Daily Archives: May 13, 2019

King salmon arrives in stores, commanding royal prices; relief could come soon

King salmon, once as ubiquitous as burgers in backyard Bay Area barbecues, has commanded astonishingly high prices in recent years,,, Since the 2019 season opened on May 1, supply has been very limited, so prices have remained steep, reaching as high as $40 a pound in San Francisco.,,, That should start to change on Thursday, when 200 more miles of coast will open to commercial salmon fishing,… there will likely be more salmon on the market this summer is because some crab boats are planning to go out for salmon fishing, because the Dungeness crab fishery closed several months early as part of a settlement,,, >click to read<21:54

The “Silicon Valley of renewable energy”? – New London gets shorted in the wind deal

There was enough hot air blowing around New London for the recent announcement about plans to spend $93 million for a new wind turbine assembly facility here to light up more than a few quadrants of the state’s power grid. The politicians and wind power purveyors who secretly have been hatching this plan for many months in back rooms finally pulled back the curtain to congratulate themselves and tell the public, who will pay for it all, what is to be foisted on them. >click to read<20:44

Coast Guard responds to fishing vessel grounded on Clatsop Spit near the Columbia River Bar entrance, Wash.

Shortly before midnight the master of the 38-foot commercial fishing vessel Theron contacted watchstanders at Sector Columbia River over VHF channel 16 to report he experienced a loss of steering while attempting to cross the bar and was drifting toward the breakers and shoal. He also reported that his vessel was beset by the current, had grounded several times and had no ability to anchor at that time. >click to read, photo’s<16:34

Ilwaco fishing boat destroyed on Clatsop Spit – Ilwaco-based 38-foot commercial fishing vessel Theron lost its steering and was destroyed by the surf on Clatsop Spit early Monday morning, but skipper Eric Johnson was rescued by the Coast Guard and wasn’t injured.>click to read<

F/V Mary B II captain tested positive for amphetamine, methamphetamine

Coast Guard investigators revealed that the captain of the doomed fishing vessel Mary B II tested positive for methamphetamines and alcohol. Captain Stephen Biernacki registered 0.17 mg per liter of amphetamine and 0.50 mg per liter of meth, according to post mortem toxicology results. The alcohol level was 0:033g/dL. A five-member panel of Coast Guard investigators on Monday kicked off a multi-day hearing on the Jan. 8 capsizing that took the lives of Biernacki, of New Jersey, and crewmen Josh Porter of Toledo and James Lacey of New Jersey. >click to read<14:55

FISH-NL survey: Crosbie advised against outside buyers; imagines an ‘Atlantic fisheries accord’

Ches Crosbie says Newfoundland and Labrador should become principle beneficiary of adjacent fish stocks and “imagines” an Atlantic fisheries accord similar to the Atlantic Accord for oil and gas, but the PC Leader also supports offshore seismic activity, and has been advised against outside buyers. “Ches Crosbie answers some questions more directly than others,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “He’s a bit wishy-washy on the issue of seals, and with the question of whether he supports on-land verses at-sea aquaculture.” Crosbie’s response letter is attached. >click to read<13:13

Australia: Fishing group warns of industry pain under Labor’s plan to reinstate marine parks

Ahead of the federal election, Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) has called upon a newly-elected Federal Government to give the fishing industry better security of access and fishing rights.  SIA CEO Jane Lovell said a pledge from Labor to reinstate its original 2012 Marine Park Network in full was concerning and would push fishermen out of the industry.  Under Labor’s plan Australia would have had the world’s largest network of marine parks which covered offshore waters surrounding every state and territory.  “The very fact that this is back on the agenda again removes confidence, increases uncertainty, and this is one of the things that has been found by to be the key driver of the mental health problems in our industry is this constant lack of certainty about the environment they work in,” Ms Lovell said.  >click to read<12:03

Offshore Wind: California’s New Gold Rush

When it comes to States promoting renewable, non-fossil electricity generation, California surely leads the list, from utility-scale regional grids to individual rooftop solar panels. In fact, a December 2018 update from the California Energy Commission (CEC) estimates the state may already have exceeded an initial renewable generation goal of 33% by 2020..,,, CA’s offshore process started in earnest three years ago when a wind energy company then called Trident Wind – now Castle Wind – submitted an unsolicited request to BOEM (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) to lease a site in the Pacific near Morro Bay (about half-way between LA and San Francisco). >click to read<10:30

Politicians mum on fisheries during election campaign, says advocate

Kimberly Orren works to spread knowledge of the fishery’s place in Newfoundland and Labrador’s culture, but says politicians haven’t been spreading much of anything about the industry during this ongoing election campaign. Orren, a board member of the non-profit social enterprise Fishing For Success, said she’s been disappointed by the lack of talk she’s perceived. “There’s been no discourse about the fishery or fishing in the election talks so far. And I’m wondering where is it?” >click to read<09:24

Coast Guard to begin public hearing for F/V Mary B II marine casualty investigation in Newport today

The Coast Guard is inviting media and public to attend a formal public hearing, which begins May 13, 2019, at Newport City Hall, to consider evidence related to the Mary B II marine casualty investigation. The hearing will focus on the capsizing of the commercial fishing vessel Mary B II, which lead to the deaths of three fishermen at the entrance of Yaquina Bay in Newport on Jan. 8, 2019. The hearing is live streamed. >click to read/links<08:16

Halving the number of vertical lines – Finding consensus on whale protections a tough call in Maine

Federal regulators have given Maine’s lobster industry its marching orders: Find a way to cut the number of surface-to-seabed fishing lines by 50 percent to help prevent the injury or death of even one of the endangered right whales that pass through the Gulf of Maine. The National Marine Fisheries Service is allowing each lobstering state to develop its own plan to protect the whale, whose numbers have fallen to a little more than 400 in recent years. But it will be hard to find one way to make it work in Maine, where the $485 million-a-year fishery is known for its diversity. >click to read<07:29