Daily Archives: July 25, 2018

California King Salmon Season Reopens July 26

California’s commercial salmon fishermen are thrilled to again provide some of the world’s best tasting salmon – the California King Salmon! In fact, chefs, foodies and salmon lovers everywhere can again enjoy this iconic summer delicacy right from their local grocery stores, fish markets and restaurants. After a mid-season break, commercial salmon fishermen will begin fishing again on July 26. Prior to the scheduled June 30 closure, the catch was more than double the projection for the May-June season in the Monterey management zone. “There is a larger supply of King Salmon than was anticipated, which is great news for California consumers,” said David Goldenberg, chief executive officer of the California Salmon Council. >click to read<21:05

Coast Guard medevacs fisherman 20 miles north of Kodiak

A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced a male crewmember from a fishing vessel in Duck Bay, near Kodiak, Alaska, Wednesday. The Jayhawk helicopter crew hoisted the crewmember from the fishing vessel Nordic Cross and transported him to Kodiak where he was transferred to awaiting emergency medical services personnel. Coast Guard Sector Anchorage watchstanders received notification from the crew of the Nordic Cross, who reported a 47-year-old crewman was suffering from a leg injury. >click to read<19:38

Brad Pettinger steps down from Oregon trawl commission

After 15 years of representing Oregon’s trawl industry, Brad Pettinger is stepping down as director of the Oregon Trawl Commission (OTC) and passing the job to Yelena Nowak. Nowak comes to Brookings from Portland where she worked for the Oregon Department of Agriculture as a trade development manager. She specializes in marketing a trade development and said this area was part of her region and she always liked the area. “I am extremely lucky because the industry is transitioning and the fishery is in a great shape,” she said. Pettinger said he just felt it was time to move on. He will turn 60 soon and is a fisherman by trade. “My brother is managing my vessel and has his own,” he said. “I’m going to go do my own fishing.” >click to read<18:52

Pingree Helps Lead Effort to Provide Trade Relief to Fishermen

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) has signed on as an original cosponsor of legislation that Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) introduced today to provide disaster relief to fishermen who have been harmed by the repercussions of the Trump Administration’s trade actions. “Farmers haven’t been the only ones to suffer the consequences of the Trump Administration’s sloppy trade actions. The bill would provide disaster relief for commercial fishery failures due to tariffs imposed by the United States or another country. >click to read<18:12

Tender capsizes near Clark’s Point, two rescued, one crewman is missing.

A commercial fishing vessel has capsized in the Nushagak Bay close to Dillingham. The United States Coast Guard received a report Wednesday morning that the F/V Pacific Knight capsized near Clark’s Point. The 58-foot long liner has been operating as a tender in Bristol Bay this summer. The good samaritan vessel Amanda C reportedly rescued two people from the water. A third person who went overboard is still missing. It is unknown whether this person was wearing a personal flotation device. photo commercialfishingpermits.com>click to read<16:32

The lobster wars are over. We won

You may recall a few weeks ago when we discussed the coming Lobster Wars involving the United States, Canada and China. (There’s an odd combination for you.) The first component of the conflict has to do with the ongoing dispute between America and the Great White North over who actually owns the “gray area” surrounding the Bay of Fundy off the coast of Maine.,,, It’s the trade war aspect which was of more current interest because it would cut off some of the markets for American fishermen leading to an increase of supply domestically and a cut in demand. >click to read<15:41

Council for Sustainable Fishing – SAFMC Efforts to decrease the number of charter and headboats

Charter and headboat operators are now living one of these horror movies as the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council once again moves forward with limiting the number of for-hire snapper-grouper permits, this time through Snapper-Grouper Amendment 47. And now the SAFMC is not just talking about limiting the number of charter and headboats, they are now talking about decreasing the number. This has nothing to do with fishery sustainability. A limited-entry fishery is the first step toward a catch share fishery, one that will set up a “stock market” for permits. >click to read, comment<14:21

Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 45′ x 17′ Novi Lobster/Scalloper/Gillnet, Permits, John Deere 6125FM, NGOM Scallop

Specifications, information and 15 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >Click here<13:18

Louisiana Fisherman Talks Water Quality and Nutrient Reduction with Iowa Farmers

Nutrient runoff from Iowa agriculture is one of the leading causes of the growing “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico, an oxygen-deprived section of the Gulf, which last year was recorded to be the size of the state of New Jersey. “About 29 percent of the load coming into the Gulf originates in Iowa,” says Larry Weber, an executive associate dean professor in the University of Iowa’s College of Engineering. “If we take the Iowa portion out of the Gulf, then the nitrate load to the Gulf of Mexico would be going down. The real challenge in fixing the Gulf hypoxia starts in Iowa.” In this special edition of River to River, host Clay Masters talks with panelists about what Iowa farmers are doing, or not doing, when it comes to reducing nutrient runoff into the Mississippi River. He also speaks with Thomas Olander, Chairman of the Louisiana Shrimp Association and a fourth generation shrimper. Audio report >click to listen<10:23

Research vessel departs for study of ‘black hole’ of Hudson Bay

With an extensive refit complete, the William Kennedy will leave the port of Summerside, P.E.I., Wednesday to explore one of the most understudied regions of the Arctic — Hudson Bay. “Despite being Canada’s largest ocean watershed, the Hudson Bay is like a black hole in terms of scientific knowledge with large gaps in oceanographic and near shore studies,” Adrian Schimnowski, CEO of Arctic Research Foundation, one of the operators of the boat, said in a news release. William Kennedy is a converted deep-sea crab fishing vessel. The refit, which was done in Summerside, cost $2 million. >click to read<09:25

After a hammer attack on a shrimp boat, Coast Guard searching for shrimper who fell or jumped into water off Fort Myers Beach

Members of the Coast Guard are looking for a man who fell (or jumped) off a shrimp boat. Brandon Scerri, 23, fell near Bowditch Point on Fort Myers Beach. He was on the shrimp boat “Jacob” on his way back from near the Florida Keys and Dry Tortuga area. Crime Stoppers said Scerri is a transient on Fort Myers Beach and doesn’t have any family in the area. Investigators said Scerri has gone missing before and may have mental health issues. >Video, >click to watch<08:30