Daily Archives: October 24, 2018
Ashored Innovations creates ropeless trap to help with marine animal entanglement
According to The United Nations Environment Programme, an estimated 640,000 tons of ghost gear is lost each year. It’s a problem that in 2017, caused the death of 12 North Atlantic right whales, an endangered species that live primarily off the Eastern coast of Canada. Ghost gear—various nets, traps, and rope that are lost from fishing vessels—make up for a large chunk of marine animal entanglement. Add in the amount of plastic that animals choke on and that number skyrockets. It’s here, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that Ashored Innovations is quietly working away on a solution. Some cute action video’s! >click to read<21:31
Kitzhaber re-emerges to back gillnet ban on the Columbia River
Former Gov. John Kitzhaber has re-emerged to champion a divisive plan he implemented to ban gillnets on the Columbia River — even as state fishery managers say the plan is not living up to expectations.,, Commercial fishermen argue gillnet gear is selective and does not unduly impact salmon runs, while sport fishing and conservation groups disagree. So far, neither state has come up with a replacement gear for gillnets, though Washington has continued to experiment with seine nets. >click to read<19:12
Disappointing early catches for area stone crabbers
The fishermen started putting their traps into the water on Oct. 5, and on Oct. 15, they began to legally harvest the first of the season’s claws and offer them for sale. With disappointing early catches from the first few days of pulling the traps, the crabbers will leave the traps in the Gulf longer to give the crabs time to fill them, said Pat Kirk of Kirk Fish Company in Goodland. Her husband, Damas Kirk, is a fifth-generation local fisherman, whose great aunt was Tommie Barfield, an icon in Marco Island history. Damas Kirk said the local crabbers are in serious need of finding and harvesting a bountiful catch. “These guys are needing a paycheck pretty bad right now,” he said >click to read<18:11
Plan To Revive San Diego Fishing Industry Agreed Upon By Fishermen, Developer
After years of negotiations, San Diego’s fishermen and a local developer have signed an agreement to recapture a lost piece of the city’s history – a thriving commercial fishing trade that once employed thousands of people while netting hundreds of millions of dollars. Much of the agreement focuses on five acres called Tuna Harbor, and the role it will play within Seaport San Diego, the billion-dollar waterfront development expected to break ground in 2022. The marina is expected to provide a true “working waterfront” – a unique attraction for the Seaport project, an economic boon for the region and an opportunity for the fishermen to revive their struggling industry. >click to read< 16:11
FISH-NL plans second certification application for 2019, but only if harvesters step up to the plate
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) announced plans today to move forward with a second application for certification in 2019, but only if inshore harvesters agree to pay dues. “FISH-NL can’t do this for harvesters, we can only do it with harvesters,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “The membership dues will be the deciding factor in the future of FISH-NL.” >click to read<13:39
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 48.3′ Duffy Lobster/Shrimper,700HP Lugger
Specifications, information and 9 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here<The boat is built very rugged for lobstering and shrimping. The boat has 3 floodable tanks under the deck that holds 20 crates. The boat also has a rope locker that goes across the boat under the deck that holds 60 crates of crab loose. This tank could also be plumbed to be floodable. In all, the boat could hold 120 crates of lobster or crab loose under the deck. The boat cruises at 10 knots and 14 knots WOT.11:16
Columbia River sanctuary patrols lead to multiple citations and arrests
As a result of numerous complaints of illegal gillnetting on the Columbia River at the Deschutes River Sanctuary, Oregon State Police in conjunction with Columbia River Inter Tribal Fisheries Enforcement (CRITFE) and Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Police conducted nighttime boat patrols to address the illegal gillnetting complaints. The operations were conducted on September 12, 13, 19 & 20, 2018. >click to read<10:05
‘Get out of here,’ fishermen tell crew on Northern Pulp survey boat
After a confrontation on the water, a fleet of fishing boats escorted a vessel believed to be conducting survey work for Northern Pulp back to the harbour in Pictou, N.S., on Tuesday morning. Fisherman Allan MacCarthy was the first to reach the survey boat about three kilometres from Caribou, N.S. “I said to them, you better get out of here because the ones that are following me aren’t going to be as nice as I am,” he said. “I just told the guys in the boat, your job is not worth this. Get out of here. Get that boat back to Pictou.” >click to read<
Rep. Joan Meschino creates seat for local lobstermen on fishing closures task force
Rep. Joan Meschino, D-Hull, was able to obtain a seat for the South Shore Lobster Fishermen’s Association on a Legislative working group that was created to examine the economic impact of the fishing grounds closure on local lobstermen. “I am grateful that the South Shore Lobster Fishermen’s Association has been added to the working group,” said John Havilland, association president. “It seems highly appropriate that the lobster fishermen, who are directly impacted by the fishing closures, be able to participate in their evaluation.” >click to read<09:26
Hundreds Of Unexplained Whale Deaths Might Be Linked To Offshore Wind Farms….
“….there is at least a possible link between the proliferation of offshore turbines and the increase in whale deaths. It’s logical, no?” Perhaps a bigger mystery even than the unexplained deaths of up to 100 whales washed up on Scottish and Irish beaches during the past few months, is the fact that much of the media has been strangely quiet over the matter. It’s thought that very many more of the mammals might have perished at sea, meaning that several hundred whales might have died. >click to read<07:25
