Daily Archives: March 2, 2019
Annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum underway
Hundreds of fishermen and their families gathered at the Samoset Resort for the annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum. They host gear suppliers, scientists, vendors that sell the latest technology and much more. “There’s gear, the Coast Guard and you have resources here. There’s a lot of conversations, a lot of seminars. Get everyone together and kind of swap ideas and see what everyone else is seeing.” Video,>click to read<17:35
At Maine Fishermen’s Forum, Sen. Angus King lauds fishing industry – >click to read<
Upgrades coming to 105-year-old Fishermen’s Terminal
The Port of Seattle is set to breathe new life into their oldest facility, the Fishermen’s Terminal, which just celebrated its 105th birthday. Major upgrades and new resources are in the works as the Port plans to roll out a four-year, $23 million dollar project to improve the terminal. The Port says their objectives include developing new light industrial space and new jobs, advancing maritime industry innovation, and enhancing public awareness of the terminal and the fishing industry. >click to read<17:07
Varadkar vows to resolve legal anomaly that led to NI trawler seizure
A legal “anomaly” that led to the seizure of two small fishing boats from Northern Ireland and drew angry denunciations from pro-British politicians will be resolved, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has promised. A 60m Irish Naval Service vessel on Thursday impounded two trawlers registered in Northern Ireland for fishing illegally inside the Republic’s six-mile (9.6 km) territorial limit. The Democratic Unionist Party reacted angrily at the seizure, with deputy leader Nigel Dodds on Thursday describing the incident as “outrageous . . . heavy-handed tactics”. Mr Dodds also accused the Varadkar-led Government of using it as a “bargaining chip on Brexit”, something Dublin has denied. >click to read<13:16
Environmentalist Tells Tucker Carlson: Renewables Can’t Save The Planet (VIDEO)
Environmental activist Michael Shellenberger explained to Fox News host Tucker Carlson that it’s not possible to shift the country’s grid completely to renewable energy. “I was one of the founders of, sort of, the first Green New Deal back in 2003, 2007,” Shellenberger, the founder of Environmental Progress, began. “People don’t remember President Obama, we spent about $150 billion on renewables between 2009 and 2015, and we just kept encountering the same kind of problems.” Shellenberger laid out the two main problems that plague wind turbines and solar panels: unreliability and low energy density. Video, >click to read<12:57
Striped bass population drops sharply in Gulf of St. Lawrence
The spawning population of striped bass in the Gulf of St. Lawrence plunged in 2018, ending a remarkable run of sustained growth over the past decade, according to a newly released update from Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The average estimate is now about 333,000, down from 900,000 in 2017. DFO’s analysis notes its 2018 estimates vary widely from a low of 154,000 spawners to a high of 623,000. So why has the population of striped bass fallen? “Potentially it may be linked to the last few winters. Since 2017, it’s been very rough winters,” said Martin Mallet, a biologist and executive director of the Maritime Fishermen’s Union. >click to read<10:50
Value of Maine scallop landings dropped by 37 percent last year
Maine’s 2018 scallop harvest fell by 37 percent in value and by 30 percent in volume from the prior year, according to state officials. Despite the dropoff, the fishery continues to be relatively productive and lucrative compared to its poor condition in the 2000s. Maine scallop fishermen netted 563,000 pounds of scallop meat with a cumulative dockside value of $5.9 million in 2018, continuing a streak of six straight years in which the fishery has produced nearly half a million pounds or more of scallop meat and at least $5 million in statewide landings value. >click to read<09:56
