Monthly Archives: November 2019
Alexandra Morton: Mark, set, go—reversing the salmon extinction trend
As a scientist and a grandmother, I want to make sure we don’t give up on wild salmon. This year, 2019, is the worst salmon return in the history of this country and the silence is terrifying. It feels like everyone is giving up. Salmon are masters at the art of thriving. They are so good at it all we need to do is listen to them and here is how. Politics aside, the pattern of the 2019 collapse is so clear Siri could navigate it. The Fraser sockeye, which swim through Atlantic salmon pathogens twice in their life history, crashed to 10 percent of what was forecast, while the Nass,,, >click to read< 09:24
Editorial: Without ‘share the seas’ pact, Canada risks crab boycott
We can’t wait until the boycott is unleashed, as Canada did with the Brigitte Bardot/Greenpeace-led boycott of seal products. Then it’s too late. Public opinion, once formed, is often impossible to rewind. The European Union is no longer interested in seeing seal products for sale in Europe, and with that, the entire predatory hierarchy of the Gulf was thrown off kilter and remains so to this day. Human beings are predators. Remove the largest predator from an ecosystem and there will be an immediate problem, as was demonstrated here. We risk the same kind of disaster with the crab fishery if the Canadian government does not take the American threat seriously. by Clive Doucet >click to read< 08:13
Schneiderman reach’s out to fed, state and county governments for help with storm-socked Dune Road
Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman has reached out for help with a “critical condition” on Dune Road, flooding that he said could soon become a disaster if not addressed. After four emergency declarations on storm-socked Dune Road near the commercial fishing dock in Hamptons Bays, Schneiderman reached out to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation via a letter requesting rehabilitation assistance. “I write to advise of a critical condition at the West of Shinnecock Inlet project that imminently threatens,,, >click to read< 19:35
North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for November 22 , 2019
Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 17:00
Scallop Drag and Dive License Lotteries Winners Announced
The Maine Department of Marine Resources has announced the individuals whose names were drawn in the 2019 scallop drag and scallop dive license lotteries. For the 2019 licensing year, six drag licenses were made available. Nine drag licenses were retired in 2018, and a ratio of 3:2 is used to calculate the number of new drag entrants. Four dive licenses were made available. Four dive licenses were retired in 2018, and a ratio of 1:1 is used to calculate the number of new dive entrants. >click to read the details< 16:13
Fishermen look to DC delegation for aid, Fish bill like farm bill touted, but monitoring costs biggest concern
Former fisherman Sam Parisi appeared before the city Fisheries Commission on Thursday night to tout his campaign for national legislation to help fishermen as the federal Farm Bill helps farmers. “We need someone to draft a fish bill like the farm bill,” Parisi told the commission members at City Hall.,, The commission members, in the end, decided the best course is to work with Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken to set up a meeting — a fish summit of sorts,,, >Click to read< 13:06
December 15, 2017 – Lets meet and build a consensus to have Congress enact a U.S. Fisheries Bill – Sam Parisi >click to read Sam Parisi’s posts<
Gulf Coast leaders form coalition to protect Mississippi Sound after devastating spillway openings
The marine life in the Mississippi Sound endured a tumultuous spring and summer this year due to freshwater from the Mississippi River flowing in at an unprecedented rate. Freshwater entered the Sound through the Bonnet Carré Spillway, a structure in Louisiana that releases water from the Mississippi River to prevent flooding in New Orleans. Never before had the spillway been opened in consecutive years, nor twice in one year; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the gates, broke both those records this year after a historic wet season across the river’s basin. >click to read< 11:38
Battered by a marine heatwave, Kodiak’s cod fishermen may not be fishing in the Gulf for much longer
From the last peak in 2014, the level of mature, spawning cod crashed by more than half in the Gulf, according to stock assessment data — 113,830 metric tons in 2014 to 46,080 metric tons in 2017. They’re now below the federal threshold that protects cod as a food source for endangered Stellar sea lions. As soon as the population dips below that line, the fishery closes. The whole federal cod fishery in the Gulf will most likely be shut down for the season in January. >click to read< 10:36
Lobster Council of Canada implementing long-term value marketing strategy
A three-year marketing and promotion strategy for Canadian lobster is being implemented by the Lobster Council of Canada.,,, “We will then implement a comprehensive generic marketing and promotion strategy in the domestic market, the United States and take advantage of positive trade agreements such as CETA and CPTPP in Europe and Asia,” says Irvine.,, The North Atlantic Right Whale, the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Invasive Species in Sweden and EU, and Lobster Husbandry in EU and North America are among the known issues that can impact the marketplace for Canadian lobsters, he says. >click to read< 09:39
Fish-NL: Competition Bureau closes investigation into collusion involving fish processors; harvesters wouldn’t name names
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) is disappointed to learn that the federal Competition Bureau has closed its investigation into recent allegations of collusion involving fish processing companies. “Officials with the Competition Bureau say the people they interviewed wouldn’t give up names, and they couldn’t get the information they needed to carry out an investigation,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “The cold, hard reality is that people living in small-town Newfoundland and Labrador fear repercussions for speaking out, and their livelihoods on the water will be jeopardized.” >click to read< 08:36
Calls for reform, and a coming resignation, as fight rages over coastal fisheries
A wildlife conservation group called this week for an overhaul in the way North Carolina manages its coastal fisheries, and a member of the policy-setting commission in charge is contemplating resignation. The N.C. Wildlife Federation voted Saturday to recommend a massive management consolidation over one of the state’s most contentious issues. Under their plan the Marine Fisheries Commission, a board appointed by the governor, and the Division of Marine Fisheries, which enforces rules day-to-day along the North Carolina Coast, would be folded into the state’s Wildlife Resources Commission. Video >click to read< 07:24
Senator Warren wants proof Canada is doing as much as the U.S. to protect right whales
Canada is defending measures it has taken to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, as political pressure and blame mounts from the United States in the wake of a rash of whale deaths in Canadian waters in 2019. “We’re very confident that our measures are world-class in nature and stand up extremely well to those in the United States,” said Adam Burns, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ director of resource management. Burns was responding to the latest salvo from Massachusetts senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, who are threatening a ban of some Atlantic Canadian seafood products. >click to read< 19:08
Bumble Bee Foods to File Bankruptcy, Sell Assets to Taiwanese Firm
Bumble Bee Foods announced Thursday it will file for bankruptcy and sell its assets to a Taiwanese company for $925 million. The bankruptcy sale comes in the aftermath of criminal fines and civil lawsuits against the San Diego company in the wake of a federal price-fixing case. “It’s been a challenging time for our company but today’s actions allow us to move forward with minimal disruption to our day-to-day operations,” said Jan Tharp, president and chief executive officer. >click to read< 16:53
Long IIsland: Effort to salvage juvenile scallops called off for lack of candidates
An unprecedented effort by conservationists, baymen and the state to save a vulnerable population of juvenile scallops by transferring them to deeper waters has been called off after only a day because of a lack of mollusks to move. In response to a scallop die-off, the state Department of Environmental Conservation moved quickly last week to approve a new Scallop Salvage and Relay permit to allow vulnerable scallops in an area of water near Orient Harbor to be transferred to deeper, safer waters, with the hope they’d survive and spawn next summer. >click to read< 13:44
Tensions running high on the water over First Nations lobster fishery
Strong westerly winds kept the four Cape Islanders behind the Pictou Landing wharf’s breakwater on Tuesday. “We’re not trying to hide anything,” said Zack Nicholas, who owns one of the boats. “DFO can watch us coming and going from their office.” The commercial season for lobster fishing on the Northumberland Shore runs through May and June.Twenty years after the Supreme Court of Canada acknowledged the Mi’kmaq have a treaty right to make a “moderate livelihood” from natural resources, negotiations drag on,,, >click to read< 12:23
Huge emphasis placed on safety ahead of lobster season opener in southwestern N.S.
Throughout the fall, the ‘Are You Ready’ team has been busy visiting wharves throughout LFAs 33 and 34, conducting safety drills and sharing resources and knowledge to help ensure fishermen come home safely at the end of the day. “In general, especially leading up to the season fishermen already have safety on their minds,” said Matthew Duffy, safety advisor for the Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia (FSANS). >click to read< 10:39
Offshore Wind: Gov. Murphy wants you to pay more in taxes and power your home
That’s right, our Governor and his radical co-Governor wife are on another quixotic adventure. This time shilling for climate change extremists who want you to believe that the earths gradual warming over time is actually your fault. They will point to an increase in storms, rising sea levels and and number of weather events that paint a picture of doom and gloom. Video, The cost of energy in NJ for the commercial fishing industry >click to read< 09:30
Wave Energy Tech Is Ready to Plug Into a Real Grid
In Hawaii, the OceanEnergy Buoy is slated to connect to the island of Oahu’s electric grid next month. The 749-metric-ton device was recently towed from Portland, Ore., to the U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site, where the bright yellow buoy will undergo a year of performance tests. The project builds on a decade of research and several smaller iterations, including a quarter-scale model that was tested for three years in Ireland’s Galway Bay. >click to read< 08:22
California agrees with crabbers to postpone Dungeness crab season
Bodega Bay’s commercial fishing fleet succeeded Wednesday in persuading state wildlife officials to postpone the opening of Dungeness crab season to safeguard protected whales species still lingering in the fishing grounds. In a move at the behest of the crab industry, Chuck Bonham, the state fish and wildlife director, agreed to push back the season opener to Dec. 15. Crab fishing was slated to open Friday along the coast from Sonoma to San Mateo counties. The decision is subject to two days of public comment ending Friday afternoon. >click to read< 07:17
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
This Blows! Fishing industry raps proposed wind energy grid
“The proposed layout specifies that turbines will be spaced 1 nautical mile (nm) apart, arranged in east-west rows and north-south columns, with the rows and columns continuous across all New England lease areas.” But the claim that the newly proposed layout would satisfy the requests of the fishing industry did not entirely hold up once the developers’ plan was released publicly Tuesday morning. An organization that advocates on behalf of the scallop industry said its members were not consulted,,, >click to read< 19:41
