Daily Archives: June 20, 2018
Climate change moving fish north, threatening turf wars, study says
World conflict is likely to increase over access to fisheries, as species move north in response to a warming ocean, according to a Rutgers University study published last week in the journal Science. “Seventy or more countries will likely have to start sharing with their neighbors” in coming decades, said lead author Malin Pinsky, including the U.S., Canada and Mexico.,, Gregory DiDomenico, executive director of the Garden State Seafood Association, said northern states such as New York argue they should now get a larger allotment for their fishing industries. He said allotments, which are set by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, are based on the history of landings by state. >click to read<23:32
How a small town in Nova Scotia is taking a stand against deepwater drilling in the Atlantic
Less than 100 kilometers down the coast from Halifax sits the picturesque, historic fishing town of Lunenburg. Lining the streets is a kaleidoscope of colourful buildings which lead to the town hall, a red brick building in “old town.” Inside, a quiet rebellion is brewing. Lunenburg town council has decided to take a stand after the recent government approval of British Petroleum’s deepwater drilling project 300 kilometres off the Nova Scotia coast. In April, the oil giant began drilling the first of seven planned exploratory wells, some twice the depth of the Deepwater Horizon well, l, site of the largest marine oil spill in history in 2010. The explosion and sinking of the Transocean oil rig ravaged the Gulf of Mexico, leaking about 3.19 million barrels of oil from BP’s pipes into the ocean over 87 consecutive days.>click to read<19:53
Trump administration replaces Obama-era ocean policy
The Trump administration has revoked an environmental and economic management program for the United States’ coastal ecosystems and replaced it with a program that the president says “streamlines federal coordination.” The National Ocean Policy (NOP), created by an executive order by President Barack Obama in July 2010, established a comprehensive program to ensure the sustainability of the country’s coastal areas and the health of oceans and the Great Lakes. According to a White House news release issued Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s repeal of the 2010 executive order was done because of “excessive bureaucracy created by the previous administration,” citing the National Ocean Council’s 27 departments and agencies. >click to read<17:17
From the White House – Executive Order Regarding the Ocean Policy to Advance the Economic, Security, and Environmental Interests of the United States – >click to read<
Copper River crash will cost commercial fishermen millions
Copper River sockeye fishermen are facing historic low returns this year, prompting some commercial fisherman to target other species elsewhere in Prince William Sound, and leaving others waiting onshore in what is usually a profitable fishery to the tune of $15 million or more in ex-vessel value. Through mid-June, the commercial Copper River District drift gillnet fishery had landed just less than 26,000 sockeye salmon and a little more than 7,000 kings during three mid-May fishing periods. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game had expected a harvest this summer of nearly 1 million sockeye in the district, and about 13,000 kings. As the harvest stands now, it’s the second-lowest in the past 50 years. >click to read<16:21
Massachusetts Environmental Police recreational vessel inspection nets criminal summonses
On Tuesday, June 19, 2018, a Massachusetts Environmental Police Officer conducted a fisheries inspection of a recreational vessel at the boat ramp in Sandwich. The inspection of the vessel yielded 300 pounds of jumbo black sea bass, 73 pounds of large black sea bass, one short black sea bass, and 7 pounds of scup. The vessel operator presented the Officer with a New Hampshire commercial fishing permit and indicated he believed he could fish commercially in Massachusetts with said permit. The operator and his passengers were each issued criminal summonses for fishing commercially in Massachusetts without a Massachusetts commercial permit and possession over the legal limit of black sea bass. 15:37
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 48′ Aluminum Scalloper, (2) Detroit 871’s, 25 kW Genset, Federal permit available
Specifications, information and 5 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >Click here<12:30
Boothbay Harbor kicked off lobster boat racing season Saturday, and in Rockland on Sunday
Maine’s summer lobster boat racing season opened last weekend with turnouts of nearly 50 boats both at Boothbay Harbor on Saturday and at Rockland on Sunday. Both races drew several new boats, including several from Downeast, and both events saw some impressive speed runs, though no records were broken. This year, race organizers established two classes for boats built primarily, or exclusively, to race rather than fish. >click to read<11:46
Fishermen Urge Regulators to Establish 50-Mile Buffer Zone for Herring Trawlers
Local fishermen and elected officials from across Cape Cod strongly urged fishery managers Tuesday to impose a strict 50 mile buffer zone for mid-water herring trawlers. At an overflow meeting in the Chatham Community Center, they said the vessels are wiping out the herring, negatively impacting the local fishing industry and related economies. The New England Fishery Management Council is considering changes in the rules that govern the trawlers and has been taking comments at various ports around New England. >click to read<11:05
Investigation results released after fatal herring boat sinking
The chain of events that led to a fishing boat sinking off Cape Lazo have been released. Back on March 6, 2017, the Miss Cory had been fishing for herring in the Strait of Georgia after sailing out of Comox for the fishery opening that day. The fishing boat was 19.5 metres in length, and based out of Prince Rupert. It had sent out a distress call around 4:30 p.m. in the afternoon, at a location around five and a half kilometres out from Cape Lazo. At the time of the sinking, four crew members were rescued by a nearby vessel, the Proud Venture. One person was unaccounted for and declared missing. >click to read<08:41
Man sentenced in scheme to skim money from Maine seafood company
A former seafood dealer was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland to six months in federal prison for wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Jonathan F. Cowles, 48, of Honolulu, Hawaii, and formerly of Rowley, Massachusetts, also was ordered to pay nearly $360,000 in restitution to his former employer, Maine Coast Shellfish, LLC, a lobster wholesaler in York. That is the amount of money the company lost when Cowles had Maine Coast Shellfish ship 50,000 pounds of lobster to a customer in China whose identity he concealed and who never paid for the lobsters, according to court documents. >click to read<08:16
Drift fishermen hopeful for Wednesday’s Nushagak opener
Fishermen faced blustery bouts of rain Tuesday at Dillingham’s small boat harbor, but that’s not dampening their enthusiasm for Wednesday’s commercial drift net opener in the Nushagak and Igushik sections. Many drift boats plan to ride Tuesday night’s tide out into the bay for the first commercial drift gillnet opening from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday. “You saw it here – as soon as that announcement (went out at 9 a.m. Tuesday), there was boat after boat getting thrown in the water here. I would assume there’s going to be quite an interest in this opener,” said Logan Branstiter of the F/V B-Team. “(We’re going to) start looking around, looking for jumpers, looking for signs of fish and activity and hope you hope you set on them.” >click to read<07:26
