Monthly Archives: July 2019
Katrina, BP, 2019 Mississippi River — Oyster Industry Braces For Another Major Disaster
The commercial fishing industry on the Gulf Coast has seen two major disasters in the last 15 years: Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. Now, some fear we’re on the cusp of a third. The culprit: historic flooding from the Mississippi River. Commercial oysterman Mitch Jurisich is picking through a pile of freshly harvested oysters at a dock in Empire, Louisiana. One hand clutches an oyster knife, the other grabs a bivalve from the top of the mound. “This one’s good right here,” he says before tossing it aside and picking up another. “This one’s not good.” Audio, >click to read< 20:28
Groundfish Catch Share Program Review: Public Meetings Scheduled for July/August in Ports From Maine to New York
The New England Fishery Management Council is conducting a review of the groundfish sector system, which is a catch share program under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The public is encouraged to provide comments during an upcoming series of port meetings or in writing until August 19, 2019. The review focuses on the first six years of the catch share program under Amendment 16 to the FMP, covering fishing years 2010 to 2015, which span from May 1, 2010 through April 30, 2016. Information prior to the program’s implementation also will be included for fishing years 2007 to 2009. This period covers May 1, 2007 through April 30, 2010. The Council contracted with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) to conduct the port meetings. All nine meetings, which extend from Maine to New York, will run from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Here are the dates and locations. >click to read< 16:25
Mid-Atlantic Council to Hold Public Hearings for Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares Amendment
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold four public hearings in August and September 2019 to solicit public input on the Draft Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares Amendment. The Council is also soliciting written comments on the amendment through September 14, 2019. The Excessive Shares Amendment considers a variety of approaches to ensure that no individual, corporation, or other entity acquires an excessive share of the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog individual transferrable quota (ITQ) privileges. >click to read< 14:42
Rep. Patrick Kearney sponsoring three bills for Massachusetts’ fishing industry
State Rep. Patrick Kearney is sponsoring three bills aimed at helping the state’s commercial fishing and lobster industries. Kearney testified in support of the three bills, H814, H815 and H816, at a hearing on Tuesday, June 25. The first, H814, seeks to keep lobster fishing open year round,,, “It’s a false choice between being environmentally friendly and being in support of the lobster industry that supports thousands of jobs here in Massachusetts,” he said. “Despite all the fear-mongering about whales being harmed regularly by Massachusetts lobster traps, our lobster industry has taken steps over a 20-year period, at its own expense, to be environmentally conscious. >click to read< 14:04
Celebrating with sake, Japanese whalers bring ashore first catch
It was a catch three decades in the making, and when the Japanese whalers brought ashore one of their first minke after the resumption of commercial hunting, the moment was marked with ceremony. The whale arrived on Monday in the Hokkaido city of Kushiro, where hours earlier five ships had set out on the hunt. “Today is the best day,” Yoshifumi Kai, head of the Japan Small-Type Whaling Association, said as he watched the whalers quietly bring the 8.3-meter-long giant ashore. “We were able to catch a good whale. It’s going to be delicious.” >click to read< 13:18
I’m a 7th-generation Michigan commercial fisherman. 13 are left.
I am a seventh generation commercial fisherman on Lake Michigan. Our family has been fishing Michigan waters since 1826, since before Michigan was a state.,,, My Great, Great Grandfather Schyuler was one of the great pioneer fishermen and owned all of what is now J.W. Wells State Park in the Upper Peninsula. At one time back in the 1980’s our company, Ruleau Bros., employed over 100 people and produced over 50 million pounds of fish. We have about 15 employees today, due to continuing over-regulation by the DNR, invasive species, and down to having only one fish left to take … the whitefish. >click to read< 10:54
State of SC, Mount Pleasant never inspected Shem Creek dock before collapse
It wasn’t closing time. But when the dock at The Wreck on Shem Creek collapsed Saturday night, the party was pretty much over. Karen Hollings was one of 20 people police say fell into the water. She was enjoying the evening, celebrating her friend’s birthday at The Wreck of the Richard & Charlene restaurant. While socializing on the dock, a random thought of a deck collapsing at a party crossed her mind. She didn’t dwell on it. Five minutes later, her mustard-colored sweater and black cocktail attire was soaked and she was swimming to a nearby boat for safety. >click to read< 10:13
County Transfers Ownership Of Shinnecock Fishing Dock To Town
Elected officials and community members gathered for a ceremony last week to celebrate Suffolk County transferring ownership of the Shinnecock commercial fishing dock to Southampton Town.,, The county transfer includes the 2-acre dock and 11 acres of beachfront along Shinnecock Bay to the west of the dock that stretches to almost Road I, town officials said. Shinnecock Dock is home to two dozen commercial fishing boats, one of the largest commercial fishing fleets in New York State. >click to read< 09:16
Coast Guard suspends search for fisherman in the water in Nushagak Bay, Alaska
The Coast Guard suspended its search for a person in the water in Nushagak Bay, Monday. Two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews and a C-130 Hercules aircraft crew from Air Station Kodiak searched approximately 650 square miles over the course of more than ten hours for a male crew member from the commercial fishing vessel Pail Rider who went overboard at approximately 3 a.m. The search was suspended at approximately 4 p.m. >click to read updated report< 00:05
SAINT PETER’S SUNDAY PROCESSION WITH FAITH, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS
The rain held off for a glorious Fiesta Sunday with family and friends processing through downtown, from Saint Peter’s Square to the Saint Peter’s Club. Viva San Pietro! >click to view dozens of photo’s!< by Kim Smith 21:52
A ‘volcano’ of oil is flowing in the gulf. This ex-fisherman is trying to contain it.
Timmy Couvillion first saw the oil plume at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico more than two months ago, but the memory still makes his skin crawl. His small marine construction company had been hired by the U.S. Coast Guard for its biggest job in years: containing the longest offshore spill in American history. To prepare for the work, his crew dropped a submersible robot 450 feet below the ocean surface to view the source of the pollution through its cyclops eye. The pictures it sent back were chilling. A hole as wide as a basketball court had opened on the sea floor and thousands of gallons of Louisiana sweet crude gushed through,,, >click to read< 19:50
Like a visit from Santa Claws: Lobster Enthusiast Realizes Dream to Catch One
Over her 93 years — and counting — Bunny Mishkin has eaten countless lobsters. It’s her favorite food. She finally decided it was time to catch one. As part of the “Living the Dream” program at Solstice Senior Independent Living in Groton, where residents get to realize long-held wishes, Mishkin went to sea Saturday in the waters off Stonington aboard the working fishing boat Restless belonging to Eddie and Lisa Emery. With Mishkin’s son and daughter, Mitchell and Bonnie Mishkin, and two young cousins along, the boat set off on a sultry afternoon that turned much more refreshing over open water. >click to read< 17:57
Vote these people out. US Extends Offshore Wind Tax Credit
The Offshore Wind Incentives for New Development Act introduced by Senators Markey (D-MA), Whitehouse (D-RI), and Congressman Jim Langevin (RI-02), as well as the Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act introduced by Senators Carper (D-DE) and Collins (R-ME) would extend the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) at 30 percent of the project’s total value for six years and eight years respectively. >click to read< 14:55
Coast Guard, others searching for a fisherman in the water in Nushagak Bay, Alaska
The Coast Guard is searching for a person in the water in Nushagak Bay, Monday. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and C-130 Hercules aircraft crew from Air Station Kodiak are searching for a male crew member from the commercial fishing vessel Pail Rider who went overboard at approximately 3 a.m. The man was not wearing a life jacket, but was wearing orange pants and bib. The crew aboard the Pail Rider fired flares and other vessels arrived on scene to assist with the search. Approximately 10 good Samaritan fishing vessels are on scene assisting with the search. >click to read< 13:18
Workshop aims to get more women to fish
Women make up just a quarter of the fishing licenses that the department sells each year. Around the country, only about 34 percent of people who participate in any kind of fishing are women, according to a report published in 2018 by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation.,,, David said the department holds the workshop about twice a year, though she wished they could do it every weekend.,,, 43 photo’s, >click to read< 12:09
North Carolina House Bill 483 – Tough fishing regulations aim for real change
A bill making its way through the N.C. General Assembly could have anglers in eastern North Carolina remembering 2019 as a year of change, whether they like it or not. House Bill 483, the Let them Spawn act, places strict limits on the catch of six severely overfished species popular among commercial and recreational fishers: southern flounder, spot, Atlantic croaker, striped mullet, southern kingfish (sea mullet) and bluefish. >click to read< 11:14
Cape Pond invests in new ice maker, and into the future of the Gloucester fishing fleet.
Tip No. 1 in the universal handy-dandy fix-it guide is avoid major repairs during the fortnight stretch of St. Peter’s Fiesta and Fourth of July. Especially if it involves a huge crane and your business is in the heart of The Fort neighborhood. Too late.,,, “It’s an insane time of year to do this, but we spent the better part of two months trying to fix the old system,” said Scott Memhard, the veritable face of Cape Pond Ice all these years, who now partners with his son Larry and Rick Kohn in the business. “But we see this as an investment in the future of the Gloucester fishing fleet.” >click to read< 09:15
Today – July 1 – is the last day to comment on the plans to build the Pebble Mine near Bristol Bay. It takes only minutes to do so.
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