Daily Archives: July 15, 2017
No Fish Today
The fishing industry in Connecticut in under assault from foreign fish imports. Owner of wholesale fish in Stonington/East Haven Mike Gambardella writes, somewhat frantically, that consumers don’t realize that the import seafood market is at 96 percent: “Our fishermen are throwing wild-caught healthy, chemical free, dead fish overboard daily.” The regulatory apparatus in the United States is simply crushing local fishing industries,,, Former U.S. Representative Rob Simmons, now First Selectman of Stonington, has joined the struggle to remove deathly federal regulations from New England fishermen. But other members of Connecticut’s U.S. Congressional delegation, including the state’s two publicity seeking U.S. Senators, Chris Murphy and Dick Blumenthal – now busying themselves seeking to impeach Trump — have done little but console Gambardella and others with the usual political bromides click here to read the story 18:05
‘A big fish in this small beautiful pond’: Campobello remembers fallen whale rescuer
A crowd of about 400 gathered for the funeral of a New Brunswick man who died rescuing a whale on Monday. Joe Howlett, 59, was freeing a whale from snow crab fishing lines when he died near Shippagan. The funeral was held at the Wilson’s Beach Baptist Church in Wison’s Beach, Campobello. While the church usually holds 150 people, they made room for 400. Howlett’s son Tyler is one of the many who shared memories of his father. “He was just the funniest guy. He had a joke for everything. Every little thing, it wouldn’t even matter he’d have a joke for it,” he said. “He’d make the worst day feel like the best and the best day feel even better. click here to read the story 17:42
Texas shrimpers calling on government to authorize more migrant workers
Brownsville – “Buy American and hire American” is a popular slogan often said by President Donald Trump. While many Texas shrimping companies agree with the concept, they claim it’s simply not realistic. The shrimping season is kicking off Saturday with a crippled workforce. Starting off the shrimping season, Oscar Bautista and his crew prepare their nets and tie loose ends as they gear up to sail in uncharted territory.,,, Bautista is referring to the H-2B visa, a migrant worker permit capped yearly at 66,000 people. Half of those permits get issued between March and October. The problem is that the cap was reached within weeks by other industries in need. Life-long shrimper Greg Londrei says that many people across the country are in the same pickle. When the government doesn’t increase the number of visas, companies say that they are left to hire inexperienced American workers who, they claim, pose a greater risk to their bottom line. click here to read the story 12:00 
The Atlantic wolffish — a face only a mother could love
What is striped, grows to be five feet long and has big chomper teeth all over the roof of its mouth? The Atlantic wolffish.,, There are three types of wolffish: spotted, northern and striped. The first two types are threatened and the third, the one that most interests Novaczek, is of special concern. In partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Novaczek has been studying striped or Atlantic wolffish in Conception Bay since 2014…“In 2014 and 2015 we mapped Atlantic wolffish habitat in Conception Bay, with detailed characterization of some dens near Bauline. The dens are really important for wolffish — they pair, spawn and guard their eggs in these dens. Feeding debris at the den openings indicates they are also foraging in this habitat.” click here to read the story 10:12
The Closeteer: Launch in Newbury honors a worthy craft
Six-year-old Coral Withe leaning against Centennial II on the Fourth of July said, “This is beautiful.” Assembled family and friends, gathered for the launching of builder Dan Noyes’ copy of a famous sailing dory, agreed. Last year, Dan and the old Closeteer visited the first Centennial at Cape Ann’s lovely museum near City Hall in Gloucester. In 1776, patriotic fisherman Alfred Johnson built and then sailed her across the Atlantic to the country we had broken away from a century before. Dan carefully took the measurements off Johnson’s still intact 20-foot dory while the Closeteer roamed the museum, admiring other boats and fishing schooner models of note, and especially Fitz Henry Lane’s well-known paintings of Gloucester harbor in the days of sail. A year passed as Dan’s new Centennial II, still not yet named, took shape in his small boat shop. Finally, almost finished, she was launched at high tide the morning of July 4, 2017, 241 years after our nation’s independence had been so bravely declared. click here to read the story 09:13
Kilmer, Herrera Beutler add funding for fishery disasters to key Appropriations Bill
U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) successfully added $20 million for fishery disasters relief in Washington state to a key House Appropriations Bill on Thursday. The U.S. Department of Commerce in January issued multiple fishery disaster declarations in Washington state, at the urging of Kilmer, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and others. The commercial fishery failures impacted communities along much of the Washington coast. The Commerce disaster declaration cleared the way for additional resources to be provided to the communities affected by the poor seasons, but up to this point no funding had been approved by Congress. click here to read the story 08:13
