Daily Archives: February 3, 2020
Alaska: Commercial fishing is a good investment
“This is probably not well-known,” said Sam Rabung, director of the commercial fisheries division for the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game… Rabung pointed out that the commercial fishing industry is the largest private sector employer in Alaska, putting almost 60,000 people to work annually. “It contributes about $172 million directly in taxes, fees and self-assessments to state, local and federal governments, and contributes an annual average of about $5.6 billion in economic output to the Alaska economy,” >click to read< 20:32
2019 was highest value year on record for Dungeness crab in Southeast Alaska
5.3 million pounds of Dungeness crab were harvested, which is the third highest harvest on record. Yet, the price averaged $3.07 a pound making it the highest valued season ever recorded for Southeast. The previous record for the most valuable year was in 2002. Seven million pounds were harvested but the price was only $1.25 per pound back then. >click to read< 18:54
Potential regulations loom for Texas’ southern flounder fishery
The recommendations were made in response to TPWD data that shows southern flounder populations have experienced a dismal decline over the last several decades. The proposals aim to protect spawning females during their annual migration to the Gulf of Mexico, much to the dismay of anglers whose passion and livelihood coincide with the fall flounder run. >click to read< 17:49
Coronavirus devastates Australian export businesses as economic costs of emergency filter through
Sonia Einersen from Cairns-based business Torres Straits Seafood in Far North Queensland said live imports into China had been cut, so she had nowhere to sell her product. “The coronavirus has really affected the whole fishing industry, we do lobster and live coral trout, it’s affected both of those as well as pretty much every other fishing industry in Australia,” she said. “Boats are tied up, they can’t go out, >click to read< 15:25
Summer founder, sea bass and scup are on the docket for upcoming public hearings focused on allocation percentages
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) have scheduled a series of scoping hearings to gather public input on the range of issues and information to be considered in the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment. Hearings will be held February 13 – March 3. Written comments will be accepted through March 17, 2020. All comments provided at public hearings or in writing will be presented to the Council and Commission. Lots of info, >click to read< 14:03
A New Generation! The Army Corps of Engineers have designed a hydroelectric turbine that’s safer for fish, increase energy efficiency by 4%
They’ve recently installed a new design that’s improving energy efficiency and improving fish survival along the Snake River, with plans to upgrade more turbines over the next several years. The Army Corps installed the first of two designs at Ice Harbor Dam, just outside the Tri-Cities in southeastern Washington. A second blade design should be finished in 2021. “It really is a new generation of turbine design for our hydropower system,” said the Corps’ Martin Ahmann.,, This new turbine has been shown to increase juvenile fish survival rate to more than 98%. >click to read< 10:50
Numbers on the Rise! Lobster might become one of the most important fisheries in Newfoundland
Warmer waters are getting part of the credit for an uptick in lobsters off the coast of Newfoundland and some companies are betting big on the crustacean’s future.,, In the last five years, lobster landing volumes have seen almost an 80 per cent increase, up to about 4,400 metric tonnes from roughly 2,100. While an impressive increase, those volumes are still small in comparison to the rest of the Atlantic provinces. For example, in 2017, the total volume of lobster harvested in Newfoundland represented just three per cent of what was harvested in the Atlantic provinces. >click to read< 08:40
EU demands access to UK waters. Give Brussels fishing rights for 25 years? Codswallop!
EU negotiator Michel Barnier underscored the difficulties of the trade negotiations with Britain ahead for the rest of the year when he highlighted the small but emblematic fisheries industry, which was a key issue in the protracted Brexit process in the United Kingdom too. Barnier told France Inter radio that “there will be no trade deal with the British if there is no reciprocal access deal for our fishermen.” >click to read< Give Brussels fishing rights for 25 years? Codswallop! Britain to reject EU demands for deal that would allow foreign trawlers access to our waters until 2045 – >click to read< 07:37
Nova Scotia: Lobster industry fears prolonged effects of coronavirus outbreak as exports halted, prices drop
A month ago, China appeared to be a land of endless opportunity for Nova Scotia’s $1-billion lobster industry, with fishers collecting record returns for their catches and exports to the Asian country growing to historic levels. Then, as travel restrictions and lockdowns in some cities were imposed in China in an effort to contain the virus, known as 2019-nCoV, lobster orders dried up almost overnight. The shore price, or price paid to lobster fishers for their catch, fell from a record high of $10.50 a pound to $8 a pound on Nova Scotia’s south shore last week, and is expected to keep falling. >click to read< 05:49
