Daily Archives: December 27, 2017
LETTER: Need thorough, unbiased environmental study
I’d like to address publically, the situation in Pictou County involving Northern Pulp and the subsequent closure of Boat Harbor by 2020 with regards to the ‘replacement’ treatment plan which ultimately includes a pipeline for the treated effluent to be discharged into the Northumberland Strait which is part of the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.,,, It should also be noted that the new home of the end of the purposed pipeline is the heart of LFA 26. (Lobster Fishing Areas – there are 41 LFA’s in Canada, of them, LFA 26 as a whole is amongst the highest producers in tonnage of annual lobsters landed). I’m highlighting lobster as this is the main source of revenue for the 1000 plus fishers that fish this zone commercially. John Collins, Alma Road click here to read the story 18:48
Fishermen in Mexico shoot down environmental group’s drone
The environmental group Sea Shepherd says fishermen fired 25 shots at one of its night-vision drones in Mexico’s Gulf of California, bringing it down. Various drones have been employed to patrol the Gulf, also known as the Sea of Cortez, to combat illegal fishing and save the critically endangered vaquita marina, the world’s smallest porpoise. Sea Shepherd has been the target of demonstrations by fishermen in the past, but said the Christmas Eve shooting represented “a new level of violence.” click here to read the story 15:39
Ropeless traps could help mitigate right whale deaths, says U.S. scientist
A U.S. scientist is working on trying to stop right whale entanglements with fishing gear, which garnered increased attention after a spate of deaths this past summer. Mark Baumgartner, a biologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Mass., has been studying North Atlantic right whales since 1999.,, One of the problems is that modern ropes are much stronger and last longer than they used to be and don’t break as easily when they come into contact with large sea animals. click here to read the story 13:49
Whale-safe Fishing Gear – New buoy for lobster traps could prevent entanglements click here to read the story
Here’s why 12 right whales died in Canadian waters — and why more will die if nothing is done
A macabre joke in the field is that there are more North Atlantic right whale researchers than actual North Atlantic right whales. The scientific community is tight-knit: on top of the hours many of them spend sardined together on research boats and survey planes, a consortium dedicated to studying and conserving the species gathers every year for a meeting that tips further towards family reunion than your average academic conference. Still, as biologists, conservationists and policy-makers began filling an auditorium at St. Mary’s University very early on a Sunday morning in late October, the emotional register of the meeting felt unusually charged. Attendees greeted each other with bracing hugs. click here to read the story 12:27
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 41′ Novi Fiberglass Lobster
Specifications, information and 14 photos click here To see all the boats in this series, Click here 11:39 
ThrowRaft Inventor Makes Guest Appearance at The Patent Professor’s Book Signing Event
Over 50 VIP guests were given a first-hand account of Troy’s near death experience when his boat sank 9 miles offshore. In a miraculous tale of survival, he spent 9 hours swimming back to shore which ultimately led him to conceive, build and market the world’s first throwable inflatable device, approved by the U.S. Coast Guard, that is no bigger than a small purse. Mr. Faletra personally demonstrated the product by throwing it towards the crowd who watched fascinated as the device self-inflated within a second or two of being released. click here to read the story 10:45
Lobster boat building boom in Western Australia a boost for quality catch, regional jobs
Record-sized rock lobster boats under construction in a small coastal town are driving a boat building employment boom in Western Australia. Fuelled by higher prices for their catch, some WA lobster fishermen are investing in newer, bigger boats, while others are expanding the carrying capacity of their existing boats. Dongara fisherman Clay Bass said he was spending about $4 million on a boat which would hold 6.5 tonnes of catch. click here to read the story 10:15
S.C. Senator Stephen Goldfinch calls opposition to seismic blasting and offshore drilling a “vocal minority” of “environmental zealots.”
So, in the senator’s view, every municipality and county on the South Carolina coast has been coerced by a liberal brand of fanatics who have taken environmentalism to a new level, bordering on a religion. This is exactly what the senator has told me. In addition to every municipality above described, he has now defined the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce in the same fashion – and the Business Alliance to Protect the Atlantic Coast. Neither of these are environmental organizations – but they both have studied the facts and come out against seismic blasting and drilling. Many other organizations have done likewise: the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, the Mid Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, the New England Fisher,,, click here to read the op-ed 08:50
