Daily Archives: April 6, 2017
Cluney Pardy’s family owned fishing vessel is listing at a 45-degree angle in Musgrave Harbour
A family’s fishing vessel — and their family business — is keeled over in Musgrave Harbour after wicked storms that blasted the northeast coast of Newfoundland. Fisherman Cluney Pardy says the Baccalieu Endeavour was discovered on Tuesday afternoon listing on the port side. “When we got there the boat was listed out a bit,” he said. “We put a loader on her but we couldn’t hold her, she just kept going on her side.” Pardy says he has no idea what caused the boat to push over — but he knows it’s a big loss for him and his family business. A very sad situation. Click here to see more images, and read the story 15:43
Thiele Acts for Fishermen ‘Under Siege’
Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. has introduced a package of legislation intended to aid the commercial fishing industry. Two of the three bills were introduced in the 2015-16 legislative session. One would direct the state attorney general to bring legal action against the National Marine Fisheries Service, or any other federal agency, to challenge existing quotas that the bill calls inequitable and discriminatory against New York State commercial fishermen. The bill is now in the Assembly’s environmental conservation committee. A second bill, also introduced in the 2015-16 legislative session, adds a new element in its current form. It would establish a commercial fishing advocate and, in its new version, create a commercial fishing jobs development program under State Department of Economic Development jurisdiction. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo vetoed the bill last year, Mr. Thiele said yesterday. continue reading the story here 15:11
Brooklyn Seafood Dealer Pleads Guilty for Illegally Trafficking American Eels
Tommy Water Zhou pled guilty in federal district court in Norfolk, Virginia, to trafficking more than $150,361 worth of juvenile American eels, aka “elvers” or “glass eels,” in violation of the Lacey Act. As part of his guilty plea, Zhou admitted to illegally selling or purchasing elvers in interstate commerce, which had been harvested illegally in Virginia. This plea was the result of “Operation Broken Glass,” a multi-jurisdiction U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) investigation into the illegal trafficking of American eels. To date, the investigation has resulted in guilty pleas for eleven individuals whose combined conduct resulted in the illegal trafficking of more than $2.75 million worth of elvers. In 2013, the defendant obtained a Maine elver dealer license, authorizing him to purchase and resell elvers harvested in Maine. Thereafter, using his Maine dealer license to cover his illegal activity,,, Click here to read the story 14:23
Sea lions moving into smaller streams – “They’re working on wild fish,”
In the past month or two, a few California (one Steller) sea lions have moved into the lower stretches of the Sandy River and as many as half-dozen (some say more) are devouring winter steelhead in the Clackamas River, as far up as Eagle Creek. Washington officials report sea lions prowling the lower Cowlitz, Lewis and Washougal rivers. And these aren’t just any winter steelhead tickling their palates. By this time of year, the earlier-arriving hatchery-origin steelhead run is largely finished, Todd Alsbury, department district fish biologist, told a group of sportfishing leaders in Clackamas. “They’re working on wild fish,” Alsbury said. “It could make Ballard Locks pale in comparison.” Remember Ballard Locks in Seattle? Apparently few, if any, real lessons were learned from the decimation of Lake Washington’s meager (2,000-3,000 fish) wild steelhead runs by Herschel and a handful of sea lions in the 1990s. Click here to read the article 14:12
Defining our future Down East
William Chadwick’s speech captured first place at the NCTSA conference in Greensboro April 5, 2017. His speech is about government regulations and conservation groups putting local fishermen out of business in Down East Carteret County. Government regulations our killing our communities, schools and churches, this is not just a Down East issue, this is happening all along the east coast. 11:22
Fishing-industry groups blast Inslee over his picks for federal council
Gov. Jay Inslee’s handling of nominations for a federal fishery-council seat has come under attack from the leaders of major North Pacific fishing-industry groups, which have taken the unusual step of sending a complaint letter to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.,, In their letter sent Tuesday, they asked Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to reject Inslee’s nominations and called for the governor to come up with some new names for a seat on the council. The industry backlash reflects the high stakes in fish politics, where the federal fishery council helps sets the rules for a billion-dollar groundfish harvest, much of which is caught and processed by Seattle-based companies. The letter is signed by the leaders of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association, At-Sea Processors Association, Groundfish Forum, and United Catcher Boats, whose membership collectively catches or processes most the groundfish. Read the article, click here 10:05
Representative Beverly Boswel is passionate about commercial fishing
I recently read the article, “The Boswell Backlash” by Michelle Wagner, dated March 21. As one who spends a considerable amount of time in Raleigh, representing our state’s commercial fishing families, I would like to offer some comments about Representative Boswell’s responsiveness and attentiveness to the issues facing that very important constituency in Dare County. Over the course of my 30 years of involvement in the legislative process while representing commercial fishing interests, I have found very few with the appreciation and zeal for assuring that commercial fishermen are represented in our General Assembly. Beverly Boswell is at the head of that list in the short time that she’s been in office. continue reading the letter here 09:05
“We’re adjacent to the shrimp, we’re adjacent to the shrimp,” Inshore shrimp fishermen raise a ruckus outside MP’s office
The chant at a rally of shrimp fishermen in Grand Falls-Windsor Wednesday may have sounded unusual to those who don’t follow fisheries issues closely, but demonstrators say it underscores a crisis that could wipe out their livelihood. “We’re adjacent to the shrimp, we’re adjacent to the shrimp,” chanted members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Independent Fish Harvesters’ Association as they staged a demonstration outside the office of Liberal MP Scott Simms. The fishermen are outraged by new quota cuts for the inshore shrimp fishery off the northeast coast of Newfoundland. Terry Ryan, who fishes from La Scie, said the principle of adjacency — the concept that those who live closest to a fishing resource should have priority access — is paramount. Two video’s read the story here 08:23
From Fisherman to scrap dealer – A Fisherman For Life, This Man Misses The Glouscester Fishing Industry
Sam Sanfilippo was once part of a booming cod fishing industry in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Today, government regulations put in place to maintain cod populations have forced many fishermen out of business. Watch the video, click here 07:59
