Daily Archives: March 29, 2020
Coronavirus: COVID-19 concerns delays southern N.B. lobster season 1 month, other fisheries scheduled to start on set dates
Department of Fisheries and Oceans accepted a request from the Fundy North Fishermen’s Association to delay the the start of the lobster fishery in the two zones from March 31 to April 30. The association represents fishermen from St. Martins to St. Stephen including the communities of Deer Island and Campobello Island. “In light of the current circumstances, and with input and support from groups involved, DFO has accepted this request and will be delaying the start of the fishing season by 30 days,” wrote Jane Deeks, press secretary to the Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan in an email. >click to read< 18:06
Californians urge Gov Newsom pause in Delta Tunnel planning during Coronavirus crisis
The state of California is continuing ahead with plans for the Delta Tunnel, a project to divert more water from Northern California for San Joaquin Valley agribusiness and Southern California water agencies, in spite of the COVID 19 global pandemic. Fishermen, Tribal leaders, conservationists, environmental justice advocates, scientists, many elected leaders, family farmers, Delta business owners and the general public oppose the construction of the environmental and economic damage it will cause to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, West Coast fisheries and the people of California. Dan Bacher reports, >click to read< 17:37
Looking Back at FishNet USA – “New Conservationists” and the Flopping Flounder Fishing Club
In these days of seemingly unrelenting grim news I thought I’d try to lighten the atmosphere somewhat by sharing with you what I consider possibly entertaining piece I wrote and distributed twenty years ago. For those unfamiliar with Mid-Atlantic fisheries management, the striped bass (Morone saxatilis) fishery is managed by a per-state quota, and each states’ quota is divided into commercial and recreational components. Way back when the New Jersey Legislature passed a bill which made it illegal to sell striped bass so the commercial quota was added onto the recreational quota. The commercial was never – and still isn’t – very large, but the unfairness of the law and the fact that it on occasion it necessitates the over-the-side disposal of what would (should?) be perfectly saleable striped bass bycatch grates on a whole lot of commercial fishermen. Please stay safe and healthy, Nils >click to read< 11:38
Coronavirus pandemic exposes China’s venality
China makes almost all our medical personal protection equipment. Who knew? It also came to light that much of our most widely used and critically important pharmaceutical drugs are also being made almost exclusively in China.,, Meanwhile the Lunar New Year Holiday was in full swing in China. Millions of people were preparing for the upcoming celebration. In Wuhan, tens of thousands of people were attending massive shopping fairs to purchase gifts. One such event was a potluck dinner held in downtown Wuhan that brought in more than 40,000 families from all over China. These people carried the virus to the world. It was almost seven weeks from the appearance of the coronavirus before the Chinese government was forced to admit its existence. If the government had acted even three weeks earlier, the world would have been spared the horrific pandemic., by Marvin F. Dugger >click to read< 09:56
Markey: Aid for fishermen only the beginning – Fishermen Getting Hammered By Restaurant Shutdowns
Sen. Edward Markey warned members of the fishing community Saturday that the country was just at the beginning of the coronavirus health crisis. “These numbers are mounting, the number of cases, and it could go on potentially for a sustained period of time,” Markey said to dozens of fishing industry leaders, state legislators and mayors on a weekend conference call. “Three hundred million is a great start, but it’s hard to imagine it will go very far,” said Jeffrey Reichle, president of Lund’s Fisheries of Cape May, New Jersey,,, >click to read< 07:27
Fishermen Getting Hammered By Restaurant Shutdowns – They are also looking for relief from government rules. >click to read< 07:30
Coast Guard, good Samaritan assist vessel taking on water near Sitka, Alaska
The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan assist a vessel taking on water near Sitka, Alaska, Saturday. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka delivered a dewatering pump to the fishing vessel Tamarack, which was taking on water approximately 35 miles west of Sitka Saturday. The crew of Tamarack utilized the dewatering pump to prevent additional flooding. The good Samaritan vessel Pacific Bounty responded to the urgent marine information broadcast, arrived on scene and assisted in dewatering the vessel. Video, >click to read< 06:49
