Daily Archives: April 25, 2019
Groundfish quota changes up for debate
The proposed rule, called Framework 58, calls for increasing the commercial quota for Georges Bank cod by 15 percent, Georges Bank haddock by 19 percent and Georges Bank winter flounder by 6 percent for the new fishing season that is set to begin Wednesday. It also includes a 1 percent increase for witch flounder. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the proposed rule, published in the Federal Register, calls for a whopping 50 percent cut to the annual catch limit for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, a 1 percent reduction in the quota Gulf of Maine winter flounder and a 3 percent cut to the catch limit for Atlantic halibut. >click to read<22:43
Trump officials halt plans to expand offshore drilling
The Trump administration is hitting pause on its ambitious and controversial plans to expand offshore drilling in the Atlantic. Newly confirmed Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said the agency has indefinitely sidelined its exploration of offshore drilling options as it grapples with a recent court order that blocks similar drilling in the Arctic. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Thursday, Bernhardt said the department has decided to wait on the outcome of appeals to the March case before deciding whether to move forward with additional drilling plans. >click to read<17:14
Opinion: We are an Alaska Native Corporation that backs Pebble Mine. Here’s why.
The proposed Pebble Mine places Alaska Peninsula Corporation in a unique and challenging position. Some shareholders oppose it, yet many support the economic benefits to community and personal well-being. Somehow through it all, we must strike balance.,,, There’s a common belief that resource development will kill the fishery. Unless one takes time to understand Alaska’s permitting process and proposed development at Pebble, one may likely continue to believe what certain environmental groups frequently publicize — worst case scenarios resulting from antiquated development standards of the past. At APC, our leadership doesn’t have the luxury of making emotional decisions. Every aspect must be considered. >click to read< By Brad Angasan 16:20
MPAs – Canada to ban industrial activities inside marine-protected areas
Canada is banning industrial activities inside marine-protected areas (MPAs), including offshore oil and gas development and bottom-trawl fishing, but the prohibition won’t automatically apply to activities in fisheries conservation areas designated as marine refuges. The decision, effective Thursday, also bans ocean mining and ocean dumping in MPAs, which are being created to help meet an international commitment to protect 10 per cent of Canada’s ocean and coastal areas by 2020. >click to read<13:19
Lobster union fires co-op CEO
The Maine Lobster Union, Lobster 207, has fired longtime lobster dealer Warren Pettegrow as chief executive officer of its wholesale lobster co-op.
The firing was announced in an April 13 letter,,, According to the letter, Pettegrow’s employment as chief executive officer was “terminated” after “an internal investigation prompted by red flags reported by the company’s auditing team.” Reached for comment, Pettegrow emailed the following statement: “Lobster 207 circulated an announcement on April 13 that contains numerous false and defamatory statements about me and my conduct and loyalty to the lobstermen that I have worked with for many years. >click to read<
Portland waterfront rezoning moves forward, Fisherman’s Wharf project doesn’t
As the Portland Planning Board moves forward on changes that will restrict commercial development on Commercial Street, the project that prompted it is no longer in play. The $40 million Fisherman’s Wharf mixed-use project planned for Fisherman’s Wharf on Commercial Street by Bateman Partners LLC is completely withdrawn, spokesman Mark Robinson said Wednesday. Ken MacGowan, owner of Custom House Wharf, said, “As a property owner I feel like we’re not being heard anymore.” But others, including lobstermen Willis Spear and Bill Coppersmith, both of whom are on the Waterfront Working Committee, pressed the importance of preserving the working waterfront. >click to read<11:36
Maryland District 36 Delegation raises concerns over ‘War on the Shore’
When the four members of the District 36 delegation to the General Assembly got together for an annual breakfast sponsored by the Kent County Chamber of Commerce, discussions about this year’s recently completed legislative session led the lawmakers to talk about what Del. Jay Jacobs dubbed a “War on the Shore” and its leading industries, agriculture and seafood.,,, Rob Newberry, chairman of the Delmarva Fisheries Association, said from the audience that environmental groups clobbered the seafood industry this year.,, click to read<10:12
Beached fishing boat removed in pieces from Port San Luis beach
More than two months after a fishing boat washed ashore during a rough storm at Avila Beach in February, the vessel has been removed and Port San Luis is footing the bill. The Saturnia, the beached boat owned by Steven Snyder, was destroyed Wednesday and removed in chunks from the sand near Port San Luis. >Video, click to read< 09:28
4 charged with cutting dozens of rival lobstermen’s traps in Maine
The Maine Marine Patrol says four men face charges following an investigation of the cutting of a rival lobsterman’s traps. The agency said Wednesday that two lobstermen, 56-year-old Walter Foster, of Castine, and 22-year-old Nicholas Wood, of Penobscot, have been arraigned along with two crew members. They face multiple charges including molesting lobster gear. >click to read<08:42
2 N.S. lobster fishermen take licence fights with DFO to court
A second Nova Scotia fisherman with health issues is joining a legal fight to challenge federal fisheries rules that cap the number of years they can hire a replacement to catch lobster under their licences. Lawyer Richard Norman filed in Federal Court separate requests for judicial reviews on behalf of Dana Robinson of Parkers Cove, N.S., and Lester Martell of L’Ardoise, N.S., earlier this month…. Both men are challenging March 2019 decisions by the deputy minister of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to deny their requests to continue to use a substitute operator. >click to read<08:05
