to strong currents and El Niño conditions
The Small Business Administration declared a state of emergency for the Ventura Harbor businesses on Feb. 26, according to a press release. The declaration enabled the administration to directly assist affected businesses in Ventura County and the surrounding areas. Beginning in late January, a build-up of sand in the harbor created shallow waters that closed the harbor until Feb. 19, according to Brian Pendleton, business operations manager with the Ventura Port District. He said the types of businesses impacted include commercial fishing operations, passenger vessels, marinas and boat yards, among others. Read the rest here 09:59
Feds seize documents from Rafael’s alleged New York buyer
US federal agents are said to have seized documents from a New York City fish company who’s owner is reportedly the buyer named in the affidavit accusing Carlos Rafael of massive illegal fish sales. Two sources said federal agents have seized documents from New York-based South Street Seafood since Carlos Rafael, who owns a fleet of 40 whitefish and scallop vessels and the processing business Carlos Seafood, was arrested on Friday. Rafael and his accountant, Debra Messier, have been charged with conspiracy and submitting falsified records to the government to evade federal fishing quotas. Read the rest here 08:48
California: Thousands of sea lions starving to death as population boom drives food shortage
Booming sea lion populations have depleted their traditional food stocks and are now turning to unhealthy squid and rockfish as their main source of meals. Researchers discovered that this has triggered huge drops in their weight, leading to thousands of sea lion pups starving. In California alone, sea lion populations have increased from 50,000 to 340,000 since 1975. Research published in Royal Society Open Science suggests this population boom has resulted in a massive depletion of sardines and anchovies – the primary food source of sea lions. Read the rest here 08:18
