Monthly Archives: January 2018
Commentary on Controling Agreements: DFO meddling destabilizes fishermen
I’ve held my own lobster licence since 1973 and it is nonsense to suggest I am anything but an “independent” fisherman. Yet the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is reviewing my licence under the “owner-operator policy.” Under this policy, the owner of a lobster licence is supposed to be independent (as I am) and to benefit most from his licence (as I do). DFO seems to suspect that I am in a so-called “controlling agreement” with Yarmouth Sea Products Ltd. click here to read the story 08:43
The Invisible Underwater Messaging System in Blue Crab Urine
In estuaries off the coast of Georgia, the water is so murky that if you were to dive in, you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. There, blue crabs feast on mud crabs, oysters, fish and more. You may eagerly approach these hand-sized arthropods when they’re cracked into pieces and doused in butter. But in muddy water, tiny mud crabs, no bigger than the tip of your thumb, steer clear of the hungry blue crab predators. In this crab-eat-crab world, they can’t see their enemies coming — but they can smell them. click here to read the story 20:01
Minister praises role fishermen play in boosting P.E.I. economy
Provincial Fisheries minister Alan McIsaac told members of the Prince County Fishermen’s Association on Monday that the Island’s fishing industry is one of the shining reasons why the province will balance its budget, or show a slight surplus, this year. McIsaac said the lobster fishery alone produced landings of 36.4 million pounds and a landed value of $226 million in 2017. “You fellows are the ones that are making the economy go and helping us to balance the books.” click here to read the story 18:26 
Body of Paul Brenner who went missing during blizzard found
The body of Paul Benner, who went missing Thursday while clamming, has been found according to Marine Resources who has been spearheading the search. Benner’s body was found in Long Cove by Marine Patrol Officers using side scan sonar. The body was recovered using a dive team and will be taken to the Medical Examiner’s office. click here to read the story 16:47
NMFS Approves “Majority” of Council’s Habitat Amendment
NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has approved –with two exceptions –the New England Fishery Management Council’s Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2 (OHA2), paving the way for sweeping change to the existing network of closed and management areas in the Gulf of Maine, Southern New England, and Georges Bank. The changes will provide better protection for both fish and habitat while eliminating closures that no longer serve their intended purpose. click here to read the press release 16:20
The NIMBY’s! Coast Guard suspends use of Beaumont Hospital landing site after resident complaints
The Coast Guard’s helicopter service has suspended the use of the designated landing site for Beaumont Hospital after complaints from local residents. For the last number of years, a football pitch close to the hospital has been used as a landing site by both the Coast Guard helicopter service and the Air Corps to deliver patients to Beaumont, which is the country’s national centre for neurosurgery. In a post on its Facebook page back in November, the Beaumont Woods Residents Association,,, click here to read the story 15:07
Trump administration’s offshore drilling plans make one Nova Scotia fish processor very nervous
A U.S. government plan to expand offshore drilling in its waters could give oil and gas companies access to ecologically sensitive areas, including the American half of Georges Bank, a prospect that makes one Nova Scotia fish processor very nervous. Georges Bank is a large elevated area of sea floor that separates the Gulf of Maine from the Atlantic Ocean and is an important breeding ground for several fish species. It’s an area far too important to the fishing industry to be endangered by drilling, according to Nathan Blades, the general manager of Sable Fish Packers on Cape Sable Island in southwest Nova Scotia. click here to read the story 13:35
The last Gillnetter: Magazine documented the life of fishermen
They cleaned out the office after Christmas. Into the moving van went the old signs and the newspaper clippings documenting achievements and battles for river fisheries. Out went the boxes filled with index cards listing the names of past Columbia River Fishermen’s Protective Union members — and the dates they died. And the faded photographs and paintings of fishing boats that have sunk, sold or come to rest in museums. And boxes of old Columbia River Gillnetter magazines, a union publication founded in 1969. click here to read the story 12:15 
FISH-NL questions quiet reopening of Canadian ports to banned Faroese and Greenland trawlers
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) is calling on Ottawa to explain its decision almost a year ago to quietly reopen Canadian ports to trawlers from the Faroe Islands and Greenland that had been banned for overfishing northern shrimp. “Why exactly was the ban lifted, and why didn’t the federal government make the news public when the decision was made?” questions Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. click here to read the press release 11:48
Why save the Hawaii Aquarium Fishery? Aquarium Fish Collectors and what we do
The September 6, 2017 Hawaii Supreme Court HEPA (Hawaii Environmental Protection Act) ruling has nearly shut down Hawaii’s aquarium fishery. It will take years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to get HEPA filings finished even though the studies proved our fishery sustainable long before the courts considered the issue. Based on the Court ruling, all Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) ocean business permits will be facing HEPA permit requirements.,,, Please support Hawaii’s sustainable fisheries. Jesus and George Washington where fishermen! click here to read the story 10:58
On This Day: January 8, 1999, Fishing boat Cape Fear sinks in Buzzards Bay
On this day in 1999, the 112-foot fishing boat Cape Fear sank a quarter mile from the light tower at the mouth of Buzzards Bay. Its captain and two crew members were rescued by the vessel’s sister ship, the Misty Dawn, but two other crew were presumed drowned in the frigid, 37-degree waters. click here to read the story What happened? Report details cause of Cape Fear sinking – An investigation into the sinking of the Cape Fear two years ago has concluded,,, click here to read the story 10:07
Lobstermen alarmed at prospect of sharing their secrets with regulators
For generations, Maine lobstermen have fiercely guarded their fishing secrets, telling almost no one how and where they fish or how much they haul up in their traps. But under a new proposal, these independent operators would have to share all the nitty-gritty details with regulators, like where they fish, how long they let their traps soak, the kind of gear they use and how deep they set it, and how much lobster they land. click here to read the story 08:35
John Bullard: SectorIX board’s failure to act stopped its fishing
For New Englanders, Atlantic cod is not just another fish. The Sacred Cod that hangs in the Massachusetts State House is a testament to the cod’s place in our culture and history. For centuries, we fished for cod, as we watched the stock decline, we tried various ways to protect the resource this is considered as much a birthright as a commodity. In 2009, the New England Fishery Management Council under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, agreed to try a system called “catch shares” which worked well on the West Coast. click here to read the op-ed 20:52 
The Mystery of the Third Man
Allow me to set the scene. Location: The frigid and stormy Wendell Sea, close to the Antarctic continent. The year: 1915 Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew are reaching their 400th day living in a makeshift camp on the ice while their now-abandoned ship Endurance is slowly crushed by sea ice. The crew described the groaning and creaking of the splintering ship as sounding like the death cries of something half-alive. By November of that year, the last of the ship finally sank beneath the waves, and Shackleton and his crew had no choice but attempt the harrowing journey in their recovered life boats to the barren, inhospitable shores of Elephant Island. click here to read the story 18:00
Nova Scotia: Storm damage to fish farm pens alarms Shelburne County fisherman
In addition to ice and snow, remnants of Nova Scotia’s first major winter storm are all over the shore of Jordan Bay, N.S. in the form of buoys and plastic pipes. The debris, which came from the Cooke Aquaculture fish farm, is concerning to commercial lobster fisherman Ricky Hallett. He suspects many of the fish died. “Seventeen out of 20 of the pens have the tops off them and most of them have the sides smashed down,” Hallett said. “I live just adjacent to the site and I can look right out on it.” click here to read the story 15:56
Hearings set for changes to black sea bass fishing
Interstate fishing managers are holding hearings in East Coast states about a plan to change the rules about one of the Atlantic Ocean’s most popular recreational fisheries. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is considering changing the way it manages the recreational black sea bass fishery. The commission says the proposed changes could alter the way it allocates harvesting limits for the fish. The hearings began on Wednesday in Lewes, Delaware. click here to read the story 13:31
Annual ‘Bay Barometer’ shows improvement in the Chesapeake
An annual Chesapeake Bay report card indicates ongoing restoration efforts are paying off, as animal and plant populations are up. The Chesapeake Bay Program, an organizing body for federal, state and local environmental advocates, released its annual Bay Barometer, a report measuring progress in cleaning up the bay and restoring native species and habitats. Of a number of sustainability goals set to achieve by 2025, the bay met marks for blue crab abundance and fish passage. click here to read the story 13:08
Wall Township NJ Hearing on Lobster Draft Addendum XXVI/Jonah Crab Draft Addendum III – January 8, 2018 6:00 pm
Lobster Draft Addendum XXVI/Jonah Crab Draft Addendum III hearings. (public comment accepted until 5 PM EST on January 22, 2018; send comments to [email protected] – Subject line: Lobster Draft Addendum XXVI) NJ Hearing – January 8, 2018 6:00 pm, Wall Township Municipal Building, Lower Level Community Room, 2700 Allaire Road, Wall Township, NJ, On the schedule, East Setauket, New York, on Tuesday; Scarborough, Maine, on Wednesday; Ellsworth, Maine, on Thursday; Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Jan. 16; Narragansett, Rhode Island, on Jan. 17; Old Lyme, Connecticut, on Jan. 18; and Hyannis, Massachusetts, on Jan. 19 click here 11:40
Marine Patrol suspends search for missing Thomaston clammer Paul Benner
Maine Marine Patrol officers suspended the search Saturday evening for a Thomaston clammer missing since Thursday’s severe winter storm. Officers and divers were hampered by ice and slush Saturday as they searched the area of Long Cove in the vicinity of footprints believed to have been left by Paul Benner, who has not been seen since he went out clamming Thursday evening. In a statement, the marine patrol said the search “will resume in the coming days, depending on the weather.” click here to read the story 09:43
Coast Guard suspends search for fisherman 21 miles east of Myrtle Beach
The Coast Guard suspended their search Saturday at sunset for Howard “Dale” Smith missing 21 miles east of Myrtle Beach since late Friday evening. Coast Guard Sector Charleston Command Center watchstanders received a call at 9:29 p.m. Friday, from the crew of the Addis Sylvester, a 42-foot fishing vessel out of Little River, S.C., stating a crewmember had fallen overboard. Search crews completed 20 searches covering approximately 3,052 square miles. click here to read bulletin 23:47
Don Cuddy: Sector closure angers and worries groundfish industry
It was on Monday, November 20, two days before his retirement party as NOAA regional administrator, that John Bullard abruptly ordered the shutdown of Sector IX’s groundfish operations. The boats out fishing had to return to port forthwith.,,, Bullard’s move was praised by some but it engendered some harsh criticism in the city. Click here to read the story. 23:11
FISHBILL-US: Fishermen, Lets unite like never before!
It becomes clearer by the day that our industry needs protection in the form of legislation for fishermen and supporting industries. While fishermen and those supporting industries are struggling to survive in various regions, many of them await federal assistance in already declared federal fishery failures, much of it beyond their control. Congress has mandated the NOAA is the agency that controls the “best available science”, while other data is not considered, by law. This must be addressed as we watch the industry retract based on the science many of us have no confidence in. They control our fate. click here to read the full post 20:22
Atlantic salmon-farming company sues Washington state to keep its Port Angeles site open
Cooke Aquaculture Pacific has filed a lawsuit seeking to continue running its Atlantic salmon farm in Port Angeles. The suit, filed Thursday in Clallam County Superior Court, declares that Hilary Franz, commissioner of public lands, erred in revoking the company’s lease to operate the Port Angeles farm. Franz on Dec. 15 demanded Cooke shut down the farm and remove the fish and equipment. There are nearly 700,000 Atlantic salmon at the farm. click here to read the story 15:03 
Missing fisherman’s wife: ‘there’s not a person who didn’t love him’
Friday night, 42-year-old Howard “Dale” Smith, reportedly fell overboard on a fishing vessel about 21 miles East of Myrtle Beach, according to the Coast Guard. Today, his loved ones are looking for answers and looking for him. The Coast Guard is continuing their search in the water and air for the missing man. His wife, Cyndi Kramer Smith, describes Dale as someone who always has a smile on his face. photo’s click here to read the story 13:51
Coast Guard searching for fisherman that fell overboard 21 miles east of Myrtle Beach
The Coast Guard is searching Saturday for Howard “Dale” Smith, a 42-year-old fisherman who was reported falling overboard 21 miles east of Myrtle Beach. Coast Guard Sector Charleston Command Center watchstanders received a call at 9:29 p.m. Friday, from the crew of the Addis Sylvester, a 42-foot fishing vessel out of Little River, S.C., stating a crewmember had fallen overboard. -USCG- click here 11:20
DFO to study fish mortality at Annapolis tidal plant
Fisheries and Oceans Canada has commissioned a scientific review of the Annapolis Tidal Turbine’s impact on fish populations.,, The 20-megawatt tidal generating station in the Annapolis River has been operating without a ministerial dispensation allowing it to kill fish since it opened in 1984. Section 35 of the Fisheries Act prohibits “the carrying on of a work, undertaking or activity that results in serious harm to fish that are part of or support a commercial, recreational or Aboriginal fishery.” However, it allows the minister to grant an exemption if the facility doesn’t kill fish at population levels. “Absolutely, it kills a lot of fish,” said Michael Dadswell, who studied fish mortality at the Annapolis Tidal Turbine while working as a Fisheries and Oceans scientist during the 1980s. click here to read the story 10:31
Florida: Fishery agency floats commercial bullynet plan
Since Florida has created new rules on commercial harvest of spiny lobster by bullynetters, a federal marine fishery agency wants to hear thoughts on extending the gear regulations beyond state waters. Staff with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold online webinars Monday and Tuesday to outline a draft proposal to federal rules that could resolve “inconsistencies between state of Florida spiny-lobster regulations and those in federal waters off the coast of Florida….”click here to read the story 09:41
“Groundbreaking” Fish Protection Plan in Place
On Wednesday, January 3, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), also known as NOAA Fisheries, informed the New England Fishery Management Council that it had “approved the majority” of the Council’s Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2 (OHA2). The approved provisions include two actions that have a direct impact on Framework Adjustment 29 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan, which, among other measures, contains 2018 fishing year specifications and 2019 default specifications for the scallop fishery. click here to read the press release 17:35
“Groundbreaking” Fish Protection Plan in Place – click here to read the story
NOAA Climate Scientists Predicted Third Warm Winter In A Row
Warmer-than-normal conditions are most likely across the southern two-thirds of the continental U.S., along the East Coast, across Hawaii and in western and northern Alaska. -–NOAA, 19 October 2017. This year scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are placing their bets on a warmer-than-average winter. In the East and southern two-thirds of the country, temperatures will be higher than normal, while Southern California, Texas, and Florida will be drier than usual. –Eric Niler, Wired, 23 October 2017 click here to read the story 15:47
Rife with regulations: 50-year fisherman sells over demands
AFTER half a century working at sea, Daniel Pope says the increase in regulations has forced him to retire from the fishing industry. The 67-year-old commercial fisherman has sold his prawn trawler to a Cairns buyer, and will step off the boat for the last time on January 17. Over the past 50 years, Mr Pope has witnessed the industry grow and evolve and said the increase in regulations was getting out of hand. “I believe the fishery is the best I’ve seen it, or as good as I’ve seen it in 50 years,” he said. click here to read the story 15:19
