Daily Archives: January 30, 2018
Fish farm caused Atlantic salmon spill, state says, then tried to hide how bad it was
Cooke Aquaculture Pacific vastly underrepresented the scope of a catastrophic Atlantic salmon net-pen spill at its Cypress Island farm last August and misled the public and regulators about the cause, according to a new report by state investigators that blames the pen collapse on company negligence. The investigation found that Cooke lowballed the number of escaped fish by more than half, and did not do essential maintenance at its farm, causing the escape. The company also misled agencies about the seriousness and cause of an earlier mishap,,, >click here to read< 20:26
Coast Guard rescues 4 fishermen from the water after boat capsizes near Eastport, Maine
The Coast Guard rescued four people Tuesday after a 14-foot skiff capsized in Deep Cove near Eastport, Maine, sending five people into the 39 degree water. A good Samaritan called 911 at about 2 p.m. to report the capsize, and said four people were in the water in need of rescue and a fifth had swam to shore. The information was relayed to the watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Eastport who immediately launched a 29-foot response boat crew to help. >USCG click<
Man swims to shore, gets help for stranded boaters near Eastport – According to the Coast Guard, the five people were heading to shore from a scalloping boat moored in Deep Cove. >click to read< 19:42
Feds vote to protect more corals in Atlantic Ocean
Federal fishing regulators on Tuesday approved a compromise they said would expand the amount of coral habitat preserved in the Atlantic Ocean while also protecting fishing interests. The New England Fishery Management Council voted on coral protections in an area south of Georges Bank, which is one of the most important commercial fishing areas in the Northeast. The decision came about seven months after the council approved protections in another key New England fishing area, the Gulf of Maine, in June. >click here to read< 17:50 
Lake Michigan has become dramatically clearer in last 20 years — but at a steep cost
Decades ago, Lake Michigan teemed with nutrients and green algae, casting a brownish-green hue that resembled the mouth of an inland river rather than a vast, open-water lake. Back then, the lake’s swampy complexion was less than inviting to swimmers and kayakers, but it supported a robust fishing industry as several commercial companies trawled for perch, and sport fishermen cast their lines for trout. But in the past 20 years, Lake Michigan has undergone a dramatic transformation. >click here to read< 16:38
FISH-NL issues warning to DFO on changes to harvester registration in Atlantic Canada; NL system not working
“The Professional Fish Harvester Certification Board (PFHCB) is not working here in terms of a conflict of interest with the FFAW-Unifor, and it’s not working for people attempting to enter the fishery,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “DFO should not give the PFHCB any more authority than it already has, review its relationship with the FFAW-Unifor for conflict of interest, and insist that the Board modernize its qualifying criteria.” DFO is looking for feedback on proposed changes to the requirements for fish harvester registration in Atlantic Canada. The deadline for feedback is Wednesday, Jan. 31st. >click here to read<14:54
Mass Environmental Police confiscate Scallops over permitted limit on Carlos Rafael vessel
The Massachusetts Environmental Police confiscated 120 pounds of scallops off a Carlos Rafael fishing vessel on Sunday, according to Major Pat Moran. The scallops at being held with their final destination to be determined by the National Marine Fisheries Service, environmental police said. Officers boarded the fishing vessel Dinah Jane, owned by Rafael, on Sunday to conduct a marine fisheries inspection. >click here to read< 14:17
Norwegian company to build large, land-based salmon farm in Belfast
A Norway company intends to build a land-based salmon farm in Belfast, initially investing $150 million and creating 60 jobs within two years. Nordic Aquafarms, an international developer of land-based aquaculture, has signed agreements to purchase 40 acres on the outskirts of Belfast, where it will build one of the world’s largest land-based salmon farms, according to a release from the city.,,, It chose Maine because of the state’s pristine environment, cold water conditions,,, >click here to read< 13:06
Eel of Fortune
Against a backdrop of competing cultural and commercial interests, Canadian regulators will soon spin the wheel on the future of the little-understood American eel. Lighting the hissing naphtha lamp mounted at the front of his metal canoe, Kerry Prosper prepares for a midsummer eel hunt on Nova Scotia’s Pomquet Harbour. It’s just past sunset, and the conditions are perfect, with warm air gently rolling off the bay and smoothing the water’s surface to glass. Prosper timed tonight’s trip with the new moon; eels get skittish when there’s too much light. Even lightning scares them into hiding. >click here to read< 10:54 
Plan details NY state’s vision for offshore wind energy
New York state on Monday released the blueprints for a plan to harness the power of wind through offshore farms.,,, Adrienne Esposito, of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, says the extensive report was long-awaited.,,, “We need to move forward with renewable energy, and stop the oil and gas drilling that is planned for the East Coast.”,,, Bonnie Brady, from the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, said in a statement to News 12, “Through eminent domain, they are taking away historic fishing grounds and now they are destroying it in the name of green energy. The only green here is about making money.”>click here to read< 10:25
Commentary: CCA, GOP to blame for proposed license change – “redefining a commercial fisherman.”
Imagine you hold a state license in your profession, say as a general contractor. Then you start a side business that takes off. Maybe it’s a restaurant or a consulting business. Soon, it accounts for more than half of your income. At the same time, your original business continues to thrive while providing a valuable service and an irreplaceable part the family income.,, Then the State of North Carolina comes knocking, demands to audit your financial records and informs you that since you no longer earn more than 50 percent of your income from your “licensed” profession, you are no longer a general contractor. >click here to read< 09:31
