Monthly Archives: April 2019
April 24th, 25th – Fishermen safety training planned in Newburyport, Gloucester
Fishing Partnership Support Services, which was founded in 1997 and maintains offices in four Massachusetts port communities, announces the following training schedule: April 24: Safety and survival training, U.S. Coast Guard Station, 65 Water St., Newburyport, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 25: Drill conductor training, U.S. Coast Guard Station, Newburyport, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Safety and survival training, U.S. Coast Guard Station, 17 Harbor Loop, Gloucester, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 26: Drill conductor training, U.S. Coast Guard Station Gloucester, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is provided. Safety and survival training will cover: man-overboard procedures, onboard firefighting, emergency communications, flood and pump operation, survival suits, life raft deployment and boarding, and basic first aid. >click to read<12:30
PFMC Officials: No Sardine Fishing Off California This Year Due to Steep Population Decline
West coast regulators have voted unanimously to ban commercial sardine fishing for the fifth straight year after a recent evaluation of the northern Pacific stock revealed a steep decline. The ban on commercial sardine catch spans the entire length of the U.S. West Coast.,,, A new assessment of northern Pacific sardine stocks by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).,,, Not all fishermen agree with the decision to keep the sardine fishery shuttered. Diane Pleschner-Steele, executive director- California Wetfish Producers Association, said NOAA’s sardine survey under-counts the fish, and that the fishermen she hears from are noticing a comeback. >click to read<10:59
This day in Stamford history: 10 years ago – Lobster catches keep falling
The state’s commercial lobster catch fell to its lowest level in 25 years in 2008, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. The continuing decline in the Long Island Sound lobster population is likely to lead to new size restrictions as the state grapples with the lobster die-off that started in the late 1990s, the DEP said. State lobstermen took in 387,306 pounds of lobster last year, a 31 percent drop from 2007 when fishermen pulled in 568,169 pounds, according to the DEP’s statistics, and barely a tenth of the 3.7 million pounds hauled in when measured catches topped out in 1998, >click to read<13:20
Roe herring fishery meets DFO expectations; opposition continues to question sustainability
As with other years, the allowable catch was set at 20 per cent of the estimated 135,000 tons of returning herring. Both seiners and gillnetters came in under their quotas with seiners bringing in 7,178 tons of their 8,311 ton quota, and gillnetters catching 8,373 tons of their 11,472 ton quota. Neil Davis, director of resource management program delivery with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, says overall the fishery had good success and there were no surprises in terms of the catch versus the quota. Quincy Sample, a Comox fisherman, says he was a few tons short of reaching his quota,,, >click to read<11:34
Working Waterfront: SC commercial shrimp docks battle for public money
The privately owned Wando shrimp dock is under contract to be sold and go public. Three-hundred yards away, the Geechie dock owners want public money to help it stay in business. The fate of two of the last of Shem Creek’s commercial shrimp boat docks hangs on the hooks along the Mount Pleasant waterfront. The creek is a marquee destination, the place where the shrimp boat fleet is a treasured part of history and the hanging shrimp nets are what tourists and diners come to see. >click to read< 10:17
N.S. seafood company accused of bilking 2 European firms out of $33K
Two European seafood businesses are buying Facebook ads and posting warnings in online seafood forums alleging they lost money to a Nova Scotia seafood company. Two firms say Oceanic Superfoods, run by David Brandal of New Minas, cheated them out of more than $30,000 when his company didn’t deliver the product they ordered. “Nobody should ever do any business with David Brandal,” said Willem Sodderland, founder of Seamore, an Amsterdam company that makes pasta, wraps and imitation bacon from seaweed. “That’s pretty clear.” >click to read<09:43
Gloucester Captain offers classes for aspiring Fishermen
Capt. Joe Sanfilippo fished out of Gloucester for more than 20 years alongside siblings and family members. For much of that time, a seed was germinating.,,, Which brings us to the germinating seed. Sanfilippo, as the industry evolved, often thought there might be a better way to give aspiring commercial fishermen a head start entering the profession. Now he is trying to pass along the very mechanics of working on a commercial fishing boat,,, “My goal is to have a commercial fishing training center in Gloucester, almost like a vocational school,” Sanfilippo said. >click to read<21:20
NOAA says a group of whales in the Gulf of Mexico are endangered
Federal scientists say a tiny group of Bryde’s whales in the Gulf of Mexico is endangered, facing threats including oil and gas exploration and development. “They’re the only year-round baleen whales that make their home in Gulf of Mexico, and (they) have a unique and very important role in the ecosystem,” said Laura Engleby, a marine mammal biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries’ service.,,,Engleby said, “We don’t really know much about this species.”>click to read<15:31
‘We Were Blindsided:’ Crab Fishing Closure Could Mean Millions in Losses
At the April 9 Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting, the security check-in station resembled a metropolitan airport with a long line of people stretched out the courthouse doors and halfway down the stairs to Fifth Street. All seats in the chamber were filled, the space between the chairs and the wall was filled with people standing, and others waited outside the door for a chance to speak. The source of the commotion was a sudden and unexpected closure of the Dungeness crab fishery. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife had ordered all crab fishermen throughout the state to remove their gear from the ocean by April 15. >click to read<14:40
LETTER OF THE WEEK: MPAs an insult to our community
My family obtained Gerard Island on the Eastern Shore in the 1750s. They were fishermen, like many other families, and for hundreds of years kept stewardship of the natural habitat until the present day. There is a two-month lobster fishery here, part of Canada’s top seafood exports worth billions of dollars each year and a key player in the Eastern Shore’s economy. Conservation efforts by our fishery are well documented and have been successful for over 30 years in co-operation with Department of Fisheries and Oceans regulation. >click to read<Andre Gerrard, lobster fisherman, Spry Harbour 10:09
DC Circuit Sinks Challenge to Fishing Bycatch Rule
The D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the government’s method of counting fish and other sea life that are unintentionally swept up in commercial fishing nets. The NMFS changed its method for counting bycatch in 2015,,, The 2015 change puts trained reporters, typically biologists, on a sample of fishing boats to count bycatch. Their numbers are then extrapolated across entire fleets, giving the government an estimate to work with. Conservation group Oceana challenged the new rule,,, >click to read<19:25
Maryland Act Boosts Offshore Wind Market
Maryland state lawmakers have passed the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) of 2019, which would incentivize the development of 1.2 GW of additional offshore wind energy off the coast of Maryland. US Wind Country Manager Salvo Vitale testified last month before the Senate Finance Committee and House Economic Matters Committee,,, urging passage of the legislation while citing the significant economic benefits that the legislation would make possible by incentivizing the development of 1,200 MegaWatts of additional offshore wind energy off the coast of Maryland. >click to read<14:14
Pawning off one farmer as representing all is a cheap trick in the dam-removal campaign
Advocates for tearing down the Snake River dams made a scheming move last week in Olympia, but they didn’t fool Eastern Washington lawmakers. If anything, their failed strategy strengthened the resolve of many of our region’s legislators, who were frustrated by the misrepresentation. Here is the story: A Seattle-based marketing firm sent out news releases this month saying that an “unlikely alliance” of fisherman, farmers and small business owners was gathering April 10 at the state capitol to support creating a forum focused on the dams. >click to read<13:07
Commercial fishing of Asian carp is catching on in the Heartland
Investors behind the creation of the ‘International Fisheries Industrial Park’ in Wickliffe, Kentucky unveiled their plans at an event at Two Rivers Fisheries on Friday, April 12. The property already has three fisheries and seven new investors are now on board to develop zero-waste facilities dedicated to harvesting the troublesome fish. Dr. He is the Development Manager for Two Rivers and the new industrial park. Over the last seven years, the fishery has harvested more than 10 million pounds of Asian carp from bodies of water in the Heartland. Dr. He says creating even more demand for the fish can be a win-win situation. >click to read<10:35
Dismal Columbia River salmon forecast may trigger emergency fishing restrictions
Fishery managers in Washington and Oregon are concerned the spring and summer chinook salmons runs on the Columbia River are going to be one of the lowest on record. And the state agencies are calling for a meeting next week to consider emergency restrictions on commercial and recreational fishing along parts of the river. By Friday morning, 189 adult salmon had crossed over Bonneville Dam. That’s less than 8 percent of the 10-year average of 2,392 fish for the same date. >click to read<09:24
You should read this. Right whale extinction crisis gains momentum on Capitol Hill
Leaders from industry, science and advocacy convened on Capitol Hill this week for a congressional briefing and panel discussion on the North Atlantic right whale extinction crisis. Despite being a busy week in Congress, the room was packed with attendees interested in learning more about the status of the right whale and opportunities for Congress to support the recovery of the species. NRDC cosponsored the briefing and I had the pleasure of presenting on the panel, which was held in cooperation with Representatives Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Jared Huffman (D-CA). The panel provided a compelling overview of the severe threat posed by entanglement, ongoing and future actions aimed at reducing right whale deaths, and the international cooperation needed to secure the whale’s future. >click to read<20:51
Fishery Disaster Assistance Soon to Be Available to Georgia Shrimpers
The Southern Shrimp Alliance is pleased to inform the Georgia shrimp industry that $1.062m in financial assistance has been made available to address the 2013 Georgia shrimp fishery disaster. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the funding in a March 27, 2019 press release. In a February 10, 2014, letter to then U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, then Georgia Governor Nathan Deal filed a request for fishery disaster assistance pursuant to section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). >click to read<17:07
Climate change is now a fact of life in Atlantic Canada fishery
The Atlantic Ocean is one of the most productive marine environments in the world, with an abundance of marine organisms from crabs, to lobsters and wild fish stocks, supporting over 55,000 jobs in industries like fishing, aquaculture, and tourism. On April 10, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson released what is the first Atlantic Ocean status report, called Canada’s Oceans Now–Atlantic Ecosystems,2018 >click to read<15:52
Ipswich editorial: Green crabs – Time to chomp down on the threat
They look so small and creepy, almost like tarantulas — about the size of a palm, with their legs and two front pincers wriggling. It’s hard to imagine the crabs could destroy a multi-million dollar local businesses and the 20,000-acre Great Marsh, spawning grounds for many local fish. But the green crabs can. More importantly, the voracious, invasive green crabs are. The crabs destroy both the Great Marsh — because they uproot the eel grass that anchors the marsh — and fisheries, such as the clamming industry, oystering and even lobstering because the crabs eat clams, oysters and juvenile lobsters. >click to read<14:07
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for April 12, 2019
>Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<12:08
Friday Funny – backup plan for wind power by Anthony Watts
As we all know, wind power can’t function well as a primary energy generator, the erratic nature of wind means you always need a backup for base load generation. Typically this is from coal, nuclear, or hydroelectric power. But, Josh thinks he’s found the perfect backup plan for wind power. >click to read< www.wattsupwiththat.com 10:23
With an acquisition in Nova Scotia, lobster dealers expanding into Canada to shore up their business
Ready Seafood in Portland is joining a handful of U.S. lobster companies that have opened Canadian operations, locking down year-round access to hard shell lobsters that can be exported to both China and Europe without the tariffs that have crippled other U.S. dealers. Ready is following in the footsteps of other American lobster dealers, ranging from Boston Lobster Co.,,, Dealers from both sides of the border who attended the Canadian-Maine Lobstermen’s Town Meeting in Portland last week said that having a footprint on both sides of the border is necessary >click to read<09:30
Tuna Fishermen Say Agencies Rejected Input on New Rules
Representing large net-fishing vessels in the Pacific Ocean, the American Tunaboat Association filed a lawsuit Wednesday claiming government fishery regulators left industry experts in the dark about a forthcoming biological opinion that could limit commercial tuna operations. The complaint, filed by Baker Botts attorney Megan Berge in Washington, D.C., federal court, names as defendants Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and the National Marine Fisheries Service, or NMFS. >click to read<21:43
Resolutions Introduced in 3 States to Designate 2019 as International Year of the Salmon
State representatives from three states are introducing resolutions and a joint memorial this week to recognize 2019 as International Year of the Salmon.,, Rep. Geran Tarr of Alaska, Rep. Debra Lekanoff of Washington, and Rep. Ken Helm of Oregon are working on the initiative in concert with the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization. >click to read<20:01
Alaska Fisheries issues moving through House – Rep. Louise Stutes
Dear Friends and Neighbors, A lot transpired in the Legislature this past week and there is quite a bit on this week’s agenda. Here is a rundown of the goings on down in Juneau. Fisheries Committee last week: On April 2, the Fisheries Committee considered HB 105-COMM FISHERMEN’S FUND: VESSEL OWNER CLAIMS. HB 105 is a common-sense piece of legislation that allows skippers to fully recover their P&I deductible from the Fishermen’s fund when an injured crewmember makes a claim against the fund and the P&I policy, providing further incentive for vessel owners to have insurance. ,,, Fisheries Committee this week: At 10 a.m. April 11, the Fisheries Committee will consider,,, 2016 pink salmon disaster relief,,, >click to read< by Rep. Louise Stutes17:52
RCMP says man at helm of out-of-control fishing boat was 5 times the legal limit
A Port Hardy man has been charged in connection with a potentially dangerous incident last Fall. Jason Willie George Walkus faces charges including dangerous operation of a vessel and operating a vessel while impaired. RCMP say Walkus’s blood-alcohol level was 5 times the legal limit. On the morning of November 29th, RCMP received a report that a fishing vessel was being operated in an erratic manner and the operator may be impaired. >click to read<13:51
Provincial government creating more opportunity for Newfoundland and Labrador shrimp processors
The provincial government has struck a deal with offshore shrimp companies and onshore processors that will see more product handled in Newfoundland and Labrador. As of April 15, offshore companies landing frozen-at-sea industrial shrimp — smaller shrimp, frozen with the shell on — will give onshore processors the opportunity to buy through a new process. Previously, only a small fraction of industrial shrimp was processed in this province. >click to read<12:12
Commercial fishing company becomes first to be banned in New Zealand
In what’s believed to be a first in New Zealand, a commercial company has been banned from fishing. The company run by the Hawke’s Bay D’Esposito family has copped a three-year ban and an $80,000 fine after failing to report more than 200 kilograms of crayfish. The Nimrod 1 is a Napier crayfishing vessel now implicated in fraud. The crew didn’t know, but the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) began watching them, and the crayfish they were catching for the Hawkes Bay Seafood’s Group, back in September 2014. >click to read<10:44
DFO – Atlantic mackerel stocks down 86% over past 20 years
The latest stock assessment for Atlantic mackerel contains grim news for one of the region’s most iconic fish. Scientists say the spawning population is now at 86 per cent of pre-2000 levels, and the number of fish surviving to breed is at all-time lows. An assessment by DFO says mackerel are in the “critical zone” where serious harm is occurring and recovery is threatened by overfishing. Adding to the uncertainty are changing environmental conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence where mackerel spawn. >click to read<09:30
Lobsterman accused of witness retaliation in headless tuna case
Harold E. Wentworth, 41, with listed addresses of 28 Revere St. and 24 Liberty St., was arrested Wednesday by officers from Massachusetts Environmental Police and Gloucester Police on charges that on March 12 he retaliated against the prime witness against him in the tuna case..,,, According to police reports of Wednesday’s arrest, the prime witness against Wentworth contacted Environmental Police Officer Ryan Lennon on March 28 that he suspected Wentworth dumped some of his gear into Pigeon Cove earlier in the month and may have committed other retaliatory acts, such as cutting his lobster trawls. On Monday, Lennon and the witness reviewed security footage of Pigeon Cove from March 12. >click to read<21:57
