Daily Archives: April 28, 2016
Maine fishermen’s group doesn’t just want to catch fish
A group representing various parts of Maine’s seafood industry on Thursday will set to crafting a plan to build its future workforce, a problem it and other trades in the state see ahead. Monique Coombs, who founded and leads the Maine Seafood Network, said the group so far has been loosely organized, but she “wanted to get to the point where we could affect the supply chain in a productive and useful way.” Coombs said the focus on workforce development came from speaking with the group’s members about common challenges, with training posing a challenge for employers like seafood processors and fishermen alike. Read the rest here 22:43
Terrebonne Parish men cited for shrimping and fishing violations
Four Terrebonne Parish men are accused of illegally trawling for shrimp and fishing for red snapper in two separate incidents this week, according to the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Tracy Trahan, 37, of Houma,and Sterlin Billiot Jr., 22, of Dulac, were charged Wednesday for trawling during a closed shrimp season, agents said. According to the report, the two were caught trawling for shrimp around 11:30 p.m. in a boat without any navigation lights about four miles inside state waters in Terrebonne Bay. Agents seized more than 660 pounds of shrimp, two trawls and Trahan’s boat, according to the news release. Trahan and Billiot were booked Wednesday into the Terrebonne Parish jail. Read the rest here 20:44
Latest Puget Sound salmon fishing talks failed to produce an agreement
With salmon fishing in Puget Sound expected to close Sunday, the state of other fisheries remains unclear after the state and tribes failed to reach an agreement in talks Wednesday. Without an agreement, and the necessary federal approval, salmon fishing will not be allowed in the Sound and the rivers and streams that feed into it as of Sunday. The current federal permit that allows salmon fishing expires Saturday. “Both sides had fishing packages that met our conservation goals, but we could not agree on how to make it happen,” Ron Warren, salmon policy lead for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said of Wednesday’s talks. Read the rest here 18:34
2 fishermen lost at sea saved by cooler
Two fishermen survived two days at sea thanks to their trusty cooler. Michael Watkins and Raymond Jacik went missing in Galveston Bay on Monday morning after embarking on what was supposed to be a five-hour fishing trip, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The men said their 20-foot fishing boat started taking on water and a rogue wave capsized the vessel before they could even put on life jackets. “I had no time to grab anything. Nothing. No keys, no wallet, no phone,” . Read the rest here 17:44
North Carolina Startup Kepley Biosystems synthetic lobster/crab bait could boost supplies of forage fish
After winning a competition for a $750,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) phase II grant in early March, a North Carolina-based startup plans to commercialize its synthetic lobster and crab bait alternative upon obtaining additional funding Kepley Biosystems, one of 50 winners of the grant, has spent several years developing Organobait, a hockey puck-shaped product that mimics the smell emitted by decaying forage fish, the traditional crab and lobster bait. The synthetic bait is made with inorganic chemicals and avoids the use of animal byproducts. Read the rest here 14:09
Coast Guard tows disabled fishing boat 90 miles to Portland, Maine
The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Moray towed the 60-foot fishing boat Paulo Marc after it became disabled Wednesday about 90 miles east of Portland, Maine. Watchstanders at Sector Northern New England’s command center received notification at approximately 1 p.m. Wednesday that the Paulo Marc, homeported in Gloucester, was disabled with four people aboard. The Moray crew launched and arrived on scene to establish the tow at approximately 8 p.m. Wednesday. Early Thursday, once near shore, the Moray passed the tow to a good Samaritan crew who arrived safely at the State Fish Pier in Portland at about 9 a.m. 13:39
Video shows man attacking Hawaiian monk seal, culture expert mentions commercial fishermen?
One of Kauai’s most popular Hawaiian monk seals was attacked on Tuesday night at Salt Pond Beach Park, and a video recording of the scuffle is circulating on social media. The footage shows an unidentified man enter the water at Salt Pond at sunset and attack RK30, a full-grown female monk seal, in what appears to be an attempt to chase the her from her resting place on the beach. Kumu Sabra Kauka, who teaches Hawaiian culture through education around the island, said she was disturbed when she saw the video. “That kind of behavior is uncalled for and is inexcusable,” she said. “Being high or drunk is no excuse. She said sometimes this kind of aggression toward the Hawaiian Monk Seals stems from the commercial fishing community and the mindset that the seals are stealing the fish from their nets. Read the article here Watch the video here 13:03
FF & Wildlife Conservation Commission considers alternatives to closure of St. Joseph Bay scallop harvesting
Following a public meeting Wednesday the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is taking under consideration alternatives to closure of St. Joseph Bay to scallop harvesting. One emphasis is that the closure involves only closure to scallop harvesting; all other water activities would not be impacted. A spokeswoman with the FWC said this morning that staff and researchers were digesting the feedback from last night’s meeting and could make a decision on next steps within days. She emphasized that no final decision on closure of the bay has been made, though that remains the direction the FWC is leaning. “We wanted to try to get ahead of this and make the public aware of the situation,” she said. “We had a good discussion.” Read the rest here 12:00
Electronic Monitoring — Straight talk about New England’s fisheries, Chris Brown, Bob Dooley
In any relationship, uncertainty and mistrust tend to circle back and magnify themselves over time. In the case of New England fishermen and federal regulators, the result is what we see today. These two parties — who can and should be working together to ensure the economic and environmental health of our fisheries — are deadlocked in mistrust while the fishing industry lurches between federal bailouts and major criminal busts. As fishing industry leaders with a combined seven-plus decades on the water, we know it doesn’t have to be this way. Chris Brown is president of both the Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association and the Seafood Harvesters of America. Bob Dooley is a lifelong commercial fisherman and former president of the United Catcher Boats, an association of Alaska pollock and whiting trawlers. Read the op-ed here 10:40
Ocean acidification: yet another wobbly pillar of climate alarmism
Last year, no fewer than 600 academic papers were published on the subject, so it must be serious, right? First referenced in a peer-reviewed study in Nature in 2003, it has since been endorsed by scientists from numerous learned institutions including the Royal Society, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the IPCC. Even the great David Attenborough — presenter of the Great Barrier Reef series — has vouched for its authenticity,,, Howard Browman, a marine scientist for 35 years, has published a review in the ICES Journal of Marine Science of all the papers published on the subject. His verdict could hardly be more damning. Read the article here 09:51
Oregon commission reviews impact of Former Governor Kitzhaber fishery harvest reform plan
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission at its March meeting reviewed fishery harvest reforms on the Columbia River that effectively remove commercial gillnetters from the mainstem river by 2017 but allows gillnetting in the lower river in select areas. The three-year transition will be complete by next year. It consists of harvest allocation shifts, with recreational anglers taking a larger chunk of the mainstem fishing while commercial fishing transitions to select off-channel areas, such as Youngs Bay and Knappa and Blind sloughs in Oregon, and Deep River and eventually to the Cathlamet Channel, all in the lower Columbia River estuary. Read the rest here 08:22
Mississippi Oyster fishermen happy to be working the waters
It’s been a tough season for Mississippi oyster fishermen. However, they had reason to smile on Wednesday when two reef areas re-opened. Red tide, heavy rains and high river levels all took a toll on oyster season for fishermen; working the waters less than 20 days. But by late Wednesday morning at Pass Harbor, oyster fishermen were taking advantage of the latest re-opening. “Everybody’s happy, we’re going back to work,” said Rum Phan. Phan says he loves the freedom that commercial fishing provides, even when times are tough. “Hopefully the weather doesn’t change, that’s all we can hope for. Oysters looking very good right now. They taste good, I know it. I can smell it in the air, trust me,” Phan said. Fishermen at Kimball’s Seafood brought in their limits of oyster sacks on opening day. Video, Read the rest here 07:50
