Daily Archives: October 10, 2019
Acy Cooper: Don’t let the EPA hurt Gulf fishermen with offshore fish farming facilitys
I’ve been fishing and shrimping in the Gulf of Mexico since I was 15 years old–for over forty years now. As my father and grandfather would say, it’s in our family’s blood. For many of us here in Venice, Louisiana, fishing is not just a family tradition, it’s in the fabric of our community.,, Now the federal government could make it even harder for us. The Environmental Protection Agency is moving toward approving an offshore fish farming facility by Kampachi Farms in waters off Sarasota, Florida. This operation could hurt the ecosystem and economy in Florida and set a dangerous precedent for development across the Gulf. As the only project of its kind in federal waters, it would pave the way for more industrial-scale aquaculture. >click to read< 22:07
Bruce Tarr: Ground Fishing rules don’t match industry realities
The federal government on Wednesday released data showing that cod stocks in the area remain overfished and are not on target to be rebuilt by 2024. “Abundance is very low, not the way it used to be, so that’s obviously of great concern to us,” said Division of Marine Fisheries Director David Pierce,,, Calling the report “concerning,” Sen. Bruce Tarr, “I’m still reading through the details but I think it points to the fact that we should be doing things differently than we are today.” Tarr said there’s “too much regulatory discard” of cod “and there’s mortality that’s being caused by a set of rules that don’t recognize the practical reality of groundfishing.” >click to read< 19:32
‘No pipe’ placards popping up on P.E.I. election signs
Some federal election signs around P.E.I. are carrying an extra message — candidates are adding a second, smaller sign printed with the words “No Pipe in the Strait.” The signs are from the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association, and they oppose a proposal by the Northern Pulp mill in Nova Scotia across the Northumberland Strait from Prince Edward Island to extend a waste-water effluent pipe into the strait, part of its plan to improve its pollution control. Nova Scotia’s environment minister has to make a decision by mid-December. >click to read< 18:43
On the Northwest’s Snake River, the Case for Dam Removal Grows
The hydropower dams have been controversial since before their completion, between 1962 and 1975, because of their disastrous impact on salmon and the other 137 species that are part of the salmon food chain. Most of the Columbia Basin’s 250-plus dams have played roles in the salmon’s decline, but the four lower Snake River dams are prime targets for removal because their economic value has diminished and their absence would inordinately benefit salmon. >click to read< 17:22
‘It’s a terribly bleak day’: Search continues for missing fisherman in west cork
A low water search is to continue tomorrow for a young fisherman missing off the West Cork coast. The man, named locally as Kodie Healy, who is in his 20s, is now feared drowned. The popular young man played football locally and comes from a well-known and well-liked local fishing family. Mr Healy left the shore at 7.30am on Wednesday on his 21ft boat to tend lobster pots. There was a 2m swell and force 5-6 winds gusting.Ten fishing trawlers also joined the search, initially focusing on the area near Carbery Island in Dunmanus Bay,,, >click to read< 14:19
Stewart Lamont, Tangier: Finally! Salmon feedlots fall victim to federal election
Events are developing quickly. The federal Liberals and the Greens have made a pre-election pledge in British Columbia to transition from open-net pen feedlot fish to on-land closed containment only, by 2025. This policy advisory, issued 16 short days before a federal election, changes absolutely everything. It came out of the blue, and both parties are to be heartily congratulated. You and I might ask why the same commitments are not being made here in Atlantic Canada. >click to read< 12:46
On the Road: Law Court to hear case in Houlton
Supreme Court Justices will be at Houlton High School on Oct. 10. On Thursday, the Law Court will hear the case of Erik Wuori vs. Travis Otis. On Dec. 10, 2018, a judgment was issued against Travis Otis in Belfast District Court in the amount of $60,000 plus interest and costs. In the case out of Waldo County, the district court ordered Otis to turn over his 36-foot-long boat to Wuori.. Otis is appealing, arguing that his use of the boat to fish for lobster in closed or restricted waters to obtain data from each lobster for research purposes, for which he is paid, constitutes “commercial fishing,” thereby making his boat exempt from the claims of creditors. >click to read< 10:53
One man’s mission to save a historic ship built a digital community
At the beginning, which might otherwise have been the end, the ship was an empty shell, without mast or motor. Just a bathtub with a deck so rotten you could toe into it like mulch, the wood well on its way to being dirt again. But she had a name: Tally Ho. In May 2017, Leo Goolden climbed into the belly of the boat for the first time and sat with the fragile wooden ribs curled around him, rain dripping onto the plastic sheet stretched overhead. Inside the living wreck of the ship he had come so far to see, he conjured the photograph that drew him in,,, >click to read< 10:19
Zephyr is latest pelagic giant to join Whalsay fleet
Zephyr, Whalsay’s latest pelagic trawler should be heading to the fishing grounds to catch mackerel at the end of next week and has already completed fishing trials. Zephyr (LK 394) arrived back in Shetland on 28 September following fitting out at Norwegian Yard Larsnes AS. Her hull and superstructure were built at Marine Projects in Poland with completion in February. >click to read< 09:24
New London commission submits input for State Pier plans
The New London Harbor Management Commission is asking state environmental officials and the Connecticut Port Authority to retain a diverse mix of water, rail and land-based operations at State Pier. The request is one of several contained in a six-page letter,,, The commission requests that consideration be given to the movement of the commercial fishing fleet now operating at the Central Vermont Railroad Pier. At least four vessels operate from that pier. Mayor Michael Passero said he is working with stakeholders to explore the idea of Fisherman’s Pier, on the city’s waterfront, as a new location for the fleet. >click to read< 07:32
