Monthly Archives: December 2017
The ship that crashed into Portland Head Light on Christmas Eve
It was clear that night in Cape Elizabeth, though a storm raged just offshore. Scratch that. Actually, there was a blinding snowstorm and the swells were enormous. Or maybe it was just raining with a breath of wind. Truthfully, I don’t know. Historical accounts are all over the place when describing the weather that night. There’s one fact everyone can agree on. A once proud Yankee clipper ship, the Annie C. Maguire, met her sorry end on the rocks in front of Portland Headlight 131 years ago this week, on Christmas Eve in 1886. click here to read the story 17:59
US Fish-Bill Unity – Sam Parisi
Recently, Fisherman Jon Johnson wrote an opinion piece in Fisherynation.com (Why Fishermen Fail To Unite and Resist Being Swept Off of Our Historic Fishing Grounds) about the reasons for, and lack of unity in the U.S. fishing industry on fishery issues affecting the industry, and while I agree with most of his points, we must remember we are at fault a lot of the time, without knowing even knowing it. I have always thought if, we together, could agree on the need for a US Fish Bill, we could get real stability for all in our US Fisheries. I am not alone, as I am receiving calls from many representatives of fishing organizations, and of various fishing communities. We need input from fishermen in every region, from every fishery, and I invite you to get involved. Merry Christmas from Gloucester Mass! Sam Parisi, Gloucester 978 491 7722 [email protected] 16:58
Inviasve fish, Part 2 — the managing
Addressing invasive species issues requires dealing with two groups resistant to management — fish and people, so sound, scientific principles must be applied but psychology and human relations principles may be even more important. This column attempts to summarize hundreds of pages of articles and studies on blue catfish, flathead catfish and northern snakeheads. To repeat from Part 1, they are considered invasive to the greater Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries since they are “non-native species that cause harm to the economy, to the environment or human health” or “reproduce and expand beyond their initial areas of introduction.” click here to read the story 15:41
Why Greeks traditionally decorate a boat instead of a Christmas tree
The most traditional symbol you will find in Greece during the holidays is a small boat decorated with lights, usually placed in the main square of a town and close to the more international Christmas tree. To karavaki, or small boat is rooted in the traditions of a country with a symbiotic relationship with the sea. In fact on the many Greek islands the Christmas boats remain the most popular ornament of the holiday season. click here to read the story 15:19 
Tax appeal challenges Alaska’s fish landing tax
A tax dispute between a single fishing company and the state of Alaska could have far-reaching consequences for fishing towns across the state. Each year, fleets of factory trawlers and offshore processors catch millions of tons of fish in the North Pacific and Bering Sea. This happens outside the 3-mile limit that marks Alaska waters. But it isn’t practical to off-load their catch in the open ocean. So it’s almost always done in an Alaska ports or onto a transport ship anchored in state waters. It’s at this point that the state of Alaska takes its cut. click here to read the story 11:35
Canadian fishing buoy found in Norway
After Lars Framvik and a friend found a fishing balloon on the shore of Andenes, Norway, in November 2015, Framvik wanted to find its owner, but there were a few challenges. While there was a phone number on the balloon, it didn’t have an area or country code, so phoning the owner wasn’t an option. While it was marked with the vessel name, Blaine + Hayden, Framvik thought that was the place it was from. But the balloon did have another hint: the name Terry Saulnier appeared on it. click here to read the buoy story 09:00
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
While setting New England fishery rules, John Bullard was an exception
He’s been called a Neanderthal and the most reviled man in the region’s fishing community. At a public meeting broadcast on national TV, a fisherman once accused him to his face of lying for a living. As the regional fisheries administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, John Bullard has drawn ire from all sides — fishermen, environmentalists, and politicians alike. His decisions have been routinely controversial, and he has rarely minced words in defending them. click here to read the story 20:53
Mayor Jon Mitchell: Ban costing Port of New Bedford 500K per day
In a letter addressed to NOAA, Mayor Jon Mitchell said the Port of New Bedford could be losing nearly $500,000 a day because of the groundfishing ban. Mitchell referenced analysis prepared by Professor Dan Georgiana of SMAST, which stated the 25-day-old ban caused as much as $12 million (to date) in damage to the port. Mitchell filed is letter Wednesday, the final day in which comments regarding the ban could be submitted. Andrew Saunders, the attorney for Sector IX, the Carlos Rafael fishing division that’s prevented from groundfishing, also submitted a letter Wednesday. click here to read the story 17:55
Request for Participant: 2018 Northern Shrimp RSA/Cooperative Winter Sampling Program – Massachusetts
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF) are seeking one Massachusetts (MA) trawl vessel/captain to collect northern shrimp samples in 2018 in accordance with the details below, fishing one trip per week for up to ten consecutive weeks. The participant will work with MA DMF staff to provide fresh shrimp samples from the vessel to the MA DMF Gloucester office each week. The participant will be allowed to land and sell up to 800 pounds of shrimp per trip. There shall be no other compensation. click here to read the press release 17:14 
Time to get enviro groups off taxpayer gravy train
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt recently issued a directive to end a 20-year string of “sue and settle” cases that have funneled untold millions of tax dollars to environmental organizations. Predictably, those groups and their allies have been apoplectic about it. Many of these groups have grown from grassroots citizen movements to gigantic cash-flush conglomerates, with much of the cash coming from the government they appear or pretend to be fighting. Many now have separate legal arms with hundreds of attorneys, whose primary job is to sue the government and keep the cash flowing. They are part of the $13-billion-per-year U.S. environmental industry and lobby. click here to read the story 15:43
Spending bill leaves out West Coast fishing disaster funds
California 2nd District Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) voted against the bill and said the spending bill represents the “latest example of a congressional leadership that refuses to lead.” “Democrats want to make sure that we have equal bargaining, and we’re not going to allow things like disaster relief go forward without discussing some of the other issues we care about,” said powerful Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. click here to read the story 14:13
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for December 22, 2017
Click here to read the Weekly Update, to read all the updates Click here, for older updates listed as NCFA click here13:37
Oregon commercial crab fishery to open Jan. 15
The commercial Dungeness crab fishery will open on most of Oregon’s coast on Jan. 15. Dungeness crab will be ready to be harvested from Cape Blanco to the Columbia River and north into Washington. While the commercial season can open as early as Dec. 1, the opening can be delayed to ensure a high quality product for consumers by allowing crabs more time to fill with meat, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. click here to read the story 12:42
What Trudeau needs to do to become Canada’s first ‘Oceans Prime Minister’
Last January, The Atlantic magazine named Barack Obama “America’s Ocean President” for protecting a larger ocean area than any former commanders-in-chief. Does that make Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Canada’s “Oceans Prime Minister?” This could indeed be his legacy if he and his fellow ocean champion, Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc, can maintain the momentum they’ve created on ocean protection, deliver on upholding the inherent jurisdiction of Indigenous nations and let divisive — and potentially catastrophic — pipeline and oil tanker projects die a natural death. Here are five things that Canada did right this year — and a few things for Trudeau to work on in 2018. click here to read the story 12:05
DFO reviewing cod quota policy after report says it may encourage dangerous fishing
Fisheries and Oceans Canada said it will be taking a long, hard look at its regulations after a report said a few of the department’s policies could be putting pressure on harvesters to fish in dangerous conditions. The report was issued in late November by the Transportation Safety Board after an investigation into the death of four fishermen from Shea Heights whose boat went down in the waters off Cape Spear. click here to read the story 11:32
Petersburg crabber fined for using others’ pot tags
A Petersburg crabber was fined this week for using other permit holders’ crab pot tags and fishing more pots than he’s allowed. 54-year-old Andy Knight was originally facing six misdemeanor charges. He was fishing for Dungeness crab in his vessel the Kathy K in Gambier Bay on southern Admiralty Island north of Petersburg just after the start of the summer season June 17th. Alaska Wildlife Troopers from the Juneau post onboard the trooper vessel Sentry investigated and say Knight was fishing more than the maximum of 300 pots allowed for him and two other permit holders onboard. click here to read the story 10:56
Agreement reached in lawsuit over extension of red snapper season
The U.S. Department of Commerce has reached an agreement with two environmental advocacy groups that took it to court over a decision to extend the recreational red snapper fishing season by 39 days in the Gulf of Mexico. Under the agreement, approved Wednesday, 20 December by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, the government announced that the extension of the 2017 season “was a one-time action” it has opted not to defend the decision at this time. Further, government officials plan to give a 2018 recreational red snapper season projection by early February and finalize the length of the season around 20 April. Ocean Conservancy and the Environmental Defense Fund,,, click here to read the story 09:54
Abandoned And Adrift, The Alaska Patriot Has Been Sunk In The North Pacific
The Alaska Patriot has been sunk in the North Pacific. Because of incoming inclement weather, the Coast Guard cutter Sherman left the area Wednesday evening while the 170-foot abandoned fishing vessel was slipping beneath the waves. Petty Officer Luis Fagalnifin of the Coast Guard’s command center in Juneau said the Sherman’s crew boarded the Alaska Patriot on Wednesday afternoon to let in water. The Sherman’s crew then fired 800 rounds from a .50-caliber machine gun and 300 rounds from a 25mm machine gun at the Alaska Patriot to speed the scuttling process. click here to read the story 09:29
Fishing leaders: Has the Monterey Bay sanctuary kept its promise?
The answer is no, not to fishermen; please let us explain. Reflect back to 1992 when the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary was proposed. While fishermen and most others agreed that it could help prevent offshore oil development, we had concerns about how sanctuary authority might affect those of us who provide food from ocean resources. There was also public discussion about how stakeholders would have a say in the new federal bureaucracy. Commercial fishermen and recreational anglers had killed two earlier sanctuary proposals over these concerns. In response, fishermen heard that the new sanctuary would not threaten our livelihoods or create fishing regulations. It was a broad assurance, and repeated often by both elected and NOAA officials. click here to read the story 22:54
