Daily Archives: November 20, 2019
Nova Scotia upping its game on lobster quality
An internationally recognized quality standard for holding lobsters will be among the new regulations for the recently amended provincial Fisheries and Coastal Resources Act. “Nova Scotia will be the only place in the world that has it,” said Minister Keith Colwell in an interview. “We have companies in Europe and Asia that are gearing up to our standard now and they will be buying only from Nova Scotia or anywhere else in the world that meets our standard, so that’s really positive. >click to read< 21:45
Bristol Bay red king crab fishery trends toward closure as fleet reports slow fishing, aging stock
This season, the 54-vessel fleet has reported slow, spotty fishing, and the stock continues to show signs of decline. The current quota — 3.8 million pounds — is the lowest since the fishery was rationalized in 2005. “A lot of boats had to scratch their way through the season,” said Ethan Nichols, assistant area management biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “There were only one to two large schools of legal males that were reported to us from captains out on the grounds. So the season was definitely a bit of a grind.” >click to read< 20:18
Fisheries Minister Jordan to oversee fisheries, coast guard in new federal cabinet
Nova Scotia’s Bernadette Jordan has retained a place in Justin Trudeau’s cabinet. But Jordan, the lone Nova Scotia-based MP in the group, has been assigned new duties. The representative for South Shore-St. Margaret’s will head the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, as well as oversee the work of the Canadian Coast Guard. >click to read< 17:33
Boatbuilders riding wave of demand from lobster industry and other fisheries flourishes
The lobster industry is booming and with it, its boatbuilding counterpart. While it is hard to predict the ebbs and flows of lobster stocks, current numbers show lobsters are plentiful. And as those numbers rise, orders for boats are going up too, according to Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association (NSBA) executive director Jan Fullerton, who says boatbuilding industry trends almost always echo those of the fishery. >click to read< 14:41
Wind Farms Another Challenge to Scallop Fishery at Barnegat Light’s Viking Village
Barnegat Light Mayor Kirk Larson is part of a fishing dynasty going back to his grandfather, who owned one of the town’s first commercial fishing boats, the Mary Ann. With business partner James Gutowski, they collectively represent 12 commercial vessels at the Viking Village docks. Larson has 50-plus years in the fishing industry and has weathered many changes such as the proliferation of federal and state regulations and changes in the types of fish to target for the increasing demand for seafood. Today, Larson and Gutowski’s largest investment is in the ocean or sea scallop fishery, and they are not alone in targeting the succulent bivalve. >click to read< 13:25
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 2005 49’11”x23’6” Novi Lobster boat, 3406 Cat
Specifications, information and 16 photos >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 11:11
Join the Webinars: Right Whale Decision Tool Peer Review Sessions
Webinar Update: Peer Review, Right Whale Decision Tool This week, peer reviewers are evaluating a new method — a decision support tool — developed to help understand relative risk of right whale entanglement in fishing gear off the Northeastern U.S., and the relative reduction in risk under different mitigation actions. To join this meeting remotely today and tomorrow: >click to read< 09:23 (in my email@ 8:46 AM) more info, >click to read<
Canada: Government conflict of interest a threat to fish biodiversity: scientists
Canada has made disappointingly little progress in preserving the variety of life in its oceans largely because of a contradiction in the federal department that’s supposed to protect it, says a group of senior scientists. “The (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) is charged with conflicting responsibilities,” said Jeff Hutchings, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. “On the one hand, they’re there to protect and conserve. On the other hand, they are charged with the responsibility of exploiting fish stocks.” >click to read< 08:40
Bodega Bay crab fleet to sit out Dungeness opener to avoid whales, urging other ports to do same
Bodega Bay’s commercial crabbing fleet has agreed to voluntarily forgo Friday’s scheduled Dungeness crab season opener, an extraordinary step aimed to avoid potentially harmful encounters with endangered humpback whales,, The Bodega Bay fleet, which was unanimous in its decision Tuesday, is hoping to persuade nearby ports to follow suit, resisting the urge to get out on the water for the time being,,, >click to read< 08:00
Gearing up for the lobster season opening in western Nova Scotia
Another lobster season is set to get underway and along with the lobster traps and gear that fishermen will head out to sea with, they’ll also be bringing along high hopes. High hopes for good catches, and high hopes for good prices. The Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 34 lobster fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia and LFA 33 along the province’s south shore make up the largest commercial lobster season in the region and the country. >click to read< 07:05
