Daily Archives: March 7, 2016

Potential Western Atlantic spawning area found for Atlantic bluefin tuna

Scientists from NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) and the University of Massachusetts Boston have found evidence of Atlantic bluefin tuna spawning activity off the northeastern United States in an area of open ocean south of New England and east of the Mid-Atlantic states called the Slope Sea. The findings, to be published March 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that the current life-history model for western Atlantic bluefin, which assumes spawning occurs only in the Gulf of Mexico, overestimates age-at-maturity. For that reason, the authors conclude that western Atlantic bluefin may be less vulnerable to fishing and other stressors than previously thought. Read the rest here 20:18

Selling seafood: Team Gloucester packs them in at international expo

56dcf607572ca.imageThere was no shortage of foreign languages filtering around the cavernous exhibition hall at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center when the international Seafood Expo North America show opened Sunday. And Gloucester. Operating with a basic strategy of go-big or go-home, Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and her merry band of Gloucesterites certainly made their presence known at one of the largest seafood shows in the world. “Come to the city of Gloucester booth at 1671 and try some of our red fish soup, made with local Gloucester fish,” Romeo Theken announced over and over, and with authority, into the microphone as thousands of visitors and exhibitors milled past. “Gloucester fish is fresh fish. Check it out at www.gloucesterfresh.com.” Read the article here 18:57

F/V Commander – Overhaul by Platypus Marine Inc.

Commander-20160212-7 (1)Commander, 58′ Delta,  Was hauled out at Pacific Northwest Shipyard Platypus Marine Inc. during her Dry dock period. Work included but was not limited to, deck resurfacing, removal and new installation of name graphics, installation of anchor protection plate for the hull, wheelhouse windows replacement, sanded and re-gel-coated the fish hold, stanchions were replaced and 2 coats of Sharkskin Anti-fouling paint were applied to the hull. Commander is now back on the water and functioning better than ever since they choose Platypus Marine as their partner for an exceptional project. Information, View the photo gallery here 16:52

Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance – Fisheries policy is breeding an industry beset by corruption

AR-160309730.jpg&MaxW=650As an organization led by commercial fishermen, we have long been concerned that the drive to consolidate the industry would lead to the kind of collusion and corruption alleged in the case of a local fishing mogul  Fisheries policy makers have claimed that programs such as catch shares would lead to fewer, more easily regulated fishing operations. Not surprisingly, fewer players, such as New Bedford-based , who was arrested in an IRS-led sting operation, now own and control more of the fishing industry, including permits, quotas, and shoreside facilities. Read the rest here 15:15

VIDEO: U.S. Coast Guard rescues two fishermen after boat sinks 52 miles northwest of Boca Grande

Coast Guard rescues 2 fishermen after boat sinksThe U.S. Coast Guard rescued two men after their boat sank , Florida, early Monday, according to a news release. The captain of the 37-foot commercial fishing boat, Ruby-D, made multiple mayday calls shortly before 3:30 a.m. stating his boat was sinking, and, along with his crewmember, he was abandoning ship. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater crews arrived at the scene at approximately 4:25 a.m., spotted a strobe light and located both fishermen in a life raft nearby, said the release. Video, Read the rest here 14:18

PUTNAM: Regulations hurt more than help

noaa destroying fishermenSeveral presidential candidates have spent a significant amount of time highlighting that none of the those “responsible” for the 2008 financial crisis went to jail.  Without passing judgement on the argument that someone should be punished for the mismanagement that may have contributed to the economic downturn, it does raise an interesting question. In a heavily regulated industry, what culpability do the regulators have when things go horribly wrong? The regulators, of course, exist to protect the public, consumers and often the environment. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marines Fisheries Service, which has been rebranded as “NOAA Fisheries” after getting a well-deserved reputation of destroying fishing communities, is responsible for the management and regulation of New England’s ground fish fisheries. Taking a look at the history of how the fisheries have been managed, the results have been poor. Read the rest here 13:51

What’s eating at Dr. Ray Hilborn today?!! Dr. Geoff Shester from Oceana

CFOODLast week Dr. Geoff Shester, California campaign director for the nonprofit advocacy group Oceana criticized the Pacific Fishery Management Council for the persistence of low numbers of California Sardines. The lack of a population recovery may cause the commercial moratorium to last until 2017. The author explained this sardine population decline as being 93 percent less than it was in 2007. Dr. Shester does not believe this is because of environmental causes like climate change, El Nino, or natural fluctuations in forage fish species however – instead he blames the management body. “They warned of a population collapse and the fishery management body basically turned a blind eye and continued moving forward with business as usual.” Response Comment by Ray Hilborn, University of Washington, Read the rest here 11:49

Exit of Fisheries chief Louis Daniel III remains unexplained and unannounced

The sudden resignation of as director of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries last week caught supporters, critics, employees and members of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission by surprise. Among the reasons that have been speculated on include mounting pressure of the job Daniel had held since 2005, potential fallout from a state audit of the commission’s activities, as well as political pressure from members of the General Assembly. More puzzling is the lack of even an official statement from the state that Daniel had stepped aside. Read the rest here 10:45

Tangier Island Is Sinking. Its Population Is Shrinking. And These Guys Want to Make It the Oyster Capital of the East Coast

082A0542.jpg.optimalThe water is 54 degrees, cold enough that Craig Suro lets out a yelp when he dives in. Stinging sea nettles the size of Ping-Pong balls dot the surface around him. To make matters worse, Suro needs to go to the bathroom. “Can you piss in a wetsuit?” he asks. We’re floating a few hundred yards off Tangier Island, a speck of land in the Chesapeake Bay. Beneath us is some of the bay’s finest oyster-growing territory. Its waters are salty but not too salty, a moderate 17 parts per thousand. Enough algae is borne on the currents for millions of oysters to gorge themselves happily. Suro and his partners have bet half a million dollars on being able to turn this patch of bay into an oyster-farming empire. Read the rest here 10:28

Keith Sullivan – Leave scarce shrimp to the inshore fishery

The inshore owner-operator northern shrimp fishery, which is confined to the waters adjacent to the northeast coast of Newfoundland and south coast of Labrador, is being threatened with destruction as a result of poor management and a sharp decline in the stock. In 2015, the directly contributed approximately $250 million to the Newfoundland and Labrador economy. Much of this value originates in rural communities, paying wages to thousands of harvesters, processing workers and truck drivers, and providing profits to processing companies. Indirectly, the economy of the shrimp fishery keeps schools, businesses and municipalities sustainable. Read the rest here 09:41

Nunavut officials press for Arctic search and rescue base – “Within the last six months we’ve had two near disasters”

Nunavut’s fishing industry is renewing its call for a search and rescue base in the North after two recent major incidents where fishing vessels were in distress in Arctic waters for hours before help arrived. “Within the last six months we’ve had two near disasters,” said Jerry Ward, chair of the Nunavut Offshore Allocation Holders Association. Last September, the Atlantic Charger fishing vessel took on water near the mouth of Frobisher Bay. The nine-person crew was rescued by a Danish ship. Then last month, the F/V Saputi ran into ice and took on water. Hercules aircraft from Nova Scotia dropped pumps as the Danish Navy escorted the damaged ship and crew of 30 to Nuuk, Greenland. Read the rest here 08:04