Daily Archives: May 14, 2019

NOAA – Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management Implementation Plans by Region

NOAA Fisheries has released nine implementation plans that identify priority actions and milestones for Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management nationally and regionally, including for Atlantic highly migratory species, for the next five years. Each plan identifies milestones for a specified geographic area. The milestones relate to six guiding principles laid out in the 2016 EBFM Policy and Road Map >click to read<13:03

Defining a ‘Moderate Livelihood’: Part 1

This news story is the first in a two-part series examining the issue of defining ‘moderate livelihood’ as the 20th anniversary of the 1999 Supreme Court of Canada ruling in the Donald Marshall, Jr. fishing rights case approaches in Sept. 2019.  The commercial fishery saved John Paul’s life in a lot of ways. The Mi’kmaw captain of a vessel from Membertou First Nation, N.S., said the work gave him hope. “Getting big cheques and feeling good,” the 41-year-old fisherman said. “There was a lot of poverty in Membertou when I was a kid, too. It wasn’t like what it is today, that’s for sure,” he added. >click to read< 11:57

Maritime Foundation shares vision, seeks to improve facility for fishermen

Carter’s Wharf, a lobster buying station on the east side of Boothbay Harbor, was recently donated to the Boothbay Region Maritime Foundation (BRMF), a nonprofit organization also based in Boothbay Harbor. In February, Luke’s Lobster entered into a lease agreement with the Foundation to buy lobsters and operate the wharf. Also in February, The Foundation hired an engineering firm to assess the condition of the property, the pier, and the building with an eye towards improving infrastructure for the fishermen who operate from the pier. The assessment was completed in April and the final report concludes that “Given the apparent incompatibility between the existing structural capacity of the Sea Pier and building and the Catholic Church Pier, as compared to the design loads for the intended uses, we recommend complete replacement of both piers and the Sea Pier building.” >click to read>11:28

Lobster boat destroyed by fire in eastern P.E.I. – Cause of fire has not been determined

A lobster boat was destroyed by fire early Saturday morning at Sturgeon wharf in eastern P.E.I. RCMP say the boat was tied up when the fire began, and crew noticed it when they arrived at the wharf. Police were called at about 4 a.m. Nobody was injured, but police said some of the crew were treated by paramedics at the scene. Investigators believe the fire started in the boat’s cabin. >click<11:06

Optimism abounds in the Bering Sea crab fishery

Bering Sea crabbers saw upticks in crab recruits during a good fishery for the 2018-19 season, along with strong prices. The crab season opens in mid-October for red king crab, tanners and snow crab (opilio), and while fishing goes fast for red kings in order to fill orders for year-end markets in Japan, the fleet typically drops pots for the other species in January. Crabbers said they saw strong showings of younger crab poised to enter the three fisheries. Only male crabs of a certain size can be retained for sale. “For Bristol Bay red king crab, >click to read<10:29

Scup, Bluefish, Black Sea Bass, and Monkfish – 2019 Fisheries Stock Assessments

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center would like to inform you of the 2019 stock assessments. During these assessments we will use existing models and data sources to evaluate stock health. Our data come from a variety of sources, including recreational and commercial fishermen, fish dealers, fishery observers, and research surveys. There will be several sets of assessments conducted this year, and the assessment process begins for Scup, Bluefish, Black Sea Bass, and Monkfish on Monday May 20, 2019 with a panel review of scientific information and assessment plans (details below). After this plan review, the assessments will be conducted and later peer reviewed in 2019. >click to read<09:49

Liberals respond to FISH-NL survey, high hopes for aquaculture; doesn’t rule out raw material sharing

The province’s Liberal Party has responded to a FISH-NL survey on major inshore fishery issues, setting ambitious aquaculture targets and not ruling out a possible return to controversial raw material sharing. “When it comes to setting fishery targets, the Liberals have them for aquaculture, but not for the wild fisheries,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “That’s worth noting, as is the fact that the Liberals don’t categorically rule out a return to raw material sharing.” Find the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador’s response letter attached below. >click to read<09:03