Daily Archives: August 1, 2016
Is total destruction of fishing industry the goal?
Your front page article (Commercial fishers ‘gutted’ by govt reforms)The fishermen under threat from government ‘reforms’ to the fishing industry just doesn’t ‘irk’ people, it angers. My father was a commercial fisherman. He helped represent Aussie fisherman overseas, helped set up co-ops, and represented his fellow fishermen to the politicians of the day. The ultimate result in trying to make a sustainable fishing industry was constantly thwarted by bureaucrats. The professional fishermen warned the government not to hand out professional fishing licences to weekend, hobby ‘fishermen’ as the depletion of stock would be resultant. They were told, by some, the intention was not going to be to make ‘raggedy arsed fishermen millionaire’s’. The fishermen knew what they were talking about and were ignored. Regrettably, this was the case with each government. Read the rest here 19:46
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission could increase menhaden catch
New Jersey commercial bait fishermen want to see the coastwide catch of menhaden increased nearly 80,000 metric tons. “We’re focused on the science. If the science supports an increase, we want to take it,” said Jeff Kaelin from Lunds Fisheries, a commercial fishing operation in Cape May. The amount of menhaden fishermen will be able to take from the water next year will be decided Wednesday in Alexandria, Virginia, when the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission meets. The Atlantic Menhaden Technical Committee has given the ASMFC options that would allow the catch to increase by as much as 10,000 to 80,000 metric tons. Kaelin said Jersey gill netters have been shut out of the fishery since July 4, after fishermen reached their allocation for this year. He said if they had more quota, they could be selling bait to New England lobstermen who are clamoring for bait. Read the rest here 19:22
NOAA Announces New Fisheries Allocation Policy
NOAA and our partners at the Fisheries Management Councils have taken an important step to clarify how allocations of fish harvest among recreational, commercial, and subsistence fishermen should be made.Today, NOAA is issuing an agency Fisheries Allocation and Review Policy (pdf). We are issuing two complementary procedural directives to provide guidance for implementing the policy: Recommended Practices and Factors to Consider When Reviewing and Making Allocation Decisions (pdf) and Criteria for Initiating Fisheries Allocation Reviews (pdf). We’ll also host a conference call on Tuesday, August 2 at 4 pm (EDT) to discuss the policy and answer any questions for the recreational community. Join the call: Phone number: 1-800-369-1932 Passcode: 42334 You’ve told us in the past that allocations can seem locked in place, unable to keep pace with changing fisheries. We appreciate your perspective and that is why we included a commitment to examine allocations in our National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy Implementation Plan. Read the notice here 18:49
California fishermen win key ruling over Delta water supply
A group of commercial fishermen won a potentially significant court ruling in the seemingly endless battle over California’s water supply and the volumes of water pumped south through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. A federal appeals court last week ruled that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which delivers water from the Delta via the federal Central Valley Project, violated federal environmental law by renewing a series of two-year delivery contracts for south-of-Delta agricultural customers. The court said the bureau should have given “full and meaningful consideration” to the idea of reducing the amount of water available for delivery in the contracts. The ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals won’t void any of the supply contracts, said Stephan Volker, an Oakland lawyer representing the fishermen. But it could force the Bureau of Reclamation eventually to reduce the amount of Central Valley Project water pumped through the Delta to farmers and leave more water in the estuary to help endangered fish species. Read the rest here 16:51
Historic West Coast fishing vessel Stephanie to be restored
The Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum and the City of Eureka teamed up in 2011 to restore a historic wooden fishing vessel, one of the oldest if not the oldest of its type on the West Coast, and the museum finalized a grant application on Saturday to fund more work on the ship, Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum board member and owner of Zerland & Zerlang Marine Services, where the boat has had repairs, Leroy Zerlang said today. “That will take care of the rest that needs to be done to it,” he said. The drag boat, Stephanie, is 60 feet long by 16 feet wide and was built in 1917 at Fisherman’s Wharf. It is tied to the long history and tradition of fishing on Humboldt Bay, Zerlang said. The boat’s original owner was Tom Lazio, who named it after his stepdaughter and had it in his fleet of fishing vessels. Read the story here 13:58
At annual Stonington blessing, fishermen add one more to ranks of those who have died at sea
When Peggy Krupinski used to attend the Blessing of the Fleet each year, her husband Walter was always with her. This year, she came alone. Helped on both sides on Sunday by the family members of men who lost their lives on fishing boats, Krupinski held an anchor-shaped wreath of red flowers over Stonington Harbor. Standing behind her on the fishing boat Neptune, The Most Rev. Michael Cote, bishop of Norwich, read a prayer. “O God, who alone know the depth of the oceans and the destiny of souls, we commit to your care those who never returned from the sea.” Krupinski let the wreath drop into the harbor. “Give them pardon and peace with you, and grant that we may see them again.” And with that, Walter Krupinski — known as “Wally” — was added to the list of Stonington fishermen who have died at sea. Read the rest here 11:06
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Summer Meeting – Alexandria, Virginia August 2-4, 2016
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will meet in at the The Westin Alexandria August 2-4, 2016. The agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled Board meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of Board meetings. Interested parties should anticipate Boards starting earlier or later than indicated herein. Board/Section meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning at 10:15 a.m. on August 2nd and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 4:00 p.m.) on Thursday August 4th. Click here for details, Click here for webinar 10:45
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for August 1, 2016
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates, Click here 10:25
‘Only virgins’ operate N. Korea fishing boat
North Korea’s main newspaper Rodong Shinmun has printed a story about a fishing boat operated only by “virgin women.” The article appeared on July 30 under the headline “We also are the keepers of Golden Sea.” Named “The Daughter-Young Men Heroine of Korean Worker’s Party,” the highly praised fishing boat is operated by the fishing industry in the city of Nampo, according to the article. Mobilizing women into the fishing industry ― where men are usually in the majority ― and praising the launch of the boat are viewed as an attempt to boost output by increasing the number of people employed in it. The state, which has been under heavy international sanctions in response to its nuclear program earlier this year, is promoting the campaign to boost its sputtering domestic economy and pursue its philosophy of “self-reliance” by imposing heavier workloads on the people. Encouraging women to work on a boat, which can be demanding, clearly reflects the pressure North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un is under to dig his country out of stagnation. Read the rest here 09:37
The Infamous Cape Pond Ice and Gloucester’s Fishing Infrastructure is Struggling.
In this, the summer of the 25th anniversary of the Perfect Storm that gave rise to Cape Pond Ice’s cult-like cache, the venerable ice making plant in Gloucester’s Fort neighborhood is being battered by its own series of man-made and natural forces. The 168-year-old company, the chief supplier of essential ice to what remains of Gloucester’s fishing fleet, as well as a host of other commercial customers, has been crippled by mechanical problems and last week’s historic run of record heat that has been anything but kind to the final product. The myriad problems besetting Cape Pond Ice are a startling reminder of how losing one link in the symbiotic chain connecting the fishing fleet with its shoreside infrastructure can upset the fragile balance that has come to define commercial fishing. They also are a reflection of the greatest fears of public officials and fishing stakeholders — that the continued demise of the commercial fishing industry is exerting escalating financial pressures on shoreside, fishing-related businesses that have long depended on the fleet. Read the story here 07:52
Maine Skipper arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (a machete)
The captain of a vessel at the Boston Fish Pier was arrested Sunday morning after another person reported being held at knifepoint. Massachusetts State Police arrested Stephen A. Thuotte, 54, of Porter, Maine, the Captain of the vessel Lydia & Maya. Thuotte was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (a machete). Police say the victim is a 46-year-old man from Brunswick, Maine. The victim refused medical treatment. Both suspect and victim were on the vessel together. Thuotte will be arraigned Monday at South Boston District Court. No additional information regarding the incident were released. Link 06:44
