Monthly Archives: March 2019
Halibut trial verdict: Gudgell brothers convicted of 18 fishing violations
After about three hours of deliberation, a six-person jury on Feb. 28 convicted charter boat operators Robert and David Gudgell of a total of 18 of 29 alleged fishing violations. The decision came after an eight-day trial in South District Court, in which more than 20 witnesses testified. The brothers work for Pacific Salmon Charters, an Ilwaco charter company owned by their parents, Milt and Sarah Gudgell. >click to read<10:47
Marine Stewardship Council not convinced a single season with no whale deaths means fishery is sustainable
Despite a year when no North Atlantic right whales died in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the snow crab fishery has not won back its certification from a marine stewardship group. The Marine Stewardship Council has extended the suspension of its “sustainable” fishing certification for New Brunswick crab products by another year. The council suspended its certification last March after 12 right whales were found dead in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2017. At least two deaths were linked to entanglements in snow-crab fishing gear. Last season, the federal government instituted widespread fishing closures and shipping-speed limitations. Although there were no deaths, three whales were still entangled in snow crab gear. >click to read<23:50
Government of Canada awards aerial surveillance contract in St John’s to improve conservation and protection of our oceans
Making our oceans and our coasts healthier and safer, as well as ensuring our Indigenous, commercial, and recreational fisheries remain sustainable, are priorities for the Government of Canada. Through patrol and enforcement of our laws, Canada continues to protect our oceans, marine life and fisheries from coast to coast to coast. Today, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, announced that the Government of Canada is awarding a five-year, $128 million contract,,, They will also help enforce the measures put in place by the Government of Canada to protect our endangered whales. This includes monitoring the Gulf of St. Laurence for compliance of the recently-announced fisheries management measures for North Atlantic right whales, as well as monitoring critical habitat areas for Southern Resident killer whales and enforcing fisheries management measures for their primary prey, Chinook salmon. >click to read<22:21
Vineyard Wind and R.I. strike bargain. R.I. Fishery Advisory Board chairman doesn’t like settlement. Nobody does.
“I just think it was a [expletive] deal for the industry, but it’s the deal that we got,” Newport, R.I. lobsterman Lanny Dellinger, chairman of the Rhode Island Fisheries Advisory Board, told The Times.
“I just don’t think the negotiations were set up fairly,” he said.,, Richard Fuka, Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance president, said squid fishermen, who comprise the most lucrative part of the Rhode Island fishing industry, weren’t represented on the board and were therefore cut out of negotiations. When asked if Vineyard Wind was aware squid fishermen may have not had a seat at the table for negotiations, Vineyard Wind spokesman Scott Farmelant declined to talk about any part of the deal and referred The Times to the Vineyard Wind release. >click to read<16:20
Lobster landings post turnaround, Maine’s fisheries’ overall value second highest on record
Maine’s lobster harvesters had a strong year in 2018, landing 119.64 million pounds. That was an increase of nearly 8 million pounds over 2017’s figure of 111.9 million pounds, according to a Department of Marine Resources news release. The landings peak was in 2016, when 132.6 million pounds were harvested, after four years in the range of 122 million to 127 million pounds, according to the agency’s data. Last year was the seventh time in history that landings exceeding 110 million pounds. At $484.544 million, the value of Maine’s lobster fishery climbed by more than $46 million over 2017 on the strength of a boat price that increased from $3.92 per-pound in 2017 to $4.05 in 2018. >click to read<14:34
Alaskan Dream Cruises to Add Repurposed Crab Fishing Ship to its Fleet
Alaskan Dream Cruises’ repurposed Kruzof Explorer will begin its inaugural season with the cruise line this summer. The former crab boat will sail 10-day itineraries of Alaska’s Inside Passage, visiting remote villages, designated wilderness areas and Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve. Once used for crab fishing in the Bering Sea, the Kruzof Explorer most recently sailed charter expeditions in California. Now, under the ownership of Alaskan Dream Cruises, the 12-guest expedition ship has become an upscale option for travelers looking to explore Alaska. >click to read<13:36
Time tension line-cutter could offer lobstermen a whale entanglement solution
A Maine lobsterman and machinist believes he could have the solution to North Atlantic right whale entanglement issues in the state’s lobster fishery. Ben Brickett of Blue Water Concepts presented – or more accurately re-presented – his idea for a “Time Tension Line-Cutter” at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum on 1 March. The technology, which he invented over a decade ago, provides a solution for whale entanglements that doesn’t compromise rope strength or require any electronics. >click to read<11:26
FFAW-Unifor tightens grip on NL fishery; former executive takes helm of fish processing licensing board
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) is shocked that a one-time executive member of the FFAW-Unifor has been quietly appointed to chair the provincial board with a key role in licensing fish plants and buyers. At the same time, a former executive-assistant to Fisheries and Land Resources Minister Gerry Byrne has also been given a seat on the board. Both appointments — which have yet to be publicly announced — raise questions of conflict of interest, and severely diminish any hope inshore harvesters have of getting the best possible price for their fish. >click to read<10:37
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting March 4-8, 2019 at Westin Jekyll Island, Ga.
The public is invited to attend the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to be held March 4-8, 2019 at Westin Jekyll Island; 110 Ocean Way Jekyll Island, Ga. Complete Agenda >click here< for details Webinar Registration: >Listen Live, Click here< To visit the SAFMC >click here<22:23
From their work at sea and in Nanaimo lab, researchers discover that B.C. coho are wintering in Gulf of Alaska
Onboard DNA analysis of salmon — the first time such complex molecular research has been performed at sea — has discovered that B.C. and Puget Sound coho are wintering in the Gulf of Alaska. The proof that it is possible to perform such analysis shipboard, and with only about $10,000 worth of compact equipment, is considered game-changing by international scientists halfway through a winter research cruise using the chartered Russian trawler Professor Kaganovsky and its crew in the Gulf. >click to read<19:39
DON CUDDY: Whales, fish stocks and new tech: Catching up with NOAA’s Jon Hare
I was pleased to enjoy a wide-ranging chat with Mr. Jon Hare last week. Jon is the Science and Research Director for NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole. That’s the division of NOAA that is charged with managing “the living marine resources of the Northeast Continental Shelf Ecosystem from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras.” So this man has a lot on his plate. When he began working as director in 2017 I interviewed him about the task ahead and did a follow up last year. So in what has now become an annual event we sat down to talk about how things are going at the Science Center and I found the encounter as interesting as ever. >click to read<18:40
Overloading, heavy ice and an open hatch: Coast Guard details what sank the Seattle-based F/V Destination
The ability of the Seattle-based Destination to stay afloat in the harsh conditions of a Bering Sea winter was seriously compromised before it set out on its final, fatal voyage, according to a Coast Guard report released Sunday that blamed the captain and the owner of the crab boat for failing to ensure safety. The Marine Board of Investigation detailed a series of missteps the Coast Guard found led to the deaths of all six crew on Feb. 11, 2017, just off the Bering Sea island of St. George. The panel also uncovered weaknesses in a safety-oversight system set up to prevent such fishing-industry disasters. Among the conclusions: >click to read<14:35
Fishermen’s group calls Corps’ analysis of potential tailings dam failure at Pebble ‘woefully inadequate’
A new study commissioned by a Bristol Bay seafood marketing group paints a doomsday scenario if the bulk tailings dam at the proposed Pebble mine ever suffered a catastrophic breach, an outcome the U.S Army Corps of Engineers has called very remote and one the mine developer has taken steps to avoid. Billions of gallons of mud would smother valley bottoms, covering vast stretches of salmon habitat, according to an executive summary released Friday. Finely ground-up waste material from mining would travel downstream and spill into Bristol Bay more than 200 river miles from the mine site, threatening the valuable salmon fishery. >click to read<13:16
Congrats to Maine’s Lobstermen Who Smashed Previous Year’s Catch By 8 Million Pounds
Maine lobstermen brought more than 119 million pounds (54 million kilograms) of the state’s signature seafood ashore last year, an increase that helped to propel the total value of Maine’s seafood to the second-highest value on record, state officials said. The value of the 2018 lobster catch was more than $484 million, and the total value for all Maine seafood was more than $637 million, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. >click to read<11:13
Puget Sound pollution is the culprit causing orcas’ demise
In my Feb. 3 column, I argued the real matter with the southern resident orca pods was tied to swimming in polluted waters and eating polluted fish that live in those polluted waters connecting them together. Ecologically, it’s a very complex issue. It’s a combination of many factors that affect fish and orca.,, Treated sewage discharges may contain fecal bacteria concentrations that are many times higher than state water quality standards, and even small amounts of sewage discharges over or near shellfish beds can cause enough pollution to require harvest closures, the Department of Ecology says. Really? Inadequate sewage treatment plants on and near Puget Sound are also polluting waters there. Jeff Sayre >click to read<10:09
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
New Brunswick fish-packing plant fire could affect P.E.I. fishery
Officials in the Island fishing industry are monitoring the fallout from a fire that destroyed a fish-packing plant in Cap-Pelé, N.B. The impacts will definitely be felt more so in New Brunswick, officials with the P.E.I. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries said. “We have a small number of lobster buyers who sell their lobsters purchased in P.E.I. to this processor.,,, The Cape Bald Packers fish-packing plant in Cap-Pelé was destroyed by fire this past Sunday. The plant employed about 500 people, no one was injured in the fire. >click to read<19:56
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for March 1, 2019
>Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 18:41
Environmental lawyer says correspondence inside Northern Pulp contradicts company claims to the public
Northern Pulp’s public statements about its new proposed effluent treatment plan appear to be at odds with statements made between the company’s technical manager, consultants and the province according to environmental lawyer, Jamie Simpson. “One of the key things that jumped out to me was the inconsistencies with what they’ve been saying publicly and specifically to fishermen in the three maritime provinces,” said Simpson who obtained thousands of internal correspondences through a freedom of information request. >click to read<18:16
What caused the F/V Destination to sink? Coast Guard to release findings on Sunday
The Coast Guard on Sunday will release results of its investigation into why, without a mayday call, the Seattle-based Destination sank in 2017 in Alaska’s deadliest crabbing accident in more than a decade. Over the years, Coast Guard investigative reports into fishing disasters have repeatedly spotlighted the hazards of one of the nation’s most dangerous industries, sometimes helping to push reforms but often falling short of bringing major change. All six of the Destination crew were lost on Feb. 11, 2017, and the report is expected to offer the most likely scenario for what happened on a chill day in the Bering Sea when freezing spray was thought to have frozen on the boat. The report also will offer safety recommendations to try to prevent such losses of life. >click to read<15:46
Maine lobster harvest value jumps by $46 million!
State officials say Maine fishermen caught $46 million more worth of lobster in 2018 than they did the previous year. Maine lobstermen caught 120 million pounds of lobster worth $484 million last year, the fishery’s third-highest annual total value ever, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said Friday morning. That amount is 8 million pounds more than the 112 million pounds they caught in 2017, and $46 million more than the $438 million worth that they brought ashore in Maine that same year. >click to read<14:21
Clearwater defends its lobster fishery
With a fisheries conviction in the news and an important eco-sustainability certification at stake, Halifax-based Clearwater Seafoods is defending the way it conducts its offshore Canadian lobster fishery. The company offered media a tour this week on board its 40-metre offshore lobster vessel, the Randell Dominaux, at its home port in Shelburne.,,, Clearwater holds all licences in Canada’s offshore Lobster Fishing Area 41. The boundary begins 50 miles from shore to Canada’s 200-mile limit. In practice, the fishery takes place off southern Nova Scotia. >click to read<13:02
Stonington remains top port in 2018
After a 16 percent drop in 2017, commercial lobster landings and value rebounded in Maine in 2018, bringing in 119,640,379 pounds of lobster for $484,543,633 in ex-vessel value. An increase in boat price, from $3.92 per-pound in 2017 to $4.05 in 2018, helped drive the over $46 million increase in lobster landing value in Maine, which totaled $637,174,944, according to preliminary figures released by the Department of Marine Resources on March 1. >click to read<11:52
West Coast Fishermen cautiously optimistic for strong salmon season
After three difficult years when Chinook salmon population numbers were down and fishing opportunities were limited, commercial fishermen are hoping that the upcoming season will be better. “What we’re seeing is a better forecast of salmon in the ocean this year than we saw last year,” said Harry Morse, public information officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, following a meeting with about 85 commercial and recreational anglers on Wednesday in Santa Rosa. “We’re cautiously optimistic.” >click to read<10:31
IRS waives penalties for qualifying farmers, fishermen
The IRS will waive the estimated tax penalty for any qualifying farmer or fisherman who files a 2018 federal income tax return and pays any tax due by Monday, April 15. The deadline is Wednesday, April 17, for taxpayers in Maine and Massachusetts. The IRS is providing this relief because, due to certain rule changes, many farmers and fishermen may have difficulty accurately determining their tax liability by the March 1 deadline that usually applies to them. >click to read<09:36
