Daily Archives: April 30, 2016
Fisherman-invented trap controlling Green Crab “cockroaches of the sea,” says Parks Canada scientist
A researcher who spent years removing millions of green crab from a Nova Scotia estuary says evicting some of the cantankerous crustaceans has proven effective in controlling an invasive species that has wreaked havoc on marine ecosystems around the world. Known as the “cockroach of the sea,” the green crab can decimate marine environments as it reproduces quickly, mows down eelgrass with its claws and devours just about any species it comes across that’s comparable in size or smaller. “They can upset entire ecosystems. They cause cascading problems,” said Chris McCarthy, a Parks Canada scientist at Kejimkujik National Park. Read the rest here 19:55
Conn. lobster die-off: no link found to pesticides
Connecticut researchers found no pesticides in lobsters collected in Long Island Sound in late 2014, a new study has found, boosting evidence that warming water temperatures are the main culprit in a huge crustacean decline that has decimated the local lobster industry. The findings raise questions about restrictions Connecticut passed in 2013, amid concern over declining lobster stocks, limiting coastal use of pesticides that can control mosquito populations that transmit diseases, including the West Nile and Zika viruses. Michael Grimshaw, a Stonington lobsterman, said Friday that he was skeptical of the new study’s findings. He believes pesticides sprayed on land that drained into Long Island Sound contributed to massive lobster die-offs in Long Island Sound in the late 1990s. He expressed worries that removing restrictions on pesticides would cause more die-offs. Read the rest here 19:21
Father and son fishermen on board the Fishing Vessel Harvester that sank off the coast of Pembrokeshire
Two men who were aboard a fishing boat which sank off the coast of Pembrokeshire have been named as a local father and son. Gareth Willington drowned and his son Daniel is still missing after their fishing boat hit rocks on Thursday. It is understood the pair were checking lobster pots when their 38ft vessel smashed into underwater rocks. The pair didn’t get a chance to make a Mayday call as their boat sank in minutes. Gareth, 59, was found alive but died in a rescue helicopter on the way to hospital. The search for Daniel, 32, was continuing on Saturday off the coast of St David’s, Pembrokeshire. Read the rest here 19:08
Montague Bay Foods to open lobster plant soon, looking to diversify
A refurbished processing plant that will open shortly to process lobster intends to become a year-round operation. That’s the hope for Montague Bay Foods, which is preparing for the upcoming lobster season and hiring about 100 people for the workforce. “But that’s just the start,’’ said comptroller Tim Simpson. “We hope to see the plant going year-round and a much larger workforce.” Officials expect to grow slowly and eventually employ over 200 people to process seafood, vegetables and even fruit. Read the rest here 17:36
Ready, go set! Lobster season opens in northern N.B. captured in pictures, video
The lobster season in northern New Brunswick officially opened at 6 a.m. Saturday morning. Fishermen headed out from wharves across the region to set their traps in area 23 in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. People gathered at MacEachern’s Wharf in Tabusintac to watch the annual launch. Fishermen will set their allotted amount of traps Saturday and haul them Sunday, May 1, to provide lobster lovers with their first taste of fresh seafood for 2016. Video and photo’s, click here 12:07
Kitsilano Coast Guard Station reopening with new boats
The Canadian Coast Guard has confirmed that when the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station reopens on Sunday it will have two inflatable rescue boats and a specialized pollution response vessel. The station, which is located near downtown Vancouver, was closed by the federal Conservatives in early 2013, a move that was criticized by many, including local city councilors. The Liberals promised to reopen the base after winning the last election. After a cargo ship spilled several thousand litres of bunker fuel into English Bay, the government also promised to upgrade the base’s pollution response capacity. Yesterday Canadian Coast Guard spokesman Dan Bate revealed what vessels will be stationed at the base. They include: Read the rest here 10:10
Bristol Bay commercial halibut fishery opens Sunday
Halibut management throughout Alaska relies on a mix of state, federal and international rules, and Bristol Bay is no different, with sport, subsistence and commercial fisheries here. The Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation oversees the local small boat halibut fishery, which opens May 1 this year. More than two dozen fishermen are eligible to participate, and they’ll have access to 115,000 pounds of halibut. That’s a significant increase from last year’s 74,000 pounds. Audio report, Read the rest here 09:31
NOAA reduces monitoring/some catch limits for upcoming New England groundfish season
NOAA, according to the final rule filed Friday in the Federal Register, will cut monitoring to 14 percent of all vessel trips in 2016, down from about 24 percent in 2015. The reduction was welcomed by fishermen, particularly following recent federal policy changes leaving permit holders on the hook for the cost of at-sea monitoring. It was a disappointment for conservationists and environmental groups, who were seeking more coverage, not less. (The enviros are less than enthused!) Also reduced, Fishing advocates, however, were not pleased with the Framework 55 groundfish quotas that savagely cut catch limits for gray sole (down 55 percent from 2015), Georges Bank cod (down 66 percent), northern windowpane flounder (down 33 percent) and Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder down 28 percent). Read the rest here 09:06
