Daily Archives: July 12, 2018
“We have Fishermen in my District Fighting to Survive.” Rep. Zeldin House floor speech in support of Long Island fishermen
H.R. 200 includes Rep. Zeldin’s amendment to permit striped bass fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between Montauk, New York, and Block Island, Rhode Island, allowing local control over the fishery. 22:03
Copper disaster
No sooner did the burst of sockeye salmon into the Copper River begin than it was over. With the famous salmon river in eastern Alaska again falling behind projected daily returns, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today that a Thursday through Sunday opening of the popular personal-use dipnet fishery will likely be the year’s last. The weak sockeye run has now turned into a disaster for almost everyone. Cordova commercial fishermen off the mouth of the river caught only 26,000 of the highly valuable sockeye in three short openings in May before they were shutdown for the year. >click to read<20:33
Broken Promise? – Thiele And Lavalle call on N.Y. State to keep Promise, File Legal Action Against Inequitable Federal Fishing Quotas
Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. and State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle today called upon New York State to keep its promise to the state’s commercial fishermen and bring litigation immediately to strike down the inequitable and discriminatory fluke quotas that are crippling the economic viability of the state’s commercial industry. This week, the State Department of Conservation announced that the fluke fishery would be closed in state waters until the end of the month and would then re-open with a paltry harvest limit of 50 pounds per day. In 2013, Governor Cuomo visited Montauk and promised to sue the federal government over the state’s low share of the East Coast fluke fishery. That promise was reiterated again by the Governor in late 2017. This spring, instead of bringing litigation, the state filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce protesting the quota. >click to read<17:19
New regulations to protect marine mammals in effect for all coasts in Canada
New regulations to protect whales, dolphins and porpoises are in effect for all coasts in Canada as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans works to ensure more officers and patrol vessels are available to enforce the rules.,,, The regulations include the requirement to report to the Fisheries Department any incident of a vessel accidentally striking a mammal or when it becomes entangled in fishing gear, Cottrell said. Under the Fisheries Act, anyone who disturbs marine mammals could be fined up to $100,000 or a maximum of $500,000 for a criminal offence, Cottrell said. >click to read<14:38
An old boat with a prosperous past awaits a future afloat
For decades, the Midas was a commercial fishing vessel that ventured between Alaska and Washington. It was like a middle man, purchasing fish from boats at sea and selling it at ports in Seattle, Juneau, Ketchikan or wherever else the market called. The Midas had a prosperous past. In 1987, it sold for more than $4 million. Today, the 100-footer is far removed from its glory days. It looks haggard on a muddy bank near the I-5 bridge over the Snohomish River between Marysville and Everett.,, Richard Cook, 46, bought the boat in November. He said he bought it so his father could fish in Alaska. >click to read<13:58
Prince William Sound commercial catch tops 3.5M fish
Commercial harvests in Prince William Sound have reached 3.5 million salmon, even as the surge in the catch in late June slowed somewhat in early July. Through June 10 fishermen delivered to processors an estimated 2,450,601 chums, 1,022,779 sockeyes, 18,461 pinks, 7,829 Chinooks and 459 silvers. Drift gillnetters in the Coghill district alone have brought in over 1.8 million fish, including an estimated 1.7 million chums, 155,704 reds, 1,959 humpies, 386 kings and 94 silvers. Purse seiners in the Montague district had,,, Statewide harvest updates provided by the McDowell Group in Juneau for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute show that through June 10 nearly 28 million salmon have been delivered to processors. >click to read<12:55
House kills Rhode Island’s push to join mid-Atlantic fishery council
The House on Wednesday rejected a push from Rep. Jim Langevin to let his state join the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, which regulates several species of fish that are caught mostly by fishermen from Langevin’s home state of Rhode Island. The amendment would have added two seats on the 21-seat council for the state of Rhode Island. But after explaining why his state should join the group, the House rejected Langevin’s amendment in a voice vote, and Langevin, a Democrat, didn’t demand a recorded vote. Langevin also pointed out a precedent on the issue in North Carolina, which was added to the council in 1996 for similar reasons. >click to read<12:14
Fishing tradition clashes with enforcement
Johnny “Atulai” Taitano just wants to fish. In the last 60 years, he’s been arrested officially and unofficially 38 times, Taitano said. On Thursday, Taitano had yet another run-in with Port Authority of Guam police who contend his net fishing is in violation of Port policies that ban net fishing in the Hagåtña boat basin. “They’re confiscating the fish, the nets, the boats. It’s sad. I’m a fisherman,” Taitano said. While out catching fish that he was to sell to a local restaurant, Taitano said, Port Police called his group of fishermen back to shore. >click to read<11:11
Spanish fishing boat “Dorneda” sinks in Argentine Waters, twenty-five crewmembers rescued, one missing
A Spanish fishing trawler sank in rough weather off Argentina’s coast and at least one crewmember died, Argentina’s Navy said Wednesday. Twenty-five crewmembers were rescued and one was missing. The Navy issued a statement saying it was alerted Tuesday night that the Dorneda was in trouble. Early in the morning, the Spanish fishing trawler Farruco found two life rafts and a lifeboat with crewmembers from Spain, Peru, Morocco and Indonesia aboard. The British-flagged Beagle I also participated in the rescue and was taking the survivors,,, >click to read<09:51
La. shrimp industry representatives welcome Trump tariffs, Other U.S. seafood interests oppose
Louisiana shrimp industry representatives welcomed the Trump administration’s announcement today that it will impose tariffs on Chinese seafood imports. Members of the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force, meeting in Houma, said they are considering a push for similar 10 percent tariffs on other top countries that send shrimp to the U.S., including India, Indonesia and Vietnam. Shrimpers in Terrebonne, Lafourche and across the U.S. coast have long complained that a wave of cheaper, mostly farm-raised imports has made it difficult for domestic shrimp fishermen to compete. About 90 percent of shrimp consumed in the U.S. is imported. >click to read<09:01
Shrimp boat crew saves 2 men after float plane crash
Two men are said to be in good shape and good spirits after the float plane they were in crashed during landing in the water near the government dock in Happy Valley-Goose Bay Wednesday evening. They were rescued from the water by some nearby shrimp fishermen. “We got within about a hundred yards [91 metres], I’d say … or maybe closer when the first feller popped up on the pontoon,” said Chris Lethbridge, who was aboard the boat that went out to save them. “[They’re] very lucky the boat was here.” The shrimp fisherman just happened to be staying on their boat Bailey Grace overnight so they could get an early start Thursday morning. >click to read<08:15
