Daily Archives: May 18, 2017
CETA – Canada-European Union pact worries US lobster industry
Members of the U.S. seafood industry are fearful that Canada’s approval of a new trade deal with the European Union will cause big problems for the American lobster business, just as the catch is hitting historic highs. The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement Implementation Act, or CETA, cleared its final hurdle in the Parliament of Canada on Tuesday. The deal gets rid of tariffs on Canadian lobster exports to the 28-nation bloc, putting Canada at a huge advantage over the U.S.,,, Seafood exporters and lobster industry members like Dave Madden, owner of exporter Lobster Trap in Bourne, Massachusetts, said they fear loss of money and jobs in the U.S. under the new rules. He ships about 4.5 million pounds of lobsters to countries such as Italy, France and Spain per year. click here to read the story 19:27
Lobster season off to excellent start in eastern Cape Breton
The opening day of lobster season along the eastern side of Cape Breton is being described as perfect. “So far, so good,” said Merrill MacInnis, who fishes out of Little River Harbour along the North Shore. “Hopefully the conditions will stay great, that’s the big thing. It all depends on the weather.” The season in Area 27, which extends from Bay St. Lawrence down to Forchu, was delayed this year due to bad weather. It was to have opened on Saturday, but fishermen didn’t set their traps until Wednesday. They hauled them the next day. Click here to read the story 18:58
Middleboro-Lakeville Herring Fishery Commission considers reopening local herring runs to fishing
MIDDLEBORO — Each spring for countless centuries, hundreds of thousands of herring have made an arduous journey from Mount Hope Bay, upstream along the Taunton and Nemasket Rivers, to reach their traditional spawning grounds in the Assawompsett Ponds Complex in Lakeville. For thousands of years, too, people living in these parts depended on the abundant alewife fishery as an important source of food and income.,, These days, a joint Middleboro-Lakeville Herring Fishery Commission supervises the local herring runs, closed to fishing since 2006, when a sharp decline in herring populations prompted a statewide ban on fishing. Now that the fishery has rebounded to respectable numbers, the two towns are considering re-opening the local herring runs, possibly as early as the 2018 spring migration. The move would help revive a tradition that has been ongoing – and well regulated – since the 1700s. click here to read the story 18:01
In the News – Sig Hansen arrested after incident with Uber driver
“Deadliest Catch” Captain Sig Hansen was arrested and booked into the King County Jail early Thursday on suspicion of assault and property destruction. According to the Seattle Police Department, an Uber driver picked Hansen and two other passengers up in Ballard after 2 a.m. The group asked to pay cash. When the driver told them they couldn’t because that’s not how the app works, Hansen allegedly got out of the car and kicked the rear of the vehicle. He also allegedly spat on the Uber driver. The driver told officers Hansen and the other passengers appeared “intoxicated.” Hansen was later arrested at a home in Shoreline and then booked into the King County Jail. link 14:32
Amendments to the NAFO Convention to come in to force today
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA, 18 MAY 2017- Significant amendments to the Convention establishing the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), that were agreed in 2007, will come into force today, 18 May 2017. These amendments are intended to modernize NAFO, particularly by incorporating an ecosystem approach to fisheries management. This approach includes safeguarding the marine environment, conserving marine biodiversity and minimizing the risk of long term adverse effects of fishing activities on the marine ecosystem. The amendments will also streamline NAFO’s decision-making process, strengthen the obligations of Contracting Parties, Flag States and Port States, and institute a formal dispute settlement mechanism. Click here to read the press release 13:48
Letter to a son
It has been a year since we got that phone call in the middle of the night from a Bradenton, Florida detective, who said, “Mr. and Mrs. Miller, I regret to inform that” … blah, blah, blah. Not sure your mother heard the rest. She was on the floor in a heap, your sister on the floor in a heap beside her. As it turns out you died from an accidental overdose. Opiate abuse seems to be the bane of your entire generation. Yeah, times in the-late-2000-teens are bad, but times have always been bad, or bad enough.,,, Editor’s note: RDN received this letter from a father expressing remorse over the loss of his son to an opioid overdose. Mr. Miller, his wife and family are not alone in his grief for a loved one lost to this epidemic. We print this, hoping it might help others in some way click here to read the letter 11:26
New Jersey: Fisheries Council decides on flounder limits for season
The State Marine Fisheries Council decided Wednesday to go along with the new 2017 federal regulations for flounder fishing. The regulation, approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, allows a catch of no more than three fish at 18 inches or more for recreational fishermen. Flounder season begins May 25 and continues for 104 days to Sept 6. “It’s the best deal for fishermen,” said acting council Chairman Dick Herb. Click here to read the rest, we will update this as we find the articles 10:04
Sharp Cut to ’17 Fluke Harvest – NY Commercial harvesters are allowed to land fluke in state waters year round, subject to a daily limit of 50 pounds. Click here to read the story 15:04
Fisheries board says no to emergency petition on Copper River fishery
An emergency petition that would have increased closures and restrictions on the Copper River commercial salmon fishery that gets underway this week was defeated May 17 during a special meeting of the Alaska Board of Fisheries in Anchorage. The vote was 3-4. The Fairbanks Fish and Game Advisory Committee had submitted the petition asking the board to require the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to publish an additional emergency order on commercial fishery management actions to be taken to assure the sustainable escapement goal for king salmon for the Copper River in 2017. ADF&G Commissioner Sam Cotten responded to the petition earlier, saying that he concluded that the situation did not warrant such action. click here to read the story 08:53
We’re On Board with These Two Fishermen – Salmon Fishing Season Starts Today
Our town of Cordova, Alaska is humming with the sounds of diesel engines firing up, big trucks hurrying around the harbor and fishermen catching up with each across the docks. This week holds so much excitement and anticipation here. Today, May 18th, the fleet of 540 fishermen from this tiny coastal community take off for the Gulf of Alaska where we’ll be setting our nets to catch the first wild salmon making their way back to the Copper River. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game carefully monitors our fishery for long term sustainability and have designated the salmon season to start this week with a 12 hour commercial fishing period starting bright and early at 7 am on Thursday. Click here to read the story 07:42
