Daily Archives: January 29, 2018

“The Plight of the Right Whale” – What’s causing right whale decline?

There is no argument that the North Atlantic Right Whale is in dire straits. Dr. Mark Baumgartner, a biologist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, gave a compelling presentation on “The Plight of the Right Whale” this past Tuesday evening, Jan. 23, at the Vineyard Gazette office. Since it was advertised, it was well attended. One point of interest was that the right whales were making a healthy comeback, a two-decade period of modest annual growth; the population rebounded from 270 living whales in 1992 to 483 in 2010. From 2010,,, >click here to read< 21:12

Crab season: ‘Fishermen just needed to go fishing’ while skinny crab adds stress

The opening of the commercial crab season is traditionally December 1, but this year it was delayed to ensure quality and to work out negotiations between fishermen and processors over price.
While crabbers in Newport agreed to a $2.75 starting price, we were told Friday the offer was not accepted by the majority of west coast fishermen. >click here to read< 16:54

Skinny crabs add stress on local business owners – Scattered crabbing vessels dotted the horizon from Klipsan Beach and along the southwestern Washington coast last Monday. It was the start of the new commercial crabbing season — and possibly, sellers hope, the rebounding of the local market. Pacific Northwest crabbers have already lost over one and a half months’ worth of the crab season. >click here to read<

Seven Rescued from Kiribati Ferry

The fishing vessel FV Lomalo has picked up seven survivors in a dinghy from the missing Kiribati ferry – 300 kilometers (190 miles) south-east of Nauru. The people on board the dinghy were three men – two aged in their 20s and one aged 34 – and four women – three in their 20s and one aged 14. They are understood to be in reasonable health.,, The 17-meter (56-foot) inter-island ferry, with an estimated 50 people on board, was due in to Betio, Tarawa, more than a week ago. >click here to read< 16:07 

New England Fishery Management Council meeting January 30-31, 2018 in Portsmouth, NH

The New England Fishery Management Council will be meeting at the Sheraton Harborside, Portsmouth, NH . To read the final agenda, click here Register for webinar click here to listen live 14:34

BEYOND EXPECTATIONS: Fishermen donating more than $600,000 – and counting – to charities and causes through Live Well Challenge

The Live Well Challenge continues to exceed expectations, with people taking the plunge in one way or another in southwestern Nova Scotia and beyond, raising in excess of half a million dollars for numerous charities and causes in just over a week. And the dollar amount continues to climb steadily as people continue to take the plunge and nominate others to do the same. The Live Well Challenge was initiated by Cape Sable Island fisherman Todd Newell on Jan. 17 on social media as a way to help the families of the Pubnico Head house fire that claimed the lives of four children, and to also help other local charities, causes and organizations. >click here to read< 13:56

Jeanne Moser to be Shaheen’s guest for Trump speech

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, announced Friday she will bring Jeanne Moser of East Kingston as her guest for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday, Jan. 30 in Washington. Moser has been working with her husband Jim to call for federal support to combat the opioid epidemic. Their son Adam died at age 27 as the result of a Fentanyl overdose. >click here to read< 12:01

NYS offshore wind energy plan envisions $6 billion industry by 2028

New York State on Monday is to release an exhaustive master plan for offshore wind energy that foresees up to 5,000 people employed in and around a $6 billion industry by 2028, with annual health benefits from reduced emissions valued at up to $400 million. The Cuomo administration plan also makes clear that while offshore wind representing 2,400 megawatts and hundreds of turbines will be in the waters south of Long Island, none is expected to be visible from shore. >click here to read< 11:13

Necropsy planned for Right Whale found off Virginia

Researchers planned to conduct a necropsy Sunday on the carcass of a North Atlantic right whale that was discovered on Friday about 100 miles off the coast of Virginia, according to a statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report  of the dead whale first came in Jan 22, and NOAA officials confirmed that it was a right whale through a photo two days later.  The photo suggested the whale was alive and swimming before it became entangled in a fishing line. >click here to read<10:32