Monthly Archives: April 2019
‘Can’t get five cents’: Little Harbour fishermen say wharf has big problems
Roddy Conrad’s been fishing out of Little Harbour, N.S., for 28 years. He says over time the wharf’s condition has deteriorated to the point where those who fish from it are concerned about their boats and their safety. Ten boats fish from the wharf near Lockeport. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans owns the structure. “This one here has a rung missing on top, so your first step’s a big one,” >click to read<16:20
Gov. Jay Inslee’s Orca-Recovery Agenda Advancing, But Billion-Dollar Funding Yet to Be Seen
Gov. Jay Inslee’s orca agenda is advancing in the Washington state Legislature, but with the budget yet to be decided how much of the governor’s billion-dollar-bold ambition will be accomplished is yet to be seen. Budgets passed by the House and Senate so far contain no funding to continue the governor’s task force on orca recovery. There’s no agreement yet on funding the governor’s proposed panel to consider the affects of breaching the Lower Snake River dams. And revenue measures to help pay for everything, from increasing hatchery production to enforcement of habitat protections, have yet to be decided. >click to read< 15:03
More crew means more opportunity for fishermen to make good
As interstate and federal agencies move to cut use of Maine’s chief bait source — herring — by 75 percent and put in new rules to protect right whales, many of us who have fished lobsters through good times and bad face some very scary times in the next couple of years if we do not figure out a way to get the most out of every trap we put in the water. There’s talk of a trap reduction, of reducing the amount of bait we use, even of closing off valuable fishing areas for part of the year to men and women who have fished Maine waters since they could barely see over the side of the boat. Each of these will hurt Maine’s blue-collar fishing families and the towns we live in without giving anyone much hope for the future. >click to read< by Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham11:39
Coast Guard: Blaze on fishing vessel started during Customs inspection
A fire on a 40 (?)-foot fishing vessel Thursday apparently started when members of the crew were undergoing a routine Customs and Border Protection inspection and inadvertently left a stove burner on in the galley, officials said. The fire started about 1:30 p.m., and smoke pouring from the boat ― St. Peter ― could be seen from several blocks away. The Coast Guard said the fire started during a routine Customs inspection of the vessel. >2 video’s, click to read< 10:44
NOAA scientist: Offshore wind projects will likely affect viability of fishery surveys
At a special session of the New England Fisheries Management Council covering offshore wind, Wendy Gabriel, of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, outlined a wide number of concerns for the organization regarding the development of wind power along the coast. Chief among the concerns was the organization’s ability to continue conducting viable fishery surveys – which provide much of the data that the council uses to establish fishing quotas. “The bottom-line here is, nearly all of the long-term fishery independent surveys that have coverage will be affected,” she said during the session. >click to read<10:06
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for April19, 2019
>Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<09:39
‘Huge increase’ in fishing ahead – Could a redfish trawling bonanza zap the Maritime Link?
Owners of the Maritime Link are exploring whether the two subsea electrical cables between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia will need to be better protected from fishing gear when seafood companies begin harvesting an exploding biomass of redfish in the region. Scientists say there are at least 2.5 million tonnes of redfish in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and that is expected to trigger an Atlantic Canadian fishing bonanza — including more bottom trawling — when the fish reach harvest size in a year or two. >click to read< 08:59
New England Fishery Management Council explores monitoring alternatives
The New England Fishery Management Council continues to work on an amendment to improve monitoring within the groundfish fishery, with a particular emphasis on generating more options within the dockside monitoring alternatives. Meeting for three days this week in Mystic, Connecticut, the council approved several additions and modifications to the original range of groundfish monitoring alternatives, with an eye toward completing a draft environmental impact statement in time to schedule public hearings later this year. The council also requested its Groundfish Committee “expand the number of options,,, >click to read<08:26
Shrimp season to open next week in outer SC waters
The fresh shrimp of the coast will be back on the plate, and soon. Commercial netting opens Wednesday — two months earlier than last year. It’s a welcome change after the brutal winter in 2018 halted any commercial shrimping until late June. The relatively early opening had been expected after this year’s warmer winter. Shrimper Tommy Edwards, who works out of Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant, predicted in February the S.C. Department of Natural Resources would open the “provisional,” or outer, waters by the first full moon in April. >click to read<21:00
McClellanville working to preserve working waterfront
McClellanville is a small town working towards a big catch. The town is trying to protect one of last working waterfronts in the Lowcountry. Fishing and shrimping remain a major source of income for many residents. However, the future of the local docks is uncertain. The docks sit along Jeremy Creek, ushering in boats from sun up to sun down. The town has been partnering with the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, Carolina Common Enterprise, and the East Cooper Land Trust, on developing a plan to save the docks. >click to read<18:01
Meet the seal seller keeping Good Friday traditions alive in Newfoundland
The seal hunt is not what it used to be, and neither is the habit of eating flippers on Good Friday, but at least one retailer in Newfoundland is doing his part to keep the custom alive. Reg Taylor of Taylor’s Fish, Fruit and Vegetable Market will be selling seal by the seashore this week. “We were very lucky. The truck got back late last night,” Taylor told The St. John’s Morning Show on Wednesday. “Picked up a load of flippers and carcass, and they’ll be on the waterfront.” >click to read<16:48
In Northeast, more research needed on offshore wind’s impact on fishing
As plans for wind farms across New England’s waters progress, fishermen continue to express concerns about the impact of the burgeoning offshore wind industry on their livelihoods. And while wind development is moving rapidly, (into your old fishing grounds) scientific research on the impacts on fisheries has struggled to keep up. But the tides may soon be turning, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the fishing industry, offshore wind developers, and government agencies. Last week, the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance announced a new initiative to advance regional research on fisheries and offshore wind called the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance. >click to read<15:52
Regulators unveil new tool designed to help reduce right whale entanglements
Federal fisheries regulators demonstrated a new risk-assessment tool on Tuesday aimed at helping the survival of the North Atlantic right whale. It comes on the eve of regulatory decisions that could affect the fate of the endangered species — and the lobster industry, as well. Federal scientists said the new data model should help lobstermen and conservationists make collaborative decisions about reducing dangers that fishing gear poses for the endangered. >click to read<12:49
F/V Mary B II – Public hearing slated on fatal capsizing beginning at 8 a.m. on May 13
An investigation into the fatal capsizing of a boat off the coast of Newport remains ongoing. A public hearing will be held at Newport City Hall beginning at 8 a.m. on May 13. The hearing will focus on the capsizing of the commercial fishing vessel Mary B II, which led to the deaths of three fishermen at the entrance of Yaquina Bay in Newport. On Jan. 8, the three fishermen were approaching the Yaquina Bay Bar aboard the 42-foot Mary B II when it capsized without warning, tossing two overboard into the rough seas, according to a Coast Guard. >click to read< The hearing will be streamed live each day >click here to listen< 11:56
Southeast Alaska fishing boat captain admits to dumping 8 tons of waste overboard
A Southeast Alaska fishing boat captain has admitted to dumping eight tons of sandblasting waste into the ocean. According to the plea agreement filed in federal court Monday, Brannon Finney admits to violating the federal Clean Water Act. Finney, 32, has signed the plea agreement, which goes before a judge next month at her sentencing hearing. The plea agreement says Finney repainted her boat, the F/V Alaskan Girl, in Wrangell in June of 2017. Most of the debris was sandblasting material, but it also included copper slag from removing the Alaskan Girl’s old paint, and the paint chips themselves, the plea agreement says. >click to read<10:50
Westport Crab Races, derby and more in Westport this weekend
A seafood feast, crab races, crab and clam derbies with cash prizes, and the annual Whale of a Sale are all on tap this weekend in Westport.,,, The nonprofit commercial fishing group WEfish and the Washington Dungeness Crab Association are hosting the annual crab derby. The marina will be thoroughly stocked with Dungeness crab ahead of time, and each crab is marked with a cash value, ranging from $25 to the $500 grand prize. The derby starts at 8 a.m. and goes until 7 p.m. >click to read<09:50
Salmon Fisheries Set As Managers Start Process To Protect Endangered Orcas
The organization that sets limits for commercial, recreational and tribal salmon fisheries in the Pacific Northwest wrapped up their work Tuesday at a meeting in Northern California. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council bases the limits on salmon run projections up and down the coast. While the chinook salmon catch will be slightly lower than last year, the coho fishery in Washington and northern Oregon will be much improved. Recreational anglers would benefit most from this. In addition, the council is starting work on plans to rebuild five Northwest fish runs considered to be “overfished,”,,, >click to read< 09:07
Judge issues caution to all commercial fishers, Logbook, “you are either in compliance or you are not,”
A Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge has issued a general caution to all commercial fishers when it comes to properly recording their catches. “Fishers have to understand that the court will not treat the failure to make a log entry as a mere lapse in accounting. There is no wiggle room in the conditions; you are either in compliance or you are not,” ruled Justice Frank Edwards, in a decision released Wednesday. Edwards made the ruling in overturning a provincial court judgement against a 36-year-old Halifax County fisherman who pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to properly maintain an up-to-date log book of his fishing activities. >click to read<22:09
Newfoundland: Equinor, Exxon given environmental go-ahead for exploratory drilling offshore
Equinor and ExxonMobil have been given the green light from Canada’s Environmental Assessment Agency to drill exploratory oil wells in the Flemish Pass and Jeanne d’Arc basins in the province’s offshore. Neither of the oil giants’ proposed drilling projects are “likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects when mitigation measures are taken into account,” according to a release sent by the federal agency on Wednesday afternoon. >click to read< 19:02
New boat design, New opportunities for success loom off the coast of Maine
Amidst the lobster traps, blue and barren berried rolling hills of Harrington, Maine, forager, artist and engineer Dave Olson is re-imagining the rockweed harvesting scene.,,, This new boat is built around the notion of an independent harvester. It’s five feet longer with higher gunwales (sides). A hydraulic system powers offloading machinery and two rollers which assist with reeling in the loaded rake.,,,I asked him why he decided to build this boat. “It was clear from the first day that their operation was sloppy…and it was affecting my bottom line. >click to read<16:58
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 50′ x 4′ Ext. x 24′ Novi Lobster Boat
Specifications, information and 9 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< Vessel is in excellent condition. 14:35
California’s whale protections must also protect crab fishing industry – Noah Oppenheim
At midnight Monday, California closed its springtime Dungeness crab fishing season coastwide, three months early. Hundreds of California crab fishermen and fisherwomen who rely on this fishery to feed their families will be off the water. They will have to find work elsewhere. Some may lose their livelihoods.,,, The ability of California fishermen to provide a seafood resource that the public rightfully owns is now even more constrained. >click to read<13:46
This summer crisis could take the steam
This year federal authorities are imposing a steep reduction, and a few regions of the East Coast are restricted to fishing, months prior to the lobster season gets rolling. East Coast herring fishermen brought over 200 million pounds of these fish to docks lately as 2014, but the catch of this year will be limited to less than a fifth of that total. The cut scrambling for fresh lure sources, is leaving with herring for generations in Maine lobstermen, who have baited traps and concerned about their capacity to find lobster. >click to read< 12:40
Responses from Third Congressional Candidates on Fishery Issues
NCFA sent questions to the Third District Candidates in reference to commercial fishing and below are the answers that we received back. We received responses from the following Candidates: GARY CERES PHIL SHEPARD MICHAEL SPECIALE GREG MURPHY PAUL BEAUMONT JEFF MOORE FRANCIS DELUCA SHANNON BRAY TIM HARRIS RICHARD BEW MICHELE NIX ERIC ROUSE CELESTE CAIRNS GRAHAM BOYD JOAN PERRY >click to read< 11:39
FISH-NL condemns $20 million in spending on seismic blasting; Grand Banks ‘desperate’ for a break
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) condemns the decision by the Dwight Ball government to spend another $20 million this year on seismic blasting in the province’s offshore. “The Grand Banks are desperate for a break,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “Most commercial fish stocks are in hard shape, and plankton numbers are way down. Ottawa preaches caution with fisheries management, and Dwight throws that caution over the side of a seismic boat.” >click to read<10:48
Best salmon return since 2014 leads to longer season for North Coast fishery
North Coast fishing crews idled by an early end to the Dungeness crab season will have a longer 2019 salmon season than in recent years after fishery managers finalized dates Tuesday, a reflection of this year’s healthier projected adult spawning run. In fact, this generation of returning adult king salmon is thought to be the most abundant since 2014, allowing for a season opener beginning May 16 and stretching to at least late September in coastal waters between Point Arena on the southern Mendocino Coast and Pigeon Point on the coast of San Mateo County. >click to read<10:08
Council Adopts West Coast Salmon Seasons – >click to read<
Mechanical Failure Blamed for Fire on Fishing Vessel
About 0545 on March 18, a rigman took the helm so that the captain could rest. About a half hour later, while the vessel was proceeding at “idle speed” (about 2.5 knots), the rigman heard something that sounded like a small “boom” or “heavy thud.” The captain returned to the wheelhouse when he heard the sound and told the rigmen to pull in the nets and gear. Lighting remained on and the vessel’s main engine continued to propel the boat. However, about a minute later, the vessel started shaking. >click to read< 08:15
CLF OVERRULED! New Fishing Rights in Gulf of Maine Upheld by Judge
A federal judge upheld a rule Monday that opens up a portion of the western Gulf of Maine to commercial and recreational fishing for the first time. The Conservation Law Foundation had challenged the rule last year, claiming the National Marine Fisheries Service wrongly prioritized economic considerations over its conservation duty when it reduced the protected area in that portion of the Gulf by about 25%. While the rule offered habitat protection in the eastern Gulf of Maine for the first time, the conservation group said the agency and the New England Regional Council should have closed more of the Gulf to fishing. >click to read<17:28
OCEAN SALMON: Council adopts new recommendations
The Pacific Fishery Management Council has adopted ocean salmon season recommendations that provide recreational and commercial opportunities for most of the Pacific Coast, and achieve conservation goals for the numerous individual salmon stocks on the West Coast. “Although some salmon stocks are returning in stronger numbers than last year, balancing fishing opportunities with conservation is always a challenge for the Council, its advisors, fishery stakeholders, and the public,” Pacific Fishery Management Council Executive Director Chuck Tracy said. >click to read<17:05
Late post! New England Fishery Management Council meeting April 16-18, 2019 in Mystic, CT
The New England Fishery Management Council will be meeting at Hilton Hotel, Mystic, CT, Newport, RI, December 4, 2018 –, To read the final agenda, >click here< Register for webinar >click here< to listen live. Our apologies for being late, and Wednesday, April 17, 2019 Kicks Off @8:30 a.m. Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) Committee Report, Atlantic Herring @11:30!
