Daily Archives: December 23, 2017
RI Delegation Commends Mid on Squid, introduce legislation in House and Senate – The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Fairness Act
After the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) recently voted 16-4 against a proposed squid buffer zone framework off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts that would have negatively impacted Rhode Island fishermen, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline commended the council. And this week Reed introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate and Langevin introduced identical legislation in U.S. House of Representatives to give Rhode Island a seat at the council table going forward so that the state and local fishermen have a direct say over matters that impact them. The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Fairness Act, which is cosponsored by Whitehouse and Cicilline, would add Rhode Island to the list of seven states with voting representation on the MAFMC, click here to read press release 19:42
Salmon or trout: What the heck is a steelhead, anyway?
Until just a few days ago, anyone interested in learning about B.C.’s struggling steelhead might stumble upon a website from Fisheries and Oceans Canada describing them as a type of Pacific salmon. The fish, according to this now-defunct page, “were at one time considered a trout species but have been discovered by biologists to be more closely related to Pacific salmon than other trout.”There’s just one problem with that: The current consensus is that steelhead aren’t salmon, they’re trout.,, A trout that behaves like a salmon click here to read the story 16:42 
EU prepares Canada-style Brexit deal for UK
The EU is preparing to present Britain with a skeleton, Canada-style trade deal by the early summer if the UK is unable to clarify its demands and remains in Brexit La-La land, according to senior European officials. The fallback plan considered by Brexit negotiators underlines the concern in Brussels, Berlin and Paris over Theresa Mays approach to future relations, which they fear will be too muddled to allow for meaningful negotiations. click here to read the story 13:55
Coast Guard rescues 2 on fishing vessel near Frying Pan Tower, NC
The Coast Guard rescued two fishermen aboard a vessel disabled and taking on water 20 miles southeast of Bald Head Island Friday. Watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector North Carolina Command Center in Wilmington received notification at approximately 3:50 p.m. that the 50-foot fishing vessel Shannondoah was experiencing engine issues. The men contacted watchstanders later to notify them the engine had lost power and the vessel was taking on water. click here to read the story 13:25
Hatchery Fish Often Fail in the Wild. Now We Might Know Why
Wild salmon are struggling to get their groove back.,, For years, Canada has tried to help bolster the salmon population by releasing hatchery-raised juvenile fish, or smolts, into the wild. Scientists know these hatchery smolts don’t do well in the wild—the fish tend to die younger than their wild brethren and reproduce less, but it’s unclear why. In a recent study, however, researchers think they’ve hit upon a possible explanation.,, In Washington State, hatchery-spawned steelhead also do poorly in the wild. click here to read the story 12:31
Want to sharpen your kids’ mental skills and boost intelligence quotient (IQ) levels? Feed them fish…
The findings showed that children who eat fish at least once a week sleep better and have IQ scores that are four points higher, on average, than those who consume fish less frequently or not at all. Those whose meals sometimes included fish scored 3.3 points higher. In addition, increased fish consumption was associated with fewer disturbances of sleep, which the researchers say indicates better overall sleep quality. click here to read the story 12:02
Maine: Keliher calls special meeting to discuss trawl limit proposal
When members of a lobster management council here voted last month to change the maximum allowed number of traps on a trawl in part of the territory they represent, they thought they were off and running and a public hearing for a new Department of Marine Resources proposed rule reflecting the change would be scheduled soon. They learned different at a special Zone B Council meeting Dec. 20 at Mount Desert Island High School called by DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher to discuss the issue. click here to read the story 10:58 
Gloucester to attend Super Bowl of fish
The city will make its fourth consecutive foray into one of the world’s largest seafood shows in March, once again looking to expand its Gloucester Fresh brand and generate business for local seafood companies The city will host its Gloucester Fresh pavilion at the Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America show at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. It plans to offer tastings of fresh local seafood and provide facilities to put local companies directly in touch with buyers from all over the world. click here to read the story 09:25
Fishermen greatly affected by announced marine refuges, union says
The Hawke Channel (off the southeast coast of Labrador) and Funk Island Deep (off the northeast coast of the island) marine refuges will be closed to all fishing activity to help conserve seafloor habitat that is important to the recovering northern cod stocks. The Northeast Newfoundland Slope, formerly known as Tobin’s Point, is an area off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador just inside the 200-mile limit. It is thought to contain key spawning and breeding grounds, nurseries and refuges for many aquatic species. click here to read the story 08:37
