Daily Archives: March 7, 2017
Photo of the Day: Splitting the Catch
Whales in some parts of the world have learned to follow the noise and activity of fishing boats in order to catch any herring near them. When the boats’ nets begin to close, the whales recognize what’s happening and take the opportunity to cut off any herring escaping the nets as they close. It’s sometimes a beneficial relationship for both the whales and the people fishing. Fishermen often locate killer whales and humpbacks to find the schools of herring that reside near them: Photographer Audun Rikardsen captured this photograph in the Arctic water off of Norway. His equipment includes the Canon EOS 5D Mark III with a 11-24mm f/4 lens at 11mm, 1/200 of a second, f/6.3, ISO 640. Read the rest here 21:29
This Ramsgate fisherman has slammed a ‘crazy’ policy that he says is costing him £50k a year
A Ramsgate fisherman has hit out at an EU policy that he claims is causing him to lose up to £50,000 worth of fish a year. Steve Barratt of Thanet Fishermen’s Association is calling on the UK to take back control of its territorial waters as part of the Brexit negotiations and abandon the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). He called the policy “immoral” and harmful to fish stocks. The commercial fisherman from Ramsgate, who operates an under 10 metre boat, is among a dozen other local fishermen who lose money because they have to discard dead fish. The 58-year-old grandfather said: “Firstly, we want to immediately scrap the current rules and regulations and the CFP that have not and will not work. “Secondly, we want to ban the practise of discarding dead fish and make it law that they are landed and recorded. “This will benefit scientists as they will have accurate information to work with, and will obviously benefit the fishermen that caught these fish due to the value of these fish.” He added: “Thirdly, we are proposing a system whereby we are limited in the number of days we can go to sea and we are proposing that we are limited in the amount of gear we can use. Read the article here 17:03
The Crab-Fishing Drug King of Everglades City
On a seafood pilgrimage to south Florida, Jamie Feldmar catches wind of drug-runners, false-bottom crab boats, and a tale so bizarre it could only be true. Maybe, Disclaimer: What I am about to tell you is all true…ish, though names have been changed to protect the guilty. I’ve fact-checked where possible, combing through newspaper archives to find evidence that supports the claims made within. But even now, months later, I still find myself questioning whether any of this was real, or if it was some kind of bizarro-world fever dream. So take everything in the account below with a grain of salt; treat it as my attempt to record a memory before it evaporates entirely. We’re en route to Everglades City because it is, according to the residents of Everglades City, the stone crab capital of the world. Dozens of crabbers are based there, supplying much of the country from October to May every year. read the story here 15:06
New England fishermen challenge Obama’s Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument designation
A coalition of New England fishermen organizations filed suit today over former President Barack Obama’s designation of a vast area of ocean as a national monument — a dictate that could sink commercial fishing in New England. The organizations filing the lawsuit are the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association, Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association, Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, Rhode Island Fisherman’s Alliance, and Garden State Seafood Association. They are represented, free of charge, by Pacific Legal Foundation, a watchdog organization that litigates nationwide for limited government, property rights, and a balanced approach to environmental regulations. The lawsuit challenges President Obama’s September 15, 2016, creation of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, 130 miles off the coast of Cape Cod. continue reading the story here 14:28
FISH-NL launches province-wide fundraising drive — Fish or cut bait
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Tuesday, March 7th, 2017 -The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) is today launching a major fundraising drive — Fish or cut bait — to support the break-away union’s certification application before the Labour Relations Board. “Fish or cut bait is an appeal to inshore harvesters — to the entire province — that if you want change in the fishery it’s time to step up and put your money where you mouth is,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “We need all hands on deck.” Read the press release here 12:04:33
2016 proves a record year for Maine’s fishing industry
Maine’s fishing industry topped $700 million in overall value in 2016, including a dockside value for the lobster fishery of $533 million. Both were records, according to preliminary data released Friday by the Maine Department of Marine Resources. DMR reported the $721 million total value represented a nearly $100 million increase over 2015. For the second straight year, the largest single increase in value was in Maine’s lobster fishery. The fishery saw the overall landed value jump by more than $30 million — from $501 million in 2015 to $533 million in 2016 — while the average per pound value remained over $4 for the second year in a row, at $4.07. When factoring in bonuses paid to harvesters as reported by 14 of Maine’s 19 lobster co-ops, the overall landed value of Maine’s lobster fishery reached $547.24 million, DMR reported. continue reading the story here 11:09
Oily sheen from B.C. fish farm diesel spill can’t be recovered: officials
An oily rainbow-like sheen on the water left by a diesel fuel spill off the north coast of Vancouver Island cannot be cleaned up, sparking concerns for a nearby First Nation that relies on clam digging for food and economic security. The thin layer of fuel, which covered a 5.5-kilometre radius at one point outside the salmon farm where the spill originated, has been deemed unrecoverable because it cannot be captured by skimmer vessels or sorbent materials, British Columbia’s Environment Ministry said. Fuel has made contact with some shorelines in the Burdwood Island group, a sensitive area teeming with clam beds that the Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation says are crucial to its economy. continue reading the story here 10:24
The man who $old Alaska
On March 29, 1867, literally in the middle of the night, diplomats hammered out a deal that transferred the Russian Empire’s claims in the New World to the United States for $7.2 million. One-hundred-fifty years later, Alaska knows the name of Secretary of State William H. Seward, the American who negotiated the purchase of Alaska. His name is on a city, a highway, a peninsula and more. But what of the man on the other side of the table, Alexander II, autocrat and tsar of Russia? Who was he? It depends on whom you ask. In Finland and Bulgaria he is considered “The Liberator.” In Poland and the Caucasus he is remembered as “The Exterminator.” He ruthlessly suppressed dissent and pursued foreign wars, even while cowering in the face of terrorism at home. He also brought sweeping reforms to Russia, most famously emancipating the serfs five years before slavery was banned in the United States. Alaska was just one small page in his career. continue reading the article here 09:29
Rescued crew headed back to sea to retrieve vessel
Some members of the crew of the Northern Provider who were rescued Sunday morning are headed back to sea today to bring home their boat. The five sealers, who had left Carmanville in the vessel Feb. 27, ran into some dangerous stormy weather and were forced to call for help at about 150 nautical miles outside St. John’s. On Sunday, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax released a video of the dramatic rescue, which saw the men forced to jump into the freezing water one by one before being hoisted up into a helicopter. Cormorant and Hercules helicopters and two Coast Guard vessels attended the rescue. None of the sealers, who are from Summerford, New World Island, were seriously injured. link 08:49
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for March 6, 2017
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates, Click here 08:36
Grundens Rain Gear Review: Herkules Bib Pants and Ragnar Jacket
The Grundens Herkules Bib Pants and Ragnar Jacket are designed to keep the wind and water from interfering with sport, commercial, and onshore fishing activities. As the company’s story goes, around a century ago a Swede named Carl Grundén, the son of a fisherman, began to manufacture water-repellent garments to withstand the forces of nature. Grundens rain gear might be a bit of an unconventional review for these pages since it’s unlike other products we review and we’re not going out on the water, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find a use for what, at least at first blush, seem to be some very fine products. Considering how well-respected the brand is in commercial fishing, we expect it to be just as good on the jobsite. And if all else fails then, hey – we’ll go fishing! continue reading the article here 07:53
