Daily Archives: March 10, 2018
What a disappointment. It seems Senator Markey is still holding out on Bill S1322, American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act
What a disappointment. I just got a call from Bruce Schactler of the National Seafood Marketing Coalition, and it seems Senator Markey is still holding out on Bill S1322…the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act. Senator, I have always supported you because you were there for us with regards to fisherman. I am a retired Captain and we have met in the past. I have reached out to you many times recently regarding this important bill by Senator Sullivan of Alaska who has a bill that we want passed, and expect you to support. Sam Parisi>click to read< 21:15
What I learned about myself as the sole female crew member on a commercial fishing vessel
Before the universality of social media and the promulgation of movements like #MeToo that now prominently display powerful, mold-breaking women as role models for younger generations, I embarked on a 90-day journey as the sole female aboard a commercial fishing vessel among 25 men across the perilous Bering Sea. As the passage below recounting my first day aboard the ship demonstrates, I was in uncharted territory (both literally and figuratively). From “Bering Sea Strong: How I Found Solid Ground on Open Ocean” by Laura Hartema >click to read<18:03
Prince William Sound pinks find their way into Cook Inlet commercial harvest
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has been conducting a limited study on straying hatchery pink salmon around lower Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay to see whether fish from the Tutka Bay Lagoon and Port Graham hatcheries have been spawning in wild streams, but to its surprise, it discovered Prince William Sound hatchery fish in several local systems. But hatchery pinks from the Sound are also winding up in the commercial harvest. >click to read<15:24
Low numbers of endangered whales raise question about lobster industry impacts
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution scientist Mark Baumgartner said that to help the whales survive much longer, the ropes Maine lobstermen use to tend their traps have to be modified or even eliminated. And it’s not just for the whales’ sake. “I feel the industry is in jeopardy,” Baumgartner said.,,, Last month the Conservation Law Foundation’s Portland office filed a federal lawsuit against the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for violating the Endangered Species Act. >click to read< 12:10
New ‘Wicked Tuna’ season starts Sunday!
National Geographic Channel launches its seventh season of “Wicked Tuna” this Sunday, March 11, at 9 p.m., with an extended 90-minute episode. The new season finds the captains in need of redemption. Beverly resident Capt. Dave Marciano of the Hard Merchandise is out to turn things around after a disappointing season in Gloucester last year, in which he caught only five fish. Over on the Hot Tuna, Capt. TJ Ott had a dismal season in the Outer Banks. Meanwhile, Capt. Tyler McLaughlin of the Pinwheel is armed with a new boat and a skilled mate. >click to read< 11:04
N.H. Fishermen say they haven’t been off water this long since Perfect Storm
New England fishermen can finally get back to work with the departure of the latest nor’easter to hit the region. Most fishermen said they have been off the water since March 1. They said the extended time away from their boats has affected their livelihoods and the availability of fresh, local fish. Giant waves pounded the coast for seven days during back-to-back nor’easters. “The waves were probably five stories high, roughly 35 to 40 feet,” fisherman David Goethel said. >click to read< 10:15
Beaufort community helped save this seafood institution.
It’s officially a community barn-raising. An effort to raise money and rebuild a Beaufort County seafood institution spread in recent weeks with the help of volunteers and social media. Now the first sections of Gay Fish Co.’s storm-ravaged docks can be rebuilt in time for shrimp season. Organizers expect work to begin the first week of April and finish by June. “Everybody is convinced now it’s going to happen,” said dock builder Richard Knieriem, who is volunteering to oversee the construction. >click to read< 09:07
Petersburg assembly joins call for increased sea otter harvest
Petersburg Borough Assembly joined the call this month for measures to slow a growing population of sea otters in Southeast, as the marine mammals are impacting shellfish stocks. The Assembly passed a resolution at its March 5 meeting, calling for the federal government to work with the State of Alaska and Alaska Native tribes to establish strategies for an ecological balance of shellfish resources and the reintroduced sea otters. >click to read<08:23
North Pacific Recovering From The Blob, Salmon More Slowly
Ocean conditions off most of the U.S. West Coast are returning roughly to average, after an extreme marine heat wave from about 2014 to 2016 disrupted the California Current Ecosystem and shifted many species beyond their traditional range, according to a new reportfrom NOAA Fisheries’ two marine laboratories on the West Coast. Some warm waters remain off the Pacific Northwest, however. >click to read<07:57
