Daily Archives: December 8, 2017
There’s something wrong with cod
It will be another decade maybe, research shows, before harvesters can fish codfish commercially. It’s already been a quarter century since we’ve been able to fish cod commercially. Something is not right here. There has been ample time for cod to be back to commercial status with the minimum amount of cod that has been taken out of the system by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Why aren’t the cod stocks improving? Is it because of predators of cod and cod larvae, or is it due to seismic work for oil that is killing the food of cod and cod larvae? Is it poor science on cod stocks, and they really don’t know what’s out there? Is it because of foreign overfishing,,, click here to read the story 20:21
Rhode Island Congressional Delegation opposes squid buffer zone
From the letter: We write to urge you to reject the proposed creation of a squid buffer zone in federal waters in the vicinity of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket and have enclosed the attached letter from Janet Coit, Director of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, expressing the states opposition to this proposal. We have consulted with state regulators and fishermen from Rhode Island who have emphasized that in the words of Director Coit’s letter “there is no biological basis for considering buffer zones to protect or rebuild the squid stock.” click here to read the letters 17:20
Opinion: Net ban ensnares your right to Florida fish
My interpretation is the people of the state wanted to make sure they could have access to their fair share of the commonly owned fish, and were convinced it was the commercial fishermen who were harming the resource, so their fishing practices had to be modified. Modified, not banned. When the people voted, they did not give authority to define some fish as “gamefish.” Gamefish status went out the window when this new method of protecting our fish went into force. click here to read the story 15:15
Fish-NL survey nets only two of three responses from by-election candidates; Liberal frontrunner refuses to make specific commitments
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) reports that two of three candidates from the mainstream political parties in the upcoming federal byelection in Bonavista-Burin-Trinity have responded to a survey on major fishery issues in the riding. Liberal candidate Churence Rogers and Conservative runner Mike Windsor issued responses, while New Democrat Tyler Downey failed to do so. “The fishery is critical to the future of Bonavista-Burin-Trinity, and the responses from Mr. Rogers and Mr. Windsor will give inshore fish harvesters, and the rural communities where they live, an indication of where the politicians and parties stand,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. click here to read the story 14:32
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for December 8, 2017
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates Click here, for older updates listed as NCFA click here 12:56
Exonerated Suspect in Unsolved Alaska Fishing Boat Mass Murder Breaks His Silence
Thirty-five years have passed since the massacre of eight people on the fishing boat Investor first shocked the nation. For those whose lives were upended by the killings, the case remains a painful cloud that refuses to lift. For John Peel, the former deckhand who police and prosecutors suspected of committing the grisly slayings, the mystery is something else: a question mark that still hangs over his head. Peel was charged with the killings in 1984, but after two expensive, headline-grabbing trials, he was found not guilty. Decades later, the case is Alaska’s worst unsolved mass homicide. Video, click here to read the story 12:25
Maine: Plenty of scallops, but prices are low
The price for scallops so far this season is considerably lower than last year. The Ellsworth American reported that with the start of the scallop season on Dec. 1 the price per pound is down $2 to $3 from 2016’s average of $12.77. It also appeared that scallops were plentiful, but small, which generally means lower prices. “I’ve heard the price is going to be low this year, but a lot of dealers were quoting prices last week that I thought were absurd,” Togue Brawn, owner of Downeast Dayboat Scallops in Portland, told the newspaper. click here to read the story 11:25
First Nation, fishermen distrust Northern Pulp wastewater treatment plan
There’s too much risk and not nearly enough trust to bring Northern Pulp’s plan for a new wastewater treatment facility to fruition, according to Andrea Paul, the chief of the Pictou Landing First Nation, and scores of fishermen and residents in Pictou County.,,, Concerned Northumberland Strait fishermen met with the company on Monday and two public consultations were held on Tuesday and Wednesday.,,, Speaking on behalf of the Northumberland Fisheries Association, lobster fisherman Allan MacCarthy said the Monday meeting did not offer any answers. click here to read the story 10:42
Marketing effort gets council nod
Old frustrations between lobstermen and dealers have been stirred by the debate about whether to renew a lobster marketing effort, but fishermen here decided they support continuing the marketing project. The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC), launched by the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) after a 2012 price crash, is set to sunset next year unless the Legislature acts to renew the program. The DMR Lobster Zone B council, meeting last week in the Mount Desert Island High School library, voted to support renewing the marketing program. click here to read the story 09:13
Say “No” to Slave Shrimp
The Thanksgiving-Xmas-NYE season, at our house as at many others, is marked by several traditional holiday foods, including shrimp. To procure the shrimp, we usually try to find the best price; shrimp, once a luxury good, now seems pretty much a commodity product. We used to buy shrimp based largely on cost. Lately, however, we’re scrutinizing labels more carefully and digging a little deeper in our pockets. click here to read the story 08:48
