Monthly Archives: December 2018
MPA’s: Trawlers allowed to fish in E.U. marine (un)protected areas – “We were surprised to find this,” said Boris Worm
Marine Protected Areas appear to not be particularly protected. At least not around Europe. A study released Thursday in the journal Science found that trawling efforts were about 36 per cent higher inside European Union Marine Protected Areas than it was outside of them. It also found that abundance of species often caught as bycatch in trawls, like sharks, skates and rays, was lower inside the heavily fished marine protected areas than outside. “We were surprised to find this,” said Boris Worm, a Dalhousie University marine ecologist who was also a senior author of the study. >click to read<19:45
NOAA Calls for Protection of Female North Atlantic Right Whales
NOAA Fisheries researchers and colleagues are taking a closer look as to why the endangered western North Atlantic right whale population is growing at far more slower rate than that of southern right whales, a sister species also recovering from near extinction by commercial whaling. Researchers and colleagues looked at the question and have concluded that preserving the lives of adult females in the population is the most effective way to promote population growth and recovery. Most of these deaths are attributed to entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with ships. The findings are reported in Royal Society Open Science. >click to read<17:37
Japan to pull out of IWC to resume commercial whaling
Japan has decided to pull out of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), officials told AFP on Thursday, as Tokyo reportedly gears up to resume commercial whaling activity next year. Such a move would spark international criticism against Japan over whale conservation and deepen the divide between anti- and pro-whaling countries. “We are considering all options” including the possibility of withdrawal from the 89-member IWC, Fisheries Agency official Yuki Morita told AFP. Another official at the foreign ministry confirmed “all options are on the table but nothing formal has been decided yet”. >click to read<17:10
Northwest Dams to Spill More Water to Help Salmon & Orca
Dam operators will send more water spilling over the eight dams along the Snake and Columbia rivers in an effort to help young salmon survive the notoriously deadly trip to the Pacific Ocean. The spill management plan for 2019 and 2020 is a win for salmon advocates in a 17-year legal battle where federal judges have repeatedly told the government it’s not doing enough to prevent the extinction of salmon in the rivers of the Northwest. It also brings that litigation into alignment with the work of a Washington state task force determined to prevent the extinction of Southern resident killer whales whose survival depends on endangered Chinook salmon. >click to read<12:03
Heart of Louisiana: Cajun Christmas
A Christmas display in downtown Morgan City got a major upgrade this year with help from Hollywood. An Emmy Award-winning special effects artist has turned the town’s landmark shrimp boat into Christmas on the bayou. “It looks amazing,” said Kendra Dupre. “We’re art teachers. We’re from Houma, but we’re originally from this area. It’s just amazing to see such technique. Everything is so detailed.” The new, larger-than-life Cajun Christmas figures have taken over the town’s iconic shrimp boat, parked here in a highway median for decades. The display is a Christmas gift from Morgan City native Lee Romaire, who owns a Hollywood special effects studio. Video,>click to read<11:08
This fish is delicious and sustainable, but nobody’s buying
If someone mentions butterfish you may smack your lips, absolutely want to avoid it, or just scratch your head.,,, The confusion is relevant because the real butterfish could appear at a restaurant near you. In 2017 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that Atlantic butterfish “are not overfished and not subject to overfishing.” They’re tasty too. “I love them, they’re absolutely delicious,” said Gregory DiDomenico, executive director of the Garden State Seafood Association. Commercial fishermen have taken note. DiDomenico told NOAA that “people are very much looking forward to getting into this fishery. That means jobs on the boat, jobs at the plant, and fishermen buying more gear.” >click to read<10:33
$63.5K to help reshape Gloucester’s fish industry
When the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund was established in 2007, the Gloucester fleet already had transitioned away from its sizeable offshore groundfish fleet to a largely inshore fleet dependent on cod and other groundfish species in the Gulf of Maine. More than a decade later, the demise of the Gloucester inshore fleet continues, fueled by regulation, environmental restrictions and the simple demographics of an aging and declining workforce. “The aging-out of the fleet and attrition have really taken a toll,” said Vito Giacalone, GFCPF executive director. “We’ve now experienced two generations of fishermen who saw no value in continuing to fish.” >click to read<09:55
Canada protects two new areas off British Columbia’s coast for Resident Killer Whales
The Government of Canada is protecting and recovering the iconic and culturally important Southern and Northern Resident Killer Whales. These whales hold a special significance to Canadians, and Indigenous Peoples and play an important role as apex predators in our oceans ecosystem. Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, is announcing he has created two new areas of critical habitat for iconic Resident Killer Whales. >click to read<08:22
Only one applicant for ADFG chief
Members of the boards of Fisheries and Game will meet jointly Jan. 16 to choose an applicant to forward to Gov. Michael J. Dunleavy for the commissioner’s seat, but it likely won’t be a long meeting with just one applicant. Doug Vincent-Lang, whom Dunleavy appointed as Acting Commissioner on Dec. 4, was the only person to submit an application to be the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He previously worked with the department from 1999–2014, last serving as the director of the Division of Wildlife Conservation.>click to read<20:48
The farm bill’s untold story: What did Congress do for fish sticks?
The farm bill that Congress passed last week will be known for many things. It increases subsidies for farmers and legalizes industrial hemp. But for Alaska, the bigger impact might be what the bill does for fish sticks served in school lunchrooms across America. The National School Lunch Program has for decades required school districts to buy American-made food. But that doesn’t always happen when it comes to fish. “There was a major loophole,” Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said. “Major. That allowed, for example, Russian-caught pollock, processed in China with phosphates, sent back to the United States for purchase in the U.S. school lunch program.”>click to read<
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 64′ RSW Seiner/Scalloper/Herring vessel, 422HP CAT, Northern Lights – 60 KW
Specifications, information and 3 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >Click here<13:15
PETA lodges complaint against another Maine lobster processor
In a complaint sent to Hancock County District Attorney Matthew Foster, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says it recorded an undercover video of the alleged mistreatment at the Maine Fair Trade Lobster plant on Oct. 1. PETA has posted the video on its website. The video shows lobsters being dismembered, with some sets of legs continuing to move after they’ve been separated from the rest of the body. In a six-page letter sent to police and prosecutors, the group notes that some overseas authorities have concluded lobsters can feel pain and that some countries have banned boiling them alive. >click to read<12:42
Namibia’s ‘firstborn’ fishing vessel christened
NAMIBIA’S first brand new purpose-built fishing vessel, the ‘Oshiveli’ (which means ‘firstborn’ in Oshiwambo), was officially named by fisheries minister Bernhard Esau at Walvis Bay yesterday. Oshiveli was built for Tunacor, to the tune of N$200 million, in Spain since October last year and arrived at Walvis Bay recently, way before its scheduled delivery early next year. It will “start working” as of the end of this month. Tunacor Group chairperson Sidney Martin said the ship’s customised capability to catch three different species of fish (hake, horse mackerel and monk) with just a change of gear,,, >click to read<11:14
No-guilt fishing is here: WA company invents plastic-free bait system
A West Australian company has developed new burley and lobster bait boxes to let anglers and crayfishers go plastic-free, paving the way for cleaner fishing in a plastic-filled world. And all the bait they use – mulies, mullet, tuna heads, prawns – is covered in plastic, be it bags or vacuum-sealed plastic liners.,, WA bait and seafood supplier Mendolia decided things had to change, came up with the idea of the bait blocks and partnered with Recfishwest to develop a product that did away with plastic bags and lining. Burley Boxes are made using waste from sardines, which Mendolia catch themselves, frozen inside a 1-kilogram biodegradable box the size of a house brick. >click to read<10:29
Early ice growth means busy icebreaking season for coast guard vessels, officials in St. John’s say
The Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker fleet is expecting a busy season with the freeze-up of sea ice occurring three to four weeks ahead of a normal ice year, officials said in St. John’s Tuesday. Brad Durnford, superintendent of ice operations for the Atlantic Region, said during a technical briefing that water temperatures are lower than normal around the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Newfoundland and Labrador, and long-term forecasts show Eastern Canada having a chance of a cooler than normal winter, which will continue the ice growth. >click to read<09:44
Nova Scotia fisherman says blockaders are being used as ‘scapegoat’ in fight with Northern Pulp
A Pictou fisherman of 30 years says Northern Pulp Mill’s successful injunction against those who’ve blocked mill survey boats is a blame tactic to hide the company’s lack of proper waste plan. Nearly 100 people from various environmental groups, Pictou Landing First Nation, Pictou area residents and other supporters rallied outside the Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax amid blowing snow on Tuesday afternoon. The rally members said they were there to both support the fishermen named in the temporary injunction sought by Northern Pulp,,,, “If we allow it, our fisheries die,” >click to read<21:06
Five U.S. nationals arrested, fined for fishing in Passamaquoddy Bay
A U.S. Passamaquoddy fisherman says he doesn’t go out of his way to fish lobster in Canadian waters. But the border is just a mile away from his reserve in Maine and he can’t earn a living if he doesn’t cross it now and then. “We’re literally going from our back doors to where our people have fished and survived for thousands of years,” said Adam Newell, who lives on the Sipayik reservation in Pleasant Point. On Dec. 6, five U.S. fishermen, including four from the Passamaquoddy tribe, were arrested on the Canadian side of the border. >click to read<20:26
Coast Guard assists sinking fishing boat 50 miles east of Cape May, NJ
The Coast Guard assisted three mariners after their ship began taking on water more than 50 miles off Cape May, New Jersey, Monday. Fifth District command center watchstanders in Portsmouth, Virginia, received an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon alert from the 77-foot fishing trawler Capt Garland, but were unable to make contact with the crew after hailing them on VHF radio channel 16, Monday. >click to read<
Conservation groups threaten lawsuit against Trump administration over salmon fishing
Two conservation groups say the federal government is violating the Endangered Species Act by failing to consider how salmon fishing off the West Coast is affecting endangered killer whales. The Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity and the Washington state-based Wild Fish Conservancy on Tuesday notified President Donald Trump’s administration that they intend to file a lawsuit within 60 days unless officials reevaluate whether the fishing further jeopardizes orcas that frequent the inland waters of the Pacific Northwest. Video, >click to read<15:39
Portland City Council freezes development along waterfront
A task force appointed by City Manager Jon Jennings could begin looking at how to protect the marine industry and manage contrasting uses of Commercial Street next week. “It is all just a plan right now,” Jennings said Monday as city councilors approved a 180-day moratorium on “the development of new non-marine structures and expansion of non-marine uses” in the Waterfront Commercial Zone on the sea side of Commercial Street. The moratorium drew unanimous council support and near-unanimous public support in the preceding 45-minute public hearing. It was passed as an emergency measure, making it effective immediately. It will remain in effect until June 15, 2019. >click to read<15:02
N.S. pulp mill due in court to ask for injunction against fishermen’s blockade
Lawyers for the Northern Pulp mill are due in Nova Scotia Supreme Court today to seek an injunction that would prevent fishermen from blocking survey boats hired to examine a route for an effluent pipeline. Kathy Cloutier, a spokeswoman for Northern Pulp’s parent company, Paper Excellence Canada, confirmed the mill is seeking an interim injunction to prevent blockades of the survey work in the Northumberland Strait. A group of fishermen has stated they would block any survey boats from entering the Strait. >click to read<11:30
Watermen: Open Anne Arundel oyster sanctuaries to harvesting
Herring Bay near Deale has eight historic oyster bars, all of them protected from harvesting because the area is an oyster sanctuary. But some commercial watermen say working small sanctuaries like Herring Bay could be better for the oysters, water, and people in the long run. Bill Scerbo, president of the Anne Arundel Watermen’s Association, wants to see sanctuaries like those in county waters reopened to commercial fishing. They say right now oysters in some low-salinity sanctuaries, like Herring Bay, aren’t reproducing naturally. “A lot of oysters have died of old age up here and haven’t been replaced,” the Shady Side resident said. >click to read<10:50
Fishing overhaul draws praise from various sides, What are your thoughts?
An overhaul of federal fishing regulations approved Monday by the U.S. Senate is drawing praise from groups on competing sides of the long-running issue. The bill, which now heads to the House, was the subject of months of debate and compromise among lawmakers, commercial and recreational fishing interests and environmentalists. “Passage of the Modern Fish Act will boost our conservation efforts and benefit the local economies that depend on recreational fishing,” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the bill’s sponsor, said in a news release. “I appreciate the hard work of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this bill passed, but there is still more work to be done. I look forward to continuing our efforts to modernize federal fishing policies on the Gulf Coast and to support our fishermen.”>click to read<09:57
Fall season a lifeline for SC shrimpers as NOAA issues glowing fishery report
That big and juicy fresh shrimp served in butter this fall was a tasty break. After a delayed season opening and a spotty summer catch, the fall crop has seemingly made up for what could have been another scraping-the-bottom year, officials report. “They started coming in big in September and they’re still coming in big,” said Rutledge Leland, of Carolina Seafoods at the McClellanville shrimp dock. Shrimpers continue to do really well even though both numbers and size should be dropping off with the colder weather, he said. The catch has been so consistently good that McClellanville shrimpers had to slow down this week because processors cut back for the holidays,,, >click to read<
‘Wicked Tuna’ star William ‘Willbilly’ Hathaway dead at 36
“Wicked Tuna” star William “Willbilly” Hathaway died in a car crash Saturday, Fox News has learned. He was 36 years old. Maryland State Police’s Salisbury Barrack confirmed the reality star’s death on Monday. They declined to provide further comment on the case. According to local outlet WBOC16, police responded to a call from a concerned citizen who saw a truck in a ditch. Police told the outlet that Hathaway allegedly called his wife and said someone turned in front of him, forcing him to swerve into a ditch, but that he was uninjured. His wife told authorities she overheard him telling concerned passersby that he was OK. However, authorities found Williams not breathing and slumped over the center console when EMS services arrived. >click to read<16:10
Changing faces
New Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s appointments to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are rocking a state agency unaccustomed to dramatic change. Gone is affable Commissioner of Fish and Game Sam Cotten, a one-time state legislator and former commercial fisherman in a land where the latter carries a certain cachet. In his place, pending approval by the Joint Boards of Fish and Game and the Alaska Legislature, is Doug Vincent-Lang, a biologist who spent most of his career working in sport fisheries, which some in the commercial fishing business consider an enemy. And along with Vincent-Lang comes a whole new cast of characters most notably including the former doyen of morning talk-radio in Alaska’s largest city, Rick Rydell – real name Rick Green. >click to read<14:56
‘The Worst I’ve Ever Seen It’: Lean Stone Crab Season Follows Red Tide in Florida
On a good day, in a good year, a captain fishing off the shores of the Florida Everglades might catch 400 pounds of one of the state’s unrivaled delicacies, the stone crab. These are not good days. As the sun began to set on a recent cloudless afternoon, the kind that makes it unthinkable to spend winters anywhere but in Florida, Rick Collins piloted the High Cotton to a dock in Everglades City, the fishing village where three generations of his family have made a living trapping stone crab. His crew offloaded the day’s haul onto a huge scale. Seventy-three pounds. “This is about the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Mr. Collins, 69, a crabber for more than half a century. >click to read<13:37
Illinois to Michigan: Put your money where the carp is
Gov. Bruce Rauner said today that Illinois is happy to accept $8 million from the State of Michigan to put toward the fight to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes — provided the funds can be used now to advance the effort. Unfortunately, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s current offer of financial assistance isn’t applicable until 2028. Rauner sent a letter today to Snyder with a counterproposal to continue the fight against Asian carp. The Illinois governor said the best way to reduce the risk of Asian carp invasion is to enhance commercial fishing strategies in the Upper Illinois River and the Alton, LaGrange and Peoria pools today. >click to read<12:37
Dwayne Samson, captain in ‘murder for lobster’ case, gets full parole
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to a Cape Breton man convicted in what became known as the “murder for lobster” case. Dwayne Samson, 48, of D’escousse, N.S., is serving a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of Phillip Boudreau, 43, of Petit-de-Grat, N.S. His co-accused, Joseph James Landry, 71, was convicted of manslaughter and is serving a 14-year sentence. >click to read<10:58
N.J. fishing industry among country’s strongest
The New Jersey fishing industry is among the country’s most robust, generating billions in sales in 2016. That’s according to a report detailing the impact of the commercial and recreational fishing industry released on Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report, analyzing the industry’s impact by state in 2016, found that nationwide, it generated $212 billion in sales and supported 1.7 million jobs. The commercial industry accounts for the lion’s share of sales at $144 billion. >click to read<10:01
