Daily Archives: August 7, 2017
Report: Sea lions push Willamette River steelhead to brink of extinction
State wildlife officials say wild steelhead in the upper Willamette Basin could go extinct in coming years because of sea lions feasting on the iconic fish at Willamette Falls. The Statesman Journal reported in June that wild steelhead numbers hit all-time lows this year due to poor ocean conditions, historic drought and the long-term effects of habitat loss. But in an explosive report made public Monday, officials say sea lion predation could tip the scales toward extinction in rivers including the Santiam, Molalla and Calapooia, all Willamette tributaries. “We’ve reached the point where, unless we take some action, we may condemn this run to extinction,” said Dr. Shaun Clements, senior scientist and fish policy advisor for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. “We need to act now or extinction may be our legacy.” Video, click here to read the story 21:33
F/V Destination – Day 1: Investigation Hearing begins
In Seattle on Monday, the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board began two weeks of testimony into the sinking. Monday was spent questioning the ship’s owner, 68-year-old David Wilson. The experienced fisherman, who hired Captain Jeff Hathaway back in 1993, recounted documents recapping the safety drills and briefings given to all crew before the season began. Larry O’Grady, Raymond Vincler, Darrik Seibold, Charles Jones and Kai Hamik were all on board with Hathaway. All presumed lost. Earlier this summer, the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy spent days over the wreck and found the vessel sitting upright in 240 feet of water listing to the port. On Monday morning, Wilson was asked about maintenance issues — including a discussion, he had with the ship’s captain by phone while in Alaska. click here to read the story Todays proceedings can be reviewed click here, and the hearing restart at 09:00 tomorrow, using that link. 20:06
Toledo Boat Yard keeps crankin’ ’em out…
From Port of Toledo: Fishing Vessel Redeemer recently had a lot of work done on her at the Toledo Boat Yard – worked that was capped off with the traditional “re-Christening” of the vessel with a bottle of bubbly. The Port of Toledo’s crew celebrated with the F/V Redeemer’s owner, crew, family, and friends as the newly rebuilt vessel was launched. The boat is owned by Gary Ripka and recently featured in the Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove. The Redeemer fishes black cod, tuna, crab, and is set up to bottom fish. Video, click here to read the story 19:09
Yes, no, maybe
Only days after over-seeing the deaths of nearly 90,000 Upper Cook Inlet coho salmon in two commercial drift gillnet openings in the belief the coho run was late and strong, fishery managers with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game have changed their minds. An emergency order issued Sunday cut commercial fishing time in the northern Inlet in half and restricted drift netters to drift “Area 1” south of Kalgin Island, along with a corridor near the mouth of the Kenai River. The Area 1 restriction pushes the fleet down into the wide, unconstricted part of the Inlet where it is harder to find the fish. click here to read the story 16:57
FISH-NL reiterates call for province to lift ban on outside fish buyers
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) is reiterating its call for the provincial government to lift all restrictions and allow out-of-province buyers into the provincial market place for all species. “The commercial fishery for northern cod reopened on Newfoundland’s northeast coast on Aug. 1st, but very few harvesters are at it because there are no buyers,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL.,, “Some fishermen are salting their cod with no idea of what they’ll eventually get for it — just like in my grandfather’s day,” says Richard Gillett. Vice-President of FISH-NL. “How far we’ve come.” click here to read the press release 16:11
Labrador Fishermen’s Union Shrimp Company to process Northern Peninsula cod
On Sunday, Aug. 6, the Labrador Fishermen’s Union Shrimp Company Ltd. (LFUSC) reached a preliminary agreement with the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW-Unifor) union and St. Anthony Seafoods Inc. to purchase and process cod caught in NAFO Division 3K. The three groups met, with a number of fishermen attending, at the Hotel North in St. Anthony. Under the preliminary agreement, harvesters will unload the cod in Goose Cove and St. Lunaire-Griquet, and it will then be shipped by truck to St. Barbe. There, it will be transported across the Strait of Belle Isle by ferry, to be processed at the LFUSC plant in L’Anse au Loup. click here to read the story 14:29
Folkestone Trawler Race 2017 details as fishermen prepare for events
Trawler Race weekend is almost upon us again as Folkestone’s fishing quarter prepares for its two biggest days in the year. A new addition is coming to the festival on Saturday and Sunday which is expected to be watched by thousands of people from The Stade and the Harbour Arm – as the town celebrates its fishing heritage. The trawlers will set off for the historic race on Saturday with entertainment starting from midday and the race getting under way at 2pm. click here to read the story 13:40
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting August 8 – 10, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA
The public is invited to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s August 2017 meeting to be held August 8-10, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA. The meeting will be held at the Courtyard Marriott, 21 N. Juniper St., Philadelphia, PA 19107, Telephone 215-496-3200. Briefing Materials & Agenda Overview Agenda click here Attend Meeting with Adobe Connect Click here Listen Live! www.mafmc.org 12:12
Ardglass trawler skipper fined over collision
An Ardglass trawler skipper has been fined more than £2,000 after his boat collided with another vessel off the County Down coast in July 2015. Paul Thomas Wills of Russell Place, Ardglass, admitted not keeping a proper lookout on his fishing boat the Silver Dee when it collided with another trawler, the Good Intent. The Silver Dee sank in less than 10 minutes as a result of the collision. Its crew transferred onto the Good Intent. click here to read the story 11:08
F/V Destination – Hearings to begin on why Seattle-based crab boat sank with 6-man crew aboard
Two weeks of Coast Guard hearings into the sinking of the Seattle-based Destination begin Monday. They will put a spotlight on safety in the crab-boat fleet, and are expected to include testimony about the recent exploration of the sunken vessel by a remotely operated vehicle. The Destination sits on the bottom of the Bering Sea, listing heavily to its port side and still carrying roughly a third of the steel-framed pots the six-man crew planned to use in a winter crab harvest off Alaska. In two weeks of Seattle hearings that begin Monday, Coast Guard officers will hear testimony from the owner of the crab boat, former crew and other industry and government officials as they gather clues to what went so horribly wrong when the crew perished Feb. 11. click here to read the story to read the USCG notice click here with instructions for comment. click here for live stream of the proceedings. 09:29
Offshore Aquaculture: Groups divided over Gulf fish farming
While proponents of aquaculture support expanding fish and shellfish farming in the Gulf of Mexico, local fishermen and food safety groups are wary of the consequences. “Developing offshore aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico will benefit everyone. Consumers will get additional access to sustainable domestically grown seafood,” said Jim Gossen, president of the Gulf Seafood Foundation. “Using the latest proven management practices, this should provide more wild fish to both the recreational and commercial fisheries.” In 2016, NOAA filed a final rule implementing the nation’s first comprehensive regulatory program for aquaculture in federal waters. The rule allowed for the establishment of a regional permitting process to manage the development of an environmentally sound and economically sustainable aquaculture industry in the Gulf. However, local and national groups oppose the current plan in its entirety or how it’s being implemented. click here to read the story 08:56
As eels grow in value, US government clamps down on poaching
Law enforcement authorities have launched a crackdown on unlicensed eel fishermen and illicit sales along the East Coast.,, In Maine, more than 400 licensed fishermen make their living fishing for elvers in rivers such as the Penobscot in Brewer and the Passagassawakeag in Belfast every spring. They say law enforcement is vital to protecting the eels and the volatile industry. Randy Bushey, of Steuben, has been fishing for elvers since 1993. He said he saw his income balloon from as little as $5,000 per year in the 1990s to more than $350,000 in 2012. He said tighter quotas mean he’s earning less these days, and in the most recent season he made about $57,000. “I’ve seen the best, and I’ve seen the worst,” Steuben said. “I want to see it preserved. I want to see it straightened out.” click here to read the story 08:16
