Daily Archives: March 9, 2020
“Tide Runners: Exploring the Life of Shrimpers & Fishermen” presented by photographer/author Tim Barnwell
This nine-year exploration took him to the Outer Banks and seaside towns of North Carolina and to dozens of seaboard locations in South Carolina and Georgia where he met, photographed and interviewed folks for this project. From before sunrise until after dark these men and women work, in all types of weather, through the seasons. Bound by the rhythms of the tides, they struggle to support themselves,, Over numerous trips to the area, Barnwell visited dozens of small communities, going out on a variety of shrimping and fishing boats, spending time getting to know the boat captains, strikers on the back of the trawlers, dock workers, food processors and restaurant employees. more, >click to read< 19:30
House passes shark fin ban with carveout for domestic fishermen by Rep. Toby Overdorf amendment
The House passed the Senate version of a bill (SB 680), which outlaws the import and export of fins to or from Florida. Rep. Toby Overdorf offered an amendment essentially gutting the bill,, The amendment permits the “sale of shark fins by any commercial fisherman who harvested sharks from a vessel holding a valid federal shark fishing permit on January 1, 2020. The export and sale of shark fins by any wholesale dealer holding a valid federal Atlantic shark dealer permit on January 1, 2020.” more, >click to read< 16:24
Arnold “Arnie” Gamage Jr, has passed away, was a founding member of the South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-op
Arnold “Arnie” Gamage Jr., 67, of South Bristol, passed away unexpectedly on the afternoon of March 4, 2020 in Rockport. Born in Damariscotta on Dec. 31, 1952, he was the son of Arnold Sr. and Gloria (Chipman) Gamage. Arnie grew up in South Bristol, attending local schools and graduating from Lincoln Academy. He began lobstering at the age of 10, following in his father’s footsteps, and creating a family tradition that continues to be carried on today. Arnie was also very involved in Maine’s lobstering industry, and was one of the founding members of the South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-op, serving on their board for many years. He was also a longstanding board member of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, more, >click to read< 14:20
Big Bar Landslide blasting resumes, In-river drilling and excavation underway.
The huge remediation project is jointly managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the B.C. government and B.C. First Nations, who are guided by an Indigenous leadership panel. It involves equipment operators for excavators and rock trucks, drillers and blasters, rock scalers, emergency medical, river rescue and helicopter evaluation crews, environmental specialists and archeologists. “Blasting in waterways is not uncommon and the methods the contractor is using to drill and blast rock near and in-water are well understood,” the department said. more, >click to read< 12:02
Maine lobstermen tell federal regulators: We’re not killing the whales
The Maine Lobstering Union accuses the agency of caving to environmental organizations when it should be defending the industry. Kristan Porter, a Cutler lobsterman who heads up the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, said the modeling tool the agency had come up with to determine risk had been sharply criticized by a team of independent scientists during a peer review conducted late last year. Stonington lobsterman Julie Eaton urged regulators to stop playing dangerous games with fishermen’s lives and livelihoods. We don’t want to see any animal go extinct, but blaming us for the right whale’s decline is like blaming Mexico for the plight of the polar bear, she said. >click to read< 09:47
Retain and report American lobsters
American lobsters have been imported to the UK since the late 1950s for consumption in restaurants and homes. In 2015, 1744 tonnes were imported, worth £15.75 million. American lobsters tend to grow to larger sizes than European lobster, have a larger dietary range, are more tolerant of different habitats, are more aggressive and produce more eggs than European lobsters. This means they are at a competitive advantage over the native species. American lobsters might also carry the bacterial disease, Gaffkaemia, or Epizootic Shell Disease. Transferring these diseases to native stocks could result in major economic losses to the fishing industry. more, >click to read< 08:25
