Daily Archives: September 30, 2016
A Clean Sweep On The Ocean Floor
Most of the reporting in the media about commercial fishing and declining stocks in the Northeast dwells on how dire the situation has become with the fault generally attributed to fishermen and “overfishing.” The view on the waterfront is very different however. Fishermen have long maintained that there is a huge disconnect between what they see on the water and the conclusions derived from the NOAA surveys and stock assessments. Their claims have been dismissed as self-serving. Now it seems the fishermen have a strong case. On a recent bottom trawl survey, a typical industry net caught four times as many flatfish as the rig used on the government trawl surveys. Written by Don Cuddy, program director at the Center for Sustainable Fisheries Read the story here 17:17
Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacted bluefin tuna spawning habitat in Gulf of Mexico
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was one of the largest environmental disasters in history, releasing roughly 4 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. For Atlantic bluefin tuna, it occurred at the worst time of year, during peak spawning season, when eggs and larval fish that are particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors exist in mass quantity. In a study (click here)published in Nature: Scientific Reports, scientists from Stanford and NOAA provide the best yet analysis of how the 2010 breeding season might have been impacted by the oil spill. Although the spill encompassed a relatively small proportion of the bluefin tuna spawning grounds, which extend throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico, the authors showed the cumulative oiled tuna habitat was roughly 3.1 million square miles, representing the potential for a significant impact on eggs and larval bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico. Read the story here 13:43
Critics of Gill Nets Trying to Drive Fishery Offshore
The Inshore Director for the FFAW says the latest allegations against the use of gill nets is nothing but an attempt to drive the industry offshore. Bill Broderick says the fishery has changed since its early beginnings in the province. He says if we’re going to build an industry we need to build it around a focus on quality rather than quantity. Former politician John Efford came out against the use of gill nets in commercial fishing because he says it affects the quality of the fish. Broderick says that allegation is an attempt to squeeze out the little guy. He says when the moratorium was called the conventional wisdom was if you shut down the capelin fishery, kill and the seals and stop using gill nets it would lead to utopia and we know now this was wrong. Link 13:22
Northern Gulf of Maine State Waters Exempted Scallop Fishery Meeting Scheduled
The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) will take public comment on a possible state waters exempted scallop fishery in the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) scallop management area. A meeting is scheduled for: 5PM – 7PM Thursday, October 20, 2016 Annisquam River Marine Fisheries Station 30 Emerson Ave., Gloucester, MA. DMF was petitioned to apply for a state waters exempted fishery in the NGOM scallop management area (Figure 1). The petition requests an allowance for both Limited Access General Category – Northern Gulf of Maine (LAGC-NGOM) and Limited Access General Category – Individual Fishing Quota (LAGC-IFQ) permit holders to continue fishing for scallops in the MA state waters portion of the NGOM after the NGOM TAC is harvested. Federal regulations allow that “(a) state may be eligible for a state waters exemption if it has a scallop fishery and a scallop conservation program that does not jeopardize the biomass and fishing mortality/effort limit objectives of the Scallop FMP” (50 CFR §648.54(a). The Commonwealth’s primary scalloping grounds exist in Cape Cod Bay and along the backside of the Cape. A secondary state waters scallop fishery is conducted in Ipswich Bay, which is included in the NGOM scallop management area. DMF Statistical Areas 1-4 equate to the Massachusetts state waters portion of the NGOM (Figure 2). DMF will consider all comments (written comments must be received by 5PM on Friday, October 21st) in making a final decision whether or not to submit a request for a NGOM state waters exempted scallop fishery for the 2017 fishing year. NMFS has final approval of any request made. 12:26
Welsh Fishermen to Tackle Safety at Sea Issues
Seafish and the Welsh fishing industry’s deep concern over fishing safety, and the high number of tragic deaths of fishermen at sea this year, has led to a joint initiative to raise awareness and improve the safety of Welsh fishing vessels and fishermen whilst working at sea. Regional fishermen’s associations in Wales are being invited to meet and discuss key health & safety issues facing the fleet and identify practical, workable solutions. The recent tragic loss of the Harvester off Milford Haven has emphasised the need for an industry wide response and it is hoped that the meeting may lead to the formation of an industry-lead Fishing Safety Committee, or Forum, that addresses safety issues on behalf of the Welsh fleet to achieve zero fishing-related deaths in Wales. The first meeting of the fisherman’s associations to discuss fishing safety is due to take place on 4th October 2016 in Builth Wells. Read the rest here 11:43
Blessing of the Fleet Ceremony to honor fishermen Sunday, in Morehead City
Each October, as the N.C. Seafood Festival comes to a close, fishermen and their families are honored during the Blessing of the Fleet. This year’s ceremony is at 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, at the N.C. State Port, 113 Arendell St., in Morehead City. Fishermen spend long, hard days on the water providing a living for their families, and the ceremony draws attention to the work that these men and women provide for their community. “Every year we gather at the Blessing to honor the men and women who continue to work the water, along with their fathers and grandfathers who went before them,” said Jonathan Robinson, of Atlantic. He is a fisherman, county commissioner and member of the Carteret County Fishermen’s Association. “It is a very special time to those of us who are part of this industry. We hope that somehow this service will inspire the next generation to hold on to this way of life. Read the story here 10:59
Someone sank a Maine lobsterman’s boat intentionally . Twice
The Maine Marine Patrol is investigating the sinking of a Port Clyde lobsterman’s boat on Wednesday, just days after the owner had repaired the boat after an earlier sinking on Aug. 17. Tony Hooper, 37, said his lobster boat was released from its mooring overnight, with hoses and bilge wires cut, and left to wash up on a nearby island. The sinking comes little more than a month after an earlier incident when his boat was found 30 feet underwater. “I’m doing all I can to keep my wits about me,” he said. “This is getting ridiculous.” Hooper said he had already lost around $30,000 to repairs for the boat after the first incident and weeks spent off the water. This time, he said he was lucky to have found the boat beached on a nearby island at low tide, with water in the engine. He said he does not know how much these new repairs will cost. “I’ve been losing traps all season,” Hooper said. “I’ve always had a little bit of a problem before, but not to this extent.” Read the story here 09:38
Three Chinese Fishermen Dead in S.Korea Coastguard Confrontation
Three Chinese fishermen were killed on Thursday in a fire that broke out on their boat when South Korean coastguard men trying to apprehend them for illegal fishing threw flash grenades into a room they were hiding in, a South Korean official said. Disputes over illegal fishing are an irritant in relations between China and U.S. ally South Korea, even as their economic relations grow close. They also share concern about North Korea’s nuclear weapon and missile programmes. The three men were believed to have suffocated, a coastguard official in the South Korean port city of Mokpo said, adding that the incident was being investigated. The fire broke out in the boat’s steering room, the official, who is not authorised to speak with media and declined to be identified, told Reuters by telephone. South Korean authorities were questioning the 14 surviving crew and coastguard members involved in the operation, the official added. China’s Foreign Ministry said it had lodged a protest with Seoul about the incident. Read the story here 08:54
Seven fishermen towed to safety after 15 hours
Seven fishermen have been towed to safety after a 15-hour operation to rescue an Orkney fishing vessel. The crew of Scotland’s only emergency Coastguard tug helped the stricken 89ft (27m) Kirkwall-registered Russa Taign, which broke down west of Westray. The crew raised the alarm at 18:20 on Thursday but a rescue attempt by a nearby boat failed after a tow snapped. The emergency tug crew were able to fasten a tow and led the Russa Taign back to Kirkwall at 10:00 on Friday. The crew of the Stromness Lifeboat also responded to the Russa Taign’s distress call after it reported losing engine power 12 miles west of Noup Head in winds approaching gale-force. Read the story here 08:29
