Daily Archives: July 24, 2019
101 lost snow crab traps, 9 km of rope removed from gulf to protect right whales
Federal fishery officers and Canadian Coast Guard crews have removed 101 lost snow crab traps and more than nine kilometres of associated rope from the Gulf of St. Lawrence as part of ongoing efforts to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. The so-called ghost gear,,, Ropeless gear holds hope, Earlier this week, during a stop in Dieppe to discuss whale protection efforts, Jonathan Wilkinson,,, “But certainly from a fisheries perspective we see that as a very, very interesting way to address and separate the issues of fishing versus the whales.” >click to read< 21:36
U.S. Sen. Kennedy calls for permanent safety net for fishing industry
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, is calling for a permanent taxpayer-supported safety net for the fishing industry. The Commercial Fishing and Aquaculture Protection Act of 2019, introduced by U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi, does not carry an explicit price tag. Kennedy’s statement in support of the bill compares the proposal to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “well-established” disaster programs for farmers.,,, Under the proposed amendment to the Magnuson-Stevens Act, potential federal relief would be available when revenue associated with commercial fishing or farm-raised fish production,,, >click to read<17:40
Fishing boat beaches while captain snoozes
A commercial fishing boat grounded early Friday morning near the East Chop Beach Club after the captain reportedly fell asleep at the helm. “That was a sight — a big fishing boat like that on the beach,” Oak Bluff Fire Chief John Rose said. Rose said the captain, whom the U.S. Coast Guard later identified as Sam Berreira, set his autopilot and dozed off. Oak Bluffs Police and U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Nicole Groll separately identified the vessel as the Mary Emmalene. >click to read< 16:53
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 75’ Blount Steel Scalloper $275,000 LAGC Permit with Scallop Quota Available
To view specifications, information and 34 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here<14:44
Wasted – Our global food system discards 46 million tonnes of fish each year. Why?
From the moment a fisher lands a fish to the moment that fish lands on your plate, 27 percent of it will disappear.,,,It may surprise you, then, to learn that the Seafood Expo North America in Boston, Massachusetts, the largest gathering of the seafood industry in North America, does not stink. Not really. It smells of cleaned carpet and newly printed brochures and freshly scrubbed businesspeople, of men in ironed shirts and women with flat-ironed hair.,,, Around 22,000 people come from 50 countries to buy, sell, and market every consumable marine product imaginable. >click to read< 13:36
The Killers – Could B.C.’s chinook-loving orcas adapt to a new food source? It’s not unthinkable
Killer whales around the world have adapted to feeding on just about everything else that swims in the ocean, including halibut from the deep sea, seals and sea lions from the rocky shoreline, baby whales from their mothers’ sides and even the livers of great white sharks. The urgent question now is whether the southern residents could adjust to the disappearing chinook, expand their palates and open up their menu options. Lance Barrett-Lennard, director of the marine mammal research program at the Vancouver Aquarium, said it would be difficult — but not impossible. >click to read< 11:21
Seismic air guns found to harm balance organ in rock lobsters
A team of researchers with the University of Tasmania and Curtin University has found that seismic air guns used for oil and gas exploration can damage a sensory organ in rock lobsters called the statocyst, which provides balance and orientation. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the group describes tests they conducted with lobsters in their lab and what they found. >click to read< 11:02
VOTE THEM OUT! Mass. delegation pushing to advance Vineyard Wind
Members of Congress have become involved in trying to move Vineyard Wind forward, a top Baker administration official said Tuesday, as lobbying intensifies to advance what state officials hope will be the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project. Energy and Environmental Affairs Undersecretary Patrick Woodcock told members of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Board Tuesday about the involvement of members of Congress since the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management indicated it would not decide on a key project approval this month, as anticipated. >click to read< 10:37
Captain admits throwing illegally caught fish overboard in NC
A fishing captain has pleaded guilty to throwing away fish in North Carolina to prevent the Coast Guard from seizing it. Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that 51-year-old William Juel, of Little River, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to disposing of illegally caught fish in North Carolina. Authorities say the Coast Guard approached his boat, the Island Runner, and boarded it in November 2017. >click to read< 09:54
Entangled Whale Prompts Criticism Of Gill Nets
The small whale that was freed from a commercial fishing net after becoming entangled off Sagaponack last week has prompted community concern about the safety of the type of fishing nets it had encountered. “Whales and dolphins get caught in these nets all the time,” said George Mittendorf, a Wainscott resident and amateur sporting fisherman. (expert witness?) >click to read< 09:28
Massachusetts: Lobster bill survives budget deal
The legislation to allow the in-state sale, transport and processing of unfrozen, shell-on lobster parts — a persistent, years-long campaign by state Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr — has survived the Massachusetts Legislature’s conference committee and is contained in the $43.1 billion budget awaiting Baker’s approval or veto.,,,Tarr stated that up to 80% of lobsters landed in Massachusetts are transported out of state for processing at facilities in Maine and Canada — only to see them return here as value-added products for retail and restaurant consumers. >click to read< 08:51
