Daily Archives: July 22, 2016
A Maine lobsterman rescues a very lucky dog off North Haven
Corey Beverage, of North Haven, was on the water when he saw Maddie, a dog, in the water, officials with the Maine Marine Patrol said. Maddie’s owner was on her owner’s recreational boat, and her owner did not immediately notice her swimming, officials said. “Beverage saw her and plucked her from the water, most certainly saving her life,” officials said. Maddie’s owner was found searching for her in the area. “Thanks to Corey and the other local fishermen, this story has a happy ending,” officials said. “It’s also a reminder to keep a very close eye on your pets if you bring them on board this summer.” Link 21:16
N.J. fishermen fear loss of huge underwater sand hill, the Manasquan Ridge
The appearance of the 123-foot offshore supply vessel Scarlett Isabella on the Manasquan Ridge is a bad omen to Capt. Jim Lovgren, a Point Pleasant Beach commercial fishermen. The Scarlett was in the hire of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which is looking for potential sand on the outer continental shelf that could be pumped up onto the Jersey beach. Tampering with these sand beds, which are long-established fishing areas, could reshape the fishing communities at the Shore, fishermen say. The ridge, which starts to rise off the ocean floor 5 ½ miles southeast of Manasquan Inlet, is one of those potential resources of sand. “Last year word was that Manasquan Ridge was a last resort for beach replenishment use. The fact that they are paying a survey vessel to crisscross it clearly says something different,” said Lovgren, who sits on the Executive Board of the Garden State Seafood Association. Fishermen have been weary of a conflict with the Army Corps of Engineers over the ridge, and others nearby, which they depend on to hold fish. Read the story here 17:48
Longtime Gloucester Fisherman Sam Parisi discusses regulatory issues he wants you to know about
My name is Sam Parisi I am a proud third generation Fisherman from Gloucester, Massachusetts. My involvement in the fishing industry spans well over fifty years, and sadly, I have never seen our fleet, our shore side infrastructure in Gloucester, and New England in the alarming position it is at this moment. This is the result of unacceptable mismanagement of our fishery at the hands of the NOAA/NMFS bureaucracy, which is expanding. Another troubling issue is the at-sea monitoring program. The S-K funds, and S. 3087 “American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act”, introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan, R-AK, is also discussed. Read the rest here 15:39
This timely NOAA announcement just showed up! New “pre-proposal” process provides more guidance for Saltonstall-Kennedy grant applicants Click here 15:59
‘Total devastation’: Dorset Fisheries plant in Norman’s Cove-Long Cove burns to the ground
A massive fire that broke out Thursday night in Norman’s Cove-Long Cove has flattened the fish plant in the small Trinity Bay community, putting hundreds out of work. The Dorset Fisheries plant, a processor that employed about 240 people at its peak in a town of about 700, burned to the ground overnight in a massive industrial fire. “It’s total devastation for this little town, I can tell you,” Bonnie Newhook, who worked at the fish plant since it opened, told CBC News Friday morning. The plant had been opened for almost 30 years, and served as an anchor for fish plant workers and fishermen in the community and neighbouring areas. “It’s pretty hard to watch after all those years, seeing it go up in smoke,” Newhook said. Read the rest here 15:02
Hawaii’s longline fleet hits Bigeye tuna quota early
The longline fleet, nearly all of which is based in Honolulu, will now have to travel farther to fish for bigeye, a factor that could lead to better prices for Big Island fisherman bringing in tuna with handlines. Fishing quotas are set years in advance by the Western Pacific Fisheries Commission, an international group of 27 countries. They are based on historical levels of catch “and then reduced quite a bit,” said Eric Kingma, international fisheries enforcement coordinator for the Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council. Hawaii’s longline fleet makes up about 3 percent of the worldwide bigeye catch. It’s not clear why this year’s quota of 3,554 metric tons was reached so early. Last year, the fishery closed in August, the earliest the region had ever been restricted. “It’s the same number of hooks (in the water),” said Hawaii Longline Association president Sean Martin. Catch rates are 40 percent higher than historical numbers, he said. Read the rest here 14:16
No compensation for East Coast shrimp fishermen hit by Northern Shrimp quota changes
The federal fisheries minister has flatly rejected the notion of compensating fishermen in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick who are facing reductions in their northern shrimp quotas. During a news conference in Halifax July 21, Dominic LeBlanc said the fishery is still viable for those fishermen, so compensation is not needed. “We wouldn’t compensate people who are prosecuting a viable fishery,” said LeBlanc, standing next to the Halifax Harbour at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. “But we’re sending a signal to both the inshore fleet in Newfoundland and Labrador and to the offshore sector in other provinces… that there are tough years ahead, it would appear, in terms of the scientific advice.” LeBlanc recently scrapped the last-in, first-out (LIFO) policy and replaced it with a system of proportional sharing. He said his decision on LIFO was based on science and is in the best interest of the shrimp stocks, which are in decline. Read the rest here 11:43
Ocean City Boat Featured In ‘Wicked Tuna’ Outer Banks Season Premiere Monday
The National Geographic Channel’s fishing reality show returns for a new season on Monday and will feature the long-awaited debut of the popular Ocean City-based “Foolish Pleasures” and its colorful Captain Dale Lisi and his crew of characters. Lisi and the “Foolish Pleasures” based at the Ocean City Fishing Center in West Ocean City, were chosen last fall as one of a handful to participate in and appear on the latest season of “Wicked Tuna.” The National Geographic Channel’s wildly popular show follows groups of salty fishermen as the make a living battling monster Bluefin tuna the old school way with a rod and reel. Lisi and his crew, including mates Will Hathaway and Ed Gross, certainly fit the bill. Read the story here 11:17
Great white shark numbers off Massachusetts rose sharply last year
A big jump in the number of great white sharks seen off Massachusetts has given rise to a couple of compelling mysteries. Greg Skomal, senior marine fisheries scientist for the state government, tags great whites along the coast. He collaborates with researchers in Halifax who tag blue sharks and other species, and collect data from Skomal’s tags when they’re in Canadian waters. Skomal is still collecting this year’s data, so he can’t comment on it yet. But from mid-June to October in 2014, his team identified 68 individual white sharks off the eastern shore of Cape Cod. In the summer of 2015, that number increased to 141 individuals. There are still many questions left to answer, such as what proportion of the total existing population is being spotted off the coastline. “Is it 10 per cent, is it five per cent, is it 50 per cent?” he said. “We could be seeing just a fraction of what’s out here.” Read the rest here 09:13
Fast-moving trawl line cuts short the budding life of a young Maine lobsterman
Jon and Melinda Popham got married aboard the Melinda Ann, a former pleasure craft that Jon had converted into a lobster boat. He named it for his bride, and planned to build their future on it. “He told me he wanted me to stay home and raise our (2-year-old) son, he was worried about making sure we had the best of everything. He loved (fishing) and he was doing well, he told me this year would be epic,” Melinda Popham said Wednesday. The Popham family’s dream life was shattered Saturday when Jon Popham, 28, of Machiasport died after falling out of the Melinda Ann near Jonesport. Although the Coast Guard hasn’t released many details about the accident, Melinda Popham said Wednesday that her husband was apparently pulled overboard and dragged under the water when his foot got caught in the line of a 15-trap trawl. One of his sternmen, Timmy White, dove in with a knife to try to cut him free. Read the story here 08:51
Salmon are rolling into Upper Cook Inlet’s commercial fishery
The drift fleet and setnetters in Cook Inlet have been out frequently in the past two weeks and were out for extended hours Thursday. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game also opened the drift gillnet fishery in the Expanded Kenai and Expanded Kasilof Sections of the Upper Subdistrict and the Anchor Point Section of the Lower Subdistrict for an additional 12-hour period on Friday to increase harvest on the sockeye salmon bound for the Kenai and Kasilof rivers, according to an emergency order issued Thursday. The salmon harvest came in just shy of 2 million as of Tuesday, with sockeye leading the pack at 1.6 million, followed by pink salmon at approximately 244,000 fish. Silvers and chum are starting to come in as well, with about 43,000 silvers and about 57,000 chums so far, according to Fish and Game’s inseason harvest estimates. Read the rest here 08:27
