Daily Archives: July 12, 2019
Tropical Storm Barry Brings Shrimp Fishing to Halt in U.S. Gulf
Shrimp fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico were docking ships and tying down equipment as Tropical Storm Barry strengthened while heading to the Louisiana coast. The storm is likely to disrupt fresh catches of shrimp for a day or more, C. David Veal, executive director of the American Shrimp Processors Association in Biloxi, Mississippi, said on Friday.,,, Many processors, retailers and restaurants have ample supplies of shrimp and other seafood in freezers. Those supplies would be threatened by a sustained power outage. >click to read< 19:15
Mills comes out against ‘foolish’ federal regulations to protect right whales
Gov. Janet Mills is directing the Maine Department of Marine Resources to come up with an alternative to a federal plan to protect the endangered right whale from the state lobster industry, saying she won’t allow “foolish” regulations to make life harder for the state’s fishermen.,,, Some fishermen complained that it took Mills too long to come to their defense, and some worried her feisty tone might prompt federal regulators to take even more drastic action to protect the right whale, but many welcomed the support from the Blaine House. “It’s nice to know the governor was listening to us,” said Cutler lobsterman Kristan Porter, the head of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. >click to read< 18:30
‘An extreme crisis for our sacred salmon’: B.C. rockslide threatens First Nations’ food security
Several First Nations leaders say a “state of emergency” could arise from the blocked salmon situation necessitating immediate action on the part of other governments. The remote site of a rockslide on the Fraser near Big Bar continues to fill with rocky debris, which is impeding any fish-rescue efforts despite the establishment of a multi-agency Incident Command Post out of Lilooet with experts working on it every day.,,, Several types of fish are being impacted, including some of conservation concern, officials said. The impacted stocks include: Interior Fraser Steelhead (Chilcotin), Spring/Summer Chinook, Interior Fraser Coho, Early Stuart Sockeye, Early Summer Sockeye, Summer Run Sockeye and Fraser Pinks. >click to read<17:44
Department of Marine Resources – Rulemaking Adoptions: Chapters 25, 26, 34, and 36
The Department of Resources has adopted the following rules, which are effective July 17, 2019: Chapter 25-Lobster and Crab Fishing-This regulation defines the area in the Bay of Fundy referred to as the “gray zone”,, Chapter 26-Urchin Season-This rule establishes open harvest days and tote limits,,, Chapter 34-Groundfish Regulations- In order to be consistent with the National Marine Fisheries Service… Chapter 36-2019 Herring Season >click to read< 17:31
Tragic details that have come out about Deadliest Catch
The Discovery Channel’s bracing look at the lives and losses of Bering Sea crab men, Deadliest Catch, has been packing a punch since it debuted in 2007.,, Crabbing is not for the faint of heart or the fragile. The ocean, in other words, offers no safe spaces. Unfortunately for the stars of Deadliest Catch, the drama has not been confined to the high seas. Tragedy has followed the show’s captains and crew members on-shore, landing several of them in court and even in jail cells. And some who have escaped sinking or burning ships have done so only to die in hotel rooms or in their own front yards. >click to read< 15:06
Canastra’s drive helping keep groundfishing alive
Among the grizzled lifelong fishermen sat six-year-old Cassie Canastra. She staked claim to the seat toward the right side of the second table in the small room where thousands of pounds of fish were auctioned off each day. Her spot faced the television and was the closest to the sweets brought by her father, Raymond. Her pastry of choice: Malassadas. Her father and uncle Richie both have fishing running through their blood. The gene was passed down to Cassie. >click to read< 13:56
Legal fight over Open Hydro continues
Local businesses left holding the bag for millions of dollars worth of work installing a tidal turbine in the Minas Passage want the Irish parent company to keep its hands off its bankrupt subsidiary’s remaining asset.,, The company was the Canadian subsidiary of Irish parent OpenHydro that went bankrupt days after a massive tidal turbine was installed in the Minas Passage. The Irish company’s bankruptcy occured after French defence firm Naval Energies, which had been bankrolling the project to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, pulled its funding. >click to read< 12:37
Port Fourchon orders mandatory evacuation
Port Fourchon issued a mandatory evacuation order of all remaining personnel this morning with the approach of Tropical Storm Barry. All of the Greater Lafourche Port Commission’s offices are scheduled to close by noon. Rainfall totals of 10-20 inches have been forecast with a 3-6 foot storm surge. The port’s expecting to see tropical storm force winds today with the potential for isolated tornados. No road closures have been announced so far. The heaviest rain from Tropical Storm Barry is expected to take place between Friday night and Sunday morning. An emergency storm harbor marina is open to commercial fishing vessels on a first-come, first-serve basis. >click to read< 11:52
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for July 12, 2019
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here<11:30
New regulations could put added strain on lobster fishermen
The July 4 holiday has always been a busy time for Rob Martin, a commercial lobsterman who steams out of Sandwich Marina.,,, Seasonal gear bans to protect North Atlantic Right Whales in Cape Cod Bay and surrounding waters usually end May 1, but this year lobstermen in the bay were off the water until May 10,,, More than a month later on June 16, several lobstermen were off the water again, but this time not by state edict. They were in district court in Boston to support a fellow lobsterman who was being sued, along with other groups and government agencies, by activist Richard “Max” Strahan. >click to read< 09:50
It’s business as usual! Commercially Caught Wild American Shrimp From Gulf of Mexico Remain Safe to Eat
For the commercial wild-caught shrimp industry in the Gulf of Mexico, it’s business as usual. In spite of reports coming out of the Gulf of Mexico about a freshwater influx due to flooding in the Midwest, along with some resulting, close-to-shore algae blooms, commercial shrimp processors are reporting that this year, though volumes are lower, shrimp quality and size are good as ever. “The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) is continuing to test water and fish samples to ensure seafood safety in Mississippi waters,” said MDMR Executive Director Joe Spraggins. >click to read< 08:41
