Monthly Archives: August 2019
Not Fake News! Low salinity suspected for poor crab harvest in Upper Chesapeake
At the beginning of July, media across Maryland delivered good news for those planning a traditional feast of Chesapeake Bay blue crabs on Independence Day.,,, “The survey is in,” echoed WMAR, another Baltimore station, “and it comes with great news for Maryland crab lovers!” Someone apparently forgot to tell the crabs, at least in the Upper Bay. While supplies were generally ample in the Lower Bay through spring into summer, crabbers in other places had a hard time finding enough of the crustaceans to satisfy their crab-craving customers. “In 43 years of crab potting, this has been the worst I’ve seen,” Charles County waterman Billy Rice,,, >click to read< 14:36
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 46′ Split Wheelhouse Jarvis Newman Lobster Boat, Cat 3406E
Specifications, information and 19 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 12:53
East Hampton Trustee Calls On State To Control Gillnets Better After Whale Entanglement
After a summer in which fishing nets anchored just off South Fork beaches ensnared swimmers and a seal and a humpback whale, East Hampton Town Trustee Rick Drew is calling for an overhaul of the regulations on gill net fishing off Long Island. The Trustee and avid fisherman said that he believes there need to be new restraints that dictate where gill nets can be set, and how long they can be left unattended, as well as better enforcement of the rules by the State Department of Environmental Conservation. >click to read< 11:06
Following seal predation report, FFAW calls for government action
FFAW-Unifor accuses the Department of Fisheries and Oceans of remaining “complacent while evidence mounts that an overpopulation of seals is having a serious impact on important fish species.” A study conducted by DFO shows that a lack of cod recovery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence may be caused by predation by grey seals, and could account for up to 50 per cent of natural cod mortality. This is limiting the cod stock’s recovery, DFO said. An assessment predicts a 32 per cent drop in cod numbers over the next four years. >click to read< 10:03
Nothing but Net – A commercial captain starts a school for fishermen
Joe Sanfilippo, 47, spent 28 years working alongside his four older brothers on his family’s fleet of three 80-foot fishing boats based in the famous Massachusetts fishing town. He has experience swordfishing, longlining and dragging for cod, haddock and pollock. Now, he wants to teach others some of what he knows in a vocational training program he’s developed called Extreme Gloucester Fishing. The curriculum for Extreme Gloucester Fishing includes 40 modules for eight subjects that take 830 hours of classroom work to complete. “I chose to teach net-mending first because it’s the thing you really need to know to get onto a commercial fishing vessel. You have to know that before they even give you a job.” >click to read< 09:09
Collision Course: Offshore Wind Turbines Present New (Unnecessary) Mortal Danger for Trawlermen
The fishermen who work off America’s Atlantic coast, are furious over plans to spear thousands of industrial wind turbines into their fishing grounds, destroying not only the seabed (the source of their income and prosperity), but wrecking their fishing grounds, forever. Trawlermen off the New Jersey coast have already told developers what they can do with their projects: Deepwater in Deep Trouble: Fishermen Tell Off-Shore Wind Farm Developers to F@*#K Off,,, >click to read< 08:21
U.S. ratifies The Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean
The United States has become the fourth jurisdiction after Canada, the European Union and Russia to ratify a landmark international agreement that aims to prevent unregulated commercial fishery in the high seas of the Central Arctic Ocean, officials at the State Department announced Tuesday. The Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean, which was signed in Ilulissat, Greenland last October, includes the so-called Arctic Five – Canada, Norway, Russia, Denmark (Greenland and the Faroe Islands), the U.S. – as well as the major fishing nations – Iceland, Japan, South Korea, China and the EU. >click to read< 17:56
Video: Coast Guard medevacs fishing vessel master 104 miles west of Ft. Myers
A Coast Guard crew medevaced a man experiencing abdominal pains Tuesday 104 miles offshore of Ft. Myers, Florida. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg command center watchstanders were notified by the commercial fishing vessel, F/V Solo, that the master of the boat had been in pain for more than 12 hours. Coast Guard watchstanders launched an Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew who hoisted the man from vessel and transported to Tampa General Hospital, where the man was transferred to medical personnel. >click to read< 15:19
Mass. Environmental Police Seize 384 Pounds of Black Sea Bass in Harwich
On Saturday, August 24, 2019, an Officer on patrol in the vicinity of Wychmere Harbor in Harwich observed an individual loading fish pots into the rear of a pickup truck. Further inspection found the individual, who was commercially permitted, to be in possession of 384 pounds of black sea bass on a closed commercial fishing day. The entire catch was seized and the individual was criminally summonsed for failure to display catch, landing black sea bass on a closed commercial day, and over the limit possession of black sea bass. >click to read< 13:57
Fishermen aren’t entitled to Deepwater Horizon settlement after failure to comply with order
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has affirmed that several menhaden fishermen were not entitled to a settlement agreement involving Deepwater Horizon litigation. On appeal, the menhaden (used for bait and feed) fishermen argued they were improperly denied damage awards, but appeals court agreed they were not entitled to settlement funds because they did not timely comply with a pretrial order identified as PTO 60. >click to read< 12:59
Crew abandons ship safely to Survitec Liferaft when vessel erupts in flames
Two fishermen whose boat caught fire off the coast of Land’s End, UK, successfully evacuated into a Survitec liferaft and from there were taken ashore by Falmouth Coastguard. The pair activated the Survitec Seasava liferaft and abandoned Ocean Harvest, when it caught fire. Ocean Harvest was equipped with a SOLAS-approved Seasava Pro-ISO liferaft, which was developed for smaller vessels with limited deck space and is required to be serviced at three-year intervals. >click to read< 12:04
Limited fish passage through landslide obstruction on Fraser River
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the provincial government and local First Nations set up a team to lead the response to the slide near Big Bar, north of Lillooet, after it was discovered in late June. The team says in a news release Monday that fish counting data shows some chinook salmon have been able to swim past the slide using the channels the team has created with large rock manipulation and blasting. It says as of last Tuesday, a rough estimate of 6,700 salmon have passed through the slide on their own. >click to read< 11:19
Next Round of Right Whale Meetings On Hold – Revised Schedule Will be Sent When Available
Dear Lobster Industry Member, Last week, DMR sent a notice that the Lobster Zone Council meetings scheduled for the current week had been postponed. At this time, DMR is advising the industry that the entire schedule of meetings is currently on hold. The Commissioner regrets the delays but wants to ensure that we develop a proposal for submission to NMFS that reflects a thorough review of all data. Please be assured that we will share with you an updated meeting schedule when it becomes available. >click to read< 10:09
CT offshore wind may face some rough seas
The state and its offshore-wind-loving neighbors all face a year-end expiration of a federal tax credit that helps finance these projects – the first major attempts in the U.S. But in Connecticut some problems – including at least one self-inflicted one – could mean forgoing that money.,, One part of that balancing act involves the fishing industry, which seems to have driven the delay after the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), a division of NOAA, refused to sign off on the Vineyard Wind environmental impact statement. Indeed, the fishing industry is among the few cheering the government’s protracted analysis of the plan.,,, >click to read< 09:48
Like chasing unicorns?!! – Ropeless traps not easy for crabbers testing them in whale-protection effort
New Brunswick snow crab fishermen have been testing a ropeless trap system to reduce the use of fishing rope, which has been blamed in some of the deaths of endangered North Atlantic right whales. “The main problem with the ropeless gear … is that it was given way too much credit for what it can, at this time, achieve for the snow crab fishery,” Robert Haché, director general of the Acadian Crabbers Association, said in an interview.,, The ropeless traps, developed by California-based Desert Star System, are already used by fishermen in New Zealand and Australia. >click to read< 08:18
Lobstermen at NOAA meeting oppose new fishing regulations
The Ellsworth High School auditorium was packed during one of a series of meetings held near fishing communities in Maine. The crowd was made up of conservationists, scientists and politicians, but mostly fishermen. U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and State Rep. Genevieve McDonald, D-Deer Isle, attended the event, while Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd Dist., sent staff representatives.,, NOAA research indicates that large vessel strikes are the predominant cause of whale deaths.“If you would just give us a chance to prove our innocence,” one person said. >click to read< 20:11
As historic Jensen boatyard shuts down, former employees keep boatcraft alive in Seattle
When word got out last fall that the Jensen Motor Boat Company on north Lake Union would be shutting down, other boatyards wasted little time in trying to hire the company’s skilled shipwrights, carpenters and other craftspeople. There were offers from outfits in Seattle and in Anacortes. The Port of Port Townsend was ready to supply shop space for the entire crew at Jensen, which had built and repaired wooden boats at its Boat Street for nearly a century. “We were all offered jobs pretty much all up and down the coast,” says Peter Proctor, general manager at Jensen until it formally shut down this month . But Proctor and many of his former colleagues politely declined. >click to read< 17:56
Coast Guard rescues 3 from disabled shrimping vessel taking on water near Matagorda, Texas
The Coast Guard rescued three mariners aboard a disabled vessel taking on water near Matagorda, Texas, Monday morning. Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi watchstanders received a report of a disabled shrimping vessel that was taking on water approximately two miles from the Matagorda jetties. A Station Port O’Connor 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew was launched. The mariners contacted the command center via cellular phone and informed them that they would be abandoning the vessel. >click to read< 14:20
The Associated Press reported erroneously,,, Correction: Alaska-Salmon Hatcheries story
In a story Aug. 11 (Scientists warn of too many pink salmon in North Pacific) >click< about Alaska salmon hatcheries, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Alaska salmon hatcheries release 1.8 billion pink salmon fry annually. Total Alaska hatchery releases of all salmon and rainbow trout in 2018 was 1.8 billion fish, with pink salmon accounting for more than 1.05 billion. A corrected version of the story is below: Pink salmon numbers may threaten other North Pacific species >click to read< 13:47
New Zealand: Turbines in hydroelectricity dams are mincing eels, advocate thinks commercial fishing should pay.
Environment Committee recommendations to The Conservation (Indigenous Freshwater Fish) Amendment Bill suggest existing hydroelectricity dams be exempted from a clause regulating them. ,,,“If they understand turbines and hydroelectric dams are killing all migrating female longfin eels and they know longfins eels are endangered, they need to be taking a step in the right direction to stop these eels from getting minced up and killed on their way down.” Longfin eels’ life cycle depends on migration. Once they reach around 30 years of age, they travel down rivers and out to sea to spawn near Tonga before dying. >click to read< 12:32
Decision on the exciting future of Hull’s historic Arctic Corsair to be made within days
The planning application includes the relocation of the vessel, the construction of the visitor centre and proposals to move an existing landmark Scotch Derrick crane to a new location at the site. Under the plans, the crane will also be illuminated at night. A report by council planing officers for the committee says: “The Arctic Corsair is a heritage asset in its own right, featuring on the National Historic Ship’s register,,,”The proposals would see the vessel fully restored, and relocated within a dry berth, thereby removed from a tidal saline environment, ensuring lower maintenance demands and ensuring long-term preservation. Video, photo’s, >click to read< 09:44
Researchers use DNA in seawater to monitor scallop reproduction
Researchers from the University of Maine and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences have developed a method for studying the timing of scallop spawning by analyzing the environmental DNA found in water samples. The newly published study provides a tool for managing wild and farmed shellfish populations, and it demonstrates the promise of emerging eDNA approaches for monitoring the presence and activities of all marine life. >click to read< 08:37
UK fishing town warns Boris Johnson over Brexit
Welsh fishmonger Lenny Walters has a warning for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he celebrates his one-month anniversary in office on Saturday. If he goes back on his promise to deliver Brexit at any cost on October 31: “I think there will be riots.” “People are getting nasty,” the 67-year-old said while filleting monkfish with a razor-sharp knife. Locals see Johnson as their last great hope for reviving the local fishing industry. Their trust in his ability to do so is not terribly strong. “Do I have faith in Boris? I am not sure,” fish merchant Mark Davis said after a moment’s thought. >click to read< 16:09
Dr. Tim Ball Defeats Michael ‘Hockey Stick’ Mann’s Climate Lawsuit
The Supreme Court of British Columbia has dismissed Dr. Michael Mann’s defamation lawsuit against skeptical Canadian climatologist Dr. Tim Ball. Full legal costs were awarded to Dr. Ball, the defendant in the case. The Canadian court issued its final ruling in favor of the Dismissal motion that was filed May 2019 by Dr. Tim Ball’s libel lawyers. Mann’s “hockey stick” graph, first published in 1998, was featured prominently in the U.N. IPCC 2001 climate report. >click to read<15:07
Maine fishing practices at center of debate about endangered right whale
Hutchings thinks the looming regulations to save the right whale, an endangered species, are only part of the problem with the industry. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is proposing the new rules. He would like to continue fishing lobster for a few more years to be able to say he spent 50 years as a fisherman, but said he feels more financial constraints every year. “I’d hate to be a young guy starting out,” Hutchings said. “ … It (NOAA) should be more worried about the fishermen becoming extinct.” >click to read< 11:49
The gruesome final Pacific voyage of Captain James Cook
Exactly 251 years ago this week, the world as it was known was about to change forever. On August 26, 1768, explorer James Cook set off from England on the HMS Endeavour for a voyage of discovery to the great Pacific Ocean and the fabled lands therein. By the time he returned to England three years later, the navy lieutenant had achieved a lot — he’d mapped New Zealand with alarming accuracy, bunny-hopped through the Polynesian islands and led the first European arrival on Australia’s east coast, putting Botany Bay on the world map,,, >click to read< 10:55
What’s the difference between shrimp and prawn?
Which is which? Shrimp and prawns have a lot in common, but they are, in fact, entirely different animals. Both shrimp and prawns are decapods, meaning that they have 10 legs and a thin external skeleton, but that’s where the similarities end.,,, Another difference between the two is how they reproduce. Shrimp carry their fertilized eggs with them on the underside of their bodies. Prawns release their eggs,,, >click to read< 09:53
Widow strives to keep dream alive in the wake of her husbands death
For the last 13 years, the Longbottom family has been serving fresh seafood to thousands of people at Five Islands Lobster Co. It’s a staple in Georgetown. But this year has been different. Owner Gina Longbottom lost her husband Keith to brain cancer. “For the last ten years he was the face of this place. Everyone knew him,” Longbottom said. Keith died in June, after a 17-month battle. >click to read< 21:49
Sea Level Rise? President Obama Just Bought Beachside Property on Martha’s Vineyard
President and Michelle Obama join the growing list of climate activists who want to enjoy a little beachside luxury before the carbon demon swallows all the coastlines. Headline: Barack and Michelle Obama are buying a $15M estate in Martha’s Vineyard.,,, I’m sure we all wish the Obamas well in their new home, but I can’t help thinking this purchase of a low lying seaside property somewhat contradicts previous statements by President Obama about the urgent need to address sea level rise. by Eric Worrall >click to read< 14:03
Cordova District Fishermen United scholarships send fledgling fishermen to college
Reid Williams, 18, assumed his formal education would end with high school. After years of gillnetting on his father’s boat, Williams didn’t see the point in plunking down thousands of dollars for further schooling. After all, he had already found a paying trade. There’s a lot of fishermen that just know how to fish, and I want to expand my horizons,,, Williams was awarded the 2019 Robert H. Blake Memorial Scholarship for a two-page essay in which Williams argued that the patience and industriousness he had learned gillnetting could be put to use at UAF’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. >click to read< 13:29
