Daily Archives: March 3, 2016
Carlos Rafael returns to work at Carlos Seafood on New Bedford’s waterfront
Local fishing magnate Carlos Rafael, arrested a week ago on federal conspiracy and falsification charges then released from custody Wednesday on a $1 million bond, gave a simple statement Thursday when he returned a phone call. “Of course I’m working today,” he said, referring to his Carlos Seafood business. Rafael, his gravelly voice distinctive over the phone, declined to comment further — neither about the pending case nor about the highly valuable fishing permits and quotas he holds. Whether those quotas stay among fishermen in New Bedford’s port, or are sold elsewhere, could be a hugely significant question for the city’s fishing industry in coming months. “No comment at this time,” Rafael said. Read the rest here 20:52
Exclusive: Canada fisheries protest US-proposed IUU Fishing Enforcement Act Import Rules
Fisheries in Canada and other countries are protesting new efforts by United States to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) imports, arguing they already have documentation and other good fisheries management measures that are required in the new regulations and should not be required to go through the time and expense required to comply. Following the passage into law of the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act, which was approved unanimously by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Obama in 2015, the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) is seeking to align its rules regarding permitting and reporting requirements “to provide for traceability of seafood products offered for entry into the U.S. supply chain, and to ensure that these products were lawfully acquired,” Read the rest here 19:02
FFAW-Unifor wants all of Area 6 shrimp quota for inshore fleet
Union, members say boats, fish plants, whole communities to die out if no change made to policy The FFAW-Unifor held a press conference in St. John’s this morning, trying to maintain public attention on the plight faced by the people and communities with a stake in the northern shrimp fishery. Fear amongst harvesters, plant workers, plant owners, truckers, other rural service providers is reaching fever pitch, following word to the northern shrimp advisory committee of a significant drop in shrimp stocks in fishing area six (A6) — As a result of the existing Fisheries policy of Last In First Out (LIFO), the bulk of expected quota cuts (some 90 per cent) will go to the inshore fleet and local plants. Read the rest here 15:40
Death of Four Ladies Captain Larry Wayne Sears blamed on poor planning, open stern
Lack of preparedness and poor adherence to regulations contributed to a fishing death off Cape Sable Island last year, according to a Transportation Safety Board investigation. On March 9, 64-year-old Shag Harbour captain Larry Wayne Sears went overboard on the Four Ladies 2003 fishing vessel and died. According to the TSB, Sears was trying to haul in another lobster trap and anchor that had fallen off the vessel when stacked lobster traps toppled onto the main deck, knocking him off. Sears was wearing a personal flotation device at the time, and the two crew members tried, unsuccessfully, to get him out of the 3 Celsius water and back onto the boat. Read the rest here 15:15
Alaska: Proposed measures seek fishing dollars as legislators continue digging into the industry for revenue
Gov. Bill Walker’s commercial fisheries tax bill is stalled in committee, but legislators continue digging into the industry for revenue. Two bills, sponsored by legislators from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, would impose new taxes on either the entire industry or the longliners and trawlers in the federal and state fisheries. HB 358, sponsored by Rep. Mark Neuman, R-Big Lake, and Rep. Les Gara, D-Anchorage, would require non-salmon and non-halibut trawlers and longliners to pay a tax on halibut and salmon bycatch. The bill was passed to the House Fisheries Committee on Feb. 24 but has not yet been scheduled for a hearing. On the same day, Rep. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks, signed as a bill cosponsor. Read the rest here 11:42
More Maine lobstermen to carry fed observers – mandatory for fishermen as a condition of their federal permit
Any Maine lobsterman with a federal lobster permit may now be contacted by federal fishery observers asking to send a representative on his or her boat for a day. That was the message from Maine Department of Marine Resources lobster scientist Kathleen Reardon to fishermen at a Zone B council meeting last week. If asked, hosting the observer is . The Northeast Fisheries Observer Program (NEFOP) has been in the news this year over disputes about who pays to send observers on commercial fishing boats, but that controversy has been in the groundfish industry. Read the rest here 10:35
American Samoa – Tri Marine says return of tuna boats good for everyone
Tri Marine International’s ten U.S. flag Cape fleet vessels and other U.S. flag boats based in American Samoa are once again allowed access to their historic fishing grounds in the Western and Central Pacific. This comes after nearly two months of being locked out by failed treaty negotiations.Don Binotto CEO of STP and the tuna Store says “This is welcome news not only for our fleet and our business, but to the many families in American Samoa that depend on a tuna-based economy, including the 2,000 employees we aim to have working when we are at capacity at Samoa Tuna Processors (STP).” Read the rest here Hallman: Fishing deal finalized, fees transmitted to FFA Read the rest here 09:42
“Woo hoo,” A Win for the Good Guys! Scallop harvesters victorious in lawsuit against FFAW
“Woo hoo,” was his first reaction when asked about the decision favouring scallop harvesters over their union FFAW. Moores is an active fish harvester. Over the past few years he has focused on the crab and turbot fishery, but will be returning to scallops the upcoming season. “I’m very pleased with the conclusion.” A judge in St. John’s ruled in favour of harvesters Feb. 29 after a 2014 dispute planted them against the FFAW. A section of the Strait of Belle Isle along the coast of Labrador was no longer going to be viable for scallop harvesting. The area is going to be used by Nalcor Energy for a cable for the Muskrat Falls project. It totaled about 45 square kilometres. Read the rest here 08:51
Shaheen Puts Focus of Senate Hearing on New Hampshire’s Struggling Fishing Industry with EDF!
Washington, DC—Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the lead Democrat on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, has invited two prominent industry leaders in the New England fishing industry to testify at a committee hearing scheduled for Thursday. Through her leadership on the committee, Senator Shaheen was able to make New Hampshire’s struggling fishing industry a major focus of Thursday’s hearing. James Hayward of Portsmouth and Dr. Joshua Wiersma will testify at the hearing entitled “The Impacts of Federal Fisheries Management on Small Businesses” and can be watched online here beginning at 10:00AM. Read the rest here To Watch click here The Impacts of Federal Fisheries Management on Small Businesses 07:43
