Daily Archives: March 18, 2016

The Cover Up Of The Texas American Eel – by Jason Fregia

texas american eelRecently there was a petition filed with USFW to list the American eel as a Threatened species by CESAR “Council for Endangered Species Act Reliability”, The American eel was not listed under the threatened Species Act by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. According to the wildlife service the American eel’s population is still stable. Without  knowing of the huge population of American eels that exist in Texas. Texas is not allowing the harvest of the eels due to the result of a cover up to protect Texas Parks and Wildlife from legal repercussions due to falsifying Federal Documents. Read the rest here 19:27

Interview – Dave Marciano fishes his way to success on ‘Wicked Tuna’

Dave Marciano, captain of the F/V Hard Merchandise vessel on Nat Geo’s Wicked Tuna, lives a life on the open sea, pulling in a variety of fish to make a decent living. The star of the reality series, and its offshoot Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks, is a native of Massachusetts, but his immediate family members were actually not part of the fishing industry. He found this trade himself, and now he’s someone who lives and breathes the salty air of Gloucester, Mass. He’s also had to welcome the scrutiny of cameras on his vessel and the scrutiny of the blogosphere.  Read the rest here 18:36

Seafood company to pay back wages to migrant workers

h2b-visa000-1450505347An Alabama-based seafood company has agreed to pay a group of migrant workers back wages in a class action lawsuit. A federal judge Wednesday ordered R&A Oysters to pay 18 migrant workers more than $30,000 in back wages and attorney fees. The laborers were brought from Mexico on H-2B temporary work visas to shuck oysters at the company’s facility in Mobile County. The H-2B visas allow employers to temporarily hire foreign nonagricultural workers. Attorneys for the Louisiana-based company and lawyers representing the workers agreed to a consent judgment to settle claims that laborers were paid less than the federal minimum wage during their first week of work. Read the rest here 15:42

How B.C. mining could hurt Northwest fishermen

2194fd40-ec79-11e5-9822-cd95dd15204b-780x585AS a second-generation commercial fisherman my life has always revolved around salmon. Although a resident of Washington, I have spent summers fishing in Southeast Alaska since I boarded my parents’ boat as a 2-week-old. My livelihood depends on healthy salmon runs, something we have struggled to maintain here in Washington. Now, Alaska’s salmon also face major threats, from unprecedented development proposals across the border in British Columbia. Though I catch Alaskan salmon a few hundred miles north, I’ve seen how Western Washington’s economy has reflected the strength of Alaska’s salmon runs. Fishermen across the Pacific Northwest have cautiously sighed with relief at the delayed, but not dead, Bristol Bay Pebble Mine proposal. Read the rest here 12:07

Sweden Asks EU to Stop American Lobster Invasion. How do they know they’re not Canadian?!!

fdd5d0827454100abbed4a111811b525Sweden has asked the European Union for help to stop an invasion of American lobsters, saying they could wipe out their European cousins with deadly diseases. The Swedish Environment Ministry said Friday that more than 30 American lobsters have been found along Sweden’s west coast in recent years. It said the American lobster, also known as Maine lobster, “can carry diseases and parasites that could spread to the European lobster and result in extremely high mortality.” It also said interbreeding among the crustaceans could have “negative genetic effects” and threaten the survival of the European species. Sweden asked the EU to list the American lobster as a “foreign species,” which would prohibit imports of live American lobsters into the 28-nation bloc. link 11:11

Crustacean invasion: Museum to feature 3rd annual Core Sound Shrimp-Off

56eacff65c796.imageSaturday, March 19, is a day dedicated to shrimp at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center on Harkers Island. The reason behind the crustacean takeover is the third annual Core Sound Shrimp-Off, which is starts at 5:30 p.m. The celebration of Core Sound shrimp features shrimp cooked over 20 different ways, along with shrimp stories, art, shirts and a cooking competition. “The Core Sound Shrimp-Off is a great example of what Core Sound does best, mixing local seafood, old-time recipes, experienced cooks and folks who love to eat,” said Karen Amspacher, executive director of the museum. “The night is complete with the Shrimp Tales, stories of the men and women who worked to bring this important seafood to the docks.” Read the rest here 10:41

140 minutes to fish 15,000 tons of Sitka Sound herring

The commercial herring season opened Thursday, more abruptly than in past years. Herring seiners had about two days’ notice to get to Sitka. And then about another four hours’ notice to prep their gear. Although winter salmon trolling wrapped 10 days ago, this always feels like the opening bell of the commercial fishing season in Alaska. State biologist Dave Gordon manages the commercial herring fishery. Over the years, he has also become its voice. “Five, four, three, two, one, open! The Sitka Sound Sac Roe Herring Fishery is now open. This is the Alaska Department of Fish & Game standing by on channel 10,” Gordon announced. Read the story here 08:41

80k acres off Long Island coast dedicated (HIJACKED) for wind energy

Federal officials on Wednesday dedicated hijacked more than 125 square miles in the waters off the coast of Long Island for the development of commercial wind energy, pushing forward a renewable energy proposal initially created by New York utilities. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said the state has “tremendous” offshore wind potential. “Today’s milestone marks another important step in the president’s strategy to tap clean, renewable energy from the nation’s vast wind and solar resources,” she said in a statement. Read the rest here 08:29

Rescheduled for 4 pm Friday Join Us: Phone Call with BOEM Director on New York Offshore Wind

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In response to numerous requests from the fishing community, the phone call with BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper has been rescheduled, as shown below. To access the Department of Interior’s press release to announce that BOEM has defined a Wind Energy Area offshore New York, Read Wind Energy Area defines more than 81,000 acres offshore New York for potential wind energy development click here.

PASSCODE: Offshore
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