Daily Archives: March 12, 2018
Council recognizes the 90th annual “Blessing of the Fleet” as crews prepare to head to Alaska
Our region enjoys some of the best seafood in the world, much brought to our shores from crews preparing to go to Alaska for the summer fishing season. The Metropolitan King County Council today recognized those brave men and women who will spend their summer in the North Pacific by recognizing the “Blessing of the Fleet” which will occur this weekend, the start of the halibut fishing season.,, “These crews and their captains face a level of danger that most of us will never confront in our workplace, and they do so year after year,” said Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles, the sponsor of the recognition. For the 90th year, families and friends of the crews preparing to leave will gather at Fisherman’s Terminal in Ballard for a blessing,,, >click to read<20:31
DFO contemplating sweeping North Coast salmon fishery closure
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is strongly considering a total shutdown of all chinook and sockeye fishing on the North Coast. The potential 2018 fishing ban will include all First Nation food, social and ceremonial harvesting; all commercial operations; and all charter boat and recreational angling. Even the possibility of such a closure, several groups say, is nothing less than devastating. ,,DFO has been meeting with First Nations, recreational and commercial committees to determine if the closures for both sockeye and chinook are even avoidable.>click to read<17:51
Capelin decline 70 per cent but scientists not worried
Scientists with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans found a lot fewer capelin last year during their survey of the stock — a decline of 70 per cent from the last count, done in 2015. Scientists blame late spawning for the population drop. Once the capelin larvae hatch they need tiny copepods for food, and if they hatch after the copepod population spikes, then fewer larvae will survive.,,, Last year about 20,000 tonnes of capelin were fished commercially, but scientists at DFO said fishing has little impact on the decline.,, >click to read< 16:42
Poor outlook for caplin this year: DFO – Caplin fishery does not negatively affect caplin abundance, scientist says, >click to read< 21:03
Lobster traps washed up on Great Bores Head, Hampton, NH, Finder would like to get them back to the owners
We just got this email, and If you’re missing some gear, you could check with Bev Hollingworth. AT OUR HOUSE ON GREAT BOARS HEAD “BARNACLE” WE HAVE 18 TRAPS WASHED UP FROM LAST WEEKS STORM. WHO CAN I CONTACT TO ARRANGE FOR THEM TO BE PICKED UP. THE PICK UP COULD BE UP OUR STAIRS TO TRUCK PICKING UP. I CAN BE REACHED BY THIS EMAIL, >[email protected]<. HAVE WORKED WITH ERIK ANDERSON YEARS AGO. BEV HOLLINGWORTH15:38
No kings
Snow and ice still cover the tributaries of the Susitna River basin, but already the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is talking about closing the Chinook salmon fishery for the 2018 season. The agency’s fear for the drainages of both the Susitna and Little Susitna mirrors the 2017 fear for the 24,000-square-mile Copper River basin : No king salmon. In the case of the Copper last year, the state was faced with a scientifically calculated Chinook forecast calling for the return of 29,000 of the fish – only 5,000 more than were needed for spawning in streams located behind a gauntlet of commercial, subsistence, personal-use dipnet, and rod-and-reel fisheries. >click to read<14:48
“mansplaining” – John McDonnell channels Justin Trudeau by referring to ‘fisherpeople’ instead of fishermen
John McDonnell, Labour’s shadow chancellor, appeared to be channeling his inner Justin Trudeau yesterday when he referred to British fishermen as “fisherpeople” during a television interview. Labour’s shadow chancellor spoke of the need to protect the interests of British fishing fleets after Brexit, employing the unfamiliar phrase which drew comparisons to the Canadian Prime Minister. Mr Trudeau, notorious for his careful and sometimes strange use of language, recently told a young woman that she should refer to “peoplekind” instead of “mankind”, a decision he was criticsed for. >click to read< 11:24
This Is Why You Don’t See People-Sized Salmon Anymore
While the orcas of Puget Sound are sliding toward extinction, orcas farther north have been expanding their numbers. Their burgeoning hunger for big fish may be causing the killer whales’ main prey, chinook salmon, to shrink up and down the West Coast. Chinook salmon are also known as kings: the biggest of all salmon. They used to grow so enormous that it’s hard now to believe the old photos in which fishermen stand next to chinooks almost as tall as they are, sometimes weighing 100 pounds or more. >click to read<11:06
Coroner calls for compulsory EPIRBs after Returner tragedy
A Coronor has implored maritime authorities to make it compulsory for all fishing vessels to carry water-activated EPIRB devices, following an inquest into the sinking of the prawn trawler Returner off the WA coast which claimed the lives of skipper Murray Turner and deckhands Chad Fairley and Mason Carter. The findings of last year’s coronial investigation into the tragic sinking in July 2015 were released today, with coroner Sarah Linton concluding that a lack of stability of the trawler, which had undergone extensive modifications prior to setting out, had caused the vessel to capsize and those aboard to drown. >click to read< 09:58
Ga. Coast’s fishing families featured in free Green Screen Film Fest
It is the picturesque embodiment of the good life in this corner of the state, but some folks still look to Georgia’s coastal waters for their very livelihoods. The stories of these stalwart folks who steadfastly ply those waters to reap its bountiful seafood harvest are the focus of “Shifting Baselines,” the featured documentary in the free Green Screen Film Festival from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. this Saturday at the Historic Ritz Theater in downtown Brunswick. The one-hour film chronicles the likes of longtime Darien commercial fisherman Charlie Phillips, as well as the enduring legacy of Georgia fishing dynasties such as the Timmons and Gale families. >click to read< 09:32
WEATHER UPDATE: NEFMC Program Review, Tuesday, March 13 modifications, to accommodate remote public comments
Due to the incoming winter storm, the New England Fishery Management Council will provide an opportunity for members of the public to speak remotely via webinar during scheduled public comment periods on Tuesday, March 13 during the first day of the Council Program Review. Here’s what you need to know.,, Panel members will be arriving in advance of the storm, and the review meeting will proceed on schedule.,,, Therefore, the New England Council is expanding the webinar option to accommodate remote public comments during the storm. At present, this option will be available only on Tuesday, March 13. Register for the webinar >click to register/listen/comment<>click to read the updated info< 12:35
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