Daily Archives: February 27, 2018
43rd Maine Fishermen’s Forum opens on Thursday
The weathermen may be predicting snow for the weekend but Maine fishermen, or at least the Maine Fishermen’s Forum, say that spring is nearly upon us. The 43rd annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum gets under way on Thursday at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. The event features three days of seminars and workshops that bring fishermen from the along the entire New England coast together with: state and federal fisheries scientists, regulators and managers; political incumbents and hopefuls; and maritime enterprises hawking everything from new lobster boats and giant diesel engines to lobster traps, marine electronics, refrigeration systems and foul weather gear. >click to read< 20:40
There’s a Repulican Running for US Senate, He’s Listening to the Industry People in New Bedford
Geoff Diehl cruised around the Port of New Bedford in an RV Tuesday that maneuvered in and out of small entrances and exits. The red, white, and blue mobile home featured the slogan of the Republican U.S. Senate candidate, ” The Real Diehl,” as he looked to learn the reality of the fishing industry in the area. Diehl made four stops in the area, which began with Mayor Jon Mitchell and concluded with a meeting with three members on the board of Sector 9 as well as the sector’s lawyer. Diehl questioned what incumbent Elizabeth Warren has done,,,>click here to read< 18:47
Florida Fishermen to cast vote against net ban
Local commercial fishermen plan to petition Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) next month to place an amendment on the November ballot reversing the gill net ban. Mark Coarsey, of Fishing for Freedom’s Manatee County chapter, has been collecting signatures in support of lifting the net ban at the annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival in recent years. He will be taking them to the last of five CRC meetings in the state on Tuesday, March 13, from 1-7 p.m. at the University of South Florida Student Center, 200 Sixth Ave. S. in St. Petersburg. >click to read< 17:53
Largest Chinook salmon disappearing from West Coast
The largest and oldest Chinook salmon — fish also known as “kings” and prized for their exceptional size — have mostly disappeared along the West Coast. That’s the main finding of a new University of Washington-led study published Feb. 27 in the journal Fish and Fisheries. The researchers analyzed nearly 40 years of data from hatchery and wild Chinook populations from California to Alaska, looking broadly at patterns that emerged over the course of four decades and across thousands of miles of coastline. In general, Chinook salmon populations from Alaska showed the biggest reductions in age and size, with Washington salmon a close second. >click to read<17:14
Crab Fight! Aboard Alaska’s Quest to Be America’s King of Crab
Deep in the Bering Sea off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, the U.S. and Russia share fishing waters that are home to this nation’s supply of king and snow crab. Predictably, the relationship is contentious. While the two nations compete for room on your plate, the deck is stacked against Alaskan fisheries thanks to cheaper imported product and illegal crab. Despite the economics, the Alaskan crab industry, made famous by The Discovery Channel’s hit show, Deadliest Catch, fights for quality and sustainability in a competitive, and sometimes sketchy, global market. >click to read<13:47
Inshore shrimp harvesters, plant workers worried about 2018
It’s another year of uncertainty for harvesters and plant workers in shrimp fishing area 6. On Feb. 16, DFO released findings that northern shrimp stocks in area 6 had declined another 16 per cent from last year. The stock remains in the “critical” zone. This information came following a year when inshore harvesters saw a 63 per cent quota cut. If the stock decrease is a sign that more quota cuts are coming, it’s looking like another difficult year for local harvesters and plant workers. Chris Rose of St. Carol’s is an inshore shrimp harvester. He is the owner and skipper of the Ashley and Brothers, a 65-footer. >click to read< 12:39
Oregon considers new rules for crab
As closures related to harmful marine toxins continue to plague Oregon’s lucrative commercial Dungeness crab fishery, new rules are under consideration that will help state fishery managers trace crab after it is caught and respond with more flexibility. In April, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider making permanent several rules introduced this crab season. A related bill is working its way through the Legislature. >click to read< 11:25
Are North Atlantic Right Whales Becoming Extinct? Experts Warn About Declining Fertility
The North Atlantic right whales may soon become extinct as no new births have been recorded, experts have warned. According to a report in the Guardian, the scientists who observed a whale community off the U.S. coast have not recorded any new births in the right whale population. The report also stated that a huge number of right whale deaths were recorded in 2017. Scientists have, therefore, said that a blend of the rising mortality rate and the declining fertility rate is resulting in the extinction of the right whales. >click to read<10:30 
Making Safety Training Fun! Cordova Community Taps Skills and Humor to Highlight Marine Safety
Marine safety is never far from coastal Alaskans’ thoughts, where commercial fishing and other marine trades are their livelihood. This holds true in Cordova, a community of 2,200 on Prince William Sound. Every February Cordovans enjoy displaying and testing their cold water safety skills during the Iceworm Survival Suit Races by donning survival suits, swimming to a life raft, and boarding the raft—all of which is more difficult than it sounds. This year ten teams joined in, including a visiting US Coast Guard team from the Homer-based buoy tender Hickory. >click to read< Survival Suit Race 2018 – the video >click to watch< 09:42
